It's a Monday

Usually I don't mind Mondays.  To me it's just another day of the week but today I wasn't looking forward to work knowing how much I have to do but I have gotten quite a bit done.  I went golfing with Tex on Saturday at wasatch mountain over in Midway.  I wasn't too excited about it because I had so much to do at home but as we played I started relaxing and when I was done I decided I really needed that.  I beat him and took home the trophy that he had made for play between he and I.  That made it even better.  I think that that will be the last game of the year because it's supposed to snow tonight.  That really sucks.  I filled the hot tub up again in preparation to treat the water again and it's still leaking.  now that really discouraged me.  I have a decision to make now do I leave the leak and not worry about it til spring or do I get some of the blue dye that is offered on the website that I frequent for parts and try to fix it.  It isn't leaking that fast, maybe an inch a week but I am concerned about ice buildup.  Of course I can put ice melt on the area all the time.  I guess the decision will depend on the weather forcast this next week.  Keaton, Cameron and I can have the leak fixed quick once we find it but it will turn off real cold this week and I don't want it to freeze.  tonight I am making chicken brats.  I have to get that done soon as well.  Ok, work is calling and I have to go. 

my thoughts exactly!

I woke up this morning with a dog curled up around my head.  It was disconcerting to hear Willy breathing in my ear and thank goodness that he just had a bath!  Willy (short for William G) is one of our dogs.  Davidson is the other dog and they are both Yorkshire Terriers.  Willy is 2 1/2 and Davidson is 1 1/2 and how we ever lived without them I don't know.  The two of them have worked their way into our hearts and lives and they are there to stay.  While I was getting ready this morning I thought about the unconditional love the dogs have for Alisha and I and it led me down a mental path of self evaluation to see where I stood in my unconditional love for my wife.  If you haven't noticed already I am a talker and sometimes I think I overwhelm Alisha with my thoughts.  I need to make sure that my actions though match the words that I say to her.  It just doesn't cut it when you say "I love you" then show something different.  I called my brother while I was driving to work and bounced these ideas off of him and he agreed with me.  Maybe I inspired him to go home and evaluate his relationship with his wife.  Anyway that's what was on my mind this morning.  I picked up another crock for making sauerkraut hopefully this one won't leak.  I think the one I bought for Alisha leaks a little.  There is always pickle juice in the fridge under the crock!  I have had alot of stuff to do at work today but I am taking a little bit of time to write this.  With all the part numbers that I have rolling around in my head sometimes I have to stop just to get everything straight!  Ok, that's about it for now.  I might write a little later but for now there is work to be done. 

another day another dollar

The boys and I accomplished all we set out to do last night, namely prepared the camp trailer for winter.  When I got my first trailer I was pretty worried about making sure the pipes were cleaned out and the trailer was ready for the cold, but after having one for so many years it's like second nature now.  Isn't that the way it is with everything?  you start something new and sometimes the fear of doing something new can almost overwhelm you but you go ahead and do it anyway.  The satisfaction of overcoming that fear and being able to look back and realize that what you are doing is like second nature now is very fulfilling.  I remember when I first got my smoker for Christmas, (thanks Alisha you are the best) I tried to smoke some whole chickens in it.  they hadn't been in there for half an hour and when I went to check on them there were flames coming out of the top!  I shut everything down and pulled out the blackened chicken.  It had gotten so hot it had burned the paint off the back wall on the outside.  I ended up sanding it down and repainting it and it is still something that I have to touch up once in a while with that high temp paint.  Now, 4 years later smoking has turned into something more than a hobby.  it's almost my obsession and at this time of year all I can think about it what kind of meat can I smoke or process or bottle.  I"m grateful for my family that allows me to use them as guinea pigs for all my cooking adventures and my Father in Heaven that helps me overcome my fears. 
ok yeah I'm done being sappy.  my kids call me Sappy Sam whenever I get sick and get drugged up.  The other project I have been working on is my hot tub.  The dumb thing keeps leaking and I can't find the leak so I added a bottle of fix a leak that is supposed to be the next best thing to sliced bread so I am hoping that this saturday when I refill the tub after letting it cure that I can sit back and eat a slice of bread and say good on ya fix a leak.  I can hope. 
I have a friend that I call Tex.  he's a pretty cool guy and I have known him for 20 plus years now.  He and I have alot in common and this weekend he is coming up to play some golf before the snow flies then I talked him into making some chicken and sun dried tomato sausage with me.  Did I say that I like to make things???  10 pounds of chicken thighs and the freezer will get some new additions to it. 
Ok, I have rambled enough.  I told you that this was just a jumble of my thoughts that needed an outlet.  C ya

The first of many posts

I have been toying with the idea of a blog as a way for me to get my words out instead of talking my wife's ear off. So, here goes. it took me a while to come up with a name for the blog because you always want to sound like you know what you are talking about but in the end I was just happy with something to put up there. I'm sitting at work today on my lunch break and making a mental list of all that needs to be done tonight when I get home.  The boys and I are going to winterize the trailer while Alisha and Caroline finish canning the apples that we picked at my mom's house.  Alisha makes the best apple pie filling and I'm looking forward to using it for cobblers in the dutch oven.  oh yeah, if you haven't figured it out, Alisha is my wife.  we have 7 kids total.  the oldest, girl, is 21 and regrouping at home, two boys on LDS missions one in Paraguay, the other in Washington D.C.  A 17 yr old boy, a 15 yr old boy, a 14 yr old girl, and a 13 yr old girl.  I read other people's blogs on here and it's all about their little kids.  This blog will be a little different.  more about pretty random stuff.  I tend to get ideas in my head that I want to try namely foods and I run with it.  So far I think this is a pretty good start..  have a great day!