Painted and moved!!!!
I hate painting. My dad was a painter for many years and I think has glossy latex paint for blood but the gene did not pass to me. We painted three bedrooms, the living room, landing, and kitchen. Of all the spaces, only Amy's room really worked. Our room it too blue. They boys room it too yellow and that same overly yellow paint was so bad in the living room, landing and kitchen that we had to buy another color and repaint. Sue wants to repaint our room, the bathroom and the basement as well as touch up all the other rooms. She can do it while I am at work.
Friday afternoon with the painting completed we began the move. The apartment is mostly empty now except the endless odds and ends that are everywhere. Nothing big, just stuff that defies classification and is laying all over the apartment now. I will be so glad to say good-bye to the three flights of stairs. It took forever to load and mere minutes to unload. The big stuff from the storage unit was brought over on Saturday and we all slept in the new house Saturday night.
Sunday, after church we got the house put together enough to have our Sunday roast. Ah, to be back in a home. All the kids are thrilled. They love playing in their rooms and no one has to wait for a bathroom.
We still have the heating situation to work out. The house is warm upstairs but cool on the main floor and cold in the basement. I will have to do some dampering in the duct-work.
Hopefully, this week we will get the DISH working and have internet back too.
On another note: I am still morning the loss of my childhood home. It is now owned by another. I feel sad that 485-8848 is now gone. That was "my" phone number for 40 years. I still have dreams that take place in that house. It was a good home. Mom and Dad are better off in the condo though.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
We bought the house.
Yesterday we finally closed on our house. What a relief! Almost. Now we have to paint and then move all our stuff in and clean the apartment. Lots of work still to do. It will be nice though, to live in a house with a yard again.
We celebrated Roberts and Thomas birthdays on Monday and Tuesday. Thomas had Pizza and Robert went with Sue and I to the Cattleman's steak house.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Monday, the perfect day to start the week off right with a few words for the old blog.
Interesting weekend. Friday night started out wonderfully. I mentioned going to the video store to pick a few movies to watch for the weekend. Sue naturally wanted to come along and then so did Thomas and Christopher. Soon Amy and Richard were coming too. When I told Robert we were all going to the video store he jumped up and said he wanted to come too. So the whole family piled into the car to head to the video store. We quickly decided that Chinese food for dinner was in order too. So, first we went to the Chinese restaurant to place our order and then off to the video store. After we all made a few selections, we headed back to the restaurant to pick up our order and home to eat it and watch movies. Now, for the most part this is just a typical thing to do on a Friday night, but for me it was special. We had not planned on getting Chinese food nor taking the whole family to the video store; it just happened. I like that, since it means that we really like each other as a family and enjoy family time, even the kids. As everyone gets older I often wonder when friends, dating, work and just plain life will begin to pull the family in different directions, as it should. Right now, though we all still like being together and for me, that brings great joy and satisfaction.
Saturday, Sue and I went over to the church for leadership training. It was a satellite broadcast that was shown several times during the day. We chose to go early so as to not interfere with our evening. The rest of the Branch leadership chose to go to the late broadcast. I guess we created some hard feelings when we chose to go over on our own time and not with them. In other meetings I tried to suggest an earlier time to no avail. That, and the events on Sunday have placed us in the rebel category with the leadership I'm afraid.
Also on Saturday, Sister Linder, one of the CES missionaries, fell and broke her ankle. We checked with the Hales and then ran over to the hospital to see if we could help. I really hate situations like that as I never know what to do. Mostly I just figure that we are in the way and that what they need we can't give. We offered a few words of encouragement, I assisted in a blessing and then we left. About all we can do...I hope.
Sunday, Some Sunday's leave me feeling good and others leave me feeling bad. Yesterday was a bad Sunday. It all started in Branch Presidents meeting. I simply do not like the leadership changes President Hales is suggesting. I don't feel they are entirely right but also feel I need to be supportive. Luckily no firm decisions were made and I will have some time to gently suggest something different. The real trouble began right before sacrament meeting. Richard and Jon Treetop were filling the water trays and President Hales told them to fill the water cups separated from the trays so as to not get water in the tray part. I told the story to the boys how I had purposely put water in the bottom of the try so that the deacon who was passing would have to deal with a sloshing tray. We laughed about it and then Jon decided to do it with one of the trays. Both Richard and I saw him do it and did nothing to stop it. I thought it would be funny. Jon Strang was the one who ended up with the try and while it was funny to watch, he handled it just fine. After the meeting I joked to Jon Strang about the tray and he set out to seek revenge on those who participated in the joke. By the time Priesthood rolled around Jon Strang and Danny Snow had determined not only to milk the situation for all it was worth but get others in trouble too. Danny and Jon achieved their purpose and sucked me into the fray as well. It all came to a head when President Hales came into class and lectured all on the importance of keeping the sacrament sacred. He did what was technically the correct thing to do, but it came across as a huge victory for Danny and Jon and in my opinion reinforced the bad behavior that is typical for Jon and Danny and further divided the group. The whole experience left me with a great deal of bad feelings. These feelings stuck with me the rest of the day and are still with me. I just need to let it go.
