Spring arrives early

We had a couple of very cold weeks in early December, and one day of snow later in December (when we were out of town). In January it never got below 35 degrees all month, and of course no snow or ice. Now here it is mid-February and the trees are already in blossom! I'm sure we are two or three weeks ahead of schedule for Spring.

Amazingly I've continued riding my bike to work every day but two or three since late November. Though it has been wet several rides it has been very tolerable.

I love our winters. Not warm like Tucson or Riverside, and not cold like Ithaca or Idaho. Just right. And I really love the increasing daylight each day as Spring descends on us.

Exotic vacations

I don't want this post to come across as boastful, but I'll take the risk.

I was reflecting on the many marvelous vacations and trips I and we have been blessed to take. I made a list and then attempted to pare it down to the top ten. Here they are, in chronological order.


1976 – England, Ireland, Germany, France, Austria, more: Suzanne and I were poor college students, and Suzanne was six to eight months pregnant during this two month vacation. We had a home base with my brother, Barry, for several weeks in Germany where he was stationed in the Air Force.

1990 – Ireland: I tacked this on the end of a business trip to England, and Suzanne and I spent several days in the western part of the country.

1990 – Family vacation back east: My first sabbatical from Sequent, and I think this was three weeks duration. We rented a van and drove from Vermont to South Carolina, with four kids in tow.

1996 – Alaska vacation: 2nd Sequent sabbatical, about three weeks. We started in Anchorage in a rented RV to drive the interior, then sailed the inside passage on Alaska ferries. So memorable for the adventure and exotic nature, but also for how good the four kids were.

1997 – Hawaii: An employee reward trip for Suzanne and me, compliments of Sequent, five days. Oh, to be so pampered on Maui.

1997 – Slovakia and Austria: Suzanne and I went to Europe to pick up Blair after his mission. Not all that long after the iron curtain dropped, and Slovakia still had a communist feel. Adventure and memories—at the time I thought it was the best thing ever.

1998 – Trip back east with the family and my mom. Flew to Kansas City (exciting thunder storm!), drove east through Nauvoo, Kirtland, Palmyra, Gettysburg, DC, Williamsburg, Jamestown, and more.

2002 – Russia, Czech Republic, Berlin, Poland, Slovakia: 3rd Sequent sabbatical. Wow! So exotic to visit Bridget and Jeremy in Moscow, and travel with them. Visited Teresa in Germany.

2005 – Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon: Exotic and adventure step up a notch! Suzanne and Steven went a couple of weeks ahead of me, then I joined them for a couple of weeks. Bridget and Jeremy provided home base and tour guide services from their Damascus base.

2007 – Jordan, Israel, and (for me) Germany: I joined Suzanne and Steven for a week or so in Amman (courtesy of B&J again), then returned through Germany for a few days to pick up a new BMW and drive the Autobahn.

2008 – Montana road trip; Suzanne and I took off in the BMW for a road trip through Idaho (hello, Teresa!) and Montana. Great scenery and a trip down memory lane for me.


Okay, so that makes 11, if you are counting. And I didn't include the Mexico cruise, since that got its own post. What incredible experiences and memories these trips have given us! I really do count my blessings.

Atlas Shrugged

While searching for books to read I came across a list showing Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand, to be the most read (or 2nd most read) book behind the Bible. I also checked some reviews on Amazon and many commented it was the most influential book they have read. So I checked out the mp3 version.

It was a huge investment in time. It is a very lengthy book, over 1000 pages or over 50 hours listening. While presented in the form of a novel, it is really a presentation of Ayn Rand's philosophy, called objectivism. I'm not a big fan of philosophy, so I was hoping the story would carry the book, but it really doesn't. A few times during the reading I considered bailing, but since I had already invested so much time I wanted to finish it.

Rand presents her arguments in such black and white terms, often oversimplifying the antagonist argument. For example, I didn't care for her arguments against religion and belief in God, as she presented a stereotype of a simple minded believer. I also didn't care for her depiction (or lack of) of marriage and family. There were no children present anywhere in her world of 1950-ish USA. Her philosophy doesn't seem to accommodate love, compassion, altruism, service, or selflessness. Who would care for the sick, elderly, or handicapped? Her idea of sexual intimacy is pretty crass. All the characters are smokers (an artifact of when the book was written, I'm sure).

One reason the book is so long is that characters drone on and on in monologues spouting philosophical beliefs. It seems to me they keep stating and restating and restating the same ideas. Okay, Ms. Rand I get it already. At one point in the story a protagonist usurps a national radio broadcast and drones on for a three hour speech (or 60 pages in the book). What average person would listen to a three hour espousing of philosophical beliefs on the radio?

