Poppy, Babsy and the Girls on the Town

I was waiting in Babsy's driveway when she got back from taking Jake to school this morning. We didn't even allow the girls to dismount, but I loaded in and headed to the Point of the Mountain and Cabela's. Of course both Lydia and Katie thought the fish in the aquarium were really cool. We wandered through the display and talked about all of the different kinds. They also enjoyed all of the mounted game animals, so as far as they were concerned, the trip was successful.

Babsy became intrigued with this particular fish. Not just because it had a hook jaw, but because it also looked like it had a bad cold sore. She took several pictures of it while we looked around.

I didn't buy much at Cabela's, I never do, but we also made stops at Costco, and REI. We had some lunch at a Greek joint but I don't think we chose wisely from the menu. Then we picked up Jake from school and headed to the Sugarhouse park to feed the ducks. Aunties Liza and Karen met us there with Jasper and Ted.

The kids had a ball and ducks were well fed. Once the bread was gone, we had to review duck and geese feeding etiquette. When the bread runs out it is improper to substitute rocks and sticks. For some reasons when the kids do that, the waterfowl all run away!

Of course a good time was had by all, and we returned home in time for naps and other more homey chores. I had to pick up Bubby downtown at the Raddisson at 4:30 PM and it only took us 20 minutes to drive back to Sarah's. We are having a pizza party tonight with Daniel, Rosalyn, and Andrew and Laurie, Big K, Brianna, Gracie, and Ella. Lots of fun. The kids made their own individual pizzas and have gone down to the basement to play.

Buboppy

APPL and Dinner with Impact

We started this day of the conference at a keynote speech where the various values and characteristics of the Greatest Generation, the Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y were presented. Bubby sneaked into not only this keynote, but anything else she was interested in, including the trade show. This was accomplished by her use of my badge from last year.

That evening, the folks at Impact photographic took the entire BCNHA group out for dinner at a Brazilian Restaurant. There were 14 of us all together. Of course the main theme at a Brazilian BBQ is meat, but their salad bar was the most remarkable thing I have ever seen. They had every type of side items, exotic preserved meats and cheeses, seared ahi tuna, and the list goes on and on. Of course once the meat started to arrive all else was forgotten. They had chicken, pork, beef, sausages, and lamb in all sorts of Brazilian preparations. They just keep coming, and coming, and coming. I wished I could have only ordered salad, but that wasn't in the cards.

While we were waiting for our reservation, we visited Bass Pro Shops and the Garfield County coys bought new logo hats. I had to take their photo. We encouraged Judge Lee of the 6th District to wear his new yellow Bass Pro hat on the bench, but he didn't think it would work.

As usually, Shawn was really serious about the meat. He couldn't decide if he liked the plain or bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin the best. One thing for sure, he was still eating long after everyone else had faded.

Our usual morning routine at the conference includes a trip to the Corner Bakery, which due to the BCNHA Seinfeld fetish, was nicknamed "Monk's". Bubby took a picture of our breakfast clatch this particular morning. There are lots of good, reasonably priced items to eat, but the Diet Coke was amazing and those who imbibed were returning for refills multiple times each morning.

I took this photo of the BCNHA ladies outside of the trade show. Bubby really worked it over, although we are far more discriminating than at our first APPL convention. She ended up with lots of whale and dolphin books for mister Jake.

Our last evening at the conference, we went to find White Fence Farm, a restaurant featured on "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives". I captured the back seat brigade on the way there.

We always work hard to make Judge Lee laugh on our outings, because when he really gets going, he laughs like Kermit The Frog. In this photo, he is going for it.

After a major family-style chicken dinner, we wandered through the retail section, and had a nice time. Bubby posed with this bronze, along with our friend Paula. It was a lovely couple of days and lots of fun going to all of these fun restaurants. We finished this day with a trip to Cold Stone Creamery. Bubby and I couldn't eat much, but participated anyway. The best part of this day was that we got to change our room for the last night. We finally got a king bed and Bubby said it was her best night's sleep while we were gone. We are so spoiled.

