A Craig Walker's Blog

The Agony of Spinning

2012-12-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

Friday morning I got up at 7:30, and remarked to my still sleeping wife "I'm going to go suffer for 45 minutes". I was heading to a spinning class at Sunset Athletic Club.

For those who don't know what "spinning" is, it is an exercise class where you work out on a stationary bicycle, varying the resistance and pedaling pace according to the commands of the instructor, and with accompanying energetic music. You'll do intervals, sustained "climbing", high RPM pedaling, in and out of the saddle--until the sweat is dripping onto the floor all around you. When the instructor barks "30 more seconds, come on, push it!", the clock seems to stand still as you push hard and try to hang on for what seems like eternity.

Normally, I will ride a real bike in the real world, up into the hills near my house, for a fantastic and invigorating workout in the great outdoors. But when it is wet or stormy outside, I head for SAC on Friday morning for my torture session. One way or another, it seems I need to get my exercise "fix" in order to feel good about myself and enjoy the day. Why else would I get up early just to go torture myself?

Perspective on 9/11

2012-12-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

It has been over a decade since Sept. 11, 2001, an event that changed so much in our world. I have read a number of books about the Middle East, Islam, al-Qaeda, and the war against terrorism. I'm currently reading "Manhunt: The Ten Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad", by Peter Bergen. It has caused me to reflect on bin Laden's imprint on our world and upon history.

Those of us in the West would be inclined to view the tragedy of 9/11 as not unlike that of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The Japanese experienced a profound victory, but at the cost of awakening a giant that ultimately destroyed their war machine and brought down their government. We brought down the Taliban in Afghanistan, the safe haven for al-Qaeda and militant Islam. We dismantled and neutralized al-Qaeda, eventually finding and killing bin Laden himself, as well as many of his lieutenants.

Bin Laden didn't achieve his stated objectives in his war on the United States and the 9/11 attacks, namely the removal of American troops from Muslim lands, the fall of American puppet states in various Arab countries, and the destruction of the U.S. economy and power in the world. On the contrary, Americans are awakened and united against the militant Islamic threat, there are many more American soldiers in the Middle East, and al-Qaeda itself has been decimated.

Yet, I'm sure that in the minds of many, especially in the poorer Islamic world, bin Laden is viewed as a great martyr, someone who stood up to the great Satan and struck with success. He has inspired many thousands, perhaps millions, to take up his cause to one extent or another.

I myself have a great distaste for bin Laden, and those like him. I place him in the same ranks with Hitler and Stalin, who has brought untold misery and hate into the world. I fail to see how the world, or anyone in it, is better off for his being here. I grant that he has made an imprint upon history, but a very ugly one indeed.

My evolving views on the Middle East

2012-11-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

Until recent years I've always had a staunchly pro-Israeli view on the Middle East. These were influenced by:

1. My belief in the Bible, that the Jews are a chosen people, and Palestine is their homeland
2. Israel is an underdog amidst a sea of hostile Arab countries
3. Arabs played unfairly with airline hijackings, Olympic village killings, suicide bombings, terrorist tactics
4. Cultural, political, and economic alignment between Israel and USA
5. Jews deserved a break after the Holocaust

As I've read a number of books about the Middle East, traveled there, and as my daughter and her family live there, my views have changed to be much more even-handed. I no longer give Israel a free pass on any action or policy, nor do I believe Israel's interests are always in America's best interests.

This last point is made clearly in a landmark (for me) book that I read, "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy", by Mearsheimer and Walt. The book makes a strong case showing the disproportionate influence the Jewish and Israeli lobby has on legislative, economic, and foreign policy with regards to Israel and the Middle East. The obvious negative result for the United States is the prevailing view in Arab and Muslim countries of that unfair alignment, and subsequent suspicion and hatred it provokes. In short, it makes our dealings with these countries and people very difficult, and is a significant factor in the growth of radical and militant Islam in those countries.

When we visited Syria we always heard "welcome to Syria", and "we love Americans but hate your government", and "be sure to tell everyone we are not all terrorists". In fact, we found the Syrian people to be delightful -- honest, friendly, God fearing, and family-friendly. Islam is a wonderful influence in the lives of the great majority of the population. I am greatly saddened by the Civil War turmoil that rages there today.

I do believe Israel deserves the right to a Jewish state, and should be protected from those powers that openly advocate her annihilation. But I also believe Israel is in the wrong with her West Bank settlements and general treatment of the Palestinian people. I think Israel should withdraw to her 1966 borders as part of a general peace plan.

Trophies

2012-11-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

The first trophy I recall receiving was for my participation in Little League baseball, when I was 9 or 11 years old. It wasn't for being the first place team, or the star player. Every boy got one, which I think I felt was a little odd. But I valued it nevertheless, and it made me feel important.

