the Antelope Islander

Tagged by Texie!

2008-03-19T21:23:00.004-06:00

I've been tagged by Texie Brown. I normally don't like to talk about myself, but will reluctantly do it if forced. (total lie, I like nothing more than to talk about myself)

So here it is:

What was I doing 10 years ago?

McKay was a toddler, Parker Sam was a newborn and we had just moved into our new home. I think there were just a handful of us in the neighborhood. If our neighborhood was a gorilla troop, I'd like to think I would be the old dominate Silver Back and Michelle would be the loving Queen Mother Gorilla.

Five things on my to-do list today: (I'm traveling today, so this is a little different than a normal day)

Work on our personal taxes.
Buy some contact solution. I left it out in the hotel room today and the cleaning person must have thrown it away (or she is now selling it on the black market)
Goal = delete 100 e-mail from my work inbox today. I figure if I delete 100 a day, I will be have my e-mail under control by the fourth of July :(...
Return some phone calls for work.
Prepare a talk for Sunday.

Six snacks I enjoy

PB&J sandwich
Chips ahoy! cookies (the crunchy kind)
Chocolate Milk
Peanut Butter Moo'd from Jamba Juice (1,100 calories of pure goodness)
Dried Mango
Beef Jerky (peppered, with toothpicks on hand. Jerky tends to get caught in my teeth)

Three bad habits

Working too hard
Loving too much
Lying about my bad habits

If I were suddenly a billionaire I would...

...First, buy a Kia Sorento. Second, purchase a years supply of my 6 favorite snacks. Third, build Michelle's dream home. We wouldn't move into it, just visit it a couple times a month, maybe have lunch there, walk around, mow the lawn, then come back to our real home. (sorry shell! :) Fourth, give away the rest.

Five Places I've lived

Ogden UT
Layton
South Africa
Fruit Heights
Layton (again)

Five Jobs I've had

Sorting onions at Green Farms
Mowing lawns
Weber State University Library (the government documents section; EXCITING!!!)
Canyon Office Products
Secret Agent; a.k.a. Mr. Smith

Five things people don't know about me

No matter how many times I have plucked them, I have 3 hairs that have kept re-growing since I was 18 years old. Two on my neck (near my Adam's Apple and one on my right shoulder.) I consider them close friends now.
I am actually quite shy, talking people to death is just therapy for it.
I have a goal/quest to step foot in each of the 50 states. I'm taking off tomorrow after work to drive to the Oklahoma border (one state I've never visited). I'll get out of the car, call Michelle, walk around for a minute, turn around and head back. PS, I'm in Dallas right now.
I like classical music. Bach is my favorite.
I'm fond of Antelope Island.

The Scent of an Island.

2008-02-13T13:19:00.004-07:00

“Close your mouth & plug your nose!” You are now entering the “funk zone” of Antelope Island. The funk zone occurs just as you enter the causeway and lasts maybe a mile or two beyond. The majority, although not all of the stench goes away after this initial blast of superfluous foulidity. It’s too bad that out of the 10,000 different smells we as humans can detect, the island was blessed with one of worst. Personally, I would have chosen jasmine, dryer sheets or pina colada if I was making the scent selection. One of the things that keeps people away from our under appreciated island, it’s the perception that the Island stinks. The truth of the matter is that it in fact, it does stink. People with Anosmia (the inability to smell) are more likely to visit and enjoy the island because the funk zone has no impact on them. On the other hand, they would also not be able to enjoy the handsome taste of a buffalo burger at buffalo point because people with anosmia can’t taste. Here are some additional highly interesting things about smell to help you appreciate the scent of the island.