Buboppy

APPL Happenings

While I was being good and attending conference sessions on Monday, Bubby, Auntie Nell, Debbie Hafen, and La Dawn Clove went out and about town. It was really quite a lovely day, and they did some exploring. In the photo above, TriNellie are standing in front of the J.J. and Unsinkable Molly Brown home in the downtown area. It is located Pennsylvania Ave, where Molly always wanted to live.

After their trip to see the historic home, they went to the Brown Palace Hotel for high tea. I fear that Bubby is polluting others, because neither Debbie or La Dawn have ever participated in that pleasant ritual. Bubby says it is a beautiful hotel, and they had a lovely time just taking in their surroundings.

Although she is posing with a tea cup in this image, Auntie Nell drank lemonade, rather than tea. I guess only Bubby and Debbie actually enjoyed herbal tea. One day, it is Bubby's fondest wish to take all of her grandchildren, although not necessarily all at once, out for high tea in a beautiful venue.

Debbie is poised behind the three layers of tea treats. Bubby said the scones and clotted cream were outstanding, as good as any she has had. The other treats were good, but not the best ever. The newcomers were overwhelmed with their first experience, and the civility and social reality associated with "ladies of quality" enjoying a dignified repast.

That evening, when the meetings were over, no one had a clear picture of what they wanted to eat for supper, and so Bubby pointed out that she had noticed that Maggiano's Little Italy was just one block away, and off we went. There were 10 of us for supper, and only Bubby and I had eaten there before. I took a photo of the second half of Bubby's baked chicken, portabello mushroom, and sun-dried tomato pasta dish. It was rendered in a cream sauce that immediately gave her the BU. It was incredibly delicious but way too rich. I had the ever delightful eggplant parmasean, and we all split a spinach artichoke hot dip appetizer. All were impressed and over fed, of course. Lesa Pollock's husband, Greg, ordered the lasagna, and although I warned him about portion size at Little Italy, he was till in shock when the dish arrived 5X6 inches and 4 inches high. It was drowned in the most amazing marinara sauce.

This is the irrepressible Shawn Chenoweth. He is loads of fun at these things, and always eats everyone under the table, calling for an ice cream dessert afterwards.

We stepped out the the restaurant and lumbered up the 16th Street Mall looking for incidentals in Walgreens and Rite Aid. I took this photo of the immediate skyline, and we parted company and headed to our accommodations.

Buboppy

Safely Installed in the Adams Mark

No photos yet, but a quick report to let you know that the conference weekend activities are concluded and we arrived in Denver last evening for the APPL convention with very little mishap. We were expecting stormy weather, but seem to have pretty much missed it during our drive to SLC. Once we checked in, our flight was quite uneventful. We had a reasonable taxi ride in, and saw Gayle Pollock, Lyman and Debbie Hafen, and Uncle Roland and Auntie Nellie in the lobby of the Adams Mark. We had a snack together last night, and Bubby is out and about with Auntie Nell and Debbie today.

I did have a rather embarrassing moment during my reading of the sustaining in our general stake conference meeting. I was given the paperwork far enough in advance to look it over, but I spent all of my time looking over the personnel in our stake. I never bothered to look at the general authority portion. I started out and got about as far as "Gordan B. . . ." before I realized that the document, which comes out of the Church's computer system, has not yet been updated to reflect the new First Presidency or Council of the Twelve. Anyway, I began to wing it, scrambling to remember who the new councilors in the First Presidency are, and did OK until I reread Elder Uchdorf as a member of the Twelve. Our visiting authority, Elder Stone of the Seventy, asked President Wilson to tug my coattail and ask me not to sustain him twice, and of course by then I had already read his name, did not want to reread the names (I just wanted to sit down), so I asked, "Would you like me to unsustain him?". I quickly shifted to "And the other general authorities are presently constituted", and pressed on. It was very amusing for the audience, but much less so for me. I left a note in our Stake Clerk's mailbox pointing out that we used to be friends.

