Corn Cops

I had my first corn maze experience on Monday and I was not disappointed. "Pirates of the Cornibbean" was not only exciting, but packed with adventure. As the drawing above clearly demonstrates, this was a challenging maze to navigate. At one point, we were so lost that we decided to just wander around. The regular corn paths were getting kinda boring, so we started following some of the rogue paths in the corn. These "alternate" routes were no doubt pioneered by mischevious teenagers, but they were more fun than the authorized stuff. While we were walking through a particularly rough patch of corn, another group of about 10 people followed close behind us. I advised them that we did not know where we were going and that they would be wise to turn back. Undaunted, they continued to follow us until we ended up outside of the corn field entierly. As we stood around trying to figure out where we were, one of the many "corn cops" that patrolled the precious crop discovered our ragged band of misfits and pursued us. Since we didn't really run anywhere, he didn't have a hard time catching us. The group of 10 that had been following us took off as soon as they smelled trouble. This corn cop was particularly upset at our misbehavior and promptly ejected us from not only the maze, but the entire cornbelly's complex. But not to worry, this ejection was in word only. We pleaded our case that the path was not well marked and thus it was their fault that we took an unauthorized trip through the field. This did not deter him, but we insisted that he have a look for himself. Our intention in this was not to convince him of the validity of our claim, for it was clear that the path was unauthorized. Our purpose in sending him to investigate was to flee the scene. Unfortunately, Kate does not well understand the criminal mind, and proceeded to direct the "cop" to the path and be a sort of guide. With our first attempt at escape now foiled, I pulled the wild card. As our captor was about to escort us away from the field and off the premises, I asked, in a very angry customer sort of way, to speak with his manager. Once I heard his reply, I knew we were going back into the maze. The poor lad said: "wha.. why?" Smelling blood in the water, I commenced my attack convincing him that their maze was plagued with poorly marked paths, and that as a first time maze patron, I could not reasonably be expected to know the difference between a good path and a bad one. My statements were factually correct; however, it would be a stretch to apply my argument to the path we were caught using. Regardless of such details, The corn cop conceded and we re-entered the maze only to leave the legal way a few minutes later. Fun times.

Cute Baby Bree

This is our new adorable niece Bree! She was born Oct. 9 and weighed 6lbs 1oz and was 19 inches long. I went down the weekend she was born and had tons of fun holding her and seeing family. Congrats Jer & Sharla, thanks for the cute nieces, we love them!!

Wal-Mart

So today I had an interview with WalMart for a summer internship. Before I go further, let me put to rest any thoughts that I would spend my summer as a greeter. Nothing against greeters, but my focus is more on the technology that supports a business. So I could be working on improving the self-checkout kiosk programs, or a host of other nifty projects. It's pretty funny thinking about it, because the only side of Walmart I know is the retail store. But honestly, it's a good internship. They pay to move you out to Arkansas and back, give you a rent stipend, and pay you for your time. So as far as compensation goes, they are one of the better options I have seen so far. I haven't been offered a spot, but if I do, it's nice to have the option. Another plus is that the Ozarks would be right in my back yard.

Sunday Drive

The trees in the mountains are changing colors, so we took a drive up Squaw Peak road to see the colors. Things were fairly uninspiring for the first little while, but the higher we climbed in our trusty Honda, the more vivid and beautiful the scenery became. Here are a few pictures from cascade mountain to rock canyon, but they can't really compare with being there.


This last one is overlooking Utah Lake. It was spectacular.

Don't Reach!

During our recent family trip to New York, we stayed a few days in Rochester. Our first full day there, all the boys went fishing on Lake Ontario. It was fun catching a fish 10 times the size of anything I have caught before, but the real fun was Captain Len. We got an early start and as soon as we had a fish on the line, Len jumped into action.


As it turns out, there are a set of unwritten rules when charter fishing. Somehow, each of us managed to break one or more of these rules. When that happened the captain was not happy and he made no effort to hide it. Well, it turns out that my offense was reaching. Yes, I reached. I can hear the collective gasp of all you experienced fishers, and I bow my head in shame.


Obviously, Captain Len was emphasizing the importance of this rule when he put the above picture on his website. I was working the net on a catch and I made the fatal error of reaching for the fish with the net. Len, screamed: "DON'T REACH! DON'T REACH!!!" and quickly snatched the net from my hands and proceeded to reach over the boat for the fish. I am obviously new at this since I noticed no difference in our net handling. After the trip was over, Len apologized to my Dad for getting a little upset with us, so I have to give him credit for that. So if you find yourself in Rochester, look up Captain Len of Bullseye Charter Fishing, you are guaranteed a good time.

The End of Summer

The end of Summer is upon us and we are scrambling to pack in as much fun as we can. Kate and I both start school tomorrow, so today we went tubing down the Provo River as our last hurrah. We went biking Saturday and had a fun time running over the helpless pedestrians perusing up the Provo River Trail. We've had a fun summer and although it is never easy to settle back into a "normal" schedule, we are ready to hit the books and all that good stuff. Besides, fall is a really nice time of year. Here are some pictures of recent summer events:

Camp Mia Shalom

Making Happy Factory Toys

The Girl's Camp crew

Ariel view of Lake Powell

A run down the famous Lake Powell Slide


Landing with no injuries!


Bike ride up to Vivian Park


Before entering the frigid waters of the Provo River

Tubing was a lot of fun, until we got to the end and I realized that I didn't bring my keys with me. Luckily, a nice fisherman took me up to the top of the river while Kate patiently waited at the car.

Ice Cream Man and Scientist

Ok, so here is another story from my childhood. For those of you unfamiliar with this classic, most of you are Kate's family, enjoy.
If you ever talk to one of my siblings or parents and ask them what I wanted to be when I grew up, they will all give you the exact same answer: "An ice cream man and a scientist." Now, the scientist part can be explained. Back in my early years I was a regular viewer of Mr. Wizard's World on nickelodeon. Mr. Wizard was a sort of prelude to Bill Nye the Science Guy. Through his many experiments using ordinary household items, Mr. Wizard helped me develop a great interest in the laws of nature and the way things work. So, being a scientist was a natural choice for me.


My desire to be an ice cream man is not as clear-cut as the scientist part. I don't recall any particular catalyst that made me want to pursue a career in frozen dairy sales, other than the obvious perk of having ice cream available to me at any moment. But regardless, I was adamant that I would be an ice cream man in the summer, and a scientist in the winter. Currently, I am not really shooting for either career, but it still sounds like a lot of fun. I think the picture at the top pretty much sums it up.