1 year teaching anniversary

I passed my one year anniversary with University of Phoenix. I was reviewed by the school who sent a special representative to "audit" one of my classes. The Chair of the local campus reviewed their findings with me today. The auditor was very kind and stated I was excellent in the classroom and on-line. The Chair went on to say I was the best undergrad finance professor they have. While I might have been tempted to downplay or even disbelieve him I decided that I would simply thank him instead. Which I did. He went on to say he would recommend that I be offered a contract in January - a contract would guarantee me eight classes a year with the right of first refusal for the classes I am qualified to teach. That made me feel really good. It's nice to be recognized for doing a good job. It's nice to recognize that you've done a good job. And I was and I did. A little pat on the back to keep me going for another day.

a household repair adventure

The adventure for this weekend is the kitchen faucet. It's leaking from the sprayer and we've been told it's time for a new one. We've picked a nice one, matches the brushed stainless steel appliances and has a more traditional look which suits our house overall. However, it won't work well just sitting in the box it came in.
I'm not very experienced in these sort of house repairs; the fact of the matter is I've never changed a faucet before in my life. What's the saying, fools rush in where angels fear to tread? Do they have kitchen faucets in heaven? If so, do they ever need changing? Are there plumbing angels and do their pants fit properly? Wow, all sorts of interesting theological questions arise from simple house repairs. Who would have thought?
Back to the task at hand. If you've never done something before you can view it as a challenge, a problem or an adventure. A problem is negative and sets you up for defeat right from the get go. A challenge is adversarial and can quickly lead to frustration and language the plumbing angels probably don't use. An adventure speaks of new experiences, excitement, requires courage and bravery. So adventure it is. Plus, when you go on an adventure people want to go with you! So Claire, Addison and I are changing the faucet today.
I shut the water off (key first step!) and then quite easily disconnected the hot and cold water pipes from the taps. Loosening the collar nut that held the faucet in place was another matter entirely. I couldn't get a wrench in the cramped quarters and the whole threaded sleeve rotated when I tried banging it hammer-like. Addison came to the rescue. I jammed the wrench tight against the collar and he twisted the faucet from above. A moment of strength on the boy's part and the collar nut twisted freely. I'm quite proud of him, and myself for working with him - too often I get that wrong and it doesn't work out well for either of us.
With the old faucet out it was time for the new one to go in. It slipped in easily and it didn't bother me a bit that we were going from one central hole for the pipes to three, in fact four as the sprayer is on the side by itself. I taped up the connections and tightened the hot and cold water pipes.
The moment of truth had arrived and I turned on the water. No leaks! I turned on the tap and water sprayed out the bottom of the sprayer. It also came out the faucet where it should but that success was overshadowed by the sprayer malfunction. I turned everything off and contemplated the problem. Looking through the box I spotted a rubber ring and a rubber washer. Hmmm. Considering it unlikely they would put unnecessary seals in the box I disassembled the sprayer and low and behold, the home for the ring and washer was plainly evident. Reassembly took only moments. The water back on I tried the faucet again. Much better but still the sprayer dripped. I tighten things up and, third time being the charm, it worked properly.
I'm proud of myself for completing this adventure and for enjoying the trip too!

westward ho

The greenbelt runs along the Boise river for more than ten miles. It starts in the east at Lucky Peak dam and runs through downtown Boise and then on through Garden City. A paved biking/walking path lines one side or the other and, for much of the Boise Downtown section, both sides. I've been up and down both sides of the river downtown and some of the way to Lucky Peak. Okay, I've driven alongside the part that runs from downtown to Lucky Peak. Someday I'll ride my bike to Lucky Peak but not this year - I honestly can't see myself riding out there the next few weeks and with Fall arriving the weather will only hold for a few more weeks.
Tonight I tossed the dogs in the car and drove down to the greenbelt and walked west - toward Garden City. I haven't been down that end either. It's less developed or more properly, less redeveloped. There are empty, vacant lots and rundown light industrial facilities in parts but much of it is simply "open space" right up against the river. I saw a few people fly fishing. A family was enjoying skipping stones. We were passed by quite a few bikers. It seemed everyone wanted to get another trip on the greenbelt before it gets too cold.
Even now there are signs of Autumn all along the river. The locust trees are turning yellow already but they are the first to go each year. The wild grapes are turning bright blue on brilliant red stalks. Here and there oaks are turning red along with various creeping vines. The ducks and Canada Geese are flocking in preparation for their migrations. They fly low over the river and honk their lonesome calls to one another. I have a friend who doesn't like to see the leaves turn color because it means that winter is coming soon. It makes me a little sad to know they don't enjoy the moments, however brief, that make up Fall.

Hyde Park Street Fair

Hippies in Idaho? Believe it or not every fall a rag tag collection of flower children gather in Boise's North End neighborhood and put on a street fair. There are the obligatory booths selling crystals, tie-dye, peasant garments, spiritualism of every kind, and even free informational booths too. Planned Parenthood is there, along with the Regional Transit Department, Central Valley Health Organization and a few more. There's a children's play area complete with the ever more fantastical inflatable jump houses. They can't even be called jump houses anymore. There's a three story slide and a run down a lane with a bungee cord tied around you one which hardly fit the "jump house" category.
There are two stages for performing arts, and I use the term very loosely. Each year the local belly dancing class puts on a number. We're not talking fashion model waifs here - these women have hips to shake and quite of bit of belly with which to dance. I'm always impressed by how much they enjoy themselves up there on stage. They obviously are a great group of friends who know how to bring some happiness into their lives. Three cheers for the belly dancers - I'm learning how to add that kind of happiness to my own life. The other stage is for musicians and they come in all varieties: folk singers, punk rockers (at least I think that's what they were trying for), rockabilly, rappers and whatnot.
If you get bored of the shopping or the performances you can always sit on the grass and watch the people go by. For some reason the Hyde Park Street Fair brings out the hidden flower child in all Boiseans - especially if you are in high school and too young to have been there yourself.

my brand new cafe hat

Well, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Yes, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Well, you must tell me, baby
How your head feels under somethin' like that
Under your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat.
Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat - Bob Dylan

