Real Growth

How you going?

At Bondi Beach with nephews Beckett and Wil.

Yes, that is how Wil smiles on demand.

... and "Good day, mate," "No worries," and "Take out the rubbish." That is just a small sample of the lingo we were privileged to during our recent trip Down Under. That is right, we went on a little trip to Australia, to visit Nathan, Lindsay and the boys. We brought back a wombat and a koala bear too. Unfortunately they are fake; the price we paid for them would make you think they must be real, however. But I don't want this blog to sound like Elin is complaining.

We had a delightful time in Sydney. Elin enjoyed sitting in the house and reading books she could read anywhere in the world, and I enjoyed seeing the sites, swimming at Bondi beach, eating kangaroo meat and other exotic wonders. I figure if you are going to fly literally halfway around the world, you should at least act like you are halfway around the world. That is also my justification for wearing a speedo to the beach. I'll let you imagine what that looked like, considering my svelte new 230 lb body.

Forrest and Wil building sandcastles at Bondi

The view from Bondi

Much to most of your disappointment, I, being Elin, am going to take over from here, because Forrest went to go shower. I don't have the wit and charm he possesses, but at least I can set a few things straight. Like how I didn't just sit in the house and read the entire time I was in Sydney. Indeed, I did read two books while I was there, but I am a fast reader and it was while we were all at the house or while I was sitting on the glorious beach. I saw as many sights as Forrest did, although he did not think I was near as enthusiastic as I should be. Nonetheless, Australia is gorgeous and we are both forever grateful for Nathan and Lindsay's hospitality. Here are just some of the wonders we experienced while we were there:

Standing (elin) and Swimming (forrest) in real ocean waves.
Riding the ferry from Sydney to Manly

Trip to Budderoo National Park = amazing waterfalls and a rainforest

Visit to Darling Harbor, the Chinese Gardens, and Wildlife World
Tour of Sydney on the Big Red Bus

Stopping at an Australian pie shop and eating the most delicious berry and cream pie on earth

Experiencing fish and chips in a location from which you can actually see the ocean

Picnicking at the Botanical Gardens

Here is the Sydney Bridge. The Opera house is nearby.

Forrest in front of the Dragon Wall at the Chinese Gardens

Nathan and Oliver and your two narrators.
I am holding Wil's plastic crocodile, in case any of you are wondering. He must have dropped it one of the times he hit the ground while he was running around. He scraped up both knees pretty bad.

And now, though I vowed at one time that I would never take pictures with the mere purpose of showing a baby bump, because Rachell has now asked nicely twice, I have done what I vowed never to do. And I must say, I felt like this was a mug shot or something. So Rachell, these are for you, because I love you and miss you. I would have included some of the ultrasound pictures but they are too blurry. Apparently she is an active little thing. The doctor said she looked "long of limb." Hmmmm, no surprise there. But much to Forrest's satisfaction, the doctor noticed she has a prominent chin. Thank you, Roberts and/or Allred genes for the blessing of facial bone structure. That certainly is not a trait that my family enjoys.

I definitely look wider, anyway....

It's not really a bump, per se. More like, everything between my sternum and hips is pushing outwards.

Addendum to Texas

My observation on Texas being conservative, and Austin not, has caused some confusion which must be cleared up. It sounds like I support Austin seceding from Texas. I do. Not because I want to be in a liberal Austin, but because I would like to keep Texas pure. I guess I think of myself as a Texan more than an Austinite.

Texas

We have now been in Texas for 4 months, and it is probably time for me to post a blog about my impressions and observations.

Is everything truly bigger in Texas? Unfortunately, no. But almost everything is. Including addresses. Our current address is 12610 Riata Trace Pkwy Apt 338, Austin, Texas, 78727. Our former address was 258 N 400 W Apt 3, Provo, Utah, 84601. See how much longer it is? 51 characters (plus spaces) to 37. You might think this is a strange thing to notice, or care about. It is. But the reason I noticed is because one of the things that is not bigger in Texas is the address line on forms, slips, etc. I can never fit our entire address into the space that is provided! It reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes, posted below.

Another thing that is bigger in Texas: the ethnic population. We ate at CiCi's the other day, a pizza buffet. We were the only whities in the place for about forty-five minutes, when another of us showed up.

Texans are very polite and friendly. An example: I take the bus from my research campus to the main campus, and as we get off the bus every single person thanks the bus driver for driving us around, like he is doing it out of the goodness of his heart. The first time I noticed this I assumed that everybody had some kind of in with the driver. It's like getting off an airplane, where the flight attendants and pilots say goodbye to every passenger. Reminds me of two movies, clips below.

Only the first 10 seconds or so.

A couple of weeks ago I was entering the grocery store, when I heard a man ask a lady who was about to leave the parking lot if she was a roller derby girl. She had two kids, had to be 38 or so. She said yes. Awesome.

Today is Dec 7th. When I left for work, there was some frost on the cars. For the first time since we moved here. December 7th. First frost. Wonderful.

We all know that Utah drivers are bad, right? At least that is what those of us not from Utah say. Turns out Texas drivers are just as bad. Or maybe even worse. It's a good thing it doesn't snow much here, or else there would be complete chaos.

If you move to Texas you have 90 days to register your car in Texas. Costs like $100. Lame.

Texans drink a lot of beer. And probably other alcohol, too.

Texas is very conservative. Austin is not. A bumper sticker I saw: "If Texas can secede from the Union, can Austin secede from Texas?" Given the option, I would cede to Austin's desire to secede.

