Wife's laughter, and the kindness of others...

The school year started with a rush. There has been little time to just sit in my office and respond to e-mails, complete testing protocols, read up on research, or return phone calls (which reminds me I have to call a parent)...

Got it covered now...

My wonderful wife ran a half-marathon this morning. That is her on the left (above picture). She averaged 8.5 minute miles. She ranked 10th in her age division (30-40). The most difficult part for her was rising at 5:00am to get there on time. She was bit nervous and arose at 4:45. OF course she had been lying awake next to me for, at least, two hours before that. Thought maybe that the lack of sleep would negatively effect her run. It didn't. Next year she plans to run the full "Top of Utah" marathon. Go WIFE! I married a jock.

MY wife's 20-year reunion has been sneaking up on her. One of her old classmates made a website for fellow alum to post a little biography and pictures. She reads it every day. She will never post to it, nor will she attend the reunion. But she is a bit of a voyer. Just yesterday I walked into our bedroom. There she was with the laptop on her lap. She began to snicker... then chuckle... then outright howl with laughter. "(Happy) come here and listen to this one," she said.

I know more about her high school classmates than I ever wished to. As she reads the posts, she reports regretting not getting to know more people in school. Ignoring isn't so bad. The alternative is to be a dick to some.

I was taught early that treating others with respect and friendship (especially the "weird" people) usually pays off in the long run. There have been times when the wife and I have been out in public and someone VERY colorful, that I knew in High School (or didn't know for that matter) has walked up and start chatting with me. "You were strange in high school weren't you hon," she has said. Some people don't change much.

An old friend works in a local Sprawlmart store. I shop early on Saturday mornings and was surprised to see him one morning about 2 years ago. In Jr. High, and High school this friend was the class whipping boy. Some of my fellow classmates were downright cruel to him. When he saw me he smiled, ran up, and gave me a hug. I hadn't seen him in 20 years at that point. Frankly I was delighted to see that he functioned in society. Some people who take such abuse don't recover. He was recently divorced, and his mother died as well. The resilience of some people just amazes me. Anyway, there was a tinge of pride knowing that I had never belittled him or fell into the peer pressure trap of abusing this decent person. Now the alcohol addicted friend from college is a whole different story. Let's just say I wasn't much of a help to him...

The wife was howling while reading a relatives bio that had been posted. Thought you could get away with not getting involved eh?? Sucker.

HH =)

Worlds colliding....

Being someone that spends a good deal of time cruising the information superhighway it is inevitable that, eventually, anonymity gives way to subtle clues about some who may be lurking just a cubicle, classroom, building, or room away.

I was reading one of my favorite BB's and a person I know (not too well, but pretty well) put up their personal information. My conundrum is deciding whether to "out" myself on the BB; approach this person IRL and chat; or just maintain my anonymous status? Don't get me wrong, this person has not written anything embarrassing. Just went from an anonymous poster using a pseudonym to using their real name and ID.

One of these days, I fear that my wife will learn how to surf the web and she will stumble upon my musings somewhere. Luckily since she has just mastered Windows "Spider Solitiare" and "Word" I don't have too much to worry about. I think back and wonder if I have written anything, of which I ought be embarrassed/ashamed? Probably not, but...

AS with the evolution of species I wonder of the trend toward initial fecundity will give way to moderate reproduction with "fine-tuning"? In other words, as the web contains trillions of bits of information (most of it useless and silly), will users like you and me become more savvy about what information we put out there? And, will we become more discerning regarding the content we read/access? Will the content of the Web be modified by survival value (user interest)? Or will it obey another set of laws? Will the web just continue to fill up, without enough feedback (selection), that useless (poor or factually inaccurate) information will proliferate and, in return, continue to "dumb down" humans?

I find that I tend to go to the same blogs, and websites time and time again. I do have a propensity, however, to go to sites that are very desperate in their views and philosophies. But, what of people who don't? My father goes to LDS.org, and FOXNEWS.com. Any chance that what he accesses will improve his vision of reality? Or, challenge, his false ideas?

Been too busy to reading blogs to post to my own.

It has been a busy week. The wife decided to try a "fund-raising" idea. She has spent the last 3 days at the county fair; sitting in the hot son; NOT selling her wares. Now, one might think, "hey she chose this stuff, its a learning opportunity. However, one would seriously underestimate the investment of her husbands time she makes in such endeavors.


After moving the freezer from Smithfield to Logan. It was Happy's responsibility to carry it to the booth, get the power on, and put the 34 boxes of "otter pops" in the freezer. Further, Happy must make up posters (on the wife's whims), transport the kids back-and-forth from home to Fair, take the wife lunch and dinner, and finally clean up and pack the freezer back to Smithfield.

I know its a "team" thing, but can anyone, anywhere, point to her equivalent jobs to mine? Of course not! I am smart enough to let those "fantastic opportunities" just drive right on by!

I was talking with my wife's grandmother. She is one of the world's most wonderful human beings (those who know her know exactly why). She asked why I did laundry, helped the wife with silly "fund-raising" ideas, did dishes, prepared most meals, and took half the responsibility for parenting. She stated that she was responsible for all the housework and parenting when she was raising children. She is what some of us might label a "good woman."

But, I think that progress has left some of us guys with a shorter end of the stick. I don't demand that the wife support my silly whims. I don't demand the the wife get up in the middle of the night to tend to a child's nightmare. If the dishes need cleaned I don't demand that she clean them. Being a 21st century guy may not be all that it's cracked up to be.

I often think of what it is like to have Shane's life: Drop everything and travel to a foreign country just for the heck of it; party with friends late into the night, have long discussions with mentors and students, look at a female with any feeling other than indifference, and just do what I want to do when I want to do it. Ahh the idea of unfettered freedom...

Yet... I wouldn't give up her gentle smile, the kids hugs early in the morning, shopping just for "them", sharing every idea with Mrs. Happy and anticipating her responses, etc. I see the changes in Lisa's, and Counterintuitive's lives, and see the adventure, and trouble that lay in each path.

How diverse we humans are. How difficult it is to understand what it means to truly walk in the "others" shoes. B.F. Skinner's Autobiography was entitled "The particulars of my life." I am beginning to understand that epiphany's of understanding lie in the details, and not in the crises of our lives. I am just beginning to understand that I am who I am because of the particulars of my short existence. "I ponder the vastness of the universe and see the smallness of mankind. And it makes me happy."-- Albert Einstein.

If only I had his insights into it all.

I am delighted to live vicariously through Shane's experiences (especially the latest ones). I am blessed... err... fortunate... to be effected by the lives of other special bloggers who articulate extraordinary experiences of their own. --- Good for me!


HH =)