When you're bald, whether by preference or not, you have to wear a hat in the sun. The risk of skin cancer is too great these days to let vanity prevail and besides, there's nothing worse than running an electric razor over a sunburned head. Unless of course it's a disposable razor over sunburned legs. I'll have to ask my female friends about that one. At any rate, I have to wear a hat. Contrary to popular belief my head is rather small. In fact, the "one size fits all" baseball hats do not fit my head. I look rather foolish in them as they flop over my ears unless I cinch them tight in the back so they get all bunched up. At Art in the Park last week I spotted a new hat. It's called a "cafe hat". It reminds me of the old Chairman Mao Red Army campaign hats. This one has an artsy design with a bird in a circle of dots. Petty urban chic I think. Oh, and it was sold by the Boise Art Museum (BAM) so I'm supporting a good cause. My friend Tony from New York says it's ultra urban hip because BAM stands for the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Everyone in the know about New York City's art scene would give an arm and a leg for one of these babies.

western skies

Nothing compares to the beauty of a western sunset. The whole sky is painted red, yellow and orange. I love the Boise sunsets at this time of year especially as we often get a light covering of wispy clouds, perfect for catching the colors. You can't see the sunset from our house. The towering trees obscure three quarters of the sky - not that I'm complaining, I love the trees of our neighborhood. But if you want to see the sunset you have to walk the few blocks and climb the hill in Camelsback park.

art in the park

Each fall Boise hosts "Art in the Park". It kicks off a month or two of community arts and faires. The Hyde Park Street Fair will be next weekend. It's Boise's version of Bohemia, hippy, summer of love remembrance. Think flower children come grandparents selling crystals, Alpaca wool garments, massage, and homoeopathic cure alls. But that's next week's blog.
Art in the Park. Each fall Julia Davis Park is overrun with masses of tents crammed with ketch, crafts, jewelery, cottage industry clothing, and rarely but still represented: fine art. Bands play in the center of the park at the band shell, surrounded by drive up "lunch wagons" selling everything from gyros to corn dogs.
Hundreds of people mill around dragging or being dragged by at least that many dogs (how many Great Danes can there be in Boise? I'm sure I saw all of them enjoying the arts)!
We met our friends in front of the Boise Art Museum and wandered through the fair with four children in tow. We weren't exactly aimless as our friends had a couple of items to pick up that their children had outgrown the previous year. The children had ideas of their own, the littlest one had her heart set on shaved ice. "Ice Daddy, ice," was her response to each question addressed to her. Mostly we enjoyed the sun, the ketch, and the easy slow paced conversation with good friends as we wandered beneath the towering trees.
We strolled though the rose garden at the end of our day while the children played hide and seek. What is it about a garden that children love to run along the paths among the formal plantings? The sky was blue and the sun hot and we all left exhausted. We were grateful we hadn't ridden our bikes like so many environmentally conscious Boiseans as we would never have made it home, our own power long gone.

DONE!

Two photo sets: one of my son's room, done a couple years ago now; and the newly finished daughter's room.

making progress

The room is blue from top to bottom now. It was no easy task to finish off the last quarter of each wall - the top quarter. I started at the door and worked clockwise around the room. The first snag, literally as it turned out, was the feather boa wrapped around the miniature chandelier, oh about two feet from the door and one foot out from the unpainted top quarter of the wall. Paying more attention to the pan or paint I was balancing on the step ladder I failed to notice the feather boa reaching out for the ladder. A jingle of faux glass beads alerted me to the danger. I detangled the feather boa. It attempted to ensnare me next but a man who has triumphed over plastic painter's tarp is undaunted in the face of frail feathers. The boa was quickly dispatched and the rest of the room painted without incident.
The work part done I reviewed my inspirations and began the artistic portion of the project. I decided to start with the tree, a cherry tree yet to leaf out. Cherry tree branches are more difficult to paint than first appears. When you look at silhouettes of cherry tree branches you at first see nothing but hard angles. If you paint it that way however you will not get the desired result. There are just as many sweeping arcs as hard angles in a cherry tree branch. Opening the espresso brown paint I hung three branches on the walls. It's difficult to evaluate your work from six inches away so I moved to the opposite corner of the room. Nice job but the overall effect was more Halloween hanging tree than little girl's room tree.
I hoped the addition of whimsical pink cherry blossoms would soften the effect. I enjoyed creating differing sized five petaled blossoms. I tried different techniques but never settled on the perfect method but was pleased with the result overall. I stepped back to the door for the review. The blossoms helped but the branches still held a menacing aspect. Then it hit me - I needed to paint blossoms on the tips of the branches to eliminate the "reaching black fingers" feel that was bothering me. A few more strategically placed blossoms later and the scene was Bambi in spring instead of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Laboring on Labor Day

I promised my daughter I would paint her room so in honor of Labor I am spending the long Labor Day weekend painting. Now, so you don't think I am completely incompetent that it would take three days to paint a child's room, when I paint my children's rooms I do more muralizing than painting. Perhaps not murals to be precise but not the traditional one color walls be any means.
I started today. The longest part of the job was preparing the room. I have a couple goals for the project: paint the room and avoid the largest petroleum based product spill since the Exxon Valdez. Having finished half my project management courses I know that risks that cannot be avoided should be mitigated. So down wwnt the thin plastic tarp material. If the state of Alaska or the executive of Exxon had used half the tarp I did before the accident Valdez would still be the last name of the coffee picker from Columbia. Or was that the donkey's name, as in Juan and Valdez? Either way, I used a lot of tarp. Funny thing about thin plastic tarp, it sticks to skin. It especially sticks to sweaty skin which is what you get if you don't get the tarp off your skin quickly. After a few wrestling episodes with said tarp - I won the last two but must admit to losing the first one. The tarp let me go after a moment of panic when I thought I was going to suffocate in painter's tarp without even opening a can of paint.
A friend mentioned that if you want to avoid getting wall paint on the ceiling you should paint the tape line of the ceiling with the ceiling paint first. It creates a seal so the wall paint cannot seep under the tape. Brilliant idea. As I started this task I wondered if the concept applied when the ceiling paint was the consistency of cream of wheat. Paint must have a shelf life somewhat less than five years. I stood on the ladder wondering what to do. It didn't take long - he who hesitates is lost seemed to fit as the paint was turning into plaster as I dithered. I took my foam paintbrush and smeared the ceiling paint on. Amazingly the rather flimsy foam brush survived the entire perimeter of the room.
At last I managed to get the room taped, tarp laid down and ceiling line sealed (hope it's not permanent as I don't think my daughter will consider a line of blue tape all around her ceiling aesthetically pleasing). Next I turned to the paint to begin the project in earnest. I opened the paint can and poured a little into the pan. Rolling it onto the wall in my best painter's "W" I stood back to admire my work. That's when I began to wonder.... that paint looked a little more green than the robin's egg blue I was expecting. I called in Janelle for a second opinion. Sure enough, wrong paint.

where does the time go?

