The Dave & Kristen Show

Healthy Living Continued

2012-02-07T21:24:00.034-07:00

Last summer, it was a pretty big deal for me when I got under 200 pounds for the first time in years. Well, I just reached another milestone. This week I weighed in at 189, giving me a BMI of 24.9, which is the very top of the "normal" weight range for my height. I realize that BMI is just a small piece of the health puzzle, but it certainly is nice to have one less number designating me as overweight. And to think I used to be considered obese.

A major factor motivating me to get healthier was getting my cholesterol checked last year. My HDL (good cholesterol) was low, so my doctor prescribed medication to help bring it up to an acceptable level. Since then, my goal has been to improve my HDL via diet and exercise so I can stop taking the meds. Given my family medical history, I figure I'll have to take cholesterol medication at some point, but I'm not ready to resign myself to it just yet. My next check-up isn't for another few months, but hopefully I'm headed in the right direction.

These days, my last reserve of flab is my belly. In researching ways to target my persistent paunch, I found the Flat Belly Diet. Kristen and I checked out some of the cookbooks from the library, and have worked many of the recipes into our rotation over the last few months. In addition to making us more keenly aware of our portions and caloric intake, the Flat Belly Diet has helped us target more of the right kinds of food—fresh, unprocessed, low in sugar and sodium, and rich in monounsaturated fats. We've also made other subtle dietary changes like switching from white to wheat bread, and 1% to skim milk. We still enjoy the occasional burger or slice of pizza, but in moderation of course.

I've been going to the gym regularly for a while now, and Kristen has started to catch the bug as well. Lately she has been going to Jazzercise and Yoga every week, and is working on kicking her soda habit (five days without caffeine, and she's got the headache to prove it). We are both ready to take the next step—training for a sprint triathlon in June.

Indecisive Eaters Anonymous

2012-01-31T18:18:00.003-07:00

To say that Eddie is a picky eater is an understatement. There are a multitude of foods (like chicken) which he refuses to try for no apparent reason. But sometimes he will change his mind about his food while he is eating it. To illustrate this, I recorded a loose narrative of us going out for pizza last night.

We get settled in a booth and place our order.

Eddie: Where's the pizza!?
Kristen: They're still cooking it.
Eddie: Why is it not here yet?

The questioning continues until they bring out our cheese-filled breadsticks. Eddie examines them.

Eddie: (Without trying it) I don't like this bread.
Dave: It's just like pizza, but without the sauce.
Eddie: I don't like it.
Kristen: Well, our pizza will be ready soon.

Our pizza arrives. I give Eddie a slice.

Eddie: (Without trying it) I don't like this pizza.
Dave: Do you want me to cut it up into little pieces?
Eddie: Yeah.

He eats a few bites.

Eddie: I don't like this pizza.
Kristen: Well, that's our dinner.

Eddie continues to eat the pieces on his plate until they are gone.

Dave: Do you want more?
Eddie: No!

A few minutes pass while Kristen, Violet, and I all quietly eat our food.

Eddie: Can I have some of that bread?
Dave: (Surprised) Sure. Which one do you want?
Eddie: (Pointing) That one.
Dave: Okay, here you go.

He eats about half of his breadstick before chucking it back in the basket.

Eddie: I don't like this bread.
Dave/Kristen: (Shrug)

As we finish up, I start to put our leftover pizza in a box.

Eddie: Hey! I need more pizza!
Kristen: Oh, we thought you were done.

The rest of us sit and wait another 15 minutes while Eddie gradually downs the entire slice.

Kid Books

2012-01-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks in part to the book club I started last fall, I have started seeking out more children's books (middle reader through young adult) to read. Here are some of the books I have read recently that I recommend:

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place // Maryrose Wood

This is a book I picked up at random from the library. It is geared toward middle readers and is the first in a series. This book tells the story of a young governess as she starts her first job, caring for three children who were found in the forest on Lord Ashton's estate. I thought it was a fun read and a very creative story. I liked it enough that I also read the second book in the series. I plan to read the rest of the series as it comes out simply because I want to see all the mysteries solved.

If it were easy to resist, it would not be called chocolate cake.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children // Ransom Riggs

I couldn't resist this book when I saw the photo on the cover. I thought it was so creepy that I had to see what the story was about. This book is intended for teens and I really enjoyed it. It was mysterious, scary, and fun. In the book, 16 year old Jacob is trying to discover the secrets of his grandfather's youth and death. What he finds is a magical place full of peculiar children. The book includes vintage photos like the cover photo, some of which were a little too creepy for my tastes. Definitely an interesting sci-fi/fantasy read.

I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.

When You Reach Me // Rebecca Stead

This is another book that I chose randomly and it also turned out to be science fiction. I absolutely loved this book. It is funny and quirky, and it even made me cry by the end. This is the story of Miranda and her best friend Sal. Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes that will ultimately help her save the life of someone she loves. Read it. I don't think you'll regret it.

Trying to forget really doesn't work. In fact, it's pretty much the same as remembering. But I tried to forget anyway, and to ignore the fact that I was remembering you all the time.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret // Brian Selznick

The new movie Hugo is based on this novel. It is the story of a young orphan who lives in a train station as he works on rebuilding a mechanical man that he thinks contains a message from his dead father. The story was intriguing and the writing is interspersed with illustrations that tell parts of the story. This is definitely a great read and now I want to see the movie.

I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and types of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason, too.

Five Flavors of Dumb // Antony John

I just finished this book today. It is a teen novel about a deaf girl who manages a rock band. I was a bit worried about reading a book about teenagers in the middle of all that high school angst and awkwardness, but this book really surprised me with its depth. It was a fun read that explored some of the history of rock and roll, as well as some complex family relationships. It is a story of self-discovery and about not under (or over) estimating others. It had a bit of bad language, but I thought was surprisingly clean for a novel about 17 year old punk rockers.

Don’t worry about wanting to change; start worrying when you don’t feel like changing anymore. And in the meantime, enjoy every version of yourself you ever meet, because not everybody who discovers their true identity likes what they find.

Happy Birthday, Violet!

2012-01-23T11:31:00.009-07:00

Violet has had a big month. Since Christmas, she got tubes in her ears, started walking, figured out how to drink from a sippy cup, and got her first tooth. And just last night, she slept for 10 hours straight (one of the few nights she's slept through the night)!

We had a big party for her on Saturday so that friends and family would be able to join us. Apparently I have some sort of obsession with Minnie Mouse (according to Dave), but once I had the idea for a Minnie Mouse birthday, I didn't want to do anything else. So I made a Minnie Mouse cake and we got Violet a giant Minnie balloon, which she loves. I also gave her a Minnie toy, which Eddie loves.

The cake turned out okay considering that I tried something new. Instead of just using normal frosting to draw and fill the design, I used Sugar Sheets, which are sheets of paper made out of frosting that you can cut out and stick on the cake. I also made Violet a little #1 smash cake that was all for her. And she methodically devoured the whole thing, plus some.

Violet shredded tissue paper while all the other kids opened her presents for her. Thanks to all who came!

This morning, I took Violet in for her check-up. She is getting tall and skinny, weighing in at 21.5 pounds (61st percentile) and measuring 31 inches (97th percentile). No wonder she's wearing 24 month size clothes! She was quite feisty when the doctor did the exam. Violet has a deep-rooted loathing for the stethoscope. But she was even more angry when she had to get 3 shots. Hopefully after our follow-up with the ENT on Wednesday, we can avoid doctors for a while so she'll forget that she hates them.

The last year has had some big challenges, but I am happy to say that Violet was not one of them. She is a sweet and happy girl and we wouldn't trade her for anything! Happy Birthday, Violet!

Cinematic Utah: Exotic Locales

2012-01-20T09:21:00.005-07:00

Previously: Journey to Ancient Egypt

Today I've got an assortment of theater photos that have been piling up since last summer. This latest group took me to such exotic locales as Ephraim, Coalville, and Parowan.

Towne Theatre // Ephraim // 7.22.11

Loma Theatre (aka Neena's Market) // Coalville // 9.4.11

Quick tangent... Our trip out to Coalville was shaping up to be a disappointment when I discovered the Loma Theatre had been converted into a nondescript Mexican market. But at least there was a row of cool old buildings across the street to placate me. Plus, the next time we are passing through Coalville in need of "merchandise of highest quality," we'll know that the Summit Merc carries everything. Back to the theaters...

Electric Theatre // St. George // 10.8.11

Aladdin Theatre // Parowan // 10.9.11

Being Kristen

2012-01-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

Since my diagnosis with postpartum depression (detailed here), I have been working to improve my emotional and mental health. One of the main things I have been trying to do is rediscover myself and be comfortable with what I find. As a way to update everyone on my progress, I thought I'd post some of the things I have learned about myself. They are pretty random, but sometimes I am like that.

Things I Hate

Assumptions
I absolutely hate when people assume they know what my opinions are. This bothers me most when people think that I share their political opinions. I'm not a particularly political person, and I generally keep those opinions that I do have to myself. I have learned over the last few years that I am much more liberal than many people I know. So it irritates me when others tell me their opinions with the assumption that I agree. It makes for awkward conversations. I really hate awkward conversations.

Being Told How to Feel
I am currently reading Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by Dr. John Gottman. I chose this book to help me better understand and manage Eddie's emotions, but it has helped me understand myself, too. One of the main things Dr. Gottman writes about is not trivializing a person's emotions. The feelings are not the bad thing, it is how a person behaves when they feel a certain way that can be inappropriate. So when people tell me I should not worry or I should relax, it really frustrates me. I am learning to manage my emotional reactions, not to stifle my true feelings. I am not afraid of emotion and allowing myself to feel my feelings gives me time to work through them and let go of what I need to let go of.

Guilt
Postpartum depression brings a lot of guilt with it. As I began my treatment, I felt guilty about how I had been feeling, how I had been acting, that I had waited so long to get help, that I needed help in the first place, that I wasn't living up to everyone's expectations, etc. But I have learned that guilt is not a productive emotion. Guilt is something you stew in, only making things worse.

Things I Love

Yoga
I recently signed up for a yoga class and after only one session, I was reminded of why I am so drawn to yoga. Yoga is all about balance, which is what I am always striving for within myself. Yoga practice is the one time that I can focus completely on myself. As selfish as that sounds, I have learned that making time for myself helps me be a better wife and mother.

Sewing
I have always been a creative person and now that I have learned to sew, it has become a great creative outlet. I love that it is hands-on, that it takes some skill, and that it is productive. I love being able to see a final product and be proud of what I have made.

Being a Mother
One of the biggest problems I had before I started my treatment for depression was that I was overwhelmed by my kids and kept withdrawing. Depression, at least for me, filled me with conflict between what I thought I wanted to do and what I knew I should do. As I've been feeling better, I have remembered that being a mother is one of the best things in my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love watching Eddie and Violet grow and learn new things. I want them to be able to count on me no matter what.

Dave
When I married Dave, I had no idea how perfect he was for me. Obviously I thought he was pretty great, but over the years, I have learned over and over again that choosing him was the best choice I ever made. He is calm, sensible, and reasonable to counteract my craziness. I cannot imagine anyone whose personality would complement mine better. I truly believe we were made for each other.

Even at our wedding, it was obvious we were perfect for each other.

2012 Coming Attractions

2012-01-07T07:30:00.018-07:00

This is the movie year I have been waiting for. I give you some of my most anticipated releases of 2012.

The Hunger Games // March 23

If the first full trailer is to be trusted, The Hunger Games' adaptation from page to screen looks to be a smooth one. (And really, when has a two-minute preview ever steered us wrong before?) Of course with limited footage of inside the arena, it's still anyone's guess how they will pull off some of the book's more graphic violence within the constraints of a PG-13 rating.

The Avengers // May 4

Heaven knows there has been enough set up for this one. Samuel L. Jackson has been making post-credit cameos to pimp the Marvel team up flick since way back in 2008. Heck, I half expected Jackson's Nick Fury to show up at the end of Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol to recruit Ethan Hunt.

Dark Shadows // May 11
Frankenweenie // October 5

After the utterly futterwackened Alice in Wonderland, I finally admitted to myself that Tim Burton has been on cruise control for most of the last decade. The quirky director seems to have abandoned originality all together in favor of remaking existing properties with a Burton twist (aka casting Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter). So what does Burton have in store this year to wash away the stink of Alice? Well, first there's an adaptation of a '60s TV show, then a stop motion remake of one of Burton's own short films. Sigh. At least Depp or Carter won't be in Frankenweenie.

The Amazing Spider-Man // July 3

Even if I'm not particularly interested in seeing Spidey's origin story regurgitated (sorry, rebooted), I am mildly curious to see a fresh take on the franchise. Of course no Tobey "Crapping Bricks" Maguire or Kirsten "Dead Eyes" Dunst means Kristen will probably be first in line.

The Dark Knight Rises // July 20

This is the big one. I'll likely have plenty more to say about Rises before July 20th. In the meantime, here's an email exchange I had with my buddy Ben after the first full trailer was released last month:

Ben: Overall the trailer rocked… This has the makings of Rocky III—Batman gets beat up, then has to recover and come back and fight to win the title back. Yup, just like Rocky III.

Dave: Let's hope it features an "Eye of the Tiger" training montage. Or that it ends with a behind closed doors Batman/Bane rematch. Freeze frame!

Ben: And in Batman 4, Bane and Batman are besties until someone kills Bane (must be a foreigner), then Batman vows revenge and fights him on Christmas Day!

Dave: Instead of a Russian it would have to be Al-Qaeda. But you had better believe those terrorists will be chanting for USA by the end. "If I can change, and you can change... everybody can change!"

Your move, Warner Brothers.

Skyfall // November 9

James Bond has endured everything from three-nippled sharpshooters to laser battles in space, but it was the financial woes of MGM Studios that nearly torpedoed the venerable super spy's 50 year reign. Now that MGM has emerged from bankruptcy, 007 can finally put away his terry cloth man romper and get back to saving the world. With Daniel Craig fully entrenched in the role and flanked by a great cast and crew, I have high hopes that Skyfall will be counted among the From Russia With Loves and Casino Royales of the franchise, and not the Moonrakers or Die Another Days.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey // Dec 14

After his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy dominated the early 2000s and quickly became modern classics, director Peter Jackson has done little of note since (unless you count stretching his King Kong remake from a possibly great two hour movie into an unbearable three hour movie). Now he is returning to his old stomping grounds a decade later to direct a pair of prequels. Okay, here's what you do, PJ. Get George Lucas on the phone. Ask for any and all advice he's willing to give. Then do the opposite.

Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-29T07:55:00.007-07:00

Christmas has come and gone once again, leaving in its wake a mountain of torn packaging, and a bunch of toys and gizmos that we'll have to get rid of to make room for next year's haul. After all the dust has settled, hopefully we've made some lasting memories too.

My family had their annual Christmas party the Saturday before Christmas Eve at my sister's place. The great thing about having parties there is that Eddie and his cousin Sarah will go off to play in a far corner of the house, not to be seen for hours. Of course when they do show up again, Eddie's wearing something like this.

Violet shows off her surprised face as she opens a present.

Fast forward to Christmas Eve. We spent most of the day at Kristen's grandma's place in Huntington. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos while we were there. Back at home that night, we had some delicious Caprese panini for dinner.

We got the kids in their jammies, read the Nativity story, and let Eddie open his Christmas McQueen before bed.

Violet flashed her first hint of possessiveness on Christmas morning. She and Eddie nearly came to blows over who got to play with Jessie first.

I continue to roll out a few action figures from my Star Wars collection for Eddie every holiday. I was especially excited to give him "Disco Lando" as he was dubbed back in the day, due to his bell bottoms and Travolta-like poseability. And just look at that six pack!

Eddie's main present was a new big boy bed. It takes up most of his tiny room, but we got him a loft bed so at least there is still some floor space underneath to play. Last but not least, here is this year's Christmas card.

Holiday Traditions

2011-12-23T13:18:00.009-07:00

Kristen
When I was growing up in Price, we lived just a half hour away from my Grandma and Grandpa. We spent a lot of time at their house. Some of my favorite memories are from the Christmases spent at Grandma's. Every Christmas Eve, the entire family would gather at Grandma's house for dinner. After stuffing ourselves silly, Grandma would give each of us grandkids one present to open -- our Christmas pajamas. When we were small, Grandma would sew our pajamas, so they would all match.

With my brothers on my first Christmas, 1984

After changing into our pajamas and eating some dessert, we would head home. On our drive, we always played a game where we would shout out where we saw Christmas lights. I imagine this was created by my parents to keep my brothers and I from bugging each other, but as we drove, we'd call out, "Christmas lights on the left!" or "Christmas lights on the right!" (I still find myself doing this sometimes.) We would arrive home and head to bed, anxious for the wonders that the morning would bring.

Posing with my cousins in our matching p.j.'s, 1991.

Since my Dad worked shift work at the power plant, sometimes he would have to work the night before Christmas and wouldn't get home until 7:30 AM. It was excruciating trying to wait all the way until 7:30 before we could open our presents. We would divvy up the gifts and the chaos would ensue. After all our presents were open at home, we'd eat breakfast, get dressed, and go back to Grandma's for more presents and more food.

