Austin

For the purposes of this post, the game which took place in Provo last night did not occur. I prefer my happy memories.

We recently returned from Austin, TX, where we watched BYU play Texas in a close game, and I thought a travelogue was in order. We were fortunate to have our friends Matt and Amber Nielsen with us. They have been great friends for a long time, and Matt and I go back to freshman year at BYU over 14 years ago.

Austin is a great town. As soon as we arrived, we went to see the Texas State Museum. Did you know that Texas was once it's own country? If you didn't, you would after about 1 minute in that museum. and if you missed that mention of it, you would have an opportunity to hear it again every 10 steps or so. Texans do not do small. It was a very nice museum, with some very nice artifacts.

We were hungry at that point and headed to a restaurant that I found on Urbanspoon- Curra's Grill. We had an outstanding meal with excellent service. Each of us ordered enchiladas, choosing from something like 15 different sauces. I chose a Mole sauce that was fantastic. We had great tamales and guacamole. We were very full.

After that we watched the bats feed underneath the Congress Bridge near downtown. It was interesting, but anticlimactic given how highly it ranks as a tourist attraction. There were a lot of bats.

We had breakfast the next morning at The Magnolia Cafe. Delicious. Seemed a favorite hangout of many of Austin's quirkier citizens. We met some very friendly Longhorn fans.

We enjoyed visiting some off the quirky shops in the SoCo (South Congress) area, especially a candy shop, the name of which I don't remember. I learned that there are many, many, many used boots for sale in Austin.

We then toured the state Capitol, which was more interesting than the museum. Did you know Texas was once it's own country?





We had a decent lunch before the game at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. It is a giant stadium, and we were at the very top. Here we are, with a fortunate backrest.



The fans were great, very welcoming, and despite the sad outcome for BYU it was a great trip. I hope to return.

We were fortunate to have my sister and brother-in-law welcome our three kids into their family of 6 for the weekend. We were grateful to know that the were in such good hands.

Tripping in Cali

We had a great trip to California to visit Lacy's family. For excellent photos, I suggest that you visit my sister Lillie's blog. She is a great photographer, and in this post, and several others, she shows a little bit of what we enjoyed.

I ate at Cafe Rio twice (excellent), In-n-Out once (excellent), Cheesecake Factory (excellent). Not very creative options, but still... excellent. The weather was great, as was the company. The ocean was cold. There were dolphins and snakes and children. All wild.

We toured the Reagan Library, quickly- at the kid's pace. It was impressive, a fitting tribute to the man. We ate superb, butter-filled pancakes in Du-Par's in Oxnard. I'd seen the place mentioned in books by Michael Connelly, a favorite author of mine, and wanted to give it a try. We ordered too much food.

We wanted to try a local burger place called The Habit (in Santa Barbara), but long lines and little seating made it a no-go for increasingly rambunctious Isaac. It was a great trip.

Here is a great photo of my beautiful Lacy, and of our family, taken by Lillie.

Al Sur

This was the first year that we have taken an actual "spring break" trip with our family. At Lacy's urging we started looking at things to do and decided to head south to see family and have some fun.

We left Monday and spent a rainy day at my sister's house in Orlando. The kids had a great time, and I learned that Masters of the Universe (available on Hulu) has not aged very well. Our niece Nicole planned a delicious dinner, which included some fantastic cookies that are definitely not a part of my normal diet. I had 3 (they were pancake-sized and worth it).

The next day we went to Disney World, taking advantage of my brother's employment there to get a sweet deal. The kids had a lot of fun, and I've included some pictures below. Due to the crowd, we left the Magic Kingdom for Epcot at about 4pm, which was an excellent choice. We had a pretty tasty meal at the new restaurant in Mexico, as our first choice (the German Biergarten) was not available. We don't drink beer, but the buffet there is fantastic.

We will not be doing Disney during Spring Break again. Far too many people. But still a fun day.

The next day we drove to Miami, where we visited Vizcaya, an impressive estate (now a county park) with some beautiful grounds and a fantastic location. The house was built in the 1910's, and it must have been a fascinating time to be in Miami. We then enjoyed a visit with my aunt Elena and several of my cousins and their children.

