Bicycle commuting

I have enjoyed riding a bicycle since a young child. I recall riding my bike to school in 6th grade, riding to Little League baseball practice, riding it on my paper route, riding to class at BYU, riding in my last mission city, riding it for a BYU bicycling PE class, and commuting to work at my first job in China Lake. I always enjoyed the exercise, the thrill of going fast under my own power, and the economy of that mode of travel. On my mission I liked it because we could go anywhere, anytime, without dependency on the bus schedule.

After moving to Oregon I started commuting by bicycle off and on again, and my employer (Sequent) was only 2.5 miles distant. After starting at Intel, I went back to the car for a while, since it was 8 miles, but then decided I might as well use the commute time for exercise (and economy), as I was ramping down my running regimen due to too many aches and pains.

I set a goal to ride at least twice per week, year round. In fact, I circle all the dates I bike commute on my calendar at work (sorry for the garish color):



I've been averaging decidedly better than twice per week. Sometimes I will go several weeks on end without driving my car to work. Winter is more challenging, of course, with the colder, wetter weather, and the dark ride home. But if you have the clothing and the lighting, and the mental fortitude, it works out fine. This will be my 7th winter of commuting to Intel.

If it is particularly stormy, with wind or ice/snow, then I avoid cycling, due to the safety factor. Riding in the wet is not much fun, makes the bike messy, and increases wear and tear, so sometimes I opt out. I've blogged previously about riding with the temperature in the teens. And about the inconvenience of getting a flat tire.

But in the end I feel very good about myself for cycle commuting, and enjoy the physical and mental benefits.

The Wonders of Technology

I suppose in their day the telegraph and telephone were technology marvels that brought the world closer together. But today I'm in awe of what technology can do, and the infrastructure to bring it into our daily lives.

We have children and grandchildren spread across the world, yet we are able to stay close and in touch via email, text messages, facebook, blogs, and video chats. As an extreme example, Bridget and family live 12 time zones away in Dubai, yet we still feel a part of their lives due to technology.

Thursday evening (Friday morning there, their Sabbath) we connected into their live internet broadcast for the Sharjah Ward sacrament meeting, since it was the annual Primary Children's program. It was a wonderful program, as they always are, and we saw Miriam and Magdalena take part, as well as Bridget. I was so tickled the entire time, and just in awe of the whole possibility. Here is a short clip I recorded of Miriam giving her message.

Ghost of Halloween Past

We weren't big on Halloween decorations this year. Daniel made the best contribution, having carved a pumpkin while at Emily's house. We put it out on the porch and lit a candle in it for Halloween night.

And we left it on the porch.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, two weeks later I think the pumpkin has taken on a rather terrifying look, don't you?

My Shed

As part of our landscaping overhaul this summer, we considered ways to store and organize our outdoor items. The side yard in particular had all our winter tires stacked up, our garage was cluttered with wood and tools, and it was a pain to have to back the car out every time we accessed our lawn mower.

At first we thought we could build a long and narrow shed for the side yard, but ruled that out quickly. We shopped around for shed kits and pre-built sheds, finally deciding on a 12' by 8' shed kit from Costco. We saved a bundle of money, particularly compared to having one built.

The kit was delivered and it sat a few weeks while my cycling injuries healed some more and we decided where to put it. Sadly, we had to use some of our garden space as that was the best option.

Then there was the underestimated job of preparing a foundation on the sloping ground. We used landscape timbers for borders and then gravel for the foundation.



We hauled the kit materials around from the garage to the side backyard as we needed them, following the kit directions.


Walls going up.


Got greatly appreciated help from Blair, Emily, and the kiddies.




It turned out to be quite the consuming project for about four weeks. Used all our spare time weeknights and Saturdays, working until all daylight was gone. There were numerous trips to Home Depot for random supplementary materials, most notably paint, roofing, and replacement lumber for warped pieces. I felt like I was feeding a habit.

Once we had the roof on the kiddies decided to sleep overnight in it, but lost their resolve before going to sleep.

I put our garden tools in it, the lawnmower, winter tires, garden chemicals, paint, propane bottles, and various lumber. It served to clean up our yard and clear out our garage admirably. We are very proud of it, and it was an extremely satisfying project.

Billions served

The summer after I turned 16 I got my first hourly job working at McDonald's on University Ave. in Riverside, CA. It was summer of 1968. I needed the money to buy a car and a stereo. I bought a blue 1961(?) Pontiac Tempest for $200, but that could be another post. I earned $1.25 per hour. Minimum wage was $1.45, but they docked $.20 for the food we were permitted to eat.