In a 50 yard dash, the olfactory system (smell) can kick the pants off all the other senses; taste, touch, sight & hearing because it has a direct path to the limbic brain (emotion and pleasure center). This limbic system also helps determine basic fight or flight responses. The other senses must go through the brainstem, hang a right at the thalamus where they wait to be transported by shuttle bus millions of neural networks of the neo cortex specialized for each sense. These signals are then bounced around again where a flight may be caught to the limbic system where an emotional tag of joy, pleasure or hate is added.
Imagine the smell of a pungent bowl of chili beans. Can you smell it? Yes? Liar. Humans have a very difficult time imagining smells. This is mostly due to the very small portion of the olfactory system in the higher regions of the brain such as the cortex that helps with imagination.
Women generally have a greater sense of smell than men. Men generally stink more than women. Oh, the cruel irony of nature.
Not all of us can detect all smells. It has been found that if we are not exposed to certain smells during early development, we may permanently lose our ability to decipher that smell. In addition to baby Einstein, I believe there must be a market for a product such as “Baby Smell a Lot” that will waft thousands of different odors into the baby’s nursery while sleeping with the hope that our brilliant child will have the smelling prowess of 40 hound dogs.
Seventy five percent of our sense of taste comes from our olfactory (smell) system and just twenty five percent is from our taste buds. Taste buds are kind of the “quickie” to the eating experience. As the taste buds just give us a measurement of the presence of sweet, salty, bitter and sour, an intense gustatory experience while eating our favorite pizza would really come from our sense of smell.
Smells are strong prompters of memory. The olfactory system has a direct link to the hippocampus whose main function is the storage and sorting of memory. Any given smell can immediately evoke memories complete with sound, images and emotions. The smell of Antelope Island brings back memories of catching brine shrimp with Kim Snarr during the summer of my 5^th grade year. Hence, here’s the scent equation for me: Smell of Antelope Island = Sweet pre-puberty love.

I love the smell of our under appreciated Island. Visit the island today and smell for yourself!

Punxsutawney This!

2008-01-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Question:

What does Antelope Island, Valentine Carols, and Punxsutawney Phil all have in common?

Answer:

Nothing, except for fact that they are all under appreciated aspects of our fickle society.

Extreme Anticipation

So what are you doing February 2nd? If you are like most citizens you will probably spend the day (Saturday this year) tending after your daily chores and making plans for the evening, totally unaware that one of the most important events of your life is about to take place...

Picture this! Punxsutawney Phil (we'll call him P-Phil) rises from his toasty den at Gobblers Knob in Pennsylvania. He is grabbed by a crazy old man (The president of the Groundhog day Inner Circle) wearing a tuxedo and top hat. A hush draws over the crowd. Whispering occurs between P-Phil and the top-hatted gentleman. The language spoken between groundhog and man is Groundhogese, something understood only by the famous groundhog and the Inner Circle president...

...there is a dramatic pause. We can expect 6 more long weeks of winter if P-Phil saw his shadow. Conversly, an early spring is promised if the skies are cloudy and now shadow can be seen. Pray my friends, for a cloudy day. The top-hatted Inner Circle President then nods his head in agreement as he receives his answer. An announcement is made, the crowd cheers, the bands play and news reporters rush to get their stories published. So what's the answer?

Check the news on February 2nd to find out.

Bonus Information

Here are a few semi-interesting facts about groundhog day:

The tradition of Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania goes back to 1887. The tradition of groundhog days goes back even further. Candlemas day has been celebrated for many many years in Europe.
The German Immigrants known as the Pennsylvania Dutch (go figure this) first used the badger as the spring barameter. It is a shame that we changed to the groundhog. Imagine the media following if Bill Cooper, the president of the "Inner Circle" was required to reach into the burrow and pull out a badger!
February 2nd, or Groundhog day lies exactly between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
I am unaware of any official colors for Groundhog day. I propose that the colors be black and yellow. We wear black if the P-Phil sees his shadow and yellow if there will be an early spring.
I am also unaware of any official Groundhog Carols. Some that I may recommend would be: "Shadow" by Ashlee Simpson, "Oh Groundhog" by Lisa Loeb and "Winter" by Tori Amos.
I'm not sure about this, but I would imagine the official food of Groundhog day is possum.
And yes, the official Island for Groundhog day is none other than our own, Antelope Island.

Valentine Carols

2008-01-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to Antelope Island and all the other under appreciated things in life. Something that is under appreciated, just like our island, is Valentine Carols. Yes, Valentine Carols. It's not uncommon to hear the first Christmas carols the day after Halloween, and maybe even earlier. But then the dark, cold days of January and February come. Luckily we have Valentine carols to keep our spirits bright! Right? Wrong! Valentines Day, as nice as it is, is missing something potentially very special that will get us in the spirit of romantic love right after the new year. I've taken it upon myself to start a list of potential Valentine Carols. I'll include the name of the song and a brief reason why it should be considered as a part of the first set of Valentine Carols.

