Vonnegut is Amazing

It has been awhile since I posted a blog about what I have been reading. To be honest a few things that I have read I am embarrassed to let people know about. Alas I am on to a more moving book. I just finished Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut and to give you a sense of how good I thought it was, I finished it in three days. I couldn't put it down. I know that I have said that other Kurt Vonnegut books were amazing as well and I am probably just on the Vonnegut bandwagon but this book was amazing and I would encourage anyone to read it.

Mother Night is about an American, Howard Campbell, who grew up in pre-World War II Germany. He is a writer and a play write who doesn't care about the war that is about to take place. Campbell is propositioned by a US intelligence officer who wants him to work for the US against the Nazi's. In order to make it work though he would have to become a Nazi and work for the regime. This officer tells him that no one would know that he was a spy and that the United States would hate him. Campbell makes the decision and becomes a radio personality that spews Nazi propaganda. When the war is over he makes his way back to the United States and later is captured by Israeli's and is charge with war crimes against humanity.

Kurt Vonnegut does such a great job in his writing of getting the reader sucked in. Every book that I have read by him keeps me engaged. This book was so good that I can't wait to read my next Vonnegut book.

Quotes:

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.

There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty Himself hates with you, too. Where's evil? It's that large part of every man that wants to hate without limit, that wants to hate with God on its side.

Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith, I consider a capacity for it terrifying and absolutely vile.

Generally speaking, espionage offers each spy an opportunity to go crazy in a way he finds irresistible.

Teach Me How To Jimmer!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Becky and I are not the most romantic people on this planet. We don't hold hands in public, we have never been accused of PDA and rarely do you see us in a long embrace or kiss. Now add two kids to the mix and we don't even share the same cart at Fred Meyer. Regardless it is Valentine's Day and although we don't make a huge deal out of it I know that Becky loves me. A small touch during dinner, a look while we are shopping or a phone call just to tell me that David had pooped for the billionth time that day. It's hard not to know that we love each other. Becky is my best friend, I have loved her since I watched her walk into Papa Kelsey's. She is the most gorgeous woman, loving wife and caring mother that I know.

I LOVE YOU BECKY

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

"Big Changes" is my Middle Name

Some big changes are coming our way again. I cannot speak about them at this time but I am so excited that I couldn't help but post this. As I was thinking about it though I got to thinking that this is the third "Big Change" that we have encountered in the past couple of years. I know that the Lord has something BIG in store for us. Sometimes I feel that we are winding our way down a slowly moving river. We can't see beyond the next bend but we know that the river continues to flow because we we can feel the movement. As soon as we come around the next bend we see the water picking up speed and heading right for a waterfall. We try to paddle against the current but there is no such luck, we are headed for the waterfall. We give in and the ride gets faster and more turbulent. We do everything to prepare ourselves for going over the edge and then we are there and everything happens so fast. We are tossed all over and even lose a few things but when we collect ourselves we are back in the boat on a gently flowing river. As we look back at the waterfall it doesn't look as scary as it did from the front side when we couldn't see the drop. We are coming up on that waterfall now and we are nervous. We know that the Lord will take care of us as he always does and for that I am truly grateful.

...one of these things just doesn't belong.

Brett Keisel who plays football for the Steelers has a beard that is growing out of control. You might ask yourself why I even care? Well Keisel played football at BYU and this manly beard is just one more reason to love him. In the past I have added pictures of myself with a beard but this one is amazing. Maybe someday I can be as cool and manly as Brett Keisel. Take the time to go and Beard yourself here.

JIMMER-TIME!

It has been awhile since I last posted. I do have a new son which keeps me pretty busy once I get home. But to show you what I have been doing at work lately, watch this video. I have watched this once a day since it happened.



GO COUGS!

I have grown up with a story that I have been so proud of and ultimately has made me a long time BYU Cougar fan.

The story goes that my dad was listening to the 1980 Holiday Bowl on the radio. BYU was playing SMU and the Y was getting thumped. I was 9 months old and things were not going well for me. I like to think that I was upset with the game but my parents will tell you that I was just fussy and possibly colicky. My dad took me over next to the radio and laid down and then laid me on his stomach. We laid there listening to the game while he tried to calm me down. Late in the 4th quarter BYU started making a comeback, and in the end a Hail Mary from Jim McMahon to Clay Brown won the "Miracle Bowl".

Growing up I have always thought that this is where the love for BYU started. It is the reason that I looked up to guys like Peter Tuipulotu and Chad Lewis. It was what drove me to walk the entire stadium picking up LaVell Edwards collector cups after a game. It is the start of my love, and mostly craziness, about BYU Football. This moment, listening to one of the greatest games in BYU history with my dad.

On Saturday December 18th 2010 I kept that story alive. BYU was not losing, in fact they were winning by so much that I was able to sit down for a change. At half time Becky put David to sleep and then told me that she needed to go to the store and that she was going to take Audrey with her. Just a few minutes after Becky left David started to cry. I picked him up and held him and he settled right down. I put back down and he started to cry again. I immediately thought of this story that has brought me so much pride over the years. I picked him back up and he settled down and went to sleep as I we watched the game together...father and son.

The score wasn't the same, the game wasn't the same but the outcome between a father and son remains intact in this TRUE BLUE BYU story.