The tiny world inside of Todd's head

New Ownership?

2010-03-19T12:36:00.004-06:00

So I found myself surfing the web this morning (that's what you do when you have Fridays off from work) and started thinking that my family needs to take a trip soon.

I started looking into our favorite vacation spot - Disneyland - as we haven't been for 22 months.

While I was reading a site that shows updates on Disneyland, I ran across a map that caught my eye.

Then it all made sense why we always want to go to Disneyland.

Here is the map when I zoomed in one level:

It says it right there on the Map: Neff Disneyland

who can argue with Google maps?

By the way, does anyone know why it says "Neff" just west of Disneyland? Is it the name of the neighborhood or something?

Happy Birthday Henry!

2009-09-09T12:17:00.003-06:00

Henry is turns 1 year old today. We opened some presents last night and took a couple of videos of him

Cool mish/mash

2009-05-05T08:30:00.004-06:00

First of all, I usually don't like mish/mashed songs. I don't really care for Taylor Swift (I don't even know much about her stuff) but Coldplay has been growing on me.

I saw this posted on FaceBook and thought it was wonderful. Sounds like Jon Schmidt is getting a lot of love on YouTube as well for it.

>

Photofunia

2009-04-23T08:29:00.001-06:00

This is a fun site to alter your photos

Photo updates of the kids

2009-04-03T12:08:00.003-06:00

Jonah enjoying the snow last month

Tille and Isaak getting along for a few minutes

Henry sitting up - with some help from Tillie

Mr. Lucky Man

2009-04-02T12:56:00.004-06:00

I haven't posted anything for a long time. Sorry - have just been too busy with work, church calling and family committments.

I picked up a new CD today - Chris Isaak - Mr. Lucky Man. So far I quite enjoy the CD. The remake of "Breaking Apart" features a duet with Trisha Yearwood. The entire CD seems to have a feeling of the "Forever Blue" CD.

As you may know, Chris Isaak is a favorite around our house. So much so, that Wendy promised him after a concert that we would name our first son after him. Long story, but we ended up using the same spelling for our son.

Another more recent favorite at our house is Maroon 5. The kids like both and have requested them at times while in the car and at home.

I found this little gem today that combines both:

And for the record, I will try to post more about our family and kids - just in case people actually check back here every once in a while to see what we are up to.

Ready to wait TWO hours for a double-double?

2009-02-12T12:14:00.002-07:00

So it looks like In-N-Out burger is finally going to expand further into Utah.

They are planning to open a store in Draper - hopefully by Fall 2009.

I think I am going to be taking more drives to Draper.

Flip! - it is almost Christmas

2008-12-22T08:28:00.006-07:00

So last week I got a new toy. I am the proud owner of a flip ultra video camera. It has been fun to play around with and the quality is better than using our digital camera that is really made for just stills.

Tillie and Isaak wanted to share the Christmas songs they learned for school and sang at the School performance. Technically, Tillie was sick that day and wasn't there, so this is her only performance.

Isaak had to be reminded of which letter came next in spelling
C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. Oh, the joys of learning how to read and spell.
You would think that they would leave that song for kids that actually know how to spell such a long word.

Our gang it is the jolliest that you have ever seen...

2008-12-18T07:33:00.004-07:00

Sorry it has been so long. Enjoy Jonah's holiday message...

I love to see the Temple...

2008-10-05T22:02:00.002-06:00

I don't know how well you can hear this, but it is Jonah signing.

...and the reason why I like blogs

2008-09-10T12:29:00.003-06:00

Introducing our newest addition, weighin in at 7 lbs 1 oz, 19 1/2 inches long, born at 3:15 P.M. on September 9...

We haven't decided on a name yet, but are getting close...

so that's why February is King Crab month...

2008-07-15T12:21:00.003-06:00

I have a new favorite TV show. I know it is not a new show and has been around for a couple of years, but it is new to me.

If you haven't seen The Deadliest Catch, you really should take a few minutes and turn to the Discovery Channel. Lately it has been on about 30% of the time during their scheduled programing.

The great thing about the show is that you can jump in the middle of the series and not miss out on anything even if you missed the previous show - it is all the same thing: bait the pots, throw the pots in the sea, pull out the pots, sort the crab, get hit with big waves, break ice, captains smoking and downing Red Bulls. Great stuff.

It really is quite amazing (and mesmorizing) what these guys go through in the Bering Sea so crab shacks and Sizzlers all over the world can serve up Alaskan King crab and the like. I found a video that shows some of the waves that they experience...

So, for all of you Deadliest Catch fans out there, who is your favorite captain and ship? If you don't like the show, why not?

Happy Birthday, USA

2008-07-03T15:57:00.002-06:00

Happy 232nd Birthday United States!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Holiday Weekend.

Anyone doing anything fun for the weekend?

So. Cal Trip - Days 5 & 6

2008-07-01T12:52:00.005-06:00

(Ok, so we are now approaching 2 months since we made the trip - I better hurry up)

I am going to combine days 5 and 6 (which were the 3rd and 4th days at Disneyland Resort) since they are are blending together at this time. And this is going to be mostly a photo report.

In a nutshell, we spent the morning just with our small family at Fantasyland, going on Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, etc. We ran into my parents and I took the kids on the Omnibus. We then went over to the Enchanted Tiki Room for a Dole Whip float (the best!) and watched the show. Jonah absolutely loved it and spent most of the time standing on my lap and shaking around.

We left to meet Jim and Candace around lunch time. Wendy and I left the parks with the kids and ate at Naples Ristorante and Pizzeria. It was a nice lunch and a good break away from the parks.

After lunch we met up with the rest of the group in DCA and rode California Screaming, Mulholland madness and everything we could in that area. Tillie and her cousin Whitney went to the Orange Stinger (swings) and rode 3 times in a row as it wasn't crowded. The joy in their faces as they went around and around was wonderful.

We finished up our day in DCA watching the Pixar Play parade and then went over to Disneyland for the evening.

We spent our last day in Disneyland going on the rides we had missed and returning to some favorites. Isaak really loved going on Star Tours this trip as well as going on Buzz lightyear. Tillie was the ultimate 8 yr old daredevil and wanted the thrill rides. Jonah was just happy to be there soaking it all up.

We finished up Thursday night at Disneyland watching the parade and then headed back to the coast. It really was a great trip.

So Cal trip - Day 4

2008-06-24T14:35:00.007-06:00

(Is this trip report getting old yet?)

Ok, so back to the fun.

The plan was for us to sleep in a little on Monday morning since we spent a long day at Disneyland the day before. Tillie slept over with my sister Laurie at the Fairfield and they planned to go to Disneyland early and meet us around 11:00. Only one problem with that plan - we forgot to leave Tillie's park hopper pass with them.

So, on Monday morning we got up early with Isaak and Jonah and headed off to Disneyland. It was a bit rainy outside, but I assured Wendy that it was just the marine layer and it would be warmer inland. Oops. I was wrong.

We met Tillie and Laurie in the Fairfield parking lot and headed over to the parks. The other families were taking the day off from the parks and my parents would meet us later.

I have to admit that I like rainy days at Disneyland, especially if it is just a light rain as it keeps the crowds small. Lucky for us, it only rained for a couple of hours (off and on) while we went to the rides in Fantasyland (Peter Pan, Mr. Toads Wild Ride, Dumbo, Snow White) before going over to the Matterhorn. Isaak got freaked out a couple of years ago by the Matterhorn, more specifically the Abominable Snowman and his red eyes, so he was a little worried. He loved it and the worries were gone. In fact, he kept asking to go back to the Matterhorn during the trip.

We met up with my parents right before lunch and ended up eating at the New Orleans Cafe. Of course the kids didn't want that so I walked way over to the Stage door Cafe to get Chicken strips for Isaak and Tillie.

After lunch, the kids rode the train around to the Fantasyland station with Grandma and Grandpa while Wendy and I walked over to meet them with the stroller since Jonah was ready to sleep for a while. We went to Toontown for a bit while my parents took a break and sat with Jonah while he slept in the stroller. While in Toontown, we went on Gadget's go-coaster and saw Minnie Mouse, but not Mickey (before the trip we let the kids know that we wouldn't be going after autographs on this trip since they already had full books of autographs and photos).

The kids love the gags and noises in Toontown so we spent a few minutes playing there and taking pictures of the kids.

We met back up with my parents and Jonah and started over towards the Matterhorn. Right by the Matterhorn, The Madhatter and Alice were entertaining a crowd with a game of charades. We also noticed that Captain Hook and Wendy were nearby as well. Tillie jumped in a photo, but Isaak was afraid of the Captain.

We went over to watch the Jedi Training. We were a few minutes early, so the kids got great seats and hoped they would be picked. As luck would have it, Tillie and Isaak were both picked. It was a the highlight of their day. And of course, we had to go over and buy them a new lightsaber (that they each got to make).

