Young Whppersnapper

As a youth I can remember my grandfather Davis calling me a "young whippersnapper." I never really knew the full meaning of that comparative title until just recently.

Lively young men of the seventeenth-century England developed a great passion for fast driving. With two teams of horses hitched to heavy coaches, they dashed about in style that made the old-timers shake their heads and wonder what the world was coming to.

This newfangled sport required great skill in the use of the whip. No man was considered adept until he could flick a forward animal from below the lead bar without alarming the wheel horses.

In this age of conspiracies, plots, and attempted rebellions, every swaggering bully prided himself on his prowess as a "whipsnapper." Naturally, adolescent youth and small boys tried to imitate their elders. Gangs of rowdies--boys who today would be called juvenile delinquents--made a great commotion by continually snapping and popping their long whips. This practice was so general that by 1700 any upstart youth or presumptuous person was likely to be sneeringly described as a "whippersnapper." (I've Got Goose Pimples, by Marvin Vanoni)

Well, with my Grandfather Davis long gone, I now know what he meant. I must have been doing something really rowdy to receive a title like that.

Why aren't there seatbeats in buses?

Have you ever wondered why buses don't have seat belts? By law they are not required because they are over 10,000 pounds. Also, through numerous experiments and research, they found that passengers simply will not use them.

Experiments with seat belts in school buses have been disastrous. Not only do children refuse to wear them, but they use the seat belt buckle as a lethal weapon.

There are a couple of other reasons:

Twice as many students die each year getting on or off school buses than riding them; seat belts are unlikely to prevent deaths caused by head-on collisions (the cause of most on-the-road bus fatalities); and

Money allocated for seat belts is better spent on training bus drivers and providing better maintenance of the vehicles.

Just thought you'd be interested in a little bit of useless information.

(Source: Imponderables, by David Feldman)

The Greatest Family

It all started many years ago when I met the girl of my dreams. It was my first day of work at Castleton's, a retail clothing store at the University Mall in Orem. As the store manager took me around to meet all the store employees, the moment I was introduced to Penny, I was on fire from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. Nine days later we were engaged.

The rest is history. Five beautiful children, all of whom are living exemplified lives. When I grow up I want to be just like them.

Sarah: From the moment she was born, Sarah has always been a mover and a shaker. All through Elementary school she would stand up to protect her brother Chad, and let her teachers know how they should run their classes. She has grown into a beautiful woman and awesome mother and wife.

Chad: Was so dang cute and funny as a little boy, that he made it difficult for people sitting behind us in church to concentrate on the meeting. He would stand up on the church bench facing the people behind us and pull faces. He kept them entertained all meeting long. He is now a very dashing and handsome young man, one who turns heads when he enters a room.



Becca: Loved to eat as a little girl. One early morning, Penny and I heard the outside water running in the backyard. As we went to discover the cause, we found 3 year old Becca. She had gotten into the food and had eaten an entire plate of brownies and was trying to hose off the evidence. Becca is now a beautiful and very dependable woman. She has such a deep conviction for the gospel and loves to help others.

Teresa: Was our happy child. She was always happy and smiling. She was also very talented with her eyebrows. At a very early age she would entertain us for hours on end by moving her eyebrows up and down, at the same time maintaining a perfectly pleasing smile. Teresa has also grown into a very beautiful woman, mother and wife. She is a wonderful example of motherhood, nurturing her two children, Quin and Gavin. Gavin by the way, seems to have acquired Teresa's trait for smiling.

Jennica: Our little "Princess and Puppy." She earned the name of "Puppy" from me. When she first learned to walk, she would follow daddy all over the house, just like a little puppy. At an early age, Jennica decided to give herself a haircut and cut away all her bangs. She looked kind of odd for a few months until it grew back. Jennica has always been our little princess, never doing anything wrong. I know this has drawn criticism from her siblings, but to this day, I still can't think of one single thing she has ever done wrong. Every day her beauty grows inside and out.

I probably sound like a cheesy father and husband, but I must admit I have a pretty awesome family. Our time spent together as a family is full of laughs and moments of endearing gratitude for each other.

I love you all!

Happy Valentines

45 Random Things About Myself

At first I didn't think I could come up with 25 random things about myself. But once I got going, I ended up with 45. I may keep adding, so stay tuned.

1. I love sunsets...to me they are always a sign of something good.
2. I enjoy anything that involves water. Lake Powell, the Ocean, Water Slides, Wading Pools, etc.
3. I love my dreamgirl (Penny). I dream of her every night.
4. I really don't like TV Sitcoms. I think they are all the same corny stuff. (However I have gotten hooked on "The Office" recently.
5. I enjoy reading the encyclopedia. It is concise short bursts of information, and that is all I need to stay informed.
6. Number 5 leads to: I do not enjoy novels. They take too long. I want to know what happens right now.
7. Number 4 and 5 leads to: I did not enjoy history in high school. I thought it is a waste of time to study stuff that already happened. But I love history now. I enjoy learning about individuals and how they couped with their circumstances.
8. Speaking of school in number 7: I typically got bored in class, unless it was anything to do with Math. I loved Math. When I was bored in class I would count and calculate how many holes where in the ceiling tiles. (523,453 if anyone wants to know)
9. My favorite TV program is the news. I enjoy staying up to date with current events.
10. I love my solitude time. I enjoy being around people, but I also love my quiet time when I can explore, think and ponder.
11. I enjoy taking long motorcycle trips that applies my number 10 above.
12. I like to fix things. Makes me feel like I'm worth something.
13. My favorite movie is Silverado. Probably not new news to my family.
14. Speaking of Silverado, I enjoyed watching the TV series Gunsmoke, growing up as a kid.
15. My favorite meal is roast, with potatoes, gravy and carrots.
16. I hum and sing random songs. (And I don't even have a good voice for it)
17. I love to play racquetball.
18. I love the outdoors, and enjoy backpacking with my family and friends.
19. I love tropical areas. Places I can go scuba diving at.
    
20. I love working in third world countries and helping others.
21. I enjoy business and business development.
22. I'm typically cautious with a lot of things, especially driving and outdoor activities.
    
23. I haven't had any tickets in 30 years.
24. I love life.
25. I love doing things with Penny.
26. I highly dislike (hate) shopping.
27. I do love browsing through Home Depot and Costco. (That's different than shopping)
28. I love being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.
29. I have a deep love and admonition for Joseph Smith.
30. I do not like pickels, unless someone else puts it on my hamburger.
31. I'm not a big fan of a wide variety of vegetables and fruits. I do like apples, carrots, corn, peas...and that's about it.
32. I'm kind of a tech junky. I like electronic things that do amazing stuff.
33. I feel it is important to take care of personal things. (Boat, motorcycle, cars, snowblowers, etc.) They last longer.
34. I am an optimist, and don't have a lot of patience for pessimists. (And the world is full of pessimists)
35. I love and enjoy my grandkids, until they cry or poop their pants.
36. I love smooth Jazz music. I have every album of Kenny G.
37. I have a sweet tooth for chocolate. Ghirardelli is my favorite.
38. I pole vaulted in High School and College. 15' 6" was my best jump.
39. I love to stream fish.
40. I don't like to lake fish.
41. I like the smell of diesel fuel and freshly poured asphalt.
42. I love to watch fighter jets fly overhead. I actually fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams and flew in a fighter jet, and even got to take the controls and fly it.
43. I like to fly RC helicopters.
44. I love to slalom water ski. I use to be able to cut around a buoy and drag my shoulder. Too old now.
45. I love the American Flag, for which it stands. I still get a tear when it passes in parades.