Love At First Sight Worked For Me!

So after my post "Prove It", I have had many people ask about how my beautiful wife, Trina, and I met, so I thought I would share for everyone. I must apologize because this one is a little long. But each part is important to the story so be patient and I promise it will be worth it!

After I completed my mission for LDS Church in the Santa Rosa, CA Mission, I returned home to Boise and tried to get back into the swing of non-missionary life. It was difficult because so much had changed, most of all myself. Many of the things that I liked before my mission were now things that didn't matter so much anymore.

I had attended Utah State University on a full ride scholarship for music prior to my mission and that was still

an option if I chose to return. I loved Utah State and had a lot of fun during my freshman year there, but I had now taken 2 years away from school and had a new perspective of what I wanted to become. All through my High School Years and into that first year of college, I had a dream to play the tuba for the Boston Pops. I wanted to perform on the biggest stages with some of the best musicians in the world. I was confident that I could do it too.

The tuba had come easily for me to learn. From day one I was a natural. Though my size completely shouted out piccolo player, I was going to play the tuba. Throughout my junior high and high school years I was usually the only tuba player. This meant that I was always first chair. I had no competition. I didn't know how good I was until it would come time for Honors Band or All-State Band and there were other tuba players for me to test my abilities against. Honors Band and All-State Bands required students to tryout in order to be accepted. For four straight years I was selected to both bands. Each time I would compete for first chair within those bands. Each time I would make it.

Sometimes I felt bad because the other tuba players would talk about how hard they worked at becoming a good player. I don't want you to think that I didn't practice hard but I didn't practice nearly as hard as I could of nor as often. Every piece of music that was placed in front of me I would quickly and easily learn.

When I first got to Utah State University I was humbled when I competed for 1st chair and I was placed as 3rd chair behind a couple of seniors. I wasn't sure how to handle this other than to become one of those hard working players that I knew in high school. Within a couple of weeks I had moved to second chair but it was another month before I achieved my goal and became the 1st chair tuba player for the Utah State University Symphonic, Marching and Pep Bands. I was even given the opening solo for the Marching Band's opening piece "Killer Joe".

From 1984-1988 I played in the school bands, city bands, and even played with the Utah State Symphony once. In Alaska, we had the privilege of meeting the United States Air Force Band and the Canadian Brass.

Both of which I was able to play with during their visits. I received great advice from those band members as well as some encouragement. The tuba player for the Air Force Band told me he was very impressed with my level of play at that age. He told me that he definitely could see me playing one day for the Boston Pops.

However, when I returned from my mission, I realized what it was going to take to one day play for the Boston Pops. The chances were extremely slim. More than likely I would end up teaching junior high band and that was something I was certainly not interested in. The dream was a good one, but I just wasn't interested in the schooling that would be required for me to get there and to me the risk of not making it was also not worth it. The life of a musician can be glorious but the number of musicians that make it big compared to those who do not has quite a gap. For me, though I thought I was good enough, I did not want to play for just any band. I wanted the Boston Pops. That would make the road that much more difficult.

So I decided to forego my scholarship and utilize the skills that I gained serving as a missionary for my church. I had a new love for people and the ability to talk to all of them. I would become a salesman. I contacted Sonja Jensen, one of the church members that I had met on my mission, who lived in San Rafael. She owned a little print shop/copy center called Ram Insta-Print. They offered me a job running the hi-speed copy center with the chance to move up into a printing sales position. I told them I would accept the position and made the preparations to leave.

I wasn't sure how I was going to make it work financially because I didn't have a car and only about $1500 to my name. I had nowhere to live either. I called one of the families, the Becker's, that I had become very good friends with and asked if I could stay with them for a short while until I found something. They were very willing and told me they would love to have me for a while. So I moved back to California.

The Becker s lived in Novato, which is located north of San Rafael. I would need to drive about 20 miles into work. When I arrived at the Becker's home, I was greeted with hugs and then I followed them downstairs to where they had set up a place for me. They had basically made a small apartment downstairs off of the garage that had it's own entrance too. It didn't have a kitchen but it had a small studio apartment type feel with a living area, bed, and a separate bathroom. They said that I could use the kitchen upstairs as well and to make myself at home. The rest of the house was beautiful and spacious. There was a grand piano in the living room, a pool table in the family room as well as a big screen TV and mini fridge. Outside was a ground level trampoline, hot tub and a wonderful swimming pool. A bachelor's dream!

I called Sonja and told her I had made it to town and then made arrangements with Jon Canaan to carpool with into work. He worked somewhere that was conveniently nearby my job. I was all set. Things couldn't go any better. But they actually did!

My first day at work went very well. I learned about all kinds of paper types and was trained on how to use the new high tech copy machines that could copy in color, collate, staple, 3-hole punch and even put nice covers on. After work Sonja gave me the number of a friend of theirs who was an older woman and she was recently widowed. She was selling one of her cars. I contacted her and made an appointment to visit her and see the vehicle.

When I got to her house she took me to her garage where I found two cars parked inside. One was a very nice luxury car that she said had been her husband's car and a cute little VW Rabbit next to it. "The Rabbit was my car" she said. "I didn't drive it much, just to and from the grocery store and sometimes to my bowling league. The rest of the time we always drove my husband's car. Now I don't need it because I have his car to enjoy."

I looked at the Rabbit and it was in great condition. It was a '79 so about 12 years old. It had 4 doors and a sun roof. All leather interior and the best part, it was diesel! Not a big deal in Idaho, but it was golden in California. I looked at the mileage and it said 38,000 miles! She wasn't kidding that she hadn't driven it much. I got nervous that I wouldn't be able to afford it now.

"How much are you asking for it?" I asked.

"I just want to get rid of it without a hassle." She replied. "Sonja is a good friend and she told me that you were a fine young man that had a good need for it. I will sell it to you for $1200 cash, or $1500 and you can make me payments."

I hoped that the shock on my face was not apparent. "You are so kind." I said. I can have the cash for you tomorrow. She nodded and threw me the keys.

"You can sign the title tomorrow when you come back with your money," she said. And with that, I was set.

The car was perfect for me. It got about 60 miles per gallon so I could drive a lot and not spend too much. I did have to learn where the diesel stations were located just in case. In 1991 there were not a lot of standard gas stations that also had diesel offered.

I was only making about $8/hr and I had $300 left after purchasing the vehicle. I was not having much luck finding a place to live either. Most of the apartments were more than $1000/month. The places that were near where I worked were even more! After a week of looking for a place, the Becker's came downstairs and knocked on the door to my room. I opened the door and they both burst out that they would like me to stay permanently. I thanked them but I said I didn't want to stay anywhere for free. It was important to me that I earned my way and contributed as well. They said that they would figure out a "rent" for me and they went out the door and back upstairs. About 10 minutes later they returned, knocking at my door. They told me that they had made a decision and hoped that it work for me. The offer was $100/month plus a 6-pack of diet coke every week to help stock up the mini-fridge. This would include access to the entire home, amenities and even included the kitchen and food! I thought about it for about, say, half a second! I couldn't pass it up. I asked them if they were sure and they said absolutely. They liked having me around, their kids enjoyed my company and they also knew they would be out of town often, so they needed someone who could watch the house.

