I Need Your Help....

Okay friends, I have been having a completely chaotic nightmare of a time at work, so blogging has been put on the back burner. Darn people and their darn lawsuits interrupting my fun!

Anyway, today I'm asking for your help on a blog for this upcoming week.

I'm doing a Q&A Session. Here's where you come in! I need Qs so that I can give As! See how that fits?

So ask away---feel free to email me or to comment below with any questions that you want answered. About the Cast, my trips, running, farming, my cows, college football, Oklahoma State....you guys name it!

Have your questions in by Monday, July 18 at 8:00 pm MST!

Thank you thank you thank you! (Oh, and the picture is not related to anything, I just came across it and liked it!)

Family Farm Friday #60: This Is Gonna Suck

"Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field." ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

You guys read a lot about how great it is to live on a farm. You know....calves being born, deciding which bulls to use, sorting ewes for breeding season, neighbors helping neighbors, learning important lessons.....

Well, a couple of weekends ago we had to do something that wasn't much fun. And because I think it's important for people to understand the good and the bad, I wanted to do a blog about it.

My dad and I loaded up in the truck and headed out to look at all of our cows. We couldn't come back to the house until we had a list of 10 cows to sell because we don't have enough grass. It hasn't rained. Our pastures look like this:
Last year at this time, they looked like this:

Because it hasn't rained, we've been having to feed cows hay all through the summer. Usually, you only feed in the winter. This means that we've had to buy twice as much hay....some to feed now, and then some to get us through the winter. Add to that the fact that we have not been able to raise any hay of our own due to the drought, and things get pretty bad pretty quickly.

So there we stood, in the pasture, looking at our cows. Mind you, every cow that is on this place had a calf last year. And the calves look good. Really good. Every cow did her job, and yet we are stuck having to get rid of some. We figured and thought and tried to find ones that looked pretty thin or old or otherwise unhealthy.

This little exercise just about made me sick to my stomach. My dad and I returned to to house both in pretty foul moods. We didn't want to have to make that list. But we didn't have another choice.

This ties right into the blog I wrote last week. If we were "desensitized" and unfeeling and uncaring, do you really think that it would be this hard to go sell a few cows? Do you think that we'd care? According to the critics, we should actually be excited because we'd get money for selling them.

Let me assure you, that's not anywhere near the truth. There was nothing fun about it at all. My dad summed it up best when we got into the truck to head to the first pasture. "This is gonna suck." And it did.

Untying

"To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others." ~Albert Camus, The Fall

I was talking to one of my guy friends a few days ago about relationships and happiness and all that sort of stuff. You know the story. Boy likes girl. Girl talks to boy. Boy puts himself out there. Girl shoots him down. And he was saying that her rejecting him really bummed him out. (Mind you, 2 days later I was talking to a female friend and it was the same thing---in reverse.)

As we were talking, I said, "You know, I think that the key to this is that you can't tie your happiness to another person." It was one of those things that came out of my mouth and I thought, "Man, I'm pretty smart. I probably should have my own tv show."

Think about it--how many times do we tie our own happiness to other people---to a boy that we're interested in, to our friends, to our parents, to our boss. When we tie our happiness to other people, the problem is that we have no control over how the other people feel. So even if we are doing our best to be happy people, we might still get drug down if the other person doesn't do the same thing.
It's sort of like a rule that I have for my bucket list. (Yes, I have rules for my bucket list. I'm a lawyer...it's my nature!) I don't put something on the list that I do not have any control over.

So, for example, I cannot put "Go on the Amazing Race" on my bucket list, because I have no control over whether the producers pick me. I can't tie my goal (or my happiness) to someone else. What I can put is "Apply for the Amazing Race." (And you better believe that is on there. I'm still trying to decide on a partner...currently BFF and Cousin Kevin are in the running! Brett-Brett was eliminated after I learned he can't fix anything and he doesn't like to get dirty.)

