One day this will all be just a nonsensical story with absolutely no meaning to anyone, but for now I will write what happened next in my working life. Before going to work for Merck, Sharpe & Dohme I stopped in Cary, NC for a few months and read all of HP’s manuals of their MM3000 manufacturing software so that I could write some changes that would be acceptable for Austin Quality Foods under the HP standards. This I did within about three months and was accepted by Austin Quality Foods with great aplomb.
So while working for Merck, Sharpe & Dohme, Hp also had me go back to work on occation to do some special work for Austin Quality Foods from time to time. I despised the work at Merck, Sharpe & Dohme as it was mostly report writing and I had always hated to do that type of work. Whenever I could pull it off I would get some one else to do the report writing for me if I could in any way. Many people enjoyed writing reports as it didn’t take many brains to do it so I would always look for the lazier sort of person to ask them to do this. They thought I was crazy in trying to get out of the work when they relished doing it.
While working at Merck, Sharpe & Dohme I met for a second time a gal I worked with at General Electric during my first assignment in the consulting world by the name of Sandy Mathers who had a son the same age as Cathy and who was an LPGA woman while she was younger. She said that she could not support her son with golf so she started programming and to be honest I was very happy that she had as she taught me a great deal about Quiz QTP and the other supposedly easy to use HP programming languages.
While in school I was taught three languages, RPG II, FORTRAN and COBOL, and while working I taught myself several new languages to go along with these three, I guess I could say I know SPL, BRW, PASCAL and APL along with these previous three. I used to love to read manuals and learn to do the things I learned while reading them. This is what led to my getting a job with Bahlsen, Inc. or Austin Quality Foods after I had the stroke.
After working for Merck, Sharpe & Dohme I went to work for Austin Quality foods for a short time while waiting on the Kidney transplant. Then shortly after the transplant I went to work in Harrisburg, PA for a very large electric motor manufacturing company. Don’t recall the name of this company but thjis is were I met up with the Arthur Andersen consulting company and it the first job that was not satisfied with the work I did. So then I didn’t have a job until after I had the stroke when I went to work as an employee of Bahlsen, Inc. where I worked until I decided to accept a disability package. This disability package was for sixty percent of what I was earning at that time which was about ½ what I had been earning as a consultant. And that is the end of my working life. So there.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Tag Game from Cathy
The tag game
What's in your fridge?
I have no idea except my water and milk
What's in your purse/wallet?
license or ID, Kiaiser card, Safeway card, Soc Sec Card, some dollar bills and some receipts
What's on/in your DVR/DVD?
Nothing, last thing was an educational DVD from Hanger the Prosthetic company.
What's in your car?
That is Diana’s area and I have no idea.
Who's tagged next?
Ciria
Adam
Alex
What's in your fridge?
I have no idea except my water and milk
What's in your purse/wallet?
license or ID, Kiaiser card, Safeway card, Soc Sec Card, some dollar bills and some receipts
What's on/in your DVR/DVD?
Nothing, last thing was an educational DVD from Hanger the Prosthetic company.
What's in your car?
That is Diana’s area and I have no idea.
Who's tagged next?
Ciria
Adam
Alex
Friday, May 26, 2006
Responses 2 Here we go again!
Alex said...
I had no idea that you worked for so many different companies. Was it ever hard to find a job
Response: No it was never hard to find a job as I worked for a consulting company and they found jobs for me. The only trouble was that when my salary got too high companies could find cheaper help more and more. I asked to have my salary lowered but the consulting company, wTw or Wesson, Taylor, Wells, would not hear of it. I suppose they didn't want to be sued or something.
Cathy said...
Vallen has thought a lot about consulting like you did... I'm not too excited because I remember how many hours you worked! I'd rather he worked close to home. I'm sure you liked it better too!
Response: My Advice would be to work for a Consulting company as I did. But then he probably has out bid himself before he gets started as his current salary is more than what most companies are willing to pay for that type of consulting. They, the companies looking for help, can get it from college grads much cheaper, not as good but cheaper and that is what most companies want. I probably do not know what I am talking about but I remember working for Arthur Andersen just after my transplant and they had such strict rules to follow that I didn't do a good job. I felt bad about this. Oh well, ramblings of an old fool. One last thing, I hated being away from my family so much which I had too do as a consultant regardless of the hours I worked. And I worked so many hours so that my children could have whatever Diana said they needed.
Ciria said...
It's good to see you blogging again. It is always a learning experience. Since when did you fish with friends?
Response: I fished as a child with my uncle Steve and then later as a teenager with Jimmy Brasheers and then finally with this friend Steve as I was trying to influence his life. Feeling bad about the way he had been treated or something like that. To tell the truth I wouldn't have given up the trips out on his yacht.
Kristy said...
Dad it's like you had a secret life that none of us or at least I never knew about. I guess I always wondered exactly what you were doing while you were away... I just figured working. Interesting insight.
Response: I always thought no one was interested in what I had been doing. Sometimes I would tell Diana but not always. I had the impression that none of my children liked me very much. That is why I treated yall the way I did. Childish I know but there it is.
Fortunately I have grown a great deal as I have gotten older, and your husband has taught me alot as most of my childrens spouses have.
And here is one from Trips are scary.
Alex said...
I keep waiting for your new blog dad. Please think of something to write about. I miss hearing about what's going on
Response: I have written three since then and two have not been commented on. So I guess it is only a one way street for yall. JK LOL :)
I had no idea that you worked for so many different companies. Was it ever hard to find a job
Response: No it was never hard to find a job as I worked for a consulting company and they found jobs for me. The only trouble was that when my salary got too high companies could find cheaper help more and more. I asked to have my salary lowered but the consulting company, wTw or Wesson, Taylor, Wells, would not hear of it. I suppose they didn't want to be sued or something.
Cathy said...
Vallen has thought a lot about consulting like you did... I'm not too excited because I remember how many hours you worked! I'd rather he worked close to home. I'm sure you liked it better too!
Response: My Advice would be to work for a Consulting company as I did. But then he probably has out bid himself before he gets started as his current salary is more than what most companies are willing to pay for that type of consulting. They, the companies looking for help, can get it from college grads much cheaper, not as good but cheaper and that is what most companies want. I probably do not know what I am talking about but I remember working for Arthur Andersen just after my transplant and they had such strict rules to follow that I didn't do a good job. I felt bad about this. Oh well, ramblings of an old fool. One last thing, I hated being away from my family so much which I had too do as a consultant regardless of the hours I worked. And I worked so many hours so that my children could have whatever Diana said they needed.
Ciria said...
It's good to see you blogging again. It is always a learning experience. Since when did you fish with friends?
Response: I fished as a child with my uncle Steve and then later as a teenager with Jimmy Brasheers and then finally with this friend Steve as I was trying to influence his life. Feeling bad about the way he had been treated or something like that. To tell the truth I wouldn't have given up the trips out on his yacht.
Kristy said...
Dad it's like you had a secret life that none of us or at least I never knew about. I guess I always wondered exactly what you were doing while you were away... I just figured working. Interesting insight.
Response: I always thought no one was interested in what I had been doing. Sometimes I would tell Diana but not always. I had the impression that none of my children liked me very much. That is why I treated yall the way I did. Childish I know but there it is.
Fortunately I have grown a great deal as I have gotten older, and your husband has taught me alot as most of my childrens spouses have.
And here is one from Trips are scary.
Alex said...
I keep waiting for your new blog dad. Please think of something to write about. I miss hearing about what's going on
Response: I have written three since then and two have not been commented on. So I guess it is only a one way street for yall. JK LOL :)
Here we go again!
Ever wonder where I am going with this life story? Well Ill tell you… at the end. For now we go on with my dreary life. We left off in Raleigh, NC at Emco Wheaton who made Gasoline nozzles for gas pumps. Now we go to Durham, NC and Northern Telecom Recycling where I worked for a short period of time. So short that I don’t even remember what I did there or why I left but I did leave to go to work in Columbia, SC for Shakespeare fishing equipment Inc. while working here I wrote software to keep track of the amount of line coming off each machine. This was a grand experience as I was talking directly with a machine and only had to talk to people when this project finished and they fired my friend, Steve, the manager of this DP Department and asked me to take over for him until they found a replacement, which I thought they never would.
Before they let him go Steve and I would go out on the lake fishing on his little 40 foot boat er yacht. We would go to the USC ball games and wander around the campus where he had gone to school while he explained to me all of his good times while living there and going to school. I was so sad at some of the things he told me that I tried to tell him of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the resurrected church but he was to stuck in his ways and didn’t want to create ripples. He had been married a long time ago, as he put it, and I later found out had only been two years since she had left him for his drinking and dating other women. The other thing we always did was to go to “Applebee’s” to eat and where he found all of his old chums and would start drinking the night away, it was on our third trip to Applebee’s that I realized I needed to take my own car so that I could get home at a decent hour.
Once they finally found a replacement for Steve I moved on from this part of my life and went back to North Carolina to work at Merck, Sharpe & Dohme a pharmaceutical manufacturing company and we will discuss this next time I get time to continue my story.
Before they let him go Steve and I would go out on the lake fishing on his little 40 foot boat er yacht. We would go to the USC ball games and wander around the campus where he had gone to school while he explained to me all of his good times while living there and going to school. I was so sad at some of the things he told me that I tried to tell him of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the resurrected church but he was to stuck in his ways and didn’t want to create ripples. He had been married a long time ago, as he put it, and I later found out had only been two years since she had left him for his drinking and dating other women. The other thing we always did was to go to “Applebee’s” to eat and where he found all of his old chums and would start drinking the night away, it was on our third trip to Applebee’s that I realized I needed to take my own car so that I could get home at a decent hour.
Once they finally found a replacement for Steve I moved on from this part of my life and went back to North Carolina to work at Merck, Sharpe & Dohme a pharmaceutical manufacturing company and we will discuss this next time I get time to continue my story.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Trips are scary!
As we went to see Calixta graduate with her Medical Assstance degree there were very many great moments that I should dwell on; however, I am going to talk a little about the scares I went through first and then I will talk about the best part of our trip. After being there in Utah for a day I started finding it hard to breath and the longer I was there the less I was able to breath’ so we tried using a nebulizer to help me breath better and I do not think that did me as much good as the blessing Adam gave me after he had taught Nate how to ordain me with the consecrated oil. Adam was the best teacher I think I have ever heard while teaching Nate how to ordain me. And I don’t think Nate made even one mistake.
Well I think the Lord must be getting tired of all the blessings I have been given through the years. He must realize by now that I am not worth all the blessings.
I know Alex told me one time that I did not want to start taking oxygen yet. But I think I need to be prepared so that I can continue going to see my children/grandchildren. Now I will tell the best part of taking trips.
I love more than anything seeing my progeny. Each and every child are so special to me and even though I loved working as a consultant it6 was this that took me away from my family so much and I wish everything I had taken a job where I could have spent more time with my family. Now we have moved to this dreary place where no one wants to come visit us. I truly look forward to a time when we will be able to visit at will.
I love the sights of Utah; I think Utah would be a great place to live except the heights and the cold. Oh well we have the rain and the cloudiness. I suppose there are great things about every location as well as the drawbacks. I know California is one of the greatest places to live if they didn’t have the earthquakes, which scare me to death just like the lack of oxygen as well as tornadoes.
I love to give the kids rides on the scooter, which we need to fix the batteries on before anymore trips. I love to take off my legs and get down to the kids size to play with them. I would do this more if I weren’t so rough with the little ones
Well I think the Lord must be getting tired of all the blessings I have been given through the years. He must realize by now that I am not worth all the blessings.
I know Alex told me one time that I did not want to start taking oxygen yet. But I think I need to be prepared so that I can continue going to see my children/grandchildren. Now I will tell the best part of taking trips.
I love more than anything seeing my progeny. Each and every child are so special to me and even though I loved working as a consultant it6 was this that took me away from my family so much and I wish everything I had taken a job where I could have spent more time with my family. Now we have moved to this dreary place where no one wants to come visit us. I truly look forward to a time when we will be able to visit at will.
I love the sights of Utah; I think Utah would be a great place to live except the heights and the cold. Oh well we have the rain and the cloudiness. I suppose there are great things about every location as well as the drawbacks. I know California is one of the greatest places to live if they didn’t have the earthquakes, which scare me to death just like the lack of oxygen as well as tornadoes.
I love to give the kids rides on the scooter, which we need to fix the batteries on before anymore trips. I love to take off my legs and get down to the kids size to play with them. I would do this more if I weren’t so rough with the little ones
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Healthy and unhealthy
I changed my primary health care provider recently and it will be 12 May before I am able to go visit him for the first time and yet I was not feeling well at all yesterday and so I called to make a same day appointment, seems one must do this first thing in the morning and not wait till noon so I did not get an appointment. After talking to the in charge RN it was determined that my case needed to be handled with utmost care and concern as my case obviously needed delicate care so I was asked if there was someone who could take me to the hospital to which I said my wife would not be at home till 5:30 PM so this nurse said she would call 911 for me and was the address correct? My opinion of ambulance people is very low, sorry Alex but in Washington it is critical they get an IV started before they start transporting a person. Anyway I asked if this nurse, Diana later found her name to be Stephanie, would allow me to try to get in touch with my wife before she called 911 to which she agreed. Before this I asked if she thought I could go to the Kaiser office just a few blocks from our house to where they were and was told the Keyto-acidosus they suspected I was sufferring with was life threatening and the once a year sun we had would not be good for me. So I called Diana and told her what they had said and would she come take me to the hospital. I don’t know how it works that it takes her twenty minutes or more to get to work and she was home yesterday in ten minutes and I didn’t even hear any squealing of tires.