There is much of the philosophy I do agree with, though. Free markets, capitalism, less government interference, limiting "moochers" and "looters" from government dependence and manipulation.

Anyway, Atlas Shrugged wouldn't make my top ten list. I'm glad I read it, since it is such an influential book. You don't have to agree totally with a philosophy to benefit from learning about it. Would I recommend it to others? Conditionally, especially if you have time and patience, and enjoy philosophy and political science.

Cruise Adventure

Suzanne and I returned last week from a four-day cruise (Long Beach, CA, to Cabo, Mexico). We had never been on a cruise before (assuming you don't count riding the ferries around Alaska), so this was a real adventure and treat for us. It all came about when my mother and my siblings latched onto a really good deal, then we decided to all go along as sort of a family reunion. Four spouses joined my mom and her six kids, so there were eleven of us.

We were looking forward to an exotic few days in warmth and sunshine, but it didn't quite work out that way. A huge winter storm hit southern California, dumping record rains and wind. Carnival (the cruise line) decided to change the itinerary to Cabo so we would go further south to get better weather. That part worked out great, as Cabo was sunny and 70's. We all hopped into a van in Cabo and got an interesting tour of the area, plus a water taxi ride out to the arches.

The long trip out and back in the ship (about 40 hours each way) encountered stormy and unsettled seas, so there was a lot of movement. Suzanne got a little seasick one day, but everyone was taking medication to combat that. Everyone experienced what some call "cruise head" for a couple of days after getting home, where you continue to experience swaying and slight dizziness even though back on solid earth. I found that more amusing than troublesome.

We also didn't spend as much time out on the deck as we had planned, even though we brought clothes for some cold and wet. Suzanne was still on crutches, so getting around on the swaying boat was a challenge. We rented a wheelchair to help.

We all ate dinners together at the nice onboard restaurant. As expected, there was lots of food and we enjoyed that aspect. Some of us visited the karaoke lounge a couple of evenings and we sang several songs.

But even with the rough seas and some sickness we all had such a great time together. We are all talking about when we can plan our next cruise!

Books read in 2009

I read 39 books in 2009. 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 four as the ones that I enjoyed the most, or found most enlightening or inspirational. For most of the others I'll include brief comments.


A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
The title is pretty accurate. It seems to cover about everything, as it recounts the history of scientific discovery of a very wide range of topics. I found it exceptionally interesting.

Guests of the Ayatollah – Mark Bowden
The Iran hostage crisis was an agonizing and frustrating world event for Americans, and those of us who lived at that time may find this book even more interesting than it already is.

Black Hawk Down – Mark Bowden
I was pleasantly surprised at how informative and moving this book was, in addition to the action and suspense. I found myself thinking about it and many related things for days afterwards, the true mark of a good book.

Stalin, Breaker of Nations – Robert Conquest
I don't know if the book itself is all that great, but the subject matter was astounding. I came away convinced that Stalin was the most evil man, the greatest mass murderer of the 20th century. Hitler was a Boy Scout in comparison.


The Fall of Troy – Peter Ackroyd

Flags of our Fathers – James Bradley

In my hand, memories of a holocaust rescuer -- Irene Opdyke

Mountains Beyond Mountains -Tracy Kidder
Inspirational account of a doctor making a difference in disadvantaged areas of the world.

The Mormon Way of Doing Business – Jeff Benedict

Blood Diamonds – Greg Campbell
I count my blessings living in the USA.

Moscow Rules – Daniel Silva

My Detachment – Tracy Kidder
I've read several books by Kidder, and, though good, I've grown somewhat weary of the excessive profanity.

In Plain Sight – Box

Hunger Games – Collins
Wow, what a creative writer! Couldn't put it down.

Mornings on Horseback – McCullough
Interesting account of Teddy Roosevelt's early life.

The Best Game Ever – Mark Bowden
Ahhh, the Colts win the championship game. Pro football and athletes in a different era.

Stars in their Courses – Shelby Foote
I love listening to Foote's southern accent as he narrates his books.

Shiloh – Shelby Foote

Follow Me Down – Shelby Foote

Alive – Piers Paul Read
This account, along with those of the Donner Party, really makes me appreciate each meal.

The Host – Stephanie Meyers
I think I liked it more than Twilight.

Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
My first foray into Tolstoy, and some reviewers regard this as the greatest novel ever written. I enjoyed the time and setting (19th century Russia), and it was insightful in several ways. Didn't make my top books list, though.

Andrew Jackson – H.W. Brands(?)
What a violent time in American history, and what a violent man!

Ablaze – Piers Paul Read
USSR in its twilight. And what a monumental disaster Chernobyl was.

The Templars – Piers Paul Read
I actually got into this account of crusades, knights, and interesting historical figures.

