Desultory Thoughts

Today was a wonderful day that I was able to enjoy with my family, as one should (if at all possible) on Christmas day. I’m very grateful for the reason for the season (Jesus Christ) and I also love all the fun traditions that go along with it. I’m not a big fan of the buy-a-gift-for-someone-in-October-or-November-and-don’t-give-it-to-them-until-the-end-of-December tradition. I figure I might as well get some use out of it from October to December! It just loses value (and causes me heartache) all wrapped up under the tree or shoved in a secret hiding spot in the closet for three months. I’m fine with surprises, but that entails actually being surprised! What is the surprise in knowing there is a present for you sitting under the tree? I suppose I’m surprised when I first discover it there…ok, great! Now it’s time to open it!  Yet, I’m not allowed to open it, “Not until Christmas!” my wife tells me. She has learned to keep it an actual surprise until Christmas morning, or she just lets me have my way and get myself stuff for Christmas (and my Birthday since I was born in December) starting several months beforehand. Which is what I did this year when I purchased a membership to Gold’s Gym (the new one in Tooele opens the first day of 2009), a new wedding ring (since I injured my ring finger in a mountain biking accident and my knuckle is permanently bigger as a result), and genetic testing and personal DNA analysis from 23andMe.com.  Heather also surprised (yes, I really didn’t know I was getting it, nor did I expect it which constitues and honest-to-goodness surprise!) me with an R/C helicopter so I’d have something to open on Christmas.

Of all my gifts I’ve enjoyed pouring through my DNA data since I got the results back on December 19th. It’s been absolutely fascinating, if not for the health and traits data then for the ancestry information that it has opened my eyes to. For anyone else that has been tested, you might find it interesting to know that my Paternal Haplogroup is R1b1c10 (also known as R-U152 or S28) and my Maternal Haplogroup is H3. I found out that I’m 100% European (more specifically from Northern Europe) and of all the groups of people from around the world I’m genetically most similar to the Irish.   And the great thing about 23andMe is that they’re constantly updating my information as DNA research uncovers more and more information.  So this will be a gift that keeps on giving!

My children enjoyed Christmas and we were able to hold them off until 7:45 a.m.  We went to the movies this afternoon (one of our Christmas day traditions) and saw Bedtime Stories.  I love to hear Griff laugh and this show got a few good laughs out of him.  I thought it was decent since I was there with my kids.  It’s amazing how seeing your kids get enjoyment out of something makes it all that much more enjoyable for you.

I hope you all enjoyed the time you were able to spend with your families!  I sure enjoyed a relaxing day with my very own family!

I bought Sami and Griff a Betta Fish [wikipedia.org] tonight. They’ve never had a pet before, so this is their first. They’re also known as Siamese Fighting Fish. You’re not supposed to put two males in the same tank because they’ll kill each other.

I bought a neat little fish bowl that came with a light that shines in it. Sami is really excited to have it in her room as a second night light. When I suggested that she could use it as a night light, despite the fact that she already has one, she shrugged her shoulders and proclaimed, “I can’t really see with my other night light anyway, so I need the fish night light, huh daddy.”

I worked with Sami and Griffin for about 20 minutes to make sure they knew they couldn’t touch the fish, nor should they even touch the shelf that it sits on. I have no doubt, however, that Griffin will pull the tank onto the floor at some point and the fish will die a horrible death. I’m half tempted to buy another male Betta fish and let them duke it out if it is going to die anyway. It’s going to be either Griffin or another Betta fish, might as well save Griff getting in trouble and get a little entertainment. (Or perhaps that’s illegal or I’ll get the animal rights people calling the police on me? I’d better not find out.) Apparently in Thailand fish fights abound, but not within city limits where it is not allowed. Such a fight was described as follows:

When fighting is agreed upon, the fish are scooped our of their bottles and carefully put into a large tall jar. Coming face to face, the opponents are transformed into wonderfully beautiful creatures, their colour deepening their gills quivering and widening, their fins and tails spreading out and assuming a warm glow. Every part of the body becomes vibrant. They lose no time in getting at each other, biting fiercely and cruelly. With mouths locked for minutes or sometimes even hours, they fit up and down the water in the bottle manoeuvring for positions. Parts of gills, fins, tailsmortal combat, the enthusiasts would bet basing their calculations on the amount and severity of the injury inflicted and received by both sides.

It’s hard to believe I bought such a fierce fighter for my kids’ first pet. I guess if I were to buy them a dog it would be a pitbull. (Obviously I’m joking, just in case somebody questions it.) There are some posts on this page that suggest that these fish aren’t the fighters others say they are [aquahobby.com], so don’t worry…I’m not going to buy two males and put them in the tank with each other.

In the last seven months I haven’t seen too much by the way of nasty storms, although there have been some stronger winds than I’m used to. Last night what I’ve been waiting for finally came.

We got clobbered with more than a foot of snow! I nearly didn’t make it out of our neighborhood. The further north I drove, the better it got. When I got to Salt Lake where I work, there was nothing. The difference, as described in a Tooele Transcript Bulletin article, was not lake effect. The storm that rolled through just decided to linger over our fine city of Tooele. We’re supposed to be getting some more snow tomorrow night and into Saturday. How exciting!

The kids had fun in the snow today. They made snow angels, waded through the deep stuff and slid down the driveway on sleds. It’s the most snow Griffin or Sami have ever played in. They had fun playing with their friend, Logan. They also “helped” shovel the driveway, but the true heroes of shoveling were the Barths (our fine neighbors to the west of us) with their monster snow blower! They saved us all a lot of work.

I should note, however, that when the snowplows came by, they covered the sidewalk and the driveway again, and Heather (my awesome wife) did second clean-up.  And if you’ve ever shoveled the snowplow crud, you know it’s extra heavy.  So good job, Heather!

My two children are truely gifts from heaven. We had our usual family night and we assigned our little boy Griffin to say the prayer. He’s just over 2 years old now (in the picture he’s 1 1/2 and Samantha is just over 3) and he’s always needed help in the past. Tonight was a major breakthrough when he said the entire prayer by himself. Granted, he walked all around the living room while saying it and the prayer was only half audible, even to his parents (although I’m sure his Father in Heaven understood every word), but it was very neat to see him grow up all at once like that.

Sami gave the lesson tonight. She planned it all by herself. She had visual aids (small pictures that she drew and colored herself and cut out) and she made up a story about a little girl that tried to get to heaven by climbing a ladder. In the end she explained that she couldn’t get to heaven by climbing a ladder, only by choosing the right.

Gifts from heaven, indeed!