If I remember correctly, fries were $.18, burgers .20, and milk shakes .25. They had double burgers and fish fillet, as well. The Big Mac was introduced while I worked there, starting at .49 or .55. There was a counter on the sign showing how many millions of burgers McDonald's had served--in the hundreds of millions, I believe.

Our store looked a lot like this one:



When I started there we cooked french fries from scratch, meaning we hauled up 100 pound sacks of potatoes from the basement, peeled them in a large peeler machine, sliced them into long shapes in another machine, then thoroughly washed them by hand in a large sink. We had to get excess starch out of them, or they would be sticky and gooey fries. Then we would blanch them in a pot of cooking oil and have them staged in metal baskets ready for the final frying. I'm sure all these manual steps led to inconsistencies in product. While I worked there we started using frozen fries. Much simpler and more consistent.

New hires started out working in the grill area, and worked their way up to the counter, which was generally thought of as more desirable work. After a time, though, I decided I preferred the grill, and soon became a top notch hamburger cooker. We would cook in 12 patty batches, and could get as many as 60 down at once during lunch or dinner rush. I loved the rushes and the satisfaction of putting out the burgers quickly and efficiently. The lead would call out how many to put cheese on, or if a special was needed like no onions. "Cheese on 6" might be the shout. If we heard "peanut butter on three" it meant a cute girl was at the counter at register #3. Sometimes someone would call out peanut butter, everyone would look, and there would be a weird looking old lady there, and we'd all laugh. Needless to say, we had an all male workforce for the most part.

By my second summer in 1969 I had significant seniority, and was working full time or longer. I had the responsibility to open the store, so I'd arrive a few hours before opening, clean and set everything up, and be part of a skeleton crew until more workers arrived for the lunch rush. If they were in a pinch I might stay through the dinner rush for extra hours. I don't recall that we got time and a half, and it might even have been illegal since I was under 18. By then I was earning $1.45/hour. Other times I had the responsibility to close the store. The newer workers would typically get short shifts for just lunch or just dinner.

I feel like I learned some valuable life skills working at McDonald's. Being a responsible employee and showing up reliably and on time, an hour's pay for an hour's work, customer satisfaction, feeling satisfaction in hard work and seeing the fruits of labor, how to work more quickly and efficiently, how to cook (burgers, at least), how to mop floors and clean, etc.

In the fall of 1969 I finally quit my job. I think I was a little burned out and felt like the pay was too low. But mostly I was starting my senior year and didn't want to miss out on so many experiences by working nights and weekends. I wonder, though, how many thousands of burgers I contributed to the billions McDonald's has racked up now.

Crossword

My favorite computer games these days are FreeCell and Sudoku. I have both on my iPhone and play them when I have a few minutes to kill.

Suzanne has been a regular crossword puzzle solver, and each day she tackles the puzzle in the newspaper. I was never interested until late last year I must have joined her in figuring out a few clues. I immediately saw the value in finding an iPhone app that would let you fill in the letters you knew and search for dictionary words. Upon installing it I began to supplement her efforts, referring to my iPhone as my "brain". I also use wikipedia on my iPhone to solve clues. Usually, I would tackle the puzzle after she filled out everything she could.

Here is a book we use, as well as the daily paper.



When Suzanne went out of town a few days last December I took a big step in trying to do the whole puzzle myself. Suzanne is such a wiz at it I didn't have much confidence. I would snap a picture of the puzzle and email it to her, and she would contribute answers via text or email back. We solved each day's puzzle and it was lots of fun and satisfying. When she went into the hospital for gall bladder surgery I bought her a book of puzzles to work on.

Now it is a regular activity for us, often solving a puzzle together. I still think she is so very good at it, and I tease her saying she is so smart. I still enjoy utilizing my "brain" to solve clues. Sometimes we'll polish off the newspaper puzzle before I head to work. Other times I'll help finish one after work where she got stuck. As often as not, though, she'll have filled it all in.

This is a fun little trifle we are able to work on together.

Ta da!

Here is our new front yard, showing the paver walkway.



And the front rock retaining wall.


The pathway leading from front to side yard.


Side yard pathway and steps.


Back patio, including steps to sliding door.




And the back block retaining wall that we did ourselves.


We are quite pleased with the result!

