Mouse Update: Friday August 31st

I thought I would give everyone an update on the mouse living in my printer. A couple of days ago we put out several blocks that contain mouse poison in them. Yesterday, I found that a couple had been chewed on but still no sign of the mouse. My boss put out a trap with peanut butter on it and this morning the peanut butter was gone. The trap hadn't gone off. Either the trap was defective or we are dealing with a very smart mouse. I've heard him quite a bit in the past few days. I'm not sure if he is being extra vocal or because I know he is in there, my ears are ultra-sensitive. Let's just hope that the cubes work and we see a dead mouse very soon.

The New Dream Team

The 1992 Olympic Gold Medal USA basketball team was probable the best ever. No team had ever dominated so much. But, what do you expect with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and a roster full of hall of famers? Ever since the 2002 olympics where the US team was dominated by Argentina in the Olympics they've never looked the same. Was the world getting better or was US basketball getting worse? This is the question that many are still asking today. Right now in Las Vegas the US team is participating in Olympic qualifying against teams from the Americas. They've looked dominate and many are thinking that this may be the team that gets the US the gold medal again. What is the difference this time? First of all, Kobe Bryant is on the team for the first time. He brings the intensity, leadership and defense that this team needs. We also have a true point guard in Jason Kidd. Last of all, we have some shooters, Michael Redd and Mike Miller, two of the best shooters in the NBA. I'm really excited about this team. Along with the players previously mentioned, we have 'Melo, Lebron, Amare, Dwight Howard, and Tyson Chandler. I'm confident that this team will bring the USA what is rightfully theirs. Here is a video of the original Dream Team and one of the new team against Brazil.

Unwanted Neighbor

The most interesting and quite gross thing happened at work yesterday. The printer technician came in the morning to check out a problem with our printer. He opened the printer and to his surprise, saw the head of a mouse peaking out of the inside. He saw it once again before it disappeared for the day. I didn't see it but saw some of the wires it had chewed on. According to the technician, there were signs that it had been in there for quite some time. Kind of creepy. I was sent to a local farming store to get some mice bait and then planted that in various parts of the warehouse. There is still no sign of the mouse but hopefully he has stopped living in our printer.

Manufactured Landscapes

Last Saturday Beckie and I went to the Broadway Theater in Salt Lake and saw the documentary Manufactured Landscapes. This documentary is based on the photography of edward burtynsky. His photos are aimed at showing the effects of industry and globalization on nature and the environment. He stated his purpose in photographing these things. He wants the viewer to see the photographs and decide for oneself what is important. The documentary was very well balanced with an absence of any politics. The politics come from the viewer and their thoughts and beliefs. There is problem many of us face. We care about the environment but we are not willing to give up the luxuries we enjoy. We have to find a way to solve this problem according to our beliefs and values. I recommend the photography of edward burtynsky and this documentary. If you have the opportunity, go see it.

It's Been Awhile

It's been awhile since I last posted something on this blog. Work has been crazy and I haven't been at my desk for very long periods of time. I have some time now to make a post though. I don't have much to write. Beckie has included most of the things we have been doing with our lives, including our trip to San Francisco. Although, I didn't fall in love with the city, our trip was great fun. It's the first time either of us have been to Northern California. I especially liked the time spent with the family, and especially the little one. One of the other reasons I was excited about our trip to San Francisco was the prospect of visiting Amoeba records, the largest independent record store in the country. A place where you can find anything you like, not just the popular radio tracks. The only record store we have in Utah County is FYE, which is not exactly a record store but more of a media store. Amoeba was about 4-5 blocks from Haight & Ashbury on Haight St. A very interesting neighborhood. You could still see the hippy influence in nearly every shop. When we walked into Amoeba it was like stepping into the past and the future at once, another world even. The vinyl on the walls, the rows and rows of cd's, the posters covering every inch of wall, and everything I was looking for. We even saw singer/songwriter John Vanderslice, who did a in-store performance that afternoon. Here is a video of one of my favorite songs of his, Exodus Damage.



Well, after a couple of trips to Amoeba, I was very happy for what I had found. Thank you beckie for bearing with me and thanks emily for taking me a second time. You are all too nice. I look forward to maybe going to the Hollywood store after Christmas while we are in So. California.

Fat Cat

I think the picture and article speak for themselves.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=473581&in_page_id=1770

And they say football players are tough

I saw this clip last week and was pretty stunned. This fall shows just how tough skateboarders and extreme athletes are. Crazy