Wicked

So amid all the school work that I've had to do, I managed to read Wicked by Gregory McGuire. Hmmmm... Not a huge fan. It was an interesting read. The plot focused around trying to define what was really wicked. It gave a new dressing to the story of the Wizard of Oz portraying the Wicked Witch of the West as a victim of her upbringing and of society's odd treatment of her because of her green skin. It was a mind-broadening take on the original story, but perhaps I'm far too romantic to appreciate the message the author was trying to get out.



I did find it interesting how the author implied that evil is manifested when someone pretends to be good or puts forth a good front but has selfish or less than virtuous intentions. But I wasn't won over by the stoic and martyr-esque persona of Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch of the West). Yes, at times I felt pity for her, but I didn't identify with the person who had become skeptical and even cynical with the world. Maybe I have rose colored glasses on, but I believe that the Aristotlean mean of moderated virtues (not heroic dramaticism and not pessimistic cynicism) is of more benefit to man to emulate than of making a statement through extremes. And I just can't accept the proposition that people are to a considerable extent a product of their enviroment. I say, only if they choose to be. I choose not to and I've changed, so I can't agree with McGuire's point. Then again, I don' have green skin.

In addition, the Babylon-esque level of morality was a turn off. Sure sex is a part of life, but I have no interest in reading about others' experiences with it, thank you very much. And it was pretty base descriptions -- not just uncomfortable descriptions. Worth skipping a few pages.

I've heard some of the music from the musical Wicked, and that sounds somewhat interesting. I'll have to listen again after having read the story to see what I think. I'm not sure how true to the book the musical is.

So yes, the world doesn't have a happy ending to every story. Still, I'm not convinced that reading stories with tragic endings makes me an incrementally better person than reading stories with happy endings.

So there you have my opinion. Take it or leave it.

Fall Family Outing

This past weekend we spent the entire day on Saturday out at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. We started off the day at their display gardens. It was the perfect time of year to go. We saw maybe 10 other people the entire morning, the roses were still in full bloom (they love warm sunny days and cool nights), and the trees were all in full color. The girls had a great time feeding Koi in the lake, smelling roses, racing to the top of the "lookout hill", playing princess in the Italian garden, and exploring the secret garden. There was so much room to roam that we definitely strayed off the path to kick up some leaves.

After lunch, we headed over to "Farm Country" for some animal petting. The girls were completely captivated by the goats who would lick and nibble the corn right out of their hands. They were interested in the peacocks and the rabbits, but nothing could top the pony ride. Two times each just wasn't enough. After looking at all the animals, we decided to head over to the Fall festival in the field next door. Cornbelly's had a huge hay stack with slides, a giant "air pillow", cow train, and pig races. It was a great time. Steph and I even ventured into the Creature, but it was a bit too scary for the girls inside (loud noises) even in the daylight. Didn't even try the corn maze -- too big for a stroller.

After a great day, we had to finish up with a McDonald's run. We were all pretty tired and the girls were asleep before we got home.

To finish up the night, we caught the highlights of the BYU vs San Diego State game on TV. Awesome! 4-2! Go Cougars!!

Summer Landscaping Project in DC

While staying with Seth and Susan Stewart in Vienna, VA this summer, I managed to convince them to let me help them relandscape their yard. Susan posted several pictures from the project so you can see what we did. The blog posting can be found here:

http://seth-susan.blogspot.com

Turning 28 -- 6/2/06

I stole these pictures from my friend's blog.

A group of us went to Salt Grass Steakhouse for dinner on my birthday. 28!















Me & Steph -- Dustin & Jenn -- Doug, Amy & lil' Megan

212!

This summer hasn't been the best for weight loss. I blame the stress of being in a car accident, of being separated from my family, etc. But really, I lost control.

I got up to 225 by the middle of June before heading to DC. SO getting down to 212 is actually a pretty good for me.

I'm learning that I actually like being a little heavier than the 190 I used to be. I don't look so skinny and goofy. (I don't think anyone WANTS to look like Bob Sagget.) I call this my "mature weight". I'm all for being healthy, but I have no desire to get down to a certain weight. Besides, if I can change it to muscle mass, that's more useful, and increased muscle mass increases the metabolism.

BOOK REVIEW: The Life of Pi

I just finished reading a most amazing book. It is called the Life of Pi and it was written by Yann Martel.

In this book, a young Indian boy (eastern Indian, not Native American) named Piscene Patel (Pi for short) experiences life as the son of a zoo keeper in India. Pi experiences the cruelty of his peers at times and discovers religion. He practices Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity while taking a keen interest in science at school. His experiences being around animals and his observations of their behavior lead to some very interesting discoveries about the way humans behave. Pi realized that being free in the wild is not liberating to animals, it is scary. Humans too need structure, order, and a lack of uncertainty in order to feel at ease.