I was now living the dream on $8 per hour. I got a very part time job at the Roger Wilco grocery store as well. My rent was low, my gas was low and my food expenses were low even though I ate out a lot.  I was called by the church to serve as the Regional Young Single Adult rep for the area. This pretty much included my mission area which consisted of the northern California coastline up to the Oregon border and down to the Golden Gate Bridge. My duties were to put together events for all of the 18-30 year old single people, like dances, devotionals and other fun stuff. Many times this meant everyone was invited to my residence when the Becker's were on one of their excursions to Tahoe. We had pool parties, movie parties and just hung out a lot. It also opened the door up for some dating. Dating was fun. Mostly because I had little competition. Many of the young women were searching for good young men who had served a mission and that basically was just me.

Most of the other young men who had served missions would quickly move away from home to places like Utah or Idaho where they could afford to live and go to school. My setup allowed me to stay in California. So I dated a lot. I was having fun but it was a little disturbing that so many of the girls I was interested in were talking about marriage on the FIRST date! (Note to you single ladies out there, this is not recommended if you are truly looking to get married!) I was just not ready for that.

I was doing very well. My bank account was beginning to grow. I had lots of friends and lots of fun. This went on for about 7 months and then something kept creeping into my mind that I needed to go home. I ignored it for a while. The feeling wouldn't go away. I called my Dad and explained to him my feelings and he told me to pray about it and do what you feel is right. That was a no-brainer! Look at my life! Why would I possibly give this up? I stalled a week but the feeling never went away. So I hit my knees and prayed to see why I was getting this feeling all the time. Instantly I received my answer. As clear as day, I knew that I needed to go home. I didn't know why but I knew that I would find out later.

So I quit my job, said good-byes to everyone and moved back to Boise. During the drive home I contemplated all of the possibilities as to why I was going home. It became clear that I was to return to school and finish my education.

Once home, I immediately began to make arrangements to transfer my Utah State University records over to Boise State University. I became extremely frustrated at the process and felt that I wasn't getting anywhere. I soon found out that most of my records would not transfer to BSU. This meant I would basically begin again as a freshman. Then I found out that I wouldn't be able to attend until the following fall semester. I was angry and decided that I would return to my California life at least until the following year.

On Sept 7, 1991, I was about to pick up the phone to call the Becker's and Sonja to let them know I was
coming. As I reached for the handset I was startled when it began to ring. I answered the phone and to my great surprise it was a great friend from Alaska. My best friend Tony Darling's little sister Jenny was calling to let me know they were heading to Rexburg to visit Tony and surprise him for his birthday on the upcoming Tuesday. I asked who "we"
was and she said it was her, her little brother, Seth, and Sarah Anderson.

I thought for a moment and thought "what could it hurt?" I could call California later. "I will meet you guys there on Monday." I said. "I have a few things to do tomorrow before I leave."

It had been a while since I had been to Eastern Idaho. I had moved away from there to Homer, Alaska during my 10th grade year. I decided to contact some of my old friends and see if I could stop by while I was in the area. I really wanted to see one person in particular. The girl I'd had the biggest crush on since 1st grade, Diana Almohanna. Actually, I think everyone had a crush on Diana. She was the sweetest person I knew and she was gorgeous as well. I talked to a couple of friends and they told me that Diana was still in the area and she was still single. My heart leaped in my chest at the thought.

I got her phone number and nervously dialed her up. A few years prior I never would have had the courage to make that call. I had really changed in my confidence. Even so, I was still shaking as I heard the phone ringing through the handset. When Diana answered, I cleared my throat and said "Hi Diana, this is Horace Hallenberger, I'm not sure if you remem..."

I didn't get to finish my sentence. Diana excitedly exclaimed "Horace, how have you been! I can't believe it!"

I could hear she was genuinely happy to hear my name. That gave me all the confidence I needed. "It's been a long time! I wasn't sure you would remember me or not."

"Horace, I couldn't forget you!" She replied.

I continued, "I am coming to Eastern Idaho on Monday to visit an old friend up in Rexburg. I was hoping that maybe you would like to go out to dinner and a movie or something on Tuesday evening before I head home?"

"I am free that night, that would be great! I'm excited to see you again!" She answered.

"Great! I will pick you up at 6:00pm."  I got her address and said good bye. I hung up the phone and sat there and grinned from ear to ear. I was going to go out with the girl of my dreams in only two days.

Sunday couldn't pass quick enough. I couldn't get the thought of seeing Tony and Diana out of my mind. I kept asking myself if Diana would like me now. I had changed a lot since the last time I saw her. I was about 5 feet 1 inch tall and under 100 lbs as a sophomore in high school. Now I was 10 inches taller and 60 lbs heavier. I felt that my chances were much greater now.

Monday late morning I headed for Rexburg. The Rabbit was running nice and I had the sun roof open and the beach boys blasting. I was pretty excited for this trip. I stopped for lunch at a burger place in Twin Falls and made it into Rexburg mid afternoon. I met Jenny, Seth and Sarah and they took me to Tony's apartment. He had already seen them but they hadn't told him that I was coming. We knocked on the door and one of Tony's roommates answered. He said that Tony was in his bedroom and he went to get him for us. When Tony finally appeared his eyes became wide when he saw who was standing in the doorway. "Horace Hallenberger, is that you?" He asked as he came to me and we embraced in a bear hug.

It was so good to see Tony. Tony's family was very close to my family in Alaska and Tony was a great friend for me through some very difficult times. We talked for hours about our missions, music and Alaska. It was great. He told me he had to go to a class but that I could stay at his apartment. We made plans to meet up later that evening with everyone so we could celebrate his birthday.

After he left, I met up with Jenny, Seth and Sarah again. They said they were going over to Jenny's old apartment from the previous year to visit her old roommates. She had graduated in the spring but the girls that she roomed with were still there.When we got there we found that there were a whole bunch of people at the apartment. They were having a family home evening with some of the guys and other girls who lived in the nearby apartments. They were playing a game of some sorts. Jenny and Sarah saw some girls they knew and went over and sat with them. Seth and I sat on the crowded floor right inside the door and watched the game. It seemed a little confusing and there was too much commotion with that many people crammed into the little apartment.

We were talking and laughing as we watched. Then I stopped and caught myself staring into the little kitchen area. Seth saw me and asked me what I was looking at.

"That's the girl I'm going to marry." I said.

"What are you talking about?" Seth asked and laughed at my comment.

"That's the girl I'm going to marry." I repeated and I pointed at a pretty blond girl walking around in the kitchen. She was wearing a soft green shirt with white polka dots and blue jeans. Her hair was long and was pulled back and fastened with a banana clip. The front of her hair curled and puffed up with hair spray. She was beautiful.

Seth still wasn't buying it. "Whatever dude, you're crazy." He said.

I didn't hear much else. I just watched the pretty girl in the polka dots.

After we left, Seth told Jenny and Sarah what I had said. They laughed and thought I was silly. "Her name is Trina." Jenny told me.

Trina. I love that name, I thought to myself.

