H Squared

Proverbs 22: 6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

This scripture has taken on new meaning in the last couple of days. There is obvious spiritual context but I have come to appreciate a physical application. I’ve realized just how much I try to do this with Hannah on a regular and daily basis with something as simple as saying, “Please,” or “Peeees” as it comes out of Hannah’s mouth. It also includes letting her help me make dinner and washing dishes, even if it means pineapple juice or water everywhere.

Sometimes I question my ability to deal with such messes patiently but I have learned their value. So, tonight we repeated the process. As I watch and think about this new ritual, I have thought about the many “things” Hannah may become. I am happy to say that at least, provided things continue as they are now, she will grow up to be a responsible young woman, and one who will make a good wife and mother as she learns these little skills from me now. I’m grateful for my own mother’s help in teaching me these same things. Besides, what better way for us to hang out and become better friends than by mixing up a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

So I will continue our forays into the world of domestic competence and someday maybe some one besides myself will clean the bathroom.

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Well Hannah is now officially two years old. We had a pretty good day yesterday even though it was just Hannah and I to celebrate. Yesterday morning we had a little party. I thought it would be fun to make doughnuts and what fun are doughnuts if you can’t share them? So we had about 16 people crammed into our little apartment for an hour yesterday. I think everyone had fun. The kids played while we adults enjoyed one another’s company. It’s the only way to have a party for a two year old.

Later, before going out to dinner, we opened presents from Grandma and Grandpa Hollingshead and the card that had come in the mail. Hannah just loved opening all of these things. Today she though she got to open everything that was in the mailbox. We had dinner at Applebee’s and then we came home to watch a movie together. The choice was “Chicken Run.” Hannah had a great time, especially since she got to stay up two hours past her bedtime, well probably closer to three and a half by the time she finally went to sleep. The day was apparently so great that she was full of energy and was still making noises when I finally fell asleep.

We had a party a couple weeks ago too while Hyrum was home. She got to open presents from us and Grandma and Grandpa Wright. We also enjoyed a Teddy Bear Birthday Party Cake and some strawberry ice cream. Hannah wasn’t too impressed with the ice cream and the cake but she loved the frosting and liked looking at the teddy bears. Dad had to blow out the candles which was probably a good thing because if Hannah had really tried we might have had a soggy cake.

We are so glad to have our Hannah Bug in our life. She sure helps to make it interesting and keep things light. I’ve realized that you have to have a sense of humor when you have a toddler. She certainly makes us laugh. We look forward to enjoying many more years with her.

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This morning, while eating breakfast, Hannah pointed and said, “clock.” At first I was curious to see what she was pointing at. Would you believe that she was pointing at the clock? Well, now my curiosity was shock. I must have looked it because she pointed again and said, “clock,” in answer to my look.

So why, you ask, does this warrant a blog entry? I have been pondering over the last few days, especially with her birthday coming closer, the things that have happened in the last two years. It is amazing to me how much she has learned. She went from a little baby who can do absolutely nothing for herself to a little kid who can talk, using that liberally, of course, get around relatively on her own, and probably feed herself although I don’t think a diet of goldfish and graham crackers is approved by the FDA. I’m constantly amazed at the little things she does.

In April, we started changing her diaper in the bathroom so she could get accustomed to that and hopefully put together the fact that the bathroom is used for such things. Well a couple days ago, she walked in there when I told her it was time to change her diaper and she promptly opened the cupboard, retrieved a clean diaper and the lotion, and laid down on the floor awaiting my help. How is it that she has decided to help me with this but when I ask her to pick up her toys, something she has been doing for about a year, I still have to send her to timeout before I can convince her that is a good thing to do? These little ones are so smart. At the tender age of two she is already an expert at stalling bedtime. HELP!! Those are all of the “terrific twos” type things she does. I promise she’s not a rascal all the time. Today she also wanted to give me hugs and kisses all day. She says “cheeks” and then puckers up to kiss me on the cheek. It’s really very cute.

This evening, as is tradition for Monday nights, we had Family Home Evening. When I told her it was Family Time she giggled and jumped up on the couch. Tonight we talked about Family History and then I had her help me a little with her scrapbook as a form of Family History. She had so much fun. We painted the background for a couple pages in her book, with her hand prints. It’s so fun to have a little one who can interact so much. I love being mom and I love our Hannah. As she continues to grow I look forward to having even more fun.

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While watching Tropical Storm Edouard track toward Austin, I caught this gem in the NOAA forecast discussion:


IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS VERY LITTLE PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A VERY STRONG TROPICAL STORM AND A LOW-END HURRICANE.

Translation: “Just ’cause we don’t call it a hurricane, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be worrin’ about it!”