The political climate in Pi's native India changes, and his father decides to take their family to Canada. They sell of as many of the zoo animals as they can and bring some with them on their journey to have them delivered in Canada. They begin their travel on a cargo ship as it begins its journey across the Pacific. The ship has engine troubles so they stop in Manila for repairs. They are on their way again shortly, but Pi finds himself mysteriously awakened in the middle of the night. He climbs to the deck and the pouring rain only to discover moments later that the boat is sinking. His family is no where in sight, and some crew members toss him in a lifeboat. This is where the real story begins.

Pi is not alone in the lifeboat. He is joined by four others: a tiger, a zebra, a hyena, and an orangutan. The story continues as the animals interact under the harsh conditions of the open ocean and the laws of nature. Pi calls upon his experiences from living in the zoo to frame his experiences. He manages to successfully defend his territory from ferocious predators while learning how to survive on the open ocean.

The story ends with Pi Patel finally reaching land. He is hospitalized for a time in Mexico, and some representatives from the company that owned the cargo ship come to meet with him and gather information about the ship's sinking for insurance purposes. Pi relates the story of his coexistence with the animals, much to the disbelief of the two men. Pressed by the representatives, Pi translates the characters in his story to human form and re-tells the events of the past 8 months. At this point, one begins to wonder whether his companions really were animals, or whether he characterized his companions by an animal they most resembled. The story ends fairly quickly thereafter leaving the reader to wonder how much of the story was literal and what elements were metaphorical. In fact, some parts of the story remain so unexplained that the reader feels compelled to try to come up with his or her own explanation.

The Life of Pi is a fascinating tale of one human's encounter with God, the ocean, and his own nature. His journey through expansive geography, through spiritual awakening, and through mental and physical trials is both inspiring and sobering. I recommend this book to readers of all ages and backgrounds without hesitation.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a... change of plans?

I never wanted to be separated from my family.

My family and I left Provo, Utah on May 8th intent on reaching Ft. Worth, TX by May 10th, there to spend a week with family before continuing on to Washington DC where we would move into a new apartment before I began working on May 22nd for KPMG. I had gotten special permission to start my internship early, and we were excited to get our summer plans underway.

We stayed overnight just south of Denver, Colorado. We got a later start the next morning, and found ourselved crossing the border from Colorado into New Mexico just after lunch. As we neared Raton pass, we encountered some rain and thunder storm. Not giving it much thought, we continued on slowing to five miles under the speed limit. Just over the pass, our car encountered a patch of hail covering a 100 yard stretch of roadway approximately 1/2 inch thick. Unfortunately, I had the car's cruise control engaged at the time. The tires lost traction and began to hydroplane. The car slowly started to spin counter clockwise. I tried to turn the wheels to point down the road, but the car was still traveling over hail.

Somehow, I imagined we'd get out of the spin, correct the car, pull over to gather our courage and continue on our jouney. I had never been so wrong. The impact was an amazing shock. We rotated a full 180 degrees before hitting the concrete median divider while traveling backwards at about 50 mph. Steph and I had braced for impact while our three girls were sleeping in their carseats. All three awoke immediatly, panicked by the jarring impact. The impact occured where our three week old daughter was strapped in. All we could hear was their distressed crying.

Immediately after the impact, the car spun back around to face downhill. I guided the car off the roadway as it continued to slide. We stopped the car on the side of the road and watched as the rain began to wash the hail off of the roadway. The girls were okay. Each one was conscious and alert and had no sign of injury. We unbuckled them and held them closely in our arms. We immediately said a prayer of gratitude that no one had been hurt visibly and prayed for God to heal us of any injuries we had sustained. After a couple of minutes, I got out of the car to survey the damage. Wow. The right rear wheel was parallel to the ground instead of perpindicular. We weren't going anywhere.

I ran back up to the point of entry station at the top of the pass (about 1/4 mile back up the hill). The police and an ambulance came to the scene. The rest of the day was a blur of hospital check ups, repeatedly thanking God silently, and trying to figure out what to do and how bad things were. We managed to get to a hotel after everyone checked out okay. It wasn't until we were settled that we had a chance to internalize what we had just been through. It was emotional on several levels. Our two oldest girls continued to jump on the beds as Steph and I stared at each other and took turns recounting the experience. I held Steph when she cried. We were feeling pretty low.

The car was badly damaged. The insurance company was very helpful. Being stranded in a hotel wasn't much fun at first. We decided to make the most of it. We bought swimsuits and ice cream. I spend most of the days tracking down information and making sure that bills were submitted to our insurance agency. The dealership that got our car allowed us to come unload. Our hotel room was full of all our things.

