Brian Regan - Emergency Room Parts 1 & 2

Part 1



Part 2

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Just a quick story from our family reunion here in Sundance.

Background:

While at home, Jared (5) and Rowan (3) share bunk beds. Occassionally, Rowan will wake up crying in the middle of the night due to a nightmare about bugs or bees. Usually, the crying awakes Jared, and we can hear Jared, from the top bunk, saying, "I'm right here Rowan. I'm up here. It's okay, Rowey." And from time to time, Jared will climb into Rowan's bed and sleep with him in order to help him go back to sleep.

Quick Story:

Here at the family reunion, me, Wendy, and the kids are all sharing a bedroom. The boys are in bunk beds and Reese is in a crib. Well, last night Jared woke up at about 3:30 am with a nightmare. He was crying and calling for "mommy and daddy." To make things worse for him, he didn't know where he was. Then, before Wendy and I could respond, we heard Rowan say, "Jawed, I wight here Jawed. Jawed cwying. Jawed, isss okay, I wight here."

We thought it was pretty cute and it was neat to see and hear.

Straight Road Trippin' - Day 3 (Read Days 1 & 2 first)

The Arches National Park was awesome! I wish we could have spent more time there, but the boys were losing interest, and I didn't want to turn it into a miserable experience for them. They were having fun, but I could feel the tide turning. So, we distracted them with a snack and hit the road for American Fork.

Here are the photos from the Arches:








After a few hours we made it to American Fork. We arrived at Wendy's parent's home, and for your loyal "Circles" readers, Joyce's master bathroom light was left on -- during the day -- nobody home -- just draining away the money with each kilowatt hour. By the way, Harold lives in Canada, so I know it wasn't he that left the light on.

Straight Road Trippin' - Day 2

We headed out this morning with Moab on our minds. But, before that we had "The Land of Enchantment" to deal with. I'm sure the "enchantment" is somewhere out there, but we didn't see it. New Mexico is quite boring. We ate lunch in Albuquerque, then headed for Gallup.


Halfway between Albuquerque and Gallup we stopped in a little town called Grants. Here we paid a visit to the New Mexico Mining Museum. They had a simulated underground uranium

mine. It was interesting and the boys had a blast.

Our drive between Gallup and Cortez, CO was a bit frustrating. Most of the time we were on a Navajo Indian reservation. I can't tell you how many times I got stuck behind an almost broken down 1981 Ford pickup with a 50 something year old Indian behind the wheel. Without fail each Indian was driving 45 mph in a 65 mph on a two lane road. I also thought it was ironic that everyone of the Indians was wearing a cowboy hat.

Today's music:

Jack Johnson
Dave Matthews Band
Kenneth Cope
Rascal Flatts

The drive from Cortez to Moab was a pretty one and I was excited to get to there. It was my first time there and I had always wanted to go. We had dinner at Buck's Grill House and it was super good. It is a pretty nice restaurant and the food was awesome. Wendy had the Buffalo Meat Loaf and I had Chicken Diablo. I recommend it.


Tomorrow we will hit the Arches National Park then head for American Fork.

Straight Road Trippin' - Day 1

We weren't even out of our neighborhood when Jared asked, for the first time, "Are we out of Texas yet?" Literally, five minutes later he asked again - and he didn't stop asking until we reached the border of New Mexico.

Now, we are in our hotel room in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Much like Afton, Wyoming, everyone here seems to wear plaid, boots, and tight jeans.

The road trip has been enjoyable. We have sufficient snacks for a family of 12 and I suppose they will last through half the day tomorrow.