Hired help, and a new yard

There has been a growing list of ambitious yard projects on my list of things to do the past few years. It finally took my cycling injuries to force the issue this year, realizing that I wasn't going to be tackling any this summer. So we took the difficult (for us) course of hiring contractors. We got bids from three and the project got underway in June.

Our back deck was the first to go. It was just too much trouble to maintain and was having some issues.



We took out the junipers and rock wall in the front, and removed the grass on the steepest portion.




We decided on pavers for a front walkway, side yard, and back patio.


Here's the new front wall under construction.




We also removed the landscape timbers in our back yard and built a block retaining wall ourselves. And we built a backyard shed.

Stay tuned for the finished product!

Christmas tree gone berserk

Soon after moving into our house 26 years ago our backyard neighbor planted a fir tree. He said the plan was to let it grow a couple of years, then cut it down to use for a Christmas tree. All right.

A few years later the tree remained and continued to grow. We built a back fence and the tree was right next to it. For the next several years we periodically asked the neighbors about removing the tree. Didn't happen. At some point the people moved, and we thought seriously about cutting down the tree ourselves before the new people moved in. Missed opportunity.

Over the years we dealt with the reduced sunlight in our back yard, fir tree needles and cones debris, fear of it blowing onto our house in a storm, depriving surrounding plants of water and nourishment, and provoking needed fence repair.

In May this year we finally convinced the neighbor to have it taken out, and we split the cost. What an exciting and successful project it was! And we got some decent firewood in the bargain. Our backyard has opened up nicely, and suddenly other plants are growing so well.

Here is the tree in its full grown majesty.



While we were at it, we took out some other trees that had just grown too large.


Just underway.


High up on the trunk.






Can you count the rings? Should be twenty something.


Continuing with the other trees.


And a video (sorry about the orientation).



We are so pleased with the result.

Imponderables

I think of myself as a very practical and down to earth guy. I mean, after all I am an engineer. And I have a firm faith in God, life after death, and our purpose on earth. So it strikes me a bit odd when I catch myself thinking in the abstract, or outright fantasy, from time to time.

For example, have you ever thought about the possibility that the whole world is fabricated and all revolves around you? Kind of like "The Truman Show"? Bizarre.

Or that the colors and shapes that you perceive are not like what others perceive? I mean, who is to say what you see as "red" is like what someone else sees as "red"? In fact, color blindness is sort of a flavor of this thought.

And here's an unsettling one--what is nothingness like, or what if we became extinct as a person or being? I can't fathom such a prospect, yet I suppose this is what many believe happens after this earth life.

In a related vein, I can't comprehend why anyone would take their own life. I love life, and, in spite of my belief in bright prospects in our life after death, cherish each day and wish for longevity. Is this mostly because I have had such a blessed life (which I have)?

I also have a hard time fathoming the immensity of the universe. Our solar system for starters, then our galaxy. And to think of innumerable galaxies, with sizes and distances beyond comprehension.

More Good Samaritan

This hasn't been a good 15 months measured by bicycle crashes, and I'm sorry to burden readers with yet another account. Dang, I still think I should be good for another 20 years.

I was on a solo ride on a beautiful warm September day when I lost control on a steep downhill curve, my back tire skidding out from under me, and me sliding to a stop on my side.

There I was, sitting on the side of a lonely country road, scraped up pretty good but otherwise unhurt. But my back tire blew out during the skid and was beyond repair. I was stranded five miles from the nearest town and 20-some miles from home. I had my cell phone but Suzanne was out of town.

I was just contemplating my options when a car came down the road. So I waved it down and asked the lady if I could get a ride into town. She said she couldn't but her husband was working from home and could help me. She called him, and waited the few minutes until he arrived. The man loaded up my bike and said he would drive me to my home.

I was flabbergasted he would go to so much trouble, and thanked him profusely. He didn't think it was any big deal, was glad to help. And said any of his neighbor farmers out that way would do the same. What a wonderful experience that was, and encouraging to know good Samaritans are out there when you find yourself in need.

By the way, I had a goal to ride 50 miles that day, so I fixed my tire, cleaned up my wounds, and went out for another 20 miles (with blood running down my leg). The worst of it was dealing with the sore scabs for the next couple of weeks.