Baby, You're Right, Phil Vassar. This is a great tune with great lyrics from someone who I believe is one of the most under appreciated country singer and songwriters. I think Mr. Vassar would really get along with Antelope Island.
Back at One, Brian McKnight. Can't you just imagine groups of Valentine Carolers going door to door sining this groovy tune from this romantic R&B singer? This one had to be on the list.
Everyday, Phil Collins. This is an oldie but a goodie. The essence of Valentines Day just flows from this smooth melody. "Every day I'll try, to make my heart be still..." Now that's romance baby!
Captain Wedderburn, Great Big Sea. Google "Captain Wedderburn" to get the story behind this song. I listen to this over and over because I think the tune is fun and the story is sweet.
Breathe (2 a.m.), Stanford Counterpoint. I like the a cappella version of this song. Okay, the song seems to be about a young girl trying to get over her break up from a dreamy boy. This is not exactly my style but I like the song anyway and it deserves to be a Valentine Carol.
Comfort, Deb Talan. I play this song almost every night when I can't sleep. Valentines Day is for people in love. Unfortunately there are too many people out there who are lonely and still looking for love. This song is dedicated to everyone who dreads holidays like this. "So cry why not, we all do....when you can't remember a better time, you can have mine... in days to come when your heart feels undone, may you always find an open hand and take comfort where ever you can..." We all need someone to love and to be loved. I hope everyone is so fortunate this new year.
Low, Flo Rida. There's nothing that says Happy Valentines Day like the lyrics from this special song: "Apple bottom jeans with boots with the fur, the whole club was looking at her..." I rest my case.
You and Me, Lifehouse. Just a good, romantic Valentine Carol, that's all.
For Good, from the Broadway play Wicked. This song is more about relationships than it is romance and Valentines. But Valentine season is the time to sit back and reflect on the things "For Good" we have received from the people we love.
Scolding Wife, Great Big Sea. Everything about this song screams "Anti-Valentine". But there needs to be an ugly contrast so we can appreciate the good carols. (Disclaimer: this song does not reflect my own wife in any way.)
Collide, Freshman Fifteen. Similar to Breathe (2 a.m.), I like the a cappella version of this song too. This song reminds us that love and relationships aren't perfect, but somehow we seem to make things work.
Grown Man Cry, The Nylons. I sang this song to my wife in the car on our first date. I felt that she needed to experience my incredible singing skills right away. She still married me despite the horrific event.
Once in a Lifetime, Talking Heads. I would be lying if I said I fully understand the lyrics to this song, but I still like it and I challenge anyone to disagree that it deserves to be on the Valentine list; since I'm not sure anyone really understands it enough to disagree. Make sense?
Something That We Do, Clint Black. We should all sing this as families, from church pews, while caroling, and to each other. Clint got it right, Love is something that we do.
If, Bread. This 70's love song is very interesting. Here's how I think it played out: David Gates, who wrote the lyrics for all soft rock songs by Bread was stone cold sober for the first half of the song (not many other love songs out there with more beautiful words), then as the psychedelic drugs kicked in, the lyrics went a little, well, wacky. Listen to this song and you'll hear it for yourself.

There you have it. 15 songs to get us started in the tradition of singing Valentine Carols. A Happy Valentine Season to all, and to all a good night!

What's in a name?

2007-12-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

As the Antelope Islander, people will often stop me on the street and ask me how Antelope Island got it's name.

Wait, this is not true.

The Truth: No one has ever cared enough to ask me out how Antelope Island got it's name. Despite the overwhelming lack of interest on the topic, I'm going to tell you anyway:

John C. Fremont and Kit Carson where the first European explorers of the island. In 1845 they made the first exploration where they shot two antelopes. After washing down a few juicy antelope t-bones with a Diet Coke, Fremont wrote "in grateful supply of the meat they furnished, I gave their name to the island."

Voila, Antelope Island!

Naming something is a very important responsibility. I respect Mr Fremont's decision to name the newly discovered island after a much appreciated meal. My family recently discovered that we are expecting a new baby. Naming a beautiful baby is almost as big of a responsibility as naming a beautiful island. Luckily we have the examples of valiant explorers of the past to help us with these decisions.

World, I would like you to introduce you to our beautiful unborn child, Chicken Curry Flitton!

Who are you? & Crystalized Poo!

2007-12-04T22:54:00.000-07:00

"Boy, what ever you is

and where ever you is,

don't be what you ain't,

because when you is

what you ain't,

you isn't.

Uncle Remus

Michael J. Fox makes an observation in his book, "Lucky Man" that often times as an actor, you can sometimes forget who you really are. Actors are so good at being someone who they aren't, their real personality can sometimes be illusive.

Who are you?

