October 11, 2009

Dear Rosalynde, Gabrielle, Naomi, Brigham, Rachel, Benjamin, Abraham and Christian!

An important day for Eva. This morning mama and I went with Eva to Br. Goodsell’s house for her Patriarchal Blessing. I had stopped at the church first to set out the music for our ward choir rehearsal, then I drove to the Goodsell’s house to meet Mama and Eva. At least I thought I drove to the Goodsell’s house. I drove to Orchard Lane and stopped at what I thought was the Goodsell’s house. Well, it was the Goodsell’s house – several years ago. When mama and Eva did not arrive, I called her. They were waiting in the Goodsell’s house – on Colmena. How could I have forgotten that they moved years ago and I have been in their present house before? So I quickly drove to the Goodsell’s house. Eva received a wonderful blessing. She is truly a chosen daughter of God. I told Br. Goodsell that I wished we had three or four more children that we could bring to him in the future for patriarchal blessings.

Mama and I commented that while we occupy the second pew at the front, we certainly no longer take up the entire pew. We should make way for another large family. So this afternoon, Megan Broberg brought her son Aaron over for me to review his Eagle project and sign it. As I took Aaron back out to the car, I told Megan that after 20 years, we would cede the pew to her and her family if they wanted it.

Several weeks ago, Brian Palmer asked me to teach the High Priest Group today – Chapter 41 of the Teachings of Joseph Smith. I had remembered all week, but Saturday I forgot, and then thinking of Eva’s patriarchal blessing this morning, I did not remember. Just before Sacrament Meeting started, Brian Palmer came over to check. I was chagrined. I promised him that I would be prepared. So I read Ch. 41 during Sacrament meeting, made notes, sang with the choir, then drove home to finish preparing. I made it back in time for Priesthood Meeting. It went far better than I deserved – in fact even eliciting several “outstandings” and one email to the same effect. I gave the lesson to Eva and Mama for dinner.

This evening, as a started to type this letter, I put into the dvd player on my computer Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing. It was so funny and so fantastically well done, that I couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Eva pulled up a chair and watched if for awhile. Finally, we just turned it off so we could finish our tasks.

The other highlight of the week was the arrival of Rachel for a couple of days. Wednesday evening, I drove to LAX to pick her up. We had a great discussion about law school as she told me all about her classes. She is very much enjoying law school – just as I enjoyed law school. One difference is that while she is married, her husband spends late nights at Goldman Sachs, whereas while I was married, Mama often spent late nights with me in the library – particularly 2nd and 3rd years. Rachel might will become the 1L representatives to the Federalist Society – which I applaud. On the way home from the airport, we stopped by the Glendale chapel on Wilson for Mama’s class. we were able to attend about half of it. We love Mama’s classes on the Lectures on Faith. When we returned home, Rachel and I decided to go running – and Eva came along. Eva did so wonderfully, not have run at all lately, she kept right up with for the approximate 5 mile run. I asked her the next day how she felt – she did say she felt a little sore.

Thursday evening at 8:45 pm, I played in our last 40+ soccer league final game – until the Winter Spring season next year. Rachel wanted to come with me and she did. She spent most of the time on the cell phone and reading a book, so I am not sure she followed the action on the edge of the bench in excitement. We had about 17 players, so I only played about half the game, perhaps a bit more. We scored the first goal, then the other team scored the next two goals, then we scored the final goal. It was a well-played game by both teams. I played left and right midfield. It least I am in shape and can run. I told Eva that in terms of the players on the team, I would probably rank about 15th best – that is I would be about the 15th selection out of 18 if we were dividing up teams. However, in terms of speed, I would be in the top half. But that is fine with me – particularly since I average 10 or more years older than the other players. I enjoyed having Rachel with me. I actually played well, making only one errant pass, and making some pretty good defensive plays, and contributing a few important passes in the attack. Mama was very happy I did not receive another yellow card. Only one yellow card this game, and that came from the other team, when I double-teamed the attacker and stripped him of the ball – he lunged out with a vicious kick toward the ball and missed, and kicked my teammate. Rachel and I talked a bit on the way home about what a great game soccer is – and how even men getting older can continue to play it.

However, a sad event also occurred this week. I turned my Laramie back into the dealer upon completion of the lease. Sunday evening, I had driven the Megacab to Glendale for service at the Glendale dealership, then riding my bike back home again. I took my bike with me in the back of the Laramie on Monday, to ride to Glendale from the dealership in El Monte when I returned my Laramie. So I drove down to the dealership, and it turns out that the El Monte dealership had been closed by Chrysler! I had called Chrysler, and Chrysler said I could simply take it back to the dealership anytime. So I drove to Glendale, got the Megacab from the dealership, parked it on the street, and then drove the Laramie home. I rode my bike back to Glendale to pick up the Megacab. Tuesday, I called Chrylser, and Chrysler arranged to have the Glendale dealership “ground” the Laramie. So Tuesday evening, I took it back to Glendale and mama picked me up. I liked the truck and felt a twinge of sadness to see it go. Mama was entirely unsentimental about it and did not even think a second about actually buying it. In the showroom, I saw a $98,000 600 horsepower viper that I would liked to have got, but Mama was also not impressed by that. So now we are no longer a two truck family. But I am happy driving the one truck that I still have.

Friday, I worked late, and arrived home about 8:30 PM. I had it in mind to ride my bike to the Rose Bowl and back. However, I changed my mind, and instead went to Sarah Herman’s wedding reception and ate lots of food – salmon and mashed potatoes and gravy mainly. So instead of burning calories, I just consumed them.

Saturday morning, I left about 7:00 am and went to my office. I worked for awhile, then I went to the first meeting of the Caltech MIT enterprise forum for this program year. I did not stay the entire time, but went back to my office and worked until about 4:30 PM. (I have to get bills out, or people do not pay me. Doing billing is the least enjoyable part of practicing law.)

I then went to my Saturday pick up soccer game at 5:00 pm. By the time the AYSO game ended and the goals were set up, we only had about an hour of daylight to play. But we had a vigorous and fun game.

Saturday evening, Eva went to a multi-stake dance at our ward building. She had a lot of fun, but it was not well-attended. CVHS had homecoming that night.

That’s all for now.
Love Daddy