Dave
My family had our fair share of Christmas traditions as well. Since we lived far away from extended family for most of my childhood, we always just did our own thing. And over the years, we developed a pretty elaborate Christmas Eve program—complete with musical numbers, a tree lighting ceremony, and a delicious spread of holiday goodies. When we were younger, we would don makeshift costumes and act out the nativity. In later years, we were content to listen as my dad narrated it from the Bible. The night ended with getting to open one present before bed.

On Christmas morning, my brother and I were always the first ones to wake up. We'd sneak down to our sisters room and crawl into their beds so we could gang up on our parents. Just when it seemed we might explode with anticipation, we had to wait some more for my dad to light the fireplace. Once it was finally time to open presents, instead of a paper-ripping free-for-all, everyone took turns opening a present so we could see what they got and what their reaction was. Factoring in a short break for breakfast, present opening often stretched late into the morning. My siblings and I always tried to have the last present left to open.

New Traditions
Since we spent last Christmas at home with just us, Dave and I decided to start some Christmas traditions of our own. We want our children to grow up knowing that Christmas is not only about presents, but more importantly, about celebrating the birth of the Savior, so we have tried to include spiritual traditions. We make a trip to Temple Square each December to see the lights, the nativities, and the Christus. Eddie has always loved the temple and he looks forward to our trip downtown each year.

This year, we also went to see the holiday lights at Thanksgiving Point. Eddie loved seeing the moving lights, like the gingerbread boy flipping over the road and the penguin sliding down the igloo. He especially liked going to see the live reindeer in the plaza, even though all they did was lay on the ground looking suicidal.

A new tradition that we started this year (inspired by Dave's sister Cheryl) is using Christmas books as our "advent calendar" to count down to Christmas. We already had several Christmas or winter-themed books, but I purchased a few and checked a few more out from the library. We started on the 11th and have opened up one book each night. The last book to open is The Night Before Christmas, then on Christmas Eve, we will tell Eddie the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible.

Christmas Wishes

2011-12-17T12:06:00.021-07:00

For Dave
Van Halen has long been one of my favorite bands, but they have been a certifiable apocalypse for the last 15 years. They've botched reunions, best of compilations, a Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame induction, and even an installment of Guitar Hero—with a whole lot of nothin' in between. But now, the band is reportedly prepping a new album for release early next year—their first since 1998, and first with David Lee Roth since 1984. I'm doing my best to keep expectations in check after a decade and a half of disappointment, but this album had better solve world hunger.

For Kristen
Recently, Kristen was with the kids at Port of Subs without me, so of course Eddie needed to go potty. It was already a struggle helping him up onto the toilet seat while still holding Violet, but then there was the little detail of the bathroom floor being freshly mopped. I don't laugh out loud very often, but I sure did when I received the text from Kristen informing me that she may have pulled her groin. After somehow recovering from doing the involuntary splits without dropping Violet, she was reminded of a handy item from Dave Barry's 2008 gift guide: the restroom baby hanger.

For Eddie
Eddie loves his share of boy stuff—Star Wars, superheroes, cars, etc. But spending most days home with Kristen means he has seen Pride & Prejudice more than a few times. By now, he has really gained a decent understanding of marriage and society in 19th-century England. His favorite character is "Mr. Jingley," but we couldn't find any good merchandise that features him. Instead, I think he'll happily settle for this Mr. Darcy muscle shirt.

Alternate: A Magic 8-Ball that answers "why" questions.

For Violet

I would say all Violet wants for Christmas is her two front teeth, but she's not picky. Any teeth will do at this point.

Christmas Crafts

2011-12-10T21:25:00.001-07:00

My Christmas to-do list has been pretty long this year and seemed to be getting longer by the day. Luckily, I have started checking some stuff off! My big project this year was to make stockings for our family. We toyed with the idea last year, but were too indecisive on choosing fabric and they never happened. Since Violet needed a stocking this year, we were finally able to make a decision and picked out our fabrics. Then I got sewing.

I combined two different tutorials. I used this tutorial for the instructions on how to make a cuff. Then I used this tutorial for everything else.

Unfortunately, the project was sidetracked when my sewing machine developed a problem. It was unusable, but my friend Libby came to the rescue and let me borrow her machine, which I used to quilt our stockings. Her amazing machine inspired me to purchase a new sewing machine of my own which I used to finish the stockings up.

I wanted to have our names on our stockings so they didn't seem so generic. I have very little experience with embroidery, but I didn't let that stop me. We picked out a font, printed the names out the size we needed, then I traced it onto the fabric and taught myself embroidery.

I finally finished them up tonight and I think they turned out pretty well.

Now on to the rest of my to-do list, which includes aprons and hooded towels, which I'll post once they're finished.

Lights and Leaves

2011-12-02T15:47:00.001-07:00

Eddie is going through a bit of a rage phase lately. When we attempted to get the kids bundled up to visit Temple Square on Tuesday, he had an epic meltdown over which coat he was going to wear. After our multiple attempts to reason with him failed to calm his growling and screaming, I got to pull out the parental classic, "Fine! We're staying home!"

By the time Wednesday evening rolled around, a contrite Eddie willfully submitted to our choice of coat, and we enjoyed a mostly pleasant evening downtown.

Would you believe I had to swap two out of three heads in this photo? Bet you can't guess which two.

I was interested by all the trees on the temple grounds that still had their fall leaves. Thus I ended up with a few dozen closeups of lights and leaves, and little else unfortunately.

Love & Hate

2011-11-24T09:59:00.004-07:00

In honor of Kristen's 27th birthday today, I have compiled some of her greatest loves and most passionate hates. Happy birthday, honey!

Love // Mashed Potatoes
Hate // Stuffing

Love // Christian Bale
Hate // Tobey Maguire

Love // Sewing
Hate // Washing Dishes

Love // Back to Nature's Chocolate Delight Granola
Hate // Oatmeal

Love // Death Cab For Cutie
Hate // Neil Diamond

Love // Reading, Writing
Hate // Arithmetic

Love // Dr. Pepper
Hate // Lemon Water

Love // Daniel Craig
Hate // Roger Moore

Love // Kids Sleeping
Hate // Kids Whining

Love // Cheesecake
Hate // Blue Cheese

The Five Stages of a Hot-N-Ready Pizza

2011-11-19T09:44:00.009-07:00

1. Fresh from the heat lamp
You'd better step on it. Your $5 is living on borrowed time.

2. Still warm
Don't think. Get out of the car. Go straight to the kitchen. Hork down three slices before you can even say "dinner's ready."

3. Lukewarm
But why must you eat so fast? Well, there is an unspecified temperature barrier that, when crossed, makes the Hot-N-Ready go from "eh, not bad" to downright inedible.

4. Cold
Inexplicably, the Hot-N-Ready regains a certain "I hate myself for eating this, but this kinda reminds me of college" quality when chilled.

5. Reheated
You fool! You should have just eaten it cold. Once you attempt to reheat the Hot-N-Ready, it crosses over into gastronomic territory that even drunken hobos fear to tread.

Our Oregon Trail, Pt. 3

2011-11-15T13:10:00.002-07:00

I had to be back in Portland on Monday for my press check. Due to the uncertain nature of printing, my press time kept getting pushed back, which allowed us a more leisurely drive back from the coast.

We stopped to see the Portland Temple, located a half hour south of the city. This is one of the only temples I have been to where you can't see it until you are pulling into the parking lot. It is very well hidden amid a cluster of towering evergreens. The grounds were quite peaceful, with autumn leaves gently raining down all around us.

Next up we checked out the Chinese Gardens in the heart of Old Town, had lunch at Besaw's, and took a stroll through the Nob Hill shopping district before my press time finally arrived.

While I was working, Kristen and Violet visited Pittock Mansion (and noted the location of a Ben & Jerry's for future reference). After a break in my press schedule, we had some amazing pizza at Apizza Scholls, and started our Christmas shopping at Powell's. My second press check rudely arrived at 3:30 am, but at least it concluded the business end of my trip.

What visit to Portland would be complete without getting VD? Voodoo Doughnut, that is. We hit up the famous shop for breakfast on Tuesday morning. This beauty I am showcasing has an unrepeatable name, but is decadently topped with chocolate frosting, oreo chunks, and streaks of peanut butter. We weren't daring enough to try the maple bacon doughnut.

Doughnut power fueled our exploration of the Columbia River Gorge, highlighted by the majestic Multnomah Falls. Throughout the trip, Kristen and I had been searching for the perfect souvenir for Eddie. Here in the gift shop, we found a sparkly blue toy car with a surfboard on its roof. Eddie loved it, although he initially mistook the surfboard for an ironing board.

From the falls we continued east to Hood River. At Panorama Point above the town we surveyed the surrounding orchards, but the sun was in the wrong spot to get a super clear view of Mt. Hood. (Luckily, we got a surprise overhead view of the snow-capped peak from our plane window on the flight home.)

On our final morning we rode the Portland Aerial Tram, then went to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. We didn't enjoy the museum quite as much as we had hoped, due to it being flooded with hundreds of middle school kids on field trips ('nuff said). But that mild disappointment couldn't dampen how much we enjoyed this vacation. We already want to go back.

Our Oregon Trail, Pt. 2

2011-11-12T21:47:00.006-07:00

After leaving Cannon Beach, we carried on up the coast to Astoria. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, this picturesque little town has served as a location for such classics of cinema as Short Circuit, Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, and most famously, The Goonies.

Since Kristen is the resident goonie in our family, it was her honor to pose in front of Mikey's house, aka the goondocks (although she couldn't be convinced to do the truffle shuffle). Our other stop on the Goonies tour was the Clatsop County Jail, now serving as the Oregon Film Museum.

The museum itself is pretty small and only took about 15 minutes to explore. You can peruse posters of movies shot in Oregon, recreate famous scenes from said movies, check out the jail cell of Jake Fratelli, get your mug shot taken, and even leave messages for the Goonies. (Kelly needs to rethink her life, methinks.)

Next up was the Astoria Column, which sits atop Coxcomb Hill, the highest point in the surrounding area. 164 spiral steps took us to the top.

After catching our breath, we enjoyed the panorama of Astoria and the adjacent countryside. (Click to enlarge)

Violet proved herself to be a world class traveler on the trip. It was our unique opportunity to remember a time not so long ago when we only had one kid, with one notable difference—Eddie was never this agreeable. Kristen and I also speculated that there must not be very many babies in Oregon because Violet commanded the attention of complete strangers everywhere we went. (As opposed to Utah where a half dozen babies come spilling out of every minivan.)

Our hotel was situated on the river, right under the Astoria–Megler Bridge that connects Oregon to Washington. After a walk along the waterfront at sunset, an otherwise peaceful dinner was spoiled for Kristen by a now infamous bowl of "black glump" soup. You can ask her for details.

Next: The City

Our Oregon Trail, Pt. 1

2011-11-11T11:18:00.007-07:00

With Stampin' Up once again sending me to Portland this past week for a press check, I decided to bring Kristen with me and make an extended getaway out of it. Violet got to tag along too on account of still drinking momma milk, while Eddie got left behind with his Aunt Cheryl and favorite cousin Sarah. We dropped him off on Saturday morning and said our goodbyes. But as we lingered to chat with Cheryl for a few minutes, Eddie notified us, "Please, you should go." Okay then. That separation anxiety phase from a few months ago has officially passed.

We arrived in Portland at lunchtime on Saturday, so we stopped in for some gourmet grilled cheese and tomato soup at the Grilled Cheese Grill—an old trailer and school bus that now serves as a makeshift diner. The unofficial motto of the city is "Keep Portland Weird," and little joints like this are making it happen.

Once our bellies were thoroughly warmed, we headed for the Oregon Coast by way of the Tillamook State Forest. After a drive through the towering trees and a lovely spectrum of fall colors, we arrived at Cape Meares. Highlights included an old lighthouse as well as the "Octopus Tree," a large spruce without a central trunk, but with limbs sprawling out horizontally before turning upward (allegedly an ancient Indian burial site). We stayed the night in Garibaldi, and feasted on freshly caught fish and chips.

Thanks to the time difference and daylight savings, we woke up extra early on Sunday. We had breakfast at the hotel, then began our drive up the coast. We stopped at Rockaway Beach to enjoy the sound of the surf and take some photos of Violet on some gnarled driftwood.

We continued northward, stopping once at a scenic lookout to feed Violet and gaze at the powerful waves crashing onto the cliffs below.

By late morning, we arrived in Cannon Beach. We pulled off at the first beach entrance to check out Haystack Rock, which appeared to be only a little ways down the coast. Well, since the rock is so large, it appeared closer than it actually was, so we got a much longer walk than we bargained for. On the way back to the car we wandered through town, passing blocks and blocks of rental houses along the way. Just as we began wondering if we were ever going to see our car again, we found a small bakery where we could rest our sore feet and refuel with a chocolate chip ginger scone.

Next: The Goondocks

Paging Mr. Herman

2011-11-04T16:37:00.003-06:00

After last year's epic Lord of the Rings costume group and movie trailer, Stampin' Up decided to scale back on this year's Halloween festivities. It was a much quieter day around the office, with far fewer costumes and time wasting. Still, myself and a handful of coworkers collaborated on an '80s theme. After much deliberating, I settled on being Pee-Wee Herman.

First up, we paid a visit to the DI to find a slightly snug gray suit. Next, Kristen sewed a red bowtie, and even encouraged me to die my hair black for the part. My final bit of preparation was rewatching Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. It was Eddie's first viewing, and although he was quite concerned about Pee-Wee's lost bike, he seemed to quite enjoy it—no Large Marge nightmares yet.

Here's a glimpse at my transformation:

"Somebody Poisoned the Water Hole!"

2011-11-01T13:04:00.001-06:00

This year, we attempted to give Eddie a choice on his Halloween costume. This was a bad idea. He is incapable of making a decision without flip-flopping and eventually bursting into tears. So we decided to give him a few options to choose from. The finalists were Woody, Flynn Rider, and Iron Man. Eventually, Dave and I decided that he would be Woody. Throughout October, Eddie kept insisting that he would not be Woody. Once we got all the pieces of his costume, he got more excited about it, and once Halloween arrived, he probably couldn't have cared less what he was dressed as.

Once we chose Eddie's costume, we had to find a good complimentary costume for Violet. We were about to decide on having her be Hamm. Then one day at Kid to Kid, I found the perfect dress that I could alter to make a Little Bo Peep costume. I had to shorten her sleeves and take in the neckline a bit, but the costume fit great. The biggest challenge was finding a sheep for her to tend.

After all the indecision, the end result turned out pretty darn cute. Eddie loved being able to wear his Woody costume all day long and Violet tolerated her costume, though her bonnet would not stay on straight. Her favorite part was chewing on her sheep.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-30T17:43:00.004-06:00

Due to our various ailments, we had to split our pumpkin carving up over multiple nights. Still, I think this might be our best collection yet. Which is your favorite?

A Month to Forget

2011-10-28T20:53:00.006-06:00

October has been pretty brutal around here. Our house has been overrun by mountains of snotty tissues, a cacophony of coughing, and the occasional vomit. The misery started three weeks ago. With the slightest hint of fall in the air, Eddie and Violet came down with colds. Kristen soon caught the bug. I managed to avoid it for a while, but inevitably it caught up with me as well.

This week, as Kristen and the kids started to feel better, my cold hit its peak. The last few days have been particularly rough, culminating tonight with a near death experience at Nicolitalia Pizzeria in Draper.

As I bit into my first slice of pizza, a rogue red pepper flake shook loose and tumbled down my throat, causing me to cough. I attempted to swallow the bite, but the molten cheese and sauce merely bounced around my mouth. By now I was coughing uncontrollably. My eyes started to water and my nose overflowed with snot. I frantically gulped at my water as Kristen just looked on and laughed.

I was eventually able to swallow the pizza. I stumbled to the bathroom so I could empty my nose and regain my composure. What a night. What a month. Is it spring yet?

Neighborhood Stroll

2011-10-21T09:21:00.004-06:00

We have been going on a lot of evening walks lately. Last night I decided to bring my camera along to capture some of the sights.

Dear dog owner, I'm sorry to inform you that as of the time this photo was taken, it appears your beloved "Chubbs" had already been run over by a car.

Lately, Eddie's favorite part of our walks is checking out all the different Halloween decorations. From afar, we were especially excited to point out this decked out yard to him. Until we got a closer look. Yikes.

We walked up to Soda Row last night since there was a classic car show going on. I was amused by the crowd—an eclectic mix of Daybreak residents and greasy old men from the car show circuit.

Not surprisingly, Eddie's favorite cars were the ones that incorporated cheap Halloween decorations. And decked out VW buses.

The $500 Barf

2011-10-14T09:52:00.001-06:00

Now that the weather is cooling off, we recently began our search for a new car (so Dave doesn't have to ride his bike to work in the snow). We knew we wanted a sedan, but hoped to find one with a bit more interior space than our Mitsubishi Outlander (which can barely fit Violet's car seat).

After test driving several different cars, we preferred the Hyundai Sonata. We kept our eyes peeled for good deals on a used one, and last week we found one listed in Bountiful. After Dave got off work, we loaded up the kids and drove up to check it out. As we walked onto the lot and explained what we were looking for, we watched the Sonata driving away as someone else purchased it. Our salesman (affectionately dubbed "Snaggletooth") then attempted to sell us a KIA Optima and every other used mid-sized sedan on their lot.

