White Christmas?

The sun is shining the grass is green (sort of)…Wait this isn’t L.A. and I’m not singing the intro to White Christmas (if you haven’t heard it before it gives context to the song). Irving Berlin wrote it and then dropped it from the original recording to give the song more universal appeal. This isn’t about a song though, it’s about what is Christmas anyway? Where I live we are not always guaranteed a white Christmas. In fact it can be January before we even get a good snow. This year I thought that we might have a chance; we’ve had more moisture than usual. We actually had some snow for a few days, but the last three days rain and about 38-42 degree temperatures have melted most of the snow, save the piles made from the snow plows. But as for a white Christmas, we didn't have one here. 


One of my favorite Christmas carols is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was written during the Civil War and it always gives me hope that through whatever the world throws at us that there can always be Peace on Earth.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carols play,And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,The world revolved from night to day, a voice, a chime; a chant sublime Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black accursed mouth The cannon thundered in the South, And with the sound The carols drowned Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent, And made forlorn The households born Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;"There is no peace on earth," I said;"For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: "God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Back to Christmas…For me Christmas is a time to reflect on the past year, what has transpired and what I have been blessed with. I have been blessed with so much…I have a loving wife, three great kids and a home. What more can I ask for? But I also have a job that allows me to have a house and doesn’t take me away from my family too much. I have a great extended family my in-laws are wonderful and my dad could be the biggest Boise State fan since…Me! My family is so important to me…and knowing that we can always be together makes me feel so fortunate. This season where we celebrate the birth of the Savior helps to bring out the best in everyone. Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.

It's December already! More than one week into the twelfth month. So many things happening this time of year hard to stop and catch your breath. I wanted to share something I read about today. If you have kids that write letters to the Man in the Red Suit (I mean Santa Claus), then this tip is for you. Google Voice is sponsoring Send a Call from Santa. Just fill out some info... I'll let Google tell you.

Well, this year he can—with your help. If you know a kid (of any age) who’d like to hear from Santa, create and send a personalized phone call from the jolly man in the red suit himself at sendacallfromsanta.com.

There are hundreds of options to choose from, so you can send unique, customized phone calls to anyone you know, from your nieces and nephews to old college friends, over the phone (to U.S. numbers only) or via email, Facebook or Twitter.

If you or your kids have a special request or message for Santa, you can leave him a message at his Google Voice number: 855-34-SANTA. Although he’s too busy to return messages himself, you can always create one on his behalf at the Send a Call From Santa site.

Ready to spread some holiday cheer? Listen to a sample message, and visitsendacallfromsanta.com to send a message of your own.

So click ovet to their site and make someones day. Be it your child, a friend or CoWorker. Everyone loves calls from Santa!

The Aftermath....

I had to take a few days to digest my feelings after the Nevada loss. It was a hard loss. We Boise State fans are spoiled. We are not accustomed to losing. That is not the norm in college football. Teams have ups and downs. We have had ups for a while and with growing pains come the downs. Moving into the Mountain West Conference will not guarantee unbeaten seasons and it shouldn't! for Boise State to build the kind of program that we want and they need, challenges have to happen and at times you grow by not completing the challenge.

That being said I think that Boise State was robbed in the BCS Standings. It just goes to show how rigged the BCS system is. So much so, that TCU, BYU, & Utah are leaving their NON-AQ conferences to try to get a piece of that pie. Other teams and conferences were jostled around this year for that same reason. $! MONEY. it's too bad that college football has turned it's focus to only $ so that all programs in all parts of college sports are focused on how to get more $. I don't have an answer, I just hate the problem!

SNOW

It Snowed. I got home from work on Tuesday and the snow was falling. Then I woke up this morning and the world was covered in a blanket of white wonder. I woke up early to be able to clear the driveway before I headed in to work. It was very peaceful at 6:00 AM shoveling snow. Remember it's December 1st! I wonder what the rest of winter will be like?

I took these before heading into work Wednesday AM.

Those are snowflakes streaking across the picture. (These photos were taken with my EVO)

Boise State Rivalry Week!!!!

A revisit to last years preparation for the rivalry! 

Originally posted 11/13/09

This is the week of the game that saves the career of many a football coach, Rivalry Week! Boise State plays Idaho this week and last I checked Boise State was 31 point favorites. So I am not sure if you can call that a rivalry or not. There has been a lot of talk this week in the media from both Vandal and Bronco fans. But the funniest bit of press that I have seen this week has to do with the University of Idaho Athletic Director refusing to ride on a Horizon Air plane from Moscow to Boise because the plane was painted Orange and Blue for Boise State. He decided to waste money and drive to Spokane and then catch a flight to Boise. What a dope! Good thing Horizon Air listens to whining and took care of the Vandals.

Go Broncos!

Go Orange, Go Big Blue!