Newspaper Route

When I was an early teen I got a job as a paperboy, delivering the afternoon edition of the Riverside Press. Each afternoon I would show up at a shack near my neighborhood where the newspaper stacks were delivered. I would take my stack, fold each paper into thirds, wrap a rubber band around it, and stuff it into the newspaper bags on my bike. I would then head out to my route on my bike, throwing the paper onto the porch of each subscriber.

We had to learn our routes and subscribers, or deal with the extra time and effort to study the list as we delivered. We would usually have a couple of extra papers in case of shortage due to miscount, or to deliver to non-subscribers in the hopes of enticing them to subscribe. If we missed a subscriber or some other mishap occurred, we would get a call to go back and deliver a paper. We had to make sure our paper throws avoided sprinklers or bushes or windows. We sometimes dealt with dogs that would come out after us on our bikes. Goatheads were a menace, causing frequent flat tires. We had to watch for cars backing out of driveways and not seeing us on our bikes.

Collecting subscriber fees was a real chore. My route was in a poorer section of town, so this could be problematic. We were billed for our newspapers, so if we didn't collect from someone it came entirely out of our projected profits. We could petition the newspaper to reimburse us for persistent non-payment cases. And what a thrill it was when someone would give a tip and compliment us for our service. Ultimately, I found it very satisfying to collect the money and reap my profits. Almost like being in business for myself.

The ultimate hardship for me was on Sunday morning, when the afternoon based Riverside Press joined with the morning Riverside Enterprise for a large morning edition to be delivered. It was up before dawn folding, carrying, and throwing the large edition. I never was a morning person.

I only had the job for a few months. And, because of my particular route, I think my profits were low and hardship high. Still, I think back on the experience and marvel about it. It was a great way to teach a boy hard work, responsibility, and business sense.

October to November

It seems like there is a definite line drawn between October and November when the season changes abruptly for good. October can be relied upon for pretty good weather and some summer-like days. But once November 1st comes around the Pacific Northwest winter grabs hold and won't be leaving for a few months. That means markedly cooler temperatures and damp, darker days. Fog is not uncommon. The change is accentuated by the loss of daylight savings time, so now it is dark when leaving work for home. I've put the winter tires on the car and tuned up the lights on my bicycle.

As I've noted before, I love the Fall colors outside my building at work. Here is a shot from October 25.



And the same view November 7.


On. Nov. 8 sunrise is 7:00AM and sunset 4:48PM (9 hours 48 minutes). We'll lose another hour of daylight on the way to our shortest day Dec. 21, with 8 h 41 m daylight (7:48AM/4:30PM).

Whole Wheat Pancakes

I have memories from about 8 years of age of helping to cook pancakes. This was a skill I obtained early and used often throughout my life.

In our family we have wheat storage and a wheat grinder. We have tried to use our whole wheat through the years, predominantly with homemade wheat bread and pancakes. Cooking the pancakes has been my specialty through the years.

Here is the very recipe card I have used these past 25 years. Suzanne got it as part of a visiting teacher message.



Perhaps 30 years ago we got this bottle of imitation maple flavoring. I have made countless batches of maple syrup using it, boiling several cups of water and adding sugar and flavoring. This bottle is finally close to being empty. I confess, though, that we have graduated to using real maple syrup, now that the kids are gone. (Don't tell the kids that many times I had to scrape the mold off the top of the homemade syrup container before we used it.)



For a number of years it was a regular routine in our family for me to make pancakes every Saturday or Sunday. I don't think the kids were all that keen on the whole wheat pancakes, often campaigning to add some white flour into the mix. To make them more palatable I would sometimes make shapes out of the pancakes, or announce I had perfect ones just off the griddle.


Lookin' good!


We add fresh or frozen fruit that we have picked, usually strawberries or peaches. Delicious!

Electric Football

I recently read the book "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid", by Bill Bryson. What a hilarious read. Listening to the audio book while riding my bike I wonder what people thought when they saw me break into a laugh for no apparent reason. I found it particularly amusing since it covered the author's childhood in the 50's and early 60's, so I could relate to so much of what he wrote about. I'm sure I can harvest several blog posts by this read, today's being the first.

About 1960 my brother and I received an electric football game as a Christmas gift, one like the photo below:



This was the era before computers and video games, so we are talking state of the art high tech for 1960, and Barry and I were so excited. The actual playing of the game was not so easy, though. You would line up your players into offensive and defensive formations, then the offense would decide which player had the ball, and turn on the electric vibrator. The players had these plastic tabs on their feet bent in such a way that they moved forward. Generally. But not always.

