I really need a thunderstorm right now

Normally the only person who might say this phrase goes by the name of Dr. Frankenstein. However, I've been wanting a good thunderstorm for the last couple of days. Luckily the weather obliged us this evening. It couldn't have happened at a better time. It didn't last more than forty minutes or so, but the thunder rolled off the mountains to our east and the rain fell from the heavens like devils cast out. It was a good storm and much needed too.

I've always enjoyed watching thunderstorms. When I couldn't get a thunderstorm I would go for a hard downpour or even just a simple rain. Many have used rain as imagery of cleansing. To me there is just something about it that is relaxing. I don't even really mind driving thought a rain storm and despite the difficulties and challenges it presents find it exhilarating.

I have found memories of sitting outside on the front porch with my older sister, each of us curled in a blanket reading our respective books as the rain poured down on the other side of the hollyhocks. I also remember coming out of a night class my freshman year of college to a sky as black as pitch and a steady and persistent rain coming down. I put by coat in my backpack, took off my socks and shoes, rolled up my jeans and walked home barefoot in the rain. I didn't dance (although I've sung a few times), but I did enjoy myself, and the hot shower when I got home. This last storm found me in the kitchen alternating between the stove preparing dinner and the screen door smelling deeply of the rain.

For our anniversary last year my wife bought me a print of a photo taken by Tyson Chappell, a professor at the last college I worked at, who is also an accomplished photographer. The photo is titled, "God's Wrath" and hangs in my office. Check it out here. It is a time lapse of a thunderstorm that occurred while we were living in Price, UT. We had good years in Price, but were glad to be closer to family. In addition to the friends we had made we both agreed that we would miss the thunderstorms. I remember turning a movie off for twenty minutes while I watch a lightning storm that struck south of Price. We didn't see many storms because of the geography that surrounded us, but the storms we did see were hard and fast and fierce. They had to be to get over the mountains. Kanga would often sit in a chair by a window and just watch them. Once when a particularly loud clap of thunder shook our cinder-block house she asked, "What was that?" "Thunder, Kanga." "No it's not!" she declared, "It's a dragon! I'm going to get my dragon!" She would have to if she could have gotten the door open.

Below is a poem I wrote just after completing high school that includes some of my feelings on storms. I called it "Stand Standing Still"

The man stood standing in the rain

A newspaper in his hand

And stared across the wet, wet street

Into a strange new land.

He stood there, standing for an hour

Not moving here or there

But standing, simply standing

As rain damped his hair.

A passerby brushed past the man

And apologized the slight

But the man didn't notice the passer-by

In the darkening night.

Don’t ask me why he does stand there

Standing in the rain

Some would say he’s bloody mad

Others, feeling pain.

But stand he does, standing there

And facing a crying sky

Holding his soaking head up high

Wishing he could fly.

The pouring rain does not let up

It’s getting harder still

And people run to open doors

And hope they don’t come ill

And yet he stands, standing there

Without a hat or coat

And many, indoors do say

He’s going to need a boat.

And when the storm does reach its height

He spreads his long arms out

And looks straight up upon the sky

And gives a mighty shout!

“Oh storm of heaven come, I pray

And show me of your power

For I have stood here many a day

And now at last this hour

Do see thy strength, thy majesty

And dare to look you more

In country town, on mountain top

On sea and on the shore

Such power I've never witnessed

And am proud to see it now

I will never forget you, storm of hope

To thee I deepest bow!”

And with that declaration

He did lower his big hands

And without another word

Looked at distant lands

The people inside the buildings

Heard and saw him do

And said the man was on a drug,

His mind, damage done to.

But I think you know, who reads this now

What that strange man had done

He saw a power strong enough

To blow the brilliant sun.

A new thing learned each moment

He stands there, standing still

And greets each act of nature

And bears it none of ill

And maybe, standing still

In one place, standing long

One may hear the exalted chords

Of nature’s holy song.

