29 May 2006
Porter/Starnes Wedding
Niece Brittany Porter was married this last week to Clayton Starnes. We enjoyed going to the Temple with them Tuesday night and then their sealing Friday at noon. After the reception Friday night we stopped by the East Lawn Memorial Cemetery at the mouth of Provo Canyon to place some flowers on the markers for Edward Boone and Dorothy Mae Lee Wade. It was dusk and we saw cemetery bunnies and two deer.
23 May 2006
Zoom Zoom
Ailsa bought a car this week. It's a 1993 Nissan Sentra, white in color, with 200k miles on it. She paid $500. It's actually in pretty good shape and used to belong to her missionary "friend" Andy. We suspect her of stalking him. Jensen is driving now too (with a permit).
CSLC
Jensen and I got up at 6am on Saturday to do the first leg (36 miles) of the Cycle Salt Lake Century ride. The weather forecasts all week long had projected possible thunderstorms. Luckily, when I woke up it looked like the weather would be fine, just a little windy. There were a lot of people at the fairgrounds when we arrived, more than I have seen for this ride.
We ran into Cliff Lillywhite while waiting in line to pick up our t-shirt and wristband. He had ridden down from his house in Centerville with a group of friends. The route now goes right by his house so he was just going to stop there on his way back.
There was a little bit of a tailwind while going north. We were only planning on riding to the first feed station and then back, unless we felt like going further. But, with the wind I could tell I didn't want to go any further. It was great on the way out. We went really fast. The way back was miserable at times. By then it was an 18 MPH wind and we could only average 14 MPH on the return trip. The last 5 miles or so I was pretty well spent. I didn't eat a ton before starting the ride. I did eat a good amount at the turnaround. It must have been too late.
I weighed 191.5 before the ride. I then ate a couple of granola type bars, a marshmallow rice crispie treat, a fig bar, a banana, drank two bottles of drink, and then had the most part of a McDonalds breakfast. After all that and the ride I was down one pound. I made up for it though. By the end of the day I had reached 197.5.
We ran into Cliff Lillywhite while waiting in line to pick up our t-shirt and wristband. He had ridden down from his house in Centerville with a group of friends. The route now goes right by his house so he was just going to stop there on his way back.
There was a little bit of a tailwind while going north. We were only planning on riding to the first feed station and then back, unless we felt like going further. But, with the wind I could tell I didn't want to go any further. It was great on the way out. We went really fast. The way back was miserable at times. By then it was an 18 MPH wind and we could only average 14 MPH on the return trip. The last 5 miles or so I was pretty well spent. I didn't eat a ton before starting the ride. I did eat a good amount at the turnaround. It must have been too late.
I weighed 191.5 before the ride. I then ate a couple of granola type bars, a marshmallow rice crispie treat, a fig bar, a banana, drank two bottles of drink, and then had the most part of a McDonalds breakfast. After all that and the ride I was down one pound. I made up for it though. By the end of the day I had reached 197.5.
Pas de Deux
The rear wheel on the tandem bike has been breaking spokes and spoke eyelets since shortly after we bought it (used). The spokes were breaking on the non-drive side. I'm not sure what that means. The drive side bears more stress. So, you would expect them to break on that side. I've been replacing the spokes one at a time when they break. But, I suspected the rim wasn't long for this world and had started looking for a replacement.
When Jensen and I went for our Saturday ride on 14 May, close to the halfway point the rear wheel felt mushy and wobbly. It was quit a bit out of true and there were a couple of breaks in the 'hip' of the rim at two spoke junctures. The tire had also gone low. We put air in and turned around for home. We only got about 2-3 miles before the tire was low again. So we put more air in and called Lenore to meet us at the Revolution bike shop.
The shop owner didn't have a 40 hole rim on hand for rebuilding the wheel. He was more than happy to sell me a new $600 wheelset. I was pretty sure I could solve this problem less expensively. My biggest problem was Jensen and I had been planning on doing the Cycle Salt Lake Century ride the following Saturday. So, I needed quick intervention.
I found a tandem specific rim online from a company in Denver. It is nice and strong (read hefty). It arrived on Wednesday. I had some time Weds night to try to put the wheel together. But, it ended up that the spokes I ordered were too long. I didn't do the math right. So, I didn't get the wheel together and back on the bike until 10pm Friday night. I would have liked to have a bike shop build it for me. But, they were all backed up on their repairs.