Anyway, I think that it is good for everyone to untie their happiness from other people. The bottom line is that our being happy is up to us. And if other people in our lives can add to that happiness by being in it, great. But we have to remember that we hae to stay focused on our own happiness. It really is up to us...

I Confess.....

"You never find yourself until you face the truth." ~Pearl Bailey

It's apparently a really popular thing in blog land right now to do confession posts. So today I'm joining in the fun and linking up with Rissy for I Confess!

I confess......that I have a pretty unpopular opinion about the Casey Anthony verdict. First off, do I think she murdered her child? Yes. Do I think there was enough evidence before the jury to convict her on murder charges? No. Do I think they should have gone after her on child abandnment or neglect? Obviously. But I have to tell you that I take some solace in the fact that a jury can make a decision based on the evidence, and not just on the media and popular opinion. I for one do not want the law dictated by the opinions of the news media and an uninformed public. That's how really bad things happen....can we say Nazi Germany? Phew. Sorry...soapbox over.

I confess.....that even though I said I would have no sweets until after the half marathon (July 31, but who's counting?) I cheated last night. In my defense, it was at church and it was this cupcake that was super fancy---I'm talking cupcake wars fancy here people. I had to try it. Back on the wagon tomorrow.

I confess......that last week on Friday Night Lights when Tim Riggins chased Tyra down in the parking lot and said, "Don't go. Please don't go." I answered for her. Because in my mind he was talking to me. Sigh. I am in love with a fictional ex-con alcoholic. Turns out my love life in my imagination is as ridiculous as the real one!

I confess......my poor hair needs a trim and my eyebrows need waxed. I mean something fierce. Thank goodness for my appointment with Miss Texas this weekend. Yay for no longer looking like a hobo.

I confess....that sometimes when I watch shows like "Say Yes to the Dress" I think to myself, "Wait a minute....SHE'S engaged and I'm not? She's like the most terrible person ever in life and someone wants to marry her??" Great attitude, Tiffany. I'm working on it.

I confess....that I'm a grammar snob. There. I said it. I'm sorry people, but there is a difference between their (meaning owned by other people) and there (meaning a location) and they're (meaning they are) and there is a difference between its (meaning belonging to it) and it's (meaning it is) and there is a difference between your (meaning belonging to you) and you're (meaning you are). Soap box #2 over. I'm really needing an attitude adjustment!

Afraid to Jump

“You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.” ~Mary Manin Morrissey

You know those people who are constantly putting themselves out there? Who go after what they want no matter what other people thing and no matter what the odds are of them achieving their dream and no matter how much it might hurt if things go wrong? I've never been one of those people. And I say never because I found photo proof of that fact last weekend.

Meet me circa 1987 at swimming lessons.

Now, the way this was supposed to work was that my teacher was in the water to be sure I didn't drown. And I was simply supposed to go and jump off the diving board. You may be confused by there being two people on the diving board. That would be a second swimming teacher who had to go out to the edge with me and drop me off the board. Why you might ask?

Because I was afraid to jump. I was not afraid of landing. I was not afraid that I would drown. I was not afraid of walking to the end of the board. But I was scared to death of the actual jumping part.

As I looked at these pictures, I knew....this fear applies to so much more than just swimming lessons. I'm afraid to jump in life too. Why? Because I'm afraid of failure. And of rejection. And of looking like an idiot.

But you know.....that's really no way to live my life. So from now on, I'm going to do my best to be a jumper. To just DO and see what happens. Why not? Let's just hope I can still swim....

Meet the Cast Monday #25: Georgia Boy

Today I'm introducing another one of my friends from my summer in San Francisco....Georgia Boy. He grew up....you got it....in Georgia and went to college at UGA (a fact that I thoroughly enjoyed when a certain football game rolled around last year!). You'll hear the rest in his answers below. He was totally the most popular person in our summer class--if there would have been a homecoming king for the summer, Georgia Boy would have been the winner. He's one of those people who is brilliant and super sweet and you are never quite sure what they are going to say next. Trying to keep up with his smartass remarks definately kept me on my toes all summer!

