Provo Fire

Here are some shots of the fire that we could see from our place. It progressed a lot more but by dark it was contained.

Glam shots by Brad

Bart came over for a quick photo shoot. I think this one will work out nice...

Are you even kidding me?

This is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. Does anyone else think it sounds like it all about the money?

Starburst Fruit Chews are exactly as their name would indicate: chewy. But one Michigan woman says the candies are so chewy, they should come with a warning label.

Victoria McArthur, of Romero, Mich., is suing Starbursts' parent company, Mars Inc., for more than $25,000 for "permanent personal injuries" she claims she sustained after biting into one of their yellow candy in 2005.

"I don't know, maybe about 3 chews and it literally locked my jaw … and it just literally pulled my jaw out of joint," she told MyFoxDetroit.com.

McArthur's lawyer, Brian Muawad, says the candies caused her to develop a condition known as temporal mandibular joint dysfunction. McArthur says she has had trouble chewing, talking and sleeping since the incident.

Muawad says McArthur offered to negotiate a settlement with Starburst's insurer to pay for her rehabilitation, but the company said no way. A spokesman for Mars refused to comment.

McArthur says she just wants to make sure nobody else meets the same end she did when she decided to indulge her sweetooth.

"I don't want to see anybody else have to go through what I have gone through from eating a piece of candy that was supposed to be soft chew," she said.

Me as PC

I just figured out how I can email my pictures from my camera phone to myself so I can post them. This is a picture of me in my Halloween costume dressed as PC from the Apple computers commercial. My friend Jeff was Mac and we were a hit. We won second place to a guy who dressed up as a hooker nun... any guy who is willing to do that deserves to win.

Silly Putty Face

Here is one of my Silly Putty creations! I wasn't trying to model after anyone in particular... but hey... when you don't have anything else to do at a job you have already quit... what do you do? Our AC is broken here... thus the shine on his face.

Facial Hair

So I am not a huge fan of growing facial hair... I sometimes let it grow out a little farther than I should just because shaving is such a hassle. Andrea didn't think that I would actually leave a little on my face in the form of a goatee. She wouldn't even look at me before I shaved it completely off... but good thing I have a camera phone! Its not much I know... but its not really my thing either.

Deep thoughts by Brad

I was thinking on my way to the bathroom at work... man I sure wont miss this building. Then I thought... why do we call it a building when it has already been built... we should call it a built. I work in a built... I live in a built...

I am tired of saying 'flip flops'... when did we switch to that anyway. I wasn't done calling them 'thongs'. Its so much easier to say thongs... there should be no confusion with the other word 'thong' because typically you only wear those one at a time thus the singular usage. So the added 's' means they are thong sandals. Starting now... they are 'thongs' again!

Does anyone know why the word cool has stayed cool? Other words like tubular or radical have not stood the test of time. Cool is like the ultimate word to use to express how 'cool' something is. Cool really, if you think about it has bridged together generations of people who use this word. Anyway have a cool summer.

I was watching the news this morning and the guy they have as their "funny reporter" (who is not normally funny) was actually funny this morning. He was reporting live from some western days carnival or something and he was sitting on one of those pig slides that have where you all race down at the same time. He said "they actually named this ride after my college nickname" and they panned out to show the name of it. It read "Flying Fanny". I was dying! Who names a slide that.

Join me later for more thoughts by Brad

New job!!!!

So beginning on July 2nd I will be working for CirclePix. I interviewed yesterday and everything went really well. They called me back right away and brought me on board. I think its funny that people say get on board or we are on board with that... I guess its like from the pirate days... rrrrrr ya on board? Anyway... I am super excited to move up and on with my work. I am confident that this new company will be great for me.

Bad Utah Drivers

Driving in Utah can be a very stressful thing. You have to always be on alert for people who aren't paying attention or who think they can make a u-turn anywhere. I would say that Utah is a great place but, I could do without their lack of "rill" (real) driving skills. I have wanted to blog so many times about different near misses I have had with people who have for example stopped on the freeway on ramp for no apparent reason... the usual lane drifter... and my favorite the u-turning big rigs. Apparently the Vatican released a list of commandments for drivers (very interesting) and someone in Utah apparently took it upon themselves to create the 10 commandments of driving in Utah. Here they are in order according to ksl.com

1. THOU SHALT BE MINDFUL OF FARM EQUIPMENT.

Are you kidding me? Farm equipment? Ok... you can have that one.