Over the years I have accumulated a fair number of trophies and other awards--baseball, softball, basketball, table tennis, cycling, tennis, running, academics, work contributions, church service, Boy Scouts, etc. I was always pleased to get the trophy or award, and it helped focus the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction, at least for a while. For the most part, the trophies and plaques became more of a clutter and nuisance, rather than anything that was displayed--gathering dust, bunched up on a high closet shelf.

It seems increasingly that the awards became more practical. Like the prized BYU intramural champion t-shirt, or the tennis mouse pad, or the Chevy's Run mug, or any number of hats, or digital clock. One award was a gift certificate for Starbucks, so I have enjoyed several cups of hot chocolate. At least these could be used and enjoyed.

To help with the trophy clutter problem, without discarding the memory entirely, we took to removing the engraved plate and giving the bare trophy to D.I. I still have way too many shirts and hats, so some of them just had to go. A shirt has to be particularly memorable to be a keeper.

Here is a sampling of some--a Chevy's mug I use all the time, a softball trophy from my top closet shelf, an engraved plate from a table tennis trophy, cycling distance awards from my bedroom wall, the BYU shirt from my drawer, and a softball champions hat I keep in the closet.

Ketchup

2012-11-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

I confess. I like ketchup. And I add it to lots of foods. Suzanne says nobody...NOBODY....puts ketchup on a taco. But I do. Hot dogs? Of course. Hamburgers? Certainly. Spaghetti? When left to my own devices, yes. Meatloaf? Absolutely. French Fries? Fish filet? You guessed it.

I don't recall the origins of my ketchup likings. Certainly by the time of my mission I was adding ketchup to any number of our meager missionary recipes. It never occurred to me that I was in any way unusual in this regard. There are countless foods I don't add ketchup to. Such as breakfast cereal, or vegetables, or ice cream. I mean, come on. Those would be unusual. Maybe an indication of mental instability.

So, there you have it. If I knew how to do one of those online voting things I'd see how my readers are divided on this. But no matter, I'm secure in my tastes.

Home Grown Lemonade

2012-11-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

I have a tradition of bringing home frozen lemon juice from my annual March visits to So. California. My folks have a lemon tree in their backyard and there is plenty of lemon juice to spare that time of year. It is a treat to bring it home and make lemonade from home grown lemons. I save it for special occasions, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, or other festive family events.

My mom loads available plastic jars with the juice, then freezes it. We put the frozen jars in plastic bags for further protection against leaks, and pack with my airline luggage. So far, luggage inspectors haven't questioned me about the contents, even after 9/11 security crackdowns. And they are still frozen when I arrive home.

I'm down to only three jars at present, since I didn't carry any home this year (bag was full with a ham radio, and I felt it was pushing my luck to include unknown frozen liquid in my carry-on). We had some for Thanksgiving, and will use a jar for Christmas. So we'll be okay.

We laugh about the "Natural Fiber Therapy, Bulk-Forming Laxative" jars that I often use. Glad a luggage inspector hasn't questioned me about it. Or maybe they were too embarrassed to.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for being delicious lemon juice providers!

Happy Trails

2012-11-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

Some years ago my parents bought into the Thousand Trails campgrounds system. After the upfront cost, and annual dues, they could stay at any campground nationwide for no charge.

When my folks would come up for a visit we would sometimes visit or stay with them at Cape Kiwanda, or other locations on the Oregon Coast. On other random trips we stayed at these campgrounds, such as Comdex at Las Vegas one year, and several overnights during our 1998 trip back east. The first photo is our nice cabin in Virginia, the next the not as nice trailer in Illinois.

Since 1996 each year I have stayed a few days at the Thousand Trails near Palm Springs while attending the tennis tournament in Indian Wells in March. Usually I stay in a tent while my folks stay in their trailer or RV. Others come, too, and we have family mini-reunions.

In recent years we kids have had a benefit where we could book sites at Thousand Trails and stay, without our parents having to come along. Our family has stayed a number of times at our favorite site at Cape Kiwanda, near Pacific City, OR.

We have also camped at Sunriver Thousand Trails near Bend, OR, a few times.

We are glad our parents have been able to share their membership with us, as we have really enjoyed staying at these campgrounds. The facilities and activities are nice, and locations compelling. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Autumn Beauty

2012-11-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

Both spring and fall have such interesting colors all around--I love it. Fall colors are often accompanied by a still, muted, soothing environment--overcast, damp, windless, even foggy.

To follow up on my earlier posts about the ideal camera, I did end up upgrading to the Sony NEX-6 camera. I decided against replacing my DSLR, and went the mirrorless approach instead, essentially merging my two cameras into one (I sold my NEX-3 on craigslist for a good price).

Here are a few random photos just from my yard which I took on Thanksgiving and Saturday.