Here he is...Meet Georgia Boy!

How does a boy from Georgia end up in San Francisco?

I visited SF with my dad when I was 14 or so and really liked the area. Then my girlfriend (now wife) moved out here to go to Berkeley for law school. That made my focus my post-graduation job search on the bay area, and when I got a job I liked I made the move.

Tell us how you met your wife. (And be honest....can she bench press more than you?)

Ha! No, but that's about the only physical feat I have her beaten in. She can probably squat more than me (which honestly isn't saying much), and her running pace puts mine to shame. I hope our kids get her genes. {Just so no one thinks Georgia Boy is totally unathletic and kind of a wimp, his wife was an All-American pole vaulter at the University of Georgia.}
We met in a linguistics class our freshman year of college. We were friends from then on but didn't start dating until spring of senior year.

Please introduce everyone to Crouton.

Everyone, meet the fiercest 6 pounder out there. I attached his picture to this email. This is him right after killing a wildebeast.

Tell us about your post-bar trip!

We went to Egypt, Oktoberfest, and Tuscany. Needless to say it was fantastic. It was especially cool to see Egypt before the revolution started. Watching all the changes in the past two months has been fascinating.
The best part was the Tuscan countryside. Great pizza and terrific wine.

What is your favorite part of living in San Francisco?

Hmm. The progressive social and political climate.

What was the best part of being a summer associate in 2008?

We had a nucleus of people with great senses of humor. That made it fun. And those were the glory days of lavish social outings. The trip to the Giants game was great, getting coffee and fro-yo everyday was awesome, and the other social events rocked too. {That Giants game is where I feel like my friendship with Georgia Boy solidified. I won a bet on the way over by knowing more sports related trivia than him (between his wife and me, he really does come off sounding like a wimp in this blog....) and he owed me a hot dog. Dude goes in the first inning to buy it, but ended up hanging out in the beer garden with some other people for literally 2 hours. Then showed up to pay me with a cold hot dog. No sir...he had to go back and get me a new one. This was the scene afterwards.}
If you weren't living in SF, where would you be?

Atlanta with the fam.

What was your most embarassing moment?

In preschool I dropped my glove in the toilet and peed on it. Then stood there and cried until the teacher found me. Whoomp - there it is. {Wow....I just never know what to expect in response to these MTCM questions!}

What is one (or more) item(s) on your bucket list?

A house somewhere quiet in Montana.

Expect to hear more about Georgia Boy in the coming weeks....because he and his wife are meeting up with us one night while we're in San Francisco for some serious karaoke action! Videos to follow?? Maybe so....

Photos of the Week: Week 27

First off, I have to brag on myself a little. Annoying? Yes. Doing it anyway? Also yes. :)

Remember my Quotography photo from last week? Well it was picked as one of the Top 3 photos! Woo hoo!!

Now, on to the more pressing business at hand....this week's photos. Hope you enjoy! As always, I appreciate your comments, so have at it!

Theme: Project 64 - Sea Green

This week's color, sea green, was hard for me. I'm not sure if this is quite right---it may be a little too green, but it was as close as I got. I love the sunlight shining on the flowers. Check out the other entires at Project 64!

Theme: Quotography - Anything

I realize that quote is a little hard to read...but it says, "When one of the carvers working on the Washington National Cathedral gargoyles was asked why he was taking so long to carve leaves no one would ever see, he answered simply, "God will." I have always loved this quote and the idea behind it--our focus should be on pleasing Him and no on others. Be sure to check out the other quotes this week at My Perspective!

Theme: Patriotic

This is apparently a recurring theme lately...remember last week's photo? Anyway, I took this close up photo of a flag and really liked how it turned out.

Theme: Anything

It was apparently the week for "anything" to be the theme! I loved htis picture of the puffy white clouds in the sky that I shot while I was home last weekend. Check out the other entries on Friday at Live Every Moment!

