History

I was called yesterday to be the scoutmaster for the Anderson Mill Ward. I really like being scoutmaster. After having done it several times I have a plan of how to best setup the program. I am going to work out a plan over the next several weeks to put into place traditions that should help the scouting program progress in the ward after I am gone. Many times in the LDS wards they change leaders so often that there are gaps in program. The inertia sometimes get lost as leaders change. Hopefully I can help build something that wont loose the inertia when I leave.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been able to spend some time trying to get some new functionality out of the web application our company offers. To save the non programmers the really technical. I am just trying to solve a problem to make one particular part of the site easier for people to use. While Microsoft has made it easier to build many things it’s harder to get into the inner workings of what is going on and customize things. I will continue to work on the situation until I figure it out. Luckily with this job they are giving me the ability to explore some of these things.

It’s been a week since I changed the spark plugs on the van. The van was running pretty rough and the check engine light had come on. It was about a quart low on Oil so I thought that may have been the problem. I needed to get it inspected so I can get it licensed in TX. So I took it in to get the oil changed and get it inspected. I failed the inspection because my front two tires were bald and the check engine sensors indicated that piston 3 was miss firing. There is about 122,000 miles on the van so I was probably time to change the spark plugs.
The first thing I did was check some stuff on the internet and see what other people were doing with vans like mine, a 2000 chevy venture . A couple said it could take up to 4-4.5 hours to change the plugs. One guy said he did it in 2.5 and didn’t rotate the engine. So I got the Haynes manual just in case. I tried it the way the 2.5 hour guy suggested for about a couple of hours. I believe it can be done this way. But the guy had longer skinnier arms than me and was way stronger. I finally got the Haynes manual out and started to do it that way. I had been too the Home depot twice, and Wal-mart once to get tools. Then about the time I was getting ready to rotate the engine Charles, my brother-in-law showed up. He help read the manual, and get the engine rotated properly. we took all the electrical stuff off and the coil pack. Then I started to try to pull the wires off the spark plugs. it was almost impossible. Charles said there was a tool for that and so we were off to the store to get one of those. The tool help and I was able to finish the job. Over all it took me more than 6 hours to get the project finished. I still don’t consider myself much of a mechanic.

The move overall went very well. I am so grateful to all the people in St. George and Austin that helped me move all my stuff.
It’s great to have my family in Austin and to be back at my job. All went pretty well with the move. I don’t really have anything to complain about.
One comment about being prepared, even with the best preparation something is going to be missed. We rented a Penske Truck. We got a pretty great deal. The Truck had a CD player, This was a complete surprise. That is the first Rental Truck I’ve use that had a CD player. I was not prepare and I had not made or brought any CD’s for the trip. Roman had 6 or 7 CD’s a few were compilations I had made in the past. Needless to say we listened to some of the songs a lot. I really need to be more careful when I make these compilations.

Looking forward to the new adventure.

Yesterday I read one of my friends blogs. His name is Shayne Scott. It was entertaining to read. I think I need to make this more entertaining. Mostly so my posterity won’t think I am just a boring idiot. This is my first attempt at entertaining. I have to start somewhere. Anyway. It is almost getting comical the way the news is talking about the “End of the World”, “Armageddon” and “The Depression” . The government is creating a “Stimulus Package” that is trying to help and grease a few pockets, enough on that.

A Proposal that the Republicans and Democrats can’t take credit for!

Every one should pray twice a day, morning and night, for the economy to get better. I am talking to the people that believe there is a God. For those that don’t believe in a God. Stop reading here and skip to my post about saving water. For those of you who believe there may be a God and are not sure how to pray. Here are some basically instructions. First Address respectfully: “Dear God”. Second thank him for a couple of good things in your life. “Thanks for my job,” if you don’t have a job “Thanks for food stamps, Unemployement benefits ” or if your really bad off “Thanks for my life.” If you can think of some other cool stuff that makes your life better thank him for that. Then ask him “Please help the economy” if you are out of a job you can ask for that too, “Please help me find a job” or “Help my brother find a job so he’ll stop hanging out here”. If everyone in the world would do that twice a day the economy. I mean everyone but the atheists, they aren’t reading anymore so I can rip on them and say they aren’t really making a difference anyway. If you are an atheist and just read that, I hope you are offended :). I was inspired to write this post today because an article I read from President Thomas S. Monson. President Monson’s Article on Prayer.

If you’ve made it this far I am amazed. please leave a message and let me know.