"Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?" ~ Ben Franklin

I always hate the part on a questionaire where it asks what special talents I have. I can see that it's an applicable question most of the time, but I never have a good answer. I don't play an instrument, I can't sing, and I'm not good at any sport. Instead of writing "none" like I want to, I end up making up some crap about talking easily with others.

I received an email today that has me thinking I may need to change my response. I'm still undecided whether I should put "Excellent missionary skills" or "Recruiting expertise", but for now I'm just content that I finally found something.

This hidden talent didn't surface until just over a year ago when I found out Matchbox Twenty was doing a benefit concert in LA. Steve had already taken off work to go see Rob Thomas with me that year so I called my sister to see what I could talk her into. With a little coercion and the gift of pirated CD's, Lyndee came aboard the groupie express.

I had to post a video because this night provided the first time I'd ever thought about how I'd like to die. The video doesn't show it, but Lyn and I were a few rows in front of this camera. We were in the loge which I guess is like a balcony except its lower and closer to the stage. The building was a hundred year old theatre that had closed for a decade but then recently revamped and reopened. As soon as the music began, the whole crowd (including us) started jumping and dancing. I am not exaggerating when I say that the entire balcony was quaking and I felt like we were headed for a crash at any given time. I looked at Lyn and told her that I couldn't think of a better way to croak, so we kept our groove on, unstable as it were.

Matchbox came to Utah a few months later and I handily talked Kari and Trav into going. Lyndee went also, of course. I will post video of this fabulous evening on its one year anniversary, but I also prepped Karianne with Cd's and such before the concert. To say that night at the E Center was one of the best nights of my life would be putting it lightly. I couldn't stand the thought of not seeing them for several more years so I smoothly proposed going to Reno the next week. Kari bit and we were off like the bra of a new bride. Lyn knew Jeff would not hear of it so she stayed behind to sulk. For the record, we also had tickets to see Matchbox in Cheyenne last July but the show cancelled due to Rob's stance against animal cruelty (did I mention that I love this man?)

A few months pass and I find my cousin, born fifth in line among us, persisting I make her a CD of Rob and Matchbox compilations. This would be the same cousin that suggested a possible intervention to control my following of the said band. I sent her an email today requesting her brother's email status. She forwarded the necessary information and added a sentence telling me she was listening to Robbie as she wrote, but the best part is that she concluded with a "ooh baby!" I then asked her if this meant she would be joining me and my roadies once Rob announces another solo tour. Her reply was that she'd love to and that she has really missed out.

So that's it! My unexposed talent has shown face after all these years in the shade. I cannot take full responsibility since Rob is the actual ear-melting songwriter and performer, but I will accept credit where due. And thanks to my devoted converts. I love you girls!

It's a Love/Hate Thang

Our laptop is officially defunct (waaaahhhhh!), so why I decided to go private this morning is beyond me. Our desktop computer is slower than a herd of turtles treading through a peanut butter track. I'm a glutton for personal anguish.

No matter, it's over and done. I will begin my search for a new laptop and move on with my private blog. There were some people on my facebook and email lists that didn't ask for an invite but got one anyway, so if you didn't really want one, don't tell me. I'd hate to shatter the illusion I hold that my life is eventful and worth reading about.

I also want to mention that I had fun last night with the blogger girls! I walked into the party thinking I was a fairly smart, well-rounded, confident woman. I left realizing I'm an under average gamer who dreams of protesting botox and acting like a grown-up one day. (insert chuckle here Jen!) Thanks Leesh, you know how to throw the perfect bash!

Brooks and Brooks

Two years ago this month we had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Brooks Robinson was speaking for a UofU baseball fundraiser, so we took our Brooks to meet the inspiration behind his name. Brooks will only remember this from pictures but we hope he will grow to appreciate this night as much as we did.

When I was still in Hygiene school, Steve and I used to talk about possible boy names even though I was not pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant. We already knew that our first daughter would be named after my Grandma Emma, but nothing struck us profoundly in the male category. Then one day while watching a baseball documentary, Brooks Robinson was mentioned as one of, if not, the greatest third basemen to ever play the game. Steve and I immediately looked at each other and said, "That's it!" I asked Steve if he knew what type of guy B.R. was off the field, I didn't want my son having the same name as some arrogant, celf-centered baseball player just because he could play a mean game of hardball. Steve said he thought B.R. was a nice guy but didn't have details.