My Work Commute

2012-11-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

I commute to work on my bicycle year round. I drive a car on an exception basis, such as when there is a bad storm, or ice, or I have other errands to do during the day. My commute is 8 miles each way, and takes me about 35 minutes, on average. Driving a car with no traffic might be 15 or 20 minutes--other days up to 30 minutes.

My motivations are saving fuel and other car expenses, saving the environment, good physical exercise, and mental health (feeling of accomplishment, and time to think or listen to an audio book).

Commuting by bicycle has its roots for me when I rode to school, perhaps some in 2nd grade, but certainly 6th through 9th grades. On my mission in Germany my favorite mode of transportation was bicycle (only in my last city, otherwise trams and buses). At BYU I rode my bike to school, and often to work at NWC in China Lake, CA. I didn't in Meridian at HP--narrow, high speed roads, for one thing. But at Sequent I did quite often, and again at RLX.

When I started at Intel I was a little intimidated by the longer commute (8 miles), but within a few months of starting there I had determined it wasn't a bad commute at all, and set a goal to average twice per week. I've done much better than that these past 7+ years. I've even kept a calendar log of days I have ridden my bike to work.

Earlier this week I brought a camera to document my route. It was a rather rainy day, but I was dressed for it with my booties, rain pants, waterproof jacket, and waterproof gloves.

I start out on a short, uphill stretch before turning soon into quiet neighborhoods.

About three miles in I take a path under the freeway to emerge on Evergreen Parkway. After heavy rains this path will sometimes flood, necessitating my detour around a longer route.

This day the flooding was as bad as I've ever seen it. Sometimes I can ride through it, but not when this deep.

The past month they have been doing construction on the path, requiring an inconvenient detour.

I ride on Evergreen Parkway about four miles. It is a major street, but with a substantial bike lane.

Evergreen curves around the Hillsboro Airport runway, then I turn left just ahead. I was glad when they changed the strict, dedicated left turn signal to a blinking yellow (effectively a yield, and a boon to cyclists who don't trip the sensor to change the light).

This last stretch is a rare narrow road on my commute, but doesn't last long before I turn left into the parking lot.

I lock my bike to a covered rack just outside my building lobby (Jones Farm #5). It is usually crowded with locked bikes, but not on this rainy day.

And there you have it. The incremental added time required vs. driving a car is, I think, very well spent.

Thanksgivings past and present

2012-11-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

I recall Thanksgivings from my youth with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. And watching football on TV and playing it in the yard. As a freshman at BYU I got a ride home to Riverside, CA, unexpectedly, and enjoyed a warm holiday. As a missionary in Germany we Americans cooked up our own feast at the church. As a sophomore at BYU I stayed in Provo for a quiet Thanksgiving and snowstorm.

I have scattered memories of Thanksgivings with our young family.

In 1979 we hosted Barry's family in Meridian, and there was a snowstorm on the day they drove back to Utah.

I used to borrow from work an HP desktop computer to play games on during the extended Thanksgiving weekend (1982).

Glade visited us from BYU once or twice (1982).

Kevin visited us just prior to leaving for Japan on his mission (1983, or early 1984, not sure this was actually at Thanksgiving).

We hosted the Juhasz family in 1983 (and in a subsequent year we drove from Oregon to Idaho and visited them).

Here we are in 1987.

Our family began to grow with grandkids arriving (2003, 2005, 2008).

In 2009 Suzanne had just had a foot operation, so we had a low key Thanksgiving. Two years ago we hosted Ken's family from Eugene.

This year the Blairs are busy moving into their new house, and they will eat at the Jordans. Bridget and family are in the UAE, Teresa and girls in Idaho, Steven and Kristi in Provo. So it is just Daniel, Suzanne, and me.

Such pleasant memories. And Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Staying Put

2012-11-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

My previous new jobs had required moving to a different state--Utah to California, then to Idaho, and finally to Oregon. I loved my job at Sequent here in Beaverton, and worked hard. I felt I was making a significant contribution through the start-up phase, then profitability, and public stock offering. It was pretty exciting stuff (until the stock market dip in 1990 and company stock dropped to 25 cents on the dollar).

Sequent was a special place, with high morale and great working environment. It was the Camelot of companies. We did go through some hard times, including 1991 when nearly half of engineering was laid off. But I survived all that and was still at Sequent 16 years later when IBM bought the company. We were all pretty excited and optimistic about that. We assumed we'd have increased job security and that IBM would be able to invest more in our product development and sales.

Well, things with IBM didn't work out too well. The IBM executive who spearheaded the purchase retired soon after, and it seems we lost our advocate within IBM. We began to die a slow death, and within two years almost everyone had been laid off, including me in May 2002. Work had become a drag, so I wasn't all that disappointed to leave.