I think we stayed until about 6:00 or 6:30, went by In-N-Out for dinner and headed back to the Coast for the night.

So Cal trip - day 3

2008-06-20T08:57:00.008-06:00

Our first day at Disneyland for the trip.

Since we had three families with kids and my parents we ended up taking 4 vehicles to Disneyland, with the plan to meet at some point around lunch (we left around 10:30 in the morning from the condo). My sister Laurie was also going to meet us, coming from her hotel across the street. Since Laurie wasn't using her parking pass at the Fairfield, she graciously offered it to us, saving us $11 in parking. We had also planned to use her hotel room for a nap room if any of the young kids got too tired.

We walked across the street and through the security check and my kids were filled with excitement. I have to admit, I was quite excited as well. I think I may be as excited to go to Disneyland as the kids, mostly because I love to see it through their eyes.

We met up with Jim, Candace and kids (Parker, Conner and Abby) and went through the gates. Since it was a weekend (shhhh... we went on Sunday) it was pretty busy already, but we knew that it would be the only day to see some of the events (fireworks, Electric Light Parade, Fanstasmic, etc).
I have big group phobia and have trouble moving with 5-6 people around the parks, let alone 20 people. But then again, it is fun to go on some rides with the entire group. We found my parents and Brent, Emily and kids (Whitney, Zack, Bella and Grace) getting fast passes for Indiana Jones and then the entire group went on Pirates of the Carribean together.

The first few hours were mostly a blur, but if I recall, we also went on Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters before heading over to Disney's California Adventure to see the High School Musical performance.

Even though it was hot sitting in the main plaza at DCA (Disney's california Adventure), we were able to get a great spot right in the front of where the show was performed. During the show, they sang and danced to a few High School Musical 2 numbers and pulled kids from the audience. All of the Neff kids went out and danced with them. It was fun watching and kids really enjoyed it.

After HSM2, we decided that we needed to go somewhere a bit cooler and decided to see the show, It's tough to be a Bug. We had missed this show on every other trip to DCA in it was going down for a refurbishment the next day, so we went over to the show. We all picked up the 3D glasses and went in, right before it started. This show is a big 3D movie inside of a cave, hosted by Flick from "A Bug's Life". He introduces all sorts of bugs and the bugs each react to the crowd (stink bugs shoots a cloud of sulfur, a bug sprays the crowd with acid, etc). The 3D film with the real effects like water dripping and bees stinging (the bench pokes you in the back and bottom) made for a great show. We thought Jonah would get scarred, but he was laughing the entire time. Wendy, Tillie and Isaak all screamed when spiders dropped from the ceiling and got the pokes in the back, but Jonah was really enjoying it.

We picked up some fast passes to Soarin' over California and then went to eat dinner and try to go on a few other rides at DCA. Jonah and I watched the Pixar Play Parade while the group went on some other rides and then all went on Soarin' except for me and Jonah. After they finished, Isaak and I jumped back on Soarin' as we still had a couple of fast passes.

Brent and Emily got spots for the Electric Parade and I went with Tillie, Whitney, Isaak, Zack and Laurie to ride on the Tower of Terror. Zack got a little frightened by the show in the Library and so he opted to sit the ride out with Laurie. I rode with the girls and Isaak. He was a bit nervous, but enjoyed the ride.

Mom and dad were done for the night and couldn't find Jim's family. We decided to skip the parade, leaving Brent's family and went back over to Disneyland where we went on Autopia. Laurie came with us took Tillie and Isaak on Space Mountain again. While they were there, the fireworks started so Wendy and I sat and watched with Jonah. He had been a great kid all day (he even napped in his stroller for 2 hours) and really like the fireworks.

It had been a long day so we decided to leave around 10:00. We walked back to the Fairfield and said goodbye to Laurie and Tillie since Tillie was going to sleep over with Laurie at the Hotel.

I think Isaak and Jonah were both asleep within about 2 minutes in the car.

So. Cal trip - day 2

2008-06-10T09:31:00.002-06:00

Saturday, May 10

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we had crickets in our room at Primm. Wendy wanted to check out as she thought I wouldn't tell the front desk about the crickets. So we pulled around to the front of Buffalo Bills and let Wendy go in to check out.

Wendy said that she politely told them that they may want to get maintenance over to the room as we had a few crickets overnight. The hotel staff was very apologetic and offered to comp half of the room. Wendy explained that she wasn't trying to get a discount, but just wanted to let them know, but the $30 off on the $59 room was a nice gesture.

Total cost of the flat tire episode: about $45 (room and tire fix)

We filled the car with gas, ate at McDonald's and headed down the road around 9:00 A.M.

After having a flat tire, I started to think that every sound was something wrong with the car and I found myself driving a bit slower (ok, so I stayed mostly under 90 MPH through the desert).

A few hours and ZERO stops later, we were pulling into the Marriott Newport Coast Villas.

The kids were excited to see Grandma and Grandpa and all of the cousins. So excited that after about an hour in the Condo, the guy in the condo below us asked if we could stop jumping around and making so much noise.

The condo there is great. Each unit has a bedroom with a King sized bed and master bath and a second bedroom with a Queen and pull-out couch. We slept in the King bed, Jonah in a porta-crib and Tillie and Isaak slept in sleeping bags on the floor in our room. Jim, Candace and kids slept in the other room with the bed and pull-out.

The kids played at the pool and at the playground, Jim and I went to the grocery store to fill up the rest of the refrigerator (Mom and dad filled each room with bottled water, diet cokes, fruit, milk, etc before we got there!)

While the kids were having fun at the pool and playing with the cousins, I went with my mom, dad and sister Laurie to get her checked in at the Anaheim Fairfield Inn and pick up our Disneyland Park Hoppers so we wouldn't have to wait at the ticket booth the next day.

We stopped by the Costco in Costa Mesa and sneaked in a burger from In-N-Out burger on the way back to Newport Coast.

Luckily the kids were tired and went to bed pretty fast rather than stay up all night with the excitement of going to Disneyland the next day.

One month after we left on vacation

2008-06-09T12:50:00.004-06:00

Ok. Ok. I know, I still haven't posted anything about our trip to So Cal.

And to think that we started the vacation on May 9 - one month ago.

So, maybe I will do this in a couple of parts.

Day 1 - May 9

We got on the road in SLC around noon and after a short stop in Pleasant Grove to drop off my car with my bro-in-law, TJ, we were on the road. The first big surprise is that Wendy told me that she would start the trip in the drivers seat.

I better explain that I almost exclusively do the driving on the long trips (so I won't back seat drive) so this was a welcome surprise. Although I kept giving suggestions, Wendy drove the 300 miles to St. George like a pro and it was relaxing for me. (looking back, I should have kept my comments to myself!)

We stopped at a crowded Costco in St. George where we met up with my brother Jim and family. Quickly ate a taco at Del Taco since the In-N-Out burger was packed at 4:00, traded kids for the next part of the drive and we were off.

Everything went well until well until we were just south of Las Vegas when our car started making a sound you don't want to hear.

Flat tire

The right front tire to be exact. Jim and his family was right behind us and pulled over to help. Working together, we had the tire changed in about 5 minutes, but it wasn't a full sized tire and I wasn't about to drive into the desert on a Friday night on a spare tire.

So, here we are, 6:30 on a Friday night outside of Vegas looking for somewhere to get the tire fixed. We sent Jim and Candace on their way (they were trying to make it to Newport Beach that night) and limped back to Las Vegas.

Wendy made a few phone calls to look for a Wal-Mart, Costco or somewhere with a tire center while I searched for a Service Station. I got directions to one area, only to find that the tire stores had closed at 6:00, but found an Auto Zone that directed me to a Pep Boys.

Around 7:15 we pull into a Pep Boys, talked to the manager of the tire center and had them look at the tire. While talking to the guy, he mentioned his brother coaches Football with Ron McBride at Weber State and played for Mac at the U of U. The guys there were really good to work with, checked out the tire and said it could be fixed and had us back on the road by 8:00 and about $15 in repairs.

We decided to drive 30 miles south to Primm, NV and stay overnight at Buffalo Bills. We had called ahead from Las Vegas and had a room for $59.

They were nice enough to get a room for us on the first floor, but it was in the back tower and the very last room on that floor. You should have seen our kids eyes as we walked through the Casino, past the bar and all the way down to the room.

Of course, we had to take everything from the car as we hadn't prepared to stay overnight.

We got situated in the room, flushed the first cricket down the toilet and went to sleep.

I said first cricket, as we found 3 more in the room throughout the night. Fun night. Didn't sleep so well.

