Myopia and The long View

Perspective is important when making critical decisions. If you are too close and involved you may need to step back to take the long view. The long view does not change principals but may change the ways and means of acheiving objectives consistent with those principals.

Anyway, in light of our current predicament, lately I've reluctantly been drawn to serious contemplation of commerce, trade, and macroeconomics. Once upon a time I read lots of scholarly journals on macroeconomics (for Dr. Koller as his research assistant). Now I am being sucked into a vortex of economist's views on Keynesian economics, moneterism, and current attempts to fix the American economy.

So... consider this... or... maybe not.

Conquest

This is a Cessna Conquest. I have been thinking a lot lately about conquest, independance, monetarism and myopia. And, I was going to share some of these thoughts -- especially about monetarism (since this is the drving economic theory that the American Government uses to try to fix all economic problems). And maybe I will expound on this later, but...

As I was surfing the TV trying to find basketball and avoiding the talk shows I happened onto a BYU devotional where Steve Young, Todd Christianson, Thurl Bailey, Alecia Keys, Brandon Doman were speaking. But, what dramatically stopped my finger from rotely pushing the up arrow on the remote was the singing of Thurl Bailey -- wow, what a voice...! I think I knew he sang, but...

(Actually, Shauna, you should listen to Steve Young's talk. With your new appreciation for football you will enjoy...)

Scattered & Scheduled!

So scattered (my whereabouts at any given time) and scheduled am I that an impromtu ride on my garage queen Kawasaki KLX450R cannot happen! For the second time in January I have been at the wrong place at the wrong time when I have been asked to ride number 5!

How can I adequately post new and interesting blogs on "Melon Tours" when I don't tour on my green machine? I will never be able to create motorcycle diaries or practice Zen (and the art of motorcycle maintenance) unless I am free to spontaneously tour upon my trusty off-road steed.

I am seriously disheartened and must contemplate my next move.

Gambling

I made either a mistake or an intelligent move today by reviewing my "retirement accounts." Holy smoke these funds are about a third less valuable than they were last year. I guess I knew this but have preferred to keep my head in the sand as the financial pundits are telling me to keep throwing money into the stock market -- hang in there, it will all come back!

Now I just feel like some addict. You know the kind that sit at the black jack table and keeps throwing good money in trying to win all he's lost back. If I would have pulled my head out (the sand) 12 months ago I could have spent that money on a new airplane -- now I don't know who has it...

Get out of the way!

Cole driving the Tundra. I've added a slideshow, it's short but I'll be adding more... eventually. Stay tuned for more.

A little more relaxing

Finally a day where we didn't drive 200+ miles! We ran at the fitness center in front of picture windows looking out at the boats and the Mobile Bay. I would have run outside but it was mighty cold and I had no cold weather running gear. We meandered down to Orange and Gulf Shores where we ate at Lulu's (Jimmy Buffet's sister's place) -- Shauna's pick for lunch. All was calm and uneventful. I'm sure LA is one of the best kept secrets around. We're now in Mobile. Back to New Orleans tomorrow for lunch then on to Vegas and St. George.

Heading for warmer climes.

The weather started getting cold in Atlanta so we bolted for the Gulf of Mexico as fast as we could. We got to LA in good time (Lower Alabama). We're staying at Marriott's Grand Hotel in Point Clear on the coast (circa 1854). Work is piling up back home, but this is a nice place to be.

The Mumfords moved to Atlanta a few years ago and built themselves a southern mansion on 17 acres of wooded land. They put us up for the night and we got the chance to reminisce.

From NC we high-tailed it down to Atlanta and took in the night city Scape -- it is quite the sight. I worked again visiting our new Dixie Aerospace facility in Peachtree City. Then we got together with our old friends from Saugus -- The Mumfords and went out to eat. We lived there some 23 years ago!

After Old Salem I interupted my vacation with a day of work with BE Aerospace. When there I stay in a Marriott by Wake Forest University, home of the Demon Deacons. Last year the Demon Deacons went to the BCS Orange Bowl and made enough money to add on to their football stadium. They put this statue up of a Demon Deacon, so now you know what one is! We visited this campus and Duke's in Durham, NC.