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What was I thinking?!? kept coming to mind. I was staring up yet another climb on my ride of the Marin Century, a 100-mile bike ride through Marin County in the Bay Area of California. One of the premier centuries in the area, the ride goes through pleasant valleys, redwood forests, and even spends a few miles on Highway 1 on the California coast. I had registered for it a couple of months earlier to give me a goal for my summer cycling activities, but I was now having second thoughts as to my sanity in doing so.

The day started out pleasantly enough. After an early morning drive up the peninsula and across the Golden Gate Bridge, I was off to a chilly start on would would prove to be a remarkable day. I rarely ride with others, so group starts are somewhat of a treat, and I also enjoyed the support provided by the Highway Patrol as we made our way out of town. The group thinned quite a bit, but through the course of the entire ride, I never lost site of the rider in front of me.

The course profile was about as flat as a line our 2-year-old daughter would draw, and I paid for it dearly. I’ve done a few other centuries, but they were much flatter, and my lack of preparation for this one showed. The first couple climbs were challenging, but doable. By the time I hit the “Marshall Wall” a third of the way through the ride, I was starting to feel a bit sore. I was only a third of the way into the ride, but already thinking of the SAG wagon. I survived, thanks to my triple crankset and granny gear, with whom I became quite good friends over the rest of the course. Even the “flat” parts of the route were full of rollers, little hills which seem innocent until repeated ad nauseam.

The wind was another factor. No matter which direction I was going, there always seemed to be a headwind. Riding toward the coast and up Highway 1 I kind of expected it, but even after the turnaround point at Valley Ford we still had headwinds. Because I wasn’t drafting anybody, I had the benefit of fighting the wind the entire time. At the end of the day, I was glad to finally roll into the finish and enjoy the prepared food. Cycling is a great teacher, especially about physiology: I hurt places I never knew I had before!

In spite of all the difficulties (and post-ride soreness!), I really did enjoy myself. The views from some of the roads were amazing, the rest stops fantastically stocked, and the descents swift and energizing. My bike worked wonderfully, and I only fell over once (a sudden stop, and I forgot to clip out of the pedals). On more than one occasion, I felt like I was in the Tour de France, zipping though forests and past farms and cows, though at a slightly slower pace.

So, what’s next? Transportation and other issues will probably force me to abandon an attempt to ride the Santa Cruz brevet in a couple of weeks, but I’d like to shoot for another century a little closer to home in October. With the new baby coming, school starting up, and life getting hectic again, it may be a long shot.

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Since Hannah and I would be spending the summer away from Hyrum, we thought a trip to California would be in order. We also thought it would be great if it were just Hyrum and I, considering that September will add yet another dimension to our lives with the new baby. After this trip we decided that spending a few days together without kids when we’re expecting a new one isn’t a bad idea at all.

We spent the first night in Monterey at a neat place called Asilomar. It was just a quiet place right on the beach. It was cold and foggy that night so walking on the beach held no appeal however the next morning we did enjoy a little walk after breakfast.

The next day we spent at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. That was really neat. They have a wonderful jellyfish exhibit. And of course a lot of fish. We even got to touch starfish and other sea creatures. When we left the aquarium we had about an hour of sun and then the fog rolled back in. We drove down to Carmel by way of the 17-Mile Drive.

In Carmel we saw an old Spanish mission, Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. It was an interesting experience. We ate lunch then headed up the coast to Half Moon Bay. The drive was filled with fog but we did stop for a moment to see a lighthouse at Pigeon Point. The lighthouse is in disrepair so we couldn’t go in it but we did take some neat pictures.

We moved north up the coast and pulled into Half Moon Bay at about 3:00 that afternoon. It is a pretty sleepy town from what we could see. We stayed at a quaint little bed and breakfast called the Mill Rose Inn. We highly recommend it if your looking for a quiet and romantic place to spend a night. The next morning we enjoyed a gourmet breakfast and then we were off.

We decided to spend Saturday in San Fransisco. We began our tour of the city with what else but the majestic Golden Gate Bridge. It was a bit chilly and windy as we walked out onto the bridge. Hyrum was sure to stay between me and the edge of the bridge. It was quite the sight. Then we went down below the bridge to tour Fort Point, a National Historic Site. From there we made our way through the street of San Fransisco to park just a couple blocks from Ghirardelli Square. We enjoyed lunch at a diner there and then decided to walk down to Fisherman’s Wharf. We didn’t find anything too interesting there, unless you are going to eat fish, and we weren’t. We made our way up to Coit Tower. It really was up too. We stopped a lot to give me a chance to breath. From there we made our way down to China Town.

China Town was quite an experience for me. It was a long street that was filled with vendors of Chinese paraphernalia. There were some fine jewelry stores, restaurants, and shops selling spices, but mostly it was clothing and cheap toys. It was amazing how many people were there. It was great. Thanks, Hyrum, for humoring me.