Interesting weekend. Friday night started out wonderfully. I mentioned going to the video store to pick a few movies to watch for the weekend. Sue naturally wanted to come along and then so did Thomas and Christopher. Soon Amy and Richard were coming too. When I told Robert we were all going to the video store he jumped up and said he wanted to come too. So the whole family piled into the car to head to the video store. We quickly decided that Chinese food for dinner was in order too. So, first we went to the Chinese restaurant to place our order and then off to the video store. After we all made a few selections, we headed back to the restaurant to pick up our order and home to eat it and watch movies. Now, for the most part this is just a typical thing to do on a Friday night, but for me it was special. We had not planned on getting Chinese food nor taking the whole family to the video store; it just happened. I like that, since it means that we really like each other as a family and enjoy family time, even the kids. As everyone gets older I often wonder when friends, dating, work and just plain life will begin to pull the family in different directions, as it should. Right now, though we all still like being together and for me, that brings great joy and satisfaction.
Saturday, Sue and I went over to the church for leadership training. It was a satellite broadcast that was shown several times during the day. We chose to go early so as to not interfere with our evening. The rest of the Branch leadership chose to go to the late broadcast. I guess we created some hard feelings when we chose to go over on our own time and not with them. In other meetings I tried to suggest an earlier time to no avail. That, and the events on Sunday have placed us in the rebel category with the leadership I'm afraid.
Also on Saturday, Sister Linder, one of the CES missionaries, fell and broke her ankle. We checked with the Hales and then ran over to the hospital to see if we could help. I really hate situations like that as I never know what to do. Mostly I just figure that we are in the way and that what they need we can't give. We offered a few words of encouragement, I assisted in a blessing and then we left. About all we can do...I hope.
Sunday, Some Sunday's leave me feeling good and others leave me feeling bad. Yesterday was a bad Sunday. It all started in Branch Presidents meeting. I simply do not like the leadership changes President Hales is suggesting. I don't feel they are entirely right but also feel I need to be supportive. Luckily no firm decisions were made and I will have some time to gently suggest something different. The real trouble began right before sacrament meeting. Richard and Jon Treetop were filling the water trays and President Hales told them to fill the water cups separated from the trays so as to not get water in the tray part. I told the story to the boys how I had purposely put water in the bottom of the try so that the deacon who was passing would have to deal with a sloshing tray. We laughed about it and then Jon decided to do it with one of the trays. Both Richard and I saw him do it and did nothing to stop it. I thought it would be funny. Jon Strang was the one who ended up with the try and while it was funny to watch, he handled it just fine. After the meeting I joked to Jon Strang about the tray and he set out to seek revenge on those who participated in the joke. By the time Priesthood rolled around Jon Strang and Danny Snow had determined not only to milk the situation for all it was worth but get others in trouble too. Danny and Jon achieved their purpose and sucked me into the fray as well. It all came to a head when President Hales came into class and lectured all on the importance of keeping the sacrament sacred. He did what was technically the correct thing to do, but it came across as a huge victory for Danny and Jon and in my opinion reinforced the bad behavior that is typical for Jon and Danny and further divided the group. The whole experience left me with a great deal of bad feelings. These feelings stuck with me the rest of the day and are still with me. I just need to let it go.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Old Blog
March 28, 2005
Long time
End of March! Wow, where does the time go. Much has happened yet I still fill like I am in a state of limbo. January was a very tough month. I am so glad to have it over with. February, started out similar but we had some good weather and that helped lighten the load. The boys and I made a trip to Rapid City on February 5th. It was nice to get out of Pierre and see some things. All we really ended up doing was shopping and eating, pretty boring for guys. We now know where the Sam’s Club in Rapid City is. For some reason, I thought that Sue was going to drive up to Pierre on Sunday the 6th. I called Sunday morning and the line was busy. I thought she had taken the phone off the hook so I would not know she was on her way. I called several times after church and still got a busy signal. I was sure she was on her way. The boys and I cleaned up the apartment and tried to make everything look good for her arrival. I called one last time at around 4:00 and the phone rang. My heart dropped, she was still there. Apparently she had left the computer logged onto the internet all day. She was mad I hadn’t called her until she discovered the computer logged on. The sadness and ache from being away from her and the smaller kids was tearing me up inside. We talked a long time on Sunday while I tried to convince her to drive up to Pierre. In the end, she wanted to do it but felt she could not leave the aquarium behind unattended. The next day I ran a classified ad in the Star to sell the aquarium. It sold the first day the advertisement ran. For me, this was nothing short of a miracle. Sue then made all the necessary preparations to join me in Pierre. On Saturday February 12th, Sue drove to Pierre and the whole family was back together again.
