Wow I haven't written in a while. Honestly it's because the days are all kind of melting together. I'm really happy things are starting to open up again.
As much as I'm excited to get out and start doing things again, I've really enjoyed the lockdown stuff. Not enjoying the death and the complete destruction of our economy. Really enjoying being home and spending more time with my weirdos. Also really digging re-discovering the things I love to do. Baking is a huge part of that. I've loved trying new recipes. My sister, mom and I have been doing the signature challenge of season 6 of the Great British Baking Show. It's been incredibly fun to try new things. It's also fun to realize that a lot of British desserts are terrible. Each week we do the signature challenge and everyone that tries it gets to vote. Whoever gets the most votes is star baker for that week.
What that's done is rekindle my love of baking and of trying new things. I made a copycat cinnaburst bread from Great Harvest the other day. Turned out pretty good. I need to tinker with it a little bit. I'm just really digging having the time.
I've gone back to office three days a week. That's good because it allows me to get more stuff done faster, but it is hard to leave the weirdos.
We moved to Sandy a few weeks ago. We live in an apartment across from the River Oaks golf course. I really like the grounds and the golf course across the street. It's really pretty. The only problem is the apartment itself. It's about the size of a smart car, but not one of those roomy smart cars. Seriously it is really small. Once the lease is up we'll hopefully be able to move into some kind of house. I'm anticipating house prices will fall, but we'll see. If we don't end up getting into a house we'll move into a different apartment. Hopefully the size a Prius. I don't like to be greedy though. I'd just like to be able to turn around in the shower without the fear of it becoming my tomb.
The place has 3 pools, so the girls are excited for them to open. I am too. I love to swim. I'd do it every day if I could.
It's interesting the two factions that are arising in Utah right now. There are the people who are screaming that nothing should be open and are watch-dogging everyone. Then there's the people that are screaming that this is all a lie. I maintain what I've said from the beginning. Come to the middle. Be aware and be cautious. Don't live in constant fear. Be smart but live your life. Cause seriously the extremists on both sides of this issue are causing more problems then we need to be having with all of the other problems. Just come to the middle. Interferers and busy bodies on both sides. Come to the middle and find serenity.
The ice cream website is up and running! Go to www.jjsicecream.com and order. It's been really interesting what has been popular and what hasn't. The thing I didn't think would work as well as it has is custom orders. The idea is we can literally make any flavor of ice cream you'd like. If you have an idea for one you've always wanted to try, or had a flavor once that you've always wanted to have again, or are having a party with a particular theme, we can make it for you. It's honestly making me stretch as a cook and I really dig that. I've had some pretty difficult requests so far. Bring it on.
Go check out the website. We're having a sale right now. Put in MEMORIAL20 at checkout and receive 20% off!
Thanks for reading! I'll get more consistent again now that the world is moving. Go check out the podcast too. We reviewed Village Baker this week and had the Great Burger King Taco debate.
Friday, May 22, 2020
Friday, April 24, 2020
Why Do You Think You Suck So Much?
I haven't written in a couple of weeks cause seriously what is there to write about? The insanity that is gripping our country on all sides? Yep. But seriously I don't want to write about it. So I won't. That's the best part about not being in school anymore. I can stop writing whenever I w
I've hit 70 pounds of weight lost since January 2019. It's pretty awesome but I've still got like 50 to go. The good news is I can actually pat myself on the back now. All these t-shirts that I love are now fitting me and actually looking good. It's fantastic but that's pretty much all I wear now. Which is awesome.
I've hit a plateau the last few weeks and it's frustrating at times. I'm losing inches but no weight. That's probably a good thing but I've decided that going to youtube for answers is a mistake. The reason? Most of these physical trainers are jerks and d-bags. They're the type of people in high school that you couldn't stand. Every video that comes up has a list of 5 things that you should be doing for any particular topic, and then it usually says "You're probably doing this wrong". That drives me insane. The thing is everyone says this is the right way to exercise or to eat but it all contradicts each other and each one is designed to make you feel like you're an idiot who just can't understand weight loss or fitness like they do. It's the reason I hated The Biggest Loser. For ratings they'd have these serious discussions that would basically be, "Why do you think you suck so much? Seriously how did you become such a fat load?" It would drive me insane. I'm fat cause I like cheeseburgers and cookies and I didn't want to limit myself to one. I'm fixing that now and feeling really good so quit telling me how much I'm doing wrong and how much you're doing right. I get that they're passionate but be passionate without being a d-bag. Quit telling me what I'm doing wrong. I guess I could stop looking at the videos on youtube but I'd rather rant about it.