I started doing some research and kept finding quote after quote, story after story about what a great man Brooks Robinson was and still is. There were numerous stories of him signing hours of autographs for kids and fans, and several accounts where B.R. would pull a child from the stands before a game and ask him to play catch or pepper with him. He was always overly nice to the media and to people in general. I couldn't find one tale of him believing he was better than anyone. He's been quoted as saying that he's just an average ball player who was lucky enough to play games for a living. Basically, he had it in perspective. He knew that being a great player didn't mean beans if he wasn't an even better person outside the game. These are my two favorite quotes written about Brooks Robinson-

"There's not a man who knows him who wouldn't swear for his integrity and honesty and give testimony to his consideration of others. He's an extraordinary human being, which is important, and the world's greatest third baseman of all time, which is incidental." - John Steadman of The News American

"How many interviews, how many questions - how many times you approached him and got only courtesy and decency in return. A true gentleman who never took himself seriously. I always had the idea he didn't know he was Brooks Robinson." - Joe Falls of the Detroit News


After I read that B.R. was held in the highest respect by everyone, the deal was done. When I was pregnant with Brooksie, I went through a phase of wondering if people would think it was a girl name and started tossing around other names, but Brooks always came back to me. I think it's because Brooks is the perfect name for our sweet boy.

The above picture is Brooks Robinson signing Brooksie's baseball. He asked our Sweet Boy what his name was and Brooks just looked at him silently, so I smiled and nodded to B.R. as I said, "His name is Brooks." Mr. Robinson's reply almost brought me to tears. He grinned at Brooks as he sounded out what he was writing on the ball, "Brooks, I'm honored." There was something indefineable about that moment. B.R. went on to talk a little to Emma and signed a book for her and then we were about to leave when I said to big Brooks, "Thank you so much, you are everything they say you are." And then he hugged me.

Steven still says to this day that I hugged him, but B.R. was sitting down so I think he stood up to hug me! We will contest each other forever about this one but I thought it was funny when we got to the car and Steve said it would've been nice if he'd been able to talk to him as well. He said I was hawging all of B.R.'s attention! I told Steve that if he wouldn't have been there staring in awe, like he'd seen the light of heaven, he could've said whatever he wanted. I wasn't standing guard over the 16-time gold glover for bleeps sake.













I'm a quote lover so here are 3 of my favorites from Brooks Robinson -

"Whether you want it or not, you do serve as a role model."

"It's a pretty sure thing that the player's bat is what speaks loudest when it's contract time, but there are moments when the glove has the last word.”

"Fifty years from now I'll be just three inches of type in a record book."
Norman Rockwell was picky about who he drew, but held such high regard for Brooks Robinson that he made him the subject of this painting titled, "Gee thanks Brooks." I don't think even a handful of players can say they have their own Rockwell. Here are 3 quotes that explain what type of defensive player B.R. was -

"He's not at his locker yet, but four guys are over there interviewing his glove." - Rex Barney to reporters looking to interview Brooks Robinson after the 1970 World Series

"I'm beginning to see Brooks Robinson in my sleep. If I dropped a paper plate, he'd pick it up on one hop and throw me out at first." - Sparky Anderson

"I will become a left-handed hitter to keep the ball away from that guy." - Johnny Bench

A link to one of my favorite B.R. kid stories -
http://www.royfirestone.com/img/v1/The_Kid_Who_Never_Forgot.pdf

Next stop...Jay Cutler, baby. Count on it!

Confessions of a Cantor

I saw my aunt driving on main street just after I got my license. I wanted to show her that I was behind the wheel so I sped up to honk and wave. As I neared her car, I saw that she was singing, and to herself no less! I'm sure it was simple tenor but in my exaggerated teenage mind, it looked like a one woman opera. I was so embarrased for her that I thought I would die. I remember trying to think of a way to tell her that it was only cool to sing in the car if you had a passenger, but I never did.