2. THOU SHALT SIGNAL BEFORE YOU TURN, EVEN IF YOU’RE THE POLICE.

I agree with this one but let me add, just because you throw on your blinker for 2 seconds doesnt mean you can come plowing over.. wait your turn.

3. THOU SHALT BE COURTEOUS ON THE ROADS, EVEN IF YOU’RE FROM CALIFORNIA.

This one really ticks me off... I know I am from California but, come on Californians are the best thing that has happened to Utah's roads. Take note on how we drive... CORRECTLY!

4. THOU SHALT NOT KILL.

Ohhhhhhhh.... ok!!!!!

5. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ROAD RAGE.

Road rage wouldn't be such an issue if everyone followed the same rules... if someone has "raged" against you... ask yourself "did I deserve the lesson?" Chances are you did!

6. THOU SHALT ALLOW KIDS TO CROSS IN THE CROSSWALK.

No comment on cross walks... I agree... kids are super important. In fact they are so important that they need to be buckled in their seat belts. If you see parents allowing their kids to ride without seat belts you can call 800 887-5437 and this non profit organization will mail those people information about how important it is to have their kids buckled up... I don't care if you don't wear a seat belt... you are old enough to understand but, come parents buckle your kids in!

7. THOU SHALT BE RESPONSIBLE.

Yes this is the right idea... if you aren't following the rules of driving... yes there are certain rules to we can all drive at the same time... you are not being responsible.

8. THOU SHALT ALLOW PEOPLE TO MERGE.

You will be allowed to merge if you speed up to get on the freeway... 35 mph is not fast enough... you will be run over.

9. THOU SHALT STAY OFF THE TELEPHONE.

If you cannot handle operating a little cell phone and a big machine at the same time... and people are "road raging" against you... hang up the phone. If you know you can do both... who cares... I will talk on the phone when I drive... it still requires a little thing called paying attention and I have mastered how to do both.

10. THOU SHALT NOT TAILGATE.

This is how I got my very first ticket when I was 17. If someone is on your tail.. that means you are going too slow and you need to immediately GET OVER. This isnt rocket science people... recognize the signs and do us all a favor.

Meriel my sister in law has contributed a few more commandments. Here they are
I would like to add to the list:

11. Thou shalt not rubber neck when there is a cop on the other side of the freeway pulling someone over.

12. Thou shalt not rubber neck altogether.

13. Thou shalt not slow down at slight curves. (the centrifugal force isn't going to throw you off the road, it's okay you can still go at least 65)

14. Thou shalt not block people out when they turn their blinkers on. (It's like you're telling them your next move and they refuse to let you in.)

15. Thou shalt not drive slow in the left lane, btw that is the fast lane.

16. Thou shalt not even get on the freeway if you are carrying an uncovered load of dirt or rocks.
Thanks Meriel... great contribution!

In conclusion... take responsibility for your driving... if you are a terrible driver and you know it... recognition is half the battle get some help bad Utah drivers! Click here for help!

The little things in life

So for my birthday I splurged and bought myself a converter for my lamp to make it a touch lamp. I was in Home Depot with Andrea... I was waiting for her while she used the ladies room and I bumped a lamp and it turned on. It was like a light bulb went off in my head! I need my lamp on my nightstand to be TOUCH! I found what I needed (only $8) and I could'nt wait to get home and install it. Andrea teases me about it, but I love it. It actually gave me a really really dim option which is great in case Andrea heads to the sack early. No more maneuvering around to my side of the bed with the light from my cell phone screen. See its not that I am lazy, my lamp was just very stiff to turn the switch on and off.. I needed to get at it from just the right angle. BUT...... now I can just touch any part of it... its just as good as the clapper but quieter.. Needless to say I love my new lamp! I guess you can say that it doesn't take much to make me happy!

Summer time!

I love living in Utah to see the seasons change. As I get older I really like each season for what they contribute to my life. I am really into the things that remind me of each season. As most of you know I am into smells... if you take me to a store that has candles, chances are that I wont leave until I have have smelled each one and stated my opinion about each. Anyway, I compiled a bunch of pictures of what summer is to me, some I like simply because of the smells. I didn't take any of these pictures but I hope that I will have a run in with each of these things this year!

As a Man Thinketh By James Allen

Bart got me this awesome book for my birthday. I was trying to find information online about the book and its author and came across the free ebook. Its a short read but its full of great thought... on thoughts. Take the time to read it... you will be glad you did.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EBOOK (PDF FORMAT)

Oh Fanny Pack Oh Fanny pack....