Fortunately, a relatively new company based in Houston, TX, decided to open a Hillsboro, OR, branch to take advantage of all the available ex-Sequent employees. So I went to work for RLX Technologies, with a dozen or so others from Sequent, and felt right at home doing the same kind of work I had been doing. This went fine for two and a half years while RLX tried to make a go of things, but couldn't. A week before Christmas, 2004, the Oregon branch was closed and we all lost our jobs. Fortunately, that same afternoon a couple of Intel managers came in and gave us a pitch to persuade us to come to Intel as an intact team to continue work on a similar product development. So about twenty of us did so, starting with Intel Corporation in January, 2005.

Intel was always a dominant hi-tech employer in Oregon, and not always admired, at least from an employee standpoint. They had a reputation of working employees to the bone in a cut-throat environment. Many of us from Sequent thought of it as going to the "dark side". But, to my delight, I found Intel a wonderful company to work for. Sure, it didn't have the nimble, start-up atmosphere of a Sequent or RLX, but our development team was pretty tight and able to work efficiently. The "big company" aspects gave us security and benefits, and our development team had a great environment.

When I started with Intel I negotiated to work 4 day weeks at 80% pay, so I really enjoyed my situation. I figured if I got two good years out of Intel that would be bonus. I never figured, for instance, I would be there long enough to earn my 8-week paid sabbatical after 7 years. But here I am, almost 8 years later, and feeling so fortunate. In recent years I have decided I would continue working at this job for as long as I enjoyed the work. The pay and benefits and working environment and company are marvelous.

Meanwhile, for some years now we have felt our roots are too deep in Oregon to consider moving again. We have been fortunate to experience two (or three, counting the IBM stint) more job changes and continue living in our house. I don't see any motive on the horizon to tempt us to move--we really enjoy Oregon, with its mild weather and gorgeous scenery, with such a variety of outdoor opportunities.

So, on this Thanksgiving Day, I acknowledge my tremendous good fortune, both past and present. I feel like I live such a charmed life, and raise thanks to my God. And I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who reads this blog.

On the Oregon Trail

2012-11-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

We really enjoyed living in Meridian, Idaho, for just over five years. The job at HP was great, the neighborhood wonderful--we seemed totally plugged into life there. But an exciting job opportunity came up that I just had to consider.

A couple of years earlier I had passed on a chance to join a start-up company with a college buddy. And this kind of nagged at me, so when the next chance came, with Sequent Computer Systems in Beaverton, Oregon, I decided to give it a serious look.

On the interview trip in February, 1984, we left a snowy Boise and landed in a mild, if wet, Portland. Everything was so green and beautiful. The job seemed exciting and the near ground floor opportunity with stock offerings was very enticing. It was a very difficult decision to uproot from Idaho, but we decided to go for it.

I started in late March, and we moved into a rental while we did house hunting. We ended up finding a home lot we liked with a builder willing to modify a plan to our liking. We watched the construction through the summer and fall, finally moving in on our anniversary, Dec. 19, 1984. At the time we considered this our dream house, even though we did compromise on various points to save expense.

We had so much to explore in this beautiful state--the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Forest Park, and Cannon Beach, to name just a few.

A new house meant yard projects...again.

And before long, we added our fourth child. But that is another thread. However, I love this photo, so wanted to sneak it in.

Impulse is your enemy, time your friend

2012-11-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

Through the 1980's, and especially into the 1990's, I was diligent about putting savings away for retirement via 401K and IRA's, as well as taxable accounts. Knowing that over the long term stock market equities returned 10% to 12% on average this is where I placed the bulk of our investments. I researched mutual funds and narrowed my choices to those with low fees and good track records. I also invested in individual stocks.

I survived the 1987 market crash just fine, staying invested and reaping the gains that followed right away in 1988. The market drop in 1990 was pretty discouraging as well--I think it was about this time that I came across the quote that titles this post, and tried to stay upbeat about the market. In other words, I didn't give up and sell my stocks at the market bottom. Indeed, the great bull market that persisted the following decade was remarkable, and a boon to our net worth. I was convinced that I was a stock picking genius. I don't know if I realized that a monkey picking stocks randomly could so as well in such a market.

The next significant bear market began in 2000 with the dot com bust. Suddenly I wasn't such a genius anymore, and tried to remember that impulse was my enemy. I had to stay patient through the next decade, a tough time for the market, including the terrible recession and market drop beginning in 2008.

In retrospect, I have weathered all these stock market ups and downs, never giving up hope, staying invested, and doing just fine, thank you. I have stayed diversified and avoided wild speculations. As I approach retirement I have modified my asset allocation to be more conservative, at least for the amount of funds I would need for the first several years of retirement.

"Impulse is your enemy, time your friend." This applies to more than just stock investing. I think it is wise counsel for many aspects of our lives. Not only does time even out the bumps in the stock market, and lead towards historical positive returns, but time heals wounds and broken relationships. It erases or tempers unpleasant memories. Have you ever done something very hard, and declared afterwards you would never do that again, only to find yourself a few months later remembering the experience fondly, and planning for the next time? Speaking or acting impulsively can have so many negative and lasting consequences. Time is such a blessing in our lives.