Dudes' Day (with Padre)

I don't have pictures, sadly, but this weekend I had a chance to have some fun with my in-laws. My wife's brother, Leeroy, wanted to do something fun for his father, Padre, - a belated birthday gift if you will. He also wanted to include his other sister's husband, Fuzzy, who tends to enjoy different things than what we often do. With that goal in mind he decided to set up a trap shoot. He and Padre both have shotguns (12 and 20 gauges respectively) and we were able to borrow Grand-Padre's vermin rifle (a .22 caliber and a 20 gauge over/under style). I borrowed a skeet thrower from a friend and Padre brought one. We had Leeroy's other two brothers, Tree (age 16) and Peanut (age 11). In the end, Fuzzy wasn't able to make it because he couldn't get work off, and I was late because of my piano lesson, but a good time was had by all.

This was my third time trap shooting and like my first two times I enjoyed it quite a bit. I enjoy the challenge that accuracy provides and even though a shotgun is known for firing a spread of shots, if you don't put that spread in the right place the clay pigeon flies away intact. I had quite a few where I would graze it, sending up a puff of clay dust as the pellets glanced off. I also had a could of well landed shots that left nothing short of a surprised looking cloud of orange. Padre was by far the best shot. He hunted in his youth and despite not being an active hunter or even an active shooter he pulverized more clays with more regularity than anyone else.

Leeroy and I had a little bit of fun. Leeroy would stand with his back to the field, the vermin rifle broken open, but the shell in his hand. On pull he would load, turn, and fire. He got it more times than he missed. I tried a could of "quick fire" drills myself. Standing with the gun open at my side and then racking the shell as I took my stance and fired. I got it once and missed one other. The other time I tried standing with the vermin rifle loaded but still broken at my side. On pull I would flick it closed and rise it one handed to shot at the clay. Missed both times and I learned why you don't shoot a shotgun one handed. It's rather hard on the wrist. To try to set you mind at ease, we were practicing good fire discipline.

Afterwards we returned back to Padre's and cooked steaks. It was a fun day. I feel very lucky to have the in-laws I do. I get along well with them, despite our very different backgrounds, and honestly enjoy spending time with them. Padre taught me everything I know about working on cars, wiring, framing, and just about everything else I know about working with my hands. My own father is a capable man with a hammer, drill, and saw, but is a casual amateur (I mean that in a very nice way) in comparison. Padre has worked with his hands for his own life and can turn wood or metal to his will. Using his shop I've been able to build a couple of pieces of furniture and can now change my own oil. I'm just glad the old codger puts up with me.

Love you, Padre!

Book Review - War of the Twins by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis

As I mentioned when I reviewed Warbound I was halfway through War of the Twins by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis when I switched books. Don't think that this is a poor reflection on War of the Twins but rather an example of my excitement about a new package and the masochistic way I have of reading multiple books at once. I was eager to finish the book and wrapped it up in good order. Once again Caramon and Raistlin show why they are two of the more interesting characters in the Dragon Lance books. What's more, Crysania's character grows and strengthens making her a match for the twin brothers. The Despite being called War of the Twins, the action in the book does not spend a lot of time on battle sequences but rather builds the tension between the characters and further defines their relationship. It was a good book, well planned and executed. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Plot: Caramon, Raistlin, and Crysania barely escaped the Cataclysm, an act of Gods that changed the face of the world. However, they aren't safe yet. Jumping forward in time they arrive when people are still impoverished from the disaster and distrustful of others, particularly magic users and clerics. As Raistlin seeks to pursue his wild purpose he finds himself trapped. He has read the histories of this time and he knows what has happened and that the events led to failure. What haunts his dreams is that he is walking those very steps that lead to death, destruction, and failure and he can't escape it. Destiny seems to have sealed his fate even before he has begun. Regardless, all he can do is proceed and hope that this time it will work. Caramon is no better. Raistlin had no intention of bringing him along, saving him from the Cataclysm. The reason he sought his brother out was to kill him, but now finds himself as his bodyguard and the leader of his army. As Caramon tries to reconcile his relationship with his twin he learns more and more about the true nature of his brother. In addition to that Caramon is having feelings for Crysania. Is it possible that the twins could desire the same thing? Crysania is having a battles of her own. Unable to practice her healing magics for fear of being burned at the stake as a witch she feels helpless. Add to that the difficulty in working with the two twins and their differences and she finds herself at odds with both of them at times. She knows that she has a vital part of play, and she knows what she needs to do to succeed. That doesn't make it easy though.