The rest of us non-actors & actresses could smugly comment how glad we are that what you see is what you get. In other words, we let our authentic selves come through. On the contrary, I would propose that to varying degrees, we are all actors; playing the role of someone we are not.

--so here's the tie-in to Antelope Island--

Oolitic sand is a unique feature of the Great Salt Lake. These round grains of sand are formed when mineral grains, or brine shrimp fecal pellets are coated by concentrated layers of aragonite, a form of calcium carbonate. (Source - Antelope Island State Park Brochure)

Sometime we find that we are not who we think we are, not what others think we are, but who we think others think we are. Make sense? Over time the thin walls of "unauthenticity" can build around our true character and personality similar to the way aragonite forms around the brine shrimp feces. Before we know it, we have to ask ourselves, who am I anyway?

I'll tell you who you are, you're a child of God. Scientists have estimated that there has been about 69 billion of us on the earth from the beginning to now. Despite this, each of us are unique in our own way. Don't be like Oolitic sand, coated by years of pretending we are something we are not. "Because when you is what you ain't, you isn't."

Big Ox

2007-12-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

Brad was his name and Big Ox was his; well, nickname. I'm pretty sure Brad didn't like the name Big Ox, but according to ancient unwritten rules, you can't choose your own nickname. Nicknames were big in the 4th grade. This is when I knew Brad. He was in my 4th grade class and he was bigger than most of the 6th graders, thus receiving the name "Big Ox". "Big Brad" would have been a cool nick name to have, "Big B", "Super B", "Bad Brad", all of these would have been acceptable, even cool too. But Big Ox represented a big, clumsy oaf. Now I didn't come up with the name of "Big Ox". I've always had a pretty soft heart and tried not to participate in bullying of any sort. In fact, I usually tried to befriend many of the kids who were far from the line of popularity and well within the realm of obscurity. I remember shooting baskets with Brad during recess when no one else would give him much attention.

One day we were having a pretty serious game of football, or tag, or something physical like that when out of nowhere; Bam, I ran right into Brad. I don't know if it was my fault or his fault, but I obviously took the worst part of the blow and suffered more embarrassment than physical pain. Before I knew it "Watch what you are doing... Big Ox!" shot from my mouth.

I know this wasn't the 1st, 2nd or even the 25th time Brad had been called this, but I can still see the hurt on his face. "Not you. No, not you too?" was the look he gave me. Then the game was over, the moment was gone and I'm now 30 years older.

I don't know exactly what has happened to Brad. Rumor has it that he was put into juvenile detention before he finished grade school for shooting, or attempting to shoot his own sister with an arrow. I remember that his home life was a little less than stable.

I'm embarrassed to tell this story. Words can be great tools to build people up or weapons to bring people down. Unfortunately, we just never know what words are going to stick and which ones will be forgotten.

Gordon B. Hinckley made what I think was a pretty profound statement during the Christmas Devotional at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on December 2nd. "What a wonderful place this world would be if people would treat each other as well as people treat me." I too have been the fortunate recipient of some pretty good treatment over my life time. Sure there's been the occasional confrontation, and there are plenty of people who don't like me, but for the most part, I've been treated very well.

I wonder how Brad is doing these days. I don't even know if he is alive, but I hope he is and he's leading a happy life despite he mean words of some grade school kids. I hope he has so many friends that he can't find time to spend with them all. I hope he found religion and has a relationship with the God who loves him no matter what his nickname is. Lastly, I hope he still talks to his sister who has long ago forgiven him, married well and has plenty of children who still climb on his lap and whisper sweeter things to him than we did.

Antelope Island: Very Feng Shui.

2007-11-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

According to Karen Kingston author of Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, Antelope Island is indead, very Feng Shui.

Karen makes this statement in her book: "Whenever I come across clutter, its energy field is unmistakable. It presents an obstacle to the flow of energy and has an unpleasant, sticky, unclean feel to it, as if I'm moving my hands through unseen cobwebs."

I'm so grateful there is a place so close to home that does not have this energy hindering clutter. Antelope Island is not cluttered with things such as lush green grass, towering shade trees, budding flowers and refreshing water falls. It's not cluttered with dew drenched meadows and glistening foliage and majestic pines.

Thank you Karen Kingston and your years spent between Bali and the UK teaching the fine principles of clutter and Feng Shui. You have helped prove my point.

Yes indeed my friends, Antelope Island is very Feng Shui

Frary Friars Fires, Frary Friars Fires, Frary, Friars Fires!