We have:

2 cans of fat free Pringles
Bananas
Apples
Wheat tortillas
Shredded chicken w/ Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Granola bars
Chex Mix
Fat free blueberry muffins
Go Lean cereal
Bag of mixed candy
Bottled water
Crystal light powder pouches
Propel powder pouches
Several packs of Trident apple/raspberry and strawberry lime gum
Rold Gold cheddar pretzels
Pistachios
Trail Mix
Nilla Wafers, the mini Shrek kind
Fruit snacks (Costco size)
And whatever else I couldn't think of

Here is a list of the music we listened to:

Backyardigans
Sugarland
Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Showtime
I Will Follow Him in Faith (Kid's CD)
Joseph: A Nashville Tribute
The Best of Simon & Garfunkel

Our first stop was the McDonald's in Vernon, TX. The boys had happy meals and Wendy and I had some of our chicken with the wheat tortillas.

230 "Are we out of Texas yets?" later, we stopped in Clarendon. There was an old museum that I wanted to see. It was closed, but we still got to see this old jail house. I can't imagine having to spend the day in this jail cell during the summer. It was 92 degrees and humid. It would have been brutal in that cell.

There was also and old bunk house and an old hospital. It was a neat little town.

We then picked up our handcarts and put our shoulders to the wheel - ummm... well, we got into our air conditioned SUV with leather upholstery, navigation, 6 disc changer, and DVD player. And don't forget about the year supply of snacks. But, we do like to think of our pioneer ancestors as we make these road trips. In fact, as Wendy was sinking her teeth into one of the blueberry muffins, she said, "Think of how grateful the Martin Handcart Company would have been for this muffin." I thought, "They would have been more grateful if it wasn't fat free!"

Next stop, and 260 "Are we out of Texas yets?" later (notice how the frequency has decreased? That is because I threatened his life if I heard him ask that question again. Occasionally, I would hear him whisper the question to Wendy, who is in the back seat. I pretended like I didn't hear him because I love him too much to kill him, but I didn't want him to think I wouldn't do what I said I would do. Plus, I didn't want to stop the car.) we noticed a sign for a Quarter Horse museum in Amarillo. We made the stop and it was well worth it. It is less than a week old, and they definitely sunk some money into the architecture. It was neat and we all enjoyed it. We arrived about 20 minutes before closing time, so we weren't able to see the film on the history of the quarter horse. As nerdy as it sounds, I wish I could have watched that.

Finally, we made it to Tucumcari, home of the Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum. We enjoyed the museum and the boys had a blast. They were excited to see the T-Rex skeleton. There also had a lot of fun digging for dinosaur bones.

We finally made it to our hotel. I had reservations at the Holiday Inn Express - you know, the hotel where "smart" people stay. Well, it turns out their swimming pool was out of service. But, the desk attendant said, "We have a deal with the Hampton Inn. If you are staying here, you can use their pool for free!" To which I asked, "Okay, where is the Hampton Inn?" To which she replied, "About 3 miles down the interstate." To which I said, "Well, why don't I just stay there then?" To which she said, while shrugging here shoulders, "I don't know."

3 miles and one canceled reservation later we were at the Hampton Inn. We took our stuff up to the room then headed for the nearest source of food - DENNEY'S. Only one time prior had I dined at Denney's. My experience was not great, but I thought I would give them another chance. Big mistake! To make a long story short, as soon as our waitress took our order moved away from our table, I put a $100 bill on the table and told Wendy, "I will leave that there as her tip if our order comes out without a mistake." Her tip was $4 and were the bet reciprocal, I would have had at least $500 in my pocket for each mistake she made.

After dinner, we took the kids swimming. It was fun, and we were all able to get rid of the "cooped up" feeling.

Finally, bedtime. The beds were nice and comfortable and we all slept pretty well - IN THE SAME BED! Both boys migrated to our QUEEN SIZED bed. I finally jumped into their bed and not long after Jared was with me. When I asked him why he switched beds through the night, he said, "I didn't want you to be lonely."

Day 2 up next...