When a defensive player touched the ball carrying player then he was down. The offense could opt for a forward pass, and a small spring device was used to fling the small felt football towards a downfield player, but it was very rare that the ball would hit the player for a completion.

When I think back on the experience it all seems a tad ludicrous. Did we actually enjoy playing the game? I don't know, I'll have to ask my brother Barry what he remembers about it.

I got this from wikipedia:

In Bill Bryson's "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir," the author describes electric football as "The worst toy of the decade [the 1950s], possibly the worst toy ever built...it took forever to set up each play because the men were so fiddly and kept falling over, and because you argued continuously with your opponent about what formations were legal and who got to position the final man...it hardly mattered how they were set up because electric football players never went in the direction intended. In practice what happened was that half the players instantly fell over and lay twitching violently as if suffering from some extreme gastric disorder, while the others streamed off in as many different directions as there were upright players before eventually clumping together in a corner, where they pushed against the unyielding sides like victims of a nightclub fire at a locked exit. The one exception to this was the running back who just trembled in place for five or six minutes, then slowly turned and went on an unopposed glide toward the wrong end zone until knocked over with a finger on the two-yard line by his distressed manager, occasioning more bickering." (hardcover version, page 113)

Mayhem -- Epilogue

Seven months have passed since my bad bicycle crash. I made several trips back to the hand and neck doctors, as well as numerous trips for physical therapy on my hand and neck. Things are healing and recovering as expected, though slower than I might have thought or hoped. The stiff neck persisted for some weeks, and it was a couple of weeks before I tried to drive, four to six weeks before I could resume tennis and cycling (I did engage in a spinning regimen to try to stay fit). I counted the days (about 40) until they could remove the two pins from my hand.

There's still a bump on the bone on my little finger metacarpal. It is totally functional, but it is stiff in the morning and the grip isn't as strong. My neck seems totally healed--not sure if there is residual stiffness as it never was very limber. I still have ringing in my left ear and noticeable hearing loss--but improved from previously. Doctors say some healing will take a year--it has been seven months.

Psychological effects still persist. I'm not as confident on the bike, go slower down hills or generally when I don't feel I control all variables. At intersections I am more nervous about cars pulling out in front of me, for example. I've not been on a group ride or in a paceline since the accident, but it will come. I still have no memory of the actual impact or couple of minutes afterwards.

In some ways my injuries and (lack of) bicycle damage are puzzling. The bike had very minimal damage--scrapes on the brake lever and knocked out of kilter. Relatively minor road rash on my knees, but significant damage on both hands (one broken). No significant bruising torso or legs. Neck and left side head injuries. I speculate that the rider behind impacted with me and landed with his weight on me (not my bike), which made the trauma more severe than it might have been. Last I knew, he also had no memory of the impact but I will ask him again. Fortunately, it was on a very low traffic road, though a doctor did drive by right afterwards (fortunately).

Overall it has been a very interesting, enlightening, and novel experience, if not one I would choose. Being unconscious and "dreaming", the subsequent calm and semi-lucid feelings, the help, kindness, and love from friends, strangers, medical professionals, and family. Being in the hospital, broken bones, operation, physical therapy, huge medical bills. I have a profound new appreciation for all of these things, and greater empathy for others experiencing similar.

The Good Samaritan

Yesterday I related the tale of my bicycle crash and subsequent hospital stay. Today I'd like to reflect upon it and how it gave me a new perspective and appreciation for the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10).

Like the "certain man" in the parable, I lay wounded on the road, "half dead". My cycling buddies attended to my immediate needs, protected me from traffic, called 911, called my wife, gave comfort, and ultimately took care of my bicycle and repaired it before returning it to me. A total stranger, a doctor, stopped her car at the scene and gave immediate attention and assurance, and provided a towel. The emergency personnel did their job efficiently, gathering me up, doing initial triage, protecting my back and neck, and instilling confidence and comfort.

The emergency room personnel were competent and reassuring, and kind (saving my jacket, for instance). They were accommodating for private time with family visitors. Suzanne and Blair (wife and son) rushed over and gave comfort. A home teacher came and gave a priesthood blessing.

The nursing staff in the regular wing were skilled and extremely caring. Several times I felt they went beyond customary duties to make me feel comfortable and reassured. I felt confident that the doctors and medical staff were all competent and that I was in good hands.