Buboppy

A Pleasant Surprise

When I got home last night Trisha was down in the basement putting on a quilt. I was headed to the "reading room" when the doorbell rang. I opened it and there stood our old friend Ann Haws! We were so glad to see her. We talked and talked, caught up on everybody's lives and had a grand time. We grabbed a bite to eat at The Pub, and then went to the Escalante-Panguitch regional basketball playoff game. It was a fun evening, and probably not what would have happened if Ann hadn't showed up.

We were saddened to hear that Grandma Griffin passed away this winter. We saw Grandpa Griffin at the game, but it is sad to think that she is gone. We saw her in September when we borrowed a Gott cooler from them during our field trip, and now she has moved on. Kind of sobering.

Buboppy

Friday Afternoon

It's Friday, and I feel like I need to post something, but have nothing outstanding to report. We are gearing up for our departure to Denver on Sunday and planning ahead so we can be ready to run. The weather is a little unpredictable this weekend, which could make things interesting. It is sunny and breezy right now, but the weather gurus are predicting significant snow (3-6 inches) by morning and more on Sunday.
It is our stake conference this weekend. We have a visiting general authority, and of course all of the meetings associated with stake conference. I start tomorrow afternoon at about 4:30, and the pressure won't be off until afternoon on Sunday. I have to speak in the Saturday night session, and I need to go over my talk a few times before then.
We are planning on packing tonight and tomorrow morning for our trip. I also have an appointment with Dr. Vlasich at the University tomorrow. He wants to look at my pontoon boat. He is interested in buying one and I would be glad to sell him mine. I don't like it much, but of course I won't tell him that. I think the deal will hinge on whether he thinks an electric trolling motor can be mounted on my boat.
I did go out to lunch with Barb, Pearl, and Ty today. We drove over to the Parowan Cafe because Ty got to choose. Bubby declined the invitation, because she ate Chinese at work today.
I offered Bubby a chance to go to the movies, but she doesn't seem interested. The only reasonable option is the "Spiderwick" business, and you know how she feels about fantasy. We have been stockpiling episodes of "My So Called Life" for Sarah to view while we are gone, and so we don't even have a decent Netflix to watch.
Let's hope we have more to report later. I guess Laur is in SLC. We hope for a report of some kind about those events.

Buboppy

Bubby Can't Wait

Bubb took her 50%-off coupon for Roberts' Craft and added to the collection this morning. She says she can't wait to do a page in the new books. She does have a photo of Leo (or Leona) to work up a page for. It is just too fun to have grandchildren to scrapbook for.

Buboppy

New Hats and New Shoes

We took a minute and went to the Ribbon and Lace store, next to the Old Dutch store on Highland Drive. Of course Sarah was in heaven. They had about a thousand different ribbon and lace choices and Sarah immediately began accessorizing outfits for her girls. While we were there Sarah and Bubby noticed some cute knitted hats for little girls. They wanted $40 for them. Bubby examined them closely for a couple of minutes, made a few notes, and when we got home she duplicated them for Sarah's girls. Although I know Sarah would rather you see The Ly with a clean face, she was loving her hat. Her pretty eyes were sparkling during the entire photo shoot. Either you get the pretty eyes or a clean face, but you can't have both.

Andrew emerged from downstairs at one point wearing princess shoes from Katie's vast collection. I think he might need some quality male bonding time with his Dad and Poppy. I can't wait until he is old enough to take fishing.

I tried to get the three little ones to pose for me but Andrew kept throwing his head back and saying, "Cheese!" I think he missed the point. Lots of fun for the cousins.

Andrew wanted a new hat, too, but I didn't think pink and frilly was his best choice. They found some cool black yarn with a silver sparkle in it, and Bubby crocheted one for him on our way home early Sunday morning. We will put it in the mail tomorrow morning. We had breakfast on our way home with items we purchased Saturday night at Whole Foods (they have bought-out Wild Oats in SLC). Bubby had a bran muffin and sparkling cider and I had a pecan sticky bun that was philo based. We each had a macaroon (to die for) as well. We were back in Cedar City by 9:30 AM and both made our 11:00 AM Sunday responsibilities.