Quiet Waters

2012-11-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

My wife wrote a great blog post last year about Quiet Waters Outreach. Our son, Daniel, spends several weekends there each year, including this past weekend. Each weekend has a theme, with activities associated with the theme. It might be the county or state fair, or pizza (they went to Papa's Pizza this time), or Portland Rose Festival, or pet weekend, or firestation, etc.

The home where Daniel goes is called Martha's place. I took a few pictures and had Daniel give a guided tour on video.

They have a Christian slant, as can be seen by this wall decoration.

And here is an exceptional video produced by Quiet Waters, and features Daniel and Suzanne.

I am moved every time I watch this video. We are grateful and pleased that Daniel has the opportunity to visit Martha's place, and he enjoys it a lot.

Idaho Potatoes

2012-11-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

In the summer of 1978 I connected with an old college buddy who was working for IBM and was motivated to interview for a job with them (in Tucson, AZ). While I was at it, I also interviewed with HP in Boise, ID, and with Bentley Nevada in Minden. We decided to uproot and accept the job offer with HP, and moved up there in December. Would you move to a state with license plates that said "Famous Potatoes"? Well, it didn't stop us.

We found a 1/2 acre subdivision in Meridian and contracted to buy a new home to be built.

Another new house, and big yard projects.

We had a marvelous large garden in our backyard.

HP was the premier company for electrical engineers to work at. In Boise I worked in the Disc Memory Division, initially working on servo design for the 7908 disc drive. I thoroughly enjoyed my work and the company. Benefits were great and employees were treated so well. I carpooled the five miles to work with two other employees from my neighborhood.

The Poor Among Us

2012-11-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

I thought this post and this post by my wife were so thought provoking. They have also dovetailed into further discussions we've had regarding the presidential election and comparisons between rich vs. middle class vs. poor.

I confess that, absent my opportunities of service related to my church, my life's personal experiences would remain solidly in my middle class cocoon. I still have had very little exposure to the truly rich, but I have had many occasions to interact with the indigent. Here are some of my thoughts regarding that.

For one thing, I have had several experiences seeing the criminal justice system at work. I have visited inmates, I have seen the havoc wreaked on the families left behind. Thankfully, the vast majority of the population has not developed life skills having to do with bailing someone out of jail, or interacting with public defenders, or figuring out jail visiting rules.

One thing that still perplexes me--how does someone with poor credit history, no assets, and is un- or under-employed qualify to rent an apartment? I'm aware of many cases where the Church has stepped in to help with temporary motel lodging, or up front deposits to get a family into an apartment. Or to pay the rent to avoid someone getting evicted and ending up unable to find a new place. I'm aware there are government subsidies and helps, but it seems every case I was involved with the waiting lists were years long for such assistance. (I suspect many "lifers" consume the available resources.) What does someone do without the help of a church, or some other benefactor?

I have had extensive experience trying to help people get back on their feet financially and be self sufficient. This is always the goal. As bishop I was spread too thin to deal with all the nuts and bolts of every case--in one case I worked closely with a very competent and experienced home teacher to help an indigent single person to manage his money better--create a budget, map out future income and expenses, etc. This was a person with past history of using payday loans, gambling, and giving money to his daughter. As a condition of continued church help he needed to cooperate and impose self discipline, and even turned his checkbook over to his home teacher to pay the bills.

It was pretty rough going. and it took several stops and starts to finally achieve some success. I sometimes find that those in financial distress have a poor grasp of financial basics. Specifically, everything is "now", and there is no notion of future--limited grasp of budgeting, no need to economize, spend the money in hand and don't worry about tomorrow's bills. I wonder whether this is a cause or effect. Is financial distress caused by these poor money management skills, or does the condition of financial distress cause a frame of mind to feel hopeless about the future, so might as well spend now?

Another thing I found is that bad things come in multiples. In other words, someone loses their job and also wrecked their car. Or they get an eviction notice and their car was impounded due to illegal parking. Or the husband was thrown in jail and the kid has a bad illness.

Some of these misfortunes come as a consequence of bad choices, and sometimes they just happen as a natural part of human experience. When due to bad choices, we teach and encourage repentance, and how to change behaviors. The engineer in me would tend to get discouraged, because I would want to fix things. But often I was powerless to do so, and it required action by the afflicted party, and it was distressing when they wouldn't follow through. And sometimes, in those cases, you just have to let the consequences result, difficult as they might be.