Later that evening we all met at the bowling alley for Tony's birthday party. Jenny's roommates came too, and they brought Trina with them. Watching her, I could tell she was athletic. She had a beautiful smile and I loved watching her smile and laugh with everyone. After bowling we went to JB's for some dessert. I sat at a table with Seth and conveniently were at the same table as Trina. I finally had the opportunity to speak to her. We had a great time and we all laughed a lot. I decided to try a bold move. I bet her a quarter that I could kiss her on the mouth without touching her lips. The plan was to go in for a kiss and lose the quarter. She accepted the bet but when I made my move to kiss her, she turned her head right before and I planted one on her cheek. That was good enough for me though.

After we left JB's we all went our separate ways. Seth and I went over to Tony's place. Jenny called and said that she heard that Trina liked me. I asked her if she thought we could see her again that night. She said probably if we wanted to go by her apartment. So Seth and I got in the Rabbit and headed that direction. I told Seth that we couldn't go without taking some flowers. So we drove up to the Student Union building. Out in front of the building was a big circle that was landscaped with lots of flowers. I parked and told Seth to run up and pick some of the prettiest flowers. We looked around to make sure that nobody would see us.

When all was clear, Seth bolted out of the car and ran over to the flowers. He picked a whole bunch of them and then sprinted back to the car. He jumped in and we quickly drove away. Then we both were caught up by an awful smell. We realized soon that it was the flowers. They were very pretty, but they smelled horrible. What should we do? We decided that stinky flowers were better than no flowers and we drove on to Trina's apartment.

The girls in the apartment were obviously waiting for us to arrive. Jenny and Sarah must have spilled the beans. I asked Trina if she wanted to go for a walk and she agreed. She put her shoes on and we ventured out into the dark night. We walked and talked for a couple of hours. Just the two of us. We talked about our families, school, sports, my mission and lots of other things. It was very comfortable. I loved everything about this girl. Her voice was peaceful, her eyes were sparkling, her hair was gorgeous, her laugh was infectious. I was totally twitterpated. I wanted to know everything about her.

It was very late when I finally walked her back to her apartment and said good-night. I felt a little bad because she had told me that she was running the mile run on the track in the morning and would be timed. But she didn't seem too worried about it.

The next morning I went to the track and watched her run. It was clear to me that she had run this way before. She had a long stride and was quite elegant as she set her pace. Her legs were shapely and athletic and I was mesmerized as I watched. She was easily outpacing the other racers. I was impressed.

I talked with her for a bit after her run then she had to "run" to her next class. We made arrangements to meet up in the afternoon before I headed out of town. When we did meet I had a hard time ending the time together. I had never felt this way before. I stretched out my stay to the very last possible moment then said my goodbyes to Tony and then Trina. I drove off watching her in my rear view mirror. Would I ever see her again? I had to. I would have to figure out a way.

Jenny, Seth and Sarah had decided to go to Provo before they headed back to Washington. They wanted to stop and see Kirsten Ballentine, another friend of ours from Alaska who was attending BYU.  They invited me along and I said sure, I would meet them in Pocatello the following morning. We would drive together to Provo and I'd leave my car in Pocatello and then pick it up on our way back.

I got to Pocatello and checked into the Super 8 Motel. I had about an hour to prepare for my date with Diana Almohanna. For some strange reason, I was no longer nervous about that date. I had been waiting for that night for about 15 years. I had played it out in my mind a thousand times. I had always been nervous even when I was just dreaming about it. But now I stood in front of the mirror just minutes away from living that dream and I was as calm as I'd ever been.

I drove up to Diana's apartment and rang the bell. I took a deep breath as I waited for her to answer. The door opened and Diana smiled at me and then gave me a big hug. She was still as sweet as ever. I walked her to the car and we drove to dinner. We talked about a lot of things. It was a very enjoyable evening. I finally told her about the crush I had on her since first grade. I was caught off guard by her response to this revelation. She asked why I hadn't said anything before. She then told me that she had thought I was cute growing up and kinda had a crush on my too. I had to stop her there. I didn't like knowing that I might have had the slightest chance back then.

Our discussion was nice. It was good to reminisce. We talked about current dating prospects. She said she wasn't currently dating anyone. I told her I had recently fallen in love. Yes, I actually told her that. And from there it all came flowing out. I told her everything about meeting Trina. Diana was so sweet. She sat and listened and seemed genuinely happy for my new found joy. She told me that Trina sounded like a great girl and that she was excited for me. I told her thanks, but that though I was in love with Trina, I didn't know when I would see her again. Diana said that everything would work out if it was meant to be.

It never got awkward but we did decide that our long dinner and conversation was enough for our date and we called it a night and skipped the movie. I took her home and walked her to her door. She gave me a hug and I told her thanks for the date and also for the many years of being my friend. She told me that she hoped everything worked out with Trina. And with that we said good-night.

I drove home contemplating all that had happened. Had all this really happened? What would happen next? I tossed and turned that night.

The next morning I woke up late and hurried to get ready so I could meet Jenny, Seth and Sarah on time. I walked out to my car and waited just a few minutes when they pulled up in Jenny's car. They all got out and to my surprise they had an extra passenger. A pretty blonde exited the vehicle and looked at me with a big beautiful smile. "Surprise!" She said.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Trina had decided to skip a couple of days of classes so that she could spend another couple of days with me.

That's how it all began. A couple of days extended to a week. I finally did return home. The day I came home I drove to Trina's parents house in Boise and introduced myself. Then I would drive every weekend to Rexburg to spend every minute possible with my girl. We talked on the phone in the evenings and I wrote her letters and poems everyday. It took a while but my love for her finally became contagious and she returned her love for me.

I know this is a long story. A very long story. A story that is still being written today, more than 25 years later. A story that will be written for the next eternity. A story with a beautiful beginning, chalk full of plots, but never an ending!


To always be continued..........

Not Much of a Fish Story

During my time in Alaska I was able to enjoy many of the wonderful outdoor experiences. I loved the beautiful scenery that was everywhere I looked. I loved the wildlife that I would see each day like moose, bear, porcupine, bald eagles, moose, golden eagles, dolphins, killer whales, moose, sea lions, beluga whales, humpback whales, and of course moose. As you can now tell, there are a lot of moose in Alaska. The McDonald's where I lived actually had one place an order in the drive-thru!

 I loved everything about this country. My dad and I spent extensive time fishing and hunting and enjoying as much time outdoors as we could get away with. When we weren't playing in nature's wonderland, we were working, going to school or involved in something for church. Living in Anchor Point meant we spent a lot of time in our car traveling back and forth from Homer, which was the main town where everyone worked, shopped, etc. It was about a half-hour drive from our little home into town. I absolutely loved this drive everyday. So many things to see along the way. My favorite was right as we came over the last hill and into the turn that drops the highway into Homer. One of the most beautiful views I have ever seen.
As you looked south and east across the Kachemak Bay you would see the majestic mountains and glaciers of the Kenai Mountain Range. Everyone who has ever seen that view has come away with the same opinion, that it is breathtaking!