2007-11-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Antelope Island is prone to lightning ignited wild fires. Over the past 9 years there have been 2 major fires that have burned 15 - 20% of the island. This is sad, very sad.

According to the Weber State Department of Botany, Antelope island was once mostly shrub. When the island was used for grazing (and perhaps over-grazing), many of the indigenous plants were replaced with plants such as cheat grass. Cheat grass dries out very early in the summer months and is a great fuel for fires.

Frary reminds me of friars, and friars reminds me of fire and fires remind me of the tragic wild fires that Antelope Island is prone to experience. The next time you are at a party discussing Antelope Island's fire ecology, I hope you will keep the following story in mind:

A group of friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town though the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to lose down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. The ignored him. So the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat ut the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that Hugh and only Hugh can prevent florist friars.

A Sad Story about a High Point

2007-11-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

I wrote earlier about the shallowness of the Great Salt Lake. I'm now going to make a brief mention of the highest point of Antelope Island; Frary Peak.

Frary Peak reaches 6, 956 feet into the atmosphere. The trail to the the peak is about 3 1/2 miles long and climbs about 2,50 feet. The best (or really, only) time to hike Antelope Island is in the early spring or later fall. Hike anytime in between these times and you have a 88.7% chance of either melting from the heat or being eaten alive by flies. (out of the 2 choices of death, I would prefer melting)

The Frary family is the longest inhabitants of Antelope Island. They survived the heat & flies; hence the name, Frary Peak. Here's a slightly sad story about the Frary's on Antelope Island:

The Frary family moved to Antelope Island around 1891. George, the father, owned about 160 acres but only farmed about 16. Stories described George as one who preferred sailing over farming. I imagine the conversation between George and his wife Alice going something like this: "I'm going out on the boat to catch some fish for dinner!" Alice was a school teacher and surely couldn't have been fooled by this since everyone knows there aren't any fish in Antelope Island. "Fishing again huh? That's a load of crap!" she would say in her sweet voice. "But at least you will be gone so I can go the giant scrapbooking sale over on Buffalo Point." (creative liberties may have been used).

In September of 1897, six years after moving to the island and zero fish later, Alice became ill. George travelled to Ogden for medicine but his small boat capsized on the return trip because of strong winds. Like his fish stories, the medicine also got away. George held on to his capsized boat until the next morning then he made it to the beach. That was the good news. The bad news? Alice Frary died that afternoon.

Alice requested to be buried on Antelope Island and a small monument still stands in her memory.

The moral of the story: Take the freak'n car George.

6 Things about Michelle

2007-11-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

I tagged Michelle to share 6 things about her. She's been a little busy and a lot sick, so like any good husband, I'm going to explaining 6 things about behind her back. I'll let Michelle have a chance for rebuttal if she feels the need. Here we go:

Disclaimer: There are millions of incredibly good attributes that Michelle possesses. Below is just a quick list of 6 that come to mind.

1. Great Expectations: You say perfectionist, I say Great Expectations. If you've ever seen any of Michelle's work you will see, and she will agree, that Perfectionism has become both a blessing and a curse. "Hey, I'm a perfectionist." is a common phrase that will often flow from Michelle's lips if something is either not working right or taking a long time. Instead of Perfectionism; a term and sounds like it belongs in chapter 6 of your abnormal psychology book. The term that I would prefer to use High Expectations. Michelle has high expectations of herself and others around her. Sure there's a little downside to having high expectations, but for the most part, life at the Flitton home is better because of it. A typical conversation between the two of us while working on a project might go something like this: "Chelle (that's my crazy little pet name for Michelle), I think this is good enough. We're going to be here all day... boo hoo, whine whine..." Michelle: "Let's just get this done right the first time so we don't have tow worry about it any longer." ......... 2 days later.......... "Chelle, I don't want to admit this, but I'm glad you didn't give in to my whining. The project we were working on looks great and it never would have turned out so nice if it weren't for you." Michelle: "Thanks, I told you so."

Great Expectations. This is one thing that makes Michelle, Michelle; and I'm a much better person because of it.