The next day was spent at Zoo Miami (formerly the Miami Metrozoo). This has always been one of my favorite parts of Miami, though we hadn't been there in over 7 years. The vegetation now seems fully recovered from 1992's Hurricane Andrew, and the kids really enjoyed seeing the animals. Next time we will rent a quad bicycle to get around the very large zoo.

We visited my great-aunt Elsita, who we had not seen since the death of my abuelita in August of 2009. It was great to show her the kids and enjoy some of her delicious natilla (comparable recipe found here). We took a quick swim in the pool, and then I took Joseph and Millie to dinner with my Uncle Ari and Aunt Kelly. We also got to meet our new little cousin Star, born to my cousin Stacci and her husband JR. The name is a combo of Sta from Stacci and R from JR. Millie is pretty jealous of that name, and has asked me several times since why her name can't be star. Dinner at La Rosa was delicious. We also had a good meal at Havana Harry's (Tres Vacas Fritas & Churrasco), but La Rosa gets the edge for its equivalent meat and FAR superior black beans. La Rosa also serves the traditional toasted and buttered Cuban bread. Joseph ate palomilla twice.

Friday was a lazy morning packing our things and a drive back to Gainesville. We stopped in Orlando at Downtown Disney to enjoy dinner with our friends the Eichelberger's at T-Rex. We ate in the Ice Room, which was a trippy place to be. Periodically the light would change color and we are convinced that it made the kids a little crazy. After that we hit Ghiradelli's and cruised home.

It was a great little vacation. We've spent the last two days listening to our Church's semiannual General Conference and enjoying some "quiet" time around the house and some good food with friends.

Tomorrow? Back to the gym, to work, and to reality. Here are some photos, somewhat out of order, and a video of Millie showing off her rhythm.

Value

A few months ago I wrote about HP's rival to the iPad, and how it seemed to offer less value than the iPad.

I still feel that way, and this article helps explain why other companies have a difficult time matching Apple's iPad pricing.

It is expected that the new iPad will be introduced next week, on March 2nd.

LOST Again

I love Lost. I never wavered in my enjoyment of the show and I found the finale very moving.

First, a cool video where this guy arrange 22 different themes from Lost into a single medley. It is nicely done. Michael Giacchino is one of my favorite composers and I think his work was truly critical to the emotional impact of the show. My favorite theme starts around 5:20.



I also enjoyed this article from Carlton Cuse, one of the showrunners for Lost. He describes what it was like to work on a show like Lost for 6 years and the process of deciding how to follow it.

What I've Learned

I've had some time on my hands, so I thought I would share some of what I've been thinking about.

I've learned that three hour naps in the middle of the afternoon are amazing! I used to know that, so I guess I relearned it. I'm sure I will soon learn that I should not expect that to happen again until my children are much, much older.

I've learned that I need a much better story to explain how I got this sweet cut in between my eyes. Not for people that I actually care about, but for the randomly curious person to whom I do not want to give the whole flu/dehydration spiel. Any ideas? Referee at a cockfight? Unicycle accident?

I've learned that old age must be very frustrating, especially if there is much of this falling involved. At least I was asleep during my fall. I only had to experience the blood pouring from my face after the incident occurred, which I think would be preferable to experiencing my face hit the bathtub LIVE!

I've learned that there is so little good programming on TV. Most of ESPN's hosts are insufferable, with silly affected voices and the inability to ask non-leading questions. All of these old dramas all seem the same. At least rereading old novels is more satisfying than watching old tv shows (Thank you Orson Scott Card).

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A Leader of the Band

Band of Brothers is one of my all-time favorite books. One of the people profiled in it, Dick Winters, passed away last week. He was beloved by the men that he commanded:

When he said 'Let's go,' he was right in the front," Mr. Guarnere, who was called "Wild Bill" by his comrades, said Sunday night from his South Philadelphia home. "He was never in the back. A leader personified."
Another member of the unit living in Philadelphia, Edward Heffron, 87, said thinking about Mr. Winters brought a tear to his eye.
"He was one hell of a guy, one of the greatest soldiers I was ever under," said Mr. Heffron, who had the nickname "Babe" in the company. "He was a wonderful officer, a wonderful leader. He had what you needed, guts and brains. He took care of his men, that's very important."

It is impressive that they continued to respect and honor his memory over 65 years since they served under him. If you have not read the book, I suggest that you pick it up!