My best friend Tony Darling and I loved it so much that we would even volunteer to go with our dads when they had to cross the bay to do some church service in Seldovia. Tony's dad, Jim, had a nice 23ft boat that we often fished in together. One afternoon on one of these excursions, Tony and I decided to stay back in the boat and fish while they went to visit some of the church members around the little town.

We docked the boat and let Dad and Jim out. Then we took the boat away from the dock a bit and dropped the anchor. The water wasn't too deep so we would fish for some flounder or very small halibut. First we had to catch some bait. Flounder and Halibut are not to picky but we had found that there was a specific fish that they seemed to love, the Irish Lord.

The Irish Lord is one of the ugliest fish in the ocean. They don't hardly fight at all when you catch them. It's almost as though they know you wouldn't dare put them in your mouth so they are confident in their being released. When you hook one and begin to reel it in it is quite a site. As the fish slowly is dragged to the surface, all you see is this huge ugly head. I remember the first time I caught one of these and thought, wow! It was huge! But I was so wrong. Yes, the head was huge, but once I lifted the entire fish up over the side of the boat I realized that the fish was nearly the same length as the entire width of the head! It had spiny fins that were somewhat like a rockfish.

So Tony and I took a small hook and a little worm and dropped it over the side. In no time at all, Tony had a bite and reeled in a small Irish Lord. We quickly gutted the fish and filleted it on one side. We took the pieces we had cut from the fish and hooked it onto our larger hooks used for catching halibut. We cast our lines out a little ways and allowed the hooks to descend all the way to the bottom of the bay. We then began to wait.

We made ourselves comfortable as we sat there enjoying the slight up and down movement of the boat. We opened up our little lunches and ate as we talked about life, school, the Beach Boys and of course girls. It was very relaxing. Just two friends talking and fishing. What more could I ask for?

Our relaxing moment ended quite abruptly however. We had thought nothing of the Irish Lord that we had left mutilated on the side of the boat where we had cut it up for bait. All of a sudden we heard a slapping noise and we both turned to where the noise was coming from. What we saw was.....Let me just say that I am very happy that Tony was there with me. For one, I almost fainted at what I saw and Tony could have saved me had I injured myself falling in the boat, and two, because it is always good to have a witness when things like this happen!

What we saw was the most impossible thing ever. The Irish Lord, gutless and partially filleted to the point that you could see the bones, was flapping around on the side of the boat. Tony and I watched as it flapped itself over the edge and into the water. We both ran to the side of the boat and watched in awe as the fish floated for a second and then righted itself and swam away as though nothing were wrong.

Slowly I turned to Tony who was still looking overboard with his mouth agape. He turned towards me and we stared at each other. I don't know how long we were standing there just staring at each other before I asked Tony, "Did that just happen?"

"If you were not here right now, I would never tell anyone what I just saw." Tony replied.

"I don't know if we should tell anyone anyways" I said. "We might both be put away somewhere".

Tony nodded and we had decided that it would stay between us. And it did. Right up until our dads returned to the boat and we unloaded on them our amazing story. We could tell that they were trying to believe the story because we were two trustworthy boys, but I could also see in their eyes that they thought we were telling them a fantastic "Fish Story".

I've told this story to a lot of people over the years. Amazingly some believe. Most of them look at me the same way our dads did 28 years ago.

A short time ago I was able to reunite with my good friend Tony who now lives in Utah. His brother, Steve and their families and I had a nice dinner and were able to reminisce our childhood years in Alaska. I told lots of stories of Tony and I and his family loved hearing about him when he was a young man. When I told the story of the Irish Lord, I could see that Tony hadn't shared that one with his family. Once again, Tony and I were receiving the look our dads gave us the day that it happened.

Bugged Out Eyes!

Have you ever been poked in the eye? Have you ever been poked in the eye when your eyelid was still open? Have you ever been poked in the eye when your eyelid was still open by something tiny and sharp?

Right after I turned 9 years old, my mom and step dad, Vee, were living in Homedale, Idaho. It's a very small farm town in southwest Idaho. It was near the Snake River, not to far from the Oregon border.

That summer, some of Vee's family had come to his parent's house because his niece Melissa was getting married. Vee's parents, Grandpa and Grandma Davenport, had a place just a few miles from where we lived.  It was cool to meet some of Vee’s extended family.  There were some kids in my age bracket and we had a lot of fun.  One of Vee’s nephews, Johnny, was my age. We became quick friends. Johnny came over to our house to spend the night and we put up a tent and camped out on the side of the house.

The backyard was full of five and six-foot weeds where I was often found hiding and or adding to my bug collections.  I collected everything from grasshoppers to praying mantises and all kinds of spiders, including black widows, garden spiders and cats face spiders. I had jars that were full of my catches.

One of my favorite things to do was to catch two different species and place them in the same jar. I would keep statistics as to which bugs would prevail in a fight. Many of the insects didn't fight each other but many of them did and there were some classic battles. For example, watching two different spiders attack each other was priceless. My favorite insect was the praying mantis. 99% of the time the Praying mantis would eat anything I put in the jar with it. Including the dreaded black widow. Anything that got near those long serrated legs was toast. Actually more like corn on the cob when you watched the mantis start to methodically eat it's prey side to side.

So during Johnny's visit, he and I were collecting some large grasshoppers that first evening and out of nowhere something flew into my eye.  It didn't really hurt at first but it was irritating for sure.  I tried and tried to get it out but to no avail.  Johnny and Mom tried to flush it out with water and the back leg of a small grasshopper came out.  We thought we had gotten it all out so we went to bed and awoke the next morning to a big surprise.  My eye had swollen shut and was puffing out like a bubble.

Mom said that it was probably just a reaction to the grasshopper leg but I thought I could still feel something inside my eye.  Mom said it was probably because my eye had been scratched while the leg was still in there.

When Vee’s niece, Melissa, and her new husband, Dale, showed up that afternoon after the wedding we all met to see them off.  They took lots of pictures and opened some of the gifts and I watched through my one good eye.  The family thought it was hilarious that I had been inflicted with this handicap by one of my own beloved insects.  I suppose that is pretty funny now that I think about it.




It was not funny then however. It was a week later when the swelling finally subsided.  I was washing my eye out with some water because I still felt that scratch on my eye. It felt good to finally get some cool water in there. While I was splashing the water into my eye, I felt something on the edge of my lower eyelid. I took one more handful of water and splashed it on my eye. The feeling went away, as did the scratchy feeling. I looked into my hand and saw the cause of my ailment.  A baby grasshopper missing one hind leg had fallen out from behind my eyelid and landed in my hand. I looked at the sharp prongs on the lone hind leg and knew exactly what had been causing the scratchy feeling.

To this day I still enjoy the six legged species and I love to watch them fight. I'm not so fond of spiders but I do enjoy catching them whenever I have a praying mantis. Love to watch the praying mantis eat, and it might as well be a creepy spider. However now when I go collecting I make sure I am wearing the proper safety goggles. Just in case one of them tries to give me the macro view again!

Prove It!!

 

We all have certain dates that come each year and bring a memory, good or bad, to us. Usually these are associated with holidays or birthdays or anniversaries. For me Dec 26th is a day that always takes me back to a life altering moment of my own.