My personal favorites: There was some wonderful development of the main characters. I particularly liked the middle portion where we get to see more of Raistlin. He truly is a complex character with his darkness waxing and waning under the his confidence and fears. Caramon devotion to and distrust of his twin oscillates in a very satisfying, suspenseful, and realistic manner. Despite the title, there was actually very little physical conflict in the book, but it truly is a war between the twins.

Considerations: Just like Time of the Twins there is some violence and brief sensuality. Again, there is no graphic material in either regard. Also just like the first book it ends with a mondo-cliffhanger, so be prepared to wait in suspense or have the third book ready. I'm having to wait, but I'm used to it.

All in all, War of the Twins was a satisfactory continuation of the story started in Time of the Twins. While some things were resolved, the overarching plot continued forward with the plot becoming fuller and more enriched. As always, Weis and Hickman write well and the world is rich. The book had good scope and a great balance of large and small focus. The total length was 411 pages.

Seven Years

This weekend was Angel and mine seventh anniversary. We got married as college students and were making about $550 a month. If it weren't for some savings and (to give credit where it's due) some divine miracles we wouldn't have been able to cover our bills or afford tuition and fees. We didn't have much. When we moved for the first time everything fit into a van with a 7 foot trailer. Our entertainment our days were spent in classes, grabbing lunch together when we could and taking a ballroom dance class together. Our evenings were often filled with homework.

Our first Valentine's Day had me stuck in a class until 7:30 pm. When I got home Angel had dinner waiting for me. She had splurged a little and bought steaks. She also had done baked potatoes, the big 40 count ones, and had a monster sized green salad. She smiled at me and told me that she expected me to eat everything on my plate. This was a cruel thing to do because she had spent the last 6 months training me to leave leftovers. My parents generally only made enough food for the meal - we weren't to keen on leftovers. Angel's family always made enough for leftovers as her parents took them to work for lunch the next day. The problem became evident when Angel made enough for leftovers and I ate everything on the table out of habit. The problem with the Valentine's Day meal was that the potato alone was about two pounds! I only ate half of everything and was very full.

There were many lessons learned that first year. We have fond memories of those times before we moved, found professional jobs and had children. There were plenty of ups and downs trying to figure out how we were going to balance family, roles, interests, and just how to mesh our two lives together. We celebrated our first anniversary with Angel being two months pregnant with Kanga. We took our cake topper with us. It hadn't been wrapped well and the outside fondant was as hard as a brick. However, when we flipped it over and peeled off the cardboard on the bottom, the cake was still moist inside. The frosting had protected it and we actually ate more than just the bite we fed each other on our wedding day.

Since then we've been through a lot. I won't, and can't tell it all anyway. Needless to say our ups and downs have gotten higher and lower, but through it all we've gotten closer. When Angel and I decided that we were going to get married we both confessed to being scared. Logically, it didn't make sense for us to wed at our current state. But we decided that regardless of how scared we were it was much better to be scared together. We have been many things together - including scared. But we have found that as long as we are together we can do whatever needs doing. I feel very lucky to have married Angel. Heaven knows that I don't deserve her. But I feel that every happily married man feels the same way about his wife. Saturday we went to the temple to do sealings, a tradition we started a couple years ago. It's almost like renewing our vows. While we were waiting one of the temple workers ask how long we had been married. He was surprised that it was seven years. He said it looked more like six months. Our reply to that was one of gratitude. As we believe in eternal marriage we figure that the relative shortness of mortal life when compared to the expanse of eternity that we are still (and will be for many, many, many years) honeymooners.

