Underground Car Guy

The Tie of the Day The Passport Tie Got this tie on vacation to Washington D.C. in 2004.  It makes me think of the times I have traveled out of the country.  I have been to Mexico, The Cayman Islands, Honduras, Belize, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.  I guess you can count Germany on the list, since I was born there.

Like most Americans, I am not a stranger to the game of Soccer.  Most people would not know it, but when I was 13, I played full back for my schools team.  We were so good, that we went undefeated in the city and won the Championship of the city.  We were only scored on once and that was in the Championship game. The next year I was bulled by a Mexican kid, that was not even on the team the year before, so I did not play on soccer team at all. My next experience with soccer would be on my mission.  Soccer or as they call it around the world Football, was one of the main sports played over there.  Every kid played, and it seemed like we got into a match with them everyday.  It was fun, and here I am playing this game in a suit and Doc Martins. Plus during this time in 1990, Ireland had qualified for the World Cup and did well.  For almost a month we did not get in to teach when a match was on.  But then again, If it was the FA Cup or Champions L...

The Tie of the Day The NASA Tie: Kennedy Space Center Got this at Kennedy Space Center, almost 10 years to the date.  We were back there in late June of 2004 for the Launch of the rover Opportunity to Mars.  At the time, my sister worked for ASU/ NASA, and had worked on the landing site for both rovers.  We stayed in Coco Beach.  We had a fun time while there. We had a VIP dinner at Kennedy under the a Saturn 5 rocket.  We toured the center.  Went to Daytona International Speedway, Epcot, and the beach.  But they had a problem with the rocket, and we missed the launch.  Still a good family vacation with my sister, and parents.  

I read the other day on Facebook, that a guy from my last ward has written a book.  I really don't know what it is about, but it is a fictional book, and it is a series.  I have always wondered if I could write a book and what would it be about.  I did some manuals for my business, but writing something that could be contained in over 200 pages, I don't know. When I read, it is usually non fiction, something about history or a biography.  I would not know where to start.  Maybe I should write about politics?  Talking with my friend Del Mar, we talked about how bad politics has gotten, and that George Washington was a very principal man.  And that most Presidents until Franklin Roosevelt never served more than 2 terms of office.  Here is the idea of the topic, what was the thinking of Roosevelt at the time.  Was he just seeking political power, or was it just for the good of the country.  If he had not died near the end of World War Tw...

Dunluce Castle, 1990.  Taken with my Minolta X700. One of the things that I have always loved is taking pictures.  I can always remember having my own  camera growing up.  A good old Kodak point and shoot camera.  So I have a lot of pictures of all of our trips.  I guess taking a picture was my way of telling a story, when I really did not like writing it down. When in high school, I had to choose electives to take.  I did not like shop, or wood working, or working on car so my choices were very limited.  And than there was all the art classes.  I did not see myself as an artist.  So my choices were limited to drawing  (engineering) and Photography.  And this was my two choices all through high school.  So I carried a camera bag and a plans tube. Delicate Arch 1995.  Taken with the Minolta X700 With the Photography class, this meant getting a real good camera.  We had neighbor down the street that t...

The Tie of the Day The Sun, The Moon and The Stars

This Father's Day is  little bit different for me this year.  I have had a falling out with my dad and he does not really want me around.  He sees me as someone who is ungreatful and lazy.  I just want a father to love me for who I am.  But I do not think that is ever going to happen. My dad did not have an easy life.  When my dad was born in 1947, both of his parents were older.  I know that him and his father did not get along.  He told me at one time he had gone out and bought a car and was going to fix it up.  His father did not approve so he went and sold the car. It did not get any easier when he joined the Air Force, and w hile stationed at Mountain Home, in Idaho, he meet my mom.  Before he was being transferred to Germany.  He decided to marry my mother, and also change his religion.  His parents flew out and and stopped the wedding.  But lucky they were married a week later. Growing up my dad worked in the...