The six weeks we have all been together have flown by. Granted, we are all packed into a two-bedroom apartment and are constantly stumbling over each other and each other’s stuff, but life is much better.
Selling our house, what can I say about that? During January and February we had only two people interested in looking at our house. Now I know that January and February are slow months for house buying but only two people? Come on, something is wrong here. We asked our Realtor to do a few things to get a little more interest in the house but she was always too busy with personal things to do them. The last straw came when I could not even find our house in the real estate listings. Turns out the way it was listed, one has to search far north of where it actually is located to see the listing. We asked the realtor to fix this and again were rebuffed. The contract to sell ended on the 21st and we fired her that very day. We hired another realtor who promises to do more for us. We shall see. We considered selling the house ourselves but did not want to separate again and the people we asked to help us sell it ourselves said they were too busy.
Now, I would not mind going back to Kansas City and I really like the house but, finding a new job there would be difficult and then I would have a long commute again. Most importantly, I just cannot go back to the ward there in Excelsior Springs. There are some very nice people in that ward and the new bishop is a great man but there are just too many problems and too many people whose values don’t reflect mine. Among the good things here in Pierre is the branch. I enjoy the members a great deal and the feeling is so much better here.
I received an email from an old friend in Lee’s Summit last week. When he told me about all that was going on in the ward there I felt sad. I am starting to learn that moving has as many drawbacks as benefits. My kids would have been so much better off had we stayed in Lee’s Summit. I ran away from there because there were things I did not like and felt powerless to change. I ran away from Excelsior Springs because there were things I did not like and felt powerless to change. Now I am in Pierre and there are many things I do not like and feel powerless to change. I guess it’s time to stop running. But the question that keeps haunting me is: Is Pierre the best place to be? Now that I realize that I have to change and deal with the things that are out of my control I realize that I can to that anywhere. So where is the best place for my wife and kids? There are many good things about Pierre. It is so nice not to have to drive 20 minutes to get anywhere and even nicer not to have to deal with traffic. Crime is very low if non-existent here and most people don’t bother to lock their doors or cars. There are many things to do here as well. There is the River and Lake. There are many parks and trails and outdoor things to do nearby. There is the YMCA which is fantastic. The kids love to go there and swim. But house prices are so high. So are food and gas prices. I took a cut in pay to come to Pierre yet everything seems to be more expensive. Economically I don’t know how we can make it. While I like the branch, there is really very little opportunity for the kids here. There are not a lot of youth so dating and dances will be missed. No Scouts or Cub Scouts. Education opportunities are lacking here as well. I now know that I will not find that perfect place. I wonder though, is it wrong for me to always seek after it? Will another job in another place be better or will it create more stress for the kids? Will Sue be happy here? I think she likes many things about Pierre but also worries about the cost of living and opportunities for the kids. Maybe all that will change when we finally get our MO house sold. Maybe the perfect job will open up in Colorado Springs or Grand Junction. Maybe we will all die in a freak car accident driving down to KC this weekend. Who knows?
December 23, 2004
Where has the time gone?
So here I am the day before the best day of the Christmas season wondering where the month went. Obviously December is a busy month, but even more so this year because of the new job. Trying to sell the house on our own for more than a month took a bit of a toll in my self confidence. It hurts when very few call and no one comes to see the house. It's a good house, no a great house. I am sure it will sell in the next few months. Until it does, I am going up to South Dakota with only 3/7ths of the family. That was another time killer this month. What to do about South Dakota. First it was set that the oldest two boys and I would go up together while Sue sold the house, then on advice from the Stake President, it was decided that we would all go up together and leave the house empty and in the hands of a realtor. Then some folks from Church wanted to rent it for 3 months while they built their new house. Lastly, if we are all going up together, we better have a place to live. Last week we planned a trip to Pierre over the weekend. So off to SD we went. $500 later we now know that not only is there not a house for sale in Pierre that will meet our needs, but there is not a place for rent in Pierre that will meet our needs. So, while there, we rented an appartment big enough for the older boys and I. Back to square one. It's a nice place right next to the church, library and YMCA and only a few blocks from where I will be working. Sometimes it takes a lot of work to figure out you are on the right track. It has worked out for the best though. Sue has now been to Pierre and knows what she is in for. We know what the church is like up there and we know we need to keep a close watch on the realestate market so we can snatch up the right house as soon as it comes on the market.