When Jensen and I went for our Saturday ride on 14 May, close to the halfway point the rear wheel felt mushy and wobbly. It was quit a bit out of true and there were a couple of breaks in the 'hip' of the rim at two spoke junctures. The tire had also gone low. We put air in and turned around for home. We only got about 2-3 miles before the tire was low again. So we put more air in and called Lenore to meet us at the Revolution bike shop.
The shop owner didn't have a 40 hole rim on hand for rebuilding the wheel. He was more than happy to sell me a new $600 wheelset. I was pretty sure I could solve this problem less expensively. My biggest problem was Jensen and I had been planning on doing the Cycle Salt Lake Century ride the following Saturday. So, I needed quick intervention.
I found a tandem specific rim online from a company in Denver. It is nice and strong (read hefty). It arrived on Wednesday. I had some time Weds night to try to put the wheel together. But, it ended up that the spokes I ordered were too long. I didn't do the math right. So, I didn't get the wheel together and back on the bike until 10pm Friday night. I would have liked to have a bike shop build it for me. But, they were all backed up on their repairs.
15 May 2006
Summa Cum Forma
Let me brag about Ailsa now. In her most recent term at SLCC she carried a load of 20 hours and had a term GPA of 3.68! All the while she looked fabulous. And she got her Young Womanhood Recognition Medallion Last Thursday night and we called her to be the New pianist in the Relief Society.
13 May 2006
Naughtius Maximus - Part Deux
When we went to bed the night of Friday Apr 28 Tommy was missing. He had gotten out sometime during the evening and was nowhere to be found. All of our other cats in the past were smart enough or responsible enough to return home and wait patiently at the front door or back door. Tommy has even done this. I wasn't overly anxious about his welfare. He was recently made harmless as far as feline overpopulation is concerned. So, I figured he was just out on a bender.
When he didn't show up in the morning I started to change my thinking. I was now concerned. But, couldn't think of anything that could be done about it. I figured he was probably reduced to a grease spot on I-15. Cats don't easily get lost and I couldn't imagine his making a conscious decision to bolt from such a nice environment as offered by our humble home.
A pall settled over the household and Lenore was put on suicide watch. Secretly, Ruby was rejoicing and I half considered interrogating her to see if she had any part in Tommy's demise. (She was recently seen Googling the terms "eliminating tiresome male cats" on our computer.) We called to him. We searched the house, the yard, the neighborhood. We alerted anyone who might even know what he looked like. The Humane Society hadn't had any offenders matching his description turned in with the overnight roundup.
About midnight on Saturday Laney woke up whimpering and did one of her signature barfing routines on our bed again. So we were awake cleaning things up and giving her medicine. Lenore decided to check the backdoor one more time and lo and behold ho-hum Tommy was waiting there. He smelled vaguely of asphalt and his coat was dusty. He may have gone on a road trip. I hear the female cats in Magna are real friendly.
When he didn't show up in the morning I started to change my thinking. I was now concerned. But, couldn't think of anything that could be done about it. I figured he was probably reduced to a grease spot on I-15. Cats don't easily get lost and I couldn't imagine his making a conscious decision to bolt from such a nice environment as offered by our humble home.
A pall settled over the household and Lenore was put on suicide watch. Secretly, Ruby was rejoicing and I half considered interrogating her to see if she had any part in Tommy's demise. (She was recently seen Googling the terms "eliminating tiresome male cats" on our computer.) We called to him. We searched the house, the yard, the neighborhood. We alerted anyone who might even know what he looked like. The Humane Society hadn't had any offenders matching his description turned in with the overnight roundup.
About midnight on Saturday Laney woke up whimpering and did one of her signature barfing routines on our bed again. So we were awake cleaning things up and giving her medicine. Lenore decided to check the backdoor one more time and lo and behold ho-hum Tommy was waiting there. He smelled vaguely of asphalt and his coat was dusty. He may have gone on a road trip. I hear the female cats in Magna are real friendly.
12 May 2006
Largo al Factotum della Citta
We went to the Barber of Seville dress rehearsal last night at the Capitol Theater. I thought it was quite well done and the voices were very nice. There's a lot of vocal gymastics in this piece. I don't envy anyone trying to sing it. Especially, the Tenor, who was actually more like a contre-tenor, had a nice voice. Not really big or powerful. But, very good with the light head tones, and lots of wonderful resonance. I'm also really glad that they are able to find players with good voices who are atractive. It's hard to gin up love interest in a Cavaradossi who is 5'2", weighs 200 pounds and looks like he is on blood pressure medicine.