 Boise State Vs. Hawaii. I can't think of anything better to do on a November Saturday. The weather was great. So much better then the previous year when we froze! We started our quasi- tailgating like last year- at Perkins. No waiting outside with food getting cold. No looking for something edible that hasn't been out all morning. Oh and if you eat there- then you get free parking on game day!

When we arrived Tammy and I waited in the car for a little while, we were early. We watched ESPN College Gameday on my EVO (there is a Sprint Football App). Then we headed in to get our names on the list. When I gave him my name, I gave my full name: Chris Peterson. The manager responded, "That's a pretty important name around here!". After my dad, his wife, my sister and brother arrived the manager announced, "Chris Peterson party of 6!". You should have seen the heads turn! As if the coach of the number 4 team in the nation would be eating at Perkins on the morning of a game. But people did look! Another benefit of being me!

Game time approached and we headed over to the stadium. My dad sold his usual season tickets to be able to sit with the rest of us a few sections over. My brother-in-law and his wife bought tickets and came up from Utah to watch the game and amazingly they were only one row down and two seats over from where we were seated. It was a packed stadium (as it should be!).  A great game by a great team. It feels like we're watching history in the making.

Fall in Boise. Boise State Football.

Word Cloud...

I did a word cloud before on what my this blog contained. Today I did one for my #tweets for the last year or so. Here is the result.

On twitter I am BroncoP3t3_ so I am not surprised to see that I tweet about Boise State Broncos!

BCS...Who programmed theses computers???

Thanks to twitter and facebook I can take out my BCS frustration in a more instant manner, but I can't ignore sharing frustration in this space as well.

We are in the second week of the BCS standings and Boise State is continually rebuffed! How is Oregon ahead of us! Rick Reilly from ESPN put it great and I'll quote part of his article here:

It's the biggest rip-off since the Nigerian prince scam. It makes you wonder why you watch college football at all. What Boise State is being asked to do isn't doable. It's like trying to win a Cuban election. Or break into the Genovese family.

The Broncos are 6-0. They've won 20 straight games, the longest streak in the country. They've beaten two BCS automatic qualifiers -- 6th-ranked Virginia Tech and 24th-ranked Oregon State. Doesn't matter. BSU could whip the 103rd Infantry and it wouldn't get a sniff. The computers are in charge. The pod bay doors won't open.

Boise State is going to get seated at the kids' table again. The Broncos will go to some pointless bowl and beat somebody like they always do -- they've already bested Oklahoma and TCU in bowls like that -- and they'll come home with a win and a hatful of "You kids sure play with a lot of heart up there" put-downs from the BCS blazers.

Amazing, isn't it? NCAA Division I football is the only sport in the world where continued, uninterrupted, hats-in-the-air winning doesn't mean you keep progressing. For Boise State, it gets you a squirt of vinegar in the eye. It's a three-card Monty game and all they get is two cards. OK, here it comes. Say it: Boise State doesn't play anybody.

Boise State plays -- and beats -- whoever they throw at it. It thumped San Jose State 48-0. Wisconsin, which beat No. 1 Ohio State and No. 15 Iowa, only beat SJSU by 13, at home!

Boise State smashed Wyoming 51-6. Wyoming nearly beat Air Force and Air Force nearly beat Oklahoma. You're telling me Boise State couldn't beat OU? Oh, wait. It already did.

Boise State whipped Virginia Tech on the road. VT is undefeated in the ACC. Are you telling me Boise State wouldn't be carving up the ACC? 

Am I bitter? No. But I like many think that Boise State is not getting fair or objective  treatment from some in the press (i.e.- Craig james & Mark May) or fans of other teams. So if you know someone that hates Bosie State, ask them why? Is it because the Broncos beat your team... or because their afraid and know that we would beat them!

Go Broncos!

Walkman...

I heard on the radio that Sony was retiring the cassette walkman. This is a sad day for portable music enthusiasts. I got my first walkman in Jr high. This was a sony walkman (remember Mega Bass). Previously I had a couple other portable cassette / radios that were ok, but they were always wearing out. I listened to them alot! In Jr high I lived too close (less then 1 mile - .8 miles) to ride the bus so I walked. Many days I got dropped off by my parents on the way to work, but when the bell rang to end the school day at 2:25 PM, I was on my own and walked home. That walkman was a great walking companion.

During this time I didn't have a drivers licence so the easiest way to independently go to a friends house was on a bike or hoof it! Many nights I remember walking home in the twilight listening to my walkman. Whether it was Huey Lewis & The News, Information Society, or Jimmy Smith... I never walked home alone. I could picture myself in another place listening to that music. I was not in a quiet Idaho town... I was in Chicago listening to Count Basie or Wes Montgomery...or watching Bono belt out With or Without You.

