We spent the last two days skiing in Big Sky, Montana. A highlight of the trip is the drive through Yellowstone and Island Park, made all the more beautiful by the abundant snow.

If I didn't live in Idaho, one of my first choices of where to live would be Seattle. One reason I like Seattle is most of its residents have actually heard of Idaho, know it has mountains and that it isn't a flat Midwestern farming state. In fact, the bellman at the hotel I stayed at called it by its official nickname, the Gem State. I was impressed, because I couldn't return the favor and call Washington by its nickname. I just looked it up, "The Evergreen State." Very fitting.

The college campus where I held my meeting was shrouded in fog this morning. It was good to see some green grass and crabapple blossoms in February. Sometimes I get tired of looking at snow.

As long as we are talking about "ifs", one of the jobs I would choose to do if I didn't do what I do now is own a grocery store. And if I owned a store, I'd model it like Seattle's Metropolitan Market. Not only are their produce and prepared dishes amazing, but their organized shelves are works of art.

Seattle is known for its rain and clouds, but I've been fortunate to have sunshine for most of my visits. Mt. Rainier looked stunning as always.

Only six more weeks of winter.

"How do you make a contribution to reduce the national debt?

Make your check payable to the Bureau of the Public Debt, and in the memo section, notate that it is a Gift to reduce the Debt Held by the Public. Mail your check to:

Attn Dept G
Bureau Of the Public Debt
P. O. Box 2188
Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188"

As of February 14, 2008, the National Debt was $9,291,899,089,252.55 so a gift of $2.56 will get it back under $9,291,899,089,250.

I've now been on hold for 45 minutes because MCI won't let me cancel the service through their automated phone system nor can I do it on my account page on their website. Why have an online presence if you can't do something simple like cancel? I'm actually on hold on two different phone lines because I thought I might have better success calling their business line number, but to no avail.

I'm afraid to give up because I know I'll waste another hour if I try tomorrow.

UPDATE: After 90 minutes I gave up, but tried again this morning. Hold time was 30 minutes but finally an MCI rep in the Philippines picked up. She actually tried to sell me on an alternative MCI phone plan before I convinced her that after 2 hours of aggregate hold time I wouldn't dare purchase anything else from MCI for fear I'd never be able to cancel it. She finally let me cancel.

I am putting this blog on hold for awhile - prompted in part because after repeated attempts I can't get comments to turn back on. Blogging is too quiet when it's a one way conversation.

LaPriel and I just got back from a wonderful trip to Maui. What a lovely place. I hope to return again soon. I've included a few of my favorite pictures in this post.

May you all have a delightful holiday season.

Today I spoke a teenage girl who is repeating the ninth grade because the first time through she was homeless and addicted to drugs and alcohol. I asked her what caused her to turn her life around. She said it was her aunt who took her in and showed her what a real family is like. And it was her teachers in the small Idaho town where she now lives who mentored her and showed they care. In speaking with this young woman, you would never sense the rough life she has had. She was not bitter but full of hope.

These encounters caused me to step back and reflect. Am I living a life I will be proud of when I am in my late eighties. Am I a good enough mentor to those in need.

Maggie gets into the holiday spirit by eating the top of the Christmas tree, which had to be cut off in order to fit the tree in the house.

I personally don't recall hearing the phrase Black Friday until this year. Perhaps I live in a cocoon, but I just don't remember it being commonly used. A look at Google trends shows the number of web searches for Black Friday has spiked at this time for the last several years.

Before researching Black Friday's history, I thought they called it that because it is dark when everyone lines up outside the stores at 3AM in order to get the best deals like Camden and I did last year in order to procure a WII.

This year I stayed home and slept in. Only around noon did I venture to Wal-Mart with Bret to purchase Christmas lights. We swapped our indoor and outdoor incandescent lights for LEDs this year. I highly recommend the switch. LEDs are brighter, last longer, our cool to the touch and use 80% to 90% less electricity.

I was highly motivated to hang my own outdoor lights this year after I got a $250 quote from a local outfit that hangs lights professionally. Being charged $100 an hour for something that requires little skill seemed egregious.

Sorry for the lack of posts and the inability to comment. I updated to the latest version of Movable Type, and I haven't figured out the best mechanism to prevent comment spam.

I was packing to fly home from Walla Walla this morning when I happened to catch the game show The Price is Right. This year Drew Carey took over as host after Bob Barker's 35 years at the helm. I haven't watched this show in depth since I was kid. The premise of the show is to have the contestants guess the prices of various items, which conveniently gives the producers the opportunity to showcase their advertisers' wares. I would be awful at this game.

Watching Drew Carey reminded me of an investment manager I know that got into a bidding war with a prospective employer and his current firm. He stayed at the new firm for a week and then returned to his old company. He said that with all the back and forth negotiating he realized after the dust had settled he ended up on the wrong side of the aisle.

Drew Carey is in the wrong job and I think he knows it. I suspect in the heat of all the salary negotiations Carey forgot to consider how confining the show would be. During the show, Carey had a smirk on his face much of the time as if he couldn't believe how stupid the show is and how ridiculous the contestants act. The saddest part is Carey's comic mind is so quick, yet he's not allowed to say what he's thinking. The producers are too busy cajoling him to get the contestants to stand in the right place or screaming the rules for whatever silly game Carey has to explain. At one point, a contestant had to choose whether a $4,567 price tag matched the price of a dining set or some fantasy jumping game. Carey could barely get through the segment, because he was trying to stifle a laugh. Clearly, he had come up with with a joke about the fantasy jumping game - which cost over $6,000 by the way - but was unable to tell it.

There is nothing worse than having a job where you can't be yourself. I don't think Carey will make it more than one season. He won't be able to tolerate working in a straitjacket.

Dinner of Cobra and Stilled Water

Can Tab Convention