A couple years later I'm driving solo on main street in the evening, and I badly want to sing along with the radio. I reason with myself that nobody will see in the darkness and set the vocals free. It feels good but I pause when I hit an area with better lighting.

Spring forward to daytime 2009 and I'm running errands sans others in the car. Robbie is blasting my speakers and not only am I blaring the lyrics, I'm tappin and slappin the steering wheel like its my last gig. I start to wonder what Zak would think if he pulled up next to me now. Hmmm funny...I don't really care and if I stop here, I'm going to miss belting my duet on the best part of the tune, so I carry on with confidence.

Why do I divulge such addle? Because I need to know. I need to know if my carelessness will create substantial setbacks in my children's future. I need to know who amongst you does the same. Forget further rationale, I just need to know...

Girlie Football Garble

Yes I do have an opinion about the firing of coach Mike Shanahan, thanks Paige for caring and for asking. Because many don't know, I will start by explaining my devotion to the Denver Broncos. Most assume that I got into football because of my sports-loving husband, but you know what they say about assuming, it makes an a$$ out of you & me. I don't think I'm the arse in this case but that may be up for debate after my editorial.
My love for the blue and orange began in childhood. My Grandpa grew up in Colorado so liking the Broncos is somewhat of a family tradition. My Mom took the following to the next level and brought us up properly, taking us to games at Mile High and buying us various Broncos treasures like my first Raider Hater shirt. Mom also taught us sound football etiquette while at the stadium. During the pre-game above, she in her Steve Watson jersey and I in my Hater shirt, Mom yelled to the wide receiver, "Hey number 81, I got your number!" That was classic. Every year she got more daring. At the next Raider game, we sat on the 2nd row about the 10 yard line and Howie Long was standing approximately 8 feet in front of us when she decided to tell him, in a loud yet substantial tone, what a nice keister he had. Howie then turned around and gave us a chin up. My father was in a different section for that one. He is a Raider fan, believe it or not, so we sometimes tried to keep a good distance from him.
This is Mom with our season ticket holding cousins, Cid & Johnny, who insisted on trading us their 2nd row seats for our nosebleeds this game. They said the view was better up there, lol. It was a Monday night game vs. the Raiders, we have exceptional cousins!! Below is a heavenly Mile High kiss from 1o years ago.

Now for my take on the decision to fire Shanahan earlier today. I appreciate the two super bowl wins and all that Mike has done for the Broncos, but it was time for him to go. I have been saying that for two years now. Only Steve agreed with me at first and there are still alot of fans who aren't happy, but the team is in desperate need for change. Mike's belief in a small but fast defense was not working. The D was the biggest cause of frustration in most games. The second theory of Mike's that I came to dislike was that he could make any mediocre runningback into a superstar. It worked perfectly with the great Terrell Davis. Mike Anderson and Portis were decent, but nothing remarkable. To give credit though, the trade for Champ Bailey was significant. I think Payton Hillis has potential, but not establishing a solid running game has also been suicidal to the team. Sure the Rb's were injured most of this season, but whatever the OC and Shanahan had been trying to create with the run, didn't strike me as outstanding anyway. I've also been extremely disapproving of many late drive play-calling like the last 2 minutes of the game against the Bills where it was 3rd then 4th & 5 and they decide to go for the touchdown instead of the 1st down! What the crap? There was plenty of time to try for a touchdown if they would've tried for more downs.

Above is a picture I took of the crowd last year when they inducted Terrell into the ring of fame. It was awesome. Lyn & I shed tears through parts of the presentation. Davis was probably the best of Mike's coaching moves. And I don't know who made the ultimate decision to draft Ryan Clady, but he played a crucial role in the offensive line this year. Cutler's pass protection was the best I've seen in years. Don't even get me started on the Elam matter. I haven't read alot about Elam's salary issues or everything that happened there, but I was extremely disappointed when they let him go. I think Denver would've won at least 2 more games this year had he stayed.