Anyway, back to the story. We got to the hospital and waited a very short time before we were taken back to a room where they would be able to strip me to see how I worked; normally it takes three to four hours of waiting. I guess everyone was being real careful not to spoil their one day in the sun. After I was stripped and strapped to the table they drove spikes in me and we left 5 hours later with a result of no keytones but a slight rise in the abc’s of my chf or something heart failure. Anyway I felt like a new man with all the new things they had added, some bands around my wrist and a band aid or two. I also felt like a newborn as I was extremely hungry. And at last I have decided to leave my leggs to science.
All the way from home Diana said that I had almost made it a whole year without going to the hospital. When we got to the hospital she told the same thing to each nurse and doctor we saw. Diana started telling people that we had been to the hospital at least once a year since 1987 and I just let her say what she was going to say.
Before we left I was out at the nurses station to ask something or other and the doctor taking care of me started reading my health history and thought it was so funny she looked up and saw me and asked if I had written it. After I had gone back into the room this same doctor came in and asked if she could share it around. We said ok but I have since thought I should have asked for copyright rights.
Finally I was supposed to be unhealthy but actually we can still make it more than a year between hospitalizations and therefore I am still healthy
Anyway, back to the story. We got to the hospital and waited a very short time before we were taken back to a room where they would be able to strip me to see how I worked; normally it takes three to four hours of waiting. I guess everyone was being real careful not to spoil their one day in the sun. After I was stripped and strapped to the table they drove spikes in me and we left 5 hours later with a result of no keytones but a slight rise in the abc’s of my chf or something heart failure. Anyway I felt like a new man with all the new things they had added, some bands around my wrist and a band aid or two. I also felt like a newborn as I was extremely hungry. And at last I have decided to leave my leggs to science.
All the way from home Diana said that I had almost made it a whole year without going to the hospital. When we got to the hospital she told the same thing to each nurse and doctor we saw. Diana started telling people that we had been to the hospital at least once a year since 1987 and I just let her say what she was going to say.
Before we left I was out at the nurses station to ask something or other and the doctor taking care of me started reading my health history and thought it was so funny she looked up and saw me and asked if I had written it. After I had gone back into the room this same doctor came in and asked if she could share it around. We said ok but I have since thought I should have asked for copyright rights.
Finally I was supposed to be unhealthy but actually we can still make it more than a year between hospitalizations and therefore I am still healthy
Monday, April 24, 2006
Working again (I wish)
Along the northeastern border of Ohio was a small town about thirty miles west of the border of Pennsylvania right next to lake Erie is a small town Redbird. Anyway I was sent there to help move the computer to Raleigh, NC where this British based company had decided to reestablish their headquarters. I went there to get to know the people of the company and to take over for the head of the data processing department as the previous head had said that she would not leave Ohio for any reason. How narrow minded I believe as I have been in several locations around the US.
I remember the trip up there was like a visit to a third world country. I flew to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania rented a car and drove to this small town. Pittsburg was the last bit of a US that I saw and it was not that great. While traveling west north west from Pittsburg I was shocked at the number of toll roads I had to go through. I probably spent twenty dollars just on tolls! And Pennsylvania was probably the most strict state with speed limits I have seen. I was warned and didn’t get any tickets, but almost as I was two miles from Ohio when I sped up. I should have waited for the half mile point. And to answer your questions I was stopped and lectured as I had a NC drivers license, if it had been from Pennsylvania or Ohio I definitely would have received a ticket. I was told that my name and license number would alert any future Pennsylvania police
There were a young couple who moved with the company who were not married though they had marital relations and I could never understand this as both were in their early twenties and he was an alcoholic and she looked like a two legged bull dog. After getting back to Raliegh I worked with this guy, she worked in a different department, for several months before I was called into the comptrollers office and told to fire him by this totally British guy who had no idea that I was at the end of my rope, so when I refused to fire him he wanted my resignation then and there so I called my bosses and told them, it was no more than twenty minutes when I was called back to the comptrollers office again and begged to stay. The drunkard was an ingenious person with programming but it was only a little time longer before they fired him
I guess that is my story for today. See you tomorrow.
I remember the trip up there was like a visit to a third world country. I flew to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania rented a car and drove to this small town. Pittsburg was the last bit of a US that I saw and it was not that great. While traveling west north west from Pittsburg I was shocked at the number of toll roads I had to go through. I probably spent twenty dollars just on tolls! And Pennsylvania was probably the most strict state with speed limits I have seen. I was warned and didn’t get any tickets, but almost as I was two miles from Ohio when I sped up. I should have waited for the half mile point. And to answer your questions I was stopped and lectured as I had a NC drivers license, if it had been from Pennsylvania or Ohio I definitely would have received a ticket. I was told that my name and license number would alert any future Pennsylvania police
There were a young couple who moved with the company who were not married though they had marital relations and I could never understand this as both were in their early twenties and he was an alcoholic and she looked like a two legged bull dog. After getting back to Raliegh I worked with this guy, she worked in a different department, for several months before I was called into the comptrollers office and told to fire him by this totally British guy who had no idea that I was at the end of my rope, so when I refused to fire him he wanted my resignation then and there so I called my bosses and told them, it was no more than twenty minutes when I was called back to the comptrollers office again and begged to stay. The drunkard was an ingenious person with programming but it was only a little time longer before they fired him
I guess that is my story for today. See you tomorrow.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Taxes
That is taxes not Texas Alex. Diana and I paid all of our meager savings to the IRS for taxes that we owed so Alex could go to Texas to start his life. You see we paid the government as much as the government paid Alex to move to Texas. I guess one might say we are still supporting our children. Well this is not my story, I just thought I would give Alex a hard time.
Since we paid so much on taxes – Diana and I have been left this week as broke as scrooge was mean. We have been waiting all week for the disability check to get here from the insurance company. I thought it would have been here on Monday – then Tuesday – then Wednesday – then today and it finally got here today. I was going stir crazy in that I couldn’t have even gone to Wal-Mart for some water as we were that poor. Finally I was going out of my mind and remembered Diana’s little basket of loose change that we never seem to use except for times like today. So I took about 1/4th of it and put it in a little sandwich bag so I would have some money for lunch as I just wanted out of the house after all the waiting. The check came after lunch today bye the way. While I was at the mall getting ready to eat a burrito I sat at one of the tables and dumped the cash out on the table to count how much money I actually had and while counting I dropped several nickels to the floor. I knew where they were so I left them while I finished counting. Well, some lady came over and picked them up for me and I said “Thank You, I am just counting the money to see what I can afford”. I can imagine now what it must have looked like (A little old man with no legs and no money trying to get something to eat).
Well, I went over to "Taco Time" to get a burrito and as I ordered and was waiting for the waiter to tell me how much I owed, this man came over and started talking to the waiter. I was getting upset at the rudeness of the guy to come and cut in so when he turned to me and said “I’ve got it” I didn’t understand what he was talking about and asked what so he told me again and I finally had sense enough to say thank you. And as the waiter gave him the change he dropped it into my sandwich bag for which I thanked him again. Then after I went over to the tables and started eating, as I had not brought out my water, this same man brought me a large drink, that I had not even asked the waiter for!
I told Diana that I wasn’t going to wait for any more money, when I need anything I would just keep the dark glasses on and hold out my hat! That should bring in a couple hundred a day.
Love you all.
Since we paid so much on taxes – Diana and I have been left this week as broke as scrooge was mean. We have been waiting all week for the disability check to get here from the insurance company. I thought it would have been here on Monday – then Tuesday – then Wednesday – then today and it finally got here today. I was going stir crazy in that I couldn’t have even gone to Wal-Mart for some water as we were that poor. Finally I was going out of my mind and remembered Diana’s little basket of loose change that we never seem to use except for times like today. So I took about 1/4th of it and put it in a little sandwich bag so I would have some money for lunch as I just wanted out of the house after all the waiting. The check came after lunch today bye the way. While I was at the mall getting ready to eat a burrito I sat at one of the tables and dumped the cash out on the table to count how much money I actually had and while counting I dropped several nickels to the floor. I knew where they were so I left them while I finished counting. Well, some lady came over and picked them up for me and I said “Thank You, I am just counting the money to see what I can afford”. I can imagine now what it must have looked like (A little old man with no legs and no money trying to get something to eat).
Well, I went over to "Taco Time" to get a burrito and as I ordered and was waiting for the waiter to tell me how much I owed, this man came over and started talking to the waiter. I was getting upset at the rudeness of the guy to come and cut in so when he turned to me and said “I’ve got it” I didn’t understand what he was talking about and asked what so he told me again and I finally had sense enough to say thank you. And as the waiter gave him the change he dropped it into my sandwich bag for which I thanked him again. Then after I went over to the tables and started eating, as I had not brought out my water, this same man brought me a large drink, that I had not even asked the waiter for!
I told Diana that I wasn’t going to wait for any more money, when I need anything I would just keep the dark glasses on and hold out my hat! That should bring in a couple hundred a day.
Love you all.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Do you want some more of my working life
Or would you like some more of me and my life? I guess I will tell you of my impressions in each location I worked. Will that be better?
I explained why I decided to move to Spokane and I believe it was best for my family but I really struggled while there and because these struggles are personal I will not explain them. Then I was offered the opportunity of taking a job in NC which I wish I had thought more carefully on. Even if it was the favorite job I ever had, I wonder how much my family suffered and therefore I think now that I should have thought more on the subject. When I first went to NC I was awed by the beautiful dogwoods blooming all around and I had seen some postcards showing the beautiful fall season in NC. So just the beauty of the place was a big reason why I wanted to move there, but we had just been through a very cold and snowy winter in Spokane, snow on the ground from early Oct. to early Apr., and I did not want to face another, the weather was quite warm in NC and it was far enough south that I didn’t think we would have to face another cold winter like in Spokane. So I accepted the first job offered in NC but wonder if Texas might have been better.
There are so many memories of the travels I did while the family stayed in NC and I will share most with you as we go along but for today I think it will be enough to talk about two or three. So we should go chronologically and will begin with Newtown, CT where I went after working for GE in the Research Triangle Park. The first time I went there it was a November day and while NC was so beautiful with colorful leaves Newtown was plenty of trees but they were all completely bare, not even one leaf. Well I went there to work for DuPont, Inc. and the entire nine months I was there I was miserable except when I went to New York City to visit on some weekends. The reason they wanted me there in Newtown was that they were switching from an IBM to a Hewlett-Packard and since I had switched the other way they thought I would be a great help.
The next place I went to was Allendale, SC where I worked for Westinghouse. One of my experiences here in Allendale was that I went for brunch one Saturday morning and as I was eating at a local restraint when two young men were coming to eat aso and as the one closest to a pickup sitting there and he ran his hand along the edge of the pickup bed while talking to his friend and all of a sudden he didn’t have an arm. You see there was a live alligator in the bed of the pickup. Why the alligator was there has me baffled but apparently they moved alligators in that fashion. Why one would stop to eat breakfast while moving an alligator is a mystery but ill bet he doesn’t do that again.
While working here I worked a great deal and one week I worked 106 hours, to which my boss asked why I had taken Sunday off.
I explained why I decided to move to Spokane and I believe it was best for my family but I really struggled while there and because these struggles are personal I will not explain them. Then I was offered the opportunity of taking a job in NC which I wish I had thought more carefully on. Even if it was the favorite job I ever had, I wonder how much my family suffered and therefore I think now that I should have thought more on the subject. When I first went to NC I was awed by the beautiful dogwoods blooming all around and I had seen some postcards showing the beautiful fall season in NC. So just the beauty of the place was a big reason why I wanted to move there, but we had just been through a very cold and snowy winter in Spokane, snow on the ground from early Oct. to early Apr., and I did not want to face another, the weather was quite warm in NC and it was far enough south that I didn’t think we would have to face another cold winter like in Spokane. So I accepted the first job offered in NC but wonder if Texas might have been better.
There are so many memories of the travels I did while the family stayed in NC and I will share most with you as we go along but for today I think it will be enough to talk about two or three. So we should go chronologically and will begin with Newtown, CT where I went after working for GE in the Research Triangle Park. The first time I went there it was a November day and while NC was so beautiful with colorful leaves Newtown was plenty of trees but they were all completely bare, not even one leaf. Well I went there to work for DuPont, Inc. and the entire nine months I was there I was miserable except when I went to New York City to visit on some weekends. The reason they wanted me there in Newtown was that they were switching from an IBM to a Hewlett-Packard and since I had switched the other way they thought I would be a great help.
The next place I went to was Allendale, SC where I worked for Westinghouse. One of my experiences here in Allendale was that I went for brunch one Saturday morning and as I was eating at a local restraint when two young men were coming to eat aso and as the one closest to a pickup sitting there and he ran his hand along the edge of the pickup bed while talking to his friend and all of a sudden he didn’t have an arm. You see there was a live alligator in the bed of the pickup. Why the alligator was there has me baffled but apparently they moved alligators in that fashion. Why one would stop to eat breakfast while moving an alligator is a mystery but ill bet he doesn’t do that again.