I love you, Angel. Thank you for seven wonderful years and I'm looking forward to infinitely more.

Book Review - Warbound by Larry Corriea

I got halfway through War of the Twins and then received a belated birthday gift. Or rather received a book that I had pre-ordered for my birthday. Larry Corriea is a genius when it comes to action, adventure, and the supernatural. His Monster Hunter series are my guilty pleasure books - a para-military organization that hunts supernatural monsters. They are the bloodiest, most profanity laced books I've ever read (which isn't saying a whole lot) and they are a total thrill ride to read. His Grimnoir Chronicles are an alternate history urban fantasy and, to me anyway, are even better than the action and excitement of Monster Hunter. The first two books in the trilogy are Hard Magic and Spellbound. The latest and last book is Warbound. Set in 1933 the world is very different. In 1850 people all over the planet started to display "magical" powers. As a result of super-science, magical abilities, and just plain old change the world is very different. The book was not a dissapointment and now holds my personal best for finishing a Corriea book, 24 hours from first page to the end. That's not 24 hours of reading, just totals hours between when I started and finished. My previous record was 28 hours. Edit: A year after this was first posted, I bought the Audible version. It is narrated by Bronson Pinchot who does an incredible job and is just over 17 hours.

Plot: In the first two books Jake Sullivan (a gravity spiker - someone who can increase or decrease the pull of gravity) has learned that the entity that gave people powers is a creature that has been pursued across the universe by a predator which feeds on the worlds "the Power" comes to reside in. He has recruit the help of some South Pacific pirates with an ax to grind against, fellow knights of the Grimnoir Society (a secret organization that uses magic to protect others), and a handful of outcasts including the most brilliant mind on the planet, a sociopath of a psychiatrist, and a dishonored samuri who has promised to kill him went they're done saving the world. They aren't sure where to look, but as they gain information the truth is far worse than they expected. At the same time, Faye, a traveler (person who can teleport) has learned that she may be the single most powerful person on the planet and that she may be destined to destroy it. As Jake and his motley crew look for predator Faye has to look for her own answers and what they both find out could either mean the end of the world or the power to save it.

My personal favorites: Corriea does not fail to excite and Warbound is no exception. Our heroes have new toys, new foes, and a iron hard resolve. The twists were exciting and many were unexpected but blended in well. The characters of Toru, Jake, and Faye were built upon even more. The side characters of Lance, Heimrick, and Lady Origami were well done too. The end battle was very well done with suspense, action, drama, and butt-kicking coolness. I also enjoyed the resolution and epilogue. I would love to read more in this world, but am very happy with the conclusion of this story. I think my favorite aspect to these books is how Corriea treats magic, how his characters figure things out, and how they use the new discoveries to do even cooler things. As always, the book had me at the edge of my seat for the whole ride.

Considerations: Like I mentioned earlier, Corriea is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Even though his other series has more profanity and gore the Grimnoir is not without it's share. I can say that the profanity was less than Red Storm Rising and the descriptions of gore are never gratuitously done. But I mention it because it's there. There is also what may be called brief sensuality, consisting of one scene with no graphic descriptions.

I recommend this trilogy to anyone looking to try Corriea's work. The books are well written, engaging, and just fun to read. He sets up the world nicely and presents some really wonderful alternate history views. If you know your history you'll get a kick out of the ways that Corriea has flipped it around to fit his needs, but still left it intact to provide a really cool comparison. The total lenge was 417 pages.

Audible Book Review - Specials by Scott Westerfeld

And I've now knocked down one of the trilogies I started last month. The climatic chapter to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, Specials, was a fun ride. Promises were fulfilled, consequences were brought about, and people were changed. It was a satisfying ending to the series and despite an ending that could be seen as an environmentalist plug it wasn't over the top or distracting. Here is the link to Audible's page for the book. It was narrated by Carine Montbertrand, again not my favorite but a decent job and this recording didn't have some minor anomalies that Ugilies did.