I do have one gripe which I have noticed before. Of course, you have an inside edge if you speak or are acquainted with the language of the libretto. They don't give you enough of the libretto in the supratitles and I don't think they do a very good job of translating. As a result the libretto takes a lowly 2nd or 3rd seat to the voices and the music. One example: when Lindoro calls on Don Bartolo as the drunken soldier he calls him Don Balordo and then Don Barbaro. Both of these would be teasing insults if translated. They were presented with no interpretation at all. So the humor of those passages was lost. To the non-Italian speaker it just seems that he can't get the name right. Granted, it would be a little difficult to elegantly translate the humor. But, they could put the meaning of the erroneous names in parens.
Most of the time the translation is very loose when I would have prefered a more literal translation. But, there was one example where those feelings were reversed. Lindoro (as the drunken soldier) "challenges" Don Bartolo to a duel/swordfight. He draws a line (in the sand) on the ground. The word used in Italian was fosso. So this time they translated it literally as ditch. But it seems for the image to work, two soldiers (or armies) facing eachother, they could have said line instead. Besides, drawing a "line" on the stage floor and then calling it a ditch doesn't fit the analogy.
There were also hugh periods of time where there were no supratitles at all. I don't think it was merely dress rehearsal mistakes. I think they realize that the audience can't possibly spend all that time and attention looking at them instead of the stage. Also, there is a lot of repetition in the Opera. But, there were also lots of bits that the audience completely misses out on because of incomplete and sloppy titles.
I do have one gripe which I have noticed before. Of course, you have an inside edge if you speak or are acquainted with the language of the libretto. They don't give you enough of the libretto in the supratitles and I don't think they do a very good job of translating. As a result the libretto takes a lowly 2nd or 3rd seat to the voices and the music. One example: when Lindoro calls on Don Bartolo as the drunken soldier he calls him Don Balordo and then Don Barbaro. Both of these would be teasing insults if translated. They were presented with no interpretation at all. So the humor of those passages was lost. To the non-Italian speaker it just seems that he can't get the name right. Granted, it would be a little difficult to elegantly translate the humor. But, they could put the meaning of the erroneous names in parens.
Most of the time the translation is very loose when I would have prefered a more literal translation. But, there was one example where those feelings were reversed. Lindoro (as the drunken soldier) "challenges" Don Bartolo to a duel/swordfight. He draws a line (in the sand) on the ground. The word used in Italian was fosso. So this time they translated it literally as ditch. But it seems for the image to work, two soldiers (or armies) facing eachother, they could have said line instead. Besides, drawing a "line" on the stage floor and then calling it a ditch doesn't fit the analogy.
There were also hugh periods of time where there were no supratitles at all. I don't think it was merely dress rehearsal mistakes. I think they realize that the audience can't possibly spend all that time and attention looking at them instead of the stage. Also, there is a lot of repetition in the Opera. But, there were also lots of bits that the audience completely misses out on because of incomplete and sloppy titles.
09 May 2006
06 May 2006
How Many Bishops Does it Take to....?
"Light bulb burned out." It used to be a semi-Tourettic utterance whenever you first ran into Sajid Mughal. I always attributed it to his father's aptitude with and passion for anything electrical (as Laney calls it electricassee, like fricassee.) We always just assumed that Rashid indoctrinated his third child hard and early with his proper interests. Even now, when I visit the Smiths, Sajid often greets me with "Light bulb burned out."
I have since learned however, that Darrell may be the driving force behind this fixation. It seems he prowls any store he thinks might sell light bulbs, or he thinks might know someone who does, looking for the newest and most advanced energy saving technology. When we do visit the Smiths it is very common for a light bulb chore to be awaiting my arrival (or picture hanging, or the high placement of an angel statue or.... These tasks have waned because most of the wall space is covered now.) It is a well known fact that only people over the height of 6' 4" are supposed to change light bulbs. There is a special light bulb changing gene that has recently been identified by scientists. This particular DNA sequence is connected with the characteristics for height as well.
I envision Darrell spending long days comparing lifetime hour ratings, and wattage and energy consumption before returning home with a full household compliment of the latest lightbulbs. He may spend $20 per bulb. But, he has the most energy efficient home in the zip code as far as lighting is concerned. I am often telling him that our lights might not be very efficient. But, about half of the bulbs that were in our 15 year old house when we bought it have never replaced. We try to turn off lights when we can.
Unfortunately, the Smiths have a huge, 1400 square foot living room with a ceiling up to 30 feet or so. This ceiling has 25 or more canned lighting fixtures. So, the neighborhood is canvassed for the tallest ladder and intrepid, I am sent arrampicando on the ladder. Or, I can use the 28 piece collapsible light bulb replacement tool with the suction cup on the end (this tool also doubles as a lightning rod whenever you should need such a thing) All during the procedure Darrell hovers with the close constant observation and coaching of an expectant mother.