Another month and not too many posts to show for it. I can't believe how fast time flies. Still, we're in my favorite time of year - the end of the summer and beginning of autumn. The temperature is a pleasant 80 degrees, and drops gently as the sun sets so sitting in the backyard after dinner reading is a great pleasure. The crickets still hum and the birds chirp as they settle in for the night.
I was reading in the yard just last night and when twilight settled in and there was not enough light to red by I sat and watch the garden. The sky turned from a beautiful blue to pale violet and then deeper purple as the sunlight faded. The colors seemed to glow from within: the red roses like burning coals, the yellow day lilies like little magic lanterns, and the black eyed susans like shooting stars frozen in mid flight.
The crickets and cicadas were discussing who knows what in the trees and grass - a pleasant hum and rhythmic buzz. A few birds winged through the yard rushing home but they didn't offer as much as a single note in passing. The frogs and fish in the pond splashed occasionally but were silent otherwise. A dog barked somewhere in the neighborhood. A squirrel scolded me from the fence but gave up when I didn't argue back.
The light faded completely and I picked up my book and said goodnight to the wide world of my garden.

floating the river

One of the favorite summertime activities for Boise-ites is floating down the Boise River. You park your car at a park on the outskirts of town and inflate your raft, inner tube, kayak, or whatever you can find that floats. Drag the makeshift craft down to the sandy launch ramp and you're off.
The water's cold but the sun is hot, the perfect combination. Dangle your feet over the edge as you go with the current. There are a few bumps on the way, just enough to keep the kids excited. We hit one just right today and Claire bounced three feet into the air. I was just getting ready to catch her when Janelle pulled her back down by the strap on Claire's life vest. You can always rely on Mom to have your back, or in this case, the strap on your life vest.
The whole experience is very relaxing. You don't have to paddle other than to keep away from the occasional low hanging branch. You just sit back and enjoy the river. Birds fly between the banks catching insects. An occasional fish splashes just out of the corner of your eye. We even saw two weasels, or minks, not sure which, today along the river's edge. The purpose is to relax, enjoy the sunshine, the water, and let the kids splash a bit without getting everyone too wet.

tail of the dog days of summer

Summer is winding down. The days are shortening just enough to notice and the temperature is not so hot every day. The garden is exhausted: the hydrangeas cannot hold their heads up, the day lilies do not explode by the dozen daily, and the roses are resting for their last hurrah before they retire for the fall. The farmer's market is full of vegetables. They seem to run riot at summer's end in contrast to their beautifully attired cousins.
Strange how the season's slow and graceful exit from the stage is so opposite from our emotions at this time of year. School is starting at month's end and the kids are a mixture of excitement and fear. We are gearing up for the change too: the sudden imposition of regiment, the struggle of early morning rising, the tears of late night homework, the exhaustion of young minds working out the mysteries of the universe. There's still time yet to sit for a moment on the porch for morning coffee or a glass of wine as the sun goes down. Time to walk the dogs after dinner in the warmth and stillness of the evening. Time to pause just for a moment and enjoy the shimmering heat of the dog days of summer.

Brothers and Sisters

As I drove down Capital boulevard this afternoon I noticed a fair going on in the park. Boise has several parks one either side of the river running through town and fairs are held in these parks throughout the summer and fall. Today was the goddess fair. Ironically, the Idaho Historical Museum in the same park had a sign up advertising its current exhibit on the free masons which read "brotherhood". Sisterhood and brotherhood right next to each other. It made me chuckle.
A little deeper and I think there are some parallels. A quasi religious society for men and the same for women. Separated by hundreds of years. Is the same impetus behind the two forms? I don't really know much of the free masons. Perhaps I'll go see the exhibit and learn something. I'm not planning on attending the goddess festival though. I think I'd feel out of place.

the world's game

On the other side of the country from home I sat and watched Italy play Spain in Austria (or was it Switzerland?) with two gentlemen from England. What a funny little world it is. The two gentlemen were my father's age. We chatted freely about Manchester where I was born, about soccer, about anything in between hold your breath moments when the ball was arched across the goal mouth with a forward stretching full length just to get a touch on it.... but no one did and it went harmlessly by and over the end line for a goal kick. pretty soon we had most of the staff and a few others gathered around watching too. Most of them weren't into soccer and more than a few didn't know who was playing but watching a live sporting event always generates a camaraderie, superficial though it may be. It was a good game with chances for both teams. It ended 0-0 and the crowd broke up predicting the two overtimes would end without a goal and the winner would be decided by penalty kicks (which is what happened). I bid goodbye to the English gents and wished them a pleasant remainder of their vacation. They did the same. The wait staff and bartender thanked everyone and out to the streets we went, each heading their separate way. It's a funny little world how a soccer game half a world away can bring strangers together for a pleasant afternoon.

the taint of history

One of the main differences between the South and the West is history. The South has the taint of slavery in her past. The West is not perfect by any means - the treatment of indigenous Indians, Chinese labors, the Japanese internment, and other issues haunt the West but it does not seem so impactful as slavery in the South. The shadow of slavery stretches long here. Charleston was established prior to the War of Independence and much of what is delightful here comes from that time period or at least has its roots there. The cosmopolitan feel of the city certainly does. And yet, much of what remains standing today was built either directly or indirectly by slaves. It casts a pall over the city and touches the place with a certain sadness when you remember the millions of lives destroyed by that evil institution.