I stopped using my aiwa iteration of the walkman in college. The library would have been too quiet without it. Since then I've had a few iPods and I love 'em, don't get me wrong... But there is something with the hum of the tape motor and how when the batteries got low your favorite song would play just a little slower, letting you know it was time for new ones. walkman you were a good companion and you'll be missed.

Talk about instant...

When I was in high school one of my favorite bands was Huey Lewis & The News (still have them on my iPod). There are many groups that I listen to and have ripped onto my Mac and then to my iPod. One artist is Michelle Branch. A little background. Michelle Branch released The Spirit Room in 2001. I had no idea who she was or anything. Spring of 2002 my brother-in-law, Tim moved in with us for a few months after moving to Idaho from Arkansas. One of the many CDs he brought with him was Michelle Branch The Spirit Room. I really liked it and wanted a copy myself.

Fast forward to 2010. My daughter Selah is 8. Earlier in the week we went to Grandpa & Grandma's and they had purchased a new karaoke machine. Guess who was on the demo cd- Michelle Branch "All I Wanted" from The Spirit Room. Selah listened to it, sang it and loved it. So later that evening we went on YouTube and searched for Michelle Branch songs. A few days ago she asked that I put some Michelle Branch on her iPod, so I did. Later that night she was at the kitchen table listening to her iPod and copying down the lyrics to "All I Wanted". Then she sang it to me. Then she sang it to Tammy & I.

The next day I went on to twitter and sent the following message to @michellebranch (I already know I put the wrong age for Selah)

This is the response I received.

In Junior High I wrote a letter to Huey Lewis & The News. A month or so later I got a post card back with their signatures on it and a form letter thanking me for being interested. That's how it was THEN. Now I send a message to the artist and within a few hours she wrote back. Thanks Tim for introducing me to Michelle Branch & thanks @michellebranch for the music that connected me & my daughter!

Twitter. Connecting us all. Who knew.

Twitter not for all, but I like it!

Twitter is not for everyone. Just like facebook is not for all. There are many people that have been 'pressured' into joining facebook and/or twitter by well intentioned friends or family. I think twitter is fun. It is also informative. On that twitter is fun is when it is embraced by other sources of media. My favorite funny one is Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Every week he makes up a hashtag (#) that can then be used by people who want to respond. It's like making a worldwide list on a certain topic. This past week he did #ifihadonewish (if I had one wish) and people responded. Here's the clip:


It's pretty funny. I love the interaction. Just another way the internet has brought us closer.

ESPN College Gameday - Images

I took some of the pictures that I took at ESPN College Gameday and at the Boise State / Oregon State game and put them together and thought I would share them.

Boise State History

At the end of ESPN College Gameday they paid tribute to the school who was their host and presented a video history of Boise State Football.

Enjoy!

Live From Bronco Stadium

Four-thirty AM is pretty dang early on a Saturday. You know what's earlier? Three AM! Sent the kids to bed early (for a Friday) then I went to bed knowing that 4:30 AM would be here soon. My mind had other plans. I woke up at 3:00 AM unable to return to my peaceful slumber. I quietly showered and dressed and then I waited. I played on twitter for a little bit. You know, there are not many people tweeting about Boise State or much of anything at 3:00 AM. At least not the tweeters around here.
At 4:15 AM I woke up the kids. If you want to see something funny wake up a nine year old and an eight year old at 4:15 AM. I had to help them so much to get them out of pajamas an into their Boise State t shirts and jeans. I was a puppeteer with marionettes. We gathered out previously organized 'on the road' breakfast and headed to pick up Uncle Clark.
4:30 AM and we picked up Clark, who was waiting in the driveway and headed to Boise State - Bronco Stadium for ESPN College Gameday!

We arrived just before 5:00 AM and there were so many people already lined up. We quickly found a parking place and joined them. Within fifteen minutes 1/4 of the line was behind us due to the number of people lining up after us. Then we snaked our way around Bronco Stadium until we were able to enter and find our seats. We still had an hour until Gameday started after we took our seats. But as time grew close the ESPN personalities began to arrive and things started hopping!

After the first hour of Gameday Gabe and Selah were starting to get bored. So Clark, being the great uncle he is; took them for a walk around the stadium. They walked to the upper deck and got a bird's eye view of the happenings. When they got back to me they also had treats! They had found a concession stand and they brought back donuts.

Their attention span is still very short so it didn't take for them to get antsy and want to leave. So Gabe and Selah with Uncle Clark took a walk to the Boise State Student Union.

They met back up with me with about ten minutes left in Gameday. Then we headed out of the stadium and back home.

We did make one stop on the way back. The Apple Store. It recently opened in the Boise Towne Square Mall. The kids had fun. Driving home they asked when they could go back. I said, "Back to Bronco Stadium?" "No Dad, back to the Apple Store!", they replied.