While working here I worked a great deal and one week I worked 106 hours, to which my boss asked why I had taken Sunday off.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
And on with my working life
One of the reasons I went to work at KeyTronic was that they were using an Hewlett-Packard computer which I fell in love with while working at the City of Moses Lake and I wanted to continue working with the HP. Ask Diana and she will tell you that I was more in love with my computer than I was with her. It might even still be true if I were still able to work. Anyway, I still wanted to work with the HP while KeyTronic was converting to work with a larger IBM computer. Because of this switch and because I was sick and tired of working as a supervisor, and not doing a good job because of it, I was afraid that I might loose my job with KeyTronic so I started looking for a new job in Oregon, in California, in Texas, in North Carolina, and in Minnesota. Well as part of switching to the IBM several of us at KeyTronic were sent to a training session in Winston-Salem, NC and on returning from this training I was totally convinced that I would love to live in NC, so when I was offered a job at around the same rate as I was earning at KeyTronic $46,000.00 per year, I accepted it. With a little talking to Diana we decided that we would be better off in NC than we would be doing in Spokane in a couple years as Spokane was in a terribly depressed state about then.
After taking the job in NC I was totally in love with the equipment I had to work with but also with the job I was doing with General Electric Semiconductor. I worked with the HP 950 once again but also I was working as a systems programmer where I wrote the code to determine when we would need more disc space or cpu megs or tape drives and so forth. We ran two systems where the first is what was used on the semiconductor floors and the second was to always be completely in sync so there was never any down time for errors nor for backups as backups could be done on the in sync system. When there was an error on the system that was normally on the floor we could switch from that t the in sync system within two minutes, 60 seconds was the fastest I was aware of. Anyway this programming was done with the Pascal programming language and a little SPL which was used for the system to system communications.
And this is the very first job I worked at in the consulting effort. Again tomorrow.
After taking the job in NC I was totally in love with the equipment I had to work with but also with the job I was doing with General Electric Semiconductor. I worked with the HP 950 once again but also I was working as a systems programmer where I wrote the code to determine when we would need more disc space or cpu megs or tape drives and so forth. We ran two systems where the first is what was used on the semiconductor floors and the second was to always be completely in sync so there was never any down time for errors nor for backups as backups could be done on the in sync system. When there was an error on the system that was normally on the floor we could switch from that t the in sync system within two minutes, 60 seconds was the fastest I was aware of. Anyway this programming was done with the Pascal programming language and a little SPL which was used for the system to system communications.
And this is the very first job I worked at in the consulting effort. Again tomorrow.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Our weekend!
Calixta where she belongs at home
with her husband.
Kristy, Diana, Keary and Calixta at home.
Kristy, Tonia, Diana and Calixta the belle of the ball.
And Tonia, Kristy and Calixta at home...
And more of my working life…
When Calixta was born it was early on a Sunday morning and I had just accepted a job giving me a $30,000.00 a year raise. And Calixta almost killed Diana but all I could think of was obtaining that great big paycheck. Vallen probably laughs as he probably makes that much per month with his new job. Anyway I think I was the biggest jerk around as I ran off to get that job after Calixta was born. We then lived in Moses Lake, Washington making three of our six children being in Moses Lake or Alex, Andrew and Calixta or the little ones as they came to be known to us in our family. Cathy and Kristy were born in Laredo, Texas. Leaving poor Ciria to be the black er lost sheep of the family and the only child being born in Othello, Washington, which she should be very proud of as that is were I graduated High School from. One might say that most children were born in Washington State. The one good thing about the day Calixta was born was that Verl and Michael-Jean Hansen also had a baby that same day, however, this baby was a very pre-mature baby and I was asked to help give the baby a blessing. Spiritually I was doing a little better than I was doing with Diana.
Well I ran off to work my fourth job after college in Spokane, WA. Then I hurried Diana to come up there to help find the house we would live in. another silly or thoughtless action on my part. I was batting zero in my familial abilities but quite high in my work abilities. I didn’t even have to interview for this or any further jobs as my name and work ethic and ability got to be quite well known especially along the east coast.
Working at KeyTronic Inc. I was given the ability to work in a managing position and found that I was not the type of person to give one of my workers a raise and not another. I had one individual who I continually found sleeping at his desk and I could not convince myself to fire him, he had struggles as he was trying to move while working or something else, instead I kept finding excuses for him. Never again did I want to be in a management position although I did find myself there once for a few months while working as a consultant. I even remember the name of this company “Shakespeare fishing equipment Inc.” I had to look it up. LOL
The only person I was responsible to was the controller and that made no sense to me as the controller should be responsible for finances and not for the manufacturing part of the Computer Science staff should be under the manufacturing manager or VP. I always get upset over the near-sightedness of some business men. What does a comptroller know about the workings of a shelving sequence? Most would say nothing or give you a dead answer as they really know nothing and are trying to impress everyone around.
Anyway after working for KeyTronic I moved cross country to work as a consultant. My favorite way of working in North Carolina where I moved the family to and most if not all can now speak as if they are from the south. Bye for now.
Well I ran off to work my fourth job after college in Spokane, WA. Then I hurried Diana to come up there to help find the house we would live in. another silly or thoughtless action on my part. I was batting zero in my familial abilities but quite high in my work abilities. I didn’t even have to interview for this or any further jobs as my name and work ethic and ability got to be quite well known especially along the east coast.
Working at KeyTronic Inc. I was given the ability to work in a managing position and found that I was not the type of person to give one of my workers a raise and not another. I had one individual who I continually found sleeping at his desk and I could not convince myself to fire him, he had struggles as he was trying to move while working or something else, instead I kept finding excuses for him. Never again did I want to be in a management position although I did find myself there once for a few months while working as a consultant. I even remember the name of this company “Shakespeare fishing equipment Inc.” I had to look it up. LOL
The only person I was responsible to was the controller and that made no sense to me as the controller should be responsible for finances and not for the manufacturing part of the Computer Science staff should be under the manufacturing manager or VP. I always get upset over the near-sightedness of some business men. What does a comptroller know about the workings of a shelving sequence? Most would say nothing or give you a dead answer as they really know nothing and are trying to impress everyone around.
Anyway after working for KeyTronic I moved cross country to work as a consultant. My favorite way of working in North Carolina where I moved the family to and most if not all can now speak as if they are from the south. Bye for now.
Friday, April 07, 2006
And finally Calixta!
Calixta was such a disappointment to me that I cried when Diana told me she was expecting once again. To be honest Calixta was not a disappointment but the fact that we were going to have to support another child and all the pampers and all the clothes and allll the shoes and all the food. And at the amount of money I was earning. I just couldn’t think of how we were going to survive having another child. Calixta would probably say that I never forgot that moment, but I will never forget the great blessings that were poured out on all of my family since we were willing to support another of our Heavenly Father’s spirits.
Diana and I found how much our Heavenly Father loves us and how much He will bless us with if we simply follow His commandments. And I remember one of those commands is to be fruitful and multiply and I am so grateful that we did follow this commandment as we could. I now realize that everyone is unable to follow this commandment, but many are to selfish to follow this commandment as they do not realize how much Heavenly Father will bless those who do follow each of His commandments. Isn’t it amazing the efforts satan goes to to convince us that we only need follow one rule – that of being selfish.
It is amazing to me all of the blessings Diana and I have shared in through our lives while raising our children and then I feel that I have not yet done something that I should have done already and for this reason I have slowed down a great deal on the life story. If I finish it I might have finished something that is keeping me alive. Maybe there is something completely different but I have no clue what it might be if it is not this then I think it might be a mission, as I understand that one is forgiven his/her sins for every child of god who one teaches the gospel to and must follow ones patriarchal blessing.
As Calixta grew older she was such a delight to us as she has always been an extremely fun person. I was extremely frustrated with Calixta as she turned a teenager and started hanging with a bunch of, in my opinion, losers. I can think of not one who has made something of her life except Calixta. I realize I should have been kinder to these girls as Diana was, however all I could see was the loss of one of my Heavenly Fathers children and I didn’t think Andrew would such a thing. Just goes to show you that no one might be perfect without my or our proper teachings. Hopefully by teaching the gospel to a rew people I might be forgiven all the wrongs I have done my family.
Calixta was a challenge for me to accept and she was always one to correct me with what I found to be what she had been taught in church and I would be very embarrassed at what I should have done.
I was so proud to see five of my six children in the celestial and the sealing rooms when Calixta was married and I wondered what had caused Andrew to decide not to follow what Diana and I had tried to teach our children.
Diana and I found how much our Heavenly Father loves us and how much He will bless us with if we simply follow His commandments. And I remember one of those commands is to be fruitful and multiply and I am so grateful that we did follow this commandment as we could. I now realize that everyone is unable to follow this commandment, but many are to selfish to follow this commandment as they do not realize how much Heavenly Father will bless those who do follow each of His commandments. Isn’t it amazing the efforts satan goes to to convince us that we only need follow one rule – that of being selfish.
It is amazing to me all of the blessings Diana and I have shared in through our lives while raising our children and then I feel that I have not yet done something that I should have done already and for this reason I have slowed down a great deal on the life story. If I finish it I might have finished something that is keeping me alive. Maybe there is something completely different but I have no clue what it might be if it is not this then I think it might be a mission, as I understand that one is forgiven his/her sins for every child of god who one teaches the gospel to and must follow ones patriarchal blessing.
As Calixta grew older she was such a delight to us as she has always been an extremely fun person. I was extremely frustrated with Calixta as she turned a teenager and started hanging with a bunch of, in my opinion, losers. I can think of not one who has made something of her life except Calixta. I realize I should have been kinder to these girls as Diana was, however all I could see was the loss of one of my Heavenly Fathers children and I didn’t think Andrew would such a thing. Just goes to show you that no one might be perfect without my or our proper teachings. Hopefully by teaching the gospel to a rew people I might be forgiven all the wrongs I have done my family.
Calixta was a challenge for me to accept and she was always one to correct me with what I found to be what she had been taught in church and I would be very embarrassed at what I should have done.
I was so proud to see five of my six children in the celestial and the sealing rooms when Calixta was married and I wondered what had caused Andrew to decide not to follow what Diana and I had tried to teach our children.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Andrew… My most sensitive child!
When Andrew was born he was so special to both his parents and as we got to know him better we could see that he could be a very great man if he so chose. There was a very significant light in his eyes that looked so much like his mothers eyes. Andrew was always mischievous like his father, but he is better than his father. Andrew was born exactly one day after our wedding anniversary, I wanted him to be born on our anniversary so I had Diana stand on the toilet and jump off it until he was born, but she wouldn’t do that. When Andrew was born we made a walk-in closet for his bedroom and he was only a baby for such a short period of time as Calixta was born 12 months later. Cathy always took care of him till he wanted no more of it.
As Andrew grew older, he got very mischievous and was extremely jealous of his brother and sisters. Andrew pushed Calixta down the stairs, while she was in a baby walker, as one of his first acts of tyranny. JK But he went on to do many things that were both very intelligent and almost as many as many things of villainy, because he is so smart.
While Andrew was a child in Parkwood, we would ride our bikes on the wooded trails around Parkwood and we would even ride out to the Research Triangle Park. We both loved to do this and as he grew a little older he would help me out whenever I had an insulin reaction. I remember once when Andrew was about four I started having an insulin reaction when Andrew was the only other person in the car and he helped me find the way home. Poor child and what a brave child Andrew was. It was about here or maybe even a little earlier when Andrew started disliking our Heavenly Father. Andrew thought that Heavenly Father had allowed me to have this horrible disease and he did not like it at all. Andrew thought it very unfair and he started not wanting anything to do with a God who would allow such suffering. Diana told Andrew that he had to go to church as long as he lived beneath our roof but could make his own choice once he left our house. Well he waited till he was out of our house before he stopped going to church.
Uncle Rod always said that Andrew would be a very rich man and if he were not so much like his dad he would already be a multi-millionaire. The problems are that he always wants to help other people and he has a total lack of respect for any authority. I will say that I have lately learned to appreciate some authority.
Much of this is my own assumptions and if Andrew disagrees with them then he can correct these assumptions.
Love Dad
As Andrew grew older, he got very mischievous and was extremely jealous of his brother and sisters. Andrew pushed Calixta down the stairs, while she was in a baby walker, as one of his first acts of tyranny. JK But he went on to do many things that were both very intelligent and almost as many as many things of villainy, because he is so smart.
While Andrew was a child in Parkwood, we would ride our bikes on the wooded trails around Parkwood and we would even ride out to the Research Triangle Park. We both loved to do this and as he grew a little older he would help me out whenever I had an insulin reaction. I remember once when Andrew was about four I started having an insulin reaction when Andrew was the only other person in the car and he helped me find the way home. Poor child and what a brave child Andrew was. It was about here or maybe even a little earlier when Andrew started disliking our Heavenly Father. Andrew thought that Heavenly Father had allowed me to have this horrible disease and he did not like it at all. Andrew thought it very unfair and he started not wanting anything to do with a God who would allow such suffering. Diana told Andrew that he had to go to church as long as he lived beneath our roof but could make his own choice once he left our house. Well he waited till he was out of our house before he stopped going to church.
Uncle Rod always said that Andrew would be a very rich man and if he were not so much like his dad he would already be a multi-millionaire. The problems are that he always wants to help other people and he has a total lack of respect for any authority. I will say that I have lately learned to appreciate some authority.
Much of this is my own assumptions and if Andrew disagrees with them then he can correct these assumptions.
Love Dad
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Cathys Questions...