Last Sunday this scene played out again. This time it was the smoke alarm. It is hard-wired and also has a backup battery. The battery had run low and issued the appropriate and annoying 3 weeks of chirping to let them know it was low. So he bought a new $25 LiIon battery. There is no suction cup tool for this job and of course the detector is at the highest point of the house. We asked everyone we could think of but found no oxygen mask or parachute. I was just going to have to risk it. I scrambled up the ladder (really, once you get past the 20 foot mark the oscillating subsides immensely.) Fielding was explaining how to open the battery access door. I wondered if he really thought his sister would marry someone who was mentally challenged.
I popped out the old spent cell replaced it with the new 50 year lifetime guaranteed LiIon top-of-the-line masterpiece and was down the ladder before you could say Jack Robinson. At the bottom I was greeted with all the cheers and praise heaped upon Lindbergh at his ocean crossing. Then a faint chirp sounded from the alarm. Darrell: "Are you sure you put the battery in correctly, you know, you have to follow the polarity." Once again I wondered what they thought about Lenore. After several gravity defying trips up and down the ladder. We settled on a lowly normal 9 volt battery that worked fine. Darrell broke out the voltmeter and found that the fancy one was not consistent in reading a charge.
Libraries come equipped with ladders on rollers that access an entire wall. The Smith home should have a pulley on a runner affixed to the main ceiling beam in their living room with a rope permanently attached to the pulley so that I can safely be hoisted at the drop of a hat.
I have since learned however, that Darrell may be the driving force behind this fixation. It seems he prowls any store he thinks might sell light bulbs, or he thinks might know someone who does, looking for the newest and most advanced energy saving technology. When we do visit the Smiths it is very common for a light bulb chore to be awaiting my arrival (or picture hanging, or the high placement of an angel statue or.... These tasks have waned because most of the wall space is covered now.) It is a well known fact that only people over the height of 6' 4" are supposed to change light bulbs. There is a special light bulb changing gene that has recently been identified by scientists. This particular DNA sequence is connected with the characteristics for height as well.
I envision Darrell spending long days comparing lifetime hour ratings, and wattage and energy consumption before returning home with a full household compliment of the latest lightbulbs. He may spend $20 per bulb. But, he has the most energy efficient home in the zip code as far as lighting is concerned. I am often telling him that our lights might not be very efficient. But, about half of the bulbs that were in our 15 year old house when we bought it have never replaced. We try to turn off lights when we can.
Unfortunately, the Smiths have a huge, 1400 square foot living room with a ceiling up to 30 feet or so. This ceiling has 25 or more canned lighting fixtures. So, the neighborhood is canvassed for the tallest ladder and intrepid, I am sent arrampicando on the ladder. Or, I can use the 28 piece collapsible light bulb replacement tool with the suction cup on the end (this tool also doubles as a lightning rod whenever you should need such a thing) All during the procedure Darrell hovers with the close constant observation and coaching of an expectant mother.
Last Sunday this scene played out again. This time it was the smoke alarm. It is hard-wired and also has a backup battery. The battery had run low and issued the appropriate and annoying 3 weeks of chirping to let them know it was low. So he bought a new $25 LiIon battery. There is no suction cup tool for this job and of course the detector is at the highest point of the house. We asked everyone we could think of but found no oxygen mask or parachute. I was just going to have to risk it. I scrambled up the ladder (really, once you get past the 20 foot mark the oscillating subsides immensely.) Fielding was explaining how to open the battery access door. I wondered if he really thought his sister would marry someone who was mentally challenged.
I popped out the old spent cell replaced it with the new 50 year lifetime guaranteed LiIon top-of-the-line masterpiece and was down the ladder before you could say Jack Robinson. At the bottom I was greeted with all the cheers and praise heaped upon Lindbergh at his ocean crossing. Then a faint chirp sounded from the alarm. Darrell: "Are you sure you put the battery in correctly, you know, you have to follow the polarity." Once again I wondered what they thought about Lenore. After several gravity defying trips up and down the ladder. We settled on a lowly normal 9 volt battery that worked fine. Darrell broke out the voltmeter and found that the fancy one was not consistent in reading a charge.
Libraries come equipped with ladders on rollers that access an entire wall. The Smith home should have a pulley on a runner affixed to the main ceiling beam in their living room with a rope permanently attached to the pulley so that I can safely be hoisted at the drop of a hat.
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