Rivalry

One who attempts to equal or surpass another, or who pursues the same object as another; a competitor. To strive against, compete, contend, contest, challenge, approach, approximate, or emulate. The Rival has a long list of definitions. Friends and even family can be rivals. Hatred, love, and a fair or or uneven spirit of competition is part of a a rivalries attributes. I can't imagine this world without conflict. What are we to do when the Millennium arrives and there is no more rivals. No conflict, no war, no contention.....no "Holy War"!!!

Where does BYU-Utah rank? Lets think for a moment about some of the great world wide rivalries. Iran-Iraq, Brasil-Guatamala, USA-Russia. Hmmm ... Not in the shadow I suppose. I have never seen militia and guns pointed at the Cougars down south. Nor do I think it ranks with the Army-Navy, Florida- Georgia, Texas-Oklahoma or USC-UCLA battles. In these parts of the country it does have plenty of merit. Sundays at the pulpit before and after the game it always finds it's way into a testimony or talk. Paul James woke every year to his house being toilet papered and marked with a U (for those of you that do not know he was the Cougar announcer, he would even help set it all up and take it down). I am sure the Cougar statue was covered this week so it would not end up red.

I grew up not liking the team down south. It started with a good friend of mine, Kevin Olson, he loved the Cougars so I had to be different. In my early years we never won. I can remember some large losses in fact. Lately, it has evened out. The cougars have not been to a BCS game, we have, twice! Now this ranks up there with West Jordan-Bingham, Cowboys-Steelers, or Dodgers-Giants for me. I enjoy the build up and hope the best team wins, but I HAD BETTER NOT LOSE THAT SIX PACK!!!

All joking aside may the team down south be struck with crying and gnashing of teeth after today's game. The good will prevail. Utah Red will live on. It is coming to me..... (the score not the knock to the head as you are thinking) Utah 27 BYU 20. Long live the good guy, GO Utes! Go Cowboys, Go Dodgers and may the rest of my rivals get their faces smashed into the turf. (By the way I am starting to hate the Phillies as much as the Giants). Just kidding... I hope today is a GREAT game.

Saturday Football

While some of you stayed tucked into your nice warm houses on this snowy day and drank hot chocolate. I stood in temperatures fluttering from 29 to 32 degrees and snow literally flying around me. I volunteered to help with the little league state championships at Kennedy Junior High School (hosted by Hunter district).

This was a great time and I am glad I got to go and help. It all started at 6:30 on this Saturday morning. I arrived at the school were my two oldest roam the halls weekly expecting to be the first one there, but no! There were lots of people and I could tell they had been there for quite a while. When I go to help I cannot stand standing. So I thrust in my sickle, what ever that means, and tired to help out. I never realized what it takes to run a Saturday's worth of little league football until now. The cones, first down markers and ropes to keep the screaming fans back don't just show up at the field. The lines had been painted earlier in the week so we proceeded to put up signs and the other necessities. No I did not break any tackles carrying the scoreboards across the field, but my arms are sore from the work out.

For the first while I sat at the team check in tent. I was a big shot! The teams and coaches had to come to me to be eligible to play in their championship game. I wanted to kick somebody out, but I was calm and wished everyone luck. I ran into an old fast pitch softball teammate, Mike Lorange, he was coaching a Brighton team. After an hour or so the snack bar decided they were running out of cups. Ta Da, I jumped into action and went to the store. I do alright at the grocery store, but sometimes I forget things without a list so I was worried, and when Dan kept calling me and adding to the list, I was worried. (I cleaned out Smiths of Styrofoam cups)That is when I saw the parking issue. Cars were parked all the way down to Holiday Oil. Lots of people!

I was then issued the parking post, attention all parkers... RED CURB means NO PARKING! The fire department did not like that the fire truck would not fit into the parking lot for some reason. I got yelled at a few times and watched 5 West Valley officers cruise the streets and rack up the parking tickets. Is it legal to park in front of someones mail box? Who knows, I do have to say that I got cold. The wind was blowing so hard and my back got plastered with snow. After a while I started to look around and I got the laugh of the day. Officer Valencia 2 other cops and approximately 6 Hunter board members chasing after 2 dogs on the field. That was funny.

I was disappointed that Chris' team did not play today, but it was still a great time to go and help. I know of at least 2 Hunter teams that won state championships. Congrats to ALL of the teams today. It was a great time. WOOF, WOOF!!!!!!

Every month we try to do something in young mens to prepare these young kids to go out into the world on missions if they desire. One month Chuck Smith taught about time management, I think we have done testimony building, we have taught them to cook, and the such, you get my drift. Last night we took them to the laundramat.

Each kid was instructed to bring a load of laundry and we were going down to "experience" cleaning your own clothes. From what I gathered most of these kids had done some of their own laundry. I know that Chris has, just ask him about Monday night after I had just finished everything but towels in our house. BUT, these kids had never experienced the LAUNDROMAT.

