Number Seven

As with VIII, the age difference between VII and me made it difficult for me to know or interact with him when he was younger. He was 6 when I went on my mission. Granted, I was still living at home for four more years after that - did I say that out loud?

What I meant to say is: I was still living in Provo in very close proximity to my family for four years after I returned home from my mission.

But, I have come to know a little more about David in the past few years. For one, he has made a wise choice in schooling pursuits. Aside from attending BYU, he is finishing his Masters Degree in Accounting next spring. Clearly, I have been a good example to him, as an oldest brother should be.

Look at all the ways he has followed in my footsteps: school, degree, mission, marrying a girl from your mission, being handsome. Okay, so I didn't actually marry a girl from my mission and the handsome gene didn't find him like it did me, obviously.

Dave went to the Phillipines on his mission. That's where he met Jannet. He had been home for about an hour before he purchased a return ticket to the Phillipines to pursue her. Oh, there were familial opinions flying about, you can be sure. But what was important is what is right. They are right. There is no doubt she has been good not only for David, but for our entire family.

Enough about Jannet, this is David's birthday, for crying out loud. David is caring and wants to do the best for his little family. (I say little, but you should see the size of their baby!!) He is supportive of his brothers and parents and loves us all deeply. He is a BYU Football fan.

I love you, David. Happy Birthday.

You Are So Dirty

Just a fun little 10k my brothers and I did on the 25th of September. Other than to say my costume was a Running Ute (which is why I was more than happy to wear these articles of clothing to this particular event), I will leave it at the pictures.

This was near the end of the race on our climb up to...























The "Slop n' Slide!"





Which should probably have been called the "Slide n' Slop."

Approaching the last obstacle...

The "Pig Sty."

Then pictures of triumph.

Improve the Finishing Moments

My goal this past 4 months has been to improve my time at the Sand Hollow Triathlon course, as organized by BBSC Endurance Sports. I'm sure some of you were thinking that my goal was something else - like finishing Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4. And while I intend to do that, at some point, that was not my goal this past 4 months.

It's interesting, in my quest to achieve greatness (or, in my case, less awfulness) in Triathlon, I lost more poundage. How much, you ask? Well, what kind of nosy person are you, reading around in others' blogs to find out personal information that is only to be shared with their closest billion friends on the internet? Okay, then. 15 pounds. Since May. 2010.

I started losing weight a couple of years ago when the doctor told me I was going to die. I wasn't really surprised by this information. I could practice medicine with THAT kind of prediction. "We're ALL going to die."

Actually, the doctor said my cholesterol and blood pressure were approaching the high end. I didn't want to be under doctor's orders to do something about it, so I took matters into my own hands. Some matters one should not take into one's own hands. This matter seemed like an exception.

So I started by moving my legs to carry my body at a faster-than-walking pace. Over the past two years, it's come to resemble running. By last summer I had lost 25 pounds and thought I had pretty much reached my goal. My ultimate goal was actually another 5 pounds. Here I am 10 pounds beyond my "ultimate goal." I am such an overachiever.

See, my brother V convinced me to participate in a triathlon in Orem. The Share-a-Smile. Quite frankly, I had a lot of fun and wanted to do more.

Then I bought a bike and a bunch of exercise-y clothes. I ran in an organized 5k "fun run" and placed in my age group - last year. (This year, they altered the rules which had me competing against guys 8 years younger than I, but I am not bitter.) I didn't start swimming until shortly before the May triathlon. Since then, I swam at least twice a week and increased my exercise to 6 days a week.

My time this past weekend? 15 minutes faster than May. That's a pound per minute. So, if I lose another 30 pounds, I will be placing in my age division. No, that's not how it really works. This time around, I could have been another 12 minutes faster. I should have been.

I am not disappointed. Now I just need to find a way to keep up the program, even though I have no more races planned until next year. Bib 513.

Number Eight

What a baby. He is the baby. What can you say about the baby of the family? The bottom line is, he looks the same in this picture as he does below.

See, I still remember Alex as this 4-year-old baby brother giving me a big tight hug in the Salt Lake City airport on the day I flew out to Michigan for my mission.

Now he's 24, and, he doesn't really hug tight like that anymore. At least, not his brothers. That's okay with me, though. Besides, I don't think I would pick him up to give him a hug, since he is taller than I am. I am guessing (hoping) that girls may have a different evaluation regarding his hug strength.

As you can see from the picture above, he was an EFY Counselor this past summer. Presumably, not on a fishing expedition. See, he has decided (last I heard) that he wants to work for CES (Church Educational System) - be a Seminary teacher. There are certain requirements to being employed with CES, in addition to standard job qualifications. And one of them has to do with marital status.

So, at the risk of sounding like Beyonce, I am calling all the single ladies to put your hands up and give Alex a call. No pressure. He graduates in April. Plenty of time by BYU standards. Did I mention he is in the BYU Marching Band - the Power of the Wasatch?

Anyway, Alex is an outstanding person and I hope I can be like him some day. I don't mean single.

Happy Birthday, Alex. I love you.

Don't Drive Angry

Although, in my case, it may be better to say, "Just don't drive."

Apparently, I am a much higher-risk driver than I thought I was. I don't drive recklessly. I don't speed (as much as others do). I am fairly cautious and pay attention to my surroundings. I don't follow too closely (if the driver in front of me didn't just cut me off). And I don't text while driving (fast).

Yet, My Precious:


Of course, you should see her car:

I am sure you can see the damage.

Look closely.

No? You are SO biased against victims of vehicular violence.

Bottom line: It doesn't matter. Highway Patrol was called to investigate. Thankfully, two units - 4 patrolmen - responded. And I'm not sure, but I think at least two of them were on work-release from Centennial High School. It was clearly a high-risk situation that needed back-up. Perhaps it was my BYU tie. They thought I was going to be too independent in my thinking.

(Oh come on, you knew I had to work it in sometime, right? I love the last paragraph of the release, by the way.)

I will be on the road between 5 and 5:30 this afternoon. I recommend you stay inside at that time. If that won't work for you, will you be my designated driver to get me home safely?