Family Farm Friday #59: Fired Up

"I'm not aware of any youth program anywhere that contributes more to the training for future leadership and to give constructive activity to young people than 4-H." - Joseph "Joe" Robbie

It takes a lot to get me fired up. I don't mean like the funny-haha kind of fired up when I start talking fast and loud and using my hands a lot or give "the look." See below.
I mean the deep down, to the core, pissed off. Well, this article did it.

It claims that 4-H and FFA are detrimental to America because they "desensitize" kids to the killing of animals. The author believes that because kids raise animals to be shown and sold at the fair, and these animals are eventually killed, that the 4-H and FFA members are somehow cold-blooded. Here's a quote: "it's a calculated system for turning the youth of America into cold, unfeeling animal killers."

Give me a minute to try and pull my blood pressure down from off the ceiling. I grew up in 4-H and FFA. It started when I was 9 years old and didn't end until they kicked me out when I turned 20. Little Brother and I raised and showed sheep, pigs and steers. And every year, we sold them at the fair. And let me just tell you, that was hands down the experience that I value the most of anything I've done in my life. I'll tell you what 4-H and FFA turns kids into, and that's successful, hardworking, responsible adults.

4-H and FFA teach kids to take care of animals.

The idea that you become desensitized and don't care about the animals that you raise in 4-H and FFA is just the opposite of the truth. You learn how, what and how much to feed. You learn what diseases to watch out for, what they look like when they happen, and how to treat them. You learn to groom and fit the animals so that their skin and hair (or wool as the case may be) is in the best possible condition. You figure out how to teach them to lead on a halter and how to set up in the show ring. I cannot think of any better way to teach kids to take care of animals than having them spend literally HOURS doing so every day for 10 years of their lives.

4-H and FFA teach kids that death is a part of life.

Now, the author is correct that the market animals raised and shown at the fair eventually do end up being slaughtered. (Mind you that kids also show animals that can be used for breeding---several of the ewe lambs that we showed ended up back in our heard and still live on the farm today having more babies.) But the fact is that death is a part of life. When you grown up on a farm, you learn that early. You know that you are raising animals for meat consumption. You also deal with animals that never live that long--baby bottle lambs die, horses break their legs, dogs have to be put down. And when this happens, it's sad and terrible, but it's a part of life.

The kids who are selling the animals at the fair are excited about their accomplishment of winning at the shows, but I promise you, they are always a little bit sad to see that animal go down the road. After any sale at a fair, I guarantee you that there will be kids crying as they say goodbye to the animals that they just sold. Guaranteed.

4-H and FFA provide invaluable experiences.

When my "city" friends (I use that term loosely as I mean the kids who grew up in the "Village of Logan") spent their summers at the lake or out drinking and partying with their friends, we spent our summers at the barn. Learning how to take care of our animals. I'd say that on average, we were at the barn at least 3 hours a day. And when I say we, I mean my whole family--my parents, my brother and I. Together.

And I'm going to leave aside the other benefits for another day....the public speaking skills, the critical thinking and analyzation that helped me graduate first in my class from law school, the opportunity to travel all over the country for judging contests, the scholarship money that put me through college, the lifelong friendships that I make from people across the whole state, the relationships you have with adults like FFA advisors and other parents who become like your own second family.....you get the idea. So before you by into articles by people who seem to have no idea what actually goes on in these programs, please do your homework. Talk to people who participated in 4-H and in FFA. (Talk to me....or talk to some of my friends who grew up in these programs and blog about them as well...like Robyn or Crystal or Stacy or Micah). I will guarantee you that you will see the positive impacts that these organizations had on these people.

Feel free to ask me any questions about my experiences. I promise you that I would not get this fired up if it was not something I believed in so strongly.