Let me begin by letting you know that I met a girl on Sept. 9, 1991, and I was absolutely twitterpated. I was head over heels in love from day one. So much so that 4 months later I proposed to her and she accepted. We were scheduled to be married in the spring of 1992. Life was grand.

We went through the normal preparations that most couples do for their special day. We had scheduled flower arrangements to be made, picked out our colors, bridesmaid’s dresses and tuxedos for the wedding party. All was moving along nicely.

About 4 weeks before the big day, my fiance and I were enjoying a nice day together. During the evening we cuddled and watched a movie together. As it became late I could tell something was on her mind but she seemed content. Then out of nowhere she began to break-out in some sort of rash. Her face and arms were blotchy, puffy and red. It happened so fast and spread throughout her body.

She immediately wanted to go home so we hopped in my 1979 VW Rabbit and headed to her house. When we arrived she got out and ran into the house. Her mom was awake and could see that something wasn’t right. She looked at her and told her she had the hives and that she needed Benadryl and to be put into a bath with baking soda. They hurried down the hall and I was left standing at the door. I tried to say good night to them but I don’t think that they heard so I left and went back home.

The next day she called me and said she wanted to talk. I drove to her home again and we went for a little ride. She began to tell me all about the night before and how she had become overwhelmed with stress and anxiety that she triggered the hives breakout. When I asked her what she was so stressed about, I would not like the answer.

She told me that she had been having cold feet about the wedding and needed to postpone it. She cried as she told me how scared she had been. She said that she loved me but she had not experienced enough dating and life to jump into marriage.  She wasn’t breaking up with me exactly but it was close. She wanted to date other people and know that she was making the right choices.

She handed me the engagement ring that I had given her and I refused to take it. I told her that the offer still stood and that I wasn’t going anywhere unless she told me for sure that it wasn’t to be.  She took the ring and I kissed her. I told her I loved her and that my decision was clear. I assured her that I was not upset or discouraged in her decision to wait. I had lived through broken marriages in my childhood and I would not want to start my own family with someone who had any doubts at all about me.

She said she would see me later and she got out of the car and went into her house. I sat there for a few moments with a flood of thoughts and emotion. Oh, how I loved that girl.

We continued to date throughout the spring and summer. I was still pretty exclusive with only a few friendly dates here and there. She, however, was slightly more active with the dating scene. Besides regular dates with yours truly, she was spending lots of time with more guys that I could count. I know because many of her dates ended with her finding me waiting for her at her home. Perhaps it was awkward for her and even more for her parents but I just had to know that she was ok and home safe. I also wanted to know just how much of a connection she had made with each guy. Needless to say it was gut-wrenching.

Our dates together were still awesome. We had so much fun when we were together. In the back of my mind I would wonder if she had that much fun with her other beaus. It was like a 1992 version of the Bachelorette and I just didn’t know if I would get the final rose.

As summer faded into fall and November fell upon us, her brother returned from his mission in New York. He wasted no time in telling his little sister that she needed to do something about the situation. She needed to either marry me or let me go and move on with my life.  So she sat me down at Thanksgiving after dinner and told me that she would let me know by Christmas one way or the other where I stood.  The wait was on. And it was agonizing.

Christmas arrived and I was quite excited and a little anxious. One way or the other I would know if I would spend the eternities with this sweet young lady.

She came over to my house Christmas morning. My family was full of excitement as we began to open up the gifts from Santa and everyone else. My younger siblings Michael, Robert, John, Heidi and Rebecca were there along with my Dad. It was a good morning. Near the end of the gift opening, she handed me a small wrapped box and told me “Merry Christmas”. I examined the box and became a little excited because it appeared to be a type of jewelry box. Like a ring box!  I gave her a look and then began to open up the gift.
It was definitely a jewelry box. I opened the box and sure enough, inside was a beautiful shiny…………silver, CTR ring.  I stared at it and then awkwardly smiled and told Trina thanks. She smiled big and gave me a hug.  And that was it.

The rest of the day was a normal Christmas Day. We went to her house for the rest of the day and played games with her family until pretty late that night. When I left her home I said good night to her out on her front porch. I stalled as much as possible before it became awkward and then I left. The whole ride home was full of mixed feelings. I didn’t get my answer. Perhaps that was my answer and she didn’t have the heart to break the sad news to me. I began to think of how I would now proceed with my life.  I got home, climbed into my bed and laid there thinking of all that had happened. Or rather, had not happened. It was early morning before I finally drifted off into a restless sleep.

December 26, 1992. Dad knocked on my bedroom door and told me to get up so they could do pictures. I continued to lay in my bed and drifted in and out of sleep. I was awoken again by my Dad, but this time he said there was someone at the door for me. I got up and slowly walked out, down the hall into the family room. Standing at the front door was a police officer. I looked at her quizzically and she asked if she could speak with me outside.

I followed her outside and shut the door behind me. She then told me that there was an incident and that I was wanted for questioning by some detectives. She told me that I needed to go with her and she asked me to put on some warmer clothes.

Still half asleep I went back inside and saw my entire family staring at me in horror. I walked back to my bedroom and put on a pair of sweatpants and a warm shirt. I put on some black shoes and socks. I was trying to be quick and didn’t really worry about fashion.

My brother, Michael came in and immediately asked what was going on. I told him I had no idea. “Do you think someone is playing a joke on you?” He asked.

My mind began to operate in overdrive as I began to think if this was a possibility. I thought of my friends from Idaho Camera, where I worked. I thought of people from church. I could not think of anyone who would be pulling a prank.

I walked out of the room and returned to the front door where the officer was waiting. As I grabbed my coat the officer noticed that my little brother John had picked up his new BB gun. “Son, I’m afraid I must ask you to put down the gun” the officer told him sternly. John looked at her with a little fear in his eyes and quickly set the gun down.

As I was stepping out the door I noticed that my other brother, Robert, was crying. Everyone was confused and worried. They had never seen their older brother in any sort of trouble before. It was devastating.
As we got out on the porch and shut the door behind us, the officer asked me to turn around. She told me that she needed to pat me down to make sure I wasn’t carrying any weapons. After patting me down she had me turn back around and she said she needed to place me in handcuffs during while I was in the car. She cuffed me with my hands in front and then led me to her car. She opened the door and helped me in, keeping my head from hitting as I ducked inside the car.

I stared at the cage that separated the back seat from the front. What was going on? I couldn’t wrap my head around it. My head was swirling as we drove away from my house.

As we drove I was torn between thoughts of being set up by someone messing with me and an actual case of mistaken identity. We drove down State St. in Boise to Glenwood Blvd. We drove up the hill and turned and drove past Capital High School. We continued all the way to Five Mile Rd. and turned south. I began to get a little worried because we were nearing the area where my girlfriend lived. I began to wonder if something had happened at their home and that someone had seen that I had left there very late the night before. I got a sick feeling in my stomach wondering if something had happened to my girl.

I began to think like McGyver. I was trying to figure out how I could get out of the cuffs and somehow escape. Perhaps I could confiscate the officer’s gun. I knew that wouldn’t work. This lady was tough. She actually kind of scared me a little.