On the job front: I knew about the job in SD clear back in mid-October. I decided to delay my start so that I could finish some jobs here and get since I was sticking around until the end of the year, get a Christmas bonus. So it was hush hush around work. Dan knew I was leaving and left himself to work at Parkville. It turns out to be a dream job for Dan and he is very happy there. I like to think I played some small role in helping him get that job. With Dan's departure things changed quite a bit around the office and I was getting ancy to leave. I held on though with the hope that I would get a nice Christmas bonus. Early December the owners met and bonus' were approved. I found out via sneekiness that I was getting a $1400 bonus. A week passed. The amounts were approved but the checks were not forthcoming and I was out of time. I had to turn in my notice in order to finish with SKW in time to start at the State. My resignation was not well received. They took my bonus away and were somewhat rude for a week. Now I am in the short-timers club and am relegated to gone but still here pile. Only today and two days next week and then it's off to SD.
So tomorrow is the best day of the year, Christmas Eve. Most would say Christmas day but for me that is not near as fun as Christmas Eve. The fun and anticipation are much more enjoyable than the five minutes of mayham followed by snacking, sleeping, TV and setting up or fixing the new toys. By noon it's just another day, only with a messy house and nothing to get excited about.
December 06, 2004
Monday
Boy am I pissed! I just typed up a whole entry and was trying to figure out if I could spell check it. One thing led to another and it was gone. What did I say?
I believe I talked about how I wanted to add something to this blog all weekend but was too busy doing odds and ends and never got around to it. Actually I thought about logging on a couple of times but did not to keep the phone line open. We have the house for sell in the paper and I was hoping that someone would call. We only got about 3 calls this weekend. It's a bad time of year to be selling a house but I would really like it sold before I head to SD to start work.
I wrote up our end of the year/Christmas news letter this weekend. I will post the 1st draft with this entry:
Greetings, it’s been far too many years since we’ve put together a Christmas newsletter to send to all our patient friends. This year marks our fifth and last year in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Many of you know that in 2003 we moved out of the suburbs in Lee’s Summit to the Country north of Liberty. We are actually closer to Far-West than to Liberty. We have loved our little two acres in the country and had a great 2004 here.
January brought us enough snow to slide on the hill at the side of our house. There was also enough snow for me to slide off the driveway in my truck. I miss front-wheel drive cars. We also missed out on the several weeks long sub-freezing cold spells that we normally get here in Missouri. This summer was wonderful as well because we did not have the hot, humid heat-waves we normally have. It’s been a great year to spend a lot of time out doors. The kids convinced me in the spring that we needed anther trampoline as they have missed the one we left behind in Colorado. This spring we got a Sam’s Club special and the kids have worn the thing out jumping on it so much. I doubt it will be in good enough condition to make the next move. Parts of the trampoline are actually being held together with duct tape, the handy-man’s secret weapon. One of the big highlights of our year was taking the family to see President Bush at a campaign event. It was very thrilling for all of us to be that close to the President of the United States.
We played gardeners this year and tried our hand at a garden. Without Grandpa Christensen’s help though, our efforts were not nearly as productive. We put in tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, peas, broccoli, cabbage, onions, corn, cucumbers and pumpkins. The geese that fly through the area loved the corn we planted and only two stalks managed to come up. Christopher planted the peas himself and though I had little hope the much would amount from his planting, our pea crop turned out to be one of the best. We will get better with practice.
Richard has grown six inches this year. Any sign of a little boy has all but disappeared. He is in the heart of his teens now and behaving in a manner entirely appropriate for a teenager. Richard was lucky to have a boy on our street his same age and those two spend a great deal of time together. Richard turned 14 this year and was made a teacher. He has been very diligent in getting to church early so he can prepare the sacrament. Richard is the writer of the family. He has written a book and several movie scripts. He says he wants to make movies when he grows up. Ron Howard and Peter Jackson had better watch out.
Robert is growing like a weed as well. Robert’s voice has begun to change and the little boy in him is starting to slip away. Robert is the favorite of the family. All the kids love to play with him as he is the friendliest of the bunch. Sue and I are constantly amazed at what a truly good person Robert is. He has a good heart. Robert turned 12 this year and became a deacon. He does a good job passing the sacrament and takes his duties very seriously. I step on his feet while he is passing to us and he won’t even crack a smile…darn. Robert has developed quite a talent for making animations on the computer and writing stories.