Charleston

How do you blog about life in a northern town when you're on vacation in a southern town? Strangely enough, we've traveled all the way across the country and as we wander around town I keep noticing things that are the same or similair to Boise.
Charleston is full of colonial architeture. Many of the buildings date back that far, at least in orignial design. The houses crowd the sidewalk with no front yeard, not even a square foot of lawn. Gardens are tucked away along side alleys where the open porches that stack up two or three floors can take advantage of the fresh flowers. Our house is colonial - the portch is lined with white columns. Seems the farther from home you are the more it occupies your mind.

the soundtrack of my life

I have a strong affinity for music - not that I have any talent in music, I don't play any instruments and can only sing when my iPod is at full volume so I can't hear myself sing - rather, many of the significant events and emotions of my life are associated with particular songs. I was talking with a friend about this just today. Here's a brief list of those songs that have provided the soundtrack to my life, in chronological appearance in my life, youngest first:
Surrender - Cheap Trick (my first kiss as I remember)
Pressing On - Bod Dylan
Synchronicity - the Police
Get Off My Cloud - Rolling Stones
Doors of my Heart - English Beat
Hollywood Nights - Bob Seger
I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty
Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
Young Americans - David Bowie
Let my Love Open the Door - Pete Townsend
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Under Pressure - Queen
What I Like About You - the Romantics
She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Yong Cannibals
Alive and Kicking - Simple Minds
Sledgehammer - Peter Garbriel
Mr Big Stuff - Jean Knight
How Bizarre - OMC
Losing My Religion - REM
Slit Skirts - Pete Townsend
It's the End of the World As We Know It - REM
London Calling - the Clash
Train in Vain - the Clash
Standing Outside a Broken Phonebooth with Money in My Hand - Primitive Radio Gods
...and the list continues.

long time gone

Has it really been a month since I blogged? Time flies when you're having fun they say but the same is true even if you not enjoying it. The past month has not been enjoyable. I taught a class and took a class at University of Phoenix, kept up the standard 50 hours at work while trying to be a good husband and father. I don't think I did well at any of it. I'll be lucky to get a B, I was late returning grades to my students... not sure work or home went much better.
The storm has passed though. I'm finished with my classes, both as student and teacher, and won't take my next class till July. We're taking a vacation for two weeks so work is on the back burner starting Monday. It should give me some time to reconnect with the wife and kids so all should be improved shortly.
Clearly I need to manage my commitments a bit better. You can never predict work pressures nor family needs so I guess it comes down to school. It probably wasn't wise to take and teach at the same time and I will try and avoid that going forward. The pressure is what takes a toll. The older I get the longer it takes to recover from a pressure wall, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Five solid weeks of mounting pressure is too much.
So I'll spend the month of June relaxing by watching all the Euro 2008 games I can.

i got an A+

My first class in Project management ended last Monday and I have been anxiously waiting for my final grade. Really I knew what it would be as the instructor gives out a weekly grade each of the five weeks and it's not too hard to figure out the trend. And yet I checked every day to see if the instructor had posted it.
I always claim to have a liaise faire approach to formal education. I was lackadaisical in my attendance way back when in my undergrad years. At the MBA I took attendance more seriously but viewed the reading assignments as more recommendations than requirements. And yet, I always fretted about that final grade, checking daily to see if it was posted.
I am pretty good at the whole school thing. I view learning as a separate activity from school - you can learn without formal schooling and not learn in formal schooling. The goal of school is to make the grade. And I am very good at figuring out what must be done to earn the points that add up to that final letter. Sometimes it's class participation, sometimes it's homework, most of the time it's taking exams. Fortunately I have the God given talent that enables me to read the entire text the night before the exam and synthesize it enough to ace the test the next day. Whether or not I retain the information is another matter, after all, schooling and learning are not the same thing. And so far, in my project management program I am making the grade.

mowing the lawn

The quintessential American suburban white noise of lawnmowers has returned to the sound scape in my neighborhood. And this year I am joining the ranks of homeowners in the weekly summertime ritual of mowing, edging, blowing and general lawn tending. Rather than paying someone else to do the work I am stepping into the breach. I don't own a lawn mower, nor a weed whacker, although my wife did buy a leaf blower a couple years back.
So where to buy the requisite equipment? The major home improvement chain stores have entire mile-long isles of gleaming lawn mowers. Judging by the sticker prices these behemoths should not only mow my lawn effortlessly but BBQ my hamburger at the same time while keeping my beer cold all the while. I think I'll go the used route at the thrift store. My lawn is small and I don't think it warrants a second mortgage.
I'm thinking a nice little electric job would be just the ticket. Al Gore will be proud of me. No doubt he'll nominate me for some kind of statuesque award... I can picture it in my mind's eye. Walking down the red carpet pushing my gently humming lawn mower in my jet black tux. Have to go with the bow tie, keep it understated, none of this wild color stuff for me. Maybe a subtle pinstripe of black velvet. My beautiful wife on my arm in a flowing cream, backless gown, a string of pearls around her neck. Yes, I can see it now.
"Excuse me sir, do you sell used extension cords, really long ones?"<

in like a lion, out like a lamb

While intended for March, if April had ended on Sunday it certainly would have been true. We basked in the unfamiliar warmth of a sunny day in the mid 70’s. After being cooped up all winter we couldn’t wait to get out and spent the entire weekend outside. Disparaging the weather reports and frost warnings predicted for later in the week we bought an assortment of annuals and planted them in the garden. We were none too particular buying whatever caught our fancy without bothering to look for particular plants. While the air was warm the dirt was still chilled and caused us to cringe as we deposited our newly purchased drops of color into fresh dug holes.
We ate dinner outside on the patio even as the wind crept up and took the warmth from the air. It grew colder as the sun went down but I still left the bedroom windows open. I love taking a minute to listen to the birds singing as I tuck the kids in to bed. It got colder as the night began and I had to close the windows up for fear that the kids would wake with sore throats or runny noses.
It’s turned cold again yesterday and today but not so much that you can’t tell spring is come. Winter’s spell is truly broken again and while she may still try and throw a frost on the grass at night, the days are warm and filled with sunshine.

vineyards...in Idaho?