Fun times. 

Some facts about Gameday in Boise:
Attendance: 13,200 (Gameday runs from 7 AM - 10 AM in Boise)
First time Gameday was in Boise
Boise State Football is Ranked #3 Nationally Highest Ranking Ever 

ESPN College Gameday!

Tomorrow is the day! Boise State versus Oregon State. I am getting pretty excited. I am going to the game with my dad. Using his season tickets, of course that he has has since I was in pre-K. It is also the first time that Boise State will be on national network TV for a regular season game. Also, ESPN College Gameday will be broadcasting their show from Bronco Stadium! Since I can't take the kids to the game with me (tickets are pretty spendy and the game is sold out!) We are getting up at o-dark-thirty and heading to Bronco Stadium to be in the crowd for College Gameday! So Uncle Clark, Gabe, Selah & Dad will be up early to have some college football fun!

  (Check out the gameday crew on the blue-below)

It should be a good game and if you tweet you can see a lot of action on twitter with #boisestate #gobroncos #bsufootball #smurfturfshowdown and of course you can see what I might say at http://twitter.com/BroncoP3t3_

Go Broncos!

Wyoming highlights

Here are highlights from the Wyoming game!

Week three!

Hard to believe it's week three and I have yet to blog about the Boise State football season!!! So much to say...

#3 in the Nation! WOO-HOO! If you didn't already know this then you must not pay attention to college football. This past week Boise State played Wyoming in Laramie! Game one was in Washington D.C. against Virginia Tech! Two hostile environments in a row and the Broncos were successful.

This was only the Broncos second game, Wyoming had played two games up to that point. The previous week they played Texas, against whom they seemed have an easier time than they did with Boise State. Here is an interesting comparison:

The score tells the story. Boise State was the visitor and handled their opponent.

Go Broncos!

Here is some news re: Boise State

Pocatello Adventures

Whew! School starts and things can finally slow down and look back at what has gone on...

In August we went to Pocatello for a Marshall reunion. It was great to see the cousins on the Marshall side of the family. We stayed with Tammy's uncle Bob. On the way down Gabe said that we weren't camping or hoteling, we were Bobbing!

Bob and his wife Janet live just down from Alameda Park in Pocatello, so one evening we took the kids down to play. They had a lot of fun (as you can tell).

(Oh yeah... Ali is walking!)

We also hit some Vintage Pocatello hangouts. While driving around with the kids (showing them Tammy's old stomping grounds) we stopped by the Ross Park Drive-In and got Taco Spaghetti. It was Yu-MMY! (So much that Tammy recreated the recipe last Friday night!) On Saturday we went to Tastee-treet and got a space-burger!  

We had family and culinary fun!

iPhone envy? I EVO (I don't know)

EVO. Have you heard of it? It is the latest and greatest phone from Sprint. I just got one through work. Didn't he have an iPhone? Yes, I did. But Having an iPhone and an EVO didn't make too much sense. So I don't have an iPhone any more. Tammy has an iPhone and I have the EVO. What are my impressions. I have been using the EVO exclusively for a little over a week and I had the iPhone for almost nine months. So there are some things that were second nature on the iPhone that I am still learning on the EVO.

Differences:

• Carrier- EVO is Sprint- iPhone is AT&T: AT&T calls were clearer- Sprint has 4G in Boise. Getting used to Sprint
• Media- iTunes doesn't really work with the EVO. I did find a way to sync a playlist and then get the songs over to the SD card. I can use any song as a ringtone on the EVO, a lot easier than on the iPhone. 
• Google Integration- EVO runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) and as Android is Google things are tight, Gmail contacts almost instant updating. iPhone wasn't as consistent. 
• Battery- iPhone battery was not the best, but it lasts longer than EVO. I have to remember to shut stuff off on EVO as to not drain the battery too soon. Hopefully with updates the battery life will improve.

Overall- I am getting to like EVO. iPhone and iTunes App store integration is great and hopefully the Android Marketplace will be comparable soon. But as a phone and internet device it works pretty good. As time goes on I am sure that I'll like it more. I just have to learn it- more of which I do each day I use EVO.

So if you are on Sprint EVO is a good choice.

My EVO. 

GO BRONCOS!

Happy Weekend Everybody!

450

Yep that last post was post 450. Hard to believe. I sure have said a lot. My wife tells me that I talk too much! Well I am still not done. There is more to come about my life, family, friends, technology and much, much more. Here's to 450 more! 

One more thing...

One more thing that came up when we were swimming...

My Dad told us about an indecent that happened at my grandmas house. There was a man that took down the for sale sign and pulled out a patio chair and was sitting in the driveway telling the neighbors that he had purchased the home. The manager of the community called the listing agent wondering what had happened and why she had not been notified of the house selling- why was she left out of the loop! The listing agent was just as confused as everyone, because she did not remember selling the house. She was sure she would not have missed that detail! Then after some investigation- turns out it was a transient person 'pretending' that they bought the home. 