Plot: Tally has always been special, but now she really is - part of an elite team and connected to her fellows via skin-tennas and rituals. Their mission is to destroy that which Tally has held dear. However, there is one good thing about this new group, Tally is reunited with Shay. Unfortunately, she still longs to be near Zane. But Zane is not the same as he used to be. He is the only crippled pretty in the city and Tally is torn between her memories of what he was like to who he is now. Wanting to be with him, she and Shay embark on a trip that changes them. Seeking for the new smoke, they find it in a place they never would have expected. But that's not the only surprise. Smokies have gained access to new technologies and are fight back - not just running. Madi, David's mother has been developing new cures. And Tally's body and mind are fighting her heart. What's more, the consequences of Shay and Tally's biggest trick ever effect more than just them. Things have been put into motion that only Tally can fix. It's one thing to rewire your own brain, but will Tally be able to rewire others?

My personal favorites: The action, suspense, and tension of this book were more than the other two and made for an exciting read. Tally was again a very believable character and her and Shay's motivations were convincing. This book also introduced some new technologies that were pretty cool and helped enhance the world. The ending was satisfactory and I am content with the direction it went. The time line was also well done. Meaning that time passed in a believable pace. The climaxes to the different situations were well done as well.

Considerations: The biggest item for consideration is that several characters practice self-harming behaviors as it helps them to think clearer. This is not portrayed as overly positive, and several characters remark on the practice in negative ways. the scenes are not very graphic, but can be emotionally disturbing. Ultimately the practice is discontinued by all characters, but not before becoming a predominate element of the story. As usual, I mention this so readers can be informed. I will also mention a minor item - environmentalist. I had a bad experience when upon finishing a book I got hit in the face by a page and a half of pro-environmental propaganda. It was such a shock as I hadn't encountered anything similar anywhere else in the book. Don't mistake by comments as an anti-environmental position, but rather an issue with hamfisted political or social declarations. Specials leaned towards active environmental statements, but the thoughts were natural to the character and where not of the "hit you over the head" variety. The ending maintained that position, but was well done, logical, and not invasive.

Overall, I am content with the series and enjoyed listening to it. I do not know when I will mention it to my children - the discussions of what constitutes beauty are good, but I believe the self-harm, not eating, and alcohol use require maturity and some stability of values. Definitely a young adult as opposed to a middle grade. In many ways, the books are no worse (and in many ways better) then many that I read as a teen. My concern stems from the fact that unlike fighting dragons or leading armies, self-harm, not eating, and alcohol are issues that teenagers come across more often. Perhaps that is a reason that teens should read this as it gives reasons why people may choose to engage in these activities and then shows why it is better not to. The jury may be out on that for a while. It was a well told story with very, very good characters. The total length was just under 11 hours.

Old dog, relearning new tricks

When I was with my family last weekend my sister gave me a keyboard that she got from our older sister. M didn't need it anymore since she had gotten a piano free. (It had fallen off of a stake and is now held together by a c-clamp. Holds it's pitch thought). The only problem with the keyboard was that the power cord was missing. This weekend my family was out running errands and one of those errands was to scope of the local thrift store to check out their cords. I've donated weirder stuff to the DI (Deseret Industries). We were in luck! I found a 12v power adapter for 2 dollars. We took it home and plugged it in and it worked great.

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago I plan on taking piano lessons after I finish my masters. Sadly, I'm not currently taking classes until our house in Price sells. The thought struck me though that if I'm not taking masters classes I can start taking piano lessons again. In fact, when I mentioned my ambition to take lessons to our church choir director her husband said that he taught piano and all he charged was that you practice. If you don't practice, there is no lesson. I was excited and today asked him after choir if I could start soon. My lessons are on Saturdays at 9:30. I'm quite excited.