That is all I can think of for right now. Probably I will think of more in the future, and then I will write a sequel blog.

formerly known as Ralphie

I recently joined Facebook. For some reason or another, I felt like I should. I have since tried to decide why I felt that way, and I am not sure. Although I have already had some good conversations with old acquaintances. This post is actually not about that, though.

So we have a cat now, formerly known as Ralphie, currently known as Stella. Elin couldn't let a girl cat have a boy name. Ben and Ryanne couldn't take her to Louisiana, so now she is our cat. She has been a lot of fun; she is pretty crazy. I hesitate to post this, because I am afraid it will look like I am trying to substitute a pet for a child. I generally make fun of those people who act like a pet is the equivalent of a baby, so I don't want to look like one of those people. Truth is, though, she has some child-like tendencies. Like wanting to eat anything I am, even when she has her own food. Or trying to get into every room/area she is not supposed to go in. She also wakes me up at night wanting attention. Let it be clear that I understand she is not the equivalent of having a baby. Here are some fun pictures of her antics.


She runs under these things when I chase her around the house. Then when I turn around to leave, she runs out after me.

She loves to get in the sink. For some reason she is fascinated when I turn the water on. She also does this with the kitchen sink and the bathtub. Just wait until I turn the disposal on, that'll teach her.

Below is a funny progression of pictures. The funniest is when I turn the fruit bowl over and trap her. She loves it.





Playing in the bath tub.

Doing what cats do best, and most.


It's really funny when she squeezes under here. She can attack the mouse from a safe vantage point.




Elin wanted to take this picture. She likes to come lay between my arm and body.

And check out this sweet picture I found.

My beard at its best. I miss it. Luckily it is now Movember...

One year older....

I think I may be getting wiser too, because I am reading Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes (which is fantastic, by the way). Watterson is a genius--the best social critic I've ever read and the most amusing. Plus his mastery of imagery is enviable. Anywho, here is my quote for the day from the book. I'm a little slow, so I had to read it about 3 times to understand whate he was saying, but you all will probably get it the first time:



Love it.

So if you were paying attention to the last blog by Elin, you will see that this one is the exact same for the first paragraph plus, except for the name of the author and his work. Watterson really was something of a social critic, and certainly the most amusing, even surpassing Mr. Dickens. And who can argue that his mastery of imagery is not enviable? If you question that, take another look at the above strip. Elin will get after me for writing this like I did because she'll think I am making fun of her, but I really am not. I am just making fun!

There is nothing like a birthday to make one wax reflective, and so I felt like writing a blog. Really I should be writing an essay that is due tomorrow that I haven't even started, but I don't really feel like it...

So I have spent the last several weeks interviewing with various oil and gas companies. Turns out there are a lot of companies out there that I had never heard of. I will have interviewed with 10-12 different companies by the time I finish. I am interviewing for internships for next summer. If the internship goes well then I would get an offer to work for the company after I graduate. Basically I am deciding the next 4-5 years of my life in these few weeks. Seems a little strange, considering that I am only a month and a half into my graduate degree. There are a couple of companies that would be really cool to work for, and some not so much. If I only get offers from the not so much companies, I could always switch companies after the intitial training period. There appears to be a lot of shuffling around in the industry.


Here are some presents that I received so far this year (I still have some to open tonight):







I also received some good movies, some shorts (thanks Nathan for giving Elin some direction there. I never got around to it), a professional fishing chair, and we'll see what is left!


This is the link where I pulled the Calvin and Hobbes strip from. I just did a random search, but this guy actually has some interesting commentary on the strip. http://www.orthocuban.com/2009/11/opiate-of-the-masses-tv/

One year older....

I think I may be getting wiser too, because I am reading Dickens' Little Dorrit (which is fantastic, by the way). Dickens is a genius--the best social critic I've ever read and the most amusing. Plus his mastery of imagery is enviable. Anywho, here is my quote for the day from the book. I'm a little slow, so I had to read it about 3 times to understand what he was saying, but you all will probably get it the first time:

"To be in the halting state of Mr. Henry Gowan; to have left one of two Powers in disgust, to want the necessary qualifications for finding promotion with another, and to be loitering moodily about on neutral ground, cursing both; is to be in a situation unwholesome for the mind, which time is not likely to improve. The worst class of sum worked in the every-day world, is cyphered by the diseased arithmeticians who are always in the rule of Subtraction as to the merits and successes of others, and never in Addition as to their own."

Love it.

Fact: Birthdays get boring when you are old.

I spent the day in my new apartment. Forrest made me a happy pancake breakfast but then he had to go to work and school. And I had pizzookies later that evening! They were delicious. But I did get some sweet presents!

My sister Lola took me to see the movie I have been dreaming of ever since it came out:





Best Movie Ever! Lola was kinda of dreading this one, I think, but even she thought is was the happiest movie ever. And the acting was decent...

Then she got me this piano music to Aida. Let's just say, Disney + Elton John knows how to make a broadway musical.

My mum and Delys got me some framed black and white prints that look perfect in my new kitchen. Some of the other wonders I received:











Have I mentioned that I love Selena Gomez?


I also got to spend almost and entire week in Allen with my family which was the best present of all. What could be better than spending a whole week with this:



And to cap it all off, I finally found piano music to this song that I have been in love with forever by a contemporary Italian composer named Ludovic Einaudi. Have a listen:

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