That man is gone, the sign is back out- all is well. 

Swimming... Fun!

Grandma Peterson passed away in 2008. Since then her house has been for sale. A long time, right. I think so at least (and I work in the Real Estate Industry). Anyway, her house is located in an over 55 community where you lease the land your home is on. So there is HOA fee that my dad is paying every month, as he now owns her house. In her community they have a pool.

When Grandma was alive we would go swimming in the pool and she would meet us there and come down and talk to us while we swam. Now that Dad has the house we just swim whenever we can get together.

It's fun to swim in a private pool, where only residents or guests are allowed. The only caveat is that no 'diaper-aged' children are allowed. (They don't have problems with diaper-aged adults though). So that can sometimes be tricky, but we usually work out something.

This summer we have gone a few times. One time we took Tammy's dad and one of the community residents came in and started talking to him trying to see what part of the community that he lived in and getting other details, then he told her that he was with us. She had met us previously.

As long as you have a place to keep wet- that's all that matters. Enjoy Summer!

Summer goes!!!!

Wow! Summer goes fast! Time, I mean. I looked and saw that the last post was from 4th of July and thought "What happened?". Summer happened, that's what. After the 4th there was a scramble at work to get as much done as I could. Because we were on vacation from July 16 - 24th! Yeah- a nice big chunk right in the middle of the month. It's ok, though I planned for it. But the week before we left I was feeling like a headless chicken.

Then getting back this week meant Monday and Tuesday on the road doing classes, so I really wasn't 'back' until Wednesday. (unless you count the 5:45 AM trip to pick up computers for my Twin Falls trip on Monday). Wednesday still felt like a hamster on a a wheel, but getting better.

Our vacation. We went camping in three places. First to the Augustus Peterson Reunion in St. Charles, ID. We went to Bear Lake twice with the kids. Bear Lake is great because you can walk out for over 60 yards from shore before you have to swim. It starts out very shallow. Then we packed up the tent and sleeping bags and headed to Island Park, ID (Henry's Fork of the Snake River/ Henry's Lake). We met up with my in-laws there. We camped at Lower Flat Rock Campground- it is across the highway from Mack's Inn. We camped for five days then we packed up and headed back to Nampa. One night at home then we headed to Owyhee Reservoir for a church overnighter. We went to Camp Hycliff. It was an interesting drive, Tammy drove and does not like driving close to rocks (we were right against a high cliff) or close to water (we were along the Owyhee river the last part of our drive). It was nice. Grass to camp on, lots of trees for shade and a water slide for the kids.

Here are a few pictures from the Island Park section of our trip.

July 2010

A fun time had by all.  It's good to be home.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Happy Birthday America! What a great day to celebrate the Red, White, & Blue. This spring we watched America, the story of US on the History channel with the kids. It was a great way to have them learn a little more about US history at home. You can watch episodes online if you're interested. It's not as dry as you might think and they have some good re-enactments.

I hope that everyone has a great 4th of July. This is America. It doesn't matter if you watched fireworks on the 3rd or the 4th you can be American just the same.




Here are the words to the National Anthem... All verses!
Have a great 4th of July!


O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

...Can you see

Hard to believe that the 4th of July is here already. The on true month of summer vacation is here (the only month without a school day). The 4th makes me think of cook outs, hot dogs, fireworks and heat.

I remember many 4ths of July going to my grandma's house in the south part of town off of South Powerline and celebrating 4th of July and my uncle Randy's birthday (it's on the 4th as well). We would have a cook out on her patio in the shade. Great Uncles and Aunts would come to enjoy the company. Uncle Danny would pull out the GOOD* fireworks that he had purchased in Wyoming while visiting his college friends. Cort and I had just mowed her lawn so it looked great!

We would shoot bottle rockets out of actual glass bottles. (I know- soda actually came in glass bottles!) It was great because we were on the edge of town and there was plenty of room that no neighbors complained. Then of course the smoke bombs came out and the tossed them into the grass and watched the smoke snake around in the grass- then rising to the surface. Red, blue, orange, puke yellow. It was good fun. Then of course if we had a little green army man, who could make the ultimate sacrifice. He could join the space program and go up on a bottle rocket. Never to return.

Now I get to share these same types of memories with my kids. I haven't made any trips to WY, but I still know where to get the good fireworks!

Happy 4th of July!


*GOOD means illegal!

Growing up and keeping cool!

Idaho in the summer is hot. Growing up keeping cool was pretty important (not just in the yearbook- 'Stay Cool for the summer' way either). We moved into our house on W Hudson in 1978. I was 4 Cort turned 2 that summer. The house had no lawn,  so we planted one. Growing up in that house was a lot of fun. Plenty of room for us and room to play. But the heat... We had A/C in the house, but outside it was warm.