On Tuesday, we found another Sonata listing that interested us (partly because of the "free iPad with a car purchase" offer), and determined to drive downtown and see the car. Deciding it would be best to not take the kids with us, we opted to drop them off with Dave's sister, Christie. As we arrived on the porch, Eddie frantically announced, "I'm going to throw up!"

Now, he had been saying this for days since he had thrown up once over the weekend. But he had shown no signs of sickness since then (besides occasionally making fake barfing sounds), so we didn't really believe him. Still, as a precautionary measure, Dave and Eddie headed for the bathroom as I explained to Christie that he was just fine. It was at this very moment that Eddie threw up in the hall next to the bathroom door. We cleaned up the mess (luckily it was tile), apologized for having to "barf and run," then got back in the car and headed straight home.

At this point, Dave and I were starting to wonder if the fates were conspiring against us. Then, the next day, we looked at the same Sonata listing on the dealer's website and were surprised to see the price had dropped $500 overnight. We loaded up the kids once more and drove downtown. Two hours later, we drove our new car away.

Southern Utah Photo Journal

2011-10-10T09:10:00.006-06:00

This past weekend we dropped Eddie off with his grandparents in Cedar City and headed down to St. George to enjoy a mostly kidless weekend at our friend's condo. The six of us (with two babies in tow) recharged our parental batteries playing mini golf, shopping at the outlets, eating out, and soaking in the community hot tub. To top it off, I took a bunch of photos that didn't relate to any of it.

In a post about our trip to Southern Utah in late April, I referred to driving through Parowan and seeing a bear fighting two elk in someone's front yard. Ever since then I have regretted not stopping to take a photo, so I determined it was high time to right this wrong. As I climbed out of the car, I noticed the neighbors across the street sitting on their front porch. I was hoping to be discreet, but they immediately knew what I was up to and called out, "Jerry's not home. You can just go right into his yard."

On the heels of the announcement that Arrested Development is returning, while driving around town we stumbled upon the headquarters for Bob Loblaw's Law Blog. A great place to lob law bombs, I'd imagine.

Photoshop 1.0, located in downtown St. George.

With a hip-hip and a clippity-clop, he's out looking for a head to swap, so don't try to figure out a plan, you can't reason with a headless man

The condo where we were staying was in the same neighborhood as my Grandparents' old house. Even though they haven't lived there for 15+ years (and my grandpa has since passed on), the entrance to Bloomington Hills and turn onto Osage Circle was as familiar as ever—it will always be their house to me. I thought about knocking on the door and asking if I could have a root beer popsicle and play Space Invaders, but then, maybe the current residents aren't as accomodating as "Jerry."

The Future is Now

2011-10-04T08:37:00.000-06:00

The following Back to the Future-themed short film was recently released to help promote an auction benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. The items being auctioned off were replicas of the futuristic shoes Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future Part II.

In the short film, Christopher Lloyd makes a brief reprise of his most famous role, Doctor Emmitt L. Brown. Watching Lloyd frantically pace around the Lone Pines Nike store, I realized that all the actors who starred in the Back to the Future series are now about the older age they were depicted as during various time periods in the movies.

Being the geek that I am, I threw concerns about the space time continuum out the window to look for images of the main actors' younger selves, their predicted selves, and what they actually look like now. Take a look:

Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly)

Age 17 // Age 47 (Predicted) // Age 50 (Actual)

Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown)

Age 41 // Age 71 (Predicted) // Age 72 (Actual)

Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen)

Age 17 // Age 47 (Predicted) // Age 52 (Actual)

Crispin Glover (George McFly)

Age 17 // Age 47 (Predicted) // Age 47 (Actual)

Lea Thompson (Lorraine Baines McFly)

Age 17 // Age 47 (Predicted) // Age 50 (Actual)

So who do you think was the most accurate prediction? Please leave a comment explaining your choice.

Happiness

2011-09-24T15:10:00.000-06:00

Over the last few months, I have been struggling mentally and emotionally. It wasn't until Eddie's behavior began to mirror my own (and not in a good way), that I realized I might have a problem. I saw my doctor and was diagnosed with postpartum depression. My first counseling session helped me realize the damage that this illness was doing. I started taking anti-depressants, which lifted the fog I'd been slogging through and allowed me to start making positive strides again.

As I began learning about depression, I stumbled upon a great book entitled The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. She wrote about a year she spent trying to make her life happier. She wasn't looking to escape from her life, but to be happy while living her life. I found her book inspiring, and it has helped give me some structure as I find areas where I can improve myself. I came up with my own "personal commandments" to help me achieve my goals (in no particular order):

1. Be Kristen.
When my therapist asked "what do you do to get out of the house by yourself?" the only thing I could think of was grocery shopping. I feel like I've lost myself and forgotten who I used to be. So one of my big goals is to discover what I enjoy and find ways to make those things a priority in my life.

2. If you can't make it better, at least don't make it worse.
This comes from the book After the Stork by Sara Rosenquist. Instead of reacting to something in the heat of the moment, I am teaching myself to stop and think before I respond.

3. Don't keep score.
I noticed that in some ways, I was over-estimating my contributions and under-estimating Dave's. But things like housework, childcare, Dave's job can't really be fairly divided and I am learning to stop keeping track.

4. Be present.
I have noticed that if I get down and play with Eddie for 5 minutes, he behaves better all day long. Dave doesn't come home to an angry wife and an attention-starved Eddie every day. Violet is a true joy in my life and I love to just sit and watch her. I don't want to miss anything.

5. If you can't get out of it, get into it.
This applies to teaching Sunbeams and other things that I feel like I should be doing but don't really want to do.

6. Do it now.
The idea here is that if something can be done in one minute or less, you do it immediately instead of putting it off. It is amazing how much more productive this makes me feel.

7. Take time for myself every day.
One thing that counseling has helped me understand is that I need time away from my children, even if it's just a little bit of time. Now that Violet is getting into a nap schedule, I get some free time when Eddie is at preschool twice a week. And Dave is great about giving me time whenever I want it.

8. My body is a temple, not a tent.
Thanks to my new medication, I suddenly have tons of energy, and I am trying to use that energy to exercise more regularly. The past weeks have taught me that if I'm not taking care of myself, I can't really take care of anyone else.

9. Stop seeking validation.
I am trying to do things because I want to, not because I need approval from anyone else. This applies to things I enjoy doing and things that I think need to be done. I used to proudly announce my accomplishments to Dave as soon as he got home from work, but now I realize that I don't need a pat on the back for doing laundry or cleaning the toilet. It's something I want done, so I do it for myself.

10. Remember who is watching.
I am always unpleasantly surprised when I hear Eddie repeat something that I say without thinking. I am trying to be more careful about what I do and say since he sees and hears everything. I want to be a positive influence for my kids and hope that I can show them the right way to live, as well as how to admit when they are wrong.

I plan to work on these goals as much as possible so that I establish some good habits. It is truly amazing how asking for help and setting positive (and reachable) goals has helped me feel like my old self again. Of course, I don't think I could've done it without the medication and without the support and empathy of friends who have gone through similar experiences.

Interview With the Architect

2011-09-20T16:15:00.000-06:00

Today I celebrate my one year anniversary working at Stampin' Up. In this time of arbitrary reflection, I am reminded that I spent the better part of last year job hunting. Actually that is inaccurate—it was the worst part of last year—job hunting stinks. At least the passing of time allows me to look back and laugh about experiences like this one.

By the middle of last summer, I had applied with all sorts of companies to no avail. But when I found an open graphic designer position at a downtown architecture firm, I felt a renewed excitement. I'm no George Costanza, but I like to think I have an eye for architecture. I sent off my resumé with an extra spring in my click. A week or so later, I was helping supervise a pack of cub scouts at Camp Tracy when my phone rang. They wanted an interview.

Their office was a repurposed industrial warehouse—contemporary and functional while preserving the character that made the old building special. (Would you expect anything less? They're architects.) As the interview progressed through the usual talking points, I played up my architectural appreciation by making repeated mentions of how impressive I thought their facility was.

Things seemed to go pretty well, and at the end of the interview, they offered to give me a tour of the building. That was my sign that I would surely be invited back—if they didn't like me, why bother giving me a tour? As they handed me business cards, I was encouraged to call with any questions. They also promised I would be hearing back about a second interview by a specific day.

But as it often happens, the promised day came and went with no phone call. I pulled out the business cards. I made several call attempts. I left messages. Of course, I'm pretty sure no one actually stays at their desk when they are hiring.

A few days later I eventually got a hold of one of the ladies from the interview. I had already come to terms with the likely rejection, but I went ahead and asked about the status of the position. She sounded slightly uncomfortable as she confirmed my assumption that I didn't make it past the initial group of candidates. There was an awkward pause as she searched for a positive way to end the brief conversation.

She finally blurted out, "But you are welcome to come back for another tour of our building anytime!"

She Crawls

2011-09-17T08:07:00.002-06:00

Kristen and I often lament that we haven't given Violet the same sort of blog coverage that Eddie received as a baby. But such is the plight of the second child. There just isn't as much attention to go around. Of course keeping things in perspective, I have roughly two dozen photos total of the first three years of my life, while Violet already has a few thousand in the bank as she approaches eight months old. To quote comedian Jim Gaffigan, "I have more pictures of my kids than my Dad even looked at me."

Still, by the time Eddie was Violet's age, he had already starred in several blog videos, but Violet has yet to appear in one. Well, that changes today. She has been threatening to crawl for a few weeks now—getting up on her hands and knees, crouching, bouncing up and down like a frog, primed to take off before falling on her face. Earlier this week she finally made her move. Her struggle and eventual success is depicted in this, her belated video debut. The featured song is "Sleeping Lessons" by The Shins.

Ten Things…

2011-09-13T18:49:00.014-06:00

…We Have Learned From Potty Training

Eddie has been officially potty trained for a few months now. All those jerks who bragged about how their kid just magically got it one day? Turns out they were right. Of course, the dirty little secret is that it doesn't really end when you stop buying diapers. Here are some "nuggets" of wisdom that Kristen and I have picked up along the way

10. The time it takes to potty train is akin to dog years. It "only" took two months, but it felt about seven times longer than that.

9. The theory that positive reinforcement outweighs negative is bogus. We bought a lot of toy cars for Eddie before threatening to put him in the shower. He magically stopped pooping in his pants after that.

8. Just getting your pants down (and back up again) is half the battle.

7. The greatest perk for boys: getting to pee in the bushes.

6. Instead of taking the potty seat off the toilet every time I need to go to the bathroom, I've decided to work on honing my aim.

5. We get to see the inside of more gas station bathrooms than I ever cared to.

4. It's pretty much always an emergency when Eddie finally admits he needs to go.

3. New house rules must be established sometimes. For example: (1) Underwear is a requirement for sitting on the furniture. (2) Pants are a requirement if you want to hold your sister.

2. It's been a rough transition from reminding Eddie to go potty every 15 minutes to convincing him that he shouldn't tell the entire restaurant when he needs to go. Or tell the entire swimming pool that he just went.

1. It's all worth it when Eddie struts out of a public bathroom with his shirt partially tucked into his shorts, proudly carrying his portable potty seat.

Where Were You?

2011-09-11T11:23:00.006-06:00

It's hard to believe that it has been a decade since September 11, 2001. My own experience of the day certainly isn't earth-shattering, but as tributes and remembrances are currently in abundance, my personal memories are fresh on my mind.

It was my first semester back at Utah State after my mission. I was living in Rich Hall. I got ready for the day like any other, then walked over to the computer lab at the Lundstrom Center to print out a paper for my English 2010 class. As I walked up to the front desk to pay for my printouts, I noticed a group of students congregating around the big screen TV in the commons area. I asked the girl at the desk if she knew what was going on. She told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

I am somewhat ashamed to admit that this seemingly ridiculous announcement initially elicited a brief chuckle. Of course, as I began to process what she had said, confusion and concern immediately followed. I watched the news reports for a few minutes before heading to an institute class. It was there I learned that the twin towers had now collapsed.

July 1986

My later classes were canceled, and I spent the rest of the morning getting caught up on the day's tragic events. Watching the reports, the imagery of New York brought many thoughts of growing up on the east coast, particularly a field trip to the big city with my fifth grade class. Our day-long visit included a marathon elevator ride to the top of one of the twin towers. The elevator moved so fast that when it started to slow down as it neared the top, it felt like you were falling.

Later in the fall of 2001 when the baseball playoffs arrived, the usually hated Yankees unofficially became America's team. The initials NYPD and FDNY were everywhere. A tattered flag that was exhumed from Ground Zero was proudly flown at Yankee Stadium during the World Series. Although the Yankees eventually fell to the Diamondbacks, games 3-4-5 in the Bronx still stand as some of the most amazing baseball I have ever witnessed.

Cinematic Utah: Journey to Ancient Egypt

2011-09-06T21:05:00.005-06:00

Previously: Rejuvinated vs. Dilapidated

Let us turn back the sands of time to… the 1920s? During this decade a brief revival of Egyptian architecture swept America. Two Utah movie houses from the era still stand today. They managed to avoid the wrecking ball long enough to see extensive renovation and even resurgence in recent years. Being located in prominent cities like Ogden and Park City must have surely helped their cause. Either that or they have secured the protection of Seshat, the Egyptian goddess of architecture.

Peery's Egyptian Theatre #1 // Ogden // 5.20.11

Peery's Egyptian Theatre #2 // Ogden // 5.20.11

Egyptian Theatre #1 // Park City // 9.2.11

Egyptian Theatre #2 // Park City // 9.2.11

Girls' Getaway

2011-08-29T18:03:00.003-06:00

Over the weekend, I had the rare opportunity to get together with some of the friends I grew up with. Thanks to the kindness of our husbands (and others), we were able to leave our older kids and enjoy an overnight getaway at the Barton cabin. I've known all these girls for 20 years or more, so it was great to be able to spend some time catching up. Five of us went, along with four babies, so it was a fairly full house. We got very little sleep (except maybe Erika, who was baby-free for the night) and enjoyed a night of eating junk food and chatting. On Saturday morning, we attempted to walk off some of the cookies from the previous night, then packed up and headed to Kamas for lunch at Hi-Mountain Drug for some delicious burgers and fries. It was a short trip, but very refreshing, and I hope we'll repeat it every year.

Caitlin & Benny, Alicia & Curtis, Me & Violet, Mindy & Lydia, and Erika

Long Live the Original Trilogy, Pt. 2

2011-08-26T09:24:00.010-06:00

In part one, I tried to maintain a calm (if dorky) voice of reason. Now that we're getting down to the nitty gritty, expect a little more vitriol.

First off, let me say that a lot of the changes made to Star Wars over the years make complete sense. Correcting continuity goofs, cleaning up matte lines, etc.—fixing minor stuff like this serves the saga well in my opinion. But where does this slippery slope end? A tweak here, a polish there, and pretty soon you're saddled with the major revisions below that detract from the overall viewing experience. (Hold on, I still sound a little too calm and collected. Allow me to channel that geek rage.) You wanna know where it ends? When I torch a pack of Ewoks on the front porch of Skywalker Ranch, then ring the doorbell and walk away from the flames in slow motion.

Mos Eisley Spaceport Expanded // A New Hope

Problem: Due to budgetary constraints, the original setting didn't match George Lucas' vision of a bustling spaceport.
Solution: Clutter the screen with as much crap as possible. Like, say, pointless robot slapstick and floating widgets buzzing around stormtroopers. Plus, a giant CG lizard should saunter right in front of the camera and block the entire frame for several seconds.

Jabba the Hutt Deleted Scene // A New Hope

Problem: A scene was shot with a human stand-in for Jabba the Hutt. Special effects limitations didn't allow for Jabba to be properly realized, so the scene was cut.
Solution: Superimpose a CG Jabba over the human actor. Throw Boba Fett in there to cover up the fact that all the pertinent information of the scene was moved to Han Solo's confrontation with Greedo. Then have Boba turn to glare into the effing camera as the scene ends. You know, for the fans.

Greedo Shoots First // A New Hope

Problem: Han Solo is too much of a badass.
Solution: Wait, who thinks this is a problem?

Darth Vader Shuttle Ride // The Empire Strikes Back

Problem: Even though Darth Vader tells his men on Cloud City to "bring my shuttle" after his duel with Luke, it isn't totally clear how he ends up on his Star Destroyer a few scenes later.
Solution: Splice Darth's leisurely shuttle ride smack dab into the middle of the film's climax, intensity and rhythm of the sequence be damned.

Jabba's Palace Musical Number // Return of the Jedi

Problem: The rubber puppet for Sy Snootles, lead singer of the Max Rebo Band, isn't lifelike enough during the big musical number.
Solution: Wait, why is there a big musical number in a Star Wars movie?

Mouth of the Sarlacc // Return of the Jedi

Problem: The Sarlacc Pit (or Snarkak Pit as Kristen calls it) leaves too much to the imagination.
Solution: Add a nondescript CG beak within the Sarlacc's already tooth-lined mouth. Who knows, maybe the Sarlacc swallowed the space slug from The Empire Strikes Back. It takes a thousand years to digest after all.

Young Anakin Ghost // Return of the Jedi

Problem: The elderly ghost of Anakin Skywalker (Sebastian Shaw) isn't creepy enough.
Solution: Replace Shaw with Hayden Christensen, young Anakin of the prequels. I'm going to let Obi-Wan field this one: "You mean he killed younglings and set the galaxy back generations, but his ghost still gets to keep that ominous gaze and fabulous head of hair? I had a pretty groovy Jedi mullet once upon a time too, you know. I am so pissed at the force right now."