Can you believe that the one on 4100 S by "Artic Circle" closes at 7 pm. How are you supposed to get home from work and get your clothes washed by then. Oh Well, we went to the one on 4800 W and about 4700 S. dumping your clothes in the washing machine, easy. Did they bring soap, nope! All I heard was "this soap is for only one wash" well, that is all you got so don't worry about it. Dalin could not grasp the concept of whites and darks so it all went into one washing machine. (Don't worry I think I do that lots too!) After some ribbing and the soap was poured into the machine I see Dalin pulling his whites out and putting them into another machine. Then he proceeded to insert coins into the wrong machine. He was not the only one. Jacob Mullins added drying time to someone else's load.

The kids all wanted to play around and leave the store after things got going, we should have let them and then stolen their clothes. I Can't say that has never happened. Scott brought paper for them to write a letter home and we tried to keep them away from the TV. (Logan is going to have a hard time with that). You are not supposed to watch it on a mission. After an hour everyone was finishing up and leaving. Of course Jacob had to run back in because he forgot one important item, his clothes.

Did we teach them something, maybe. Did they get to see what it is like, sure. Never a dull moment at the Laundromat!

Basketball daze....

The crowd is quiet as it's teams star lines up at the free throw line. All of the pressure is resting on my shoulders. Bending my knees I launch the shot and... swoosh. It goes right through. It has been years since I forced myself on the basketball court. To play the game that is. I love to referee though. Best seat in the house and hey I can get a bit of exercise in the process, but playing has long since left me.
I played lots in my early years. In fact that is what got Jill into crafts early in our marriage. We lived on capitol hill and our ward played ball 3 times a week at 5 in the morning. My shot was off slightly, but I loved to go and play. Sometimes playing defense is not all that it is cracked up to be in those pick up games and sleep became lots more important to me than scoring my 2 to 4 points a day. Jill complained that she did not have anything to do of her own. So I went down to "Zims" on state street and bought a small tool box filled with toll paints. Wala.... she was now crafty. (I still have that tool box and paints stashed in the basement gathering dust)
Anyways we moved around and I played on and off with ward and sometimes a rec team, but nothing as serious as in the past. In our current house I played once a week with the guys, but you know it is fun to touch the ball once in a while and with the Leiftings and Shawn Singleton as our ward's scorers it was just not in the cards. I slowly lost interest and turned my attention to blowing the whistle. I enjoy it!
Saturday I had the shot going, swoosh, swoosh. I could feel it. Deep down I was thinking of a unretirement back into the ward basketball scene. So I am lining up for my second lightning game of the day. First shot comes off the backboard and bounces a bit high. I jump.....and my calf POPS. I could feel a huge knot developing, needless to say I missed the rebound and was put out by the jump shooter behind me (I think it was my aunt). I go and sit down, must be just a cramp. So that game ends and I line up for another shot. I can hobble a bit, my turn comes and swoosh, I am feeling it, but guess what? I cannot even walk to go and get the ball. the knot is getting bigger. I am out, Chris takes my place and I have let my team down. I guess my comeback will have to wait another year....where is that fluffy pillow for the couch? IR here I come.

PS. my endorsement deal for old man vitamin pills fell through too. Does anyone else want to kick me while I am down?

VOTE!

So the elections of a Tuesday got me to thinking a bit. I am not much into politics, and I certainly do not have very BIG opinions of how this country should be run. I started to think of my experience "running" for office. Not that I do too much running, but I started to think about the things I have done in my life. In 5th grade my political career started, and I think it was because I missed a day at school. I was voted as one of the captains of the student softball team. Me and Troy Taylor were assigned to pick the all star team to face the teachers team. That was a fun experience, I think we even won. We were awesome, I think I played first base.

After taking a sabbatical for a while I threw in my hat again. This time as a junior in high school. I tried to be the marching band vice president. Only I was not too smart. Mike Miller and I both ran for the same office. With us being friends our friends were forced to choose and I did not make it out of the preliminary round. If I had run for president our friends votes would not have been so divided. I might have won.

Then in 2005 Heather Bankhead twisted my arm and asked me to run for president of Kearns Pony. She promised to be by my side the whole way so I agreed. I do not think it struck me what I was doing until the voting day. I was on the field with my team and Curt Simmons pulled me aside and said they had voted for me several times. I guess the incumbent was not going to win this thing. I ended up winning and serving for 2 years as president of the league. The was a great learning experience for me.

Now could you see me as the next Mayor... NO WAY. Besides I did find out that being in leadership has some draw backs. You know when I could be sitting in the stands just cheering and watching, those leaders are thrust in there trying to keep things moving. Thanks to all of those that serve us. I have learned a new respect for my leaders.