The Mormon Way of Doing Business

In the book The Mormon Way of Doing Business, Jeff Benedict outlines the lives of a few select LDS business leaders. The men he selected are, or were, running some of the nation's largest and most profitable companies - companies like American Express, Dell, Deloitte, Madison Square Garden Corporation, and Jet Blue. He also profiled Kim Clark, former dean of Harvard Business School (he is now President of BYU-Idaho and a member of the Seventy). In each case, these men serve as examples of how a business person should strive to conduct business, both in the office and away from the office. While the book itself wasn't written as well as it could have been, there are several pieces of great information about the lives of these men and their families. I feel many of the insights are worth sharing, so I will post a few of them over time.

The first insight I would like to share comes from chapter 4, "Guarding Your Habits."

I have just returned from a business trip in Las Vegas. I have to admit, I don't like going to Las Vegas in general.

ME CLIMBING ONTO A SOAPBOX---

At the risk of sounding prude, I just feel that there are too many outlets for addictive vices. This leads to a lot of immorality and acceptance of evil behavior. Of course, this is the "brand" Vegas wishes to have and has perpetuated through its ad campaigns, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." That is certainly a message from the Adversary and it encourages individuals to make the sort of decisions that breed regret, sorrow, and depression.

ME CLIMBING OFF THE SOAPBOX---

In chapter 4, there is a section on "Alcohol." It points to the fact that each of the men in the book have abstained from alcohol consumption. It may not seem like that big of a deal to many of us, but in the business world, when a person does not drink, it can bring a lot of attention to that person. Most business people drink socially, if not more. It is assumed that there will be drinking when there are after-hours business meetings, conventions, parties, and dinners.

Here is an excerpt that will illustrate:

"At the early stages of their business careers, the practice of avoiding alcohol produced some awkward moments for some of them. Jim Quigley [CEO of Deloitte] was just 26 when he left Salt Lake City to begin working at Deloitte's Manhattan office. Shortly after relocating to the New York area he attended his first company holiday party at the prestigious Greenwhich Country Club. He soon discovered he was about the only person in the room without an alcoholic drink in his hand. As the newcomer, Quigley wanted desperately to fit in and make a good impression. 'It was a defining moment for me as a very young man in my business career,' said Quigley. As the party wore on, he observed that the substance of the cocktail conversation began to deteriorate as alcohol consumption increased. A few individuals ended up revealing things they certainly would not have disclosed had they been sober. 'Some people were very compromised as a product of their drinking,' said Quigley. 'I concluded from that experience that it is not a disadvantage not to drink. Instead, it is a big advantage.'

The advantages are subtle, but real. 'First you avoid ending up in situations where your judgment is compromised,' said Quigley. 'Second, you are less likely to say and do things that may embarrass yourself or your company. You may not be as entertaining or funny. But there's a real upside to enjoying social interaction without alcohol assistance.'"

I was a witness to this type of occurrence yesterday. I was with a few people and their wives as the men drank until they were drunk. Once they were drunk, they were saying things that were completely inappropriate and compromising. A couple of the wives became upset at their husband's actions towards other women, and rightfully so. Also, one person began sharing information about business that he normally would not have shared. And, it wasn't just the information he was sharing, but the way he was sharing it, that indicated his true feelings about several situations. All in all, I was uncomfortable due to the level of intoxication and belligerence.

Also, I heard others talking about their previous night, and I was embarrassed for them, although laughing, at what I heard. One guy, in his 40's, was passed out on a slot machine and security had to call his wife to come get him. Another guy bought taxi cabs for 12 women in order to meet them at a dance club. Then, while at the dance club, he bought them all several drinks. He is a married man with children. Not to mention, he paid using his company's money, which is supposed to be used for "business" purposes.

I appreciate the examples of the men in this book. Not necessarily because they are following the gospel plan, but because they are following the gospel plan while excelling at the highest levels of business. It is great to know that there are at least a few great men running America's successful companies while raising great families and serving in time consuming church callings.

TPC at the Canyons

Today I went golfing with some business contacts. We played at the TPC Canyons course. It is a PGA level course (a course where professionals play) with lots of hazards and tough greens. The fairways were so nice, it was like walking on grassy sponges.

Here's how my day of golf started.