I recently had a conversation with someone at work about Fanny Packs. He was embarrassed when he told me that his Dad still sports one. I thought I would educate people on how awful fanny packs are in hopes that we can make them go away. Below are a few shapes and forms they come in so you will not be fooled.

No need to adjust your monitor those are animal head fanny packs... unbelievably cruel to do this to your kids. Even if the kid wants one... help em out... dont give it to em!


This one made me almost fall out of my chair... leashes on kids already seems outrageous to me and connecting it at a fanny pack... even worse. It looks like an umbilical cord.


These are for the hippie crowd. These are all hand dyed threads and these fanny packs are perfect for carrying environmental pamphlets about global warming and to store drugs.


This fanny pack is the perfect cooler... guaranteed to fit a sandwich, capri sun, and a small cookie. Hint for those considering... Coolers like these were never cool.
Now these are probably carried at Nordstrom or Saks... they have sequins on them and are listed on line as "dress fanny packs" I wonder if they have matching jogging suits and visors.

I don't know why this girl looks so happy... maybe its because she hasn't looked in the mirror at her fanny pack since the 90's when they were all the craze.

Even if the fanny pack displays the American flag it's still not ok.



This one is to hit Mothers at their weak spot... bunnies on tapestry... who could resist... well Mom's please resist so the rest of don't have to throw up in our mouths every time we see it.


This is an exact replica of a fanny pack worn by one of the village people. It just goes to show that there are even fanny pack choices for drag queens.


Still wrong even though they have the flag in the right format. Please don't try again.


A man purse is better than a "manny pack" please... go buy a truck or something manly to reverse the affects.


This is the "manny pack" to the side. I wonder if he has his braided belt hanging down underneath it.

This just in... the radio fanny pack! Come on get with the 90's! I bet this will play "ice ice baby" like it was meant to be heard.


PLEASE HELP GET RID OF THE FANNY PACK!!!!!!! If you know someone who still wears them please take them aside and have a good heart to heart with them... the road to recovery may be long but they will get there one day and hopefully without a cell phone clipped to their belt! (also bad)

Silly Putty

Andrea and I bought Silly Putty last night because we remembered how much we loved it when we were growing up. I have been playing with it all day at work. It's good to have Silly Putty back in my life.. now that I have rediscovered it.. it will always sit on my desk.

Reasons I like Silly Putty:
1) It is a great stress reliever!
2) You can make extra fingers on your hand because its flesh colored (the original color)
3) You can get air bubbles in it and make it pop!
4) You can bounce it off your computer monitor.
5) The smell reminds me of the yester years.
6) You can transfer images from the newspaper. (some discoloring will happen)
7) You can stretch it until it snaps in half.
8) I like things that comes from eggs... chicken.. people.. silly putty! (not snakes)
9) I like that you can let the putty sit and it will just chill. (mellows out)
10) It tastes great!!! (it did when I was a kid... I havent tried it since)

Here is a not so brief history of the "Putty"

In 1943, Silly Putty was accidentally invented by James Wright, an engineer in General Electric's New Haven laboratory, which was under a government contract to create an inexpensive substitute for synthetic rubber for the war effort. By combining boric acid with silicone oil, a material resulted that would stretch and bounce farther than rubber, even at extreme temperatures. In addition, the substance would copy any newspaper or comic-book print that it touched.

There is some debate on who received the first patent. Corning Glass Works, who was also developing a substitute for rubber, applied for a patent in 1943 and received it in 1947 for treating dimethyl silicone polymer with boric oxide. Wright applied for his patent in 1944. In any event, Wright is still officially credited with the invention.

By 1945, General Electric (GE) had shared this discovery with scientists around the world, only to find that none of them, including those at the U.S. War Production Board, found it more practical than the synthetic rubber already then being produced. Several years later, an unemployed copywriter named Peter Hodgson recognized its marketing potential as a children's toy, after first seeing it advertised at a local toy store as an adult gift. Hodgson bought the production rights from GE and renamed it Silly Putty, packaging it in plastic eggs because Easter was on the way.

Though Hodgson introduced Silly Putty at the International Toy Fair in New York in February of 1950, it was not until several months later when an article appeared in The New Yorker magazine that sales took off. Initially, its market as a novelty item was 80% adult. However, by 1955 Silly Putty was most popular with kids ages six to 12 years old. Six years later, Silly Putty was introduced to the Soviet Union, followed by Europe, where it was a hit in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Italy. By the time Hodgson died in 1976, Silly Putty had made him a multi-millionaire.