California or Bust

2012-11-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

As I approached graduation in late 1976 from BYU in electrical engineering I was excited about the prospects of gainful employment. As we considered potential jobs we narrowed our choices down to a location with warm or mild weather, and in the western states. I did not pursue interviewing with Hewlett Packard (the premier engineering company at the time) because we didn't really want to live in Colorado. Nor did I interview with IBM for an Endicott, NY, opportunity. I interviewed with Intel, ESL, and another company in the San Jose area, and with Burroughs in Mission Viejo and Santa Barbara. I got attractive job offers from all, but was most interested in pursuing Naval Weapons Center in China Lake, CA, because of reasonable proximity to both our folks (2.5 hours drive), inexpensive real estate (compared to other California locations), and job security and benefits working for the civil service.

NWC was anxious to hire me, but initially could only offer a GS-7 position, whereas, with my masters degree, I qualified for GS-9. I held out and within a couple of weeks the GS-9 offer came through, so we loaded up all our possessions into a '66 Chevy wagon pulling a U-Haul trailer and it was "California or Bust".

We moved into a duplex on base and started fitting into the tight-knit community of Ridgecrest/China Lake, and started our lives as "normal" people, instead of students (as we used to joke about and long for).

Here is the Michelson Laboratory where I worked.

I rode my bike to work most days, as well as a Honda CB100 motorcycle. Winters were rather nice, summers quite hot. And it would get windy at times.

My primary job for the two years I worked there was as a design engineer on the Sidewinder 9M missile. It was very interesting and rewarding work, mostly analog circuit design, as well as analog and digital computer simulation work. The field tests were exciting and memorable.

After only four months we were able to buy a new home off base. It was a lot of work putting in the yard and other improvements. But we loved our new home and were pleased to be on the elevator of appreciating home prices.

But, as the project wound down I started getting itchy to work in the private sector. We were sad to leave our friends and first home.

Where's Waldo?

2012-11-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

Just for fun, I'm going to pick some photos from our family archives and let you guess who, where, and when for each, and any other interesting circumstances. (Edited with answers in parentheses.)

Photo #1 (Blair, early 1977, Fowler St., China Lake)

Photo #2 (Suzanne and Sandra, summer 1976 in Europe, probably Vienna)

Photo #3 (Spring 1977, our new home in Ridgecrest)

Photo #4 (A beautiful woman, AKA Suzanne, on ferry from Amsterdam to Harwich, June 1976)

Photo #5 (Blair, Alyson, Daniel, Eric, Jason, Dec. 1978, Roy Utah)

Photo #6 (Suzanne and Glade, Holland, Aug. 1976)

Photo #7 (Blair in our Ridgecrest home, early 1978)

Photo #8 (Our new home, Meridian Idaho, early 1979)

Photo 9 (Barry's graduation, Riverside CA, 1966--I can't help but laugh every viewing of this photo)

Thousands of photos

2012-11-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

A few years ago we hired someone to convert all our 8mm home movies to digital. I continued with the task of converting all our home VHS and Hi-8 family videos, as well. So I have been able to edit them on my computer and burn DVDs to give to each family member. I'm still not done with the project--I'm up to about the year 2000.

Similarly, we have thousands of slides and prints stashed away in boxes. We bought a flatbed scanner with photo scanning capabilities some years ago. We scanned some of our slides with it but it was obvious the job was tedious, and the quality was disappointing. Doing some research on the problem I discovered the unanimous opinion seemed to be the Nikon 5000ED was the preferred equipment for the job. They fetched about $1200 to $1500, but I thought we could buy one, scan all our slides, then one of our kids could hire himself out to scan others' slides for a fee. A cushy job for a teenager.

This Nikon scanner model had been out about five years, which is forever in the technology world, so I dragged my feet and figured a newer, better model would come out. The next time I checked things out Nikon had discontinued making slide scanners at all, and used ones were selling on ebay for over $2000. This discouraged me further.

Then, last December, one of our friends mentioned they had a model 4000ED Nikon scanner that they would be happy to loan us. So my multi-day project last Christmas season was scanning 4000 slides, covering the years 1972 through 1996. Fortunately, the scanner had a batch autoloader for slides, so, except for when it jammed, I could walk away for an hour, then return to load the next batch. This has been great, as these slides are much more accessible for viewing and are archived digitally.

Now we have boxes of prints (and their negatives) that need to be converted--about 5000. There really is no convenient way to batch scan prints or negative strips with a high quality scanner like the Nikons. For now our plan is to do the tedious job with a more recent flatbed photo scanner we bought. I figure it will take 50 to 80 hours of near constant attention to do the job. Needless to say, we haven't started yet.

Just to spruce up this post, here are a few slides from our inventory.

My parents and younger siblings at LAX upon my return from my mission in 1973

My brother's family and others from my family overlooking the Rhine River, Germany 1976.

Dingle, Ireland, parish records, 1976

Baby Blair at BYU, 1976

Religion and Politics

2012-11-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

General wisdom dictates that politics and religion should never be discussed in cordial society. Too many strong, perhaps dogmatic opinions. In recent days our family has exchanged some differing views on each, especially politics, via email. I'm pleased that the discussion has taken the high road and nobody has come to blows. I thought I would chime in via this blog post.