Reading & Waiting

As a continuation of my weekend's troubles, I am sitting at the shop waiting for our battery to be replaced. I'm trying out this new (for me) app, which I hope is a little easier than using blogger directly on Safari.

I have been a fan of Eric Snider's writing for a long time, and he posted posted a list on his website of some of his favorite columns from 2010.

There are some pretty funny reads on there. This recent edition of Eric's Bad Movies, not included on the list, made me laugh pretty hard at points.

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Location:W Newberry Rd,Gainesville,United States

A ______ New Year!

Good? Yes. My family is home, safe and sound, mostly healthy and 3/5 asleep.

Prosperous? We'll see. After some of the expenses associated with what I am about to write, that part of the story remains unwritten.

Happy? Eh...

I am going to vent a little bit, in order to exorcise the demons of a hellish day from my system. This will be long.

I have just arrived home from a 2 week trip to California. I have spent the last 29 hours attempting to do so.

We go to California to see Lacy's family twice a year. I love these visits, as I love her family, and this trip included the arrival of a new nephew, born to Lacy's sister Lillie and her husband Ross. We had a great time with Lacy's parents and the rest of her family, but the trip was made difficult by especially persistent Eastern Time Zone sleep patterns from our kids AND the fact that EVERYONE became ill with some kind of cold/flu/sinus bug, with most of us still fighting it off (almost 2 weeks later for me).

I try to make these trips comfortable for our family of 5. I begin tracking airfares 4-6 months ahead of time. I try to make sure we have ideal layovers (around 2 hours- time for bathroom, food, and walking to the connecting gate). We often take early flights, and this time, stayed at the Hyatt located in the airport itself, which made for a very smooth departure, long but smooth flight to L.A., and easy connection to San Diego.

For our trip home I planned for us to fly from San Diego to Atlanta, 3 hour layover, then arrival in Orlando just after midnight on January 1, 2011. It sounded like fun to have our kids, accustomed (by now we thought) to West Coast time, experience the New Year with us, in a plane. It would be a new adventure for everyone. Then we would stay the night at the same airport hotel, wake up for a nice New Year's Day breakfast and then spend some quality time with my family at my sister's house in Orlando.

Nice plan, right? All was well as we packed the night before, strategically having everything we would need for the next two days in a single bag. Easy drive to the S.D. airport. Given how sick Lacy, Isaac, and Millie had been (Joseph and I having improved at this point) we made sure that the kids got some Benadryl and Lacy some cold meds to ward off pressure problems. This worked well for Millie, who zonked out during the flight. Isaac had some troubles on the descent, solved with a bottle, but poor Lacy felt like her head was going to be crushed, a pain, in her words, second only to childbirth. Despite the efforts of a kind and observant flight attendant, as we talked after the flight she was sure that she couldn't get on our next flight. She couldn't hear in one ear and the other had diminished effectiveness. She also continued to have a terrible headache for the next several hours.

We talked to Delta, but they couldn't guarantee the return of our bags, so the plan was to rent a car, drive to Gainesville, and then I would continue to Orlando to pick up our bags and car. At this time Lacy's pain was severe enough that we took a motel room a little south of the airport.

We slept pretty well and then got on the road. We had been driving for a little while when the GPS in the car, and later highway advisory signs, alerted us to an accident that had closed all southbound lanes on the interstate. The recommended avoidance route did not save us from a delay of more than 2 hours.

Finally, back underway, several bathroom and food-related stops later we arrived at our home in Gainesville, in a soon-to-be overdue rental car and with none of our bags. After unloading my family I got back on the road to Orlando. That part of the trip went well, I returned the car, noticing a major snafu with the rate which will have to be dealt with on Monday, and then got our bags, which had arrived in Orlando 20 hours earlier and which were patiently waiting for me in the Delta Baggage office.

Then to find my car, which could not be accessed the way we had left it because of a renovation in the Hyatt's lobby. After a half-mile of wandering, pulling 4 suitcases and a duffle, I made it to my car which...had a dead battery.

One of us had left the dome light on, so I called for assistance at a box in the garage and Juan was dispatched to help, the car started right up and 2 hours later, here I am, writing my first blog post of the year.