We were treated to a wine tasting seminar Friday night. The subject for the evening was Idaho wines. Turns out we have an officially recognized, government sanctioned appellation (wine growing region) right here in Idaho: the Snake River Valley Appellation. Who knew? We tasted both white and red wines, eight different varieties all grown, fermented and bottled here in Idaho. The appetizer plate consisted of Idaho foods including a local goat cheese, the obligatory smoked salmon, and elk sausage to list the items I remember.
It was a pleasant evening swirling wine around in a glass (be careful not to spill!), sticking your nose as far as possible into the goblet (I still can't smell ripe cherries or whatever fruit I'm supposed to) and generally acting like wine snobs. It was a small group with no one taking themselves too seriously which made the evening quite enjoyable. The wine steward presenting the wines to us was very young, in his mid twenties which prompted the tongue in cheek question of just how long have you been drinking wine? He took it in stride and chuckled along with us. And as we laughed at ourselves we did learn a little bit about wine and the varieties of grape grown local here in Idaho.

we live in a political world

Our daughter's school program is in a bit of a turmoil. She's attending a special program piloting a classical approach to education within the Boise school district. It's one class right now and while the school board has approved two classes for the fall, the administrators seem at odds with the board. They are recommending to us parents that we stay with one class next year and aim for the 2009/2010 school year to expand the program. It seems to be coming down to space - the administrators are having difficulty locating two empty classrooms at a school that wants to host this special program.
The administrators thought they had found a home at a different campus than the one hosting it currently but there was a nasty backlash. Three dozen parents of the target school showed up a a school board meeting and the board panicked, punting on the decision. The administrators were tasked with finding a home for the program and polling the parents, teachers, and school administrators to make sure everyone was happy. Recognizing a losing hand when they see one, the administrators are hoping the parents will opt for the status quo for this coming fall and start planning for the 2009/2010 school year.
The parents of the students in the program seem to be caught off guard by the politics. Seems rather naive to me, we are dealing with the school board after all.

our house is a very very fine house with two cats in the yard

...life used to be so hard now everything is easy cause of you...We rescued a cat yesterday from the humane soceity. We decided that our cat Madeline needed someone to keep her company. She doesn't like the dogs so we she spends most of her time by her self in the bedroom. Not anymore. Welcome to Titan, a ginger tabby Manx cat - he has a stub of a tail. Upon being introduced to her new friend Madeline immediately hissed, spat and ran the other direction. So much for companionship.. It's quite a full house now. Two parents, two kids, two dogs and two cats. We love the constant hussle and bussle of our full house. Home is where you feel accepted and know you are loved. Even if your don't feel if from the human companions in the house, the dogs always offer unconditional love. And the cats are always ready for a quiet snuggle on the bedIf you're reading this you are doubtless either related to me or a friend (my readership is rather limited). I don't often say it, some of you may have never heard it from me but I value your companionship. Thank you for your friendship.

getting schooled

I'm about half way through my first class in Project Management and must say it's not as hard as I feared. Project Management is fairly straightforward at least at the introductory level. I'm learning a few new terms and some things that pass as "theories" which are closer to Murphy's Laws than the Law of Supply and Demand from my economics classes during my undergraduate days. Still, there's a lot to get right when managing a project and if these simplistic rules assist in that then I am ready to learn, or at least store them in short term memory for the exam at the end of class.
I am enjoying getting to know some new folks - we work on a team just like I did when I went to get my MBA. I'm pleased to report that I have done a good job establishing a good team relationship and the team is operating at a high productivity level already.
While I was initially worried about taking classes again I am pleasantly surprised at the satisfaction the intellectual challenge of learning a new field of knowledge has given me. Bod Dylan wrote "most of the things I worry about never happen anyway" - and I couldn't agree more.

winning isn't everything

If the first two games are indicative, the "Golden Stars" will be undefeated this spring season. We won our game on Saturday quite easily, and it was a shut out which is no mean feat given we don't play with goalies.
So now I have a dilemma. As the coach I am trying to teach the girls the fundamentals of the game but when the competition is not up to our level it is hard to do so. I prefer to play my four players with three of them as forwards and one as a defender. When we score four unanswered goals in the first ten minutes I pull one of the forwards back and play with two defenders and two forwards. It gives the other team more of a chance usually. However, it means my girls will not have the opportunity to pass on the attack since there are only two of them involved. It's harder to stay with the attack and be ready for a pass when there are three forwards because the pass could go to you or the other forward - you have to stay in the attack even if you don't get the ball. Anyway, I'm beginning to think I need to play my team for their benefit instead of the opponent's. We're at the top of the age bracket which means that next fall we'll be at the bottom again and it will all be dependant on the skills we learn now.

you scream, i scream, we all scream for ice cream

It's report card time so off to Goody's we went on Sunday. In Boise when you get a good report card you head straight to Goody's to celebrate. Goody's is an old fashioned ice cream and soda shop in the Hyde Park district, a two block section of the north end neighborhood with restaurants, a coffee shop and some shops. They offer a free ice cream sundae or banana split to any child who presents his or her good report card.
Claire proudly presented her excellent marks and ordered a triple scoop banana split with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry on top. Addison had an orange soda float with Oreo cookie ice cream?!? Didn't look that good to me but he seemed to enjoy it. I'm very proud of both my children and how hard they work in school. It's wonderful that Goody's recognizes their achievements too, it epitomizes the small city charm of Boise.

going up around the bend

Sometimes I wonder where I am going. I can see my way clear for a ways but then either the path turns or leads over a ridge and I am uncertain. It's not so much about choices but rather about uncertainty after the die is cast; I have crossed the Rubicon, I am not standing in the woods with two paths diverging. I am on the path, the sign post ahead reassures me of that. It's just I cannot see where it leads. I don't think it happens as often as we imagine. Most of life consists of schedules and routines. We know what we are doing this afternoon, this evening, tomorrow, next week. Generally it's the same things we did last evening, yesterday and the week before. All very predictable and known. It's only at the start of some new endeavor when we don't know what this new thing requires or what experiences it holds.
I started a Project Management certification class last night. It's going to take me six months to complete and I am quite nervous about it. I don't know what I will do with it once I'm done. I'm just focusing on developing a new life schedule to make sure I am successful in the endeavor. I'm going up around the bend.

birds of my neighborhood

Spring is definitely here. We played our first soccer game - if we were keeping score, which we never do, we would have recorded a 12-1 win! Ask any of the girls. The girls played very well. We challenged in the midfield so well that the other team rarely got into our half. Our attacks were fast and involved plenty of passing and even a give-and-go once. I think everyone on the team either scored or had a shot on goal. It was exciting enough that the parents didn't mind the freezing winds blowing across the pitch and the 40 degree weather.
To round out the day I took the dogs for a walk in the foothills just before sunset. It had warmed up to the high 40's by then and the brisk pace kept me comfortable. We took the "owl's roost" trail which goes through a small stand of oaks. A pair of owls actually do roost in the trees but we were probably too early to see them today. I stood still for some moments listening to the birds sing and call to one another. I heard the raucous call of red wing black birds, the chirp of sparrows or perhaps finches, the songs of robins, the soulful cooing of mourning doves and a few other chirps I can't name. It was as if every bird on the wing were announcing that spring has sprung at last.