I was disappointed, though not surprised that Romney lost his presidential bid. It is tough to unseat a charismatic incumbent, even in hard economic times, though that made for a close race.

There was one campaign theme that troubled me. I felt it was a cheap shot the way Democrats portrayed Romney as one of the rich elite and disconnected from mainstream America. I suspect most politicians, on both sides of the aisle, including Obama, could be similarly accused.

Further, I was sad to see Democrats pandering to an all too natural tendency of human nature to envy and resent those who are better off. I felt they were driving a wedge between the haves and have-nots, and exploiting this to their political advantage at the expense of further dividing society and national unity. The message seemed to be "let's sock it to the rich, they're getting a free ride and are gouging the poor and middle class".

I can't speak regarding all wealthy people, but the ones I know who might be considered such are heavy tax payers, and are quietly generous well beyond paying customary tithing and fast offering donations. They don't hesitate at all in helping those who are less fortunate. Some might look askew at their vacation homes, expensive toys, and exotic trips, but I have seen this other side, especially while serving as bishop. I have been profoundly moved and humbled by what I have seen. As bishop I was grateful they had the means and resources to help others, and that they stepped up and did so. I see their contributions to society and the economy, and I don't begrudge their financial success at all.

Anyone in our church who has served as bishop, or Relief Society president, or compassionate service leader, or priesthood leader, or often home/visiting teacher is not disconnected from the poor and unfortunate. As Christ said, the poor will always be among us. The Church welfare program and philosophy of helping the needy is positive and heartwarming, and too often in contrast with the forced "take from the rich and give to the poor" methods of government, with its unavoidable waste and inefficiencies, and unintended debilitating results. But I begin to ramble and preach.

Though generally aligned with Republican political thought, especially on the economy, and issues like pro-life, I confess I gave the nod to Obama on foreign policy. I felt the Republicans hammering on the Benghazi attack was off base. I prefer Obama's more even handed approach to the Middle East, rather than Romney's unabashed alignment with Israel.

By the way, one of my tennis friends asked a few days before the election what I thought about a Mormon president. In retrospect, I find it odd and was somewhat embarrassed at the time when I didn't understand what he was talking about. When I thought of Mormon president I thought of Thomas Monson, or my stake president--didn't connect the dots to the presidential race at all. But now I find it interesting, and perhaps reassuring, that I didn't view religious affiliation as a factor in my choice of candidates.

Unlike many Republicans, I am not beset by post-election gloom. While I don't agree with Obama's politics in general, I am ecstatic to have participated in a free, open election, with a choice between two exceptional men who are good, and want the best for America. I am optimistic about America, and I believe we will work through the challenges we face.

Sing, Choirs of Angels

2012-11-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

I have long enjoyed singing in ward choirs. Some ward choir directors were extremely competent and great teachers. Some hymns were very challenging, and enjoyable, such as selections of Handel's Messiah, or Beethoven. Christmas sacrament meetings were typical highlights.

Several years I participated in a community choir and orchestra under Dr. Walter Richardson to perform Handel's Messiah. The direction and skills required went up a definite notch for me. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have always enjoyed the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and in recent years have particularly enjoyed Mack Wilberg's arrangements as performed by them. Their annual Christmas concerts are marvelous, and I own many DVDs of these performances. It is my fantasy to sing for the Tabernacle Choir someday--but it will never happen.

Last December I attended the Christmas concert of the Portland Ensign Choir and Orchestra, and it was fantastic! I attended another of their concerts in the spring. I entertained thoughts of trying to join that choir, and several weeks ago saw a notice for auditions, and signed up.

I went to the audition, and heard others trying out in the adjacent room. They were very good, and I felt intimidated. I never had formal choir training. No singing lessons. I learned to read music playing the trumpet as a youth. I never auditioned before.

I read the commitment form and was discouraged further. Two hour mandatory practices every Tuesday night, September through June, with three concerts (one of which would be during my planned travel for my sabbatical). I didn't feel I could commit. When my turn came I was frank with the director and told him so, and that perhaps I could save his time and bag the audition. He was supportive and said do the audition anyway, which I did. I sang Redeemer of Israel, plus a number of vocal exercises at his direction. He said I had a nice voice and seemed teachable, thought they could be flexible with my sabbatical schedule, and invited me to stay for the choir practice that evening.

I thought, "Well, I'm already here. Perhaps I'll just stay for the practice." Wow! I was immediately hooked by the glorious musical selections for the upcoming Christmas concert, by the obvious talent all around me, and the expert direction. I wanted to do this!

A few days later I got an email acceptance into the choir as a baritone. I've been to every practice and have spent hours learning and practicing the music (we must memorize it--no sheet music at the concert). It is very hard, but so rewarding. This is kind of like the Portland metro area equivalent of the Tabernacle Choir, so I'm living my fantasy, in a way.