Next we walked to the Cable Car Museum. Hyrum really enjoyed this. We got to see the actual cables that pull the cable cars through the city. It is amazing to think that these four cables pull the working cable cars up and down the streets of San Fransisco especially considering that they are extremely hilly streets. Then we caught a ride back down to Ghirardelli Square on a cable car. Going down the hill was crazy especially since Hyrum and I were hanging on the outside of the car. At one point of our ride the car stopped at the top of the famous Lombard Street, the curviest street in the world. Apparently there were some people skateboarding down it. Insanity at its best.

After four hours of walking through the city we were bushed. Hyrum wanted to check out Muir Woods National Park , which isn’t too far north of San Fransisco so we drove out there and after we couldn’t find a parking space close to the Visitors Center we decided that our aching feet would be alright if we just turned around. On the way back to the city we stopped at 7-Eleven for some needed refreshment. The slurpies made the trip worth it.

With our tour of the city nearing its close, we had one more sight to see on our way to Hyrum’s Apartment in Palo Alto. You may have guessed it, Lombard Street, the curviest road in the world, (for a block at least) was waiting to be driven. We drove from the Golden Gate Bridge to about four blocks west of the famous street at 5:00 pm with no problem, then we came to a stand still. It took us about half an hour to get up to Lombard Street. This apparently was something to see. One of the best parts of this wait though was the grade. The cars parked along the streets have to park perpendicular to the sidewalk otherwise they will roll down the hill. We were really glad we weren’t driving our manual. I definitely don’t recommend driving a manual in San Fransisco. We finally got to the top of Lombard Street and then carefully made our way down it’s curves. It was fun and really quite pretty with the view over the city and the landscaping they’ve done along the road.

We then made the drive to Palo Alto and got ourselves a quick bite to eat than settled down for the evening. Sunday brought church and an opportunity to hang out with old friends. Bruce, who graciously left us the apartment for the weekend, and our friend Samantha joined us for dinner and a couple hours of looking at pictures of our family. We love to show off Hannah and her antics and Bruce and Sam were good enough to let us. We took a drive around Palo Alto including the Old Honda road which Hyrum informs me he rides up on occasion to give himself a good workout. Just as long as he doesn’t try to ride down it, I’m ok.

Monday, we enjoyed breakfast at a diner in Palo Alto and walked down Main Street, of course none of the shops were opened but it was neat. It was like a small town you’d see on TV except the shops were selling Persian rugs, high end beauty supplies and there were all sorts of eclectic eateries. It was fun. Then Hyrum showed me his office and the VMWare campus. I know it’s strange but a small part of me is a little jealous. I use to dream of working in such an environment, but I do love being at home with Hannah and taking care of our little family and home.

All in all it was a great trip. It was nice to have a little pampering and some good quality time together. It also gave us a chance to realize how much we missed Hannah. She is really a great part of our lives. It was a great experience and really helped me feel better about maybe living there someday if that’s where Hyrum’s work takes us.

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The title of this blog is H Squared and I realized I have a long way to go to make sure that title is true. Hyrum has done a wonderful job of chronicling our adventure but without him here for the summer I thought I probably ought to add a few words from Austin.

Hannah and I spent the first six weeks of our family separation at Hyrum’s parent’s house in Allen. We broke it up a bit for a trip to Provo and my weekend in California–more on that later. My youngest brother entered the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah so my mom invited Hannah and I out to see him off. He’s headed to Denver Colorado to serve a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He’ll spend about 9 weeks in the MTC learning Spanish. All my sibling were with us except my second brother who is in Mexico serving a mission. It was fun to hang out with my family and see them. They’re a little further away than Hyrum’s parents so we don’t get to see them nearly as often. We spent time with Nathan and Emily and of course Adam. We spent one day in Salt Lake with my Aunt Julye and her family. The Saturday we were there the adults went to the temple and enjoyed an endowment session. It was pretty special to be there with my parents and siblings.

While in Allen, Hannah had a great time playing with all of Grandma and Grandpa Wright’s toys. Here is Hannah with one of her favorites, the Tent.

We spent a lot of time swimming and I spent a lot of time sewing. Since Hyrum and I got married I told him I would make him a Texas Flag quilt. Well I had been working on it and shortly before we left for Utah I realized that I could have it done before I went to California and give it to him for Father’s Day. I spent every moment I could working on it. We spent Memorial Day weekend with the family and Nate, Margaret, and Josh joined us. It was great to see them. Mostly we just hung out. I helped with what Mom would let me, which generally meant washing dishes and making dinner once a week.