it's a dog's life

Now that the weather is warming up it's time to hit the trails with the dogs. The great thing about Boise is the foothills trails system. Boise backs up hard against the foothills to the Boise Mountains and much of the surrounding elevation is public space. There are miles of trails for mountain biking, running, walking or just enjoying nature. And every third person seems to have a dog or two. With just a short five block walk from the front door we are at Camels Back park where a number of foothills trails end. We can take the short but strenuous climb straight up to the top of Camelsback, a hill or more properly the end of a ridge that juts into the northend neighborhood. We can continue on that ridge back into the foothills for a short distance but have to come down into the nature preserve to avoid a row of houses built on the ridge. We can walk round the hill instead and go straight into the preserve which is usually what we do. The area has been planted with cottonwoods lining the stream, wild roses and blackberries, sage brush and other wild flowers. It's quite peaceful and provides nice restorative environment for a stroll.
That's Bennett in the picture by the way. We rescued him a year or so ago. We're not sure if he's an english foxhound or a saint bernard / spaniel mix. We're leaning toward foxhound more these days.

1st fishing of the year

My father in law and I went fly fishing when they visited a couple weeks back. My father in law is a great fisherman. He's got all the gear, knows all about fish and rivers and lakes... the whole nine yards. I on the hand know very little. My fishing expertise is limited to grade school fishing in streams and ponds of Wisconsin.
Now that we live in Idaho, fly fishing is THE thing. Apparently Idaho offers some of the best fly fishing in the lower 48. We can even drive downtown and fly fish for trout in the Boise River as it passes through town. Pretty cool really. So Dad and I took a class from Cabellas in the summer. We learned how to tie our flies onto the line properly so they wouldn't fly away on the first cast, how to cast twenty feet on the high school baseball field... lots of hands on practical stuff.
After investing a small fortune in the sport Dad and I have hit the river twice now. We went once last fall when it was still warm out. This last time it was definitely not warm out. We waded into a river cold from snow run off and my feet froze stiff in five minutes. My fingers were numb and I managed to set free a number of flies having discovered it's harder to tie them on in the river than in the classroom. It's also harder to cast twenty feet in the river than on the baseball field. I can manage fifteen but that's my limit. And speaking of limits... Dad and I hit our limit of half a dozen flies lost that morning after about three hours.

You're not going to Euro 2008?

England did not qualify for Euro 2008. The pigeons of Soho Square who fired Eriksson and hired McClaren have had their chickens come home to roost. McClaren's out and Capello's in. He didn't do so well against France in the friendly this week. Still, since England aren't busy this summer with Euro 2008, he'll have plenty of time to prepare for the 2010 World Cup.
So what's an American England fan to do in June? The USA are not invited (How rude! We won the last world war over there and rebuilt the place... and this is thanks we get?) Oh well, I guess new Europe is a lot like old Europe when it comes to football. Now if you're like me you can temporarily switch allegiances and root for some one else. We have Italian friends we met here in Boise two summers ago so maybe the Azzurri will win my backing. Then again, my friend Steve has lived in Romania so that's an option. I had some friends from Switzerland ten years ago and my friend Chad lived in Germany for a couple years. 6 degrees of separation and I could cheer on any team for Euro 2008... except France. I just can't bring myself to cheer on the French. For the rest of you who don't understand what the beautiful game has to offer... Euroball is here!

shout out to Man U!

With seven games left Manchester United are top of the premier league, having just humiliated arch rivals Liverpool on Easter Sunday. Arsenal lost to Chelsea in a great game which I watched on Fox Soccer Channel. Which answers the question, what does English soccer have to do with life in Boise? Technology is amazing stuff. I can watch soccer games as they happen half a world away. I can keep up with my team (Man U) via the BBC, ESPN Soccer Net, and the team's web site. I can even listen to live match commentary over the internet when they forget to block international listeners due to " contractual limitations". There are blogs and pod casts aplenty too.
In the end, all this technology makes it easier for me to enjoy some of the things I remember from growing up in England. I can pass on my excitement and pleasure in the beautiful game to my kids as they watch these games with me. They each have Man U shirts, no other than Beckham. When I meet those few enlightened souls in Boise who support an English team we talk up our teams and favorite players. We enrich Boise culture just a little in doing so I like to think. So next time you see someone in a Manchester United shirt - Ronaldo #7 - give a shout out and I'll be sure to say hi in return.

good friday

Good Friday. We took our annual hike up to Table Rock yesterday. Table rock is a large plateau on the eastern edge of Boise with outstanding views of the city and the valley. A lighted cross stands at the top so it's a favorite destination for Christians on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The old state penitentiary sits at the head of the trail and churches often put on a short passion play before leading parishioners up to the cross.
It's not a long hike nor too steep but it gives you time to contemplate the events almost 2000 years ago. We talk with the kids as we walk - about school, friends, hopes, dreams, and occasionally God. I enjoy these hikes even though the kids get tired legs three quarters of the trip up and start complaining.
I want the kids to connect the beauty of creation with God and Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Through annual repetition I am trying to create a psychological link in their minds that when they are out enjoying the world they will remember that God loves them and sent his son to die for them. I don't know if it's working but we enjoy the hike anyway and that's worth something. And when else can you take your dogs to church?
This year the public television station was filming a bald eagle soaring in the clear blue skies at the top of Table Rock. The bird was trained and the it's trainer would release it and it would return to perch on his outstretched hand. I am always amazed at how huge bald eagles are when I see them up close like that. In keeping with the season it did remind me of the verse 'those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings as eagles' - Isaiah 30:41
* the picture was taken from the top of Table Rock last summer - it's wasn't that warm yesterday!

fashion is architecture.... an visa versa

Warning: sit down and buckle in before viewing
"Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportion" according to Coco Channel. Architecture is also fashion: it is question of lines and curves. The paper ran a story this weekend about the fifteen different building projects going on downtown in Boise. The credit crunch is forcing a number into future years, others are going uncompleted, while a couple have been abandoned through bankruptcy. That's a shame really but I can't imagine why anyone thought building fifteen city blocks of store fronts and condominiums in Boise all at one time was a good idea. So for the foreseeable future the hole that has been the proposed home of a 21 story hotel/condo sky rise will remain a two story hole in the middle of downtown - going on 6 years now. The library will not get a new building and the BoDo district will not expand to the river. For now. Maybe in 2009 or 2010...
One building that I am glad to see continue is the Aspen building. This condominium building is being built on a tiny sliver of land between a seven story parking garage and the sidewalk. It will soar 17 stories straight up, or actually, it will soar 17 stories up and extend out over the street and parking garage as it goes up. The northern face is glass with views of the foothills and mountains while the south side has balconies with river and valley views. Maybe when I retire....