2. Beauty & Interest: One thing that I think is really cool about Michelle is that she really has an appreciation for things of beauty and things of interest. "Look at the trees! Look at the view! Look how pretty the clouds are!" Sounds like a scene from Pollyanna doesn't it. It's actually very nice. This appreciation for beauty is refreshing in a world that is sometimes too busy to notice the small beauties. This has also helped Michelle with her photography, wood working projects and design of our home. In addition to things of beauty, Michelle also has an appreciation for interesting things. I believe she gets this from her father. Things that would go unnoticed by the average person are fascinating to Michelle. "Look at the boom on that fire truck!" she'll tell the kids. "The super modified stock car on that trailer is headed for the next race!" she'll explain to a husband who is trying to have the same appreciation. The fact is, the world is an interesting place and full of beautiful things. I'm glad that I'm married to a woman who appreciates them.

3. Family First: From the first days I started to dating Michelle to November 18th, 2007 (today); Michelle's highest priorities have been very clear. Family comes first. No exceptions. It's actually very comforting to be married to a person with such definite values. Thanks Michelle!

4. Laugh Loud, Laugh Often: Michelle is a one person laugh track. If you have never had the chance to watch a good comedy in the theatre with Michelle, you are really missing out. Michelle's laugh is contagious. It's hard to be in a bad mood when Michelle is at her laughing best. As someone who doesn't really have an audible laugh, I really value a good belly laugh and Michelle has perfected it.

5. Achievement: Michelle is driven by the need to achieve. I believe that Michelle doesn't let a day come to a close without evaluating the day for its accomplishments and setbacks. Michelle has a clear picture in her mind of the way her life ought to be. This attribute, along with her the high expectations she sets for herself makes for a very strong person who I really admire and who has achieved and will yet achieve many great things in her life. I'm just glad I can tag a long for the ride.

6. Extroversion: Michelle is a true extrovert in both senses of the word. First, Michelle gains her energy from other people. I know that if Michelle is ever having a bad day, all I need to do is make it possible for her to spend some time with some of her good friends. She can leave with her energy shriveled like a man after a cold swim, then return without a care in the world. Second, Michelle is not shy to talk to anyone. I believe this desire to meet other people can be sensed by others. It never ceases to amaze me, that while traveling together, people will approach Michelle, initiate and carry on a conversation and not even comprehend that I exist as I stand next to her. Her friendly energy must be felt by others. I'm amazed and a little jealous of this trait.

...A Deep Topic for a Shallow Mind

2007-11-18T01:58:00.001-07:00

Antelope Island is surrounded by the Great Salt Lake. The island itself it 10 times bigger now than it was just 20,000 years ago. The island didn't grow over this time, instead the lake has shrunk. Today, the Great Salt Lake is about 75 miles long and 35 miles wide. Despite the hugidity (a state of being huge), the deepest part of the Great Salt Lake is just 35 feet deep. This is one shallow lake. With a broad, flat lake, the ebbs and flows of the shore line is interesting to watch. A few feet decrease in lake depth can create miles of exposed shoreline. Sometimes, when driving past a lake, I wonder what the bottom of the lake looks like. Maybe there are treasures, sunken ships, water creatures, great canyons or vast mountain ranges. We've been able to find out what the bottom of the Great Salt Lake looks like as the lake has shrunk and the island has gotten bigger. If you have a chance to explore this newly exposed surface, do you know what you'll find? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just a little salt and mud, but other than that, there's really nothing.

"That's a deep topic for a shallow mind" my older brother Darrin would tell me each time I would begin a sentence with "Well...."
A shallow mind? It is always interesting that there are some people who aren't much deeper the Great Salt Lake (figuratively speaking of course). "I wonder what makes that person tick" we may ask ourselves "I wonder what's beneath the surface." The problem with some shallow people is that it doesn't take much to expose the true depth of that person, and when the inner self if exposed; like the shore of a drought ridden lake, there's nothing to be found. That's as deep as they may get. Sad, I know.

I've always appreciated people who have a little depth to their character. Now depth doesn't have anything to do with intelligence. I'm sure there are plenty of intelligent people who are just saucer deep. Depth of character can come from life experiences, learning and friends kept. Mostly it comes from what you really care about. My next door neighbor and friend Logan "Logity" is a good example of someone with a little depth to their soul. I believe the following quote fits him well: "Small people talk about other people, good people talk about things and great people talk about ideas." I'm sure Logity is not the only one to expand his mind with concepts and ideas, nor has been been free from talking about a person or two in his life I'm sure; but I appreciate his passion for hatching an interesting idea.

The next time you're visiting Antelope Island and you try to look beneath the surface of desolate ,shallow lake. Ask yourself, what would happen if you scratched my surface? Is there anything there?

Heaven bless the people with a little depth to their soul.