It was great to have family around and a little break from Hannah. She and Rachel are best buds. Hannah had a great time bonding with her cousins, Samantha and Josh, since she saw both of them over the course of the six weeks.

Then Father’s Day weekend, I flew to “sunny” California, only to find out that that means southern California to spent the weekend with Hyrum. Hannah hung out with Grandma and Grandpa Wright. Hyrum loved his quilt. We spent another week with the Wrights and then it was homebound while they had their vacations. We went to Allen again for a week July 12-18. We had to come home because Hyrum joined us in Austin, for which we were so happy. While he was coming home for school work we had a great time seeing him. It was so fun to hear Hannah’s giggles while her dad played with her on the floor. I’m not so good at that right now. Monday afternoon we spent some time at the pool. It was nice to share that with Hyrum.

Tuesday we put Hyrum on a plane to Portland to present a paper at OSCON. We loved having him home and look forward to this weekend when we get to see him again, even if it is brief. Then we’ll have just four more weeks without him. At this point we’re counting the weeks for so many reasons. About 7 weeks until the new baby is due and four until Hyrum is home for good. The summer has gone by fast and we’re glad for that.

There have been some hard moments but we sure have learned a lot. I’ve figured out I can do this but that I’m really glad I have Hyrum to help me. We’re also really glad that we have family around to help out too. We’re grateful for good friends and neighbors that have helped get Hannah and I out of the house even though the weather is miserable. One of the best things is that Hannah and I get to enjoy some good time together before little brother arrives. There are blessings in trials, that’s for sure.

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Since moving from Utah almost 2 years ago, I’ve been aching to get back into the mountains for a few days. Our previous attempt as a family notwithstanding, I’ve been looking forward to a chance for some serious mountain hiking and backpacking for a while. Rooming with Bruce this summer has been fortuitous in that we both enjoy the outdoors, having done a few hikes while living together previously as roommates at BYU.

The Plan was to spend this entire week in the Trinity Alps Wilderness in Northern California. (In spite of what people in the Bay Area will say, there really is a substantial part of California farther to the north.) The Trinity Alps are part of a relatively-unknown area which contains large amounts of virgin timber and several dozen high alpine lakes, the perfect place to disappear from civilization for a week.

Unfortunately, we managed to pick the weekend when the entire state of California turned into a giant campfire. With packs loaded and ready to go, we drove over 12 hours during the course of a 24-hour period, looking for a place to go backpacking, from Oregon to Yosemite, but to no avail. I refer the interested reader to Bruce’s fascinating writeup and analysis for more information, but suffice it to say I’m spending the evening writing this post instead of counting the stars in the Milky Way. Bummer.

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While I’ve been in California this summer, I’ve been pretty car-less and with gas prices the way that they are, I’m not complaining. Instead of a car, I have a new bike, a Trek 2.3. I have wanted a road bike for a long time, and this summer turned out to be a opportune time to get one.

Of course, I decided to go ahead and register for the Marin Century, even though I hadn’t done any regular riding for the last two years. My daily commute is around 7 miles, round trip, which gives me a chance to do push myself, but I really enjoy the longer rides as well. This morning, I decided to go for a 65-mile jaunt around the South Bay: over Dumbarton Bridge, out through Newark and Milpitas, down around San Jose and back through Cupertino and Los Altos. There weren’t any major climbs, but it turned out to be quite the ride, and has given me some confidence for riding a century only 5 weeks hence.

On an unfortunate note, I did forget the sunscreen today, so I’m sporting some rather odd tan burn lines.

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The CDC has reported that since April, 552 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul. As a nation, our reaction has been almost heroic. We’ve pulled tomatoes from store shelves and fast food restaurants, banished them from sandwiches and let tons of stock spoil. In spite of its long-known and far-reaching health benefits, the tomato has overnight become the worst villain in the culinary industry. (Fortunately for our family, home grown tomatoes are still considered safe—for now.)

In 2006, the last year for which numbers are available, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic accidents. In 2001, more than half a million people were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present (source). That’s one injury every minute of every hour of every day for the entire year. For those keeping score at home, that’s one Salmonella case for every 208 alcohol-related injuries, just since April.

Although no known deaths have occurred due to the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak, we’ve bent over backwards to “fix” that problem, but whatever efforts we make to curb drunk driving seem to have little effect. Putting my personal religious disdain of alcohol aside, it would just seem sensible to put the same vigor into the problem of drunk driving as we do to contaminated tomatoes. We seem to accept drunk driving and the consequent deaths as an unfortunate part of life, whereas we have a right to eat tomatoes risk-free. Maybe it’s just me, but this seems a bit backward. I guess it just shows that the rational man is still an elusive creature.

As Joseph Stalin once remarked, “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic”. And that smells of rotten tomatoes.

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