I was relieved when we drove past Ustick Rd. That was the last turn off that would have led to her home. As we were approached Fairview Ave we turned and entered the parking lot at Deseret Industries. We made a circle in the parking lot and then exited back onto Fairview. Was she looking for someone? She continued to drive and turned back onto Five Mile and then turned into the parking lot at the K-mart. She said, “This is a very serious matter, Horace, and you need to be totally honest with us.”

“OK” I choked in reply.

She pulled right in front of the store and parked the car. She got out and then opened my door. She led me onto the walkway about 30ft to the right of the store entrance. “Get up against the wall” she ordered. So I walked to the wall and facing the wall I assumed the position with my legs spread like I had seen criminals on TV do. She told me I didn’t need to do that and she walked up to me and took the cuffs off my wrists. She looked at me very stern like and repeated how serious this situation was. Then she handed me a piece of paper.

I looked at the paper and began to read what was written. It was a legal document. I was being summoned. I continue to read. The plaintiff was my girlfriend. The document stated that I had wanted to marry her. If that were true then there were some things that I needed to do to prove that I loved her and that I was worthy of her love. I began to smile.

The officer then told me that I should remain there and that further instructions would be provided. She shook my hand and quickly returned to her vehicle and drove away. She had no sooner left me, when I saw a crazy driver in the parking lot swerving as he drove up to where I was standing. It was my girlfriend’s brother. He had a video camera which he was trying to keep focused on me as he drove. He got out of his car and came around to me.

“Horace, what are you thinking?” He asked me.

I didn’t say much. I just kept grinning.

“Well you have some work to do.” He said as he handed me a stack of about 100 florescent colored flyers. I looked at them and read what they had printed on them.

“I LOVE TRINA, I WANT TO MARRY HER!”  I smiled some more.

“Horace, you need to take these flyers and hand them out to customers as they come to enter into the K-mart.” Her brother, whose name is Eric, stated.


I looked around. It was about 11am on the day after Christmas. It was extremely busy. (K-mart was a popular place still at that time). Without hesitation, I walked up to the nearest customer walking towards the entrance and handed them a flyer. They took it, glanced at it and then looked back at me and smiled. I continued to do this and most everyone who accepted the flyer had the same reaction. Eric continued to record and even stopped a few of the passerby’s and asked them what they thought of what I was doing. “He’s crazy” or “He is so sweet” were common answers. One guy said “He might want to comb his hair.”  I hadn’t thought to comb my hair. I didn’t know I was going to be in public like this.

After all of the flyers were gone, Eric said “You’re not done yet. You still have some work to do!” I followed him to his car and we got in. We drove out of the parking lot and onto Fairview heading east. As we drove he handed me another piece of paper. I read it and was a little less excited with the instructions I was reading. I was to go into Wendy’s restaurant, ask for everyone’s attention, and then sing a song that was written on the paper. I was to sing this song to the tune of “Frosty the Snowman”. The words would be “I love Trina, she’s a beautiful sweet soul”….etc.

Now don’t get me wrong, I really like to sing. I’m not that talented but it’s just something I enjoy. However, in my current condition it made me more than a little apprehensive. First of all my hair was disheveled. I had total bedhead. I was dressed like I had thrown whatever was on top of my dirty laundry basket on. To gather attention to myself at that time was not preferred.

We pulled into the parking lot at the Wendy’s on Fairview. We got out and started to walk to the entrance. Right before we went in I reached up on top of Eric’s head and took his baseball cap and placed it on my own head. He didn’t seem to mind and just chuckled as he continued to video everything.  Once inside he said “The stage is all yours, Horace!”

I slothfully moved to the front of the store. I looked around. People were already sensing that something was about to happen as they saw the Eric and the video camera pointed directly at me. It would have to be lunch time. The place was packed with customers. I looked at Eric and he smiled and nodded. I cleared my throat and then with a loud voice said “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?”

People became quiet and turned towards me. I said, “I have a little song I would like to sing to you.” I heard some snickering and giggling as I again cleared my throat. I sang it as well as I could and loud enough for everyone to hear. I saw women reach over to their dates and hold their hands and others smiling and getting that “awwww, he’s so sweet” look.

When I finally finished the place erupted in applause. I was relieved to be done with it but I was happy with the response. People patted me on the back and shook my hand all the way out the door. When we got back into the car Eric said, “Nice job, Horace. I don’t think I could have done that.”

He started the car and we headed back out onto Fairview back in the direction we had come. He turned up Milwaukee and I became anxious when he turned into the Boise Towne Square Mall. I worked in the Mall at Idaho Camera. I knew a lot of people at Idaho Camera and throughout the mall. I was nervous at what might be required of me here. The place was an absolute zoo. Cars were everywhere. Eric drove around for a while and finally gave up and parked the car with one side up on one of the big snow piles that the plows had created.

We got out of the car and Eric walked to the back of the car and opened the back door. He reached inside and pulled out a large fluorescent cardstock sign. As he brought it around to where I was standing I realized that it was two pieces with some string between them at the top. It was a sandwich board. He handed me the instruction paper. I was to put on the sandwich board, enter the mall, and whistle a tune while skipping the entire floor plan of the mall fronts. I looked at the sandwich board. On the front was black lettering that read “I LOVE TRINA!”. The back was similar but read “I WANT TO MARRY HER!”.

I couldn’t believe that I was going to do this. The only reason I would is because I meant every word on that sandwich board. I placed it over my head and let it hang off my shoulders. It covered me from my shoulders to my knees. We went inside the main entrance and I took off before Eric could say anything. I whistled the Mickey Mouse theme and skipped as well and as fast as I could. Eric ran behind me trying to keep up.

“Slow down, Horace!” He yelled. I slowed slightly so that he could keep up. He then began to stop me and take me over to random people to interview them.

“What do you think of what this young man is doing?” he asked. Responses were varied. One lady said it was the sweetest thing she’d ever seen. Another guy said “There is no way in @%## I would do that for a girl!” One couple who was stopped said “I can’t believe anyone would do this!” to which Eric replied, “She’s making him do it.” The girl’s mouth went agape and her boyfriend walked away saying that he would have just walked away.

An older couple that we met was very nice. The lady said “This young man is to be commended” and she reached out and shook my hand. Eric asked her husband how he proposed to his wife. The man replied, “I just did it the good old fashioned way. I got down on one knee.”

As we approached the Idaho Camera location I picked up the pace and I didn’t care what Eric thought about it. I was afraid he would try to interview my work comrades and that was not a conversation I wanted to have!

After the long and exhausting skipping session I was finally done and we went back out the main entrance and the sandwich board came off. We went back to the car and I mentioned to Eric that I was getting hungry. I hadn’t eaten since the night before and all this “proving my love” stuff was wearing on me!
So we stopped at a little convenient store and got a couple of Mountain Dews and some chips. Then we were on the road again. Eric continued to video and would ask me questions about the experience. I could tell that he was having a lot of fun with it.

We drove down to Chinden Blvd. and started towards Boise. As we were driving Eric asked “Horace, what is that?” and he pointed towards a scrolling marquee sign out in front of the Bruneel Tire shop. I got a big grin on my face as I read the words “Horace, I Love You!!....Will You Marry Me?....”