Buboppy

An Unscheduled Visit to Sugarhouse

We drove to SLC after our luncheon with Barb. The drive was blissfully uneventful and we listened to "Not a Penny More", a long time Jeffery Archer favorite. We crashed at Babsy's after a nice burrito dinner and in the morning we had fun visiting with the kids. Lydia was caught enjoying a conversation heart in this photo.

We drove down to the new IHC facility in Murray this morning to see Liza. Theodore Roosevelt Davis Eves was born yesterday. He was 8 lbs. 14 oz. and 23 inches long. He looks just like he should (like Jasper's brother). While we were visiting Mr. Ted, Jasper arrived and was really excited to see his Mom.

Bubby says that Ted is a substantial package, and seems pretty docile. He likes to eat, and didn't seem to mind that Jasper was getting intimately acquainted with him during our visit. Congratulations to Jason and Liza. We also saw a photo of Mike and Melissa's baby Audry. She was born 8 weeks early because Melissa had serious high blood pressure and they were worried about her health. If we had just a little more time we would make the trek out to Saratoga Springs to check on things. Grandma Brenda is in town, and we're sure that all is well in hand.

We had lunch at the OG (probably the worst service and overall experience, ever) and then went across the street to feed the ducks, geese, and gulls in Sugarhouse Park. Before our lunch, I got this photo of Andrew in his winter attire, complete with his Jarjar Binks band aide.

Katie got way into the duck activities and seemed to enjoy herself. As soon as we got out of the car, the livestock all ran to greet us and see what we had brought to eat.

Although I took about a thousand photos, I thought this one of everyone engaged in duck feeding was worth posting.

We all had a good laugh at The Ly. She took a breadstick to feed the fowl, but every time she broke a piece off, it ended up in her mouth. That is why I have titled the above photo "Lydia Feeds the Ducks".

Buboppy

Happy Birthday Barb

We were finally able to match schedules and take Ms. Barbara out to lunch yesterday. We had a lovely visit to Costa Vida, and Barb was our guest. We had lots of laughs, even if the event was short. Every time I go in there I am reminded of how good it is. Although I would prefer real Mex like Alvaro's or Alberto's, I do like the fresh Mex, particularly a small pork salad.

Buboppy

Happy Valentines' Day

When we woke up this morning there was about eight inches of snow on the ground. It didn't hit until 7:00 PM, but it really came down. The wind drifted it around to the point that shoveling was no fun. Bubby helped me, and we quit after 45 minutes.

We dressed and had breakfast at the Main Street Grill. The special was an avocado and bacon omelet which the chef split between two plates. It was very nice to just sit after all of that shoveling. Our furnace was issuing a natural gas smell, and I called the repair guys. Before they came out, they suggested that I check the vents on the roof. With so much snow, perhaps one was clogged. I checked it out, and things had warmed up enough that I didn't have to get on the snow covered roof. The smell is gone. Anyway, their suggestion saved us the cost of a service call.

When I got home from the office, Bubby had made a dinner of old favorites. Clam chowdah, heart-shaped biscuits, and apricot jam. Very nice.

You can tell from the photo I am looking forward to digging in. She even tried to keep the dishes up while she was cooking so there wouldn't be so many to do after dinner. I hardly got my hands wet.

Bubby got a bag from Clark and Linford Jewelers for her valentine. I made her guess what it was, and she was pretty nearly perfect. I guess after 35 years, you kind of know one another. It seems like its hard to surprise her anymore. Of course, she was excited to open the bag and its contents even though she knew what was contained therein.

So here they are. Bubby has declared them "modern", but "dainty". I think they look nice and I hope she will get lots of wear out of them. I am thinking of going into the gold jewelery resale business. She has so much, and only wears a few things. I am thinking I could sell what doesn't get used and buy a bigger bass boat, or at least fancy front-end electronics for the one I have.

Buboppy

Another Week

We have had a quiet week, with little out of the ordinary. We have spent a couple of nights trying to put our taxes together. It is time to get them to the accountant. I did go to the doctor yesterday to get some help from drugs. My congestion has just not broken up, so I am on an antibiotic. I can feel a difference with only two doses.