Throwback Thursday #56: Running With Scissors

"Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.” ~ Mark Twain

Well, here we are, a mere 24 days from the half marathon. And you know what? I need some darn motivation. On my last run, I literally spent the whole time trying to do the math to see how much of the half marathon I could walk and still finish in the time. Fortunately, I'm slow at math so this took a while.

Anyway, this got me to thinking about the good ol' days and I knew I had to write a blog about running with scissors. Disclaimer: I am not trying to give the attorney for Logan High School or Mrs. Franklin a heart attack. Remember, don't shoot the messenger. And relax, it's been 10 years, so statutes of limitation have likely run anyway.

In high school, I never ran track. My ankles were shot by this time of year from basketball, and we were always really busy on the farm with sheep sales and planting and all of that jazz. So, while everyone else went to the track, I headed to off-season p.e. with the other slackers. Who was in charge of off-season? None other than Mr. Franklin himself.

Every day, we ran the hill, which was just up the street by the school and totaled maybe 3/4 of a mile. Mr. Franklin had a simiple grading system each day. (I know because who do you think entered his grades into the computer he could barely turn on?) If you beat him back to the school, you got an A. If he beat you, you got an F. Now, it really should not have been a big deal to beat this little guy in his late 50's up the road and back. But let me tell you, he was a fast dude. And he was killer competetive. And he would cheat. There were some days where I think that he probably could have outrun Jackie Joyner-Kersee!

And then one day we were running along, and I hear a strange sound behind me. I turn around, and Mr. Franklin is running right behind us.....with a pair of scissors. Now picture this. Mr. Franklin, running up the hill with scissors snapping in his hands, chasing a bunch of girls threatening to cut our hair. Some of the girls laughed it off. Not me. I had known this man far too well for far too long.....and I didn't trust him one bit. So you best believe it kicked it in gear and got an A that day!

That's what I need right now on my morning runs. Mr. Franklin behind me with a pair of scissors. I'd kill that half marathon with that sort of preparation! They say you don't know what you have until it's gone. Well, I can tell you that for me and a pair of scissors, that rings true!

Weekend Recap!

"Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think." ~Robert Henri

Like good red-blooded Americans, my dad and I spent the Fourth of July weekend at the lake.

We loaded up our boat that some might call old, but we call "The Classic" and headed off. Here is a little photo example of how old this boat is....that little blonde head sticking out of The Classic would be me.

Well, The Classic wasn't really feeling it, and it spent most of the day sputtering instead of starting. Lucky for us, my uncle has an awesome ski boat, so we parked The Classic and went on with our business!

Now, you've got to understand a couple of things here. We live only a few miles from the lake. When my dad was a kid, they used to go all the time. He and my uncle are seriously the best skiers that I've ever seen. No lie. But when we were kids, we hardly ever went. In fact, I hadn't been on water skis since I was about 12 years old. We just always seemed to be busy with farm stuff or sheep shows or whatever.

Well, apparently my dad is getting soft in his old age, and we hit the water! My uncle, Quiet Cousin, Cousin Whitney, and two of her friends came along for the fun.

So here I was....15 years later.....hoping that skiing was like riding a bike. Turns out, it kinda was! I had a little coaching from my dad the first time, which ended up in a pretty common situation. It went down like this:

{I try to get up on the skis and somehow lose it. My head no more than pops up out of the water and I hear...}

Dad: What ARE you doing??

Me: I do not think that is going to help this situation!

Uncle: You were about to do the splits.

Dad: Come on, keep your skis together!

Me: I couldn't breathe for the face full of water I had!

Dad: Well then hold your breath!

By this point, I decided that I had better freaking get this figured out, lest I spend the rest of the day participating in conversations like this! And, sure enough, I got up and away we went.

And then, Cousin Whitney, who had never skied before in her life, turned out to be a natural!

And not to be outdone (as if there was any danger in that...you see how un-cool I look in the pictures?), Dad and my uncle had to show off a little.

All in all, it was a pretty great weekend on the water. Nothing like a little time in the sun and in the water with the family to celebrate a holiday!