It was only after its success as a toy that practical uses were also found for Silly Putty. It picks up dirt, lint, and pet hair, and can stabilize wobbly furniture. It has also been used in stress-reduction and physical therapy (athletes have used it to strengthen their grip), and in other medical and scientific situations (like smoking cessation programs). In 1968, the Apollo 8 astronauts carried Silly Putty into space in a specially designed sterling silver egg to alleviate boredom and help fasten down tools in the weightless environment. The Columbus Zoo in Ohio has even used it to make casts of the hands and feet of gorillas for educational purposes.

The eight million units produced in 1998 is four times what was produced in 1987. Binney & Smith, the maker of Crayola products who has manufactured Silly Putty since 1977, added four fluorescent colors in 1990—magenta, orange, green, and yellow. A market study at this time showed that nearly 70% of American households had purchased Silly Putty at some time.

In 1991, "Glow in the Dark" was introduced, though classic Silly Putty has remained the best seller. Most Silly Putty is still packaged in plastic eggs. Each egg contains 0.47 oz (13.5 g) and sells for about $1.00. Binney & Smith produces more than
A sigma-blade mixer is used to manufacture Silly Putty. Raw materials are placed into the mixing bowl and blended together for half an hour. Once mixed, the machine operator tilts the mixing bowl and removes the material onto a cart. From there, the Silly Putty is cut and packaged.
A sigma-blade mixer is used to manufacture Silly Putty. Raw materials are placed into the mixing bowl and blended together for half an hour. Once mixed, the machine operator tilts the mixing bowl and removes the material onto a cart. From there, the Silly Putty is cut and packaged.
12,000 eggs or 300 lb (136.2 kg) each day. More than 300 million eggs—or 4,000 tons of Silly Putty—have been sold since 1950, which is enough to stretch around the earth nearly three times.

IKEAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

So we finally went to the new Utah Ikea last night. It wasn't as crowded as I am sure the first few weeks have been but it was still loaded with people. Andrea and I went with Melissa and the kids (Curry is still in Africa) and we had a lot of fun wandering the place. I must say that by the end of the trip I was way Ikea'd out! Amazingly enough we (Andrea and I) made it out without buying anything. A highlight of the night was that I ran into a long lost friend of mine Russ Richards that I went to Elementary School with... Junior High.. and High School. We lost contact when I left on my mission and no one knew where he went. He was at IKEA! Russ and I both were involved in different art projects together... we use to walk home from school together and we were also in the same ward. I remember in 5th grade both Russ and I wanted to do our state reports on Utah. My teacher... Mrs. Troyer (Dr.) didn't want two students to do the same state.. ya know.. to mix it up a little... well... we both put up a pretty big fight and she agreed to let us both do Utah. I am actually the one that put up a big fight because his name got drawn first and he picked Utah first. I'm a nerd I know... anyway because I remember the most random things... I remember that Russ brought in salt water taffy from Utah as part of his presentation. It's weird I remember that. Isn't amazing how IKEA can bring people together?!

Lies told to kids

I was just thinking the other day about things that parents tell their kids to keep them from getting into trouble or prevent them from getting hurt. Sometimes its a positive thing to promote imagination and wonder like Santa Clause and his reindeer. Think about all the songs we sung about Santa and the elves and his flying reindeer... as an adult it's not logical but as a kid, it made perfect sense. As I have grown up... I began to understand more and think logically about these things, one lie however didn't come to me until I was in my last couple years of High School. My Mom used to tell me and my brother Bart that those grease stains on the street were where little kids had forgotten to look both ways when crossing the street and were hit by a car. As you can imagine as a kid I was pretty freaked out by this... in fact I remember riding my bike down the street and seeing all these grease spots and thinking... all those poor kids should have been looking both ways! If I would have put deeper thought into this I would have thought every kid in the neighborhood had be hit by a car... in fact, by the amount of grease in front of my house several kids had been hit there! When it finally hit me... I was like.. I know logically those are grease marks from parked cars but, why do I think those are whats left of an unfortunate child???... then I thought of the lie my mom fed me! I wasn't the only one fooled... Bart has told me that he also believed this lie. I know she told us this for our own safety but, I still think its funny that we held on it for so long... this one WAY out lasted Santa!

So I ask... what were you led to believe?

How's it Brudda?