6 Things about me

2007-11-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged! Here are six things about me:

1. I like to talk. It's not really that I like to talk much about me (although I will if I have to) I just like to talk about, well, anything. Talking is how I work through important decisions, problems or issues in my mind. I value the opinions and smarts of other people. I can sit alone for hours trying to work through a solution to an important problem, but if I can just talk it through with someone for a few minutes; whammo! the ideas start flowing. On the other hand, I sometimes I feel a little lazy, or less that disciplined because, when given the choice to work or to talk, tI will almost always choose to talk. I can have one million things to get done on my to do list, but if someone wants to talk to me; usually just about anything, I'll make time to talk about it. I don't just take a few minutes of course, because if it's worth talking about, it worth talking a long long time about until the person wishes they never would have asked me about the topic in the first place. "Don't gimme none 'o that Jibba Jabba" Mr. T in Rocky III, Talking, yeah, that's what I do best.

2. Two words: I'm nice.

3. I, like some of my good friends, am plagued by a guilty conscience. Plagued may be a bit harsh because this guilt has probably kept me from doing some very dumb things. Nonetheless, this guilt is a plague. Some people are motivated by greed, others by achievement, others fame and still others prestige, or money. Well my friends, I'm motivated by guilt. It's a curse I'm telling you. Instead of doing things because I expect a certain satisfaction or pleasure in return, I tend to do things in anticipation of removing guilt. "What did I do, what am I not doing, what did I say, what haven't I said, who did I greet, who should I never have greeted." These are all things that keep a guilty prone person like myself up at night. I don't recommend the strategy of motivation by guilt. It's a very defensive or reactive way to live your life. "Stop doing things that make you feel guilty." or "Start doing things that you're not doing that you ought to be doing." This is the obvious answer, but it's not that easy. There will always be something that makes me feel guilty; always.

4. I appreciate people with talent so here is my extra long soliloquy on talent. Talent is different than skills or knowledge. Knowledge is the stuff you get by going to school, reading a good book, talking to smart people etc.. etc.. Knowledge is important, but knowledge alone won't get you very far unless you do something with it. Skill is putting you knowledge to work. Reading skills, writing skills, selling skills, dribbling skills are all examples of things that you learn and practice. Skills can be improved over time. Just about anyone can develop skills in just about anything if they put enough time and effort to it. Talents are the mysterious thing things we do extremely well. I believe we are born with our talents; or rather, we received our talents long before we were born. "I don't know how I do it, I just do it." is an example of someone trying to teach a talent that they possess. Talents are things that you can do almost effortlessly, very well, over and over again. Knowledge and skills are important, but talents make us extraordinary. "If you think someone doesn't measure up, it's because you don't know them well enough." I heard this from an older gentleman about 18 years ago and I've tried to look at people this way ever sense. If there is one thing I believe in life it is that each one of use was given enough talents, skills and positive attributes at birth to lead strong lives. Hence, the big challenge in life is to find out what your talents are, develop them and make a strong life. I believe that too many of us spend too much time focused on every little thing that is wrong with us. Although this is noble, I feel it is a good way to lead a very mediocre life. Look at some of the most extraordinary people in history, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Ghandi, Albert Einstein, each of these people were able to find, develop and exploit their talents. I also really appreciate people with talents that I don't have. For example, I never know where to begin when starting even the most simple drawing. I guess spacial relationships just isn't a talent I was blessed with. My sister Andrea on the other hand has alway been remarkable in this area. My wife Michelle is another example. She can build, and has built just about anything out of wood. She can visualize a project in her mind, put it on paper, make a cut here, hammer a nail there and Ka Pow! a beautiful piece of furniture is created. Crafts, music composition, dancing and persuasion/selling are other examples of talents that I don't possess so I really appreciate them when I see people who possess and develop them. Now, there are a couple of things that I always have to keep in mind. (1) Although we are all given talents and attributes, some people have done more to find and develop their talents than others. We call these people "talented" and "successful". There are other people who haven't done as much to find or developed their talents. We call these people "bums" or "underachievers". Discipline, drive, luck, education, opportunity, good rearing are some of the factors that lead people to find and develop their talents. I often feel frustrated because I feel that I am the latter example and not the former. I'm beginning to understand my talents, I just haven't figured out what to do with them. Although all men are created equal, not all men end up equal because some have just done a better job at developing their talents. (2) The word's value of talent is fickle and variable. The world's measuring stick for success and talent is narrowly confined to things such as money, possessions and attractiveness. Unfortunately, healthy relationships, altruism, the ability to nurture etc... are seen as second rate abilities and not quite as desirable. This is a shame. (3) Talents sometimes aren't as obvious as we thing they are. Talent is not confined to the arts or sports. I have a good friend who is very good at perceiving the emotions of a situation. As a result, she is very savvy in social situations and seems to know just what is to be said, or not said for the situation. This is a talent that is perhaps a little under-appreciated. Anywhooo enough of number 4, did I say that I like to talk and hash things through??