More and more Wheat Chex

2012-11-11T01:00:00.000-08:00

It is time for my annual blog post about stocking up on Wheat Chex when they are on sale. Seems like that happens every year about this time. Here is a link from previously.

No coupons this year, but $1.95 is a pretty good price. Only 18 boxes this purchase. Plus, for variety, a single box of Grape Nuts Flakes.

I stash them on top of the kitchen shelves. There are some Raisin Nut Bran in there, as well.

I find Wheat Chex to be the best cereal for fending off hunger. I can go well past noon or 1:00 before lunch. Raisin Nut Bran taste better, but I get hungry a little earlier. Something like Cheerios? Forget it--I'm starving by 10:00.

Guten Appetit!

A Miraculous Device

2012-11-10T01:00:00.002-08:00

I sometimes think that our parents or grandparents must have experienced the most dramatic changes during their lifetimes--automobiles, airplanes, telephones, radio, TV, home appliances, medical advances. But I have to say my lifetime has been no slouch in that respect.

Here and here are posts I wrote in recent months with some examples from my life. Computers and other technology improvements are profound in our day.

But there is one piece of equipment I have which causes me to pause and marvel time and again--my Apple iPhone.

I remember just a few years ago carrying three devices with me on a hike and thinking what a miracle it would be if the functions could be combined into one handheld device--a cell phone, a GPS, and a PDA. The iPhone does all these, and so much more.

Time was when I resisted all the Apple hype for iPods, iPhones, etc. I had a Windows smart phone once and it was okay. Three years ago I finally played around enough with an iPhone after hearing so many rave about it that I decided to get one. I haven't looked back for a millisecond. I use it ALL THE TIME, for a wide variety of things. I often refer to it as "my brain".

Here is a demonstration video I just did.

What will they think of next!

Cameras, Part 4

2012-11-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry for so many "gear head" posts. But what do you expect from an engineer? Stay with me.

So, the problem is we have multiple cameras, each good for specific situations. The small ones are great for traveling, hiking, and sticking in a purse or pocket. But they don't have the superior image quality of a DSLR, nor larger sensors for improved low light shots, nor interchangeable lenses. The DSLR takes fantastic photos, but is bulky and inconvenient to lug around, and the one we have doesn't do videos. We are bumping up against its 6MP so I have been shopping for a replacement. While I'm at it, I decided to open up the shopping beyond the traditional DSLR.

So, the Holy Grail of cameras would have the following traits:

Compact size (okay, pocket sized is asking too much, but how about fits in a reasonable belt pack)

Large sensor for improved image quality and low light performance

Interchangeable lenses for zooms, primes, etc.

Has an option for one "travel" zoom lens that spans at least 28 to 300mm (35mm equivalent)

Takes HD videos

Has all the features of a DSLR (bracketing, manual control, etc.)

Priced no greater than mid-range DSLR

There are a number of other features that I personally prefer, like a viewfinder, built in flash, articulating screen, dedicated movie record button--but those above are the main ones.

A couple of years ago I bought a Sony Nex-3, a mirrorless smallish camera, which scores very highly on all the points above, but it didn't have a long enough zoom to cover all the bases. I always thought of it as a notch below DSLRs. Almost all of the Sunriver photos (see slideshow in the column to the right) were taken with this camera. But as I'm doing more research I found there is an 18-200 zoom lens for it. And the image quality is right up there with DSLRs. In fact, this camera uses the same sensor type as most DSLRs. The lens isn't cheap, and it would make for a somewhat bulky belt pack, but it just might be the closest I can come to the Holy Grail.

Here is a neat Sony promotional video for a new camera in this series. (I feel like I'm starting to drink the Sony Kool-aid. By the way, anyone know who did the soundtrack music for this video?)

I'll be continuing my research, and then seeing if there are any deals on Black Friday or the weeks leading to Christmas. Wish me luck!

Cameras, Part 3

2012-11-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

Somewhere along the way we purchased a pocket sized camera with auto focus and power zoom. This was very convenient for travel, handled the focus, and made framing/composing the shot easy (via the zoom lens).

In 2004 we joined the digital camera revolution. We got a largish pocket sized 4MP Canon S45.

This little camera was a marvel! Digital film was cheap and this took great pictures. And we could record movies with it.

We used this camera during our trip to Syria in 2005.

In 2006 we upgraded our SLR to a DSLR, staying with the Pentax brand so we could use our existing zoom lenses. It was a 6MP K100D.

This camera could do everything our film SLR could do and more, but with digital film. And it has optical image stabilization, to reduce the effects of camera shake.

Along the way we upgraded our pocket digital camera as well.

We still use this one when we go backpacking.

Seems like we have all the bases covered. But it is time to update our DSLR so I'm in search of the Holy Grail of cameras. To be continued . . .