Final Thoughts

Jurassic Park is widely regarded as having heralded in the CG era, thus paving the way for George Lucas to make his Special Editions (and the long-promised prequel trilogy). But Lucas was apparently so smitten with the realistic dinosaurs on the screen that he neglected to listen to Dr. Ian Malcolm: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

Long Live the Original Trilogy, Pt. 1

2011-08-24T20:22:00.021-06:00

If obsessing over fanboy minutia isn't your thing, these aren't the posts you're looking for. You can go about your business. Move along.

You could say that I'm "invested" in Star Wars. By my count I have purchased (or had purchased for me) seven different releases of these movies in the last 15 years. Well, somebody hide my wallet because a new mega Blu-ray set is coming out next month. Of course the one thing I really wanted to be included—the original trilogy in its unaltered theatrical form—won't be there. Not that I really expected it to be.

George Lucas has tinkered with Star Wars ad nauseum. I get it. They are his movies. He can modify them as he pleases. But I see absolutely no reason to not give the theatrical versions the same care and preservation as his updated versions and let them stand side-by-side.

Look, back in 1997, I fully embraced the Special Editions. At the dawn of the CG era, the prospect of enhancing Star Wars with cutting edge effects was exciting. But here's what we didn't know back then: CG tends to have a short shelf life. Digital effects are constantly getting better, and even movies that came out just a few years ago (including the Star Wars prequels) have already started to look dated.

Compounding the matter is that these now dated CG effects were used as the main selling point of the Special Editions. I come from the school of thought that the best special effects are seamless, but these effects desperately want you to notice them: "Hey, I'm new! Stop what you're doing and look at me!" It's a little like trying to watch a movie while an attention-starved toddler periodically jumps in front of the screen (trust me, I know what that's like). But it seems that we're stuck with these revisions forever, or at least until George Lucas becomes one with the force.

The farther we get from 1997, the more I long for the unchanged films. Yes, many of the original effects are of course dated as well, but by leaving them intact, you honor the ILM artists who pioneered them, and you show the proper respect for film history. Not to mention it's what I grew up with, and that can be a powerful thing. Am I right, George?

Next: My picks for the worst Star Wars changes

Don't Call Me Daughter

2011-08-15T14:27:00.007-06:00

April 16, 1994. Airing on this day was a landmark episode of Saturday Night Live that featured ~~Emilio Estevez promoting D2: The Mighty Ducks~~ Pearl Jam in support of their second album, Vs. To illustrate just how big the band was at the time, SNL musical guests customarily perform twice, but Pearl Jam played three times. I recorded these performances on a trusty VHS tape and watched them frequently.

The SNL clips aren't on YouTube due to copyright, but the rehearsals are. Go figure.

Meanwhile, I was attending Centerville Junior High, and the annual Battle of the Bands assembly was coming up. Junior high being what it is, the event was essentially a popularity contest that also involved some lip-syncing. But the prize was the unreal sum of $50, so I convinced my friend Evan that we should enter.

Armed with an impressive flannel shirt collection that my mom added upon every Christmas (Thanks, annual Eddie Bauer outlet sale!), we would lip sync to Pearl Jam's "Daughter," and Battle of the Bands glory would be ours. I don't recall giving our band an official name, but for the purposes of this post I'm going to call us "Pearl Sham."

In the name of rehearsing, I spent several nights in Evan's basement hanging out and watching the SNL tape. Evan took on the role of Eddie Vedder. Even though he was the frontman, his job was really pretty easy. Stand in one spot. Never smile. Look down during the vocal breaks and head bang intensely. Meanwhile, I borrowed my brother's guitar and based my performance on the jumpy bass player, Jeff Ament. (There were two other members of Pearl Sham, but I have since forgotten names and roles.)

When we showed up at the after-school rehearsal a few days before the assembly, we were shocked to discover some bands on the bill who were actually playing their own instruments. Suddenly we were reminded that our real instrument was the trombone, and that we weren't actually popular. So when our turn on stage came we all felt a little self conscious. It didn't help matters when I thought I heard other participants snickering backstage as I played air guitar with reckless abandon.

The day of the event soon arrived. We had our costumes and props. My mom even bought some dry ice for added showmanship. However, in the pressure of the moment, Evan refused to go on stage. I briefly tried to talk him into it, reminding him of the prize money, but he was adamant. When the time came to lay down our cards, Pearl Sham folded. As it turns out, ideas that sound good when you're goofing around in your buddy's basement don't always translate when you have to execute them in front of the entire school.

That night I drowned my sorrows in some homemade root beer, made with the unused dry ice. But who ultimately ended up winning Battle of the Bands, you ask? The group that lip-synced Boyz II Men.

Barton Family Reunion '11

2011-08-12T09:14:00.004-06:00

Last weekend was the annual Barton summer reunion. This is my 4th annual blog report of an event that is largely the same every year, so forgive me if this all feels a little familiar.

En route to Logan on Friday we stopped at Hill Air Force Base for a tour.

On Saturday morning we went to Bear Lake. We arrived bright and early to enjoy a delicious egg and bacon breakfast on the beach, courtesy of my dad.

Violet spent her day in the shade being absurdly flexible.

This picture kinda cracks me up.

My sister Christie and the newest Barton cousin, Jane. The family keeps getting bigger and bigger.

We enjoyed the cool water and warm sunshine throughout the morning and early afternoon until a pack of teenage hoodlums parked their caravan next to ours (you've never seen a group get the heck outta dodge so fast). Back in Logan, the weekend came to a successful close with my brother Rob and I putting on a pizza clinic for the fam.

Proposed Lagoon Taglines

2011-08-09T09:42:00.006-06:00

Lagoon has been using the same tagline ("It's what fun is!") for far too long. I humbly submit a collection of attraction-specific slogans that will have the crowds running. Notice I didn't say which way.

The Terroride: Newly refurbished! In 1976.

Lagoon-A-Beach: Offering a different kind of bounceback.

Bulgy the Whale: It's not just a ride, it's a way of life. Especially for our creepy, middle-aged ride operators.

The Pond (by the Tidal Wave and Turn of the Century): Featuring the original pond scum from when we first opened in 1886.

Lagoon-A-Beach: Where wedgies happen.

Pioneer Village: This is the place… to get a groan-inducing old timey portrait.

The Wild Kingdom Train: Offering the least life-like live animals around!

The Bat: We raised your park rates to build this!

Lagoon-A-Beach: The only thing more raging than our waters are the teenage hormones.

The Wild Mouse: The most painful 90 seconds you will ever endure outside of giving birth or passing a kidney stone.

The White Rollercoaster: Yes, it's still standing!

Healthy Living

2011-08-01T21:04:00.011-06:00

This morning when I stepped on the scale I weighed in at 199.5. This is the first time I have been under 200 pounds in probably 8 years (when I was traipsing around Switzerland all summer long). I think this can partially be attributed to not following through with my Drive-Thru Diet plans, due to my inability to eat at Taco Bell (take that, Christine!). Another factor may have been eliminating Subway from my diet (in your face, Jared!).

Really, the ball started rolling in the spring when we took the Honda in to get some issues checked out, and we were handed a list of repairs totaling over $1000. Kristen and I were hesitant to pump all that money into a car that was barely worth that much. Instead we sold ye olde Honda and spent $20 on new tubes for my bike. My office is only a little over 3 miles away, so I started regularly riding to work. It has been helpful having such a practical reason to exercise every day, and we have been getting by quite comfortably as a one car family (at least until the winter hits).

In addition to the exercise, I have made some dietary changes. I have always predominantly been a carnivore. But after I turned 30, I noticed almost immediately that my metabolism wasn't what it once was. I could no longer pound down large quantities of meat with suffering some consequences (I'll spare you the details). Suffice it to say I have cut way back on my meat consumption, and have been eating a lot more fruits and vegetables. And as it turns out, it ain't that bad. For example, when we went out to eat a few weeks ago, I ordered a dish that was probably 75% grilled vegetables. I was kind of shocked how much I enjoyed it.

My old idea of a balanced meal.

I have also made a conscious effort to control my portions. At first it was a little tough to not eat until I was stuffed silly, but my body has quickly adjusted to consuming a little bit less. Participating in an ongoing wellness program at work has also provided some extra motivation. Now that I have attained one goal, my next one is to get down into a healthy BMI range, which means dropping another 10 pounds.

Even when I was at my peak weight, I never really looked in the mirror and thought I was fat. But now when I look back at photos from 3-4 years ago, I'm surprised by how big I was. Since everyone loves a good before and after photo, here is mine:

Pioneer Day

2011-07-26T09:59:00.006-06:00

For the holiday weekend, we made the trek down to Cedar City to visit my parents. For Dave's birthday, he got both a Utah road atlas and a GPS for the car, so we used both to plan another adventure on our way down. Instead of taking the tried and true (boring) route straight down I-15, we took a detour through Ephraim so that Dave could get some photos of the movie theater there (I'm sure he'll post them soon). After he shot his photos, we stopped in Manti to see the temple. I grew up in the Manti temple district, but hadn't been back since high school. Plus, Eddie thinks temples are great… and a temple that looks like a castle is even better!

We parked at the bottom of the hill to get the full view, slathered the kids with sunscreen, and hiked up to the temple. Dave is in decent shape since he's been biking to and from work this summer, but I have been pretty sedentary. And I was carrying Violet. So by the time we reached the top of that hill, I was in desperate need of a rest. Violet and I found a shady spot under a tree while Dave and Eddie climbed up the stairs in back of the temple. There, Eddie knocked on the back door and, as he told me later, "made himself at home."

While we waited for the boys, Violet drew all sorts of compliments from the ladies going in and out of the temple. She was looking pretty cute in her hat, so I can't blame them.

After leaving Manti, our GPS (nicknamed Jarvis) took us through the middle of nowhere en route to Cedar. I think we even went through a place called "Spearmint." But Jarvis didn't lead us astray and we arrived exactly on schedule. Eddie spent the rest of the weekend playing in the pool and outside. Dave and I got to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. We saw a parade and Eddie got tons of candy. Violet spent the rest of the weekend poo-sploding and having her nose wiped since she got sick.

A New Hero in Town

2011-07-20T21:09:00.006-06:00

It all started with our trip to the cabin last month. A large, silver Iron Man figure had made its way into the selection of cabin toys, and Eddie carried it around for most of the weekend. He pressed the chest button nonstop, endlessly repeating the sound bytes, "I am Iron Man!" and "Repulsor blast!"

Then, a few weeks ago, we found a Toys "R" Us coupon that was about to expire. So we stopped in to let Eddie pick out a toy of his choice. After handing him pretty much every toy in the store and having him say, "Yeah, that one!" we eventually narrowed it down to a Batman utility belt with a light-up buckle, or an Iron Man action figure.

In what must have been the toughest decision of his life, Eddie chose Iron Man. Somewhere amid the dark streets and rooftops, I thought I heard a single tear dropping.

As a side note, our Toys "R" Us cashier was someone I recognized from my days playing in the USU band. As he asked me if I would like to sign up for a Rewards "R" Us card, or if I needed any batteries, I immediately felt pretty good about my modest accomplishments in life.

I have since shown Eddie a few excerpts of the movies so he could see Iron Man in action. I also dug out the comic book that came with the DVD so he could look though it. He was so into the comic that he wanted to take it in the bath. When I wouldn't let him, he wanted it to be on the floor next to the tub so he could see it while bathing. Ah, the whims of childhood.

Burger City, USA

2011-07-15T11:56:00.004-06:00

Previously: We Heart More Burgers

While my lists of sandwich and pizza joints have started to dwindle, my burger list seems to grow exponentially. I swear a new burger joint opens up weekly around here. Utahns definitely love their burgers. In fact, we love them so much that Travel + Leisure recently ranked Salt Lake City as the #2 burger city in the nation.

Bombdiggity's
1481 West 12600 South, Riverton

Bombdiggity's sells "beefalo" burgers, which you can probably surmise comes from a hybrid of cows and buffalo. The benefit of using beefalo rather than regular beef is lower fat, calories, and cholesterol content. But the taste is also different than your typical burger. One reviewer described it as tasting like chopped steak, which I'd say is a fairly accurate assessment. These burgers are definitely unique, and it's reassuring to know they are better for you. But some days only a classic burger will do, calories be darned.

Buster Burger
1078 W South Jordan Pkwy, South Jordan

From the Buster Burger website, "We started eating burgers in late 2009. We tried every burger along the Wasatch Front. All along, we were working on our own burgers." This composite approach is immediately evident as different aspects of the BB experience reminded me of various burger joints I have been to. In particular, the menu reminded me of In-N-Out crossed with 5 Guys. Bread lovers should take notice of the fresh baked bun from Dunford Bakery. And one more thing—they have a different special for every day of the week, the highlight being "Free Fry Friday."

Millie's Burgers
2092 S 1000 E, Salt Lake City

Kristen and I lived a few miles south of Millie's for nearly two years and never ate there, save one trip for milkshakes. But back in those days when we went out for burgers, we pretty much never made it further north than the Training Table (not that there's anything wrong with that). After finally checking Millie's out recently, all I really have to say is there are no gimmicks or frills to be found here (unless you count the colorful Sugar House crowd)—just straight up, classic drive-in food.

Pace's
1180 S 500 W, Bountiful
344 N Main St, Layton
1090 W 300 N, Clearfield

Pace's is a staple of Davis County. Having grown up there, I'm fairly certain there is a secret county ordinance mandating that Astro Bars be provided at every school, church, or community function taking place within county borders. So next time while you're stopping in to pick up a case of 400 Astro Bars for a seminary graduation party, you certainly could do worse than grabbing a made-to-order cheeseburger and a rainbow (a scoop of soft serve doused with fruity slush).

Salt City Burger Co.
9176 S Village Shop Drive, Sandy
401 W 500 S, Bountiful

I'm normally not a big fan of places with a condiment and topping bar where you have to dress your own burger (I'd rather not know how much mayo ends up slathered on there). But in the case of Salt City Burger, I'm going to make a delicious exception. The upscale atmosphere and tender, juicy beef recalls Smashburger. And they also offer a fresh take on the bacon cheeseburger—the bacon is ground right into the patty.

Redecorating

2011-07-11T13:26:00.009-06:00

Before Violet was born, we rearranged the house to make space for her upstairs. That meant rearranging the living room, which meant rethinking our wall decor once again. We had this collage frame hanging on the kitchen wall for a while:

In a rare moment of brilliance, I thought it could be interesting to get another collage frame and cut the circles apart, hanging them around the larger frame, creating a sort of "floating bubble" effect. It took several months to follow through on the idea, but the final effect is pretty sweet.

And since we moved the original frame from the kitchen to the living room, now we need to think of a brilliant idea for the kitchen walls. I think that decorating our house is a perpetual project.

Alpine Loop

2011-07-06T08:03:00.005-06:00

On Monday morning Kristen and I were pondering how we should spend our holiday, so I pulled out the new Utah road atlas I got for my birthday. The very first entry in the "family outing" section was the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway. Soon we had packed up the car and were on our way to Utah County (not a phrase I type very often).

Before we could drive the loop we stopped at Canyon Glen Park in Provo Canyon for a picnic. Kristen and I enjoyed some tasty sandwiches from The Italian Place in Orem, Violet scarfed her sweet potatoes, and Eddie found eating to be a burden.

Special thanks to Kristen for manning the camera here so I could actually appear in a photo with both of the kids.

The park's drinking fountain didn't instill a lot of confidence.

After a quick stop at Bridal Veil Falls, we took Highway 92 through the Wasatch Range, passing Sundance Resort and Timpanogos Cave National Monument along the way.

While Violet was having "tea time" in the car with Kristen, Eddie and I went for a short hike. As I snapped photos of him from behind, he chastised me, "You keep walking, Daddy!"

Cabin Birthday

2011-06-28T21:26:00.001-06:00

We spent my birthday up at the family cabin with some friends. One of the great things about being there is temporarily unplugging from things like the internet, TV, and cell phones and enjoying nature…

…then barricading ourselves inside to watch movies and play video games on a projector screen all weekend.

Eddie entertained himself by doing boy things like throwing rocks in the stream, squashing ants, and peeing in the bushes (a newfound perk of being potty trained).

What better way to spend a birthday than with my two favorite ladies?

We frequently laid Violet down on these down comforters, and no matter how noisy it got, she would conk right out. We may need to invest in one. Then once we have a functional A/C, we'll never lose any sleep again.

Ten Things...

2011-06-23T13:26:00.003-06:00

...that make Dave wonderful.

This post is dedicated to Dave in honor of his birthday this coming Sunday. Dave is a fabulous husband and father. I hope he realizes how appreciated he is, but just to make sure, I wanted everyone else to know the great things he does for Eddie, Violet, and I. Of course, there are more than ten good things about Dave, but for simplicity's sake, I narrowed it down to ten:

10. He likes tidiness (and I am a slob), so he is very good about cleaning up the living room and kitchen when they get messy.

9. He is an expert at loading the dishwasher to maximum capacity.

8. He loves to cook and is pretty good at it, which lets me off the hook most of the time.

7. He works two jobs so that I can stay home with the kids.

6. He rides his bike to and from work most days so that we can survive with only one car for the time being. And he doesn't complain about it, either.