Eric pulled into the Bruneel parking and stopped the car. He reached down next to his seat and grabbed a small box and handed it to me. It was the engagement ring that I had given to her almost a year before. He said, “You have some unfinished business to take care of. Go find her!”

I took the ring, got out of the car, and began to yell for Trina. I had my head on a swivel as I searched. Finally I spotted her and she came running towards me and embraced me in a huge hug. Then I saw her family start to come out from different hiding spots. I stepped away from Trina and got down on my knee and again asked her if she would make me the happiest guy in the world and be my wife. She said yes again. This time she really meant it.Then we kissed. And it has been happily ever after ever since!

Christmas I Won't Ever Forget

The year was 1981. My older sister, Melinda, and I had run away from our Caldwell, Idaho home to go live with my Dad in Boise. It was a very interesting time for me and I was struggling with a lot of things in my life. For one, I was really missing my Mom and my younger siblings. I especially missed Michael. We were quite close even though we were two years apart. He must have forgiven me for flinging him down the stairs when we were younger.

As much as I missed them, however, I was a total Daddy's boy. My Dad was my hero. I loved everything that my Dad loved. Sports, camping, fishing, hunting, and singing. Even though I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket back then.  Living with Dad was difficult though as I had to share him with his new wife, Becky. She was sweet but I could sense that she wasn't that comfortable having Melinda and I there. I was going through all the changes in becoming a teenager and I'm sure that wasn't easy for Becky to deal with.

I did have some fun when I was able to spend some time with my cousins Jimmy, Randy and Laura. They were my Uncle Jim's kids. Randy was my age and Jimmy was only a year older. I had only met Laura before so it was great getting to know them all. We had a lot of fun together. They had a lot of electronic games that were really fun. They were so willing to share with me too. I was looking forward to spending a lot more time with them.

I'd spend time alone a lot of the time. Playing basketball in the driveway or exploring the neighborhood. I tried to earn a little money raking leaves for some of the neighbors. At home I would listen to my little AM radio and sing along to Ronnie Milsap or Foreigner. When Dad was home I would try to talk him into going fishing. We liked to go down to the River below the Broadway bridge near the Boise State University stadium.

One time while we were fishing I looked out into the river about half way almost directly under the bridge. I saw something shiny. I pointed it out to Dad and he said it looked like handle bars. After we caught a few fish, Dad waded out to it and sure enough it was a nice 10-speed bicycle. Still in pretty decent shape. It would only require a little brake job as well as some oil on the chain.  Dad said he would put it together for me when he had time.

My Mom was still fighting for custody which I don't blame her at all. She loved us and felt that we should be with her. I wanted to stay with Dad even though things were kind of rough around his house. At least as far as I was concerned. Dad had been making some initial plans to move to Alaska with some friends of his. That made me want to stay with Dad that much more.

Dad hired an attorney to see what it would take for him to keep us with him. I remember going and sitting in this big office with a giant oak desk. The attorney's name was Kirk Anderson and he was really nice. (I'm glad he was nice because he would one day become my Uncle In-Law).  Mr. Anderson told my Dad that he could go ahead and fight for custody but it would cost a lot of money. This was not something my Dad had much of.

Dad talked to me about the situation and I know that it was difficult for him. I knew he didn't have much money so I told him I would be willing to go back to Mom. We agreed to wait until after Christmas though, which was only a few weeks away.

Melinda would be staying with Dad as she was 13 and was old enough to make the decision herself. I was pretty depressed. I cried a lot at nights while laying in my bed. I would pray that Dad would stay in Boise so that we would be able to visit sometimes. Mom had recently moved back to Pocatello so we wouldn't be able to be together as much but at least we would all be in Idaho.

As Christmas grew near I was struggling finding the "Joy" that was everywhere around me. My little brother John who was just a year old was the only one that could make me smile. He was the one person who could just look at me and make me grin. I was really going to miss that kid. Becky was trying really hard. I don't think that I did much to let her know that I recognized her efforts though.

Christmas Eve we went and saw my Grandparents. My Grandpa Hallenberger was my favorite person in the world. I'm named after him and I always felt a special bond with him. I loved going to their place. Especially around the holidays. We took Grandma and Grandpa over to Uncle Al and Aunt Edna's for a little get together. Edna was my Grandma's sister. I always loved Al and Edna. Edna made me laugh to myself because she didn't have any teeth and would smack her lips a lot. Al always treated me like I was his little buddy. We had a really nice evening and I was able to take my mind off of my moving dilemma.

We got home pretty late that night and I remember thinking how grateful I was that that would be probably be my last memory of living with Dad. Well it wasn't the last memory, but it was the best one.

Christmas morning we awoke and went as a family into the living room. There we found a few presents around the Christmas tree. Leaning up against one of the walls was the white 10-speed bicycle that dad had fished out of the river. It had some new used brakes and the chain was fixed. There was a little tag hanging from the handle bars. I looked at it and it said "To: Horace, From: Santa".  My Dad thought it was pretty funny. My teenage attitude wasn't as amused. I couldn't believe that I had received a bike for Christmas. A bike that was already mine.

I felt the depression deepen. I don't know why I had expected anything more from my Dad. I knew he didn't have the means to do much for me. I guess I was just hoping that he would make up for me having to leave.

The day for me to leave came quickly. I cried most of the trip to Pocatello. The only good thing was the excitement that my siblings were showing when I arrived. They were so happy to see me. They were anxious to show me all of their Christmas gifts. Their favorite was the Atari 2600  video game console with the brand new Pac-Man game. I have to admit, that was pretty cool. Even though they would kill me when I would play them. It's amazing how a few days head start can give such an advantage.

Michael was most excited. He couldn't wait to show me his new hand-held Coleco Electronic Quarterback game. That was pretty awesome. I was definitely jealous. Much cooler than my river bike.

That first week home was bittersweet for sure. I had a lot of fun during the week before school started back up. We played hard and I was happy to be with my siblings again. But it wouldn't last. Right after school started my Dad called. He was going ahead with his plans to move to Alaska. They were leaving right away.

It would be 3 years before I would see my Dad, Becky and John again. 3 long years. I missed my Dad so much.

I look back now and I see how sad this Christmas was for me. I always thought it was the worst Christmas of my life. It's taken me years to realize the good that was within that year. I was able to be with my Dad for a little while. I was able to meet great cousins. I spent quality time with my wonderful Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. I was even able to have a greater appreciation for the things that were important. I didn't need the bicycle and yet my Dad still waded into the river to get it for me. He fixed it up so that I would have something under the tree for Christmas. What would that Christmas have been like if the bike were not there?

I was also able to realize the great love that the rest of my family had for me. My Mom was so excited to have me reunited with everyone. My siblings were so full of love and joy. That is the part I miss most.

Sometimes I get a little grumpy around Christmas time with my family. My kids have so much that I was never able to enjoy at their age. I worry that the presents they are given are too much and that they will not appreciate Christmas the way we did. Yet at the same time, I don't want them to ever have a Christmas without. As a parent I do not want them to feel the hurt of wanting. Luckily I have been blessed with Children who love Christmas for lots of reasons. They love all the gifts they receive. They also love to give to others. They love to make others happy. That makes me happy. And that is all I want for Christmas.

