Tell You [a] Little Story

The sun is shining. It's a beautiful 45 degrees outside. My family is coming to see me tomorrow. Hooray.

This is a story about a boy. A boy whose friends all turned eight before he did, so when his mother was Wolf den leader, he came to the Pinewood Derby and watched and dreamed and learned and made plans, but just barely missed being old enough to participate. A boy who was disappointed when the cub scout committee couldn't get it together the following year and postponed the Pinewood Derby for a few months. A boy whose family moved him to Utah at a very inopportune time as far as the Pinewood Derbies were concerned, leaving just before one, and arriving just after the other, thus missing both. A sad boy. This is also a story about a family who planned a trip to get out of River City in the dregs of January to go to a sunny, tropical place. And a Cub Scout troop who scheduled a much-dreamed-about Pinewood Derby for the very same week. And the same boy who, upon learning of the Derby for next month and not yet knowing about the trip, came home and pored over the contents of his little

I know I'm the only person in America whose cell phone isn't always charged and on-hand, but if I am nothing else I am a champion of consumer rights, so I need to make this known: Do not, under any circumstances, ever use a payphone operated by a company called Faircall which allows you to pay with a credit card. For a three minute call you will be charged $11.27. Such an egregious rip-off makes me want to fight them, even though it's a negligible amount of money. Who do they think they are? I'll probably spend too much time righting this wrong on Monday, but I know my rights.

I give you Number 3 on the UK Singles Chart in October 2006. It's catchy, and the special effects: killer.

{Video of Portland, OR via CNN, but this is not unlike what I am seeing and living this week. Feel sorry for me.} I went skiing for the first time ever last year. I kind of stunk at it, but did make substantial improvements by the second time down the mountain. It was a little bit terrifying to go downhill which, duh, of course that's what you do when you ski, but conceptualizing it and doing it are two different things. I think I will continue to improve, and eventually get over the feeling that I am not in control and yet I'm gaining acceleration in a downward direction. Steve wants us to be a "ski family" so we'll see how that goes. This week for the first time we've experienced some snowstorms while living in our new house which sits ever-so-nicely at the top of a hill. The whole road up to our house slopes a bit to the left, which is one thing, but the road is semi-steep when covered with treacherous ice, and the last little chug up to our house is the s

If you speed in Orem in a school zone on your way to the aviary with your sister and your kids, and you a) do not have proof of insurance in your vehicle b) are not properly restraining your five year old because all the carseats and booster seats are otherwise occupied c) do not have a license plate in the front AND d) do not have a Utah driver's license even though you've lived there for more than a year, it's not so bad to get a ticket and show up for court and five minutes later walk out, pay $95 for fees and traffic school, and be on your merry way. It's not so good, but not so bad, either.

This talk -- the delivery and the content -- encapsulates everything that is right in the world. speaking truth with humility testifying of Christ love in theory love in practice The video loaded very slowly for me, so here is the text if you're in a hurry. Although if you skip the video, you will miss a very touching part, my favorite: a visual representation of love and the reason I linked to this particular talk of Elder Wirthlin's . Help from Elder Nelson. He died last night, and I'm really happy for him.

Behold! My sister-in-law Angela , who makes the best jewelry (love her earrings!), is hosting a series of twelve giveaways. Your chances to win are very good. Get thee to her blog.