1. What is your occupation? Retired drug pusher.
2. What color is your underwear? Pink with purple pok-a-dots.
3. What are you listening to right now? Sweet silence.
4. What was the last thing you ate? Oatmeal.
5. Do you wish on stars? No, did once but that turned out very BAD!
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Black.
7. How is the weather right now? Haven’t looked outside yet.
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My sweetheart.
9. How old are you today? 55 years, feels like 110 years.
10. Favorite drink? Wal-Mart Water.
11. Favorite sport to watch? Football and college basketball (the NBA is rediculous).
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Once black while in high school footbal we all did it as a joke on our coach. Blonde went to Black or brunette, Black or Brunette went to Red and Red went to Blomde.
13. Do you wear contacts or glasses? I have worn both but now I only wear reading glasses.
14. Pets? None anymore.
15. Favorite month? August.
16. Favorite food? Dianas cooking except oysters.
17. What was the last movie you watched? Yours Mine and Ours.
18. Favorite day of the year? Fathers day.
19. What do you do to vent anger? Never get angry LOL.
20. Hugs or kisses? Both by anyone.
21. Cherry or blueberry? Blueberry.
22. Living arrangements? With my sweetheart in our apartment.
23. When was the last time you cried? I don’t remember, I cry more more now than I did .
24. What is on the floor of your closet? Nothing.
25. Who is/are the friends you have had the longest? My wife or sweetheart.
26. What did you do last night? Watched a movie and wrote a blog Post.
27. Favorite Smell? My wife.
28. What inspires you? My wife.
29. What are you afraid of? My wife.
30.Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Both together.
31. Favorite car? Saab.
32. Favorite dog breed? Huskie.
33. Number of keys on your key ring? 3.
34. How many years at your current job? 12 Longest ever.
35. What is your favorite smell? My wife. Least favorite smell would be a fried body.
36. How many states have you lived in? 10.
37. How many cities have you lived in/name them? Idaho Falls, ID, Blackfoot, ID, Victor, MT, Stevensville, MT, Othello, WA, Rexburg, ID, Seattle, WA, Provo, UT, San Antonio, TX, Laredo, TX, McAllen, TX, Houston, TX, Austin, TX, Woodville, TX, El Paso, Connell, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Spokane, WA, Durham, NC, Newtown, CT, Allendale, SC, Columbia, SC, Orlando, FL, Miami, FL, Harrisburg, PA,, Memphis, TN, Detroit, Michigan, Harrah. OK, Allen, TX, Vancouver, WA.
38. What was the last book you read? The Book of Mormon.
2. What color is your underwear? Pink with purple pok-a-dots.
3. What are you listening to right now? Sweet silence.
4. What was the last thing you ate? Oatmeal.
5. Do you wish on stars? No, did once but that turned out very BAD!
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Black.
7. How is the weather right now? Haven’t looked outside yet.
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My sweetheart.
9. How old are you today? 55 years, feels like 110 years.
10. Favorite drink? Wal-Mart Water.
11. Favorite sport to watch? Football and college basketball (the NBA is rediculous).
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Once black while in high school footbal we all did it as a joke on our coach. Blonde went to Black or brunette, Black or Brunette went to Red and Red went to Blomde.
13. Do you wear contacts or glasses? I have worn both but now I only wear reading glasses.
14. Pets? None anymore.
15. Favorite month? August.
16. Favorite food? Dianas cooking except oysters.
17. What was the last movie you watched? Yours Mine and Ours.
18. Favorite day of the year? Fathers day.
19. What do you do to vent anger? Never get angry LOL.
20. Hugs or kisses? Both by anyone.
21. Cherry or blueberry? Blueberry.
22. Living arrangements? With my sweetheart in our apartment.
23. When was the last time you cried? I don’t remember, I cry more more now than I did .
24. What is on the floor of your closet? Nothing.
25. Who is/are the friends you have had the longest? My wife or sweetheart.
26. What did you do last night? Watched a movie and wrote a blog Post.
27. Favorite Smell? My wife.
28. What inspires you? My wife.
29. What are you afraid of? My wife.
30.Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Both together.
31. Favorite car? Saab.
32. Favorite dog breed? Huskie.
33. Number of keys on your key ring? 3.
34. How many years at your current job? 12 Longest ever.
35. What is your favorite smell? My wife. Least favorite smell would be a fried body.
36. How many states have you lived in? 10.
37. How many cities have you lived in/name them? Idaho Falls, ID, Blackfoot, ID, Victor, MT, Stevensville, MT, Othello, WA, Rexburg, ID, Seattle, WA, Provo, UT, San Antonio, TX, Laredo, TX, McAllen, TX, Houston, TX, Austin, TX, Woodville, TX, El Paso, Connell, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Spokane, WA, Durham, NC, Newtown, CT, Allendale, SC, Columbia, SC, Orlando, FL, Miami, FL, Harrisburg, PA,, Memphis, TN, Detroit, Michigan, Harrah. OK, Allen, TX, Vancouver, WA.
38. What was the last book you read? The Book of Mormon.
Monday, March 20, 2006
And then there was ?Alexander?
About a month after Andrew was born I was at the local hospital in Moses Lake and saw a sign talking about a support group of Diabetes and as I had never had any training about diabetes, I decided to go to this meeting. While at this meeting I saw a real need for what the hospital dietician had to say. I also saw many other people there who could definitely use what was could be offered if we were to start a local American Diabetes Association as the dietician wanted to do. I got very excited after we were given an the OK from the National Group to go ahead and start a local support group with the details we had supplied them from our first meeting. I worked very hard to get everything setup properly and made many suggestions as to what might be a more sensible ways of organizing the group. And to my complete astonishment they elected me as the first president of the silly group. And I certainly did not think I had time for that, but to my surprise I was still president eleven months later when we moved to Spokane and the group was growing most months. Never did get involved with another diabetes support group.
One day, when getting home from something to do with this support group I looked out the window and saw Diana coming across the road from a very large corn field whipping Alex all the way. I was totally shocked and couldn’t believe my eyes! Diana spanking one of her children would seem a bit out of the question; let alone whipping one of them, and we then had 5 children. So when she came into the house I asked her what was going on? So she explained that she had seen Alex go across the street into the corn field! She was afraid that we would never find him again. So Alex was only self concerned as he said once in Oklahoma ”do you ever wonder if life is all about you? I always think life is only for me.” And when he said that I remembered him going out in the corn field and watching Diana whipping him all the way home.
One day, when getting home from something to do with this support group I looked out the window and saw Diana coming across the road from a very large corn field whipping Alex all the way. I was totally shocked and couldn’t believe my eyes! Diana spanking one of her children would seem a bit out of the question; let alone whipping one of them, and we then had 5 children. So when she came into the house I asked her what was going on? So she explained that she had seen Alex go across the street into the corn field! She was afraid that we would never find him again. So Alex was only self concerned as he said once in Oklahoma ”do you ever wonder if life is all about you? I always think life is only for me.” And when he said that I remembered him going out in the corn field and watching Diana whipping him all the way home.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
After Ciria What?
Ciria was a true joy to have in our family after we moved from Connell to Moses Lake and stopped driving so much to visit my parents. Cathy and Kristy also enjoyed life better also, away from grandmas house. They didn't like the mice in Moses Lake though. We still went to visit grandma and grandpa every so often, but not nearly as often as we would while we lived in an apartment in Connell.
I think I will tell one more story of life in Connell before we moved to Moses Lake. While Cathy was in kindergarten she studied dinosaurs, one day she went home and asked Diana if when she was little “did the dinosaurs bother you?”. This came from a five year old mind and so for all who still have children under ten, guess what strange things they might think up? And maybe even older than ten! There is no way of trying to figure out what children will think of.
So we moved from Connell when I got a job working for the city of Moses Lake and purchased our first house there in Moses Lake. I think the job I had in Moses Lake was the favorite job I ever worked at. The only thing it lacked was the ability of teaching others as I enjoyed as a consultant. If that job had paid me enough to live on I would still be working there. I guess we were just greedy in wanting more for our children to eat. I guess they could have breast fed for a longer period of time. Anyway we lived ther in Moses Lake for five years. During which time Alex was born and born again in my opinion. As Diana had a miscarriage before Alex was born and I am not sure if this is another child that we will raise during the millennium or if Alex was just mean enough to push the fourth little girl out of the way so he could have his chance to be born to Diana.
Then Diana told me that she was expecting again and I think tears came into my eyes but I was too big of a man for this to actually show, or I thought I was. But again Diana had a miscarriage and I was on my knees asking the Lord not to let this happen again, but He didn’t pay me any attention. You see I still didn’t know where babies came from. Well it was only a few months later when Andrew was born and again I don’t know whether we will be raising an eighth child in the millennium or if Andrew also pushed the next little girl out of the way so that he could be born after Alex but you know what I truly believe that they both pushed Calixta out of the way so they could be born first. As they both were very ornery to her while we were raising them!
Gotcha guys…
Just before Calixta was born, I was offered a job for $40,000.00 a year were at the City of Moses Lake I was only earning $10,000.00 a year. I knew that I really enjoyed my job there in Moses Lake so I went to my boss and asked him for a raise and he said he would have to ask the city manager. After which they both had to go to the city council and finally my boss came back to me and said they had been authorized to offer me $.25 an hour more for my services. I guess one can see why I gave up my favorite job.
I think I will tell one more story of life in Connell before we moved to Moses Lake. While Cathy was in kindergarten she studied dinosaurs, one day she went home and asked Diana if when she was little “did the dinosaurs bother you?”. This came from a five year old mind and so for all who still have children under ten, guess what strange things they might think up? And maybe even older than ten! There is no way of trying to figure out what children will think of.
So we moved from Connell when I got a job working for the city of Moses Lake and purchased our first house there in Moses Lake. I think the job I had in Moses Lake was the favorite job I ever worked at. The only thing it lacked was the ability of teaching others as I enjoyed as a consultant. If that job had paid me enough to live on I would still be working there. I guess we were just greedy in wanting more for our children to eat. I guess they could have breast fed for a longer period of time. Anyway we lived ther in Moses Lake for five years. During which time Alex was born and born again in my opinion. As Diana had a miscarriage before Alex was born and I am not sure if this is another child that we will raise during the millennium or if Alex was just mean enough to push the fourth little girl out of the way so he could have his chance to be born to Diana.
Then Diana told me that she was expecting again and I think tears came into my eyes but I was too big of a man for this to actually show, or I thought I was. But again Diana had a miscarriage and I was on my knees asking the Lord not to let this happen again, but He didn’t pay me any attention. You see I still didn’t know where babies came from. Well it was only a few months later when Andrew was born and again I don’t know whether we will be raising an eighth child in the millennium or if Andrew also pushed the next little girl out of the way so that he could be born after Alex but you know what I truly believe that they both pushed Calixta out of the way so they could be born first. As they both were very ornery to her while we were raising them!
Gotcha guys…
Just before Calixta was born, I was offered a job for $40,000.00 a year were at the City of Moses Lake I was only earning $10,000.00 a year. I knew that I really enjoyed my job there in Moses Lake so I went to my boss and asked him for a raise and he said he would have to ask the city manager. After which they both had to go to the city council and finally my boss came back to me and said they had been authorized to offer me $.25 an hour more for my services. I guess one can see why I gave up my favorite job.
Monday, March 13, 2006
One fine day…
It was a beautiful June Sunday when Diana and I went for a long walk in Othello and found that walking is good for a pregnant lady. She was so tired when we got back to grandma’s house Diana could barely raise a leg up the steps. And I, being a jerk, made fun of her and finally helped her get up the stairs so that she could say bye to everyone, as she has always tried to be very courteous to everyone she meets. This is a behavior that I have always admired but could not figure out how she did it, so would get angry with her. Anyway we went home and slept the night away. The next day I went to Richland to work once again or as always and around ten o’clock AM received a call from Diana saying that it was time and she would have to get to the hospital. I was totally confused, flabbergasted and just didn’t know what to do.
So I said that I would leave right away and Diana said that she didn’t think she could wait that long as we lived about 45 minutes from Richland unless I broke every speed law between home and work. Well that would take me even longer as I would probably have ended in jail for what I would say and do to anyone who would stop me. So Diana found her own way to Othello to the hospital as there was no hospital in Connell were we lived at the time.
I got to Othello as fast as I could and found that she had already delivered our third child without me, as Laredo Mercy hospital would not allow the expecting husband into the delivery room nor labor room. Different from today, isn’t it? And I was serving a mission when Cathy was born!
Well when dad saw Ciria he said to Diana “you burn everything don’t you?” and the fact that Diana burned things from time to time was stuck to her for life. Ciria was a very happy and bright baby until Diana got out of the hospital and ate her first hot sauce. We didn’t know that hot sauce would do that to a child. Poor Ciria had her brains fried and she became colicky from then on. Poor baby, I wanted to leave her on the side of the road, but Diana would not hear me and she even thought I was cruel. Who besides my siblings would think such a thing?
So I said that I would leave right away and Diana said that she didn’t think she could wait that long as we lived about 45 minutes from Richland unless I broke every speed law between home and work. Well that would take me even longer as I would probably have ended in jail for what I would say and do to anyone who would stop me. So Diana found her own way to Othello to the hospital as there was no hospital in Connell were we lived at the time.
I got to Othello as fast as I could and found that she had already delivered our third child without me, as Laredo Mercy hospital would not allow the expecting husband into the delivery room nor labor room. Different from today, isn’t it? And I was serving a mission when Cathy was born!