I really have very little to complain about. I am home. My family is alive, in their own beds, and we are together. We never lacked for comfortable shelter or a safe, working vehicle. In a time of need I was able to pronounce a blessing on my wife and daughter, which we feel was instrumental in Lacy's recovery and Millie's good night of sleep, absent the cough that had made her so uncomfortable. Joseph and Millie were especially great in dealing with all of the changes to our schedule, and Isaac's constant smile and sweet temperament helped make the drive less onerous than it could have been.

It definitely was an expensive detour, and we did not get to enjoy the New Year as we expected or spend the time we had hoped with my family. But writing this has helped me focus on the important parts of the day and the successes we experienced despite the travails.

Here is a quick rundown of some of the good and bad:

Good:

• Hyatt- They waived the full-rate cancellation fee we would have paid when I explained Lacy's situation.
• Hampton Inn- They had room, and their rooms had comfortable beds...and mouthwash. That last thing was critical, as my toothbrush decided to pass the new year without me.
• Ford Flex- This was the second time I have rented this vehicle. It is smooth, and comfortable, with plenty of nice features and I think the SYNC system is very slick. I spent 9 hours in it today and probably could have driven a few more based on the car's comfort alone.
• KFC in Morrow, GA- Thanks for being open on New Year's Eve.
• Joseph & Millie- They took it all in stride.

Bad

• Avis rate issues- To be dealt with later. I like Avis, but I will need to deal with this.
• Sinus problems- boo sinus problems. Boo.
• McDonalds in Morrow, Ga- I know it was New Year's Eve, but take down the 24 hour drive-through sign if you don't mean it. Tired, hungry 3 and 5 year olds don't like to hear that they will not be getting the Happy Meal I hoped to buy.
• The way that I ate in California, and over the last two days.

So, my vent is over, and I am happy to have done this, if only to weigh the events of the day and see how blessed I am.

Here are some photos from the car ride. Happy New Year!

Isaac enjoying the ride. Thank goodness we packed an extra sleeper. He was very comfortable.
I don't know how many of these seemingly Japanese-made Kleenex packets Lacy used.
Joseph and Millie enjoyed sitting "so high up" in the back, with the DVD player close at hand.
Your humble, and often impatient, narrator. I am wearing my Miami shirt. I wore it on yesterday's flight, hoping to watch some of the bowl game on the inflight TV. And they lost, badly. I should have seen it as an omen.

Driving

Here is a last-minute Christmas gift, Popular Mechanics list of the best movie driving scenes.

Some Year in Review

Two things from the Wall Street Journal. Hopefully both are available to non subscribers-

1. Here is a review of Some of the best and worst advertisements of the year. I find little to argue with, especially in a year where the Super Bowl ads were so disappointing. In addition to the Snickers ad with Betty White, I also like the one with Aretha Franklin.

2. This is A video from tech columnist Walt Mossberg, on his favorite items reviewed over the past year.

Awesome Video Saturday CLIV

Inception was certainly one of this year's best movies, and one of the best in recent years. There are some concepts in the film, such as the dilation of time for a "dream within a dream" that are fascinating. That concept in particular has been depicted graphically in this compilation.

If you haven't seen the movie, don't watch this. Also, what is wrong with you?

Taking a WikiLeak

I'm not sure if many people are familiar with the WikiLeaks website (I think that name is stupid). It's aim is to reveal the unrevealed and the classified, regardless of the costs. It is run by a shady character, and over the last 6-9 months has been releasing in lumps the secret communications of the U.S. Military and now, the State Department.

As an American, some would say a jingoistic American, I view this as a net negative for the country. It reveals a weakness in both our systems for safeguarding data AND weakness in the character of at least one person with access to it. I hope he rots in jail. Just the same, some of the information contained in this most recent release is very interesting. Since it is out there, why not read it?

The New York Times has a helpful summary of the more interesting parts of these diplomatic cables. They cover a large period of time, with the vast majority dealing with 2007 to the present.

As with any setback, this event CAN be used to our advantage. A little more honesty is a good thing. Unfortunately, this is unintentional honesty, and that creates some treacherous dynamics. Where we have our more skilled diplomats we should be in good shape. I just don't have any idea where that happens to be the case.

Let them Fry!

I have only eaten fried turkey once, at my brother-in-law's house a few years ago. It was probably the best turkey that I have ever eaten, helped no doubt by the marinade injected into the bird.

Ever since that Thanksgiving I have wanted to enjoy it again, but just haven't gotten around to it. This year my parents are on turkey duty, and it will be the traditional roasted kind. Maybe next time we will opt for the fryer.

