Pappa Hardy’s Musings on Life.

Yesterday was the first day of the return to Standard Time. I remember now why I hate it so much. The sun was going down at 5pm last night. By 6pm it was totally dark. I hate going to work in the dark, and coming home in the dark. Since I quit skiing, winter is not very fun for me. I much prefer the light rather than the dark.

Tonight will be Halloween. In our area here, they have organized a trunk or treat which is a lot different than what went on when I was a kid. We would get dressed up (I always went as a hobo because that was the easiest makeup to do) and then run like crazy so we could make it to as many houses as possible during the evening. Now it is all organized. For me, the fun would be gone. I guess it is another sign of the times that we live in. We organize Trick or Treating because otherwise this activity can be too dangerous. I am going as a missionary to work today. That ought to be real interesting.

Today Harriet Meier withdrew her nomination as a potential member of the Supreme Court. The Conservatives (which I normally count myself one) were upset because she wasn’t going to over turn Roe vs Wade within a week. The liberals are happy because the Republicans are beating each other up, and now they want to apply the same Litmus test to a new nominee. This country we live in has gone mad. If we were ever a great nation, we are quickly becoming a nation of morons who have no interest in anything but their own political, social, or personal agenda, and who want the nation remade in their image. We are going down a dark road here, and I hate to think of where it is leading us.

This comment has been motivated by several blog entries I have seen on the blog “Living It One Day At a Time” Take these comments however you want.

OK, I read all of the comments to Chris’s first blog (31 at last count) and I read Erins comments in her column, and I guess I have two things to say. I can see (speaking as a long term married guy) why singles would feel uncomfortable going to a wedding and/or reception due to marriage status. The church in particular tends to put singles through the ringer. Having said that, I just don’t understand the comments on the cheapness of Mormon wedding receptions. There are a couple of things I don’t think have been said. One, we are there to honor the couple, not to see what we are getting in turn. Some comments to me tended to sound to much like what is in it for me. You don’t go to a baptism or a baby blessing, or a funeral because you are getting something out of it, rather, you go because you are paying respect, honor, or whatever to an individual.

Having said that, not all couples or their parents are created equal, particularly financially. The comments I saw being made regarding the cheapness of some receptions again made me wonder, why are you going. Is it to honor the couple, or pay respects, etc., or are you going for a good time. If it is for a good time, then I think you went for the wrong reason. I was to both of the receptions Chris mentioned in his earlier blog entry. I can say that they both were excellent, etc., and so on. We can’t measure these things by the extravagence they represent, or we have lost our bearings.

Let me also say that the Chinese have an old custom, one which I think is terrible. It is called, “we must save face”. They would rather bankrupt their family (saw this happen personally to a church member in Taiwan) rather than not throw a party that was expected of him for his wife when she was buried and put in the ground. It seems rather silly to me for us to start talking about cheap weddings when we supposedly aren’t there to bankrupt the newleyweds or there families. There, I have said, and it is off of my chest.

OK, what is this site all about. Who knows. Read, and you may find out

Yep, it happened again. I woke up at 3:00am this morning. I tried to dumb it down (that is, turn off my mind before it gets going) but before I could say stop, I was wide awake, worrying about the coming work day. The stress just eats us up anymore. In any event, tonight my head aches (it doesn’t help that I have a cold the kids in Cheyenne gave me when I visited, thanks kids) and I feel like death warmed over. While this song isn’t totally appropriate, in many ways it sure seems to be.

I’m so tired
The Beatles

I’m so tired, I haven’t slept a wink
I’m so tired, my mind is on the blink
I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink
No,no,no.

I’m so tired I don’t know what to do
I’m so tired my mind is set on you
I wonder should I call you but I know what you would do

You’d say I’m putting you on
But it’s no joke, it’s doing me harm
You know I can’t sleep, I can’t stop my brain
You know it’s three weeks, I’m going insane
You know I’d give you everything I’ve got
for a little peace of mind

I’m so tired, I’m feeling so upset
Although I’m so tired I’ll have another cigarette
And curse Sir Walter Raleigh
He was such a stupid git.

You’d say I’m putting you on
But it’s no joke, it’s doing me harm
You know I can’t sleep, I can’t stop my brain
You know it’s three weeks, I’m going insane
You know I’d give you everything I’ve got
for a little peace of mind
I’d give you everything I’ve got for a little peace of mind

I’d give you everything I’ve got for a little peace of mind

Had a nice trip to visit the kids. We went the way I suggested, and while the youngest child still at home didn’t like the time, the route, or the length of the trip, we went that way anyway. I am glad we did so because we visited some people who needed our visit. Kids are doing fine except that they were both getting sick. It makes one want them to move right next to us so we can take care of them. They need to take care of themselves.

Another indication of the excitement and stress in my life. We are going to visit the kids in Cheyenne this weekend, and the debate in our household runs to whether we should go tonight or tomorrow, and whether we should take I-80 and face Elk Mountain or go on I-70 and go through Denver. Will the stress ever stop?

It is interesting reading other blogs and then thinking about what I write in mine. What I write and am thinking about sometimes is pretty mundane. Example! Yesterday I was looking at the City of Payson’s website and came across a notice there. It said that the pressurized irrigation system was going to be turned off by the 20th of the month and that we should all then be shutting our systems down, draining them, and doing our yearly maintenance. I got right excited and that was one of the first things I made sure I told Bonnie when I got home. It really isn’t very important, but when you get to be my age a lot of things that used to be important no longer are and these types of dumb things tend to float to the top. Things must be pretty boring in Payson for me to get excited about that prospect.

If not for you.
Well, I was looking for some kind of George Harrison tune to describe how I was feeling about this fact that I heard on the weather forecast tonight. The forecaster said that in October we lose about 1 1/2 hours of sunlight during the course of the month. Oh my heavens, I don’t think I can handle it. Well, alas, George didn’t have anything about the sun disappearing (he does sing about it coming). However, I ran across this old ditty that is a Beatles’ album in 1970. Darkness made me think about how the wife brings meaning to ones life, so here we go. See if you can figure it out!

If not for you
Babe, I couldn’t even find the door
I couldn’t even see the floor
I’d be sad and blue, if not for you

If not for you
Babe, the night would see me wide awake
The day would surely have to break
It would not be new, if not for you

If not for you, my sky would fall
Rain would gather, too
Without your love I’d be nowhere at all
I’d be lost, if not for you

If not for you
The winter would hold no spring
Couldn’t hear a robin sing
I just wouldn’t have a clue, if not for you

If not for you, my sky would fall
Rain would gather, too
Without your love I’d be nowhere at all
I’d be lost, if not for you

If not for you
The winter would hold no spring
Couldn’t hear a robin sing
I just wouldn’t have a clue, if not for you

If not for you

Mr Spocks nemesis from Star Trek, Dr. Bones McCoy used to say, “they’re dead Jim” whenever something or someone had bit the dust in the show. Well, this morning my wife went out to the garden, came back in, and crying, said “They’re dead Jim” (well, mabye she used the name Mike). I felt just like Captain Kirk. Too bad it was the tomato plants she was talking about rather than an invading Klingon fleet.

Yeah, it was cold last night, and those tomato plants are dead.