5. He rolls with it when I make big parenting decisions, like when I decided to get rid of Eddie's daytime diapers.

4. He impresses Eddie and all the neighborhood kids with his sidewalk chalk drawings.

3. He can get Violet to fall asleep just by snuggling her up on his lap.

2. He sees the crazed look in my eyes after I've spent the day alone with the children and immediately gets down on the floor to let Eddie climb all over him and get his energy out.

1. He counteracts my craziness quite nicely and helps the rest of us stay sane (I'm not sure how he stays sane, though).

Happy birthday, Dave! We love you!

Cinematic Utah: Rejuvinated vs. Dilapidated

2011-06-21T20:13:00.002-06:00

Previously: Back in Business

After extensive remodeling, the Huish Reel Theatre in Richfield triumphantly reopened its doors in 2010. By contrast, the Carol Theatre in Monroe is one of the more rundown movie houses I have seen. As an added bonus, included is an update of Smithfield's Main Theatre (originally featured in my inaugural Cinematic Utah post). While visiting Cache Valley last month, we drove up to the Pepperidge Farm outlet in Richmond to procure a gargantuan sack of green goldfish. As we passed through Smithfield I noticed the Main was halfway through a new paint job. I couldn't pass up this unique opportunity to capture a work in progress.

Huish Reel Theatre #1 // Richfield // 4.29.11

Huish Reel Theatre #2 // Richfield // 4.29.11

Carol Theatre #1 // Monroe // 4.29.11

Carol Theatre #2 // Monroe // 4.29.11

Main Theatre // Smithfield // 5.21.11

WPA Style

2011-06-17T14:59:00.006-06:00

Introduced by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 as part of the New Deal, the Works Projects Administration (WPA) employed millions of workers to carry out public works projects during the Great Depression. Since its demise in 1943, the lasting legacy of the WPA has become the bold, graphic posters they produced to publicize the war effort, health and educational programs, the arts, etc.

I have long been a fan of this instantly recognizable, oft-imitated design style. So I was quite excited to discover that the Library of Congress maintains a huge online gallery of vintage WPA posters. I immensely enjoyed looking through them all, and pulled out a handful of favorites to share.

I can't get enough of these old war posters.

The most frequently addressed topic after WWII was treating syphilis, which apparently is what wiped out the dinosaurs.

I know what you're thinking. M. Night Shyamalan totally ripped this off.

Is it just me, or does this poster exhibition look kinda painful?

Just in case you were thinking about it.

I'm sorry, but that baby is anything but helpless. In fact, I'm kinda worried it's gonna eat my soul.

'Nuff said.

This poster does not reflect the opinions of The Dave & Kristen Show. Comments are encouraged as always.

Ten Things…

2011-06-14T20:56:00.005-06:00

...I miss about TGIF

As a child in the late '80s and early '90s, every Friday night when the mood was right I would tune in for TGIF on ABC. The lineup of shows frequently changed over the years, but I'd say the most prominent ones were Full House, Perfect Strangers, Family Matters, Step by Step, and Boy Meets World. Here are a few things I miss from these simpler times.

10. The totally overstimulating colors and fonts of the intro animation.

9. The best way to have chocolate milk—drinking milk out of the carton, then squirting chocolate syrup into your mouth.

8. Pulling off the premise of three straight men living together in San Francisco without the benefit of irony.

7. The lost art of opening credits—you know, characters casually going about their business, then pausing in front of the camera to smile?

6. And let's not forget theme songs—those peppy, heartwarming theme songs. Heck, I still want to know what ever happened to predictability, the milkman, the paperboy, and evening TV.

5. Every major character having their own catchphrase. "How rude" … "Of course not, don't be ridiculous" … "Have mer-cy" … "Did I do that?" … and the list goes on.

4. One word: Topanga.

3. Balki and Cousin Larry could perform elaborate dance numbers to "U Can't Touch This" in public, and their hot blonde girlfriends never even considered leaving them.

2. Knowing that every problem can be solved with a heart-to-heart and a hug. Even driving the car through the kitchen wall.

1. Urkel t-shirts. Urkel breakfast cereal. The Urkel Dance. I thought that lovable nerd would never got old. That is, until he actually did get old, donning the glasses and hiking up his pants well past puberty.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

2011-06-09T13:07:00.010-06:00

I've always been a reader. Unfortunately, I have not had very much brain power lately, so instead of giving up on reading altogether, I decided to read something that required less thought and attention. That is how I decided to read Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. After making it through the entire thirteen book series, I determined that I enjoyed eight of them. I won't bore you with my thoughts on each individual book, but I will tell you which ones I did and did not like (the number in parenthesis indicating where it falls in the series):

The Fortunate:

The Bad Beginning (1)
The Reptile Room (2)
The Wide Window (3)
The Vile Village (7)
The Slippery Slope (10)
The Grim Grotto (11)
The Penultimate Peril (12)
The End (13)

The Unfortunate:

The Miserable Mill (4)
The Austere Academy (5)
The Ersatz Elevator (6)
The Hostile Hospital (8)
The Carnivorous Carnival (9)

The books are creatively written. Lemony Snicket is a character who is researching the Baudelaire story, so the narrative gets a little strange. He throws in odd analogies and superfluous (and often ridiculous) details. They're funny at times and sad at times. They have plenty of mystery and a fair amount of action.

My main complaints with the series are the sheer number of books and the repetitious plot lines. Every book starts with Lemony Snicket telling the reader not to read the book. The first seven stories involve the orphans being sent to live somewhere. Count Olaf shows up in disguise and hatches an evil scheme against the children. Then they somehow foil his plans at the last second, saving themselves so they can do the same thing in the following book.

Starting in book 7 or 8, the series picks up some steam and the characters get increasingly complex as the mystery surrounding the Baudelaire orphans unfolds. I would recommend these books for anyone who is under age 14, or just looking for an easy read (I read each book in 1-2 days). But take my advice, skip a few in the middle and thank me later.

Throwing Copper

2011-06-06T09:01:00.007-06:00

We have lived only 10 minutes away from the Kennecott Copper Mine for over 4 years now, but had never made the brief journey to see the world's largest man-made hole in the ground. Until Saturday that is.

It was pretty surprising to see what was hiding behind the mountain. I took a panorama shot of the view. Click to enlarge.

Eddie's favorite part of the trip was the giant dump truck tire out in front of the visitor's center. Standing under it. Gazing up at it. Getting his photo taken by it. Getting in the way of other people taking their photo by it. He never tired of this (badum).

Conversely, my favorite moment came inside the visitor's center. There was a case filled with miniature work vehicles of every shape and size. When Eddie saw them, his arm immediately extended out like a makeshift toy detector. His little fingers were open, ready to clench as he said, "I play with those!" Then his hand abruptly hit the invisible wall of glass, stopping him agonizingly short of his prize. It's the little moments like this that make parenthood fun.

Summer's Heating Up

2011-06-02T15:18:00.009-06:00

The summer movie season traditionally starts in May, but a lukewarm first month (Fast Five, Thor, Pirates 4) has yet to get my behind into a theater seat. Things are definitely looking up though, starting tomorrow. Here's a few upcoming event movies I'm looking forward to.

X-Men: First Class // June 3

The X-Men franchise has had its ups and downs to be sure (ups: X-Men, X2, downs: X3, Wolverine). Plus, origin stories tend to be a dodgy proposition—you never know if you are going to get a Phantom Menace or a Batman Begins. But First Class has a few things going for it that have me leaning toward the latter. It's a period piece set in the '60s—a great way to boost the coolness factor. Also, early word-of-mouth is indicating that this is indeed a return to form for the franchise. But most importantly, Kevin Bacon is starring as the villain. It's about time he was in something noteworthy again. Well, besides this amazing commercial:

Super 8 // June 10

Now that J.J. Abrams has co-created Lost and directed a Star Trek film that was actually watchable, consider me invested in his work. The plot of Abrams' latest film, Super 8, has been kept under typically tight wraps. But I do know it is something of an homage to the Spielberg films of the late '70s and early '80s (Close Encounters, E.T., etc.). Just watch the trailer. It's got aliens (presumably). It's got government conspiracy. It's got coming-of-age kids as the protagonists. It's even set in 1979 so it's got the bad clothes and shaggy hairstyles. I'm tellin' ya, Abrams knows how to dangle the geek catnip.

Cars 2 // June 24

Eddie's ongoing McQueen obsession means he will be making his second ever trip to the theater after last year's Toy Story 3 experience. As for me, I trust Pixar completely at this point. Cars 2 promises a spy storyline, and I'm hoping for genre spoofing on par with The Incredibles. (No pun intended. Because they were the Parr family. Oh, nevermind.)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 // July 15

It's hard to believe The Sorcerer's Stone came out way back when I was a sophomore in college. It's been an unprecedented 10 year run for a franchise that has continued to get better as it goes along. Kristen and I have missed the last few Harry Potter movies in the theater, content to check them out on DVD. But it feels like we ought to take this last opportunity to see Helena Bonham Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange in all her cackling big screen glory. I'm sure Kristen would agree.

Cowboys & Aliens // July 29

I know very little about the source material for this one. However, I do know that in addition to starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, this has pretty much the greatest movie title since Hot Tub Time Machine. At the very least, it should be better than the last sci-fi western I saw, Wild Wild West.

The Bigger They Are, the Harder They Bowl

2011-05-27T10:09:00.004-06:00

We spent last weekend visiting family in Logan. On Friday night, after enjoying a peaceful, childless dinner at Cafe Sabor with my brother Rob and his wife Kirsten, we picked up our kids and headed to the Cache Valley Fun Park for some bowling. Unbeknownst to us, it was cosmic night.

This was Eddie's first time bowling. He had a grand time rolling his ball down the ramp (and even ended scoring higher than Kristen). But every once in a while I thought I caught him eyeing that lane with a glint of mischief.

We finished first, and were waiting for Rob's family to wrap up their game. Well out of arms reach, Eddie finally made his move and took off running down the lane toward the pins. My parental radar was on high alert for a moment like this, so I jumped out of my seat without hesitation to chase after him.

I guess I never realized just how well-greased those lanes are. As soon as I crossed over the line (accompanied by an electronic alarm), my feet swung out from under me and I landed hard on my backside. Luckily Eddie stopped to see what had caused the ground to shake. I was a little dazed, but was able to compose myself long enough to grab his arm and retreat.

Back on less treacherous ground I surveyed the damage. The black light was picking up streaks of grease on my body and clothes. The arm I used to break my fall had a bleeding scrape. Rob and Kirsten were making no attempt to hide their smirks. Kristen grabbed our things as I cleaned up in the bathroom, then we made a hasty departure.

There's one thing from this mishap that I don't understand. Eddie tripped over his own feet twice simply walking across parking lot when we arrived, yet he somehow managed to stay upright charging down a lubed-up bowling lane. Why he did it isn't as much of a mystery. I can only assume he wanted to see where the pins go after they get knocked down. If he would have just asked, I could have shown him this clip:

Ten Things...

2011-05-25T12:48:00.009-06:00

…Regarding Last Night's U2 Concert

10. After dropping the kids off at my sister's house (thanks again, Cheryl), I asked Kristen if she was more excited to see Bono, or to have a night away from the kids. She answered number two without hesitation.

9. After we got to our seats, Kristen had an insatiable desire for a churro. Unfortunately we were both so winded from hiking across the U of U campus then up to the 61st row of Rice-Eccles Stadium, neither of us wanted to walk back down the stairs to brave concessions then up again.

8. In my post about the Paul McCartney concert last year, I disparaged "all the people who seemed more concerned about getting a lousy photo of the side of the stage with their mobile devices rather than just enjoying the show." But I must admit, last night I was guilty of repeatedly pulling my phone out to take lousy photos like this one on the right.

7. Even though we were only a few rows from the very top of the stadium, it really didn't feel like we were that far away since the stage is so massive. I've watched the Rose Bowl concert blu-ray several times, but that still didn't prepare me for just how imposing "The Claw" is in person.

6. Kristen was in fine form throughout the evening, declaring that all white people look dorky when they dance, even Bono. And everyone looks like an old man when they wear white pants, especially Adam.

5. We also have a running joke that Larry's wardrobe consists of only t-shirts. White, black, sleeveless—you name it, he's worn it, as long as it's a t-shirt. So naturally we were shocked when the band emerged and Larry was donning a loose-fitting collared button-up shirt.

4. The band played two songs in a row off No Line on the Horizon early in the setlist, and I swear I heard a restless fan behind me pull a Homer Simpson by yelling, "Play the old stuff!"

3. Really, restless fan didn't have much to complain about, as it was a pretty even mix of eras. Every album was represented (October and Pop were the most fleeting), and by my count there were 8 songs from the '80s, 9 from the '90s, and 8 from the '00s.

2. I made a joke on Facebook yesterday poking fun at hardcore fans who complain when their favorite band doesn't play some obscure song ("If they don't play 'Elvis Presley and America'… I will renounce my fandom!"). But I thought U2 did an admirable job peppering in deep cuts like "Love Rescue Me" and "Zooropa."

1. I always chuckle when bands incorporate the name of the city into the lyrics and the crowd goes wild. ("OMG! HE SAID SALT LAKE CITY! THAT'S WHERE WE LIVE!") But Bono took pandering to the locals to another level by bringing three sisters up on stage to help him recite the poem "Utah" by Minnie J. Hardy. Hey, that's what makes him Bono.

Cinematic Utah: Back in Business

2011-05-19T14:20:00.002-06:00

Previously: The Price is Right

By the end of 2010, I had photographed 17 theaters across the state, including one that has since been torn down (the Cinedome in Riverdale). Now that the winter weather is behind us (mostly), Cinematic Utah is back in business for 2011.

One of the biggest challenges I face with this project is how to deal with the unpredictable elements that I am dealt. Typically I don't have much leeway in when we are passing through these remote areas. Sometimes the sun is at a less than ideal angle. Sometimes it is raining or snowing. Sometimes a crazy guy is talking to himself while pacing in front of the ticket office. You just never know.

In a world where I had no responsibilities, I would spend a few days in each town to capture a wider range of conditions. It would also be fun to meet the owners and get inside to shoot interiors. I could certainly also benefit from a formal photography class or two. Many of the shots in this growing collection feel like rough drafts, which can be chalked up to my limited technical skills.

My ultimate dream of assembling a coffee table book is a long way off, but it's been fun to have an ongoing, purely creative project like this on my plate. Plus, Kristen and I enjoy checking out hidden corners of the state we wouldn't normally see.

Ritz Theatre #1 // Tooele // 4.16.11

Ritz Theatre #2 // Tooele // 4.16.11

Casino Star Theatre #1 // Gunnison // 4.29.11

Casino Star Theatre #2 // Gunnison // 4.29.11

Yard Sale!

2011-05-16T19:36:00.011-06:00

Kristen and I participated in our first ever yard sale on Saturday. The following narrative is loosely based on the experience, although I should note that several shoppers were combined into one composite character, and some liberties were taken for dramatic license. Because c'mon, who really carries around a 30 gallon compost bag?

Seller: Good morning.

Shopper: Mornin'. These DVDs are $4 each?

Seller: That's right.

Shopper: Well, a yard sale down the street was selling old Disney movies on VHS for 50 cents.

Seller: Holy crab cakes, that's outrageous.

Shopper: Will you price match?

Seller: Of course not.

Shopper: Very well. How much are these baby clothes?

Seller: $2 for shirts and pants, $3 for complete outfits.

Shopper: That's a little steep. How about I give you $5 and I get to stuff as many clothes as I can into this 30 gallon compost bag?

Seller: We would let you do that for $6.

Shopper: Hmmm, nevermind. So you really think you can get $10 for this rice cooker?

Seller: It seemed like a reasonable price for a perfectly functioning appliance.

Shopper: Well, a yard sale down the street was selling a rice cooker new in the box for $5.

Seller: Did you buy it? By the way, that yard sale down the street sounds amazing.

Shopper: I'm afraid I didn't.

Seller: So you're saying you want this one for $5?

Shopper: Yes, but only as a personal favor to you. Can you break a fifty?

Seller: (Sigh) Look, just take the darn rice cooker.

Shopper: Wow, thanks. You know, that yard sale down the street's got nothing' on you. Hey, can I take this Planet of the Apes DVD too? I just love that Mark Wahlberg.

Seller: I really don't care. All of this crap is going to the D.I. in a few hours anyway.

Family Photos 2011

2011-05-13T10:45:00.001-06:00

Last Friday we had family photos done. Since our last few sets of family photos have been in more rustic settings, we determined we wanted something more urban this time around. We eventually realized the perfect location was only a few minutes from our house—Daybreak's own Soda Row. The interesting mix of contemporary architecture was an ideal fit for our modern sensibilities. Of course once we got started, we remembered that it is always windy out here. Combining this with the fact that Eddie was being a diva, and we were just hoping for one decent shot of all of us.

Turns out our worries were completely unfounded. We recruited one of my coworkers, Lindsey Briggs, to run the shoot. She did a bang up job in spite of it all, and we ended up with a plethora of great shots. This is normally the part where I would pimp Lindsey's photo business, but yesterday was actually her last day at Stampin' Up, as she is moving to Colorado next month. So if you want to hire her, you'd better get on it.