One thing that everyone needs to know about me and Andrea is that we are huge Dog the bounty hunter fans... we Tivo it every week. I think we started watching because we were just shocked by them and what they say, and most of all....what they wear. Over the past few seasons Andrea and I have really grown to love this show and look forward to it. We have had 'Dog night' at our house with some friends of ours (the Stice Family). I encourage everyone to just give Dog a try... I am sure you will get hooked!

Here are some things to look for:

Dogisms- Example: any time Dog starts saying "Fe fi fo fum..." listen up its gonna be hilarious!

Dog emotions- Dog although an excellent bounty hunter... he has a sensitive side... watch for him choking up a little. Its reality tv at it's best.

Beth's clothing- Beth is Dog's wife and sidekick... she can wear some revealing clothes sometimes and they are BREATHTAKINGLY shocking... Andrea and I have had to rewind and re-watch a few scenes just to be able to believe what we see. Let's just say when she talks about bust'n criminals... thats not the only thing shes bust'n. One of my favorite examples of Beths choicest ugly outfits, is from an episode when Beth went 'undercover' at the airport waiting for a criminal to return to Hawaii... she had on a ladies Sunday hat... a t-shirt and shorts and hi-top Cons from the Saved by the Bell days... it was awesome!!!!

Dog Motivation- When Dog makes an arrest he doesn't just throw them in the back of his SUV and thats it... he gives them a cigarette and a bottle of water and then talks about how that they screwed up their lives. It usually makes the people cry and usually helps the person think about consequences of running from the law.

Songs- Both Beth and Dog will come up with little jingles to taunt the criminals they are chasing.. for example and my personal favorite is when Beth sang "nah.. nah.. nah.. nah.. ice head" It drives Andrea crazy when I say it to her but hey... I learned it on Dog!

Mispronunciations- This is the best when this happens one example that we love is when on Valentine's Day the 'posse' gathered around and held hands to say their daily prayer together and Dog in a quivering voice said, "We want to wish YOU Lord... a Happy Valentime's Day" (note the 'm' instead of the 'n') We probably quote that every Tuesday night!

So as you can see... this show is packed with all kinds of awesomeness... if you don't watch you should - and if you do watch.... right on brudda!

To join the Dog the bounty hunter fan club click here

Brad and Andrea est. 2004

To be honest I used to (up until a few years ago) think that when "est." appears in front of a year I thought it meant estimated not established... I just thought people estimated when their family started or when a building was completed. I am 25 now and I am learning all these important things. This a picture that we took inside the car... we were stopped I promise!

Happy Birthday Bart

Happy 27th!

Well Good morning!!

Polish man wakes from 19-year coma in democratic country

A 65-year-old railwayman, who fell into a coma following an accident in communist Poland, regained consciousness 19 years later to find democracy and a market economy, Polish media reported on Saturday.

Wheelchair-bound Jan Grzebski, whom doctors had given only two or three years to live following his 1988 accident, credited his caring wife Gertruda with his revival.


"It was Gertruda that saved me, and I'll never forget it" Grzebski told news channel TVN24.



"For 19 years Mrs Grzebska did the job of an experienced intensive care team, changing her comatose husband's position every hour to prevent bed-sore infections," Super Express reported Dr Boguslaw Poniatowski as saying.

"When I went into a coma there was only tea and vinegar in the shops, meat was rationed and huge petrol queues were everywhere," Grzebski told TVN24, describing his recollections of the communist system's economic collapse.

"Now I see people on the streets with cell phones and there are so many goods in the shops it makes my head spin."
Grzebski awoke to find his four children had all married and produced 11 grandchildren during his years in the hospital.

He said he vaguely recalled the family gatherings he was taken to while in a coma and his wife and children trying to communicate with him.

I am grateful for my good wife... I know my wife would take care of me for 19 years until I woke up from a coma!

Proof reader needed!

Oops!!! This is HILARYous!

Unacceptable! What is happening to our beloved country?

These disturbing pictures below are of a Mexican national flag flown above an upside-down U.S. flag was taken on 27 March 2006 at Montebello High School (MHS) in California during a student protest over immigration reform. According to news reports, the flag incident was prompted and implemented not by MHS students, but by a large group of students from neighboring schools:

The incident took place about noon Monday, when a group of about 1,000 students from the El Rancho and Whittier Union High school districts marched through Pico Rivera to Montebello High, where students had walked out of classes in the previous week to protest proposed immigration reform legislation.

Read the letter from Assistant Superintendent

If you have a moment and would like to complain to you US Representative and demand that something affective be done to take care of the HUGE problem of immigration click on the link below.

Contact your representative