So, the next morning, I figured out we could park in a hidden back lot that was about 50 feet from our room. Packed the kids up, checked out (Wendy mentioned the crickets and the hotel gave us 50% off on the room), had a quick McDonald's breakfast and hit the road to Newport Beach. We made it around noon on Saturday for the fun to start for the week.

coming soon... more trip report and photos.

been a while...

2008-05-22T14:20:00.004-06:00

I hope to have a recap of our last trip to Disneyland up soon, but until then, enjoy this classic SNL video:

You thought it was funny back then (1988 or so?) but now you can buy one here

The upgraded version even has a 7 inch LCD screen and an iPod docking station.

(editor note: I wonder if my brother is going to put this in his new house instead of the manly urinal that he is installing?)

Running into people...

2008-04-30T12:58:00.002-06:00

lately it seems like I run into someone I know everywhere I go.

Picking up Tillie from school - check

Grocery Store - check

Fast food for lunch - check

Pei Wei - check (sister Susie)

Hospitals (for work) - check

Liquor Store - just checking to see if you are paying attention...

anyway, you get the picture.

When I was younger, I used to think that my dad knew everyone. Everywhere we went, he would say hello to people or the classic (that my siblings will understand) "Hi. How are ya?"

I would hope that he wouldn't stop and talk or we would be there for what seemed like hours.

Now my kids tell me that I know everyone.

I think a lot of it has to to with the SLC culture. I mean, I grew up in Salt Lake and still live in the area, so it is a good chance I will run into someone I know. Throw in work and church and my chances are even better.

I do have to admit, that I am not as friendly and talkative as I remember my dad being.

I will even try to avoid people at times. Come on, you all have done it. Skip an aisle at the grocery store. Hurry past someone so they don't see you. Everyone does it.

The worst one for me was about 3 months ago. I was at Primary Childrens Medical Center getting on the elevator on the 4th floor. The doors open on the 3rd floor and a lady with her child get on. Instantly, I know who it is.

Old girlfriend. (ok, so I was also technically "engaged")

Luckily for me, I was looking at some papers and could hide in my notebook for the LONG 20 seconds we were on the elevator together. She noticed me. I noticed her. Neither of us said anything.

The highlight of this story was later that night when I told my wife that I ran into her. "Well, how did she look?" was the question I was asked.

Quick, what is the right answer... "Not very good." (I really didn't notice)

"Well, she was at Primary Childrens with a child. Maybe she was a little stressed. Don't be so hard on her" was the response.

So I nothing I would have said would have been the right answer...

Soccer Update

2008-04-15T16:03:00.007-06:00

As some of you may remember, I have been coaching my daughter's soccer team.

Last fall, we lost 5 games and won one game. But they were improving and beat the best team on the last week.

We started out a few weeks ago with a 1 to nil win (have to use the word "nil"). The following week was a BYE and then a rain out. Last week we won, 4 to 1 on Tuesday.

The girls were really playing hard and 4 different girls scored girls - 3 of them for the first time.

Then we had a game on Saturday morning.

Cue death march music.

The girls started warming up when one of them asked who we were playing.

The green team. Green Grasshoppers

"oh, they are easy" one chimed in. Ok, the one that said it was my daughter.

The others agreed.

5 minutes into the game, the score was 3 - 0, for the green grasshoppers.

The girls of Yellow Lightning were daydreaming and their minds were not on the game.

"What is the half-time snack?"

"Coach - I have gum in my mouth" "That's ok, I do too! - now go after the ball!"

"Can I pick up a stick?"

"My aunt came to the game" (I knew that as the aunt was on the sidelines and would scream this girls name every time she was withing 10 feet of the ball)

"Who brought the snack for after the game?"

"I don't like Hannah Montana"

"I wore my shin guards on the outside of my socks today" (ok, I made that one up, but 3 girls did that for some reason on Saturday.

We ended up losing, 4 -1. The silver lining is that Tillie scored as she has in every game and the girls ended up playing a lot harder by the end of the game.

Just in time for donuts.

Thank goodness soccer was canceled for tonight.

Chad Vader - Night Shift Manager

2008-04-15T08:50:00.001-06:00

I thought this was pretty funny. There are several episodes so you can follow the grocery store saga...

OUCH!

2008-04-07T13:46:00.006-06:00

Well Mr. Osborne, it may not be kidney stones after all.

Sunday morning I felt like I had been shot, stabbed and speared in the back. All at the same time.

I told my wife that I needed medical attention. STAT!

Ok, I wasn't so eloquent in the way I told her.

It was probably more like. "OWEEEEE. I hurt. @#*% it. Get the kids dressed. OUCH! oooooooh. @^$* *%$@ , I don't care where we go..... ER. OK..."

You get the picture. It hurt worse than anything I have ever felt. Worse than attempting to chop my shin in half with an ax.

20 minutes of pain later, we arrive at the LDS Hospital ER. 10 minutes later I am in a hospital gown, bare butt and all, with a morphine drip and then 2 units of fluid.

Morphine makes the pain go bye-bye. It also made me a bit goofy.

After a CT scan , they let me know that I had passed a 3.5 mm stone to my bladder already. If I could urinate, I could go home.

So I went in the plastic bottle, heard the little guy hit the plastic bottle and went home. 3 hours from start to finish.

looking for a sweet used car?

2008-04-05T15:32:00.005-06:00

Sorry for the blatent advertising, but this is a deal to good to pass up!

With 3 cars and only 2 drivers, we are finally getting around to selling our 1995 Mazda. I put the add on KSL.com this morning. 1995 Mazda

It has been a good car for us. Wendy bought the car new before we were married and we have used it ever since.

So, if you know of anyone that is looking for a used car that is in great condition, let us know. Or if you want specifics that are not on the KSL.com add linked above, give me a call.

Fa shizzle...

2008-04-03T11:40:00.004-06:00

This is too funny. I just heard about this from a friend.

Check out the entire story of Snoop's conversion.

Snoop converts

Before you get excited to welcome Brother Broadus, take a look at the date the article was published.

Now, that is a good one

We all live in a Yellow Submarine...

2008-04-02T16:17:00.004-06:00

I pulled out a CD that is all of the Beatles #1 hits last week and have been playing it at home.

Isaak loves it.
Jonah dances around to it.
Tillie likes some of it.
I am not sure what Wendy thinks of it.

I have been trying to get the kids listening to more quality music (and not just the stuff that will be at the Stadium of Fire - see below).

Sometimes they go for it, sometimes they just think it is "old people music"

Sigh.

Anyway, I started thinking about a particular song that I heard years ago while in Spain.

Through the magic of Youtube.com, I present to you all, LOS MANOLOS covering "All My Loving" for listening pleasure (or for a good laugh)

Here we go again...

2008-04-01T13:54:00.002-06:00

I just noticed on KSL.com that they have announced the lineup for this year's Stadium of Fire in Provo.

Disclaimer: I have never been to the Stadium of Fire, nor do I care to go

Headlining is Miley Cyrus, mega teenage star of Hannah Montana. (Cue: all girls from 6 to 18 can start screaming now) The Blue Man Group (or one of several Blue Man Group acts) is performing and Glenn Beck hosts the show.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 5:00 and will be sold out by Friday at 5:23. Tickets range from $35 - $120.

OUCH!

But that isn't as big of an ouch as some will be paying from scalpers on this one.

I can hardly wait for all of the moms to start complaining that they had to pay $293 per ticket so their 6 year old daughter could go see Hannah again. Shame on all the people that want to make money. Shame, shame shame. (Should that include BYU and the Stadium of Fire organizers too?)

That said, do you think my 8 yr old would like me to buy her a couple of tickets for the July 4th show? I could always take it out of her college fund...

purchased today...

2008-03-21T19:52:00.003-06:00

Everyone loves a good board game. We have been playing Settlers of Catan every once in a while with Wendy's family, but I didn't have my own copy of the game. (ok, that isn't entirely true - I received an LDS version of the game - Settlers of Zarahemla - about 5 yrs ago, but didn't even open the game for about a year)

Anyway, the makers of the game came out with a new edition so I thought I would jump in and buy myself a game and the expansion so 5-6 players can play. I found a website a while back that sold them for a good price, so I thought I would order the games. I then realized they were in Clearfield so why not take a small road trip 20 miles north to buy the games and save on shipping.

So today I loaded the three kids in my in-laws Yukon along with my brother-in-law, Jeff, and his two kids. Four happy meals, two large cokes, two double cheese-burgers and 20 miles later, we were at the Freeport center trying to find the warehouse/office where these guys sell their stuff.

It was kind of a strange experience, especially when the owner asked us when we walked in the door what the place smelled like. What kind of question is that? Um, like a warehouse? "oh, good" he answered, "it doesn't smell like puke? Because a kid puked here yesterday!"