Amy is our quiet strong beauty. She loves to read and is reading a new book constantly. I wish the rest of the kids would read half as much as Amy does. This year, Amy has been sick more often but she handles it much better than the boys do and we never hear her complain. Amy has turned into quite the little seamstress. She has made blankets and pillows for her room. As always Amy loves horses and has added to her horse collection considerably this year. We hope one day to be in a position to buy her a real horse. For now, she will just have to practice grooming and riding on the computer program she has.
Thomas turned 8 this year. In April we went out to Utah to baptize him. Thomas wanted both his grandparents and cousins to see his baptism. Thomas is a smart energetic boy. He is a wiz at math and is making great progress learning to play the piano. We have a rule that you can’t play on the computer until you have practiced the piano. Many mornings Thomas is practicing away when I leave to work. I must add that this is never popular with his siblings or his mother. Thomas holds the title as the loudest in the family. I am sure he gets that from his mother.
Christopher may be the smartest of the bunch. He is learning to read and enjoys participating in the school activities with the rest of the kids. We have found that Topher has the gift of gab and we are always surprised by his ever growing vocabulary. He has picked up especially on some words that his father uses from time to time or at work. Topher loves cars and Legos and is still small enough that mom can hug and hold him when she gets to missing her babies. For us it is amazing that our youngest is now six.
As I mentioned earlier, we will be leaving Missouri shortly. I have accepted a job as the State Director of Geographic Information Systems for the State of South Dakota. I have really enjoyed my job here in KC but felt like it was the right time to move onto a new challenge. I start work right around the first of the year in Pierre, South Dakota. As soon as we sell the house, Sue and the kids will join me there. Pierre (which is pronounced: Peer) is a town of about 15,000 people. Since it is the capital of South Dakota it has many things that normal small towns do not have. We feel like we are getting the best of the big city and small town in one. We will also be very close to the black hills and will actually be 300 miles closer to Utah.
Sue and I and all the kids want to thank all of you for the many things you do for us and for the great honor we feel to have you as our friends and family. We wish all you and yours a very merry Christmas and an exciting and prosperous new year.
December 03, 2004
Hello World
Hello world! Okay that may be a stupid way to start but I am the only one who will read this anyway.
It's been almost 16 years since a real written acounting of my wonderful life has taken place. Even then it was rather spotty and shallow to say the least. Not that this new effort will be any better. But in trying to make the effort there is hope of better results.
So who am I?
That's what we are here to discover.....
March 28, 2005
Long time
End of March! Wow, where does the time go. Much has happened yet I still fill like I am in a state of limbo. January was a very tough month. I am so glad to have it over with. February, started out similar but we had some good weather and that helped lighten the load. The boys and I made a trip to Rapid City on February 5th. It was nice to get out of Pierre and see some things. All we really ended up doing was shopping and eating, pretty boring for guys. We now know where the Sam’s Club in Rapid City is. For some reason, I thought that Sue was going to drive up to Pierre on Sunday the 6th. I called Sunday morning and the line was busy. I thought she had taken the phone off the hook so I would not know she was on her way. I called several times after church and still got a busy signal. I was sure she was on her way. The boys and I cleaned up the apartment and tried to make everything look good for her arrival. I called one last time at around 4:00 and the phone rang. My heart dropped, she was still there. Apparently she had left the computer logged onto the internet all day. She was mad I hadn’t called her until she discovered the computer logged on. The sadness and ache from being away from her and the smaller kids was tearing me up inside. We talked a long time on Sunday while I tried to convince her to drive up to Pierre. In the end, she wanted to do it but felt she could not leave the aquarium behind unattended. The next day I ran a classified ad in the Star to sell the aquarium. It sold the first day the advertisement ran. For me, this was nothing short of a miracle. Sue then made all the necessary preparations to join me in Pierre. On Saturday February 12th, Sue drove to Pierre and the whole family was back together again.
The six weeks we have all been together have flown by. Granted, we are all packed into a two-bedroom apartment and are constantly stumbling over each other and each other’s stuff, but life is much better.
Selling our house, what can I say about that? During January and February we had only two people interested in looking at our house. Now I know that January and February are slow months for house buying but only two people? Come on, something is wrong here. We asked our Realtor to do a few things to get a little more interest in the house but she was always too busy with personal things to do them. The last straw came when I could not even find our house in the real estate listings. Turns out the way it was listed, one has to search far north of where it actually is located to see the listing. We asked the realtor to fix this and again were rebuffed. The contract to sell ended on the 21st and we fired her that very day. We hired another realtor who promises to do more for us. We shall see. We considered selling the house ourselves but did not want to separate again and the people we asked to help us sell it ourselves said they were too busy.