I began the day dressed in jeans, a button up shirt, a sports jacket, and dress shoes. I went downstairs and got a smoothie for breakfast. I then headed over to the Las Vegas convention center for a convention. At this point, it was about 10 am.

Our tee time was set for 1:30, so I had plenty of time to walk the convention and meet with different business contacts. After an hour of doing that, I met with the guys with whom I would be golfing. I come to find out that they wanted to head for the course at about 11:30. This didn't leave me anytime to get back to my room.

So, we headed off for a 5 star course and I was dressed in business casual attire. When we got to the pro shop, I had to improvise. I bought a pair of black Adidas golf shorts ($60) that I will most likely never wear again, a pair of black socks ($7), and I was able to borrow a white golf shirt from one of the guys in my golfing group. So, on the first tee box, I was wearing brown dress shoes with black socks, black shorts, and a white shirt.

And, that ensemble pretty much symbolized the way I played. But, it was a lot of fun, and the weather was perfect. Our round of golf ended up being a round of "heckle" golf. We distracted each other as much as possible, including hitting chunks of grass at the person during their back swing. At times, we were laughing so hard, we couldn't swing the club. One person made a comment about my shoes, saying, "I like how you came to this course in your Mister Rogers shoes." I was laughing for awhile from that one.

(The first photo is the par 3 2nd hole. Thank goodness I hit the green. No room for error. The 2nd photo is the par 4 14th hole. You have to hit over that huge gorge, and the fairway lines the gorge. I played it semi safe and avoided the gorge.)

Blue Man Group

Last night, I took some potential clients to see the Blue Man Group. It was at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

Two words: Pure Creativity

Not only is the percussion on PVC pipes impressive, the special effects are incredible. Then, at one point towards the end of the show, there were so many rolls of crepe paper flying around the audience, even Ted Nugent would have been asking himself about the number of trees in question. The paper rolls were all connected to the back of the auditorium. A group of ushers then started pulling the paper and handed it to the last row. Then, everyone passed the paper forward until it reached the front row. I was totally covered with moving paper for at least 5 minutes. It was actually a lot of fun and I was laughing pretty hard.

The lighting, which included strobe lights, was super cool. The special effects were super creative and very entertaining.

The Blue Men (there are 3 of them) actually never say a word, nor do they make any noises with their mouths. In fact, they hardly even change expression. Yet, they are super funny without saying a word.

If you ever have a chance to see the Blue Man Group, I recommend it.

National Geographic

(This posting was actually started on May 22nd. I just forgot about it until now.)

I have been through Yellowstone National Park a number of times, and one of the images that stays with me to this day involves buffalo. As a family, we were making our way through the park in our car. I was about 14 years old at the time. At one point, up ahead, we saw a few cars pulled over. All the kids bustled knowing that we were about to see something close to the road. Of course, we hoped it would be a bear, or even a moose. But, to no great surprise, it was a small herd of buffalo. After the collective sigh, we noticed something weird was happening. There was a guy holding a 2 year old girl - AND HE WAS WALKING TOWARDS A BUFFALO! This particular buffalo was on the ground, yet not on his side, so his back was in the air. Well, this "father of the year" walks right up to the buffalo and sits his daughter on its back. He then steps back, pulls out his camera and shoots a few shots! Luckily, the buffalo realized how stupid he was and didn't take it out on the little girl (now days that would be on YouTube and this guy would be in a whole lot of trouble).

A little later on that same trip, we approached another herd of buffalo. This time, there was another guy taunting them. It wasn't long before he was charged. Lucky for him, there was a tree nearby which provided a barrier. I can still see his smiling face as he played peek-a-boo with a buffalo.

That takes me to a conversation I had with Jared, my 5 year old son. We were watching National Geographic one Saturday morning, and it was one of those programs that tries to determine how and why someone died at the paw/horn/antler/claw/hoof/teeth of some animal. In this particular case, they were investigating attacks by a water buffalo. Jared and I watched as they explained the first incident. Evidently, a few hunters were standing around talking when all of a sudden a buffalo came out of nowhere to kill one of the men. They then moved on to a second incident in the same area. Only this time, a female hunter was charged and badly injured.