No "welcome" "good afternoon" "can I help you" or even, "take a look around and let me know if you have any questions". Just the puke talk.

At least the deals on his games were pretty dang good, so I will give him some props to the 10 people that read my blog on occasion.

Shop SP Hiatt

They had about every game you could imagine - Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Blokus, etc - as well as every type of expansion. And for Star Wars geeks, they had all kinds of stuff like Storm trooper helmets, Darth Vadar costumes and even an 3 foot tall Yoda for $700. Or if none of that floats your boat, they had Anime (japanese cartoons) and Japanese snacks.

It was a good way to spend the afternoon and the kids got a kick out of all the Star Wars stuff. It was Good Friday afterall

Guess these houses

2008-03-20T15:42:00.010-06:00

This is mainly for my family and those that grew up around my neighborhood...

Who do these homes belong to? (or former owners too)

1.

Tortilla Chips

2008-03-11T15:52:00.004-06:00

Is there any thing as good as crunching on a great corn tortilla chip? Add some salsa (see post below) and you have a thing of beauty.

Last week, I stumbled upon some great store brand tortilla chips. They are made locally and even better - they are cheap!

Sorry Brian - they aren't the overly priced Have A Corn Chips

My new favorite tortilla chips from the store are DON JULIO

We stumbled upon these on accident. Last week my wife was at Winegar's instead of our usual visit to Albertson's and saw they were cheap so she bought them.

Last night I ate about 1/3 bag without dipping a single chip in salsa

They are thin and almost light in texture and taste the way a good, fresh tortilla chip should taste, unlike Tostitos or other brands that could double as tree bark.

Anyone else out there have a favorite tortilla chip?

Home sweet home

2008-03-03T19:55:00.002-07:00

I came across this photo a while back while searching the SL County assessor website. It is my parents home shortly after it was built.

This place has had more facelifts than Joan Rivers - I can count at least 4 major changes to the home - and that is just on the outside.

Do any of you older siblings remember this car?

Lamb or lion?

2008-03-01T16:27:00.002-07:00

The old saying is that March comes in like a lamb and out like a lion...

or is it in like a lion and out like a lamb?

So what do you say when it is 61 degrees on March 1st at 1:30 P.M. and 3 hours later it is 34 degrees and snowing?

May the Force be with you

2008-02-29T12:17:00.013-07:00

So it has been a busy three weeks...

The main event over the past three weeks has been Isaak's birthday.

Five years has sure gone by fast and the baby that you see in the photo has sure grown up.

Since we didn't have a party for him last year, we decided to have a birthday party for his friends last Saturday. We thought he would want a Cars themed party, or maybe a pirate themed party, but he decided that he wanted a Star Wars party.

Now, a Star Wars party could be a fine party, but what did he want to do? I think Isaak has seen all of about 45 minutes of all three movies combined, but has some Star Wars toys and has played Star Wars Lego on grandma Nelson's iMac. Simply stated, he doesn't have a lot of Star Wars knowledge to build a party upon.

So what do you do with a bunch of 5 year old kids to keep them entertained for two hours?

The answer: Light sabers. (or is it lightsabers?)

We decided to set up a "Jedi Training Camp" and let the young padawan party goers all learn to be a Jedi. One problem: How do you do this and how to make it seem more than just a 2 hour sword fight between all the boys.

Well, luckily Wendy has a couple of brothers that are borderline Star Wars geeks. One of them had a long brown Jedi cloak and some Star Wars toys.

Next, we bought some light sabers, 7 to be exact from Wal-Mart to give to each of the kids.

But it wasn't quite realistic. We thought of having them decorate some sort of head band, but ended up buying several yards of white fabric, cut some holes for heads, draped it over their heads and tied a brown sash of sorts around to make them look like Jedis in training.

I think it turned out pretty well.

Next, I watched the Jedi Training stuff that they do at Disneyland on Youtube and put together a little training on how to use the light sabers. That was their basic training.

So after each young Jedi learned how to handle his/her weapon, we went down to the Intermediate training room (basement) so they could learn some defensive moves. We had our tumbling mat out and let each do some somersaults and then they learned to roll away from danger, jump, activate their weapons and strike. Finally, they learned to jump over an opponents weapon, roll, jump to their feet and strike at the enemy. The kids loved this.

Finally, after some long training and a few games of musical chairs thrown in, they were ready for the final test, a fight against the Jedi Master

We sent the kids off after a couple hours of fun, pizza and cake with their own lightsaber and they could keep the outfit. I have had a couple of reports from parents that one kid wanted to sleep in his jedi outfit, one wore his all day and I have seen a couple of them running around the neighborhood wearing their costumes - So I guess they had fun and liked the party

Is it Salsa or Seltzer? Salsa or Selzta?

2008-02-08T13:41:00.001-07:00

George Castanza didn't fully unterstand the importance of a good salsa, orther wise he never would have said salsa sounds like seltzer...

Do you ever find yourself in the Mexican section of the grocery store, looking for a good salsa, hot sauce, or picante sauce. You don't know if the stuff you are looking at is made in New Jersey or by the people who know mexican food in El Paso? Is the photo of Paul Newman in a sombrero creeping you out on the jar of his Mango Salsa?

Take a tip and try out this Salsa ------------>

You will not be dissappointed. Forget about Pace, Old El Paso and the rest. This is where it is at. If you are lucky, it will probably be one of the cheaper salsas on the shelf, too.

Anyone out there have some other reccommendations for favorite salsa?

Art Appreciation 101

2008-02-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today I went to look up something on Wikipedia and noticed the article of the day was about this painting:It is called Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez. This is one of my favorite paintings by Velázquez. I have seen the original of this painting in the Prado Museum in Madrid and it is wonderful.

I remember a lecture a year or so after my mission where the professor, Nathan Winters, talked about this painting in detail, showing specifics like the artist painting his self portrait. The way that he included the parents (King and Queen of Spain) in the painting by showing them in the mirror. How the lighting higlights the young princess, but distorts the two "little people".

I also enjoy this painting by Velázquez:

The class I took from Nate Winters was one of my favorites. What is now more interesting to me is that he was the former Bishop of my wife's LDS ward when she was growing up and is a friend of their family. My in-laws have a few water colors that he painted and we have one that we need to get re-framed.

pimpin' my ride

2008-01-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

ok. we did it. We joined the club.

First of all, a quick joke...
What is the difference between a cactus and a BMW?

answer: with a cactus, the pricks are on the outside.

I (we) joined what I am calling the Cactus Club.

This is what my new car pretty much looks like

my brother-in-law, TJ, that is a BMW mechanic found it and doing the work on it. (new clutch, shocks, new headlights, etc). So within a few weeks, I will be zipping around in one of these beauties.

The Broncos Suck!

2008-01-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

So, why I am writing this? Just to get my sister-in-law riled up.

You see, I am sitting here at 11:20 P.M. writing a paper for this Certified Public Manager course I am doing and Wendy is at the desk next to me doing some work on her laptop.

She mentioned to me that her sister told her that I need to update my blog as she likes to read it.

Well, how in the heck would I know she reads it - I don't see any of her comments!

So, this post is for you, Mindy - and I will include your favorite Bronco, just because I love ya!

Introducing the world famous Barrel Man

Bumper sticker...

2008-01-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Last month (I can't believe it has been a month already) when I was in San Diego, I noticed this bumber sticker on the back of a car:

I thought it was good...

Great new movie...

2008-01-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

It seems like someone in our family has been sick the past few weekends. Today it is my turn.

Anyway, staying home so I can be close to the bathroom has allowed me time to write today. This past weekend we watched a wonderful movie, "Once"

The movie - see the right side of the blog - is about a guy and a girl that meet on the Dublin streets and spend a week sharing their music and heartaches. Glen Hansard stars in the movie (he was the red-haired guitar player in "The Commitments") with Marketa Irglova and the movie revolves around the actual music that the two stars created and perform.

Check it out if you get a chance, although it is a bit tough to find. Oh, it also was an award winner last year at the Sundance Film Festival.

Also check out the youtube link on the side to hear some of the music.

I want this

2007-12-28T15:23:00.001-07:00

A Mac Mini.

Why do I want the mini? It is all about size...

Yeah, I'm all alone. I'm rolling a big doughnut and this snake wearing a vest...

2007-12-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks... a few very busy weeks.

Sick kids
Sick parents
shopping for gifts
shopping for more gifts
Christmas parties
more parties
Quick flight down to San Diego - GO UTES!
eat some mexican food in San Diego
more Mexican food in San Diego
Fly home to shop some more

Merry Christmas
feeling sick again
Back to work.

I guess that just about says it all!

(by the way, can anyone name where I got the title of this post? - don't use google!)