The Brothers Karamazov – Dostoyevsky
Another account from 19th century Russia in a highly acclaimed book. I think I liked it better than Tolstoy.

A. Lincoln – Ronald White
Great book, but it just didn't work for me this read (listen).

One Minute to Midnight – Michael Dobbs
Fascinating inside look at the Cuban Missile Crisis, which I lived through.

Massacre at Mountain Meadows – Ronald W. Walker
How is such a thing possible? And perpetrated by God-fearing men? This book does help answer the questions by setting the context. But still.

The Coldest Winter – David Halberstam
Interesting account of the first months of the historically neglected Korean War. And all the politics behind it, and short bios of all the key players. Actually, a prelude to Vietnam.

The Virginian – Owen Wister
Great book.

The Count of Monte Cristo – Dumas
Long, long book, but still hard to put down.

1984 – Orwell
The most depressing read imaginable.

The New Testament

The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
Thought provoking and insightful. Perhaps should be in my top list.

The Worst Hard Time –Timothy Egan
Unimaginable hardships on the high plains during the Depression.

Deep Survival – Laurence Gonzales

Collision – Jared Diamond
I found some accounts of failed civilizations fascinating. Scary implications for modern societies.

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
I enjoyed the German setting.

Winter road trip

We drove from Beaverton to the Idaho Falls area and back this past week. I'm not a fan of driving in snow or ice, so I was a bit apprehensive about this winter road trip.

Fortunately, two years ago I found some near new studded snow tires on steel rims on craigslist and bought them for about $150. Even though they are noisy and ride a little rough on the highway, they provided peace of mind and we put them to good use on this trip.

Leaving 6AM Tuesday morning we hit just a bit of pre-dawn snow and some wind just a few miles east of Portland in the Columbia Gorge. This slowed us down for five or ten miles, but after that the roads were clear and we made great time, arriving in Idaho Falls about 7PM. We had a full van, with Jeremy, Bridget, Miriam, Magdalena, Suzanne, Steven, and myself. The girls behaved very well all those hours in the car confined to their car seats. I was glad to share the driving with Bridget and Steven.

I think it snowed a bit each day we were in Idaho, and though the highway remained mostly clear, we drove on snow packed roads a number of times. On New Year's Day we drove a couple of hours in snow to get to our snowmobile destination and back. This was the most use I have ever gotten out of those snow tires, and it felt good driving on them.

We left Rigby, ID, about 7AM Saturday for our trip home. An inch or two of new snow had fallen, and now the highways around Idaho Falls were snow packed. So it was a bit of a slow start (about 45 mph), but as we drove south on I-15 the roads began to clear within 20 miles or so. From there we had dry or wet roads the rest of the way. In Boise it was a warm and sunny 45 degrees, with not much snow in sight. Ontario turned foggy and 33, with lots of snow around, but the summit in the Blue Mountains was 40 and dry. We arrived home around 7:30PM.

So we felt fortunate to encounter good weather and roads this trip. And it was fun spending time with all my kids and five grandkids (but that should be another post).

Oh, I should mention that later on Tuesday, after we left town, a surprise snow storm hit Portland with about 3 inches and totally shut the place down, with hundreds of people leaving their cars stranded on the roads. I guess we were lucky to leave town when we did.

In search of the Holy Grail . . . of cycling jackets

I'm an avid cyclist, doing long Saturday recreational rides, and often commuting to work. Living in the beautiful, cycling-friendly Pacific Northwest also means I need some rain and cold protection while riding. I've been on a long quest to find the optimum cycling jacket, which would have the following characteristics:

1. Rainproof
2. Wind protection
3. Breathes well, so you don't overheat and sweat too much underneath
4. Light/bright color for visibility (but not too wild)
5. Reasonably priced, or at least available at deep discount somehow

The most difficult item for me has been #3. There have been a number of nice jackets I have tried that just leave me soaked inside after moderate exercise, including expensive GoreTex models. I have an old, low-tech jacket that is perfect for #3, but provides no rain protection and very little wind protection. Still, on a cool, dry day it works well.

But for those wet or cold days the best I've been able to do is use a fairly expensive, hi-tech jacket with pit zips. I recently bought a Mountain Hardware jacket at the Columbia employee store which is probably the best so far of all the jackets I have tried ($185 cost was half of retail!!). Yesterday I picked up another Mountain Hardware jacket at that store which is a very lightweight shell, but since it has no pit zips I was pretty skeptical about adequate breathability. I tried it today on my wet commute to work and I was actually pretty pleased with it. I may have found a good jacket for cool, wet days, or days with risk of wet and I can just stuff this little jacket into my back jersey pocket. I'll have Suzanne put it under the Christmas tree for me (along with several other "toys" I have procured for myself, but that is worthy of another blog post).