living for a day

I took my wife out to the movies tonight. Her parents are visiting and graciously agreed to watch the kids so we could have a night on the town. We went to the Flicks here in Boise. They show alternative movies... we saw "I'm not there" last time we went to the Flicks if that gives you an idea of what movies they run. It's great to have a theatre in town that shows something other than mainstream cinema movies.
We saw "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" and enjoyed it a lot. It's a pleasantly light movie, visually rich, funny with a nice aftertaste if you know what I mean. Sometimes I don't want to leave a movie thinking hard about life, large meanings, etc. Sometimes I just want to be entertained... but I am thinking of the happiness of love, even the light as air meringue type in the movies.

Pi day 3.14

Not that I realized it but I judged at my sons' Mad Math Meet today and they pointed it out. Micron Corporation sponsors the gifted and talented classes from the Boise school district to compete in a math meet - think track meet but with math problems instead of track and field events. There were over a dozen teams of six students competing. And today was for the fifth graders only; an equal number of sixth graders competed earlier in the week.
Because they are gifted and talented students you get some interesting goings on. Most of them cannot sit in a chair for more than 30 minutes at a time. Kids are popping up all over the room prairie dog fashion while a three minute timer counts down on the projected computer screen.
So are you smarter than a fifth grader? Have a go with this question: You have four chains, each three links long. It costs $.05 to cut a link and $.06 to rejoin a link. How much would it cost to make a single circle 12 links round? a. $.11, b. $.33, c. $.44, d. $.55 See the bottom of this post for the correct answer.
So why the big deal on Pi day? The BBC has an interesting take on it here
I think there is a great deal to the idea,

"the essential truth that there are some things we simply cannot know. We can only get close to knowing."
David Blatner, BBC web site

That's where mysticism comes in, or faith if you prefer a more American word for it.

The answer is b. $.33. Cut all three links of one chain and use them to join the remaining three chains into a circle 12 links round.

the beautiful game

The grass is getting green and it's just above 32 degrees in the morning so it must be soccer season here in Boise. In a few weeks all the parks in Boise will be overrun with packs of children kicking at a ball, each other, blades of grass.... ah, the beautiful game is on! I coach my daughters team of U7 girls. What a blast! We've managed to hold together a neighborhood team of eight girls for a couple seasons now and it's fun to see these youngsters enjoying the game and their friendships. The parents are low key which makes it a pleasure to coach. No screaming and ranting from the sidelines from our parents.
We play four on four on a small field and small goals - no goal keepers. It gives each girl the chance to play the ball. We're still working on passing so most of our goals are scored by one player sprinting all the way down the pitch with the ball. There are times when we play perfectly - goal of the week highlight reel stuff. Then again there are times when we let the other team walk the ball into our net. Still, there's never a dull moment and seeing the beaming smile on a seven year old's face as she runs to the sideline for a goal scoring celebratory hug from Mom and Dad - I love it!

they say it's your birthday

It's my birthday too, yeah!
March is birthday month at our house. Each year I give my children a book each for their birthdays. I write a note on the inside cover, noting their age and the date and why I thought this particular book was fitting for them at this time in their lives. Each time I do I wonder: where will this book end up? What other children will read my note and wonder about this special child?
We have a few books with notes written inside the cover or in the margin. Some are simply the owner's name and address, others are inscriptions. There's something in reading another person's thoughts in a book - almost a connection through time and space.
Some books I've bought for others: Jenny Goes to Sea by Esther Averill; Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz; La Belle Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind by Beppe Severgnini; Girl Meets God: on the Path to a Spiritual Life by Lauren F. Winner; Maritime Supremacy & the Opening of the Western Mind: Naval Campaigns That Shaped the Modern World by Peter Padfield

Les Bois

Boise is the city of trees. The river that bisects downtown is lined with them; the streets in our neighborhood - the north end - are too. Boise was named from a derivative of french trader's exclamation "the woods" upon seeing the tree lined river. The beautiful towering aged trees are one of the pleasures of living in Boise.
Unfortunately we had to cut down the old apple tree in our backyard. It had rotted through on one half, the side facing the house not more than 10 feet away. I enlisted my father in law and his chainsaw to help. It was quick going with only one near miss when a major limb took a dive into the basement window well, somehow missing the window in the process. Now all that remains is a stump, and that only until I dissolve it in place.
We'll replace the tree but there is a little sadness in the passing of the old apple tree. Perhaps I have read "The Giviing Tree" once too many times.

Seattle's little brother

I'm sitting at Thomas Hammer coffee shop waiting for some of my students (I teach through the University of Phoenix) and thinking about coffee shops. The fabled city of black beans is of course Seattle and I don't know how many coffee shops are there but right here in Boise, I count five within five blocks of my present location.
And no, I'm not counting Starbucks as I have issues with them....
I think coffee shops are a window into a city's soul - see Ray Oldenburg's "The Great Good Place". Boise has an eclectic mix. Thomas Hammer is kind of the hip urban coffee shop - it's empty right now so what does that tell you? Across the street Dawson's Downtown is doing a steady if not brisk business this drizzly Saturday morn. It's more Boise style - local, a little quirky, friendly. Flying M coffee shop caters to the alternative crowd in Boise, all three of them. I think they take their "otherness" too seriously, pretentiously even. Java City is my personal favorite. It has the right atmosphere: small tables and comfortable leather club chairs, original art, and staffed by what appears to be a collection of ex-Tower Records employees. Try the "bowl of soul" if you find yourself in Boise some morning with nothing to do in a hurry.
What does your town's soul look like?

blog blog bloh blah blah...