Foggy Foggy Dew

2007-12-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

I started my day this morning by driving to one visit one of my workers at a clinic in beautiful Rose Park. I know what you are thinking - beautiful Rose Park? Well, this morning at 7:20 A.M. it was beautiful.

Sit back a moment and let me explain.

Driving south along Redwood Road from I-215 to about 1000 North there were fields and golf courses that were draped in a wispy fog about 10 feet high. The Fog didn't quite touch the snowy ground and wrapped around trees and followed the terrain. It was beautiful.

Last night I watch an old Christmas favorite with the kids - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

The kids loved it. Ok, I loved it. I haven't seen it for a few years, but it all came back to me - from Yukon Cornelius to Hermey the elf that wants to be a dentist. The costumes from the movie Elf were completely ripped off from Rudolph. Even the snowman from Elf, Leon, looks just like Sam the snowman

Ok, but I still love the movie Elf. I am sure they were just paying homage to the great 1964 stop animation film.

Which brings me to my next thought. Sam the snowman was played by Burl Ives and was modeled to look a little like Ives. So this morning I looked on wikipedia and found out something interesting. Burl Ives was jailed in Mona, Utah for vagrancy and for singing "Foggy Foggy Dew" which the authorities decided was a bawdy song.

When I was a bachelor,
I liv'd all alone
I worked at the weaver's trade
And the only, only thing that I did that was wrong
Was to woo a fair young maid.
I wooed her in the wintertime
Part of the summer, too
And the only, only thing that I did that was wrong
Was to keep her from the foggy, foggy dew.
One night she knelt close by my side
When I was fast asleep.
She threw her arms around my neck
And she began to weep.
She wept, she cried, she tore her hair
Ah, me! What could I do?
So all night long I held her in my arms
Just to keep her from the foggy foggy dew.
Again I am a bachelor, I live with my son
We work at the weaver's trade.
And every single time I look into his eyes
He reminds me of that fair young maid.
He reminds me of the wintertime
Part of the summer, too,
And the many, many times that I held her in my arms
Just to keep her from the foggy, foggy, dew.

Doesn't sound too bad to me.

Then again, I am sure that the little town of Mona was quite a sheltered place in the early 1930's.

This morning, I couldn't get enough of the foggy, foggy dew in beautiful Rose Park

enlightening moment

2007-11-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

I had a very long weekend that included:

Wednesday night ham dinner
doing dishes after said dinner
cooking a rosemary spiced turkey
eating Thanksgiving dinner
cleaning up after the dinner
working on Friday
doing some shopping
watching Utah give the game away to The School Down South (I puked a little in my mouth just now)
putting up the Christmas tree
putting up decorations

After doing all of that, I noticed that one of the canned lights in our kitchen was out. No big deal, we already had the ladder out for the Christmas tree.

I grabbed a light bulb from the basement and went up to replace the bulb. Wendy was using the ladder for some re-arranging of the nutcrackers so I decided to use one of our tall bar stools (or as Isaak calls them, barf stools... "Daddy, why do we call them barf stools?").

So I climbed up and reached up as high as I could to get the light bulb out. I removed it and replaced it with a new light bulb. And then I had an epiphany. I was removing a light bulb that was there before we bought our house and this was a light bulb that we purchased for our house.

Why is this such a big deal, right? I mean we have been here for a year and a half.

Well, at this time of year when we all pause to give thanks, a little light bulb made me think of how thankful I am to be in a house. After 8 1/2 years of marriage, losing a job, going back to school, starting a career over, saving, wishing, hoping and praying, we got into our first home last year.

Let's eat turkey in a big brown shoe

2007-11-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

This month is going by too fast. Veteran's day has passed. Basketball season has started. Utah Football only have 2 games left. All of the pumpkins have rotted and are in the garbage. People are putting up Christmas lights.

Ok, so I put up our Christmas lights last Saturday, November 10.

What? why so early?

I learned at a very early age to show respect for the local weatherman. I think there is a hidden shrine somewhere at my parents house for Bob Welty and Mark Eubank where my dad pays homage to the past Meteorologists from KSL. I am pretty sure that dad shed a tear last year when Mark Eubank retired from KSL.

Anyway, when Kevin Eubank said last week on the weather report that it would rain/snow on Sunday and that Saturday would be a good day to get the lights up early, I took heed to his comments and made the arrangements - especially since we never got the outdoor lights up last year on our new house.

Let me just say that hanging out over a roof, 30 feet above the ground was interesting. I think my wife was convinced I would fall. I guess that is why she kept telling the kids to get back away from the house - she didn't want me to squish them when I fell.

Sorry - no falls from the roof. But it was a nice day to be on the roof.

On Sunday we had Stake Conference and when the choir started to sing, I noticed that the same Kevin Eubank was in the choir (he lives in our LDS Stake). I think he had a slight grin on his face knowing that it was raining outside. I almost ran up to tell him that I listened to his advice and put up my Christmas lights.

Ok, so it still hasn't snowed and the weathere has been almost as nice this week as it was last week.

So back to turkey time.

We are doing a Thanksgiving luncheon tomorrow at work and I am bringing a turkey. I rubbed it down with spices last night and I will load it with rosemary and garlic tomorrow morning and put it in the roaster at work. I am sure I will be able to smell turkey all morning long. Luckily there is a great song that you can sing while getting the turkey ready:

Random update

2007-11-01T14:56:00.000-06:00

I have been real busy with work, etc. Here are a few updated photos of the family:

Isaak can't figure out what to do with the orange slices during halftime of a soccer game.

But he does know that his team is #1.

Jonah's first birthday cake

Tillie's first Utah Football game. We stayed for the entire game! (ok, so she went to one 3 yrs ago and she got too cold so we left during the kickoff)

Tillie and Samara before dance class.

Zoobie costumes at the trunk or treat - I can't believe that some people thought that we were really cougar fans...

Wendy took some photos of the kids this week while visiting Discovery Gateway (children's museum)

new music -

2007-10-22T15:58:00.000-06:00

I know, I know... 2nd post of the day...

I have really been digging Brian's suggestion a few weeks back to log on to Pandora.com to get a taste of new music. Here are a couple of musicians that I have enjoyed lately:

Sara Bareilles

I heard her last week on 101.9 the end. She was live in studio and they played a few songs. As one reviewer put it, she stands out from the plethora of similar artists. (see side bar for cover art)

Lily Allen

I first heard her on another blog. You know the type of blog I am talking about, when you click on a link and music starts playing. Usually it is annoying, especially when you are working in a cubicle city... Her music is edgy, kind of link Gwen Stefani meets English Beat with a cockny accent. Some of the lyrics are a bit crass, but the radio versions work for the sensative ears. (You can check out her single, LDN, on the right)

Maroon 5 - "It won't be soon before long"

They didn't have the "Sophomore slump" with this CD. very good stuff.

Me First & the Gimme Gimmes
They play punk versions of lots of songs including some 60's tunes and country songs. The latest with country songs is great.

it has been a while...

2007-10-22T12:27:00.000-06:00

I am tired today. Who knew that a 19 1/2 pound, teething one year old boy could ruin your sleep. Jonah decided that he wanted to be awake last night, or at least keep us awake while he tried to sleep.

Why is this so strange? I mean the kid just turned one, shouldn't I be used to this?

Not really. He has been a good sleeper for about 9 months now, mostly sleeping 8-10 hrs at a time.

I wish I could sleep 8-10 hours at a time.

Then again, I would be a little ticked off if I had received 7 shots on Friday and have 3 or 4 new teeth coming in....

Note to self: Coaching 7 year old girls is easier than coaching 4 year old boys...

2007-10-10T07:42:00.000-06:00

Tillie's team had a bye last night so that meant only one soccer game for Isaak that I would get to watch. Well, 10 minutes after the game was to start, the coach still was not there and none of the parents knew what to do so I helped out and coached his team.

3 boys in Maroon and 3 boys in purple uniforms all going after a ball. You can imagine the chaos that ensued. There was tackling (the football type, not soccer type), shoving, pinching, hitting, crying, teasing, etc.

And then the game started...

long weekend... a lot happening...

2007-10-09T11:44:00.000-06:00

The long weekend is over. Didn't everyone have a long weekend? I guess that is what happens when you have Friday's off and get Monday off for Columbus Day.

Highlights of the long weekend:

Dinner at Bonsai Japanese Steakhouse. We don't usually get out too much for dinner unless they have kids meals, so it was nice to enjoy a dinner with some old friends (with just Jonah in tow). The food was pretty good and our chef was fun and of course I caught both shrimp that he flipped my way. Fried scallops and steak - mmmm good.

Watching Utah get a big win at Louiville - ok, ok, I know. I committed to no posting of Utah football, but this one was unexpected. Luckily Bonsai had a nice big flat screen that I could see the game while eating.