I got conference tickets at my meeting on Tuesday. Our opportunities are dwindling, and President Wilson encouraged me to take them . We have seats for Saturday afternoon (2 seats), Priesthood (3 seats), and Sunday morning (4 seats). I got enough for Sunday to take Jakey, if he wants to go. I am sure we will stay with Babsy this trip. I am also hoping that Daniel and Bean will go to Priesthood with me.
Bubby and I went to "27 Dresses" yesterday afternoon. Very chickish, but she liked it. We also had hot-'n-sour soup and gyoza to celebrate Chinese New Year. Bubby went to quilt club last night, and got the latest from Big K on her trip to visit Booty and Laurie.

We drove down to St. George to do a session and ran into Marty as we were going in. We had to take this photo of snow in the shade in front of the Temple. It is very novel for St. George. We did the OG afterwards, and Marty joined us. It turns out she is a fool for egg plant parmesan! Bubby had the usual soup, salad, and breadsticks and I had some mushroom stuffed ravioli. It was fun. Afterward, Bubby wanted to peruse the new Gymboree outlet, and she found things for all for whom she was shopping.

Worldwide Training this morning was really good. I asked President Wilson on Tuesday night if we were going to have to do prayers and opening/closing hymns. He couldn't remember, and we had passed the instructions along to our techie high councilor, so we didn't prepare. Of course we were caught short when the broadcast started. The sister sitting in front of us offered to play the piano, I led, and Presidents Wilson and Froyd offered the prayers. We survived. We spent the day outside as much as possible. It is a glorious day, with temperatures in the low 50s. I finally got the Christmas lights down, and assorted other outside jobs. We washed the truck, and I found a new purple necktie to wear with my green suit.

The T-Birds are playing a double header this evening. Bubby says her butt is already sore. We are going to made a Wendy's run between games.

Buboppy

A Late Breaking Announcement

The image in this posting is no less than Laur's pelvis. The mass in the upper left of the cavity is Number 6 grandchild (Eveylyn is Number 5), whom at this point we are calling The Gummy Bear. Congratulations to Matt and Laurie on a September baby. Unfortunately it will be a Texacan, but we will love it all the more.

Be sure and send your congratulations their way. We are very excited and of course they are, too.

Buboppy

A Sick Week

Bubby and I have spent most of this week fighting our colds. We both started on Tuesday and have had to medicate to get through the week. We had evening activities nearly every day including, SWATC Student Recognition (their commencement), home teaching, and a department party last evening. I was supposed to participate in an interview to call a new bishop on Wednesday, but forgot in our illness and overall busyness this week. Never fear, the call was extended in my absence.

Our department party turned out pretty nice. We used the FACS living room, and Rhonda really decorated things up nice. We had an excellent turnout (only one faculty member didn't come), and a very pleasant evening together. We played the"stick-a-name-on-your-back-and-try-to-find-out-who-you-are-by-asking-only-questions-that-can-be-answered-with-a-"yes"-or-"no"" game. The names were all physical scientists and inventors. It made people start talking to each other from the minute they walked in the door, and set the tone for the evening. The Department bought the meat and starch and the faculty brought potluck items. It was very nice. We played a little physical science pictionary to wind things up, and it was a very pleasant evening.

Bubb and I slept in. We have missed some sleep this week because of our colds. We watched the funeral (a very fitting tribute to a great man), and just got back from shopping. We will work on our taxes, go to a matinee and out to dinner tonight. Then we have the final installment of "Prime Suspect 2" to watch (which we love), and we will rest before Sunday.

We hope all of our faithful readers are doing well and enjoyed the past week. We love you all and look forward to our next meeting. It won't be long before we are in Dallas with Booty and Laur, and we are starting to get pretty excited about that. But we have to get through stake conference, an APPL convention in Denver, and RMGSA in Las Vegas before we get to go. By the way, Bubb was asked to speak at the Stake Relief Society Birthday Party in March. She has to tell what Relief Society has meant to her. Should be pretty easy.

Love,

Buboppy