Well when dad saw Ciria he said to Diana “you burn everything don’t you?” and the fact that Diana burned things from time to time was stuck to her for life. Ciria was a very happy and bright baby until Diana got out of the hospital and ate her first hot sauce. We didn’t know that hot sauce would do that to a child. Poor Ciria had her brains fried and she became colicky from then on. Poor baby, I wanted to leave her on the side of the road, but Diana would not hear me and she even thought I was cruel. Who besides my siblings would think such a thing?
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Let’s go back to Laredo twice
This story happened just before I had the accident and after Kristy was born. One day Diana and I were driving north on the I-35 frontage road, I think Texas has the best road system in the US, and as all couples do we were having an argument. I am sure the argument was about me going back to college, she wanted me to make something out of my life and I thought I would be fine as a dock worker or truck driver or whatever. I am so glad she is most always right.
As we were arguing I changed gears in the car and brought my hand up off the steering wheel more forcefully than I normally would, and in doing so I hit her in the jaw with the back of my hand. I swear it was totally on accident as I did not realize she was in that area at the time. I decided right then that I would never strike her again in any way unless we were playing. And to my recollection, I never have. I think it is very cruel for a man or wife to beat up on their spouse. I wish NOW that I had made the same decision about my children.
I had a few friends before marriage and decided that my wife was going to be my only friend from then on. I think the reason for this is that I was so insecure about myself as a result of my youth, even as a child I was always giving up to my uncle Steve. While we were in Othello a few weekends ago my aunt Renae was there and she told me about her and my sister taking a tea set from the house and being on top of a haystack while my uncle Steve were playing in the corral and seeing me fall from the cow and come up with a face full of cow pie. She also asked me if I remembered the gun that blew up; she heard it differently than I remember it happening though. Oh well it seemed to verify my memory at least.
As we were arguing I changed gears in the car and brought my hand up off the steering wheel more forcefully than I normally would, and in doing so I hit her in the jaw with the back of my hand. I swear it was totally on accident as I did not realize she was in that area at the time. I decided right then that I would never strike her again in any way unless we were playing. And to my recollection, I never have. I think it is very cruel for a man or wife to beat up on their spouse. I wish NOW that I had made the same decision about my children.
I had a few friends before marriage and decided that my wife was going to be my only friend from then on. I think the reason for this is that I was so insecure about myself as a result of my youth, even as a child I was always giving up to my uncle Steve. While we were in Othello a few weekends ago my aunt Renae was there and she told me about her and my sister taking a tea set from the house and being on top of a haystack while my uncle Steve were playing in the corral and seeing me fall from the cow and come up with a face full of cow pie. She also asked me if I remembered the gun that blew up; she heard it differently than I remember it happening though. Oh well it seemed to verify my memory at least.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Working with computers
Now we go on to my first job in computers in Pasco er actually in the city of Richland and for the city of Pasco. Now that’s a mouthful of words. But then you all must realize by now that I can’t be hushed up, kind of like Calixta when she starts talking. Actually like any of my girls except… no except… no except… I guess there are no exceptions.
When I started working for the city of Pasco I thought I was the best person my parents had ever known and I expected them to say so, and I waited and I waited and I waited. Nothing ever came of all my waiting. Well it seemed they were always saying how good my brother Anthony was doing but they never said anything to me. Needless to say, I was crushed. And I wondered what I was doing that was so wrong. I ad no idea then, but now that a couple of my children are grown and I want to keep those, who have yet to grow up, well supported. On the other hand I think that the ones who have grown up do not need my support nearly so much. So why did I have to grow up so quickly??? Or why were my parents afraid of me and my actions?
There were many times when I had figured out how to do something on or with the computer when my supervisor would say that can’t be done and I would say watch this and they would be completely amazed at what I had done. I remember one time while working in Richland the boss there had asked me to try and write and extension to the IBM operating system so the operator would not have t o watch as intently for every thing that he/she was asked to respond to. Kurt asked me to do this as he could not figure out how to keep me busy. I did it even though it would benefit the city of Richland as Pasco was only renting time from Richland and the cost was a fixed amount per month. Kurt didn’t think I would be able to do this assignment. I had to do a lot of after hours reading and calling friends from college to find the answers for specific things but I finally figured out how to do it and it totally shocked Kurt as he thought I was just wasting my time. Once I had written this software I remembered how to do it on the next job I had and it proved very useful in my very next job. This only worked on the IBM System 3 and this machine went to its grave about three years later as this was the very beginning of the computer chip race. You see the IBM System 3 was one of the older type computer where the boards were wrapped in a specific way to get it to work.
Well I won’t bore you any more with technical information that has been out of date for twenty-five years. So we will start on more interesting things about me and my life.
When I started working for the city of Pasco I thought I was the best person my parents had ever known and I expected them to say so, and I waited and I waited and I waited. Nothing ever came of all my waiting. Well it seemed they were always saying how good my brother Anthony was doing but they never said anything to me. Needless to say, I was crushed. And I wondered what I was doing that was so wrong. I ad no idea then, but now that a couple of my children are grown and I want to keep those, who have yet to grow up, well supported. On the other hand I think that the ones who have grown up do not need my support nearly so much. So why did I have to grow up so quickly??? Or why were my parents afraid of me and my actions?
There were many times when I had figured out how to do something on or with the computer when my supervisor would say that can’t be done and I would say watch this and they would be completely amazed at what I had done. I remember one time while working in Richland the boss there had asked me to try and write and extension to the IBM operating system so the operator would not have t o watch as intently for every thing that he/she was asked to respond to. Kurt asked me to do this as he could not figure out how to keep me busy. I did it even though it would benefit the city of Richland as Pasco was only renting time from Richland and the cost was a fixed amount per month. Kurt didn’t think I would be able to do this assignment. I had to do a lot of after hours reading and calling friends from college to find the answers for specific things but I finally figured out how to do it and it totally shocked Kurt as he thought I was just wasting my time. Once I had written this software I remembered how to do it on the next job I had and it proved very useful in my very next job. This only worked on the IBM System 3 and this machine went to its grave about three years later as this was the very beginning of the computer chip race. You see the IBM System 3 was one of the older type computer where the boards were wrapped in a specific way to get it to work.
Well I won’t bore you any more with technical information that has been out of date for twenty-five years. So we will start on more interesting things about me and my life.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Let’s go back to Laredo once
I found out how ignorant I was concerning women when having a baby when each of my children was born. First of all was when Kristy was born. There are so many things it could be about, but I chose to write about the most embarrassing thing I could think of. As Diana got more and more pregnant she looked more and more like a watermelon being carried around on two toothpicks.
Well as the day of Kristy’s birth came along Diana and I went to bed she would almost always sigh and say that she wished the baby would get here soon. Between two and three AM I was sound asleep and all of a sudden I was all wet. And I thought I had quit wetting the bed when I was still a little tyke so I was confused as to why I was so wet now. Then I said to Diana that I thought she should still be able to go to the restroom instead of wetting the bed. Then she told me that she had just lost her water. This let know nothing so I said that she should still have used the restroom as I was so ignorant as to childbirth.
Then she explained to me what loosing ones water was all about in a pregnant woman. So we got ready to go to the hospital and I never drove so slowly in all my life. When we got to the hospital I left Diana there and went for some breakfast as she had asked me to tell the people at her work that she was in the hospital with a new baby.
This all happened before I broke my limbs, so I was able to drive without any problem. Kristy was born and Diana had gone back to work I would take care of Cathy and Kristy so we would go into Diana’s office to visit. One time we went in and Cathy was always taken off by the first co-worker of Diana’s we would see and I was left with Kristy in Diana’s office. I was wondering what Diana put in all her file drawers and found one drawer that was almost empty so I put Kristy in it in her baby seat. I watched down the hall while watching Kristy with the other eye, when I saw Diana coming down the hall I closed the drawer and waited and waited for Diana. Apparently she had been called into the office where Cathy was and she stopped to get Cathy then came down to see Kristy and I. when she got into her own office she wondered where Kristy was, it didn’t take long until Kristy started crying. I thought I was never going to hear the end of it.
Well as the day of Kristy’s birth came along Diana and I went to bed she would almost always sigh and say that she wished the baby would get here soon. Between two and three AM I was sound asleep and all of a sudden I was all wet. And I thought I had quit wetting the bed when I was still a little tyke so I was confused as to why I was so wet now. Then I said to Diana that I thought she should still be able to go to the restroom instead of wetting the bed. Then she told me that she had just lost her water. This let know nothing so I said that she should still have used the restroom as I was so ignorant as to childbirth.
Then she explained to me what loosing ones water was all about in a pregnant woman. So we got ready to go to the hospital and I never drove so slowly in all my life. When we got to the hospital I left Diana there and went for some breakfast as she had asked me to tell the people at her work that she was in the hospital with a new baby.
This all happened before I broke my limbs, so I was able to drive without any problem. Kristy was born and Diana had gone back to work I would take care of Cathy and Kristy so we would go into Diana’s office to visit. One time we went in and Cathy was always taken off by the first co-worker of Diana’s we would see and I was left with Kristy in Diana’s office. I was wondering what Diana put in all her file drawers and found one drawer that was almost empty so I put Kristy in it in her baby seat. I watched down the hall while watching Kristy with the other eye, when I saw Diana coming down the hall I closed the drawer and waited and waited for Diana. Apparently she had been called into the office where Cathy was and she stopped to get Cathy then came down to see Kristy and I. when she got into her own office she wondered where Kristy was, it didn’t take long until Kristy started crying. I thought I was never going to hear the end of it.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Cooking and moving on from Laredo…
I always thought Diana was completely honest in all things, but I have to tell you all this extremely funny story about Diana. I know that before I got married, my mother and my grandmother Nield were the best cooks I had ever known; however, I now know Diana to be the best cook ever known to mankind. After I had gotten back to Texas from Washington Diana invited me over for a dinner. And when I got there she fed me a delicious meal. You see she was so nervous and wanted me to enjoy the meal so much, only she didn't tell me until Judy, Diana's sister, had asked me how I had enjoyed her cooking?
Now for todays story:
Interstate 35 running south goes through Oklahoma City then into Texas snd Gainesville, through Dallas, through Austin, through San Antonio and finally into Laredo with many smaller towns in between. The story though is the very first time I ever went to Laredo in the mission field I saw a sign before entering Laredo. The sign said “Freeway ends 1/4th mile” and entering Laredo and seeing some cardboard boxes setup as houses and thought the world had ended. As I got familiar with the people in Laredo I found it to be one of the greatest places on earth, after all Diana was found in Laredo. But after graduating from Laredo Junior College it was time to either look for a job or go to El Paso to continue my education at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) the Miners. I didn’t stay but one semester as Diana was expecting.
We were waiting on Ciria and I knew what Ciria was going to be like and knew that she along with Cathy and Kristy would need a full time mother, so after visiting my parents in Othello for Christmas I stayed to search out a job in computers. And I searched very hard in Othello and in Moses Lake. As stated in the past my father was very well known as a good and fair man in both places and it was because of him that I was successful. For the first of many times I sent Diana to get us moved while I looked for a job I and found one, only feeding cows in a feed lot. NOT with computers, not even the scales were computerized. It took Diana’s wisdom to get me going in the right direction. About a week or two after they got to Othello I came home without a job as I had driven the truck I fed cows with into the back of a parked tractor. I DIDN’T total it though. Anyway Diana suggested I go to the unemployment office and search for a job working with computers. So I went to Othello and I went to Pasco, as we were then living in Connell WA, unemployment offices.
Well it wasn’t more than a week that I was called with a possible job with the City of Pasco setting up their automated computer system. At that time everything was done with a ledger card system that they couldn’t get new parts for it any longer, it was that old. I think I only interviewed for this and one other jobs while I was able to work, the rest were offered to me through others knowing me and of my work. I am very proud of this fact.
Now for todays story:
Interstate 35 running south goes through Oklahoma City then into Texas snd Gainesville, through Dallas, through Austin, through San Antonio and finally into Laredo with many smaller towns in between. The story though is the very first time I ever went to Laredo in the mission field I saw a sign before entering Laredo. The sign said “Freeway ends 1/4th mile” and entering Laredo and seeing some cardboard boxes setup as houses and thought the world had ended. As I got familiar with the people in Laredo I found it to be one of the greatest places on earth, after all Diana was found in Laredo. But after graduating from Laredo Junior College it was time to either look for a job or go to El Paso to continue my education at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) the Miners. I didn’t stay but one semester as Diana was expecting.
We were waiting on Ciria and I knew what Ciria was going to be like and knew that she along with Cathy and Kristy would need a full time mother, so after visiting my parents in Othello for Christmas I stayed to search out a job in computers. And I searched very hard in Othello and in Moses Lake. As stated in the past my father was very well known as a good and fair man in both places and it was because of him that I was successful. For the first of many times I sent Diana to get us moved while I looked for a job I and found one, only feeding cows in a feed lot. NOT with computers, not even the scales were computerized. It took Diana’s wisdom to get me going in the right direction. About a week or two after they got to Othello I came home without a job as I had driven the truck I fed cows with into the back of a parked tractor. I DIDN’T total it though. Anyway Diana suggested I go to the unemployment office and search for a job working with computers. So I went to Othello and I went to Pasco, as we were then living in Connell WA, unemployment offices.