They say it takes 10 years of doing something consistently to become very proficient at it. I am comfortable with becoming proficient at the piano at the age of 40. I'll be honest, I have a lot more drive to practice now that I did when I was 6 though 12. I'm looking forward to redeveloping skills, learning new ones, and generally being able to learn how to make music that I enjoy.

Audible Book Review - Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Despite the bit of the cliffhanger at the end of Uglies, I felt like I need a break before staring Pretties. But now that the break is over I felt good diving back into the world of uglies, pretties and specials. Again, these books are a distopia hidden behind a teenage adventure romance. The characters are very believable which makes me both enjoy and cringe at parts of the story. As this is the second book in the trilogy, I'll just go ahead and dive into it. Here is the link to Audible's page for the book. It was narrated again by Carine Montbertrand and while she is still not my favorite narrator, I'm getting use to her style and voice.

Plot: Tally became pretty for a reason. The only problem is that she can't remember why. She has hooked up with her friends from her ugly days, and is a shoe-in for the coolest clique in New Pretty Town - the Crimms. In order to get into the Crimms you have to have pulled more than your fair share of tricks as an ugly. The leader of the Crimms, Zane, is determined to make sure they still pull tricks, only now that their pretty, the tricks have to be bigger and better than before. Tally doesn't know what to think about all this, but doesn't want to be alone without friends. Lucky for her, her tricks list is probably the biggest out there. However, the life Tally left is determined to make sure that she doesn't forget why she's there, or what the operation really does. What's more, Zane knows more than he tells and the tricks he plays are for a reason. As Tally and Zane uncover answers to questions that had been forgotten they come closer and closer together until they need each other. The problem is the questions they uncover aren't the only things lurking. What happens when those that Tally betrayed start to remember the pain? And why does Dr. Cable, the leader of the fearsome specials, seek Tally out? And what is Tally going to do when Zane and David meet?

My personal favorites: As I mentioned earlier, Tally is a very believable character. She is very well written with realistic actions, motivations, and desires. The majority of the other characters are as well. The pacing on this book was different than the first so it felt like it moved faster, but still covered a decent amount of time. The character of Zane and the other Crimms were fun and I got to care about them, even Paris. Shay was a fascinating person to watch, believable and intriguing. I almost wonder if the ultimate story is more about Shay's decent rather than Tally's rise (but I should say more about that). The continuation of the story was satisfying and the action was engaging.

Considerations: I hate to say that when I lay these out this book may appear to be one of the worst I've ever reviewed. I know there has been discussion about young adult become more hard-edged and this may appear to be one of those that spark the discussion. First, new pretties (newly turned into pretties that is) like to party and are expected to indulge in the pleasures of life. Consequently the first chapter starts with tally waking up with a hangover and having a bloody Mary to try and get rid of it. There are quite a few references to alcohol, most of them champagne, although Tally and Zane swear it off halfway through the book. Also which there is not sexual content in the book there are a few references to it (the need to be careful as a pretty not to be too eager), it does seem to indicate that tally and Zane sleep together. Note, that is the non-italicized sleeping as in they share a bed together. There is no indication of sexual conduct other than kissing with any of the characters. Two characters also abstain from eating for a couple of reasons, both reasons are seen as good, which is the part that is worth considering. It makes a point of showing that when the reasons are fulfilled one character identifies that she doesn't need to starve herself anymore. However, as someone with family who has suffered from eating disorders, I couldn't see it as harmless. The final consideration is that this book does discuss the practice of cutting oneself. A group of pretties take part in a ritualized cutting in an attempt to identify reality. In the scene in question those that are taking part are seen as "crazy" and the practice is looked on with abhorrence. Despite that portrayal the scene is still very intense and I can understand how many may choose to avoid it. As always, I don't mention these things to dissuade readers. Just to make sure that readers are informed.

I enjoyed the story and the characters. It was engaging and compelling. There were things that the characters did that I didn't agree with. Those things in question did not appear to be done gratuitously but where the actions, thoughts, and results of very believable characters and their choices. The total length was just over 11 hours.