After returning home there were numerous well wishes, cards, and treats delivered. And heartfelt prayers offered in my behalf. Here is an example of a card composed by the primary children in my ward.



"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."

Bicycle mayhem

Last year I wrote a post about a bicycle crash I experienced, and noted it was my only real accident in over two decades of serious cycling. I had thought I should be good for another couple of decades of accident free riding. But it wasn't to be.

On April 2 of this year I was 3rd in a paceline of four cyclists on a lonely country road in wet conditions. The lead cyclist slowed unexpectedly, we got bunched up, and the fourth rider crashed into me. I have no memory of the impact, nor of the few minutes immediately following. But I clearly went down quite hard.

While unconscious I felt like I was dreaming and still riding my bike on similar roads. I awoke on my back with a lady leaning over me, reassuring me she was a doctor and an ambulance was on the way. I had a neck injury and wasn't to move. I felt oddly calm and at peace, and a little out of it. My hands hurt quite a bit and there was blood seeping through my gloves. I was relieved to see I could move and feel my hands and legs.

The ambulance personnel lifted me carefully into the vehicle and started asking me questions, which I thought I answered fine, except I thought it odd that I wasn't sure what year it was. I was lucid enough to recognize they weren't taking me to the nearest hospital, but to the trauma unit at Emanuel Hospital in Portland.

Once there I continued to feel calm and reassured that I was in the hands of professionals. They cut my clothes off, being careful of my back and neck. I was relieved they asked about and followed through with saving my nice jacket from cutting.

Suzanne, Blair, and home teachers arrived soon and provided company and a blessing. My hands and full bladder (from IVs, I'm sure) were my primary discomforts, while my neck grew increasingly stiff. Eventually I was wheeled to xray and scanning machines to assess my injuries, and checked into a regular room.

Later that day they tried to set my broken 5th metacarpal in my hand, no luck. They stitched up a deep gash in my other hand. Preliminary news on my neck was that C7 was broken, but manageable. I think it was the next day before I was reassured it wouldn't require surgery and was in a relatively benign location. Surgery for my hand was scheduled for early the day after, so I ended up spending two nights in the hospital. The stiff neck was horrendous and it was a chore to rise often to urinate due to the extensive IV solutions.

Here is the helmet that most assuredly saved me from more serious injury.



I believe this was after my hand surgery.

Gat no heat

Yesterday morning there was a puddle of ice on our back deck. And, for the first time since March or perhaps April, warm air coming from the heater ducts in our house.

We have a heat pump, which efficiently heats in winter and cools in summer. We had a rather mild summer so never turned it on. So the unit has been sitting idle for about seven months. I'm not sure that is entirely good for it, but I was relieved when it kicked on without a fuss.

There were only a few very hot days (90's) this summer, and we utilized ceiling and portable fans to manage our comfort. When the temperatures dropped the past couple of weeks we wore jackets inside and held out for November 1st. It didn't get below 60 inside, and seemed to hover around 63 the past few days. In our bedroom we actually open our window at night and enjoy the refreshing cold while cozy under our down comforters.

We have enjoyed our reduced electricity bills the past months, and feel a sense of satisfaction for our sacrifice and economy.

Halloween memories

Another Halloween has come and gone. Perhaps my best memories are when our own children were young and we would go around the neighborhood with them. Below is a picture of Teresa and Steven in 1994. One year we had the whole Juhasz clan visiting for Halloween. Some years would be wet, or windy, or both. This year is was rather nice, if a bit chilly.


I'm sad that we don't get as many trick or treaters come to our door as in years past. This year we had 21, and all but two came by 7:15PM. The upside is that I can overbuy Snicker bars and snack on them the following weeks.

I also miss extracting our 10% tax by choosing some of our favorite candy from our children's haul.

I'm also sad that our own children are grown, but now we have grandchildren who come over and we can go around the neighborhood with. Here are Brooklyn, Eli, and Jonah.

Some of our neighbors go all out with decorations. One has strung wire high across the street for hanging ghosts and other creatures. This one is rather creepy.

Such a fun holiday. Though I feel sorry for all the school teachers on Nov. 1, dealing with overtired children on sugar highs.

Books Read in 2010

I read 44 books in 2010. As I've noted previously, most of these I listened to on my mp3 player, which is how I get through so many.

I'll list the first six as the ones that I enjoyed the most, or found most enlightening or inspirational. For most of the others I'll include brief comments.

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa – E.B. Sledge.