5. I am an insomniac. 8 hours of sleep is just crazy talk. I've heard that people are able to achieve this, but I don't know how they do it. First, I don't like to go to bed very early because it seams like such a waste. Why would someone want to go to sleep when there are things to read, explore, watch or of course, talk about. Second, even if I do go to bed a reasonable hour, I still seem to wake up in the middle of the night (usually between 1 - 3 a.m.) with my mind racing with random thoughts & worries and I do this until about dawn. "To sleep the impossible sleep...." taken from Cats, "to dream the impossible dream"

6. I've done some math and figure I have had between 4,200 and 6,150 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in my short life. My favorite is home made raspberry jam and creamy peanut butter on toast. Even though raspberry jam is my favorite, home made jam of any flavor beats even the best store bought raspberry jam. I have had the good fortune to try some really good jams made by friends and family. One recent example is peacherine jam. Peacherine jam comes from the exclusive peacherine tree that can be found in our backyard. You see, one day our peach tree and our nectarine tree was at a bar for some drinks and casual conversation. There was a accidental touch, some frisky flirting, slow sensual music, one thing lead to another and bam, skipping past the sorted details, we have a tree that is a combination of peaches and nectarines; or peacherines.)

RULES:

1. The player lists 6 facts about themselves

2. At the end of the post the player tags 6 people and posts their names. The player then goes to their blog and leaves a comment letting them know they have been tagged, then asks them to read the rules.

I tag: Michelle Flitton, Greg Flitton, Kirk Brown, Mrs Hunt (my 8th grade English teacher), Madi Flitton, Addison Niles Bently,

More of the misunderstood and under appreciated

2007-10-26T00:12:00.000-06:00

The purpose of this blog is not only to remind us of the beauty of Antelope Island, but also to remind us of the small, misunderstood and under appreciated things in life.

The Two

I would like to spend a few moments discussing the number two. That's right, the number two. The number two leads a miserable life; always one step away from being number one, but never able to be number one. Think about it. The number two will never, ever, never be number one. Otherwise, it wouldn't be number two. As far as I know, there is not a rule that states: "If the number one cannot live up to the obligations of being number one, then the first runner up (number two) will become number one. Get it? It becomes number one, no longer number two.

Very few people remember who is the second fastest runner during the Olympics, or who the second tallest man in the world is, who came in second place in, well, anything.

Furthermore, the number two is left with some rather degrading associations. For example, consider the common conversation between two friends: "I need to visit the restroom." the one friend states. "Do you need to go number one, or number two?" asks the other. Number two is associated with filthy process of bowel movements. Yuck! how Degrading.

Races never start on two, photographers rarely count to two then click, husbands wouldn't and shouldn't say: "Honey, I love you so much. You're definately number two in my life." Musicians never say "a one, a two, a one two two..." and the President of the United States will never become elected on the platform of moving this great country to the position of number two in the world.

The next time you count, count to two and then stop. The next time you're in the grocery store, pick up your second favorite ice cream and the next time you're reading and you're on page two, linger a little longer and cherish our under appreciated friend, the two.

Our misunderstood, glorious island!

2007-10-25T04:16:00.001-06:00

I am a rock, I am an island

2007-10-25T03:36:00.000-06:00

I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.
Its laughter and its loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.
Simon & Garfunkel

Mr. Simon and Mr. Garfunkel couldn't have had it more wrong. I believe islands can cry, and if they can cry, then there isn't any other island in the world that has more reason to cry than our own Antelope Island.

"The smell! The bugs! The crystalized brine shrimp poo!" These are the lame excuses people make for not visiting one of the most remarkable places on earth. As a result, most people stay away; sneering at this misunderstood island from their green lawn and scent-free air.

In the mean time, the island weeps with lonliness...

And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.

This blog is here for all the down-trodden, the cast out, the lonley. Remember that when you feel no one knows your pain, Antelope Island is there for you!