General Conference Without getting too churchy, it was a very good conference weekend with lots of good talks. I loved President Eyrings talk at the Priesthood session.

Sleeping in - No meetings at 7:00 A.M. on Sunday means that I get to sleep in. Enough said.

Discovery Gateway for FHE - We have an annual pass but haven't used it a lot. Wendy and the kids have, but I haven't. We went last night and had a great time and spent a whopping $0.00 for the excursion as we packed sandwiches and ate them on the patio by the helicoptor.

Welcome, one and all, to the Greatest Show on Earth...

2007-10-02T08:03:00.000-06:00

Last week we found out that Tillie had won 3rd place in the Davis Clipper coloring contest. Her prize: two tickets to the circus. So we bought two more and went last Saturday morning to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

I haven't been to the circus for at least 20 years and my kids have never been. Rather than describing all of the sights, sounds and smells (the tigers are smelly), I will post a few photos:

No more posting about the Utes...

2007-09-26T08:03:00.000-06:00

I know, I know. I must be jinxing the Utah Football team this year since the two times I have posted about the team, they have lost the game.

Vegas was a quick and fun trip, but the game was bad.

Isaak held up pretty well for his first Ute Football game, until the last 10 minutes of the 4th quarter when he decided to go to sleep with his head on my lap, stretched out across the bench.

Too bad the Utes fell asleep 3 quarters earlier than Isaak.

By the way, I remembered why I hate Vegas. I think the best way to sum it all up was when Jim turned to the back seat in the car and asked "ok, who farted?" Nobody would own up to it and then I told Jim that it was just the smell outside from behind Treasure Island. It was just the smell of backed up sewer and smoke.

At least I got a Double-Double, Animal Style from In-N-Out.

Viva Los Utes

2007-09-21T08:24:00.000-06:00

So, I am off tomorrow to join the rest of the Neff boys to celebrate my dad's birthday watching the University of Utah play football against UNLV in Las Vegas.

It will be a quick little trip lasting about 36 hours or so. I am taking Isaak with for his first Utah football game. I hope he lasts the entire game, but luckily he will have his cousins at the game as well so that may keep him entertained.

I am driving down with my brother Jim and his two sons, Parker and Connor. So the three kids will watch movies while I get to listen to Jim's extensive collection of music by the great rock band, RUSH. (Sorry, inside joke for my family)

I hope we have time to stop by In-N-Out for a double double, animal style or two...

My kids dancing

2007-09-20T12:25:00.001-06:00

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!I was laughing too hard at Travis' disco so I had to add my own.

The Smell of Football in the Air...

2007-09-17T07:31:00.000-06:00

I have to give a shout out to the Utes after they beat UCLA 44-6.

Oh, did I mention that they beat the #11 UCLA, the same UCLA team that beat BYU 27-17 the week before? According to the experts (ok, so just some guys at church) BYU deserves a lot of credit for Utah's win since they wore UCLA down the week before.

Alrighty then....

Back to the game this past Saturday.

There is one smell that always reminds me of Football games. Not hot popcorn. Not the smell of hot dogs. Not even the smells of Fall (leaves, crisp air, etc).

It is the smell of a cigar.

Ok, ok. I know. How could I like the smell of a cigar? It isn't that I necessarily like the smell of a cigar, but it is just that the smell of a cigar reminds me of my youth. I probably better clarify that last statement. No, my dad didn't sneak out and smoke a big stogie and the closest thing to smoking a cigar in my immediate family was when Brian would hide behind the bushes in front of our house and make pretend cigars out of dried leaves. You'll have to ask him more about that one some time.

Way back in the seventies and eighties when Utah Football sucked, there were always tickets available and I went as often as I could. Sometimes this meant that I sat in the 2 tickets that my dad had that were on the 30 yrd line instead of with the rest of his tickets. I think it was there where I would smell guys smoking their big Dominican Stogies. I doubt they were Cubans.

Anyway, the smell of a cigar still makes me think of Football, Crisp Autumn days, an Ice-Cold Coca-Cola served in a 20 ounce red and white cup and my childhood. For a couple of minutes when I was walking into Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, I could smell a cigar being smoked in the distance and it reminded me that there was a football game and it was Autumn.

after post thoughts: Now that I think about it, maybe cigars and Utah Football have more in common then we realize. The words to Utah's Fight Song, "Utah Man" were originally: "...we drink our stein of lager and we smoke our big cigars". It was later changed to the current version "Our coeds are the fairest and each one's a shining star."

Hi, my name is Todd. I am the Soccer Coach

2007-09-12T09:46:00.000-06:00

Both of my kids are playing soccer this year. Tillie is now 7 and is in her 4th season. She has been a good player but last year her experience wasn't the best, so this year, I am coaching her team.

We lost last night, 4-0.

Of the 8 girls on the team, only 3 have played before. All 8 want to play goalie. Only a couple of them should play goalie.

A couple of things that were funny last night (I have to keep laughing or else I would go crazy):

One girl came into the game with a mouth full of Oreo cookies and a bunch of chocolate wiped across her bright yellow jersey.

The same girl asked me how many more games we have left (this was in our second game)

Our goalie (for half of the 3rd quarter) got her pig tails caught in the net and had to be untangled by her mom.

Our 3'6" girl took out an amazon 7 year old that was at least 5 feet tall on an unintentional slide tackle.

"Hey coach, I found a stick on the field" "Great, let's put the stick down and play soccer!"

I heard one of our girls telling a girl on the other team, "let's talk after she kicks this ball." That was right in the middle of the game.

"I lost a tooth" "really? just now during the game" I asked. "no. it was a long time ago in the summer"

I don't even want to start in on the things I saw and heard during 4 year old Isaak's game.

blatent blog copying ahead...

2007-09-06T10:08:00.000-06:00

Burritos and other Mexican favorites
Ok, so I just read my brother Brian's blog where he is talking about Burritos. I started to comment but realized there was just too much to talk about and since I haven't written a new post for a few days, why not blatantly steal his topic. Thank you and sorry Brian. I owe you a Double-Double, animal style when we are in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks...

I am going to do a top 10 of sorts of favorite burritos:

10. Cafe Rio/Costa Vida/Bajio
Some people will put this at the top of the list, but not me. It is good, but nothing to die for. Pork is the only way to go, hot sauce, smothered. Bajio is the best of the three because of the optional grilled onions.

9. Chile Verde burrito from Cafe Pierpont
I don't think they offer this anymore at Cafe Pierpont and I haven't had it in years. A lot of good memories with this one - mostly eating the left overs late at night - but there was that one bad memory where it didn't sit well in my stomach....

8. Lynn Wilson frozen Burritos
Albertson's often sells their brand 3 for $1. These were always in the freezer growing up and made a quick meal. In High School, my friend Danny and I would snarf down a couple of these at lunch - then we realized if you fried them in a pan with a little oil they were even better. A touch of sour cream and salsa and you had a gourmet lunch that only a high school kid would love.

7. Taco Bell. Bean and Cheese burrito.
Forget about all of the newer options, you have to go with the original. They were even better when they were only $.59. For a couple of years they had a Taco Bell inside the U of U student Union and while the burritos were 10 cents more, they were about twice the size. I think I could still eat 14 of these like I did one night in 1989.

6. Home-made burros.
Instead of taco seasoning on the meat, I like to season my own with some chili powder, cumin and cilantro. Add refried beans with black pepper and all the rest of your favorite toppings for a quick and great meal. Leftovers make are perfect for lunch right after church on Sunday.

5. Carne Asada burrito from Alberto's
For a long time, you couldn't get them in a combo with rice and beans - unless of course you asked for it off the menu - speaking Spanish helped in getting them right. Of course the one on 33rd South is now MolcaSalsa but it is still the same. Someone once told me how many fat grams and calories they have, but I chose to delete that from my memory. (As a side note, the Carne Asada tortas are wonderful to try)

4. Del Taco - Macho Combo
I can't believe that I don't remember what it was called before Del Taco... anyone?
Anyway, the only way to go at Del Taco is the Macho Combo. It is like a Burrito Supreme from Taco Bell on Steroids. Add some of the "Del Scorcho" taco sauce. When made right, this burrito dwarfs the big boys at Chipotle.

3. Speaking of Chipotle...
ok, this is a new one for me since it hasn't been in Utah very long. It is the classic San Francisco style burrito. Wrapped in foil this burrito has gone far and wide thanks to the marketing by the parent company, McDonald's.

2. Carne Asada burrito from Francos

Where is this place, you ask? Here is the story. When I came home from my mission in Spain (and no, they don't eat burritos and tacos there) I was excited to go to the famous Munson's Burger den for the best shakes in Utah. I was 3-4 weeks too late as they had closed down, not for lack of business, but to move to Delta. So the place sat empty on 20th East and 33rd south for a few months before it was re-opened by a Mexican family by the name of Franco. They started out with burgers and such but later offered their home-made chili verde served in a Styrofoam bowl with tortillas. This was quite good. I asked them one day about other Mexican food and soon they had Carne Asada burritos. For a couple of years it was wonderful. Now the place is a coffee lounge.