Steph's Dad rescued us two days after the accident. He drove out to pick us up. We spent an hour and a half loading up his van with all our things. We were very excited to be off on our way home to TX once again. The van didn't look promising, but the man at the dealership's mechanic shop was optimistic about the repairs. We knew there was not way things would be complete in three weeks, so we changed our plans. I cancelled the apartment we were holding and pushed back my start date to June 14th (the original start date). We all felt like we needed time to recover from our experience before heading to DC anyway.

The car never seemed to get worked on. It took 2 1/2 weeks just to get parts to Raton. Then, delay after delay. Finally, a week before I needed to be in DC, we accepted the obvious -- the car would not be ready. I got a flight out and packed my things. We still hoped to be together in DC, but inside we knew it wasn't likely. A week after I got to DC, the dealership contacted us to let us know that they had just discovered (after 5 weeks) that the transmission had been destroyed when the car slid. The insurance covered the additional repairs, but that meant waiting another extended period until the parts were delivered.

I went home to visit my family after two weeks. It never felt so good to be going to TX. Five days went by quickly and before any of us were ready, I boarded the plane back to DC. Now, I live in the basement of some BYU graduates who are also in the Accounting profession. I try not to think too much about being away from my family. Instead, I keep myself busy catching up on books and movies. When it's nice outside, I work in the yard or drive around exploring town. I haven't learned how to enjoy being on my own, and I don't expect to. From this separation, I've learned that my family is everything to me. I smile and laugh when I think about my girls and they way they hug me. I have a sad, wistful smile on my face when I think about holding my wife. Sometimes my arms want to reach out and hold the space in front of me, hoping her form will be there. And some days I cry.

In three weeks, I'll travel home for Eden's 4th birthday. And two weeks after that this internship will be over. I can't wait to be on my way home again.

I am a family man

I am not a blogger.

Two months later and I'm in Washington DC. It's a much longer, much more dramatic story than that, but it would take me an hour to type up everything that has gotten us from plan A to plan K. I'm getting more bruised from rolling with the punches than from the actual punches. But DC is great, and I'm loving my job. I could love doing almost anything for $27/hour.

Last weekend, for the 4th of July, I went back to visit my family in TX. (Again, long story. Maybe I'll tell it if you're patient). We finally got some family pictures taken. I actually have a picture to post! So, without any introduction, here are some of the pictures of my family.

BOOK REVIEW: The DaVinci Code

Last night I finished reading the DaVinci Code for the first time. I finally got some time for some leisure reading and decided to start with this book. The book was a gripping read, had a good pace, kept me interested enough to stay up until 3 am to finish, and had good resolution. I though Dan Brown was an exceptional author for moving through a story quickly while giving you the necessary details and without stalling out on elaborate explanations, etc.

That aside, I felt that the author was pushing an agnostic point of view, which I don't agree with personally. I didn't understand why the "divine feminine" or "goddess" was set up in the book to be the 'true religion' and Christianity was explained away as a creation of Constantine and the Catholic Church. I guess I don't understand what Nature worship is entirely -- it seemed that worshiping the "goddess" meant simply glorifying sex, especially the woman half. To me that doesn't seem like religion, it seems more like a fetish. In contrast, religion's purpose in my mind, is to acquaint us with higher laws and the eternal nature of man's soul, not to dwell on they physical desires of the natural man.

Mixed in with that was the seeming contradictory theme that Mary Magdalene and her descendants were to be protected like they were sacred or royal. What made Mary Magdalene important in this book was her marraige to Jesus and her role as the bearer of his royal bloodline. I understand that both of them descended from royal jewish bloodlines, but if Jesus wasn't divine as the book proposes, what make his and Mary Magdalene's progeny any more important than the rest of humanity? I don't get it.

The purpose of the message of the book seemed to be to discredit Christianity and uphold pagan worship of mother nature and women (the "goddess"... I still don't undersand who she really is). I can't reconcile the great story telling with the message told either, so I don't know how to recommend this book to anyone. I think I'll pass on further Dan Brown novels even though he is a great story teller. He seems to be more interested in 'exposing' weaknesses in Christianity than in making sure that alternatives he proposes actually make sense.

216 and falling

Last night I weighed in at an impressive 216 pounds. Heh heh heh. I think this is the first time I've been over 200 lbs that I can remember. Being 6' 3", I don't look incredibly pudgy, but I can feel it when I try to put on my pants.

I outweigh Quinn by 2 lbs, so we're pretty evenly matched for our starting points. Of course the wives didn't share their starting points.

I started the diet last night with a HUGE piece of rum cake with strawberries, bananas, and whip cream icing (mom's b-day).

The Biggest Loser -- Taylor edition

[I think I've proven that this is going to be more of a hit and miss posting rather than a persistent effort, anyone surprised?]