It was hard narrowing it down to just these eight, which I retouched in photoshop:

Q&A

2011-05-10T13:39:00.009-06:00

You may have noticed the quantity of posts has dropped off over the last several months. Between a more demanding full-time job during the day, periodic work at night, and another child that requires my attention, the simple truth is I have a lot less blogging time on my hands than I used to.

Often I will jot down ideas for potential posts only to have them get stuck in a time warp and consumed by poorly rendered CG meatballs with razor-sharp teeth (kinda like my ill-fated blog tribute to the 1995 TV movie The Langoliers). Anyway, that's essentially what this post is—a collection of reactions to recent pop culture events and other random thoughts that needed a proper home.

Q: Who came up with the name "Large Hass" avocados?
A: Just some smart Hass.

Q: How did we ever survive without credit card readers in checkout lines?
A: By having awkward conversations with cashiers (shudder).

Q: Speaking of awkward, is there anything worse than getting stuck in an elevator with a stranger?
A: Getting stuck in a bathroom stall with a stranger.

Q: What does NFL draft "expert" Mel Kiper do the other 11 months of the year?
A: Hair like that doesn't style itself.

Q: What's next on America's to-do list now that Bin Laden is dead?
A: Dispatch Seal Team 6 to shoot the economic recession in the eye.

Q: Who would have thought we would end up with five Fast and the Furious movies (and counting)?
A: Surely not Vin Diesel. He had his franchise money on The Pacifier.

Q: What would you do with a time machine?
A: I would go back to 1985 to witness the filming of the lost Eric Stoltz scenes in Back to the Future.

Q: Really, that's all you would do with a time machine?
A: Okay, I would also travel back to 1940 when the first McDonald's opened to see what their food originally tasted like.

Q: Who is the greatest true rock band of the last 15 years?
A: My vote goes to the Foo Fighters, who recently released their seventh studio album, Wasting Light. Their body of work and enduring popularity during this era are unmatched—granted the competition hasn't been particularly fierce.

Self Help Books I Read This Month

2011-05-06T12:13:00.006-06:00

I've never been a big self-help reader. Perhaps I never felt like my self needed helping before. But it seems that life (mostly parenting Eddie) has me feeling quite overwhelmed these days, so I have read several recently.

The Five Love Languages // Gary Chapman

For the record, Dave and I have a very happy marriage. We have joked in the past that we are basically the same person. The one area where we differ a lot is on communication, which is why I decided to read this book. It is an interesting take on how people communicate love to each other. It even includes a little quiz in the back to help you and your spouse determine what your primary "love language" is. The most interesting thing that I found after reading it, taking the quiz, and making Dave take the quiz, is that Dave and I have the same love language - Words of Affirmation. So if you ever want to make Dave or I feel loved, just give us a sincere compliment. It was an interesting read and really helped me think about why I am the way I am and to better understand those around me. There is another version of this book directed towards children, but I don't need to read it to know Eddie's primary love language is Quality Time. I can just tell.

I am amazed by how many individuals mess up every new day with yesterday.

ScreamFree Parenting: Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool // Hal E. Runkel

I will be the first to admit that when it comes to parenting a 3 year old boy, I am completely lost. Over the last few months, Eddie and I have been butting heads more and more often (both literally and figuratively). I decided that I need to learn how to be a parent without being angry all the time. That is why I read this book. I enjoyed reading it and a lot of it rang true for me. After finishing it, I have been trying to temper my reactions to the things Eddie does that drive me crazy. I have been working on trying to let a lot of things go and set natural consequences for the things I can't let go. I think that as I am slowly learning to take the emotion out of enforcing consequences, it is helping us both.

The only way to retain a position of influence with our children is to regain a position of control over ourselves.

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys // Stephen James & David Thomas

I just finished reading this book and already want to read it again, but next time I'll take copious notes. It is a great book to read for anyone who has anything to do with boys of any age. I think that is pretty much everyone. But I think it is particularly good for mothers to read, since they have never been a boy themselves. It has helped me understand Eddie better and has actually helped me understand Dave better. And even though I am not a boy (nor have I ever been), it has helped me understand myself better, too. A great thing about this book is that the authors offer real life solutions to help you implement the changes they suggest.

Their dreams need to be encouraged, invested in, and lifted up. And when their dreams are lost or damaged (as they ultimately will be), the need our presence -- not our solutions; they need our care -- not our instruction; and, in time, they need our encouragement to get back up and dream again.

Instinctive Parenting // Ada Calhoun

This book is a sort of the anti-self-help book. Calhoun writes about how people stress and worry too much about parenting methods and instead suggests that parents do what feels right for their own family. I thought it was a fun read, and though I don't entirely agree with everything she wrote, one part really hit home for me: blaming our kids for the things we no longer get to do. Her opinion is that we shouldn't use our kids as an excuse for anything. It made me realize that I use my kids as an excuse for a lot of things. I can't go out because I'd have to load both kids and the giant stroller up. And now I have to plan outings around potty training and our nursing schedule. And soon I'll have to plan them around naps. I can really see her point. If we continue to blame our kids for these things, we would never get to do anything and will basically make ourselves into martyrs for the sake of our kids. And it doesn't really do the kids any good anyway. So now I have something else to work on.

If you let go of some idea of what your life is supposed to be like, of what your life used to be, you can really get into this new life. It's not so hard to feed and clothe and shelter another human being for eighteen years, because love makes you want to do all those things and inspires you to find ways to manage it.

Weekend Diary

2011-05-03T09:39:00.013-06:00

Friday

8:15 As we prepare to leave the house for a day long car trip eventually ending in St. George, we inform Eddie we are stopping for breakfast. Eddie then informs us that he doesn't need to stop for breakfast.

8:20-8:55 Eddie continues to remind us every five minutes that he doesn't need to stop for breakfast.

9:00 While driving through Utah County, Kristen asks if we are almost to the restaurant. I remind her she is holding the directions in her lap. She soon realizes we just missed our exit and determines, "If you don't expect anything of me, you won't be disappointed."

9:15 After entering Communal in Provo, Eddie announces, "I'm going home," and stands by the window overlooking University Avenue while we eat.

9:40 When Eddie repeatedly refuses to eat the big beautiful biscuit we ordered for him, Kristen and I regretfully slather it with fresh strawberry jam and split it between us.

10:45 We break from I-15 at Nephi for an excursion through rural Utah.

11:30 We arrive in Gunnison amid blustery winds and snow flurries. I brave the less than ideal elements to photograph the Casino/Star Theatre.

12:00 A little ways down I-70, I photograph the Huish Theatre in Richfield while Kristen and the kiddos play at a park.

12:30 We joke about eating lunch at Subway.

12:45 We eat cheeseburgers at Sandi's Drive-Inn. Not the best old timey drive-in we have ever eaten at, but then we did just consume a massive breakfast a few hours earlier.

1:15 Monroe is our last stop heading away from civilization before we start heading back toward it. (Plenty of new Cinematic Utah shots are coming in the next few weeks.)

5:00 We ditch Eddie with his grandparents in Cedar City and head to St. George for an early anniversary getaway.

6:45 After checking in at our hotel, we joke about eating dinner at Subway.

7:00 We enjoy a quiet, coercion-free dinner of panini and cupcakes at TwentyFive Main in downtown St. George.

7:30 Kristen straps Violet into the baby carrier and we walk around the town square in a vain attempt to burn a few of the calories we consumed throughout the day.

Saturday

10:15 We settle in for brunch at the Bear Paw Cafe. I order apple pie that substitutes pie crust with a belgian waffle. Kristen orders 1-1/2" thick french toast filled with chocolate bruleé cream.

10:17 Kristen vows to figure out how to make french toast filled with chocolate bruleé cream.

11:15 While shopping at the Outlets at Zion, I realize that rainbow gradients and papyrus will one day be responsible for bringing about world peace. Wait, did I say world peace? I meant the destruction of my eyeballs.

1:00 We joke about eating lunch at Subway a half dozen more times before meeting up with Eddie and his grandparents at Jimmy John's.

1:45 We are mistakenly informed that you have to drive through Gunlock and Veyo to get to the Snow Canyon sand dunes from St. George.

2:30 Eddie has a great time, but Violet decides that windswept sand dunes aren't really her thing just yet.

4:00 Back at the house, Eddie and I swim in the pool. He nervously clings to me and demands I don't let him go.

4:30 I eventually convince him that his life jacket floats. He now demands I don't touch him. He can be kind of demanding pretty much all the time.

6:30 Eddie opens some birthday presents, including his very own pair of cowboy boots. Chocolate cupcakes complete the celebration.

7:00 Someone notices chocolate smeared on some of the toys.

7:02 Kristen catches a glimpse of Eddie's backside and realizes in horror that it wasn't chocolate at all.

7:03 Eddie gets in the bath. His clothes and the toys he was playing with go in the incinerator.

Sunday

2:30 On our way home we drive through Parowan. Our trip is made complete when we see a bear fighting two elk in someone's front yard.

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T07:30:00.002-06:00

In celebration of the first bunny to lay colored eggs then hide them, we once again journeyed to Kristen's grandma's house in Huntington Canyon on Saturday. We ate some eggs-quisite barbecue, tried to egg-nore the resident family eggs-perts of everything, and thought up a bunch of egg puns to pepper throughout this post.

When the Easter egg hunt rolled around after lunch, Kristen's mom informed us that the total egg count was in egg-cess of 100. Thus the three kids who were of hunting age, Eddie included, came away with quite a haul.

As these egg-tivities were winding down, I started wandering around the farm to scratch my creative itch. I eventually found this apricot tree and old pickup truck.

Back at home on Sunday morning, Violet got her first bit of Disney princess merchandise in her Easter basket. Unfortunately, we didn't notice until then that Ariel is being a bit of an eggs-hibitionist—not behavior we want our daughter emulating. Well, either that or the toymakers really weren't thinking when they placed the ball's pump hole where they did...

The Art of Sports Journalism

2011-04-21T20:18:00.014-06:00

CITY (AP)—With the crowd at their backs, the [home team] came blazing out of the gates like a well-oiled machine firing on all cylinders. Meanwhile, the [visiting team], looked like they left their 'A' game back in [the city they are from] whilst wandering behind the woodshed for a [final score] whooping.

[Star home player] illuminated the [home team's] winning strategy, "When the [visiting team] looked a little out of synch early, we smelled blood and went for the jugular. We knew we couldn't afford to get lackadaisical, so we just tried to keep on our toes in the bag.

"It was all over but the shouting after [a specific duration of gameplay]," continued [secondary home player], "so we decided to put on a clinic, 'How to Seal Victories.' After all, our fans aren't paying their hard earned money to watch us take a cakewalk in the park."

So what went wrong for the [visiting team]? [Visiting head coach] broke down his team's subpar effort, "I think it's clear that we've gone to the well once too often. We've circled our wagons around [star visiting player] all season, and him having an off night really took the wind out of our sails."

[Secondary visiting player] also lamented, "Instead of playing to win, we played not to lose. But give the [home team] credit. They got us on the ropes and blew the game wide open with a coffin-nailing knock out punch."

Salty Saturday

2011-04-17T21:57:00.008-06:00

After lunch at home on Saturday, Kristen and I started pondering how we should spend our afternoon. I expressed my desire to resume my movie theater photo series, and soon we were plotting a spontaneous road trip to Tooele. 45 minutes later, we were cruising Main in the little mining town. Kristen and the kids had fun playing at a local park while I photographed the Ritz Theatre (post coming soon).

As we took Highway 201 out past the Great Salt Lake, Kristen was quite flummoxed by its size. She sheepishly revealed that even though she has lived her whole life in Utah, this was the closest she had ever been to the lake. I determined a stop off at Saltair was in order on our return trip.

Eddie also responded enthusiastically in the affirmative when I asked if he wanted to see a castle. He was quite disappointed we couldn't go inside since the building is still closed for the season. And when we told him we needed to get back in the car so we could find something to eat, he insisted dinner was being served inside the castle.

We deliberated about what to eat along I-80 all the way into downtown Salt Lake before finally settled on Moochie's—a delicious end to the impromptu trip. All in all, it was a fun way to spend our Saturday, and we can't wait to take similar road trips throughout the spring and summer.

Blessing Day

2011-04-12T21:25:00.006-06:00

When selecting a blessing date, Kristen and I determined that the longer we waited, the more likely we would have decent weather so we could host an event outside. Of course the schizophrenic April weather had other plans, so we resigned ourselves to cramming 40 of our closest friends and family into our 1400 sq. foot townhome.

Siblings share a quiet moment before church.

…and the moment is passed.

The biggest hitch of the day was realizing my zipper was actually down during the blessing. Hopefully my suit coat (which only comes out of my closet every few years for these sorts of occasions), performed its primary function of keeping me decent.

Other than this XYZ incident, it ended up being a lovely (if somewhat hectic) day. Thankfully the sun made periodic appearances throughout the afternoon, so we were able to unleash some of the kids out into the courtyard. Our house was still jam-packed, and the spread of food was largely decimated. At the end of the day, pretty much only a few olives from the deli tray remained, which Eddie knew just what to do with.

Andrews Family Vacation Memories, Pt. 2

2011-04-06T20:17:00.006-06:00

Here's the second installment in my family vacation memories. I didn't have access to my trip photos this time, so I had to improvise.

Japan

When Jeremy got home from his mission in Japan, he and I went with our parents to see his mission (and other parts of the country). We were there for about two weeks, starting in Okinawa and working our way north to Tokyo. Jeremy's last area on his mission was on Okinawa, so he had only been away for a few months and knew some of the people there. We spent one day riding around with the Stake President, who took us to see various sites. One of the places he took us was to the Okinawa Peace Park, which is a World War II memorial set on the cliffs. It included a series of marble walls (similar to the Vietnam Memorial) with names of the soldiers inscribed on them. The Stake President found his father's name on the walls to show us.

Later on, we also traveled to Hiroshima and saw the Atomic Bomb Dome. This is one of the few structures to have survived the bombing, even though it was almost directly beneath the detonation. The building has been preserved and is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. We also traveled to Nagasaki and visited the Peace Memorial Park there. This park was interesting because it included monuments donated by other countries. It was a beautiful place that I don't think I'll ever forget it.

For this trip, my brother Jason was serving his mission in Taiwan. We happened to be there on Mother's Day when we should have been able to call him. We had gone out early in the day to do some shopping, and my dad bought a samurai sword. Then we went to the train station to take the train back to our hotel so that we could call Jason. Unfortunately, only Jeremy could speak Japanese, and even he could not read Japanese. We ended up on the wrong train—the express to the airport. By the time we figured out our mistake, we were stuck sitting on the floor in the doorway of the train car (because there were no open seats), forced to take the entire ride.

Once we got to the airport, we had to go through security just to get to the opposite train platform. Obviously this was going to be a problem since we were carrying a samurai sword with us. Jeremy explained the situation to the security guards and we were able to get an armed escort through the airport to the other side of the train platform. My mom got to call Jason at an airport pay phone, but only got to talk to him for a short time. We then got back on the train (not the express this time), and spent the next couple of hours riding back to where we started.

Mexico

Both of my brothers were on missions when my parents and I went to Mexico. We stayed in Cancun at an all-inclusive resort, meaning that we had already paid to eat dinner at the resort when we paid for our room. This had its pros and cons. Normally, this wasn't really an issue. We just went down to buffet and ate. But one night, the dinner included a show, so we were forced to go to the show in order to eat our dinner. The show was mildly entertaining, including a tequila drinking contest and some dancing. At one point in the show, the performers got people from the audience to join them on stage to do the Mexican Hat Dance. Lucky for me, being in the front row, I was selected to go up and dance with a little Mexican dude who looked like an extra from Three Amigos.

Also during our stay in Mexico, we took the ferry to Cozumel Island to do some snorkeling. We got off the ferry and straight onto another boat that would take us snorkeling on the reef. Unfortunately, we were somewhat unprepared. Because normal sunscreen damages the coral, you're not supposed to wear it in the water. We didn't have any biodegradable sunscreen, so we just went without. Well, not only did I inherit my mom's motion sickness, but my dad's fair skin as well. We both got sunburned ridiculously bad. Then when we got off the boat, we couldn't find any place to rinse off. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and I went into the bathroom and basically bathed myself in the sink to get the salt off of my sunburn so I could stand to put my shirt on.

Eddie's Mac and Cheese Ratings

2011-04-02T14:30:00.001-06:00

Like most two (almost three) year olds I know, Eddie is a very picky eater. Thankfully, there are a few staple foods such as mac and cheese that he will consistently eat. Still, he won't settle for just any "cheesy noodles." He abandoned boxed stuff half a lifetime ago. And blindly ordering mac and cheese off a kid's menu when we eat out is a gamble because (a) it is way overpriced for what it is, and (b) he expects the noodles to be a certain shape, and the cheese to be the proper shade of yellow (demands that we, as parents, do a poor job of notifying restaurants of beforehand). So here you have it, some of the best and worst places to get mac and cheese according to Eddie:

Noodles & Company
If Eddie hasn't eaten a decent meal for a few days, we can always take him here and get him a large portion of the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese to make up for the lost calories. He will also hork down multiple bowlfuls of our homemade mac and cheese recipe that emulates Noodles & Company.