1. It is a tie - Burrito Baby and Barbacoa

Brian's description of Burrito Baby didn't explain that David Escobedo moved his shop to 300 South and 200 East in SLC in the early 90's and stuck around for a few years (1998 or so?) I used to go in there every couple of weeks or so. For me, this was the original foil-wrapped burrito. All burritos included rice and beans inside the burrito. I miss this place.

Barbacoa comes close to replicating Burrito Baby for me. Yes, it is newer and has the popular line where you tell them what to put on your burrito (see #10) but the food is good. No, great. I find myself going the simple route and order Carnitas pork in the burrito. My nephew Spencer taught me the real key to eating these: order all three salsas on the burrito instead of just one and squeeze lots of fresh lime on them.

mmm... just about lunch time. Too bad I have too much to do or else I would drive up the street to get a Carne Asada burrito at Alberto's since it is so close to my office.

Honorable Mention: El Chamion burrito from the now defunct La Salsa. Hard to argue with a burrito that was so fresh and big. I met my wife while eating one of these too.

Let the season begin!

2007-08-30T08:54:00.000-06:00

Tonight at 8:00 P.M. the season begins when Utah plays at Oregon State.

Here is a little video I found to get excited about the start of the season:

Which Baseball teams are the farthest apart?

2007-08-29T10:10:00.000-06:00

While watching baseball on Sunday evening, the question was asked, "Which two Major league teams are the farthest apart?"

Those watching the game settled on two different options:

Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres

Seattle Mariners and Florida Marlins.

The winner: Seattle to Miami is 2734 miles. Boston to San Diego was 2nd at 2582 miles.

Yes, I know it is what my brothers would refer to as a UBI (Useless bit of information)

un amigo mio...

2007-08-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

So I was listening to FM radio this morning, which I usually don't do any more. I am becoming my dad and keep the dial tuned to KSL - mostly for traffic and weather on the 9's.

Anyway, I was listening to 101.9, the End (which incidentally enough is preset right next to KSL 102.7 FM) when I heard an add for the jamboree music festival on September 8 at Thanksgiving Point. They mentioned that Toad the Wet Sprocket was playing.

I realized how out of touch I am with music when I looked up Toad the Wet Sprocket to find out when they got back together as a band. 2006. Last year. 34 tour dates last year. How did that slip by me?

Well, while looking at the lineup for the Jamboree, I noticed a band called Cub Country listed in the lineup. I had not heard of the band before, but I have heard of the front man, Jeremy Chatelain.
Jeremy has played bass in a few bands like Jets to Brazil, Handsome and Insight but that is not how know who Jeremy is.

I got to know Jeremy at Evergreen Jr. High. Jeremy wore Chuck Taylor high tops and skateboarded. I wore Chuck Taylor high tops tried to skateboard with my Town & Country skateboard that I bought from my brother Brian. Jeremy's family lived on Neff's Lane, just above 2300 East (I think his parents still live there). We had a few classes together, including LDS seminary. I recall learning to draw skulls and crossbones from Jeremy in seminary class and after school listening to punk bands at his house on vinyl albums while he tried to play the guitar. I graduated from Seminary, I don't think Jeremy did. We ran in different groups in High School but still remained friendly. I haven't seen him in years, but hear about him every once in a while as his older sister works with Wendy at OC Tanner.

So I was curious about the music he is playing these days. It sounds like Jeremy has put the hard core punk days behind him in favor of a more Americana-twang sound. You can hear a sample of it here. I downloaded the entire album and it is pretty good.

Newest Quiz...

2007-08-16T11:57:00.000-06:00

So, once again, Dee Dee posted another quiz. This time it is a newest quiz:

1. What is the newest CD you own?
Aqualung - Strange and Beautiful. You may have heard the song, "Brighter than the Sunshine" in the movie, "A Lot like love". Good stuff

2. Newest article of clothing you own?

Camouflage cargo shorts from Target

3. Newest pair of shoes you own?

Retro Adidas - Stan Smiths

4. Who is your newest friend ?

how cool is this... I am friends with Chris Mullen and play basketball with him...

ok, so not the same Chris Mullen that played in the NBA, but he is still pretty cool

5. Newest DVD ?

I bought a DVD collection that shows rides, shows and fireworks from Disneyland

6. Whats is the newest thing you bought?

I bought some Popsicles yesterday

7. What is the newest thing in your refrigerator?

The same Popsicles are in the freezer - does that count?

8. Newest Id card ?

New ID for the Government agency where I work

Question of the day...

2007-08-16T08:15:00.000-06:00

Are you really "reading" a book if you listen to it on tape (or CD or ipod)?

I came across a blog that the person talked about his/her love of books and then proceeded to highlight all of the books that he/she has recently listened to and will listen to soon.

Sorry, but I don't think it is keeping a keen reading mind by listening to a book. It is entertaining, yes, but just like watching a TV show or a movie. I wouldn't ever say that I saw a movie if I only read the script, so why do people say that they read a book when they really listened to it?

Oh, and for the record, I have listened to books on tape and it is entertaining - good for long drives, long flights, etc. But for me, nothing is quite like turning the pages of a book

Oldest Quiz

2007-08-15T09:55:00.000-06:00

The baby of the family, Dee Dee, posted a quiz about some of the oldest things in our lives...

Here goes...

1. What is the oldest CD you own?

I hate to admit it, but Mister Mister was the first CD I purchased (right after I bought my first CD player at LaBelle's on 33rd) in 1985. I tried to give the CD away a couple of times but it is still in my CD collection.

2. What is the oldest article of clothing you own?

not really an article of clothing, but I wore it once: The Christmas stocking that LDS hospital put me in for the ride home shortly after I was born.

3. What is the oldest article of clothing you wear?

Probably a T shirt from my mission in Spain. It is thin and way too small, but works great under a basketball jersey - kind of like a wifebeater tank top under my jersey

4. Who is your oldest friend that you are still in touch with?

Brett. (I really haven't talked to him in months, but when we do talk, we pick right up where we left off)

5. What is the oldest DVD you own?

I was a little late on getting into DVDs - but I think Reservoir Dogs was the first one I purchased

6. Whats is your oldest childhood possession?

The same Christmas stocking... but I still have my "Ticky" stuffed animal - I think it is a raccoon?

7. What is the oldest thing in your refrigerator?

A bottle of real maple syrup - although nothing stays for very long in the refrigerator at our house since I am constant cleaning it out and throwing out anything old - one of my little quirks

8. What is your oldest Id card ?

I am pretty sure I have my 7th grade ID card from Evergreen Jr. High.

In, but not quite out...

2007-08-14T08:36:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday evening we drove down to Pleasant Grove to see TJ and Sarah's new townhouse and to help with some painting.

Tillie and Isaak started fighting 8 miles into the trip. We could tell that they were hungry so we told them we would go to a place that is like In-N-Out burger in American Fork. It got them to quiet down some - enough so that they could hear their Disney songs on the radio.

I have heard about Chadders since they opened in May. A few family members on both sides have been there and said it was close to In-N-Out, but not exactly. Without much of a reason to drive to American Fork, I had not been down there, plus I didn't want to wait an hour for a burger.

We found the place and pulled up to the drive-thru. I felt almost dirty ordering a "Double Chadders burger, Chubby style" instead of my favorite "Double Double, animal style" that In-N-Out offers.

It was a pretty good burger, but wasn't identical to In-N-Out. Maybe about 75% of the way there.

Would I go back? Yes, if I am in the area (like next week to help them move) but I wouldn't make a the long drive to go there just to eat.

Bop Bop Bop, Pulitzer to the top...

2007-08-07T15:06:00.000-06:00

So last night I grabbed a new book to read. It isn't a new book and I have read it before. I am going to re-read Wallace Stegner's book, Marking the Sparrow's Fall: The Making of the American West. This is a collection of stories that Stegner wrote that his son, Page, compiled.

The first few stories are about his youth in Saskatchewan, Great Falls and several about Salt Lake City. While I was reading one of the stories about his youth in SLC, I was thinking about Stegner attending East High School.

I started to think that my wife, Wendy, graduated from East High School. So she attended the same school that a Pulitzer prize winning novelist attended (Wallace Stegner) as well as the fictional Troy Bolton (High School Musical, played by Zac Efron).

Of course my 7 year old daughter, Tillie, could care less about the guy that wrote all of those books on my shelf going to her mom's high school. She does let everyone know that High School Musical was filmed where her mom went to school.