The South, continued...

Oh Virginia! While still in the South, Virginia was cooler. But, we enjoyed the trip through the southern states and will soon (now) head back through them from a different direction and without Hayley snoozing in the backseat. So, it's just you and me... babe.

Went to Church with the Ben & Candice & Zoa & Drake & Aven family before Hayley flew from Norfolk to Vegas to SLC to start classes. They put us up for a couple of nights in their new house and we had fun eating, playing games, talking until late, and stuff! They were all a lot of fun --Aven prattled on and on while moving furniture and being cute as a button. Actually they were all pretty nice looking buttons!

Here (below) Shauna sits close to Duke's Gardens in Durham, NC. -- home of the Blue Devils. We walked through the gardens and around the gothic campus for a little excercise. Shauna bought a pink blue devil visor. I resisted the temptation to purchase something "Duke" having no connection to it.

We (above) visited Old Salem in North Carolina today. It was settled in 1753 by the Moravians. Who? This pre-revolutionary war sect originated in Moravia, which is now in East Czech Republic in the 14th century by John Hess. He was a Catholic Priest that predated Martin Luther in his questioning of the status quo and got burned at the stake for his efforts. But, some good brethren took up his cause and they found a benefactor in Germany who let them set up camp. In the 16th century some made it to the colonies and wound up coming down from Pennsylvania and settled in this wild Carolina. This cemetary that is called "God's Acre" reflects their belief in equality among men -- all are buried next to family in order and with like headstones. The Moravian cookies are good.

Charleston!

Oh the enginuity of those warriors. This early submarine was probably hard to manage. Who would go down in this?

Shauna is not one of the "Daughters of the Confederacy" but it does make one realize...


The city of Charleston is made in living history. I liked that about Savannah too. People live there and work there within the historical context. Who would have thought that so many (of today's) Southerners are so... hip.









Here we sit in the "The Lady & Sons." This was a hot spot in Savannah for Southern cooking (owned by Paula Deen). Fried Chicken, sweet potatos, collard greens, mac-n-cheese, black-eyed peas, grits, creamed corn, BBQ pork, sausage and rice, etc. I ate almost all of it, Hayley almost none.

It takes too long to upload pictures so I'll have to create an album later to look at pictures. After lunch in Savannah we headed to Charleston and enjoyed the wonders there.

Southern Live Oak & Spanish Moss

After driving a lot of miles we made it to Savannah. What a unique place! The South seems so far away from the West. Pioneers were largely Yankees and Europeans. Mormon Pioneers didn't have a lot of old French colonialists with them. Hayley is battling a cough and hates that we're watching the BCS championship right now.


In Tallahassee we found these huge Southern Live Oaks

The Gulf Coast

Mother and Daughter and bliss...

On the Gulf Coast we found this lady all alone, or wait...

NO LA was quite nice in the morning, but after a quick cruise down Bourbon Street we decided it was no place for a 19 year old or 2 50- year olds so we scooted on to Mobile and beyond.

After waiting for this freighter called the "Ahbu Dahbi," I couldn't get it to stop for me.

Here Shauna is at Jackson Square in New Orleans. After the heavy rain soaked Ball State and Tulsa it moved East and left very nice day in the Bayou.

Family Immediately!

Here Clint is trying to explain to Luke how to perform a kick flip on a skateboard. Luke can't or won't understand it.

Here Cole insisted on keeping his fingers on the strings -- he fell asleep while playing "Cole" to the tune of "Gloria."

Here are 3 of my girls in their Christmas PJs looking really good!

Here, poor Ashlie got an IOU for Christmas. Better luck next year!

Here Canyon is performing to the beat of his own drum.

And here you see my wife performing "I'll be home for Christmas" while dressed as Max Hall.

Us boys -- a David Dalton photo

You can check out the "early years" of the smallest of these three along with other slideshows by clicking on the slideshow links off to the right.