Organ Stop Pizza and Temple Lights

Here is the gang at the Temple looking at the Christmas lights

Here is the gang eathing dinner at Organ Stop Pizza

Grease Monkey

At the beginning of the year I went to get my oil changed and tires rotated - they wanted $65. So that was enough to motivate me to change my own oil and rotate my tires on the van. So Saturday night I went to Auto Zone and bought the oil and filter then I started about 5pm. I found the oil plug and the oil filter. I positioned the pan to catch the oil - but I under-estimated how far the oil would shoot out from the engine block - now I am frantically trying to move the pan to catch the oil not before I have oil all over the driveway. I finally got everything cleaned up, the oil off the driveway and put away about 8pm. Thanks Kristine for holding the flash light.

It is not over - two weeks later Penni calls to tell me that the van is making a horrible noise and that smoke was coming out from under the hood. By the time I called her back she had walked over to a tire shop by were she picks Zoe up from tumbling. She got a guy to come look at the van. Come to find out that a screw driver had gotten stuck in the fan and melted. Upon Penni opening the hood she noticed the air filter (still in the box) that I was going to put in the van was sitting on the engine block. Then the guy noticed that a screwdriver was melted on the fan.

I tell this story to show that I can make fun of myself - I told Penni that the next time I change the oil it can't go any worse. Plus I saved $45.

Public Nursing and Great Mexican Food

Random Thoughts





I came home tonight and the girls were giving me updates from school. Zoe tells me that some girls at school are selling girl scout cookies. OK... is there more.... she continues to say and they are free. Free cookies - how many did you order? she says three different kinds. OK - How many boxes?? Then she starts to count 1 2 4 6 - so six boxes of cookies. No I ordered one box from one girl - two boxes from from another - four from another. So I laughed and Penni starts to add up the cost - you ordered $40 worth of cookies. I asked Penni how much per box - Penni says they are six dollars a box - so that is $36 not $40 - Penni turns to me and says "I rounded up".


Nichole was called to be the Beehive President this week. I talked to her about what she needed to do to choose her counselors. She had to let the Bishopric know by Tuesday night. So I called her on Tuesday to see what she decided. We had talked on Monday and she had a pretty good idea of what she was going to do. So on Tuesday I asked her who she selected. All was well until she said that for secretary she wanted Kristine - really. Are you sure? Yep! You got an answer? Yep ! OK So that night I asked her what the bishopric said about her selection. Nichole said the same as you - he asked me if I was sure. Fast forward to Thursday night - Nichole said that she needed to talk to me. She said - I need to call Bro. Smith and tell him I changed my mind. OK - so on Tuesday you hadn't received an answer - well I got a new answer. So do you think Heavenly Father forgot about the Tuesday night deadline and came to you Thursday with the real answer. We had a good chat about receiving answers to our prayers and once we get an answer to move forward. It was a great moment to have with my daugther.


Penni is taking a public health class as her last class to get her degree. She has to set up some clinicals in public health. One that she had lined up was a place in downtown Phoenix. She had to go down and visit the place. So I get a call about lunch time from her asking me to go downtowne with her. So she picks me up and I am thinking that we can hit this great mexican food place downtown called Carolina's. Problem is that Penni went there once with me with a group of friends. The guys got out to eat and the wife's wouldn't get out of the car, so we left them in the car and then they came running after us because they didn't want to sit out in the car. It is not in the greatest neighborhood. But great food. The last time I was there the police were eating - oh I mean the mexican police. I told Penni that it is so good they come across the border to eat there. So back to the story - I say lets eat at Carolina's and Penni start with I am not eating there - you are not going all the way over there. Then I break it to her - where do you think this clinic is?

We had to search a little for the building it was on the south side not the north side. We pull up to the place and there are homeless people all over. Shopping carts full of stuff are everywhere. People are walking in the streets - I was afraid that I would hit one. I was looking for a place to park, then I see that you can pull in and there is a parking lot - so I drive forward and there is a big courtyard with grass and benches - it is full of people laying all over the place, on the benchs, on the grass - everywhere. It kind of took my breath away - nothing like I had ever seen - then I could see that police were all over the place - keeping the peace. I parked and tried to make a joke by saying look - you can bring your lunch and come sit out in the courtyard and eat your lunch. Penni didn't say anything so I got out of the car. I waited for a minute for her to finish taking it in then we head into the building with the clinic and went into the waiting room which was full of people - and more police in bullet proof offices. We ask to see the nurse that Penni was meeting. After a couple of minutes that lady comes and takes Penni in the back - leaves me in the waiting room. So I got to hang out with the people coughing and hacking. I didn't see one person in there that was playing with a full deck. It was a long 20 minutes - I was very glad to finally see Penni. They gave her the combination to the back gate and she went there the next week. I have been thinking about it ever since then - it was quite the experience.