I've had two and a half weeks (or three, I've lost count) off of work for school projects, baby being born, final exams, sickness, visiting family, projects at home, and general relaxation. Soooooooooo nice. I was definitely in denial, until I got my $60 paycheck. I'm back at work today.

I realized today that my heart is Texan. I'm excited to get back to the land of hospitality, country music, open spaces, and the place where I met my closest friends and made my favorite memories. It's too bad that Texas isn't where we got our internship; I would've loved that!


Today we begin "The Biggest Loser -- Taylor edition". Quinn (little bro) and I have gotten pretty soft and chunky and our wives want to loose some baby weight. We weigh in tonight, and I'm guessing I'm at 214 or so.

One thing I realized is that I'm a social aerobic exerciser. I don't like to work out by myself if it's running, bicycling, etc. But when it comes to lifting, I don't want anyone watching, which doesn't exactly work -- no spotter.

I can already tell I'm going to lose -- It's only day one and I'm already tired of drinking water and SlimFast. He, he, he... At least tonight is my Mom's birthday and we'll have a rum cake for dessert!

'Final'-ly, Done

Today I completed my last final at 7:15 pm. Hallelujah! It never feels quite like a celebration moment for me, more of a "I can't wait to crawl into bed and finally sleep" moment. Plus, I'm getting a cold from my daughters. A dripping nose isn't fun to go out with.

But tomorrow, with no work and no school, I'm going to enjoy some sleeping in, some sunshine, and some time with my family!

Thinking about another semester ending, I find it's really difficult to get closure to another semester of school when I've been going for six years now with one more left to go. College has become part of my life, as natural as getting up and eating breakfast. Which makes me wonder, am I going to go through withdrawals when I am finally done? I shudder at the thought. I've been in school WAY too long. I don't want to miss it.

Avery is 9 days old today and is doing great. Her face is filling out a bit. She is a good eater and sleeper, which makes things easier for both us parents, but mostly for Steph. But I can't shake this erie thought that's in the back of my head: we're outnumbered by our children! More people to play with!

Tonight, I will sleep without stress. (Now if only Britta would stay in her bed all night, I'd stand the chance of waking up without my back being in knots.) And good riddance to carrying around a 30 lb book bag! I'm taking a VACATION!

Short-term leases

I've been looking for the past couple of hours for an apartment in DC for my family, and it has become apparent that very few apartment complexes are interested in short-term leases. While I can appreciate that a short-term lease is more expensive, why not charge a little more to cover the cost? Holy moley! Someone should be looking at that end of the market.

What happens if I can't stop?

Starting a new 'hobby' or beginning a new 'habit' always comes with a big question mark: "What happens if I can't stop?" I'm asking that to myself now as I begin writing my first-ever blog entry. Is this something that is going to consume a lot my time, or is this something that I'll do once or twice and then forget the URL. I don't know. It's too soon to tell. But I can tell that I already like writing my thoughts out, but for who to read? Maybe just for me.

I suppose the only worthwhile things I have to share right now are that (1) our third girl Avery was born (hence the blog title "Out-numbered 4 to 1" -- my wife and three girls to me), (2) finals finishing up, meaning I only have one more year of college, and (3) moving to Washington D.C. for a summer internship.

(1) Avery was born on April 17th at 10:02 pm at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center here in Provo, Utah. She was 8 lb 9 oz and 19 1/2 " long. She's got a BIG mouth, but doesn't cry a lot. Cute, cute, cute. I like being a father of girls. Stephanie is doing fine as well -- just a little tired.

(2) Somehow I've gotten through four of my five finals with the last one tomorrow night. It's been nice to have my mom (aka 'Charlene' for those of you who don't know her,... LOL! Was that only funny to me?) out here helping. (*sigh*) So I really should be studying right now instead of 'blogging'.

(3) Starting May 22nd I'll be working for KPMG (one of the 'big four' international accounting firms) in their Washington D.C. office. We still haven't figured out where we'll be staying or what exactly we're taking and what we're leaving behind, but given items 1 and 2 above, I haven't had much time to think about it. We're excited to go, and we'll likely start full-time out there next summer after I graduate. Whoo hoo!


So, will there be more interesting things to blog about? I suppose so, but will I think to 'blog' them? By the way, sorry for the lack of pictures; I'll add them shortly -- my brother has the digital camera right now, and I haven't uploaded the Avery pics yet.

For now, I know there's one thing I started that I can't stop: gardening! I think I've spent about $100 this year on new plants (flowers and vegatables) that will just be left behind when we go to DC. However, we have a good sprinkler system, and it's been theraputic for me. It has gotten my mind of the stress of school when I needed it most. And it's been fun to have my girls out there with me. I always knew I'd have a "garden of Eden". (was this technically topic #4?)