Now, I would not mind going back to Kansas City and I really like the house but, finding a new job there would be difficult and then I would have a long commute again. Most importantly, I just cannot go back to the ward there in Excelsior Springs. There are some very nice people in that ward and the new bishop is a great man but there are just too many problems and too many people whose values don’t reflect mine. Among the good things here in Pierre is the branch. I enjoy the members a great deal and the feeling is so much better here.
I received an email from an old friend in Lee’s Summit last week. When he told me about all that was going on in the ward there I felt sad. I am starting to learn that moving has as many drawbacks as benefits. My kids would have been so much better off had we stayed in Lee’s Summit. I ran away from there because there were things I did not like and felt powerless to change. I ran away from Excelsior Springs because there were things I did not like and felt powerless to change. Now I am in Pierre and there are many things I do not like and feel powerless to change. I guess it’s time to stop running. But the question that keeps haunting me is: Is Pierre the best place to be? Now that I realize that I have to change and deal with the things that are out of my control I realize that I can to that anywhere. So where is the best place for my wife and kids? There are many good things about Pierre. It is so nice not to have to drive 20 minutes to get anywhere and even nicer not to have to deal with traffic. Crime is very low if non-existent here and most people don’t bother to lock their doors or cars. There are many things to do here as well. There is the River and Lake. There are many parks and trails and outdoor things to do nearby. There is the YMCA which is fantastic. The kids love to go there and swim. But house prices are so high. So are food and gas prices. I took a cut in pay to come to Pierre yet everything seems to be more expensive. Economically I don’t know how we can make it. While I like the branch, there is really very little opportunity for the kids here. There are not a lot of youth so dating and dances will be missed. No Scouts or Cub Scouts. Education opportunities are lacking here as well. I now know that I will not find that perfect place. I wonder though, is it wrong for me to always seek after it? Will another job in another place be better or will it create more stress for the kids? Will Sue be happy here? I think she likes many things about Pierre but also worries about the cost of living and opportunities for the kids. Maybe all that will change when we finally get our MO house sold. Maybe the perfect job will open up in Colorado Springs or Grand Junction. Maybe we will all die in a freak car accident driving down to KC this weekend. Who knows?
December 23, 2004
Where has the time gone?
So here I am the day before the best day of the Christmas season wondering where the month went. Obviously December is a busy month, but even more so this year because of the new job. Trying to sell the house on our own for more than a month took a bit of a toll in my self confidence. It hurts when very few call and no one comes to see the house. It's a good house, no a great house. I am sure it will sell in the next few months. Until it does, I am going up to South Dakota with only 3/7ths of the family. That was another time killer this month. What to do about South Dakota. First it was set that the oldest two boys and I would go up together while Sue sold the house, then on advice from the Stake President, it was decided that we would all go up together and leave the house empty and in the hands of a realtor. Then some folks from Church wanted to rent it for 3 months while they built their new house. Lastly, if we are all going up together, we better have a place to live. Last week we planned a trip to Pierre over the weekend. So off to SD we went. $500 later we now know that not only is there not a house for sale in Pierre that will meet our needs, but there is not a place for rent in Pierre that will meet our needs. So, while there, we rented an appartment big enough for the older boys and I. Back to square one. It's a nice place right next to the church, library and YMCA and only a few blocks from where I will be working. Sometimes it takes a lot of work to figure out you are on the right track. It has worked out for the best though. Sue has now been to Pierre and knows what she is in for. We know what the church is like up there and we know we need to keep a close watch on the realestate market so we can snatch up the right house as soon as it comes on the market.
On the job front: I knew about the job in SD clear back in mid-October. I decided to delay my start so that I could finish some jobs here and get since I was sticking around until the end of the year, get a Christmas bonus. So it was hush hush around work. Dan knew I was leaving and left himself to work at Parkville. It turns out to be a dream job for Dan and he is very happy there. I like to think I played some small role in helping him get that job. With Dan's departure things changed quite a bit around the office and I was getting ancy to leave. I held on though with the hope that I would get a nice Christmas bonus. Early December the owners met and bonus' were approved. I found out via sneekiness that I was getting a $1400 bonus. A week passed. The amounts were approved but the checks were not forthcoming and I was out of time. I had to turn in my notice in order to finish with SKW in time to start at the State. My resignation was not well received. They took my bonus away and were somewhat rude for a week. Now I am in the short-timers club and am relegated to gone but still here pile. Only today and two days next week and then it's off to SD.