This book is the real deal about the horrors of modern combat, especially in the Pacific in WWII. Yes, there is plenty of gore and violence, but it was also personal, poignant, inspiring, and enlightening. I laughed out loud at some spots, and wept at others. I am thankful for and honor those who served in these horrible conflicts.

Cry, the Beloved Country – Alan Paton

This is a fictional story set in South Africa about 1948. This is not an “in your face” portrayal of the injustices of apartheid, but an intelligent, even-handed, powerful and well written story of whites and blacks caught up in the times.

The Last Train from Hiroshima – Charles Pellegrino

This was such a fascinating read, despite learning afterwards that the author was discredited for sloppy research and outright untruths in the account.

Truman – David McCullough

I was surprised at the impression this book made on me. It is quite lengthy, but was worth the investment. For a man and president I knew so little about, I understand better his monumental impact on history (and I think in a positive way). And he was in so many ways such an ordinary man.

Emma Smith, Mormon Enigma – Newell and Avery

I think this is an even-handed treatment of a controversial figure in early Mormon history. Fascinating events in a different time and place from ours.

The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy – Mearsheimer and Walt

This is a lengthy and detailed treatment of how the authors believe the tremendous influence of the Israel lobby (in its many forms) has damaged U.S. interests worldwide. I confess I see several pro-Israeli biases at work in me and will never look on modern Israel the same again.

Fiction:

Catching Fire and Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins

Interesting continuation and conclusion from the much more impressive first book, The Hunger Games.

Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand

For such a landmark and influential book, I struggled a lot with it. It was so, so long and I nearly bagged it a couple of times. While I agree with some of the philosophy (free market) I have serious issues with other concepts (self focus). See my "review":

The Veteran (5 short stories) – Frederick Forsyth

The Worthing Saga, Ender’s Game, Speaker for the Dead – Orson Scott Card

Interesting and creative stories, but after each book I think I won’t read any more of Card’s works.

Crime and Punishment – Dostoevsky

Dracula – Bram Stoker

I liked this book more than I thought I would.

Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

I thought this was a great book, and is based on non-fictional characters and events.

The Lemon Tree - Sandy Tolan

A fictional account presenting two sides to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Book Thief – Zusak (again)

While I think this is a very good book, somehow it doesn’t work on me as much as it does for my wife and daughter.

North and South – Elizabeth Gaskell

Poisonwood Bible -- Kingsolver

Non-fiction (Cold War themes):

Daring Men (Berlin Airlift) – Richard Reeves

President Reagan, Triumph of Imagination – Richard Reeves

Red Moon Rising—Sputnik… – Matthew Bzrezinski

Day One – Before Hiroshima and After – Peter Wyden

I was motivated to read this as a more accurate account after "Last Train From Hiroshima". It had a broader scope and, despite several slow chapters, was very informational about the development and deployment of the atomic bomb, and its aftermath.

Other Non-fiction:

Salamander – Sillitor and Roberts

A fascinating read for those of us who remember the sensational developments.

Empires in the Forest, Jamestown and the Beginning of America – Chenoweth and Llewellyn

The Universe in a Nutshell – Stephen Hawking

A Long Stone’s Throw – Alphie McCourt

Mildly interesting, but not as entertaining and engaging as his brother’s books (Frank).

Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked– Robert Graysmith

The first book is rather interesting, the second not so much.

102 Minutes – Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn

Evidence of the Afterlife – Jeffrey Long

A State of Blood – Kyemba

I count my blessings I live in the USA.

Highest Duty – Chesley Sullenberger

Culture Shock: UAE

Stolen Lives – Malika Oufkir

Does this stuff really happen in the modern world?

Isaac Newton – James Gleick

The Six Wives of Henry VIII – Alison Weir

Uranium – Thomas Zoellner

I nearly added this to the “Cold War” list of books.

City of Gold, Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism – Jim Krane

Great read to prep for our trip to UAE.

The Raft – Robert Trumbull

Amazing story, if told in the campy style of the 40’s.

To America – Stephen Ambrose

Baseball – Geoffrey Ward

Open – Andre Agassi

I was looking forward to this read of such a great and influential tennis player, but came away with an unsettled feeling about Andre and the state of the professional game.

King Leopold's Ghost -- Hochschild

I read this (and Poisonwood Bible) since Steven was reading it for his high school class. Both very interesting books, and prompted me to read The Heart of Darkness. I learned much more than I ever have about central Africa and its history.