Well it wasn’t more than a week that I was called with a possible job with the City of Pasco setting up their automated computer system. At that time everything was done with a ledger card system that they couldn’t get new parts for it any longer, it was that old. I think I only interviewed for this and one other jobs while I was able to work, the rest were offered to me through others knowing me and of my work. I am very proud of this fact.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
And on with Laredo
There is nothing in this life that would discourage a man more than to know that he is unfit to take care of his own family and this is the position that I found myself in when I was in casts and had been replaced by the sandal manufacturing company. So it was natural for me to go back to college. And I worked through the casts and eventually became an officer in the data processing club at Laredo Junior college. I do remember once when I was wakening one evening in the Laredo Mercy hospital and I didn't remember that I had no use of my leg so I got out of bed to go to the bathroom and fell to the floor. I really struggled getting back in bed and finally accomplished, only with the help of a nurse.
While there we planned a visit to the more sophisticated college in Monterrey, Mexico, and while visiting there we got to go through one of the major beer manufacturing companies. Diana was jealous of me for this opportunity to go more than a few miles inside Mexico. Also that I had gone to the Dos Equis (XX) beer plant as beer was one of her favorite drinks before she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While on this trip we stopped at a couple ranches where the people were very unsure of gringos who spoke a little Spanish. We stopped at a hotel where I had to climb three flights of very narrow stairs as I did not know how to ask for an elevator, even though I had been told that in the LTM, and could barely get out the stairs. When I got to my room I went to open the door and found that I couldn’t figure out how the key worked, and I didn’t want to go down to the front desk again. Finally when a friend, Angie, came out and knew how the key worked and she showed me. This whole experience made me decide to start studying the Spanish language even more on a daily basis.
Going back to Ricks Junior college, I remember the “Valhalla dancers” dancing club I had been involved in, where we would dance a good many styles of dances and where we went to Mexico to several cities to perform. And to learn the dances of the Mexican culture from some famous Spanish dancers who I don’t remember at all. Even if one were to tell me the names once again, I doubt if I could remember one of their names. Anyway we went to several cities, and this is not the exact order but we went to Mexico DF, Monterrey, Veracruz, Acapulco, Cancún and Cholula. While on this trip I had no idea that I would be going on a mission and Spanish was the least thing on my mind so I paid no attention to what was happening around me other than the lights.
Once again in Laredo, the thought of our trip to Monterrey was what reminded me of the trip to Mexico while at Ricks College. And I thought I remembered everything as if they happened earlier this morning. Well I do need more help as I get older, Diana can verify this small fact. Tomorrow I will remember better, Bye for now…
While there we planned a visit to the more sophisticated college in Monterrey, Mexico, and while visiting there we got to go through one of the major beer manufacturing companies. Diana was jealous of me for this opportunity to go more than a few miles inside Mexico. Also that I had gone to the Dos Equis (XX) beer plant as beer was one of her favorite drinks before she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While on this trip we stopped at a couple ranches where the people were very unsure of gringos who spoke a little Spanish. We stopped at a hotel where I had to climb three flights of very narrow stairs as I did not know how to ask for an elevator, even though I had been told that in the LTM, and could barely get out the stairs. When I got to my room I went to open the door and found that I couldn’t figure out how the key worked, and I didn’t want to go down to the front desk again. Finally when a friend, Angie, came out and knew how the key worked and she showed me. This whole experience made me decide to start studying the Spanish language even more on a daily basis.
Going back to Ricks Junior college, I remember the “Valhalla dancers” dancing club I had been involved in, where we would dance a good many styles of dances and where we went to Mexico to several cities to perform. And to learn the dances of the Mexican culture from some famous Spanish dancers who I don’t remember at all. Even if one were to tell me the names once again, I doubt if I could remember one of their names. Anyway we went to several cities, and this is not the exact order but we went to Mexico DF, Monterrey, Veracruz, Acapulco, Cancún and Cholula. While on this trip I had no idea that I would be going on a mission and Spanish was the least thing on my mind so I paid no attention to what was happening around me other than the lights.
Once again in Laredo, the thought of our trip to Monterrey was what reminded me of the trip to Mexico while at Ricks College. And I thought I remembered everything as if they happened earlier this morning. Well I do need more help as I get older, Diana can verify this small fact. Tomorrow I will remember better, Bye for now…
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
And Laredo Again
I guess you are all tired of this also.
Now that we know why I am bald and that I had to move on to a new job as we were not making enough money in buying curios (the flower pots, Iron railings and leather work that is made in Mexico), kind of like my parents huh. I was totally frustrated in that everything seemed to be going against me. Well, Diana has always had very good sense and kept the Lord in mind much more than I.
Diana had always wanted me to go back to college and while I was unable to work, we found social security would pay for me to go to college while I went back to college and as my patriarchal blessing had stated that I would find a career that I dearly loved to work at early in my life that I dearly loved to work at each day of my life and there was Diana whose father had continually encouraged her to get a college education. And when Diana’s sister, Linda, had graduated with a “BA” he was there to watch her get what, I believe he always wanted for himself. And this was about twenty years after Diana and I were married. At least I went back to college and found something I wanted dearly to work at. Funny thing is that I was on the Deans List every Quarter after starting college over again, I even got fairly decent grades in english classes. Now I don’t want anyone to think I believe the Lord would cause any harm to fall on one of His sons/daughters, but I have never been good at keeping His words of wisdom where diabetes is concerned and I do believe that we will have to pay the consequences of not following His commandments. Sometimes this thought causes me great distress. On with the story…
We had always liked to go to the lake and fish I even went while in the cast and on crutches. So we were out there and I wanted to get down off the pier and onto some rocks, but while trying to do this I slipped, fell and broke my nose once again at the same time I scrapped a layer of skin off my nose so that I looked like a goose fortunately Diana was there to help out once again.
Tomorrow there is more of Laredo before moving to El Paso…
Now that we know why I am bald and that I had to move on to a new job as we were not making enough money in buying curios (the flower pots, Iron railings and leather work that is made in Mexico), kind of like my parents huh. I was totally frustrated in that everything seemed to be going against me. Well, Diana has always had very good sense and kept the Lord in mind much more than I.
Diana had always wanted me to go back to college and while I was unable to work, we found social security would pay for me to go to college while I went back to college and as my patriarchal blessing had stated that I would find a career that I dearly loved to work at early in my life that I dearly loved to work at each day of my life and there was Diana whose father had continually encouraged her to get a college education. And when Diana’s sister, Linda, had graduated with a “BA” he was there to watch her get what, I believe he always wanted for himself. And this was about twenty years after Diana and I were married. At least I went back to college and found something I wanted dearly to work at. Funny thing is that I was on the Deans List every Quarter after starting college over again, I even got fairly decent grades in english classes. Now I don’t want anyone to think I believe the Lord would cause any harm to fall on one of His sons/daughters, but I have never been good at keeping His words of wisdom where diabetes is concerned and I do believe that we will have to pay the consequences of not following His commandments. Sometimes this thought causes me great distress. On with the story…
We had always liked to go to the lake and fish I even went while in the cast and on crutches. So we were out there and I wanted to get down off the pier and onto some rocks, but while trying to do this I slipped, fell and broke my nose once again at the same time I scrapped a layer of skin off my nose so that I looked like a goose fortunately Diana was there to help out once again.
Tomorrow there is more of Laredo before moving to El Paso…
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Laredo Again
I have asked for help in how to write this damned thing once again. So if you don't like it then blame it on yourselves er I mean your own mother or Diana.
Well here we go to the Stake House 150 miles away from Laredo in Corpus Christi at a stake conference this was a long way to drive and we cold only afford to drive there about once a year. So we would only go on stake conference Sunday only once during the year unless we were fortunate enough to have someone richer invite us to go with them and we couldn’t seem to let them pay the whole way both ways. But anyway we would always save enough money so we could go by this one restaurant I had learned of while at a zone conference in the mission field. Laredo was about equi-distance from San Antonio, Corpus Christi and McAllen. San Antonio already had demaseado wards or too many wards and McAllen was only a branch so not large enough to handle a stake yet so we were in the Corpus Christi stake. Before we moved to El Paso though McAllen had been made into a stake in the same building.
One day, we decided I was not making enough money in purchasing curios for a small company whose owner was an uncle to the same foreman who fainted when I cut the end of my finger off a few years earlier. While working here I was given an old mail van to go into Mexico to buy the curios, this was probably the hardest I have ever had as the Spanish I knew was gospel Spanish and not daily Spanish used in speaking to sellers of curios. Back to the story, so I took a job as a cutter for a sandal making company but was still using the old mail truck to get back and fort to the plant. One day I was driving home for lunch when I had an insulin reaction and drove this van into the back of a parked dump truck. I must have been going pretty fast as it hit the rear wheels of the dump truck and knocked them loose. So I totaled two trucks or cars at once in this situation.
The funny part of this story is that Diana was going to meet me at home for lunch and saw the lights of the ambulance flashing and I wasn’t there at home yet so she went to see what was going on. Well she found me with a broken leg/knee, a broken arm, a seriously contused arm, a bleeding head and the ambulance attendants were trying to find a way to get me out or had just gotten me out ask Diana and she explained for the first of dozens of times tnhat I was diabetic. The first I remembered was when Diana told me that I looked like a cartoon character with one leg in a cast and hoisted up in the hospital bed, one in a cast and held up by a sling and the other arm totally wrapped in white and a bandage around my head. (I still say “that is why I am bald today”)
I am falling asleep so these stories will have to continue tomorrow.
Well here we go to the Stake House 150 miles away from Laredo in Corpus Christi at a stake conference this was a long way to drive and we cold only afford to drive there about once a year. So we would only go on stake conference Sunday only once during the year unless we were fortunate enough to have someone richer invite us to go with them and we couldn’t seem to let them pay the whole way both ways. But anyway we would always save enough money so we could go by this one restaurant I had learned of while at a zone conference in the mission field. Laredo was about equi-distance from San Antonio, Corpus Christi and McAllen. San Antonio already had demaseado wards or too many wards and McAllen was only a branch so not large enough to handle a stake yet so we were in the Corpus Christi stake. Before we moved to El Paso though McAllen had been made into a stake in the same building.
One day, we decided I was not making enough money in purchasing curios for a small company whose owner was an uncle to the same foreman who fainted when I cut the end of my finger off a few years earlier. While working here I was given an old mail van to go into Mexico to buy the curios, this was probably the hardest I have ever had as the Spanish I knew was gospel Spanish and not daily Spanish used in speaking to sellers of curios. Back to the story, so I took a job as a cutter for a sandal making company but was still using the old mail truck to get back and fort to the plant. One day I was driving home for lunch when I had an insulin reaction and drove this van into the back of a parked dump truck. I must have been going pretty fast as it hit the rear wheels of the dump truck and knocked them loose. So I totaled two trucks or cars at once in this situation.
The funny part of this story is that Diana was going to meet me at home for lunch and saw the lights of the ambulance flashing and I wasn’t there at home yet so she went to see what was going on. Well she found me with a broken leg/knee, a broken arm, a seriously contused arm, a bleeding head and the ambulance attendants were trying to find a way to get me out or had just gotten me out ask Diana and she explained for the first of dozens of times tnhat I was diabetic. The first I remembered was when Diana told me that I looked like a cartoon character with one leg in a cast and hoisted up in the hospital bed, one in a cast and held up by a sling and the other arm totally wrapped in white and a bandage around my head. (I still say “that is why I am bald today”)
I am falling asleep so these stories will have to continue tomorrow.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Laredo has many memories
As we start today I want to warn you this is not a pretty story in the least and so one should close their eyes. I have always wondered how that was done. After we were married Diana and I were living in the apartment Diana had before we got hitched. I had never been a father before and I was trying to live as I had before, so I took out my contacts, these were hard contacts, and put them in the cases which I had to keep them in. I arose one day after Cathy did as she wasn’t even three as of yet and she was sleeping with us as Diana didn’t believe in cribs as that was where SIDs happened. Back to the story, Cathy had risen before I and had found my contacts and opened one side… and had dropped one side, the most important side, in the toilet. Well she came in to tell us and, as stated, I was not used to having my things, such important things, LOL, lost, destroyed or dropped in the toilet. So I yelled so loudly that it even woke up Diana and Cathy would never trust me again, for a long time any way. I went to the store and Cathy went with me shortly after that and I told her that I was going to put her in the dumpster, as a good father never would do. I apologize for this.
Anyway, on to the lighter side of life in Laredo, the river was a terrible place to go swimming so we went out to the local lake, which has a name but I cannot remember what it is, which had a playground cerca la laguna where we would go to play and swing Cathy on the swings and on the merry go round. To get out to the lake we would have to drive down Saunders street and then onto a smaller access road that would get on till we found the lake road. This Saunders street is what I was going to talk about. This road was always very crowded and hard to get around on even though it was a four lane road. Seems as if there was always someone with his/her car stuck half way into this Saunders and therefore it turned into a two lane road so Diana bought me a pickup and I insisted that we put a big log on the front of it with a big log that stuck out about three feet on either side so people would backup when they saw me coming, but Diana didn’t want me to get in trouble so I never did this. But every time I drove down Saunders I wanted to get that log.
I think I will go on to put this in the blog and quit for today.