One of the ways that we cooled off was swimming in the canal or ditch (whatever you want to call it). There was a canal that ran just behind our street, the Phyllis Canal. Our dad bought life vests for us and we all used to tube down the canal along about a quarter mile stretch. Then when we got older and were good swimmers we would go there on our own. It was a great way to keep cool. I know that canals are dangerous and I do not take my kids floating, like my dad did. But, when I was growing up- it was fun- we were safe- and we were smart.

There was also a place called "the ropes" a mile or so from our house where a few irrigation ditches converged. The trees had grown over and shaded it perfectly. It was only four feet deep or so and all sand on the bottom. It made the perfect place to swim and swing from the ropes that people had hung there. It was just the way you imagine it. Cool water- a shaded area - great summer fun.

Enjoy the hot days!

FYI- for disclosure sake- here is a PSA about canal safety

Where are you? Where have you been?

Where are you? Where have you been? You O.K.? The answer to this and many other questions is... 


I am here.  It's been a busy June. As you can tell by the lack of posting. Just a note about what is to come; posts. Bike riding- trips to KC- Train rides. But first let's just talk about Summer.


June is the first month of Summer. I know that it doesn't officially begin until June 21, but every since I was a kid in school June was the beginning of Summer. June, July, and August. Three months of freedom. 


Growing up my parents worked. So from a young age my brother and I were alone in the Summer. Not totally alone, my parents weren't neglecting us or anything. While we were young they would get someone to sit with us during the day, when they were at work. I remember for a few years it was Cindy Ashcraft. We rode our bikes to Woodside Racquet Club for swimming lessons. One of the summers when we rode to lessons they were widening Midland BLVD, in Nampa. I think it was in 1984, or so. If you were in Nampa then, you might remember it. It was a nightmare to drive/ride through- people even had bumper stickers that read "Pray for Me- I drive Midland BLVD". It was a pretty big project, they went from two lane, to the wide three lane road that it is today.


When we were a little older we were able take care of ourselves. They would take our baby brother to a sitter while they worked and then we stayed home. Our parents would leave us chore lists that we were expected to finish by the time the returned or we would lose privileges. Our list might include weeding rows in the garden, picking beans or snapping beans. We also might have to clean certain rooms in the house- so that mom & dad did not have to later. So we did our work and then played.  


One summer I remember that we spent a lot of time with Ryan and Josh Wilhelmsen. This is the summer that we learned about warming up hot dogs in the microwave and then eating them with BBQ sauce. They lived just up the street so it was easy to run up and play for a little while and then be home for mom & dad. 


Summer was fun. I guess that's why working all the time makes me long for the days when choosing where to ride my bike to was a major decision. 

iPhone 4...iOS4.. Some Thoughts

Yesterday Apple unveiled the new iPhone 4. It looks like a magnificent device. Redesigned- updated components and thinner to boot! Apple lists a lot in the tech specs on their site. There are many new features, too many for me to list them all, but I wanted to share the one that I think will change personal communication forever: FaceTime.

FaceTime is the video calling feature that Apple has added to the iPhone 4. It was Steve Jobs "...one more thing". This is revolutionary because it is the way that we have all dreamed of calling since we first saw Star Wars or whichever science fiction franchise was your favorite. Real-time video calling with no set up just two people with iPhones and *boom* they're talking face to face. In his presentation Steve Jobs talked about making this technology open source... this means that Google, Microsoft, or anyone who makes phones could incorporate it into their technology and suddenly there is a large group of people that are able to video chat. Or better said; communicate face to face.

Why does this matter? It matters because it does what technology is supposed to do. Make life simpler. You can make video calls now, it is just cost prohibitive to the average person and not too easy to set up. It's not too hard these days to see a Cisco ad with Ellen Page as she appears amazed that people are communicating with video across the globe. Well, iPhone 4 does the same thing without having to be a Cisco Admin.

Do I want an iPhone 4? Darn tootin' I do! Will it happen, that I can't say. Per AT&T I am not due an upgrade until next year. So probably not anytime soon. But I can dream!

Here is the iPhone 4 clip that was shown at the Apple WWDC (WorldWide Developer Conference) on June 7.

iPhone Day!!!

Today is iPhone day! What is that you might ask!! Well today is Apple's WorldWide Developers Conference. WWDC 2010 and on Monday morning Steve Jobs will give the keynote. There has been much speculation on what will be announced from iPhone 4.0 to the iPhone 4G or an update to the Mac or even Apple TV. I don't really have a prediction, I am just excited for new info from Apple. I have to admit that I am kind of a fanboy. If money was no object I would have a few more Apple products in my house for my wife and kids.