I've been checking out some of the blogs of note to try and figure out what differentiates a good blog from a not so good blog, or a blah. No doubt it's in the eye of the beholder. This beholder, or this beholder's eye, likes the blogs that have a unifying theme, a reason d'etre.
So, what is my blog's reason for being? I haven't decided yet. I haven't been at it long either so a little grace should be in order. I'm not too thrilled with the public diary theme but recognize how easy it is to slip into that mode. I do like the keeping in touch with friends and family aspect which makes it seem more of a perpetual Christmas letter. Perhaps I should go with the title, life in Boise, bits of my life in Boise, bits of Boise lifestyle....

we left it oh so long ago the garden

The daffodils and tulips are poking green heads out of muddy beds. I saw a couple of robins squabbling over squatting rights in the front yard. Spring is here and it’s time to get back to the garden. I love gardening. I find I can put all the worries of life out of my mind as I trim the roses, move a plant from here to there, or back again. My wife says it’s in the blood ever since we took a trip back to the home country. We visited a lot of gardens in England and it clicked for her that gardening is a national past time for the English and, even though I have lost most (perhaps all?) traces of my birth place, I am still a subject of the queen. And so, I garden.
Our favorite gardens are the gardens of Hidcote Mansion. Ironically, the garden was designed by an American so it appears I really am a child of two worlds, old and new. The garden is laid out in a series of rooms. High hedges define the walls of each room. Each room has a different function and planting scheme.
There is a Theatre Walk, a grass meadow cut short with beautiful shade trees at the stage end – the room surrounded by a hedge easily 12 feet tall.
In the Circle, the hedges have been clipped into various shapes: pillars, giant perched birds, even a gateway. Our favorite part is the Long Walk that stretches the length of the garden. The sides of this hallway are again, tall hedges. The hallway has a series of steps that accommodate the fact that the garden is built on a hillside. At the far end a pair of tall iron gates open onto a view of the idyllic cotswold countryside. This is the image that springs to mind when I read Thomas Hardy’s books set in this very area. After strolling the gardens we stopped in the tea room where our daughter, aged 2 at the time, had her first tea.. She charmed the tea lady immediately when she, very politely, asked for “scones and tea please” in her American accent. We sipped out tea and ate our scones smothered in jam and clotted cream Sitting at that table on the covered porch gazing out on the garden with my daughter and wife is one of my treasured memories.
The title for this post comes from Larry Norman’s song “So Long Ago the Garden”. Larry Norman ended his visit of this planet Feb. 24th, 2008

teach your children well

Make a free photo slideshow

And feed them on your dreams, the one they pick, the one you’ll know by.
And don’t you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
Just look at them and sigh, and know they love you.”
"Teach Your Children Well" - Graham Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

I took the kids skiing Sunday pm. We bundled up in jackets, mittens, neck warmers, ski pants, and warm socks and headed out at 4:00pm. The sun was shining and the slopes where ours for the taking. We got taken by the first couple runs but soon found our ski legs (?) and owned the slopes. Mostly because there weren’t too many people skiing but we’re getting better and better each time we go.
I learned to ski at my son’s age so teaching him takes me all the way back to my childhood. Much of the skiing’s mysticism for me comes from that time. My Dad would take us three kids and pile us into the station wagon and head out for Tyrol Basin, a small ski hill in the outback of Wisconsin somewhere. I am grateful to my father that he bravely took up skiing in the middle of his adult life and that he allowed someone else to participate in such a formative experience for me. He could just as easily guarded this father-son time for himself. You see, my father lead the college group of our church back then and one of the students was on the ski patrol. He took me, my brother and sister under his wing and taught us to ski. We went at night mostly, I think that was when Neal was on duty so we could get in free but to a child it made it seem all the more magical. We would say good bye to Mom and drive off into the blackest nights of the Wisconsin winter countryside. Neal showed me how to turn and stop, ride the lifts and the tow rope, always acting so thrilled when I mastered some new skill.

I am thrilled to watch my son conduct his careful turns as he slowly…. very slowly…. no, I mean so slowly he stops half way through… makes his way down the slope traversing the run in the classic learner’s side to side style. Then, when he judges he has reached the remaining third of the hill he’s off like a rocket and I have to crouch down to minimize my wind resistance to catch him. His younger sister likes to stay on the runs with which she is comfortable. None of this slowly side to side stuff for her – she hops of the lift, points her tips downhill and off she goes, screaming her delight to the wind whipping past her. When we get cold and can’t feel our fingers or toes any more it’s time to hit the lodge where Mommy is waiting. Hot chocolates all round and then the boy and I head back out for a few more runs under the lights while the girls stay warm in the lodge.

what we're reading

I read Sonia Worthy's blog of note reading people yesterday. I had never thought that the digital revolution was making us into an unliterary nation. Interesting idea and her blog is great. I also heard of research recently that noted "parents who want their children to read fiction books frequently should have a lot of books at home and at most one television".*

Winter is a great season for reading. The days are short and the weather foreboding. What better setting for reading a book in front of the fire? March is good too. The days are getting longer anticipating spring. The sun is rising over my shoulder on my commute these mornings and sets after I m home. Makes one want to be outside but the weather is unpredictable - yesterday it rained, hailed and the sun shown brightly enough for sunglasses, all within the span of a few hours! I love sitting on the porch reading while the rain falls. Or sitting outside the coffee shop enjoying the vitamin d rejuvenation of the sun while reading.

So what are we reading? Check out the picture and see - and yes we read promiscuously: indiscriminately and diversely in regard to quality and quantity.

*van Ours, Jan C., "Children Reading Fiction Books Because They Want To" (January 2006). CEPR Discussion Paper No. 5472 Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=901231

Begin at the beginning

Obama came to town. I've never been to a political rally before. I vote, periodically rather than religiously, and until recently was a registered non-committal. But then I moved to Boise.
I've lived in the suburbs, bought a new house in a new subdivision once, ate at national chain restaurants, shopped at national chain stores, got groceries from a national chain... it could have been anywhere USA. But then I moved to Boise.
I still get groceries at a national chain but since it's the first Albertsons store, I don't think of it that way. I live downtown, in a house that was originally built in 1906. The foundation is all that remains of that original house but the architecture and style echo back to that era. And I registered as a democrat which brings me back to Obama's rally.
He flew into Boise for a rally three days before the democratic caucus. The whole family got up early on Saturday morning and headed to the university arena. We arrived in plenty of time but the line to get in stretched around the football stadium and across the parking lot. There was an excitement, a sense of something new, something historic. We made it in to the arena along with 14,000 others and watched Obama speak. He talked of change, of hope, of something better....
That's what life in this northern town is like for me: a change, a new hope for something better both for me and my family.