If you plan to go the fried route, here is a helpful guide from Popular Mechanics.

Delicioso

We have enjoyed a new restaurant near our house, Sabore (Sah-bore-ay). We have probably only tried 25% of the menu, and almost everything we have tasted we've loved. The menu features small plates, a huge variety of flavors, and latin and asian influences.

My favorite dishes have been the churrasco, mahi, yucca, and empanadas. We also had an appetizer called arangina and a mango cheesecake that was fantastico.

It has a nice vibe and great service. It is worth a visit.

Mothership Down

When I am driving, I will usually listent to sports talk radio. My favorite show, by a large margin, is the Dan Patrick Show. The show and crew are entertaining and there are always great guests. Patrick is a great interviewer and is not afraid to ask specific and potentially controversial questions.

I also enjoy his critiques of ESPN, which has become so self-important and lost a great deal of its credibility.

This is an article that talks about how he came to be where he is today, on the verge of launching a syndicated tv show of his radio program. I plan to check it out.

SPOTD #165

Back on the bus.

Today's Phrase:
This Arabic proverb provides a needed lesson for fractious times.

Actual
Tu buen humor es un regalo que haces a los demás.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable
Too bwain oo-more ess oon ray-gah-low kay ah-says ah lows day-mas.

Translation (roughly)
Your good humor is a gift you give to others.

Fantastic
I watched The Fantastic Mr. Fox a few months ago. I thought it was an extremely entertaining movie, with really superb stop-motion animation. I am big fan of the genre, dating back as far as I can remember. This is a pretty cool behind-the-scenes shot of the Badger and the actor who did the voice work- Bill Murray.

Putting in the Time
This is an interesting article about one of the workhorses of the NFL, New York Jets fullback Tony Richardson. He was released and resigned at the start of the season, to the consternation of some people who consider him one of the “good” guys in the NFL.

Cougar Pride
Max Hall was the quarterback of the (my) BYU Cougars for 3 years. He had a great college career, and although he would sometimes drive me crazy in big games he was always fired up to play. He has been signed by the Arizona Cardinals and is now their back-up QB. Read more about it here.

The Real Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan was based on an actual detective who worked in Honolulu around the turn of the century. This is an article about the book written about him, the Cantonese detective Chang Apana.

Serious Care
This guy really likes to take care of his jeans. It is an entertaining look at “optimal jean care.”

A Caper
Can be a delicious addition to many meals. Lacy has enjoyed making a really delicious salmon with lemon and capers. She got the recipe from my sister. Here is a place for some other caper-related recipes.

Vacations for the Apocalypse
This is an amusing look at some places that might be ideal destinations if the world comes to an end.

Link of the Day
This is a fascinating article about the use of linen “armor” in the ancient world. Well worth a look.

Inception

I wrote this over a week ago but never published it.

I saw Inception last night (Wednesday the 21st). I'm glad I went. It was a supremely engrossing movie. I'm left with a lot of questions about the film's resolution, which in turn have led to other questions about events preceding that.

I have not seen every film made by Christopher Nolan, but he is responsible for one of my all-time favorites, The Dark Knight. Despite the heavy nature of the film's subject matter, and the fact that its relentless pace is characterized by tragedy and setback, I always find a moving positive message in it. I think I have rewatched it 7 or 8 times. This is a piece from Film.com that talks about why Inception has ideas worth discussing (SPOILERS). My feeling of Christopher Nolan's work is summarized nicely by this quote from the article:

Again and again people choose humanity over certainty. It may not be the
right choice ... but it's the only choice we've got.

I would change it a bit. It may not be the easy choice.

Toy Story 3

It was a fantastic movie. Period.

It was completely engaging, often exciting, and consistently funny. The voice acting is fantastic, as always, and several times I was impressed at the emotion conveyed by the performers.

The ending is emotionally satisfying and I don't want to spoil it. Just go see the movie and consider your money and time well-spent. And you don't need kids to enjoy it.

If you've seen it (and don't read this unless you have), are male, and got a little choked up, just know that it is okay. It seems a common occurrence.

Looking Forward

Toy Story 3 premieres tomorrow. We'll be there.

This is a great review from the WSJ's Joe Morgenstern. I'm trying not to be OVERestimate how good it is.