I won't get any new info until this afternoon. (I do work, you know!) So here is Apple's Steve Jobs talking about the iPhone & iPad not having flash- to wet your whistle.

Memorial

Just a quick note to give thanks to those who have gone before. Many have gone before to pave the way and create the life that I have now. Memorial day is a time for us to remember. For me it was my sister Catherine, my mother Lynn, both sets of grandparents Keith & Harriett Peterson & James and Irene Crummett, and an uncle Danny. Many memories that made me who I am. I am thankful for their example and the time that I had with them.

This weekend, and always we celebrate their lives and remember the good times by fighting the good fight. We keep on keepin' on! So throw another steak on the grill and down a cold Dr. P for your loved ones. I know I will!

The End.

Lost. Finale. I loved it! I thought it was a great way to end this chapter in the lives of the characters that we have grown to love theses past six seasons. I thought that the way the Island time line was completed was great. (I would love to see a story on Hugo and Ben’s time as island caretakers.) I think it would have been a different place than the island that Jacob ran. Hurley would help people in a different way.

I’ll jump right to the part that gave a lot of people trouble; The end. The final 20 minutes of the episode pulled all the characters together in the flash-sideways timeline. There are many interpretations to what is represented when the characters reunite. Here is my take.

The flash-sideways/ alt timeline was not a timeline at all, but another step in the process called existence/ life. After their time on the island (which was real) they all live their lives and died for who knows how long. Jacob was on the island for centuries, how long was Hugo there?  Upon dying, then they were in a place where the plane landed in LA and they did not have the memories of their time on the island. Little by little through contact with one another they see small glimpses of the lives that they had and the people they were with. Then when they find someone with whom they had a significant relationship all the memories come rushing back. Then they are ready to move on. And they know. So they want to share their knowledge with the rest of the people they shared a life-changing experience with.

I couldn’t think of a better way to end, then to remember all the good times, be reunited with people I love and move on.

Thanks LOST.
*FYI I was listening to “Tricia Tanaka is Dead” while I wrote this!

The Final LOST Untangled...

Before I  share my thoughts on the LOST finale... I thought I'd share the final LOST Untangled. In case anyone needs some clarification...

Jerry Seinfeld was on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon the other night and was hilarious! The talked right through the commercial break- so online they included that footage too!

Here is the part that aired-


Here is the un-aired clip-

Yet again... more LOST

This comes from NPR. Proof that you can listen to NPR AND be part of POP culture!

Another LOST song!

Another LOST Tribute song. Next week we may not remember these, but LOST will always be with us.
"ANSWERS" by Jesse David Weeks

"ANSWERS" by Jesse David Weeks from Jeff Hammond on Vimeo.

Hip Hip Tribute to LOST

Here is a hip hop tribute to LOST. The lyrics are all about LOST and how it made the singer feel. I love how you can hear the LOST musical score in the background. Thanks to Nik at Nite for sharing this. Best part:

This is brilliant, from the LOLs at 2:30 (seriously, I laughed out loud) to the sadness I felt when I realized they were pretty much explaining exactly how I felt: "Just like Sawyer loved Juliet but had to let her go/ Man that’s sorta how I feel when I think about this show..."

Lost Cast Says "Goodbye"

The Cast of LOST says "Goodbye"

This is the week

This is it. The last week of regular LOST episodes. This Sunday is the series finale. It's bittersweet. It will be great to see many questions answered, but when you are invested in certain characters it's hard to see them go. There have always been shows that I have liked. I would much rather see them end like LOST, where the writers and creators get to end it on their terms- versus the network canceling it without a proper ending. A few shows that I think of when I reminisce about LOST are: Alias- although since I own the DVDs it never really ends. Friends- We bought the DVDs as they were released and yep we have all ten seasons. Friends was another that ended on their own terms. Then Quantum Leap. In high school I'll admit that I was a little on the geeky side, I liked my weekly dose of Dr. Sam Beckett. QL was cancelled before the writers could work it out the way they wanted.

LOST is going out in style. If you haven't heard (or you've been living in a cave). Sunday on ABC is all about LOST. The finale will be 2.5 hours long. Plus a Jimmy Kimmel special later that night. So get ready! To wet your appetite, here is the latest LOST: Untangled.




Read all the LOST Posts Here

Wow. Only one more real...

Only one more real episode left until the finale. The 2.5 hour finale! We have to wee how many people tune in. Anyway... "Across the Sea" was more about Jacob and the Man in Black... Who it turns out, was Jacob's brother! LOST Untangled does a good job of clearing up the mess....

El Fin Se Acerca! The End Is Near!

The End of LOST, that is. Only two more episodes until the season finale on May 23! Until then... Get Untangled!

The search is over!