So tomorrow is the best day of the year, Christmas Eve. Most would say Christmas day but for me that is not near as fun as Christmas Eve. The fun and anticipation are much more enjoyable than the five minutes of mayham followed by snacking, sleeping, TV and setting up or fixing the new toys. By noon it's just another day, only with a messy house and nothing to get excited about.
December 06, 2004
Monday
Boy am I pissed! I just typed up a whole entry and was trying to figure out if I could spell check it. One thing led to another and it was gone. What did I say?
I believe I talked about how I wanted to add something to this blog all weekend but was too busy doing odds and ends and never got around to it. Actually I thought about logging on a couple of times but did not to keep the phone line open. We have the house for sell in the paper and I was hoping that someone would call. We only got about 3 calls this weekend. It's a bad time of year to be selling a house but I would really like it sold before I head to SD to start work.
I wrote up our end of the year/Christmas news letter this weekend. I will post the 1st draft with this entry:
Greetings, it’s been far too many years since we’ve put together a Christmas newsletter to send to all our patient friends. This year marks our fifth and last year in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Many of you know that in 2003 we moved out of the suburbs in Lee’s Summit to the Country north of Liberty. We are actually closer to Far-West than to Liberty. We have loved our little two acres in the country and had a great 2004 here.
January brought us enough snow to slide on the hill at the side of our house. There was also enough snow for me to slide off the driveway in my truck. I miss front-wheel drive cars. We also missed out on the several weeks long sub-freezing cold spells that we normally get here in Missouri. This summer was wonderful as well because we did not have the hot, humid heat-waves we normally have. It’s been a great year to spend a lot of time out doors. The kids convinced me in the spring that we needed anther trampoline as they have missed the one we left behind in Colorado. This spring we got a Sam’s Club special and the kids have worn the thing out jumping on it so much. I doubt it will be in good enough condition to make the next move. Parts of the trampoline are actually being held together with duct tape, the handy-man’s secret weapon. One of the big highlights of our year was taking the family to see President Bush at a campaign event. It was very thrilling for all of us to be that close to the President of the United States.
We played gardeners this year and tried our hand at a garden. Without Grandpa Christensen’s help though, our efforts were not nearly as productive. We put in tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, peas, broccoli, cabbage, onions, corn, cucumbers and pumpkins. The geese that fly through the area loved the corn we planted and only two stalks managed to come up. Christopher planted the peas himself and though I had little hope the much would amount from his planting, our pea crop turned out to be one of the best. We will get better with practice.
Richard has grown six inches this year. Any sign of a little boy has all but disappeared. He is in the heart of his teens now and behaving in a manner entirely appropriate for a teenager. Richard was lucky to have a boy on our street his same age and those two spend a great deal of time together. Richard turned 14 this year and was made a teacher. He has been very diligent in getting to church early so he can prepare the sacrament. Richard is the writer of the family. He has written a book and several movie scripts. He says he wants to make movies when he grows up. Ron Howard and Peter Jackson had better watch out.
Robert is growing like a weed as well. Robert’s voice has begun to change and the little boy in him is starting to slip away. Robert is the favorite of the family. All the kids love to play with him as he is the friendliest of the bunch. Sue and I are constantly amazed at what a truly good person Robert is. He has a good heart. Robert turned 12 this year and became a deacon. He does a good job passing the sacrament and takes his duties very seriously. I step on his feet while he is passing to us and he won’t even crack a smile…darn. Robert has developed quite a talent for making animations on the computer and writing stories.
Amy is our quiet strong beauty. She loves to read and is reading a new book constantly. I wish the rest of the kids would read half as much as Amy does. This year, Amy has been sick more often but she handles it much better than the boys do and we never hear her complain. Amy has turned into quite the little seamstress. She has made blankets and pillows for her room. As always Amy loves horses and has added to her horse collection considerably this year. We hope one day to be in a position to buy her a real horse. For now, she will just have to practice grooming and riding on the computer program she has.
Thomas turned 8 this year. In April we went out to Utah to baptize him. Thomas wanted both his grandparents and cousins to see his baptism. Thomas is a smart energetic boy. He is a wiz at math and is making great progress learning to play the piano. We have a rule that you can’t play on the computer until you have practiced the piano. Many mornings Thomas is practicing away when I leave to work. I must add that this is never popular with his siblings or his mother. Thomas holds the title as the loudest in the family. I am sure he gets that from his mother.