Mike was a superb coach and will thrive for another team, but I completely agree that the Broncos should try a different direction. I haven't listened to much commentary about terming Shanahan, but I did see that Cutler wasn't happy. I hope he gets over it soon because I think Jay can take Denver to the superbowl if he stays on his game. For those of you who think he should put up or shut up, you should read about the how the reporter misinterpreted his words. First of all, the reporter is the one who asked Cut if he thought his arm was stronger than Elway's and Jay said his answer was taken out of context because his name doesn't even deserve to be used in the same breath as Elway's. He didn't say he was a better QB, he just gave his own opinion about arm strength. I think I sing better than Steven, doesn't mean I do, but is there anything wrong with believing in myself? Personally, I'm glad that Cutler has confidence. I will probably defend him forever because remember, Cutler has type I diabetes. He is a positive role model for Brooks. The extraordinary Elway was all I knew growing up and it was hard for me to even watch the Broncos for a couple or so years after he retired. Steve used to say that I was just an Elway fan, not a Denver fan, but I always loved the team and eventually overcame missing John and that gun. And man he could scramble. There will never be another Elway in my world, but we cannot live in the past and I loved his reply to Jay's confidence:

Elway on Cutler’s arm vs. those of some NFL greats: “Joe Montana, Steve Young, Brett Favre — they all could get outside and make big plays. Cutler is either more athletic or has better arm strength than each of them. His arm is pretty special, might even be as good as mine when I was his age. Certainly, it’s better than mine was at the end.”

To Emma, From Mom with Love :) She asked for it without any promptings, I swear!

Thanks Mom for creating this legacy. It hasn't always been easy on the blood pressure, but it sure is fun. Thanks Dad for the many taxi rides to Denver and back, and for giving us something to rival about. I wish Shanahan would've went out differently and I hope he doesn't leave a chip on his back for long. So who would I like to see as the new skipper? Bill Cowher, but I'm just a girl after all, what do I know about football?

Reasons Why I'm Not Blogging

1.

2. I used to loathe video games, so how is it that my rump is sore, my fingers are cramped, and I cannot pull myself away? I am only posting to give the kids a turn. Finally, Santa brought something for Santa!

Merry for who?

I used to be the type of Christmas nut that drove everybody crazy cuz I'd pull out the holiday music before Halloween. My favorite song of all time was We Need a Little Christmas by Johnny Mathis. My children would decorate the tree, and as soon as they went to bed, I'd rearrange the ornaments so they hung in a neat and patterned fashion. I didn't do that this year. The unbalanced bulbs didn't make me mental like usual. Its hard to believe that I have been known to throw Christmas in July parties a time or two. Yep, I'd get the tree out and everything.

So in comes yule 2008 and I can't get Hard Candy Christmas out of my head. Ol' Dolly is a lyrical genius as far as I'm concerned. I no longer see what's fun about running from store to store or baking for this, that, and the other. I finally slapped myself across the face and realized that my kids will survive if they don't get Mario Kart and it's no big deal if I get nothing original for my dad. I mean really, there's no rule that says he can't have a different nascar shirt for every day of the year.

It hasn't helped that I'm holding onto a virus that I'm convinced has to be somewhat of a sister to the bird flu. I coughed so hard that I pulled a muscle around my middle ribcage. It hurt to even breathe. I can't remember the last time I called in sick to work because I was the one who was sick, but I've called in two different days in three weeks time. At least the Halls and Ricola assembly line workers don't have to worry about losing their jobs now. I've bought enough throat drops to keep them working for several more years.

On Thursday, I made a big mistake by presuming I could be amongst others without inadvertently hawking my left lung at them. I went to Walmart to catch up on shopping and in true Sam Walton tradition, they still had one checker running the show. Honestly??? It's Christmas for bells sake. Would it be so difficult to teach the floor waxer/wannabe zamboni driver to jump on a register once the line hits neverending?

Lucky for me, we're also getting a white Christmas, meaning that my kitchen floor needs constant wiping (which I neglect) and I am once again regretting not going into debt for a garage addition. No need to fear as my children are keeping things jolly around here despite my grinchitis. Brooksie just couldn't wait to give me this gingerbread necklace he made me at school. I've been wearing it nonstop because it reminds what the season is all about.

Albeit improving, I can't help but wonder if a little Edward wouldn't help me shake this :)