Eddie's Rating: 4 out of 4 Elbows

Windy Ridge Cafe
The portion may have been modest, but this Park City establishment scored extra points for presentation by serving it up in a miniature saucepan. Once Eddie had scooped up every last noodle, he then licked the cheese residue on his spoon for several minutes afterwards.

Eddie's Rating: 3 out of 4 Elbows

Olive Garden
The popular chain forgoes traditional elbow macaroni noodle for mini shells, which Eddie instantly rebuffed. I was, however, able to convince him to eat the leftovers when I told him the noodles were actually sea shells.

Eddie's Rating: 2 out of 4 Elbows

Iggy's Sports Grill
They may have gotten the noodle shape and cheese color right, but then Iggy's had to go and serve it in loaf form, thus making it unfit for toddler consumption. I can only surmise that a cheesy noodle loaf haunted Eddie's dreams for days, because he wouldn't touch the leftovers even after the loaf was leveled.

Eddie's Rating: 0 out of 4 Elbows

Iron Horse and iMac

2011-03-27T15:55:00.008-06:00

"Iron Horse," our beloved Power Mac G5, passed away suddenly on the morning of March 18th, due to complications with the logic board.

Iron Horse joined our family shortly after we were married, largely thanks to Kristen triple-dipping the system by securing a government grant to "supplement" her two scholarships.

Like most modern technology, after Iron Horse hit five years of service, it became a ticking time bomb of obsolescence. But this stalwart computer defied the odds and lasted an additional year and a half past this unofficial expiration date.

In this time of sorrow we also have cause to rejoice, for FedEx delivered a bundle of joy to our doorstep on Friday—a shiny new 21" iMac.

I made the mistake of showing Eddie the Photo Booth application the first night I got everything set up, now the rest of us may never again get to use the new computer in peace while he is around. Here's a short video of Eddie playing around with all the silly webcam effects that other Mac users got bored with three years ago.

Andrews Family Vacation Memories, Pt. 1

2011-03-24T14:14:00.008-06:00

My family loves to travel. Growing up, we got to go on a lot of family vacations. This led to some interesting adventures, so I thought I should record some of the most memorable moments from these trips.

Florida

My parents own a timeshare in Florida, so we went there quite often. One summer, we spent our vacation on Hutchinson Island. For one of our activities, we rented a boat and took it down the river and out onto the ocean. It was pretty fun as long as we were moving, but when we spotted a pod of dolphins nearby, my dad cut the engine and we sat bobbing in the waves for a while. Unfortunately, both my mom and I are quite susceptible to motion sickness, so we were anxious to get moving again. When my dad started the engine, the boat turned in just the right direction for a wave to knock us sideways. This sent sent my mom falling across the deck, skinning her knees. We never rented a boat again.

Not that we had much more luck with cars. One of the most notorious rental cars my family drove on vacation was dubbed the "cockroach-mobile." Believe me, this name was well earned. We rented this beauty in Miami in the summer of 1997 and drove it south through the Florida Keys. During the daytime, it wasn't too scary, but whenever we would open the doors at night and the dome light would come on, we would see the roaches scatter. My brothers developed a habit of jumping in as fast as they could and stomping around to try to slay the beasts. It didn't really do much good. Riding in that car in the dark grossed me out because I kept expecting to feel little legs crawling on me.

Canoeing in Key Largo

While Jeremy was on his mission, the rest of us took a trip to Orlando. We found out that the shuttle Atlantis was scheduled to launch while we were there, so my parents and I decided to go and see the launch (Jason opted to stay at the condo and sleep). We had to get up and drive to the coast in the wee hours of the morning. Since you can't actually go out on Cape Canaveral during a launch, we found a place to park on the mainland and watched from the coast. It was really cool to see. Even though we were several miles away, we could see the fire as the shuttle blasted off, and after a slight delay we could hear the roar. I sure hope Jason regrets missing that.

One thing that I doubt any of us would have regretted missing was our trip to Lion Country Safari. This is basically a zoo that you drive through. I think it would probably be fun for little kids, but we went as disillusioned teenagers. To this day we still laugh about the sad animals laying around looking like they were dead. I imagine summer in Florida is not really the most active time for the lions. In preparation for this post, I looked at the Lion Country Safari website. It looks a lot more exciting online than I remember it being. But maybe they've refurbished since our visit.

Grand Cayman

In the summer of 1998, we took a trip to Grand Cayman. We did a lot of snorkeling off the beach at our hotel, but the most memorable snorkeling experience was when we rode on a catamaran with Captain Dexter (an old British man in a Speedo) to Stingray City. This is a sandbar where the water is only about 4 feet deep and there are tons of stingrays. The rays are used to people, so they will let you touch them and feed them. You don't really have to snorkel here—you can just stand on the sandbar and let the stingrays rub up against your legs as they search for a handout. Honestly, I was terrified. I was in the water long enough for Captain Dexter to catch a big stingray for me to hold while my dad snapped a photo (said photo is not posted because it's a little embarrassing since I was crying). I still haven't lived down my reaction to the stingrays, and don't expect I ever will.

Captain Dexter's catamaran

Grand Cayman is a fairly small island, but you still need a car to get around. So my family rented another infamous auto: a Maruti. A small jeep-type vehicle, the Maruti didn't have a normal back seat, but instead had two benches facing each other in the back. There weren't any seat belts on these benches. This would have been less of an issue if people in Grand Cayman drove on the right-hand side of the road. But, since it is a British territory, they drive on the left. So we rode around in what we started to call the "beer can death trap" on the left-hand side of the road while my dad tried to operate a stick shift with his left hand. Surprisingly, he only ended up turning onto the wrong side of the road twice. Still, I think we were all glad to get back to driving in America.

The infamous Maruti

The Boss Button

2011-03-17T16:51:00.003-06:00

For me, few days in the sports year are as can't miss as the first round of the NCAA tournament. But like most responsible adults, I'm stuck at work during the early games. Thankfully, in recent years you can stream any NCAA game live on your computer.

Unlike my salad days working for USU Extension (huddling around a 13" TV for hours during March Madness, tucked away in a forgotten corner of campus), I have to get some work done nowadays. As a compromise, I will have a scoreboard open throughout the day, then if a game is close going into the final few minutes, I will pull up the streaming action.

As I caught #13 Morehead State pull off the upset against #4 Louisville today (along with a handful of other fantastic finishes), I noticed something called a "Boss Button" in the upper right hand corner of the screen (follow the big white arrow). My curiosity got the better of me, I clicked, and the window transformed:

Technology is a beautiful thing, isn't it?

Marriage Albums: Counting Melons

2011-03-13T20:21:00.011-06:00

Since my "Albums I Grew Up On" series has been on creative hiatus since last June, I've been thinking for a while about spotlighting music that has defined my marriage years. Kristen and I have been hitched since 2004, but these inaugural selections were actually released back in 1992-93.

Counting Crows:
August and Everything After

August and Everything After received plenty of spins in my CD player when I was in junior high, but as the decade progressed, Counting Crows faded from the rotation. I eventually traded in my disc at the old Tom Tom Music store in Bountiful (probably for something like The Best of A Flock of Seagulls during a prolonged '80s kick).

As I started making the switch from CDs to mp3s in the early 2000s, a lot of old albums that had suffered the "trade in" fate made a triumphant return to my collection, including August and Everything After. A quintessential "sad album," the Counting Crows' debut includes several big hits like "Mr. Jones" and "Round Here," and a plethora of lesser known gems like "Anna Begins" and "Sullivan Street."

However, it didn't become a defining album for us until Kristen got a hold of it, not long after we moved from Logan to Salt Lake in 2005. For the better part of the year that followed, every time I got in the car after she had been driving, Counting Crows would be on. In those "educational" early years of marriage, it taught me something important about her. When she finds something she likes, she clings to it like a warm blanket—whether it be the bubbly tingle of Dr. Pepper, the romantic misunderstandings of Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennett, or the plaintive melodies of Adam Duritz and co.

Blind Melon

There was no escaping Blind Melon's hit single "No Rain" back in the early '90s—not that this pleasant little pop folk ditty needed escaping from. I always liked the song and occasionally considered adding some Blind Melon to my collection but never did (it would have gotten swapped for Wang Chung's Greatest Hits anyway). Tragically, Blind Melon vocalist Shannon Hoon died of a drug overdose a few months after their second album Soup was released in 1995, and the band disintegrated before they could shed one-hit wonder status.

When Kristen and I began comparing music collections as we were dating, "No Rain" was among the common threads. Now, here's where the story starts to get obscure. In late 2006, I unearthed a compilation at the local library featuring prominent '90s bands covering songs from Schoolhouse Rock. The unquestionable standout of the collection was Blind Melon's take on "Three is a Magic Number." In our book, this band was now 2-for-2, so we got to wondering if their other stuff was just as good.

We soon checked out their eponymous debut (some 14 years after it was released), and in the process discovered one of the most criminally underrated albums of the '90s. As with a lot of one-hit wonders, the easygoing "No Rain" is something of an anomaly within the fabric of the album. Brimming with deep cuts like "Tones of Home" and "Change" (really I could list every song), Blind Melon is equal parts aggressive, groovy, introspective, and psychedelic. But pop culture never got past that bee girl.

You Are What You Eat, Pt. 2

2011-03-08T17:00:00.003-07:00

It's time for another look at the various kinds of food I've outgrown as I get older (find the original post here). As Rémy says in Ratatouille, "If you are what you eat, then I only wanna eat the good stuff."

Generic Soda
I have cut way back on my soda intake in recent years, and I'm certainly not going to waste the calories on Dr. Thunder, Big K Cola, or Kiwi Strawberry Shasta (even if you can get a 3-liter bottle for 69 cents). The exception to this rule is a generic version of Mountain Dew called "Hillbilly Holler" that can only be found at Fareway grocery stores in Iowa. Yeeeeehaw, that there's liquid gold!

Cavity Candy
Kristen and I went through a phase where we chewed gum regularly, which just so happened to coincide with a 2 1/2 year dental drought. When we did finally make it back in to the dentist, I went from never having a cavity in my life to having seven. After that miserable experience, anything sugary that stays in your mouth for an extended period of time (chewing gum, lollipops, etc.), was no longer appealing. (On a semi-related note, I once heard Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" in a dental waiting room.)

All-You-Can-Eat Buffets
When I was a young adult, all-you-can-eat buffets were always seen as a challenge—especially if you went with other guys. You've had the meat loaf, enchiladas, and chicken fried steak? Well I've had the beef stroganoff, shrimp cocktail, and three pieces of pizza! It was also a matter of making sure you got your money's worth. Let's see, I paid $8 to get in, I've had four heaping plates of food… yup, better go big at the soft serve ice cream bar.

Tiny Dancer

2011-03-06T20:22:00.006-07:00

Since Violet is now six weeks old, I figured it was probably now or never to put together a formal birth announcement. My goal with the type treatment was to make it as difficult to read as possible. These are the crazy things you do when you're not designing for a real client.

I took well over 100 photos of Violet posing in the tutu, so here's a few more choice shots:

Portland in Color

2011-02-28T07:48:00.005-07:00

As it frequently is with me, a big part of my Portland trip was the food. I ate some heavenly crab risotto, chicken wings, flaky pastry, and the pictured pastrami sandwich that I regretfully couldn't finish because there simply wasn't any room left in my stomach after two days of gluttony. My final tally for the trip was three pounds gained.

One of my last stops before heading to the airport was Portland's Japanese Garden, a five acre park filled of beautiful landscaping, mossy trees, meandering streams, stone walkways, and a great view of the city (that would be even greater if it wasn't always overcast).

After being spooked away by the President's Day crowds, the gardens were virtually empty on Wednesday morning when we returned, greatly boosting its "haven of tranquil beauty" status.

Stampin' Up has press checks in Portland on a fairly regularly basis, so it sounds like I will get more opportunities to visit the city in the future.

It would be nice to go when the weather is a little warmer, and maybe even take Kristen along so she too can experience what the show Portlandia calls the place "where young people go to retire."

Portland in Black & White

2011-02-25T08:18:00.012-07:00

I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Portland this week for a Stampin' Up press check. Shortly after we arrived, our sales rep took us on a quick driving tour of various areas around the city, then we hunkered down to take care of business. When the press check wrapped early the next afternoon, we were free to do our own thing.

In my experience, some destinations don't always match the preconceived image in your head (i.e. San Francisco wasn't as "Full House" as I had originally imagined). But Portland lined up with my mental projection quite closely, from the perpetually overcast skies and damp streets to the rolling hills lined with evergreens.

Among my stops were the Portland Art Museum and Powell's City of Books, an independent bookstore that covers an entire city block and houses over 1.5 million books within its four stories. But mostly I just enjoyed exploring the bustling streets with my camera in hand.

The best way I can describe the area is monochromatic yet vibrant. Most of these photos only needed a slight nudge from color to black & white.

One of Portland's nicknames is "Bridgetown," due to the multiple bridges that span the adjacent Willamette River.

Of course I had to get a photo of this beauty when I wandered upon it.

Next: Portland in Color

Family Resemblance

2011-02-19T13:40:00.002-07:00

You know how sometimes husbands and wives look like they could be brother and sister? I decided this occurs because their children have characteristics from both parents, thus becoming a "missing link" of sorts. Take our family for instance. Eddie looks more like me, Violet looks more like Kristen, yet Eddie and Violet still look alike. See for yourself and let us know what you think.

Dave vs. Violet

Kristen vs. Violet

Eddie vs. Violet

One-Dimensional Movie Villains: Third Class

2011-02-15T15:45:00.003-07:00

Previous Inductees:
• First Class
• Second Class

Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Various)
The James Bond Series

Profile: Also known as "Number One" in the villainous SPECTRE organization, Blofeld's disdain for British secret agent James Bond can only be rivaled by his aversion to jacket lapels. He also has no love for continuity, appearing in six Bond films with a variety of looks, including black hair without a face, gray hair with a face, bald with a facial scar, and bald with no scar or earlobes. In his attempts to achieve the age-old dream of world domination, Blofeld has swiped nuclear warheads, wielded diamond-powered space lasers, and subliminally brainwashed beautiful women to love chickens. Yet these elaborate plots are undone time and time again by his penchant for monologuing.

Comeuppance: After a court-mandated four film absence, a wheelchair-bound Blofeld briefly reappears to trap Bond in a remote-controlled helicopter, only to cackle so interminably that Bond has time to take control of said helicopter, pick up Blofeld's wheelchair with one of its landing skids, and drop him down a chimney stack.

"If I were to break the news to anyone it would be to you first, Mr. Bond, you know that."

Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald)
Happy Gilmore

Profile: Start with a shot of arrogance, add a squeeze of bitterness over having never won the PGA tour championship, and shake it over the resentment directed towards the popularity of hockey player turned golfer Happy Gilmore. What you end up with is a spiteful cocktail of a man known as Shooter McGavin, a would-be golfing legend who will stop at nothing to get Gilmore kicked off the PGA tour. The most successful of these attempts involves hiring a mentally unstable fan to heckle Gilmore, and later, run him over with a VW Bug. Yet the self-absorbed Shooter won't even return the favor by sharing a nice seafood dinner with the fan.

Comeuppance: When Gilmore beats the odds to win the tour championship, Shooter momentarily makes off with the honorary gold jacket, but is quickly chased down by an angry mob and pummeled by Gilmore's gargantuan former boss, Mr. Larson.

"Yeah, right. And Grizzly Adams had a beard."

Out With the Old, In With the New

2011-02-09T21:34:00.005-07:00

Bear with me while I conduct a few matters of blog business. Since we haven't exactly been posting like crazy on Eddie's blog of late, it certainly didn't make sense to create a third blog just for Violet. Instead, we have rebranded the spin-off to include her. So from here on out, posts relating to both kids' development can be found on the new & improved Eddie & Violet Variety Hour. Posts about the whole family (and other incoherent ramblings) will remain right here.

The Dave & Kristen Show has been rocking the same header since its early days, so it seemed like a good time to update its look to match. The redesign retains the familiar game show vibe, but now includes an extra spoonful of the seventies.

Violet's Two Week Stats

2011-02-08T12:44:00.007-07:00

Violet is now over two weeks old! I feel like we're finally starting to get into a routine and find our new "normal." Eddie has stopped being insanely sensitive (most of the time) and still loves his baby sister. He likes to get right in front of her face and say, "Hi Biolet!" Despite his roughness with her, she seems to really like him until he attempts to crush her or dump her on the floor. I tell him he needs to be nice to her and he always replies with, "I don't want to." So we're working on that. I don't trust him with her, and have had a few scary moments when I leave him unattended thinking he is quietly watching TV when really he has gone upstairs to pull Violet's arms so that she'll wake up.

Today, Eddie and I took Violet in for her two week checkup. This was a momentous occasion because it is the first time I have ventured out with both children when we weren't just going through a drive-thru. It would have gone without a hitch if the wind hadn't been so cold. Eddie was hysterical by the time we jogged into the warmth of the hospital and refused to go any further, so I ended up carrying both kids into the elevator, drawing many sympathetic looks from people. (By the way, I imagine that jogging and/or carrying 40+ pounds are things that should not be done by a woman at 2 weeks postpartum and I will be regretting it later today.) Once we were inside and up the elevator, Eddie calmed down and the rest of the appointment went well (until we had to walk back to the car).