East was also attended by Roseanne Barr (she dropped out), Astronaut James Irwin and Elizabeth Smart (class of 2006)

I then started thinking about my high school, Olympus High. We can claim Karl Rove, Mark Hoffmann and Shawn Nelson (the guy that started Love Sac) as graduates.

Then again Olympus can also claim David Zabriskie. Who is David Zabriskie? He is a professional Bicycle racer and one of only Five Americans to have worn the Yellow jersey in the Tour de France.

Which graduates would you rather claim?

I want a new car...

2007-08-02T14:15:00.000-06:00

This is my current car - well, ok, it is the same model and color, but not my car.

It has been a decent car for almost 90,000 miles and 12 years. We have our 10 year anniversary in September so that means this was Wendy's car before we were married.

The car was quite nice when it was new. Leather seats. Sun roof. V6 engine. Nice wheels. Good stereo. But it has had a few problems. Since the car is a V6 engine, it is probably too much car for the suspension, etc. So we have replaced the CV joints and have had a few other small problems. At least it has been paid off for several years.

But I want a new car. I know, drive the car that is paid off and stay away from a payment, but I want a new car and Wendy knows I want a new car.

I have tried the subtle approach. I have strategically placed ads for the car I want in her magazines the way Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" hints at a Red Rider BB gun. I have pointed out the car that I want while driving saying things like "wow, that car looks nice. Do you like that car, Wendy?" or "what color would you get if you were to buy that car?"

I start talking to other people while in Wendy's presence about crossover SUVs and which one would they get if they were buying a new one and pointing out the one I like.

I think I may need to be more straight forward.

by the way, this is what I would like to buy:

On my desktop

2007-08-01T15:24:00.000-06:00

This is the photo that has been on my computer desktop for the past 5 weeks or so. It replaced a photo that we took in the same spot in February 2006.

I love how Isaak was straining in the 2006 photo to pull the sword from the stone and I have had a lot of people comment on the photo.

So when Isaak and I took a quick trip to SoCal and ended up at Disneyland for the day, I thought I would take a picture of him at the same spot. But then I thought I wanted to get the castle in the background instead of King Arthur's Carousel... yada yada yada and we ended up with the photo above. No straining to pull the sword out this time, but a good photo of Isaak.

So a couple of days ago I was showing Isaak the photos I took on our quick trip and He asked me which castle was in the photo. I told him that it was the Disneyland Castle. (I mean, duh, the kid has spent a lot of time in Disneyland, he should know where it is) Then he said he knew it was Disneyland, but WHICH castle at Disneyland.

Ok, now I was really confused. Then I realized what he was talking about.

There is the castle that you can see from Fantasyland (like in the photo) and the castle that you can see from Main Street with the water in the front. (He didn't realize that it is the same castle, just different sides of the castle)

I guess that means we need to walk through the castle more often next time we go to Disneyland.

Near miss...

2007-07-29T15:47:00.000-06:00

As I read the stories in the papers today, I realize that things could of been much worse...

Let me explain from my point of view:

Around 10:45, I was in our back yard staining the deck and getting the ground under the deck ready to build a rock patio. Isaak, my 4 year old son and Tillie, my 7 year old daughter were in the house watching Hanna Montana or something. Wendy and my 9 month old son, Jonah, were running to Home Depot and Target in Centerville.

Our neighbor, Ashly, came over and told me that Wendy was almost in an car accident and called but couldn't get through to us. The phone was inside and the kids didn't answer the phone.

I called Wendy on her cell phone and she was very shaken up. She and Jonah were alright but she said that she narrowly missed a very serious accident. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6491661

Wendy and Jonah are in this story, but their names do not appear - Wendy was the south-bound driver that had to swerve out of the way as the vehicle that crashed came directly at her at an increasing speed.

Wendy told me that she tried to get out of the way to the right but the car kept coming so she ended up going into the oncoming lane (knowing that nobody else was coming in that direction). The other driver looked slumped over and the passenger appeared to be trying to grab the steering wheel. The silver car then struck a large metal power pole and then struck the man working in his yard.

Nobody knows why the car came into the Southbound lane and then veered all the way back to the other side, but it looks like there may have been a medical condition.

Wendy and Jonah were safe - but it was a near miss, and a frightening experience. Our mini van wasn't touched, but a can of deck stain spilled in the vehicle.

I for one am happy to clean the deck stain out of the carpet in the van when I think of what could have happened.

Items found while cleaning out my In-laws house

2007-07-26T16:30:00.000-06:00

My wife has been spending a lot of time lately at her parents house. Her parents have decided to sell the home where they have lived for the past 31 years. After 31 years in the same place, some people accumulate a lot of things. Not my in-laws, they have accumulated a lot of things times 10.
Wendy has been a good sport in helping them get ready for the move next week. Most of the time has been spent sorting through old papers from 4 deceased grandparents, one deceased great-aunt and about 20 years worth of random papers.

I have helped out a couple of times. Mostly I have carried boxes to the garage, but I also got up the guts to help sort papers.

Here are a couple of things I found this past week:
Dog tags from Wendy's grandpa worn in WWII
Copy of "Stars and Stripes" announcing the end of WWII
An amputation kit from WWII (Grandpa Nelson was a doctor too)
30 zippers still in plastic from around 1920
7000 Yen
75 Canadian dollars
$250 in gift certificates to Gastronomy restaurants
An un-opened birthday card from 1984 with $5 inside

Ok, so some of this stuff was pretty cool - but for all of the good stuff, I found heaps of stuff that went right into the trash or a recycling bin.

Luckily, Wendy hasn't inherited the saving gene, but I think it skips a generation as Tillie saves absolutely everything.

2007-07-25T16:36:00.000-06:00

So, I guess I am jumping on the Blog bandwagon.

I have been reading blogs for a couple of years and there are several that I read all the time. Unfortunately, some of them have stopped blogging or have gone on hiatus. Either way, they are no longer posting. Hopefully I will stick around for a while - even while I may be the only one reading this.

Anyway, I just started responding to a few comments that others have made (mostly my siblings that have blogs) and then I got tagged. I am not sure if I would have rather been tagged by Brian on a Sunday afternoon at mom's while standing around waiting for dinner or get tagged online. The former probably is more immediate pain, so I will stick with the online tag:

In much the same way that the Neff Gang changed up the questions, I will change some of them...

Places lived:
Salt Lake City, Utah
Sevilla, Cadiz and Malaga Spain (for a couple of years)
North Salt Lake, Utah
(I know - not much of a variety except the mish)

3 places where I would like to be right now:
beach in El Palo, Spain - with a bonfire and eating roasted fish
On the top of Monte Cristo - several thousand feet about Snowbird
Wandering through Disneyland with my kids

3 guilty pleasures:
cheeseburgers - any kind, anywhere
Vanilla coke
Sunday afternoon naps

A few of Jobs I have worked:
DJ for a little radio station at the U of U
bicycle bag inspector
selling gumball machines on the phone

Places I would like to see sometime in my life:
South America (Tierra del Fuego & the Andes mountains)
Jerusalem
Tahiti (funny how my wife has been to two of these before we met)

Wild foods that I have eaten:
Tripe
Octopus
blood sausage

Most memorable trips:
1. Oahu 1993 with friends, snorkeling gear and a convertible
2. Cross country bus trip for 3 weeks in 1987
3. Spain in 1992 with parents (watching mom & dad get detained for two hours on the Gibraltar - Spain border was priceless)
4. Chicago 1998 - wandering around seeing the architecture and eating deep-dish pizza

Food I love to make:
Grilled tri-tip
Mexican tortas
Risotto
Spanish tortillas

Food I wish I could make (or will learn someday):
Beef wellington
Ratatouille (looks like a fun dish to make)
Creme Brule (anytime you get to use a mini-flame thrower to cook has to be a good thing)

TV shows that I like - but don't admit to liking:
Hell's Kitchen ("That is horrible - Shut it down")
What about Brian? (probably not going to be a 3rd season)
How I met your Mother

Worst movies I have seen in a theater:
Pet Cemetery
Titanic
City of Angels (sorry Wendy)

Dream jobs:
Question (or is it answer) writer for Jeopardy
Own/run a lunch counter in downtown SLC
Historical Fiction writer

Places where I would love to live but never will:
Marbella, Spain (would love to be Sean Connery's neighbor)
Zihuatanejo, Mexico (Are Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman still running a deep-sea fishing company?)
Palermo, Italy (or just about anywhere else in Sicily)

Movies I love - but you may not have seen:
Cinema Paradiso
El Mariachi (Desperado before Antonio Banderas)
Reservoir Dogs (hopefully you haven't seen this one!)

People that should do this:
Julie Knaphus
my mom and dad (wanna help them, Dee Dee)
Jim Neff