Having never hunted big game, I was wondering what kind of moron would put themselves in such a position. I would later come to find that I wasn't the only one thinking this way.

During a commercial, I went upstairs to see what was happening up there with the rest of the family. I was up there for just a bit, when I heard Jared yell, "DAD, DAD, DAD! Hurry, come here. You have to see this!!" I came downstairs and his eyes were the size of saucers - Bending over at the waist, with his arms out wide, he yelled, "ANOTHER GUY GOT KILLED BY A WATER BUFFALO!!" I responded, "That's crazy!" To which he said, "See Dad, that's why we should just leave the animals alone."

I don't suppose he'll want to go hunting anytime soon.

Donny Osmond's Dream Come True

Watch Out LeBron James!

Man, Lebron James is coming on strong! He is proving to be a great clutch player and a great leader. I like his poise on and off the court. Plus, he has the best commercials out there. He still has some work to do on his 18 - 23 foot jumper, but he seems to hit it when they need it.

Speaking of shooting, about a year and a half ago I taught Jared the proper way to shoot a basketball. Being so young, he picked it up quickly. I want all my kids to have a strong understanding of the result of hard work and practice. Not just in sports, but in school, music, and spiritual matters.

Since my kids are so young, I feel it is important to start this lesson of skill development in a fun way. So, instead of just goofing around while playing basketball, we have shooting sessions. We keep track of Jared's shot attempts and his made shots. I then thought it would be fun to make a chart. This way he can watch his progress. He has something he can see and get excited about. He is a competitive person, so it is fun for him to see the charts.

So, everyday, we go out in the driveway and shoot 5o shots. I keep track of his stats and we do it in bunches of 10. He is shooting with a junior sized ball (just a tidbit smaller than a women's ball. It's not a mini ball.), and the basket is set a 8 1/2 feet. He is usually shooting from within 7 feet.

Here is a look at this week so far:








Just click on the chart to make it bigger. Jared chose the colors.

More to come.

TV Follow Up

Two months after the "TV or Not TV, That Is the Question" posting, a few of us have said "no" to the tube.

Here's a list:

Ben and Wendy
Heidi and Kamron
McKenzie and Cal

Am I missing anyone?

To those who have turned it off, how do you feel about it so far? How long do you plan to keep it off? Have you noticed a difference in the feeling of your home?

Just curious!

Life, Liberty, and Pursuit - Back to the Basics

The smell of politics is in the air, and I am sure many of you are having internal debates about many of the issues that are currently facing our country. With so many different views and counter-views, one can get lost in the logic. So, I thought it would be helpful to contribute a very basic foundation for your political ponderings.

At the basis of America's founding political philosophy you will find such statements as, "all men are created equal," "endowed with certain inalienable rights," and "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." These principles, and even some of the language, come from the works of John Locke.

America's founding political philosophy was carried to the forefront by John Locke. Locke was an 18th century British activist and during his time, the British society consisted of the following principles:

1. The sovereignty of Parliment which included a monarch and a government dominated by hereditary inheritances.
2. Unlimited power of government, which creates an absence of accountability
3. Very limited opportunities for commoner to pursue wealth
4. Absence of freedom of speech in any form

Now, contrast that with Locke's idea for an appropriate government:

1. Separation of powers
2. Representative, limited government
3. The right to pursue wealth
4. Freedom of speech and conscience

This is just a basic explanation intended to stimulate discussion on today's political landscape. It is important that we are involved in the arena that determines the landscape of our society.

Take these principles and apply them to the issues you are considering. Also, if you are curious about some of the issues, make it known in the comments. We can open it for discussion.

If you don't know what the issues are, here you go:

Abortion
Budget & Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy & Oil
Environment
Families & Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade Government Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure & Technology
Jobs
Principles & Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War & Peace
Welfare & Poverty