Christopher may be the smartest of the bunch. He is learning to read and enjoys participating in the school activities with the rest of the kids. We have found that Topher has the gift of gab and we are always surprised by his ever growing vocabulary. He has picked up especially on some words that his father uses from time to time or at work. Topher loves cars and Legos and is still small enough that mom can hug and hold him when she gets to missing her babies. For us it is amazing that our youngest is now six.
As I mentioned earlier, we will be leaving Missouri shortly. I have accepted a job as the State Director of Geographic Information Systems for the State of South Dakota. I have really enjoyed my job here in KC but felt like it was the right time to move onto a new challenge. I start work right around the first of the year in Pierre, South Dakota. As soon as we sell the house, Sue and the kids will join me there. Pierre (which is pronounced: Peer) is a town of about 15,000 people. Since it is the capital of South Dakota it has many things that normal small towns do not have. We feel like we are getting the best of the big city and small town in one. We will also be very close to the black hills and will actually be 300 miles closer to Utah.
Sue and I and all the kids want to thank all of you for the many things you do for us and for the great honor we feel to have you as our friends and family. We wish all you and yours a very merry Christmas and an exciting and prosperous new year.
December 03, 2004
Hello World
Hello world! Okay that may be a stupid way to start but I am the only one who will read this anyway.
It's been almost 16 years since a real written acounting of my wonderful life has taken place. Even then it was rather spotty and shallow to say the least. Not that this new effort will be any better. But in trying to make the effort there is hope of better results.
So who am I?
That's what we are here to discover.....
I started a blog on anther site well over a year ago but only managed a few entries, the last one in March of 2005. So, I will try again. Maybe this time I can actually post regularly.
Who, what, when, where and why. That is what my boss always wants described on any of my ideas and proposals. So: Who am I?
I am a 40 year old happily married man with five kids. I am a map maker. I am a Mormon. I am the State GIS Coordinator also known as the State GIO (Geographic Information Officer). I am five feet, ten inches tall (not tall enough) and weigh 209 pounds (more than heavy enough). I am 1/4 Italian, 1/4 Swiss, 1/4 English, and 1/4 Irish. I am the youngest of five kids. I have lived a charmed life and have never wanted for anything.
What am I doing here? I am starting a journal. A journal for me and anonymous others to read, all of whom I hope to never meet in person, knowing they have read this.
When will I write here? My goal is at least once a week. Better if I could write once a day.
Where am I? I live in Pierre, South Dakota. Pretty close to nowhere. Pierre is a town of 13,000 people. Almost the smallest town I have ever lived in. La Junta Colorado was smaller but was much closer to bigger cities than Pierre is. Pierre is 180 miles from Rapid City and 220 miles from Sioux Falls. As Cities go, both are rather small but compared to Pierre, they are huge and they have everything a city boy in a small town needs, except that they are three hours away.
Pierre is a place where you can literally see your dog run away for three days.
Why am I here? Why am I writing a blog? Why am I? I ended up in Pierre because I could no longer work for the shysters I was working for in KC. There is much much more to it than that but we will talk more about it in coming posts. I am writing this blog to keep track of the events in my life and record them for posterity. Why am I? I still am figuring that one out.
The next few posts will be copy and pastes of posts from my old blog.
Who, what, when, where and why. That is what my boss always wants described on any of my ideas and proposals. So: Who am I?
I am a 40 year old happily married man with five kids. I am a map maker. I am a Mormon. I am the State GIS Coordinator also known as the State GIO (Geographic Information Officer). I am five feet, ten inches tall (not tall enough) and weigh 209 pounds (more than heavy enough). I am 1/4 Italian, 1/4 Swiss, 1/4 English, and 1/4 Irish. I am the youngest of five kids. I have lived a charmed life and have never wanted for anything.
What am I doing here? I am starting a journal. A journal for me and anonymous others to read, all of whom I hope to never meet in person, knowing they have read this.
When will I write here? My goal is at least once a week. Better if I could write once a day.
Where am I? I live in Pierre, South Dakota. Pretty close to nowhere. Pierre is a town of 13,000 people. Almost the smallest town I have ever lived in. La Junta Colorado was smaller but was much closer to bigger cities than Pierre is. Pierre is 180 miles from Rapid City and 220 miles from Sioux Falls. As Cities go, both are rather small but compared to Pierre, they are huge and they have everything a city boy in a small town needs, except that they are three hours away.
Pierre is a place where you can literally see your dog run away for three days.
Why am I here? Why am I writing a blog? Why am I? I ended up in Pierre because I could no longer work for the shysters I was working for in KC. There is much much more to it than that but we will talk more about it in coming posts. I am writing this blog to keep track of the events in my life and record them for posterity. Why am I? I still am figuring that one out.
The next few posts will be copy and pastes of posts from my old blog.
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