Underground Car Guy

Monday night I got to spend some time with my good friend from my mission, Gary.  It is always fun to catch up and enjoy a good meal.  When we left the restaurant we had been there for 3 hours.  Most of the conversation about the mission and Ireland.  It is funny that we still have the yearning to go back to that wonderful place.  He has more memories of people than I do, and I wonder if some even remember me.  I don't know how I survived as a missionary.  I spent most of my time observing than talking.  Gary helped me point out one of my fails.  I always feel that I should be liked by everyone, and it really bothers me when I am not.  And in saying that I treat everyone as a friend when they really may not be at all.  So I do get my feeling hurt really easily at times, but don't really tell anyone.  I need to do better at letting things go, and not let it affect me like it does. We did notice that since our missions, there has not really been a Martin Reunion.  I have bee

The Tie of the Day July 12th The Crayola Tie I normally wear this tie around the start of a new school year.  But yesterday I wore it in Honor of my friend Daniel Hatch.  Daniel died July 3.  I had know Daniel since he was a kid, hanging around my sister.  I knew his sisters from school and even served in the same mission as his oldest brother.   Daniel was like a little brother, and I guess at one time, he did live with my parents for a time.    Me and Daniel would have some lively debates over the years about politics, both of us have degrees in Political Science, but our most lively debates were about gay marriage.  At times there were some heated things said, but there was never a time that it was not followed up with a sorry of hurt feeling.  I know that he was celebrating the Supreme Court ruling that week, and I don't know if he and Tony ever got married, though I did not support gay marriage, I ways supportive of my adopted brother. I have some gre

This formation is called the Monitor and the Merrimack, named after the two ironclad ships of the Civil War.  This is off on the right as you drive up the road to Dead Horse Point and Canyonlands National Park.   So the Indians have decided to take back some of there land.  No this is a campground right at the turn out for Dead Horse Point and Canyonlands National Park.  I guess this is the new area for growth.  Also right at the turn off for the parks, there are building a Dinosaur Museum.  Think it opens next year. The La Sar Mountains as I am leaving Moab.  I wonder if there was any snow added that day.  A lot of the dirt roads were still closed.  The Monticello Temple.  It seems like every time I take of Picture of this Temple it is on Sunday.  One of the first small Temples that the LDS Church (Mormons) build in the late 90's.  Think this is probably the best picture I have ever taken of the Monticello Temple.  If you can see the formation in the middle, tha

The Tie of the Day July 5th The U.S.A Tie!  Happy 4th of July

So am I anything like Walter Mitty?  Yes, in some aspect of things.  I still have dreams, some may be unrealistic, but they are my dreams.  I have done a lot of things in my life already.  I do keep a lot of  things to myself.  But this blog has piled some of that away, if anyone is paying attention.  My challenge to you is this.  Look back on your life, and see what you have done in your life.  It does not need to be something everyone knows, but the the big things that mean a lot to you.  Maybe I can look back in 5 years and add one or two more.  Or maybe you can do the same.  Come to think of it, maybe I am more like Forest Gump than Walter Mitty.

Was at my dad's for Father's Day, and we were watching "Walter Mitty" on one of the movie channels.  Walter Mitty is this character who always dreamed of doing great things but never did them.  I always thought of myself of some what a Walter Mitty, but as I look back at my life I can see some pretty amazing things that I have done. This is part two.   Part one was my life until the age of 21.  So now we will see what I have done since then. Got a job working at Mesa Community College Bookstore.  Worked there for about two months.  Next job was with Kieth Riggs Plumbing.  Worked there a year before being laid off.  Went on to work for General Plumbing in the warehouse.  Worked there for 17 years, until I was laid off.  Really loved working there, except for a few in the management.  Was hard to lose that job. Was elected as a Republican Precinct Committeeman for about ten years.  From 1998 to 2000 I was the Third Vice Chair for the district.  Got a call one ni