Anyway, on to the lighter side of life in Laredo, the river was a terrible place to go swimming so we went out to the local lake, which has a name but I cannot remember what it is, which had a playground cerca la laguna where we would go to play and swing Cathy on the swings and on the merry go round. To get out to the lake we would have to drive down Saunders street and then onto a smaller access road that would get on till we found the lake road. This Saunders street is what I was going to talk about. This road was always very crowded and hard to get around on even though it was a four lane road. Seems as if there was always someone with his/her car stuck half way into this Saunders and therefore it turned into a two lane road so Diana bought me a pickup and I insisted that we put a big log on the front of it with a big log that stuck out about three feet on either side so people would backup when they saw me coming, but Diana didn’t want me to get in trouble so I never did this. But every time I drove down Saunders I wanted to get that log.
I think I will go on to put this in the blog and quit for today.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
02/26/2006 Fun
We had an empty nester couple over for Sunday lunch today for the first time in many years and really enjoyed ourselves today. I took some movie clips of Diana dancing around after they left. But could not figure out how to put them on the blog so if anyone can tell me how to do this I guess everyone can see. Otherwise each will have to wait till we come visit. By the way try looking at "Our House" in the links area! One more thing try reading the one about questions once more.
I have decided that everything I write, except when I am talking about memories, is just the ravings of a lunatic so do not pay any attention to my ravings. Please
I apologize for causing so many wonderings about what I have asked in previous posts. I guess if you understood it then don't worry about it.
I have decided that everything I write, except when I am talking about memories, is just the ravings of a lunatic so do not pay any attention to my ravings. Please
I apologize for causing so many wonderings about what I have asked in previous posts. I guess if you understood it then don't worry about it.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Now we start married life
Diana and I talked about my confusion I was having writing the rest of my life story and I told her that all of this confusion was because I didn’t want to hurt anyone with what I had to say. She told me not to worry about it as I have hurt people before and it didn’t kill them plus it is my story so tell it the way I see it. Oh by the way I want you to know that I am more available than Diana to talk over the telephone as long as it isn't a long conversation! Now I feel that I can continue.
Once upon a time there was a couple who was married in May of 1973 just two months after my mission. His parents could not come because of the distance and her father would not come as he had been to one wedding of hers and that was enough. There were many people from the ward there such as Bishop Kearns and family, Colonel Baldwin and family, the Reynosa family who became the next bishop and who told Diana if I ever did anything wrong to come back and he would take care of her, the Duartes, the Ballards, a couple air force pilots and their wife’s (neither Diana nor I remember their names even though one couple left their Persian cats with us and never did tell us where to send them), the Castros whom Elder Larsgard and I lived with. Many of these people were shaking there heads at a missionary who had come back to marry within their ranks even though many of them had encouraged it throughout my stay in Laredo the second time. BTW I got tired of the cats who kept tearing up our furniture so we sold them to some strange person.
My sister (Sandra) came at the last minute and because Diana and I were in a hurry to get changed she was unable to give our present at the time they took it over to our house and sent their oldest boy to bring it up to us, chickens. After they had given us a present, funny thing but they felt they had to leave right away. What do you think were they being rude?
Well Diana and I got dressed and went across the river which I had never done since the beginning of my mission! Believe it or not. We went over and had some cabrito which I had to order as Diana was pretending that she did not understand his Spanish, I used to tell people that I was able to speak better Spanish than she but that has never been true. As we went into Mexico we found it a great deal of fun to have all the Mexicanos come by and talk to her aas if I didn’t understand and then I would start talking to her in Spanish. Those poor men were almost always totally embarrasado er embarrassed.
When we were first married we were as poor as church mice who were never left any pieces of bread so we did many things to try and stretch our dollar. The first I remember was when we had no money for the car inspection and she would put on this skimpy tee shirt, tie the ends together so the mechanics were to busy looking at her to pay any attention to what was wrong with the car. Can anyone even try to imagine her doing something like that? Another case where I should have paid more attention to my Patriarchal blessing. I should have been smart enough to explain to her that what she was doing was not appropriate as Diana had only been a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years or so I believe and she has learned so much since then it amazes me that I cannot keep up.
I think I have started with the balance of my life and it will be quite a bit longer than that which I have told as of yet as now Diana has a part in it.
Once upon a time there was a couple who was married in May of 1973 just two months after my mission. His parents could not come because of the distance and her father would not come as he had been to one wedding of hers and that was enough. There were many people from the ward there such as Bishop Kearns and family, Colonel Baldwin and family, the Reynosa family who became the next bishop and who told Diana if I ever did anything wrong to come back and he would take care of her, the Duartes, the Ballards, a couple air force pilots and their wife’s (neither Diana nor I remember their names even though one couple left their Persian cats with us and never did tell us where to send them), the Castros whom Elder Larsgard and I lived with. Many of these people were shaking there heads at a missionary who had come back to marry within their ranks even though many of them had encouraged it throughout my stay in Laredo the second time. BTW I got tired of the cats who kept tearing up our furniture so we sold them to some strange person.
My sister (Sandra) came at the last minute and because Diana and I were in a hurry to get changed she was unable to give our present at the time they took it over to our house and sent their oldest boy to bring it up to us, chickens. After they had given us a present, funny thing but they felt they had to leave right away. What do you think were they being rude?
Well Diana and I got dressed and went across the river which I had never done since the beginning of my mission! Believe it or not. We went over and had some cabrito which I had to order as Diana was pretending that she did not understand his Spanish, I used to tell people that I was able to speak better Spanish than she but that has never been true. As we went into Mexico we found it a great deal of fun to have all the Mexicanos come by and talk to her aas if I didn’t understand and then I would start talking to her in Spanish. Those poor men were almost always totally embarrasado er embarrassed.
When we were first married we were as poor as church mice who were never left any pieces of bread so we did many things to try and stretch our dollar. The first I remember was when we had no money for the car inspection and she would put on this skimpy tee shirt, tie the ends together so the mechanics were to busy looking at her to pay any attention to what was wrong with the car. Can anyone even try to imagine her doing something like that? Another case where I should have paid more attention to my Patriarchal blessing. I should have been smart enough to explain to her that what she was doing was not appropriate as Diana had only been a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years or so I believe and she has learned so much since then it amazes me that I cannot keep up.
I think I have started with the balance of my life and it will be quite a bit longer than that which I have told as of yet as now Diana has a part in it.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Keary Nield's Life: Help needed...
Keary Nield's Life: Help needed...
OK! If no one is offering to help, and I don't mean any criticism, this is my decision concerning the rest of my life history: I guess that I will make this entire blog my life history (copied from the internet and pasted in Microsoft Word) - including some or all comments and minus MOST of the Links I have put out there and I would suggest that if I make any mistakes that you are not happy about during the rest of this life history that you leave a Link, as I have been doing, to correct me and I will fix it then delete that Link!
OK? Comments, if agreed or not agreed, please.
OK! If no one is offering to help, and I don't mean any criticism, this is my decision concerning the rest of my life history: I guess that I will make this entire blog my life history (copied from the internet and pasted in Microsoft Word) - including some or all comments and minus MOST of the Links I have put out there and I would suggest that if I make any mistakes that you are not happy about during the rest of this life history that you leave a Link, as I have been doing, to correct me and I will fix it then delete that Link!
OK? Comments, if agreed or not agreed, please.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Apologies to my SWEETHEART!
I must apologize for my loose tongued approach to my talk of yesterday. With a blog one must always be cautious of what one might say to cause an employer to react if a blog search is done. I am going to return to yesterdays blog and remove that which I think may be damaging.
I think that one should be very concious of the fact that blog searches have become rather common place in the employment process and that with a blog your business is not just your business, but that of every person in the world who might read it. I would not have chosen to write my life history on a blog except that is the only way that I would have had the courage to complete it while on this earth.
Now it will take me quite more time to decide on how to present the balance of my tale as at present I have no idea how to proceed with this story of my life. You see now there are many others to dispute what I have to say and I realize that the facts are what I remember and not what someone else remembers. You see I want to make the remembrances as close as possible to the truth. So it may take a few days to get my memories correct.
Love Dad
I think that one should be very concious of the fact that blog searches have become rather common place in the employment process and that with a blog your business is not just your business, but that of every person in the world who might read it. I would not have chosen to write my life history on a blog except that is the only way that I would have had the courage to complete it while on this earth.
Now it will take me quite more time to decide on how to present the balance of my tale as at present I have no idea how to proceed with this story of my life. You see now there are many others to dispute what I have to say and I realize that the facts are what I remember and not what someone else remembers. You see I want to make the remembrances as close as possible to the truth. So it may take a few days to get my memories correct.
Love Dad
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Keary Nield's Life: Now we will discuss THE WEDDING…
Keary Nield's Life: Now we will discuss THE WEDDING…
This is a strange way of commenting. Tell you what, you leave comments and I will reply if so desired by meself or if asked a question by you in comment. Read this blog once again as I have made changes. Actually Sandra and Reid were there to our surprise. My parents had paid for me to go back to Texas and could not afford to go themselves. It is because I have always done everything so outlandishly that my Parents could not be there. Cathy I do not want any questions especially those which anyone might have to ask while writing a comment. Why did I write "except"?
This is a strange way of commenting. Tell you what, you leave comments and I will reply if so desired by meself or if asked a question by you in comment. Read this blog once again as I have made changes. Actually Sandra and Reid were there to our surprise. My parents had paid for me to go back to Texas and could not afford to go themselves. It is because I have always done everything so outlandishly that my Parents could not be there. Cathy I do not want any questions especially those which anyone might have to ask while writing a comment. Why did I write "except"?
Hi...
Just thought I would say HI to my grandchildren:
HI ZACHARY
HI TONIA
HI SUMMER
HI ZEKE
HI ADAN
HI BRECK
HI JOCELYN
HI ZOË
HI KARI-LYN
HI ALEX JR.
Just thought I would say HI to yawl and tell you what sweet things you bring as you are the fruit of the marriage between Diana (grandma) and myself (grandpa) just like our children your mommies or daddies are sweet as candy.
HI ZACHARY
HI TONIA
HI SUMMER
HI ZEKE
HI ADAN
HI BRECK
HI JOCELYN
HI ZOË
HI KARI-LYN
HI ALEX JR.
Just thought I would say HI to yawl and tell you what sweet things you bring as you are the fruit of the marriage between Diana (grandma) and myself (grandpa) just like our children your mommies or daddies are sweet as candy.
Now we will discuss THE WEDDING…
As was mentioned before, I found Diana to be stuck up and trying too hard or something that I wanted nothing to do with. Well, I changed my mind sometime during the nine months I was in Laredo this time. I believe that Diana was surely unimpressed with me also, but I was informed this past weekend that she was instructed by her bishop to keep me in mind as a future husband. If anyone knows Diana, they know that she will do what she is instructed to do by those in authority over her if possible.
During the time I was assigned in Laredo I was a district leader and I could not drive so my companions had to do all the driving, but also I received four or five companions during this period. Seems as if I was difficult to get along with doesn’t it? Well this is untrue as I was known as one of the easiest going Elders in the mission. Anyway my companions were also invited to all the meals and home evenings Diana and I were invited to. I guess I got so many companions as the Lord wanted Diana and I to get to know one another or something like that. Well, when I got home the first thing I did was to call and ask Diana if she would marry me. I had to do this in case someone else was to have the same idea. And I found later there was at least one other to do that.
When I got home my parents gave me the last car they had purchased to deliver newspapers with to help me on the mission as a welcome home present. After Diana had accepted I took the car, my parents had given me, and as I had title to it used it as collateral for a loan large enough to purchase a wedding ring with her birth stone on either side of the ring along with the diamond in the center, it originally had diamonds in all three locations. When I got back to Laredo I wanted to give her a paper ring as a joke but did not have the courage so I gave her the ring and took her straight to the chapel (just kidding) so she could not do the same as had happened to me before. I found that she would never have even thought of doing that sort of thing. When I married Diana, I married a real jewel one that is worth more than all the diamonds and rubies in this world.
When we finally did get married I found myself waiting on the edge of the church steps waiting and hoping that she had not changed her mind only to find out that she wanted her hair different than it currently was for over half an hour. This is something I see her doing quite often. It is either her hair or the outfit she is wearing. And when it is what she is wearing she has to change her clothes and then put her make-up on once again for some strange reason. Diana cannot makeup her mind for several hours each time and she continually comes and asks me how she looks, to which I always say “You look wonderful honey” and I mean it. Seldom do I have to say that she should change something or other. But she is never quite satisfied.
When Diana and I were married Cathy was just over two years old but thought she was thirty-two and Diana treated her as if she were. This made me so jealous that I treated Cathy as an enemy instead of one smart little girl, which she was. Actually this wasn’t the reason. The reason I was so jealous was that I felt Diana felt more affection toward Cathy than she did toward me. I could tell tons of stories about Cathy and none of them would put me in a very good light all because of my jealousy. I have since found that Cathy had nothing to do with the way Diana is but I have been very slow and dim witted in learning this.
During the time I was assigned in Laredo I was a district leader and I could not drive so my companions had to do all the driving, but also I received four or five companions during this period. Seems as if I was difficult to get along with doesn’t it? Well this is untrue as I was known as one of the easiest going Elders in the mission. Anyway my companions were also invited to all the meals and home evenings Diana and I were invited to. I guess I got so many companions as the Lord wanted Diana and I to get to know one another or something like that. Well, when I got home the first thing I did was to call and ask Diana if she would marry me. I had to do this in case someone else was to have the same idea. And I found later there was at least one other to do that.