Violet weighed in at 9 pounds 3 ounces, which is 8 ounces above her birth weight. She is in the 77th percentile for weight. She measured 21.5 inches, which puts her in the 86th percentile. Her head measured exactly the same as at birth, which apparently is a little big (72nd percentile).

On Sunday (her official two-week mark), Dave took some photos of Violet. Everyone says she looks like Eddie, but I think she looks more like me than he does. I'll have to find some of my baby photos to post as a comparison. In the meantime, here's our beautiful girl:

Ten Things...

2011-02-01T07:06:00.005-07:00

...I Learned from The Making of The Empire Strikes Back

When it comes to The Empire Strikes Back, one of my all-time favorite movies, I figured there wasn't much left I didn't know about its genesis and production. But the definitive new making-of book I received for Christmas has proven that even Empire junkies like myself still have much to learn (or unlearn, as it were).

10. On the success of Star Wars, "It was a darn good story dashingly told, and beyond that I can't explain it," said Alec Guinness (Obi Wan Kenobi). "Failure has a thousand explanations. Success doesn't need one."

9. Luke getting attacked by the snow monster at the beginning of Empire was specifically written as a way to explain the facial injuries Mark Hamill received from a bad car accident not long after Star Wars came out.

8. In an early Lucas-penned draft, the romance between Han Solo and Princess Leia had serious Attack of the Clones potential. Consider this goodbye line from Han,"They say I kiss very well. But don't worry, I'm not going to kiss you here—you see, I'm quite selfish about my pleasures and it wouldn't be much fun for me now. I'm going to wait for you to grow up a little more. I'm sure we'll meet again." Luckily, screenwriting duties were soon turned over to Lawrence Kasdan.

7. One early failed attempt at realizing Yoda involved putting a costume on a monkey (and in case you were wondering, no, Yoda was not modeled after Spencer W. Kimball).

6. During the filming of the "I love you... I know" scene, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher weren't speaking to each other off camera due to some momentary behind-the-scenes tension.

5. David Prowse (Darth Vader) was notorious for leaking plot details during interviews and other appearances. Thus he was often given dummy lines unknowingly, then the real lines were overdubbed later by James Earl Jones. Prowse didn't find out Darth Vader was Luke's father until the premiere screening.

4. An early Empire poster concept featured "Busty Leia" from the original Star Wars poster sharing a tauntaun ride with Luke.

3. The under 10 crowd at a preview screening provided some constructive feedback: "It was like a dream... Luke sometimes gross (hand)... Tan Tan animation could be better, otherwise movie good... It was kind of sad when Han Solo turned into ice... You should have less violence, or if you have violence, make it funny violence."

2. During the movie's initial limited release, George Lucas decided the end sequence in space was a little unclear, so he asked ILM to create three new establishing shots (who all thought Lucas was joking at first). The new scenes were completed in record time and added in for the wide release a few weeks later. (This tendency to tinker later evolved into a very bad habit.)

1. In this particularly prophetic quote, Lucas revealed, "If I wasn't a filmmaker, I think I might be a toymaker."

The First Week

2011-01-30T13:34:00.001-07:00

Violet is one week old today! The time has gone by really quickly, and I think we're beginning to get used to having this beautiful girl around. So far, she is a really mellow baby and spends most of her time either sleeping or eating, although she recently added "pooping" to her list of activities... and that is a very good thing.

I was beginning to get worried about the lack of dirty diapers since we had come home, so we made an extra trip to see the pediatrician on Friday just to make sure there wasn't a problem. I was instructed on all the different methods of inspiration I should try over the next few days. It turns out all I needed to do was remove the seal on a brand new bottle of infant suppositories. Within mere moments, Violet decided not to let herself be subjected to them and started filling diapers on her own with great gusto.

Violet on Thursday - 4 days old

Once we figured out the proper number of blankets required to get Violet to stay asleep in her bassinet (the number is five in case you're curious), she has been a really good sleeper. The past three nights, she has only woken up twice to eat during the night. Unfortunately, she doesn't feel like going back to sleep when she wakes up around 3:30 AM, so usually we are up for two hours or so while I attempt to figure out how to lull her back to sleep.

Eddie has done pretty well with his baby sister so far. He has been extra sensitive, and I imagine it is because he gets in trouble a lot more often now that we're trying to protect Violet from thrown toys and accidental (and intentional) violence from her brother. He loves holding her on his lap and will tell us "I just want her" often. He loves kissing her and comforting her (even when she doesn't need it) by patting her and saying, "It's okay, Biolet. It's okay." He also cracks up when she cries because he thinks it is a funny noise. Keeping Eddie entertained has largely been Dave's responsibility, so we might be in for some trouble when he is at work this week and Violet is commanding most of my attention.

Violet on Sunday - 1 week old

Amongst the various visits to the pediatrician, we also had an interesting evening on Wednesday. Lucky for us, my mom drove up on Wednesday night, arriving about a half hour after I first noticed that one of my legs was swollen up. With Dave staying home to put Eddie to bed, she saved the day by going with me to the E.R. and watching over Violet while I had an ultrasound to look for blood clots in my leg. Fortunately, there were none to be found, and after a couple of hours we were able to come home and get some sleep. The swelling has since gone down, but we still don't know why only one leg swelled up. Even though it was a stressful situation, it would've been exponentially worse if not for my mom. So thanks for being here to help me not go crazy and get some much needed rest, Mom!

And Then There Were Four

2011-01-26T15:25:00.003-07:00

Violet and I have now been home from the hospital for a full day, so it's high time for an update. As Dave mentioned in his post about the delivery, I went with the epidural this time. As someone who has now given birth both ways, I can safely say that the epidural is the only way to go and I would never go back. That said, there are some adverse side effects that came from having the epidural that I didn't have to deal with last time. The biggest one is a back ache that is the result of laying on my back during pushing. I'm hoping that with the help of a heat pad and some rest, that will soon go away.

Besides the back ache, I am actually feeling really good. Of course, I'm running on very little sleep (I estimate 12 hours of sleep since I got up on Sunday morning). Mostly this lack of sleep stems from what I think is Violet's current defining characteristic: hungry. Not only is she ravenous, but she is also easily frustrated. This has led to some difficulties with feeding, since she decides to be hungry, then is so frantic for sustenance that she can't latch on, which fills her with inconsolable rage. We are hoping that this problem will solve itself as my milk comes in.

Violet isn't the only one who is ravenous. After Eddie was born, I remember being hungry for the next couple of days, but I don't remember it being anything like this. I've been so hungry that I horked down two days worth of mediocre hospital food with the comments "this is so good" and "I wish I had more of that." Hopefully this newfound appetite calms down so that I don't regain all the weight I just lost.

We are all adjusting to Violet's arrival in our own ways. Eddie has been very good with her (with the exception of one incident that I don't care to remember) and always wants to hold her and give her kisses. Everyone seems to think that she looks just like her big brother, though I'm not sure I entirely agree. They definitely have the same frowny face when they're about to burst into tears, though.

Say Hello to Violet Adelaide

2011-01-23T23:13:00.002-07:00

What a day. We arrived at the hospital at 9:00 am this morning to be induced. The roughest part came when Kristen passed out between having her water broken and the three attempts to stick the IV. But after going au natural with Eddie, she decided early on she wanted an epidural. Without going into the gory details, let's just she found this very different birthing experience to be luxurious, and was in good enough spirits that she was cracking jokes while she pushed.

Violet Adelaide Barton arrived at 2:53 pm, 20 inches long and weighing in at a robust 8 lbs 11 oz (she already has thigh rolls and a double chin). But the first thing everyone sees is the head full of dark, curly hair.

The scalp massage was definitely Violet's favorite part of her first bath.

Get this girl some styling product, stat.

There, that's better.

Violet extended an olive branch to her big brother by getting him a Doc Hudson car (it just came right out with the placenta, fully wrapped in Batman paper). Eddie enjoyed holding his baby sister, kissing her on the forehead, and stroking her diminutive facial features. We were even able to convince him to call her Violet instead of Morsel before the night was over.

We feel incredibly blessed to have this little girl, completely healthy and beautiful. Thank you for all the kind words and support.

Flower Power

2011-01-21T19:38:00.007-07:00

In the previous post, Kristen sent a subtle jab my direction: "not that the nursery decor is complete, but that's not my fault." You see, a few months ago when we learned Morsel was a girl, Kristen determined we should decorate a wall in the nursery with vinyl flowers. She had a very particular idea of what she wanted, so she tasked me with creating a custom design.

My modus operandi when I'm not properly inspired is to procrastinate until the last possible minute. Thus I sat on this flower project for months and months, aggravating Kristen to no end. (Conversely, after we learned Eddie was a boy, I found some retro superhero signage for his room within weeks.)

Once I finally got around to designing the flowers a few weeks ago, it only took me about an hour (further aggravating Kristen). A coworker cut the vinyl for me on Thursday, and we put it up in the nursery today.

Now Morsel will surely come before the weekend is out. Of course this may have less to do with vinyl flowers and more to do with Kristen being scheduled to be induced on Sunday.

The Final Countdown

2011-01-13T13:37:00.003-07:00

As of today, I am officially more pregnant than I have ever been. We are now only 10 days from my due date. I had an appointment with my doctor this morning and found out that all my middle-of-the-night painful contractions have done nothing. I am still only dilated to 1 cm and the doctor remarked that Morsel "is not a little baby." We decided to wait one more week and if nothing is happening, then we will schedule an induction. When I was pregnant with Eddie, I don't remember being quite this miserable at the end. I have decided that is because I had prepared myself mentally to go past my due date with him, and going into labor was quite a surprise. This time, I have foolishly prepared myself for an early baby and have been disappointed day after day.

So over the past couple of weeks as I have anxiously awaited Morsel's arrival, I have had a lot of time to finish up every single tiny project I can think of. Here are some of the things I have been doing that have helped keep me sane:

1. Finding lavender crib sheets
Sure, we have white crib sheets. Sure, Morsel will be sleeping in a bassinet for at least the first few weeks. But for some reason, I felt that purple crib sheets were completely necessary in completing the nursery decor (not that the nursery decor is complete, but that's not my fault). Every time I entered a store that sells baby stuff, I always had to look to see if they had purple sheets. None of them did. You can get yellow or green or blue or pink or white (and even brown for crying out loud). Apparently purple is not a popular color. Last weekend, we finally took a trip over to Babies R Us with the specific purpose of buying purple sheets. After leaving the store, I told Dave "now we can have a baby." I was hoping that would inspire Morsel... but apparently it did not work.

2. Cleaning the entire house
The bad part about cleaning the entire house in preparation for the baby is that the house was clean... and the baby didn't come. So now I need to do it all over again. I even got so desperate that I cleaned the laundry room. So now I'll start the circuit again and if I make it back to the laundry room before Morsel is born, that might sever the last thread of my sanity.

3. Packing bags for the hospital
Not only did I pack my own bag, but I also packed Morsel's bag. I honestly do not remember what stuff we need to take for the baby, and really, since the hospital is approximately 2 miles from our house, I'm sure all this preparation is not entirely necessary. But, it has given me something to do. The only problem is that I packed a couple of options for Morsel's coming home outfit and they've sat in the bag so long that I'm tempted to change them out for something else. This is probably because of the next thing I have been doing...

4. Looking through all the baby stuff
I get bored and I stand in the nursery closet and look through all the baby clothes. I figure out which hair bows will go with which outfits. I organize and reorganize the bins on the shelf that hold the socks and tights and burp cloths and swaddle blankets. I unfold the blankets and look at them, then fold them up again. Hopefully if nothing else, this exercise will ensure that I know where everything is in there. But probably not.

5. Complaining about being pregnant
I'll be the first one to admit it: I am miserable. Waiting for Morsel is driving me completely crazy. That, in addition to the hormones, means that I'll have an occasional good day where I will get a lot done and many other not-so-good days where I won't even bother to get dressed and will let Eddie watch TV all day while I eat a large number of cookies.

While We Wait

2011-01-12T09:02:00.001-07:00

Everyday we wake up and wonder, will this be the day we have the baby? In one corner we have Kristen, overanalyzing every contraction and fantasizing about all the sleep she will get in the hospital once she no longer has heartburn. Then there's me in the other corner, worried about what to blog about in the meantime. Something that doesn't require much effort on my part… hmm… I've got it! Embedded YouTube clip! The creator of this ingenius little video introduces it thusly, "When I was a kid, there are two things I wanted badly and never got... A real dog and a Kenner AT-AT Walker."

When Eddie Was Born

2011-01-07T09:29:00.001-07:00

With Morsel set to arrive in the next few weeks (or days if you ask Kristen), I can't help but look back on those challenging first few days with Eddie. I realize others have had much more difficult experiences than ours, which I'm certainly not trying to compete with.

We had been through the classes. We had fielded all manner of contradictory advice from friends and family. We went to the hospital and Kristen squeezed a beautiful baby boy out of her body. We named him Edward James. I got to sleep on a circa World War I army cot. Then, as if without warning, we were being escorted out of the hospital with an extra person that we were expected to take care of.

University Hospital's luxurious accommodations for husbands.

We arrived home in the early evening. As bedtime descended upon us, we laid Eddie in his bassinet, turned out the lights, and hoped for the best. He was quiet for a few minutes before the crying started. We put a teddy bear next to him that played soothing sounds of the womb. We took turns rocking him. Kristen fed him. But every time we tiptoed away from a quiet, swaddled baby, he turned into an upset, crying baby within mere minutes.

At 2 am we finally remembered the unopened package of binkies in the closet. A binky seemed to help with everything but the actual sleeping. Kristen and I continued to take shifts throughout the night. Around 5 am I took Eddie downstairs and laid on the couch where he finally fell asleep on my chest.

Eddie woke me up at 7, and Kristen took him to attempt another feeding. After groggily staggering into the kitchen, I washed all the dishes and polished the countertops because cleaning felt like a Hawaiian vacation.

Kristen catching up on some much needed ZZZs.

As the day progressed, Eddie started to look a little yellow. We took him in to the pediatrician who recommended testing him for jaundice. Unfortunately, they couldn't run the tests at their office for insurance purposes. So we drove up the road to Jordan Valley Hospital and spent the afternoon filling out paper work, waiting around, and watching our baby get blood squeezed from his foot.

When we got home I laid on the couch and conked out for an hour or so. I was awoken by the hospital calling to confirm that Eddie would need to spend some time under the lights. While we waited for the equipment to be delivered, I offered to go pick up some dinner. As I drove to Kneader's, the cold hard reality of parenthood came crashing down on my exhausted body. I found myself wishing I could just keep on driving until I arrived at some magical land where there were delicious sandwiches aplenty, and no crying babies.

Unable to locate such a utopia, I returned home as the light bed was being delivered. We reviewed dire warnings such as keeping the baby's eyes covered at all times or he will go blind (a slight paraphrase), then nervously attempted to get the little cloth mask to stay on Eddie's head. Thankfully, Kristen's mom had arrived by this point. She was instrumental in keeping this angry, squirming child under the lights over the next day and a half while allowing Kristen and I to get some rest.

Edward James Barton, 5 days old.

Yes, those first few days were a little rough, but before we knew it, we found our groove. Which meant people had already started asking when we were having another one.

The Dave & Kristen Show

Healthy Living Continued

Indecisive Eaters Anonymous

Kid Books

Happy Birthday, Violet!

Cinematic Utah: Exotic Locales

Being Kristen

2012 Coming Attractions

Merry Little Christmas

Holiday Traditions

Christmas Wishes

Christmas Crafts

Lights and Leaves

Love & Hate

The Five Stages of a Hot-N-Ready Pizza

Our Oregon Trail, Pt. 3

Our Oregon Trail, Pt. 2

Our Oregon Trail, Pt. 1

Paging Mr. Herman

"Somebody Poisoned the Water Hole!"

Happy Halloween

A Month to Forget

Neighborhood Stroll

The $500 Barf

Southern Utah Photo Journal

The Future is Now

Happiness

Interview With the Architect

She Crawls

Ten Things…

Where Were You?

Cinematic Utah: Journey to Ancient Egypt

Girls' Getaway

Long Live the Original Trilogy, Pt. 2

Long Live the Original Trilogy, Pt. 1

Don't Call Me Daughter

Barton Family Reunion '11

Proposed Lagoon Taglines

Healthy Living

Pioneer Day

A New Hero in Town

Burger City, USA

Redecorating

Alpine Loop

Cabin Birthday

Ten Things...

Cinematic Utah: Rejuvinated vs. Dilapidated

WPA Style

Ten Things…

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Throwing Copper

Summer's Heating Up

The Bigger They Are, the Harder They Bowl

Ten Things...

Cinematic Utah: Back in Business

Yard Sale!

Family Photos 2011

Q&A

Self Help Books I Read This Month

Weekend Diary

Easter 2011

The Art of Sports Journalism

Salty Saturday

Blessing Day

Andrews Family Vacation Memories, Pt. 2

Eddie's Mac and Cheese Ratings

Iron Horse and iMac

Andrews Family Vacation Memories, Pt. 1

The Boss Button

Marriage Albums: Counting Melons

You Are What You Eat, Pt. 2

Tiny Dancer

More Books I Read

Portland in Color

Portland in Black & White

Family Resemblance

One-Dimensional Movie Villains: Third Class

Out With the Old, In With the New

Violet's Two Week Stats

Ten Things...