Sawing Logs

The summer before my senior year of high school, I was tasked with gathering up wood, cutting it and chopping it into fire ready segments. Winters were long in Anchor Point, Alaska and so the task was not insignificant. The wood stove in our little home was our only source of heat. The previous winter I had spent much time chopping wood almost on a daily basis so that Mom and my younger siblings would be warm during the days while Dad, my sister and I were away at school and work. I really wanted to get a good jump on the wood so it would all be chopped and ready for the entire winter.

The good news for me was that we lived in the forest and I didn't have to meander to far from our little home to find some good dead trees to use. About a half a mile from home my Dad and I found a couple of nice big trees that were ready to be cut down. We cut them down and then my Dad left me to do my thing.

Lucky for me one of my best friends, Nelson Swett, decided to come out and help me. I'm thinking we must have had something planned later that evening that would require my presence so he came to help me finish quicker. :)

So we began to work as hard and as efficiently as possible. We took turns with one of us running the chain saw and cutting the branches off or cutting the lodge pole into nice logs, and the other stacking the logs up onto the trailer. It was going to be a very long day.

After we loaded up the trailer we hauled it over to the house and unloaded it at our wood chopping area. We grabbed a quick sandwich and a drink and then headed back to the fallen trees for round two. It was my turn to stack the trailer and I had it about 1/4 full. Nelson was going to town with the chainsaw and we were making great time. Nelson calmly called out to me, "Horace, I need you to go get your Dad, I cut my leg.".

I didn't hear him very well so I asked, "What?"

He turned off  the chainsaw and repeated very nonchalantly "I need you to go get your Dad."

"Why?" I asked.

"I cut my leg."

"Whatever dude!" I mocked and began to load up the trailer again.

"Horace, I'm serious" and after saying this, he walked around from behind the tree he had been cutting up and lifted up his knee so I could see. What I saw made me almost lose my sandwich. When Nelson bent his knee I could see the muscle tissue and the bone and the joint and......not cool!

I panicked. I ran all the way to our house hollering the entire way for my Dad. When I got to our driveway entrance Dad opened up the door and asked what was wrong.

"I need you to come quick!" I exclaimed while trying to breathe. "Nelson cut his leg really bad!"

"OK, calm down. I'm coming" my Dad replied.

I couldn't figure out why my Dad was so calm and moving so slow. "Hurry up, it's really bad!"

But he continued to move with the same urgency. The same urgency that Nelson had shown when telling me he had cut his leg! Was I the only one that saw this as an emergency?!

Dad got some medical supplies, then started up the big Dodge 15-seat van and I jumped in. We drove down to find Nelson casually waiting for us. Dad looked at it and said, "It's pretty bad, we need to get you to the hospital."

Finally, someone was sharing in my view of the situation. We helped Nelson into the van and we drove down the road towards town. We were approximately 22 miles from Homer, which is where the hospital was located. About 10 miles into the drive we stopped and met up with Jamie Ballentine who was a good friend of ours and was also one of our Seminary teachers. Jamie and my Dad administered to Nelson, saying a prayer and giving him a blessing. They prayed that God would help Nelson and that his leg would heal well.

We left Jamie and drove the rest of the way to the hospital. They took Nelson back and we waited. After a few hours we received word that Nelson was resting well and that they had sewn him up. The doctors told us that it was a miracle that he didn't cause more damage. I didn't really understand that because in my mind the only way it would have been worse is if Nelson had amputated his leg with the chainsaw. The doctor said that the cut was "perfect". Strange use of words for a doctor to describe a nasty cut. He said that the chainsaw had cut in a way that it didn't sever anything and it was in a way that kept the bleeding to an absolute minimum. Nelson would be fine and after some time and therapy should be able to resume a normal life on his leg.

What a relief. I was so happy that it was not more serious. Today, Nelson still has a little hitch in his giddy-up but not much. Nelson really must have enjoyed the experience and he learned a lot from how to cut meat properly. So much so that he went to culinary school and became an accomplished chef! I'm pretty sure he is more of a knife user now. The chainsaw is a little too loud for most restaurants! :)

The DWI : Driving While In-diapers

   

     A while back I told the story of my little brother, Michael, giving me a scare in my Dad’s old Ford pick-up. Well, I have been reminded that he is not my only relative to have had such driving issues prior to acquiring a driver’s license.
     Once upon a time, in 2002, I lived in Ammon, ID near Idaho Falls. We had been renting a home and were in the process of building a home of our own. One day we had driven over to the home of a friend who was near completion on their own home. We wanted to see some of the tile work they had done so we could decide if we wanted to do something similar.
     The visit was supposed to be quick so we had left the diesel truck running with our 3 kids in the back seat. Syveah was only 5, Amaya 2 and Trey was year old. All of them were nice and snug in their car seats. My wife and went inside and were in for about 5 minutes. In the middle of a design conversation with our friend we heard a loud crash outside. It appeared to come from the garage.
     We quickly ran up the stairs from the basement that led directly into the garage. There inside the garage was our truck. Behind the wheel was Amaya. In the back we could hear Syveah freaking out. Just in front of the truck, pinned between the stairwell and the bumper, was a brand new oven that had just been delivered for installation that day. Underneath the truck was a brand new counter-top range that had a nice tire track across it.
     Somehow, Amaya had managed to get out of her car seat, climb into the front of the cab, and drop the gearshift into gear. Even without using a gas pedal, the diesel engine had no problem propelling them forward. Thankfully she was able to steer it right through the garage opening missing the structure completely. The counter top range must have slowed them down and the oven stopped them cold.
     Amaya was not speaking yet at 2 years old. (Yes that has changed drastically). She was giving us a complete dramatization of what had happened from the opening of her car seat, to the hopping into the front, to the playing with the steering wheel, to the shifting of the gear lever.
     Sounds hilarious, right? Well, I was not amused. I instantly thought it was going to cost me everything we had saved for our own down payment. However, the owner of the house thought it was very funny. He even high-fived Amaya and asked her if she liked driving Daddy’s truck. While he was laughing I was very short with him. I said “There is nothing funny about it!”
He smiled and said, “Hey, that’s what insurance is for, right?”
That did lessen the blow a little but I still had to walk away and fume by myself.
     After we got home, I called All-State Insurance and talked to my long-time agent, Dave Despain. I explained what had happened. He too began to laugh and I started to fume again. Then he said something that made me stop. “Well, Horace, that’s why we insure your vehicle. No matter who is driving it!”
     I admit it is funny now. I can still picture Amaya’s frantic way of telling us what happened. Wish we had a good video device back then. It would be classic YouTube!
     This event came back to me when Amaya backed our suburban out of a school parking lot a couple of days ago. She is still practicing to get her license. As she backed out, Trina told her to stop….5 or 6 times!  After not stopping during any of the 6 requests, she had placed a nice deep scratch in the side of the vehicle. It’s only about 6ft long. About 1 foot for every time Trina yelled stop! No big deal!
     Dave Despain has retired now. Don’t know if I would call him anyway. Is it worth the deductible?
     Scoop is, Amaya driving = Horace's empty wallet!