When I got home my parents gave me the last car they had purchased to deliver newspapers with to help me on the mission as a welcome home present. After Diana had accepted I took the car, my parents had given me, and as I had title to it used it as collateral for a loan large enough to purchase a wedding ring with her birth stone on either side of the ring along with the diamond in the center, it originally had diamonds in all three locations. When I got back to Laredo I wanted to give her a paper ring as a joke but did not have the courage so I gave her the ring and took her straight to the chapel (just kidding) so she could not do the same as had happened to me before. I found that she would never have even thought of doing that sort of thing. When I married Diana, I married a real jewel one that is worth more than all the diamonds and rubies in this world.
When we finally did get married I found myself waiting on the edge of the church steps waiting and hoping that she had not changed her mind only to find out that she wanted her hair different than it currently was for over half an hour. This is something I see her doing quite often. It is either her hair or the outfit she is wearing. And when it is what she is wearing she has to change her clothes and then put her make-up on once again for some strange reason. Diana cannot makeup her mind for several hours each time and she continually comes and asks me how she looks, to which I always say “You look wonderful honey” and I mean it. Seldom do I have to say that she should change something or other. But she is never quite satisfied.
When Diana and I were married Cathy was just over two years old but thought she was thirty-two and Diana treated her as if she were. This made me so jealous that I treated Cathy as an enemy instead of one smart little girl, which she was. Actually this wasn’t the reason. The reason I was so jealous was that I felt Diana felt more affection toward Cathy than she did toward me. I could tell tons of stories about Cathy and none of them would put me in a very good light all because of my jealousy. I have since found that Cathy had nothing to do with the way Diana is but I have been very slow and dim witted in learning this.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Let’s try again!
We went Sat morning to visit with my parents. As we got there we found everyone except dad going to Moses Lake to share a birthday party with Kathy’s son Even er Evanwho is now four three years old. It was fun and we took our new camera with us to show all the people we met.
Anyway I will show a couple more.at least we decided that the camera we had spent so much money for was a piece of s_it compared to my Uncle Dean & Renae Jaques Kodak Sure-shot, Abby & Connie’s Olympus whatever and Jason and Alana’s Kodak. So when we got home yesterday we took our camera back and got a new one, a Canon PowerShot A 520, and I will let you see examples of each camera you will see a big difference and I am a very poor photographer at least as good or bad as Diana. All the scenery on the road was taken by me as I cannot drive. Most of the shots of people were taken by Diana and some by myself.
Abby (Diana)
And Connie n Abby 
Diana w/new camera
(she hates the double chin)
And Diana w/first camera
(at least she has black hair)
And Jason n Olga
And
And Kathy n Evan
And
the Columbia river 1
And
Desert country
And
Pasco's blue bridge
And Multnomah falls iced over
And
Mount Hood in Distance
And
Torrie
And
Dad & Mom
And
Ryan and Athena Ryan's wife and Katie and Mike Katie's Hubby Mike and Athena are Anthony's children.
And the ugly one.
And
my aunt Renae and hubby or uncle Dean, he was not a member when they married and has since been a bishop.
And Grandpa Nield or my father Who is uglier he or I?
And
Meghan Ramon (Torries yougest)
And
ice on side of road I-84
And
more ice further home
And
Multnomah Falls completely iced over (strange to see the water frozen on the way down.)
And now some pictures from new camera:
Me perplexed
And Me thinking 
And a familiar location 138th Avenue and 28th Street
.
Have a good time looking then comment to me and tell me which camera is the best in your opinion.
Love Dad
Tomorrow it is on with my life if I can remember that far back???
Anyway I will show a couple more.at least we decided that the camera we had spent so much money for was a piece of s_it compared to my Uncle Dean & Renae Jaques Kodak Sure-shot, Abby & Connie’s Olympus whatever and Jason and Alana’s Kodak. So when we got home yesterday we took our camera back and got a new one, a Canon PowerShot A 520, and I will let you see examples of each camera you will see a big difference and I am a very poor photographer at least as good or bad as Diana. All the scenery on the road was taken by me as I cannot drive. Most of the shots of people were taken by Diana and some by myself.
Abby (Diana)
And Connie n Abby 
Diana w/new camera
(she hates the double chin)And Diana w/first camera
(at least she has black hair)And Jason n Olga
AndAnd Kathy n Evan
And
the Columbia river 1And
Desert countryAnd
Pasco's blue bridgeAnd Multnomah falls iced over
And
Mount Hood in DistanceAnd
TorrieAnd
Dad & MomAnd
Ryan and Athena Ryan's wife and Katie and Mike Katie's Hubby Mike and Athena are Anthony's children.And the ugly one.
And
my aunt Renae and hubby or uncle Dean, he was not a member when they married and has since been a bishop.And Grandpa Nield or my father Who is uglier he or I?
And
Meghan Ramon (Torries yougest)And
ice on side of road I-84And
more ice further homeAnd
Multnomah Falls completely iced over (strange to see the water frozen on the way down.)And now some pictures from new camera:
Me perplexed
And Me thinking 
And a familiar location 138th Avenue and 28th Street
.Have a good time looking then comment to me and tell me which camera is the best in your opinion.
Love Dad
Tomorrow it is on with my life if I can remember that far back???
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Sample of Our new Camera
Diana kept trying until I didn't blink. About twenty times it was.
And below is Diana being comepletely exhausted. Don't know who took this photo. Really.
We got 1 gig of memory card and rechargable batteries both costing more than the camera did.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Help needed...
As I have already stated I am not good at writing a proper story with the appropriate commas and other punctuation. The help I am looking for would be someone to copy the blog and paste it into a word processor then go through each story and put in the proper wording and the proper punctuation so that this whole Life story might be compiled, bound and given to my progeny.
And NO I do NOT want to sell my life story or make it into a movie as has been suggested a few times. The reason I do not want to do this is that although you think it might be funny or whatever, when a person purchases anything it then becomes that persons property and he/she ca do whatever he/she wishes and I know a few things are stretching the truth it is my story and I want it as my story and not as someone elses ideas of what might make it better.
Also I know that I love my mother with the greatest love a person can have for their mother, and although I have portrayed her as someone who didn’t care I know that she has lived her life and maybe she has made some mistakes in my eyes, but every person has the right to live their life as they see fit. It might not be appropriate for some, but it is their life and they have the right to choose and no one should criticize except our Lord. I know that I have made my mistakes and no one has the right to decide whether I have repented except our Heavenly Father. And I do not want people I general either to read nor to see my incomplete life. Enough.
One more mission story from San Antonio were I was again a district leader and was getting new companions from the LTM every week or month or in between but never more than a month. My companion went to visit an old sister (hermana) and when we got there we could not get in to see her as there was a goat (chivo) that would not let is into the fence around her house no matter what we would do.
We finally just ran and jumped over her porch railing where we found her as happy as can be and wanting to feed us as we were too thin. When we left she called the goat into his pen so that we could leave in peace. When we were visiting the branch president we had thought the experience quite funny so I told him as best as I could in Spanish as he didn’t understand very much.
When I got to the part about the goat chasing us out of the fence I stumbled quite a bit as I had never talked about goats before, the gospel does not talk about goats so I did not know what one was called, but I did know that a baby goat was called a cabrito in the restaurants so quickly I changed the “ito” to “on” as is usually done when converting a small something into a large something. Anyway I said that there was a cabron (SOB) in this hermanas yard that wouldn’t lrt us pass. Well the branch president asked me who it was and I told him that it was an animal when he started to laugh and laugh then told me that the large cabrito was called a chivo and that the cabron was a not so nice man.
Well how was I to know but the branch president thought it so funny that he had to tell his counselors and thy told their wives and their wives told their friends and when we got to church that Sunday we were faced with the biggest harangue that one could get and then my companion told the mission president who told the assistants to the president and the word spread from there around the mission. I was from then on known as the SOB by the mission president on down to every new missionary that came into the mission. And it is wondered why I don’t go to the reunions.
And NO I do NOT want to sell my life story or make it into a movie as has been suggested a few times. The reason I do not want to do this is that although you think it might be funny or whatever, when a person purchases anything it then becomes that persons property and he/she ca do whatever he/she wishes and I know a few things are stretching the truth it is my story and I want it as my story and not as someone elses ideas of what might make it better.
Also I know that I love my mother with the greatest love a person can have for their mother, and although I have portrayed her as someone who didn’t care I know that she has lived her life and maybe she has made some mistakes in my eyes, but every person has the right to live their life as they see fit. It might not be appropriate for some, but it is their life and they have the right to choose and no one should criticize except our Lord. I know that I have made my mistakes and no one has the right to decide whether I have repented except our Heavenly Father. And I do not want people I general either to read nor to see my incomplete life. Enough.
One more mission story from San Antonio were I was again a district leader and was getting new companions from the LTM every week or month or in between but never more than a month. My companion went to visit an old sister (hermana) and when we got there we could not get in to see her as there was a goat (chivo) that would not let is into the fence around her house no matter what we would do.
We finally just ran and jumped over her porch railing where we found her as happy as can be and wanting to feed us as we were too thin. When we left she called the goat into his pen so that we could leave in peace. When we were visiting the branch president we had thought the experience quite funny so I told him as best as I could in Spanish as he didn’t understand very much.
When I got to the part about the goat chasing us out of the fence I stumbled quite a bit as I had never talked about goats before, the gospel does not talk about goats so I did not know what one was called, but I did know that a baby goat was called a cabrito in the restaurants so quickly I changed the “ito” to “on” as is usually done when converting a small something into a large something. Anyway I said that there was a cabron (SOB) in this hermanas yard that wouldn’t lrt us pass. Well the branch president asked me who it was and I told him that it was an animal when he started to laugh and laugh then told me that the large cabrito was called a chivo and that the cabron was a not so nice man.
Well how was I to know but the branch president thought it so funny that he had to tell his counselors and thy told their wives and their wives told their friends and when we got to church that Sunday we were faced with the biggest harangue that one could get and then my companion told the mission president who told the assistants to the president and the word spread from there around the mission. I was from then on known as the SOB by the mission president on down to every new missionary that came into the mission. And it is wondered why I don’t go to the reunions.
Today my mission will be discussed.
In the beginning of my mission I had no idea what was supposed to be so great about a mission and I was just going through the motions and doing and sayings that I saw others doing. One of the many things I had learned at the LTM was the desire to learn more about the Spanish language, but even more about this fellow Jesus Christ who was our savior according to my parents and to my surprise according to everyone else around me now. So I would read both to learn the Spanish language and about my Savior. So I read the Book of Mormon both in English and in Spanish, which I found to be an easier language to understand in the end, to better understand this wonderful book that had the gospel of Jesus Christ spelled out so clearly in it. I read the Bible in both languages and I read the book "Jesus the Christ" in Spanish all of this to help learn both the Spanish language and the Gospel of Jesus Christ which I was now teaching and how could one teach without a knowledge of what one was teaching? I remember a lot about a lot of my companions but especially about my first two companions, Elder George Larsgard who was the best Elder I have ever known except the Apostles and, Elder Kenneth Turpin who was the most selfish and stubborn person I have ever known. The first week I was a missionary I was in a threesome with Elder Larsgard and Elder Brinkerhoff who was from Stevensville Montana, he didn’t remember me but I did remember him as he was one of the brothersf the little girl, who I had hit in the head with a rock. Well the first day we went out to tract the neighborhood I was all excited and couldn’t wait to get started. We went out as a threesome and the first few doors we went to either Elder Larsgard or Elder Brinkerhoff would talk which I was fine with, then we came up to a door and Elder Larsgard said “OK Elder Nield it is now your turn” to which I said M·my turn? I d·don’t know how to which he said you just go up there and speak in English if the person at the door speaks English then you cn speak in English and if the person at the door speaks Spanish then you speak in Spanish. Well I went to the door and knocked, waited and just as I was about to turn around, a young lady came to the door and said “Buenos Dias” so I turned back and in very good Spanish said “Hello, we are Elders with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, have you ever heard of this church?” and she said “mande mé” or what so I repeated myself and she said the same thing when Elder Larsgard said to me speak up Elder Nield. The whole point of this story is that I was so afraid that nothing was coming out of my mouth even though it was moving and I could hear myself just fine, a problem I often found myself in during the mission. Well, that being a mouthful, I remember that not being able to drive my companions and I spent a lot of time walking and riding bikes through neighborhoods that one could get very hurt or dead were in not for the Spirit of the Lord being with us. I remember walking through a neighborhood in San Antonio when someone picked up a rock and threw it at us and then hearing is friends telling him that if he could not throw better than that… well I knew the Spirit of the Lord was with us and I knew that the gangster would have hit us with the rock if he could have, I also remember riding bikes along one day in Laredo when this german Shepard came out chasing my companion and I felt a prompting to get behind that dog and try to save my companion who was deathly afraid of dogs and was wobbling all over, so I came up behind the dog and bumped it with my front wheel and it fell over dead and I ended up crashing over the dog while my companion, don’t remember his name, gave me a hard time about not being able to get along with dogs. The grandest thing about any mission though is being to teach people the Gospel of Jesus Christ and watch them start to understand then go all the way to being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then having the authority of giving this same person, same people, the gift of the Holy Ghost. When I went on the mission I didn’t know what I had caused to happen to myself; however, when I got home from my mission I could count the many blessings I had received from going on a mission for the Lord but today I can’t count that high. I remember that I had met my wife during these two years/ when I first met her I remember being told that she was the one all the Elders wanted to come back to marry and I said “She is just stuck and conceited, I wouldn’t waste my time” to which I later regretted saying more than once. Tomorrow we will go on to my marriage if you dare.
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