For those who keep up with facebook, twitter and the occasional blog post you, no doubt have seen that I have been on the hunt for a new car. Well, not a new car. But a gently used car that didn't have too many miles on it, that was built after I graduated high school (early 1990's) preferably in this decade, and one that I liked. Well it finally happened...

Two weeks ago we were looking at cars and had the experience noted here. This past Saturday we were at it again. This time we started by checking out a car found on Craigslist. This was a private owner so we met at a public location. Walgreens, by Albertsons. In Nampa that could be one of TWO places! What are the odds? In Nampa, apparently pretty good. (There is a Walgreens on 7th and 12th and 12th and Greenhurst both also have Albertsons). After getting the location straighted out we checkout A Toyota Avalon, it was ok. It was obvious that it had been in an accident, the owner had really broken English and an a strong accent. So there was not a lot of sharing of vehicle history, which does not instill confidence. Neither did the bumper with a different color than the body of the car. So we told them we'd think about it.

Then off to a dealer. This time it was Tom Scott Honda. We had dealt with them in past working on our Honda Odyssey, so we felt they would treat us fair.I usually drive by their lot coming home from work on a regular basis and I had seen some of their used inventory. We looked at a few cars and then we saw one that we thought would work. However it was a little above our budget. I was thinking, "great! Just like last week!" So we made the same offer that we had at Bronco Motors. But this time the car was newer, with less miles and a higher book value. A better car than a 1994 Pathfinder. I looked at Tammy and thought, 'Why are we making an offer again? They'll never accept it." The salesman came back and confirmed my fears. He told us that we were crazy to make an offer like that. Then he said, "Crazy because they accepted it!". Happy Birthday to ME!

I am now the proud owner of a 2002 Saturn L300W. I like it! It will work great for commuting and making my trips to Twin Falls for work much easier. Also, the kids think it's cool. They are already asking to ride in it whenever they can.

Hiatus.... Schmiatus

Where have I been? Nowhere really. I've been here. I was unable to make any long transmissions and have really been communicating in short burst transmissions. It is that reason that I did not make contact sooner.

That means that between tweets and facebook status updates I kind of neglected the original way that I shared my opinions and ideas. It's so quick and easy. My bad blogger! Sorry.

Cars, Soccer, Work, & Cars. Busy. Busy. Busy. Reece has started soccer. He has had three games already. He and his cousin Gavin are on the same team. Reece is two months older than Gavin, so they have fun. Sometimes Reece could be a little more aggressive towards the ball. But he'll grow into it. He has fun!

In November on the way to Twin Falls I ran over a deer (I didn't hit it, just ran over it. The truck in front of me hit it). I have been looking for a replacement vehicle. Been searching Craigslist, cars.com, autotrader.com, driving through lots, even checking the newspaper. There are some that will work, then there are the scams! Like the one that was a 2000 Honda CRV for $2900- not a huge stretch of what could be available. I emailed the seller and then I get some mumbo jumbo about sending my shipping address and going through ebay. (If I wanted to buy a car through ebay I would- and I don't!). After weeding those out there have been a couple that I have looked at.

We drove through a dealer lot in Nampa and saw one that looked promising. A 1994 Nissan Patherfinder that was in good condition. Unfortunately there was no price on it, so I flagged down a salesman. They were asking $6995! A sixteen year old car! It has 131,000 miles on it! Kelley Blue Book value is only $3800! But whatever! We made a fair offer OVER BLUE BOOK  and they didn't want it. So we walked away. Not sure what they are trying to do at Bronco Motors Nissan, but it is not trying to sell 16 year old cars. It was a frustrating process... so I voiced my frustration on twitter...

Hopefully here in the next few weeks we'll get the car situation remedied.

No New LOST this week....

There was no new LOST this week. The episode the re-ran was Ab Eterno- a Richard centric episode that gave a lot of back story on that character. A top quality LOST episode. Catch it if you can!

There was however a new LOST: Untangled. Get Down!

Wii...Wii

Have a Wii? We bought one a few years ago and the kids (yeah the KIDS) still love it. We recently got something that makes Mom and Dad like even more. We got our Netflix streaming disc for the Wii. I mentioned before our on-again/ off-again relationship with Netflix. Well, the Wii streaming disc may keep it as an on-again relationship for a while.

It's great so that when we want to watch a movie or a past season of a TV series we can just pop in the Wii disc and it's there in living color on our TV. Now it's not HD quality, but it looks good. Tammy has used it to watch the past seasons of LOST and get caught up for the final season (Happening NOW if you didn't know or have lived in a cave).

We have shared our enjoyment of the Wii disc with our friends and family and I just found out that my brother and his family got theirs and are enjoying movies streamed to their Wii today!

So if you're like me and you don't have a PS3 or an Xbox, but you have a Wii; join Netflix, Order the Wii disc and enjoy!