# 245,859

I have signed a petition at www.americansolutions.com/drillnow that is telling the pin heads in Washington DC to allow us to get oil and gas and coal from our own country and stop relying on people who hate us to sell us oil. If you feel the same way you might want to go to the web site and sign the petition yourselves and tell me what number you are.

Return of the swarm

Sparky is the one without a hat. (not the one with his finger in his ear staring into space)

Sparky at bat.

It's that time of year again... you know the time between track and football... yes! T-ball!! Sparky had a game tonight and what a family event it was. After all the others I suppose we have become a bit jaded about sporting events. Sparky did rather good he got the ball when it was in his general area and knew to throw it to first. It looks like he is going to be as messed up as I am by writing left handed and eating left handed but batting and throwing right handed. It's kind of too bad since his good baseball mitt is a left handed one. G-man decided not to participate in organized summer sports this year stating that he doesn't want to be tied to a set schedule. I think being drug (kicking and screaming (sometimes literally)) to all of his older brother's and sister's events has soured him somewhat on the whole "event" thing.

I have neglected to mention our anniversary which was last Saturday. We went to I.F. and stayed way up high with a view of the falls. It was nice but we had a seven month old tag-a-long so there was a bit of a subdued tone to the whole outing.

Speaking of tag-a-longs, here is a picture of 'Leenie getting an early start for her piano recital.

Promotional - schmotional

Holl had her 8th grade promotional tonight. She had all kinds of awards and atta-girls. The program looked amazingly similar to last years if fact it may have been the exact same except for the different kids who were "Promoted". It is sad to know that for some of those kids (and I think I could point them out... or not) this is as high as they are going to get. Last year something like a dozen or so kids went straight to the "alternative high school" and I think two just plain quit going to school.

This is Holl with her National Junior Honor Society membership card and pin.

Linc also had some honors in track: he was presented with the outstanding Freshman and Future Athlete awards.

Clear the sidewalks!

After waiting since November Linc finely had a practice/game free day to go and

get his learners permit. I may never have to drive again.

We're #1

This is the three cars of the four from our family that participated in the Elderwood Derby. It was a bit of a bust in that there were a total of twelve cars for two classes (Stock and Modified) and four of them were ours. Our little half street was well represented however with five of the eight families participating coming from our little strip of heaven. It's no big surprise when you consider that our street houses the second concealer in the Bishopric, the Young Mens, Young Womens and Primary presidents as well as the Elders Quorum President and first councilor. The party was quite nice I think and those that were there had a good time or so they said. I handed out over a dozen cars to various people including two to the Hispanic family living just a block away but to no noticeable effect.
This is a picture of the championship race in the Modified division. You can see Pres. B starting his car "the kinetic energy accelerator" on it's way to a second place finish behind "The Silver Streak" of yours truly.

Yes, I won!

It was a surprise to me but I had rather thin competition. There were only three entrants in the Modified class; mine, Pres. B's, and a twelve year old who's car was just over weight for the Stock class. We took the Winner of the Stock class and had him race with us in the Modified class to have an even number of contestants. He just so happened to be the little brother of the twelve year old and managed to beat his older brother to place third in the Mod. class.

I think that there would have been more participation if we had done this in the dead of winter instead of the dead of spring when all hell is breaking loose.

P.S. Congrats Magdoggs!

Frustration thy name is Linc

We just got word on how Linc did on the high jump and it isn't good. Remember that he had a pulled ham string... he failed to clear the starting height. The team got third place however. Now the six hour trip back home.

Back to "the friendly ghost town"... Again!

Well Linc is in Kasper for regionals and they had the 110m hurdles and the triple jump today and will have the high jump tomorrow. Well before I go on I must tell you that Linc has been fighting injury and snow this whole track season. If he wasn't snowed out he was injured. Well he convinced the coach to let him compete in the 110m hurdles and was in the preliminaries today. His best non-injured, non-snowed on time in the hurdles was 17.2 seconds. Today he ran and got a 20.5. If he was able and injury free he could have easily qualified for state where the eights place spot went to a kid that ran 18.1. He did his run throughs for the triple and wasn't doing so good when his jumping coach (the coach wasn't actually jumping, he coaches the jumping events) told him that he probably shouldn't participate in the triple and they decided to scratch from the triple jump. Tomorrow is another day but I don't think Linc will be able to do much good in the high jump because of his traitorous left leg.
Just to let you know how much he wants to compete Linc was told to ice his leg. This is accomplished by preparing a tub of cold water and then putting ice cubes in it. He (Linc) then sits in this for twenty minutes gets out for twenty minutes and then sits in the tub an additional twenty minutes. He did this at practice on Tuesday and sat in our tub for twenty minutes Wednesday night and I'm only guessing but may have done it in the motel last night and perhaps did it again tonight.
I would post a picture of Linc doing his track thing but I haven't been able to attend any of his meets this year.
We are getting a new Football coach (one from Library Ninja's stomping grounds) and a new basketball coach (to be named later) so things are very much in a dither what with moving up a division and all. I'm just about fed up with high school sports politics.

Getting ready for Elderwood

Both Sparky and I are now ready for the Elderwood Derby (Pine Wood Derby for Elders). G-man is going to use his PWD car from this year as well but we are going to work the wheels over a bit more. I don't know why I took on this project of putting this thing on but I have. I worry about leaving people out on accident or not having enough people show up or a myriad of other things that goes with putting on something like this.

I had better get off the Internet soon because Holl may call to get picked up from her track adventure to Land-er. More on that later.

Me and the girls

Wife, overseeing the bunch.
Holl, watching the fun.
'Leenie, having a nap.

Well we are for the most part done with track. Holl is going to "Land er" Tuesday for what amounts to "state/regionals for middle school". Only the top two of each event from each school can go. Holl is going for high jump. Linc had a rather disappointing trip to "the zoo" his left leg just couldn't allow him to jump at all. He is concerned that his season may be over. Time will tell.

In traveling from here to there and back I had some time to think. I kept seeing old buildings. Many abandoned and falling down and I started thinking of the dreams that built it. The now dead people who thought they could make something of this land of sagebrush and rock. Some day soon (because I don't thing the buildings will be there very much longer) I would like to travel around the area and get pictures of these monuments to modest dreams that came and went.

... and your week?

G-man's display of the battle of Bunker hill
Linc's art
More of Linc's art

Starting with Tuesday here was/is our week.

• Tuesday: high school & middle school track practices, YM/YW, Holl's band concert, marshmallow catapulting.
• Wednesday: high school track meet in "the Hole", middle school track practice, G-man's history fair, Linc's art show.
• Thursday: middle school track duel w/"the Hole", high school track helps w/duel, G-man's play - "Annie".
• Friday: high school track travels to "the Zoo", no middle school track practice, G-man's friend gets baptized.
• Saturday: Linc competes at "the Y" in high jump, middle school track meet in "Stone Fountain", G-man & Sparky spend day with 2 lazy 2 granny.

Not your typical week here on the 7S but very familiar to end-of-school-year time.