It's certainly hasn't been an easy journey. With all the time on my hands I'm working out twice a day now which is fantastic. I highly recommend DDP Yoga, especially if you have back issues. Next month will be 3 years since I started having sciatica. It really really sucks. However it has gotten so much better since I started doing yoga and losing weight. I've done cortisone shots, physical therapy, chiropractors, acupuncture and ozone therapy and the only thing that has made me feel consistently better long term is yoga and weight loss. It's nice not to be in pain every second of every day. If you have any pain like that I'd highly recommend it. The thing I love about it is you start at your level. I think the reason most people say they don't like yoga is they start off in a class that's above their skill level and it's way too hard. You start at the beginning and work up to the more advanced stuff. I just started to really be able to do down dog the other day, and this was after months of building up the muscles. I'm totally OK with that because I started at my own level and worked my way up to this point. I plan on moving forward. As I've strengthened the back muscles and dropped weight I've felt the pain go away more and more. It still hurts, just not as frequently and not as long. It's awesome.
Our LLC has been approved, so as soon as our checking account is set up we'll go live with JJ's Ice Cream! I'm really excited about it. The website is jjsicecream.com. You can pick your own flavors or do custom flavors. We're also starting our with a special four pack: The Mormon 4-pack. The flavors are Chocolate Mormon Mocha (made with Pero), nursery punch, buttermint and green jello. They've been tested and they are super good! We're coming up with the jack-Mormon 4 pack as well. It's still in the works. I'll let everyone know when the ice cream business goes live. Please buy some and tell your friends!
Thanks for reading. Now that things are a little more positive I'll get to ranting about ridiculous things again.
I've hit 70 pounds of weight lost since January 2019. It's pretty awesome but I've still got like 50 to go. The good news is I can actually pat myself on the back now. All these t-shirts that I love are now fitting me and actually looking good. It's fantastic but that's pretty much all I wear now. Which is awesome.
I've hit a plateau the last few weeks and it's frustrating at times. I'm losing inches but no weight. That's probably a good thing but I've decided that going to youtube for answers is a mistake. The reason? Most of these physical trainers are jerks and d-bags. They're the type of people in high school that you couldn't stand. Every video that comes up has a list of 5 things that you should be doing for any particular topic, and then it usually says "You're probably doing this wrong". That drives me insane. The thing is everyone says this is the right way to exercise or to eat but it all contradicts each other and each one is designed to make you feel like you're an idiot who just can't understand weight loss or fitness like they do. It's the reason I hated The Biggest Loser. For ratings they'd have these serious discussions that would basically be, "Why do you think you suck so much? Seriously how did you become such a fat load?" It would drive me insane. I'm fat cause I like cheeseburgers and cookies and I didn't want to limit myself to one. I'm fixing that now and feeling really good so quit telling me how much I'm doing wrong and how much you're doing right. I get that they're passionate but be passionate without being a d-bag. Quit telling me what I'm doing wrong. I guess I could stop looking at the videos on youtube but I'd rather rant about it.
It's certainly hasn't been an easy journey. With all the time on my hands I'm working out twice a day now which is fantastic. I highly recommend DDP Yoga, especially if you have back issues. Next month will be 3 years since I started having sciatica. It really really sucks. However it has gotten so much better since I started doing yoga and losing weight. I've done cortisone shots, physical therapy, chiropractors, acupuncture and ozone therapy and the only thing that has made me feel consistently better long term is yoga and weight loss. It's nice not to be in pain every second of every day. If you have any pain like that I'd highly recommend it. The thing I love about it is you start at your level. I think the reason most people say they don't like yoga is they start off in a class that's above their skill level and it's way too hard. You start at the beginning and work up to the more advanced stuff. I just started to really be able to do down dog the other day, and this was after months of building up the muscles. I'm totally OK with that because I started at my own level and worked my way up to this point. I plan on moving forward. As I've strengthened the back muscles and dropped weight I've felt the pain go away more and more. It still hurts, just not as frequently and not as long. It's awesome.
Our LLC has been approved, so as soon as our checking account is set up we'll go live with JJ's Ice Cream! I'm really excited about it. The website is jjsicecream.com. You can pick your own flavors or do custom flavors. We're also starting our with a special four pack: The Mormon 4-pack. The flavors are Chocolate Mormon Mocha (made with Pero), nursery punch, buttermint and green jello. They've been tested and they are super good! We're coming up with the jack-Mormon 4 pack as well. It's still in the works. I'll let everyone know when the ice cream business goes live. Please buy some and tell your friends!
Thanks for reading. Now that things are a little more positive I'll get to ranting about ridiculous things again.
Friday, April 3, 2020
Organization Will Set You Free
Another week down. When did we become so cynical? It's amazing to me that anytime any piece of good news comes up about this virus it's immediately squashed. It's actually incredibly ridiculous. I consider myself a reformed cynic. It's in my nature to be cynical but I've worked for many years to be an optimist. As a result my cynicism tends to come out as intense hatred of Olive Garden and Cafe Rio. At least I know my cynicism is well deserved.
It's not that I think we should only be wide eyed optimists. Excepting the hard truth of this virus is an important part of taking our own responsibility to help stop it. However any time there is any piece of good news or anyone trying to show any optimism in any way it is quickly squashed. It's OK to have good news regarding the situation we're in. It's OK to know that things will get better. It's OK to hear about good things people are doing. When I look at the media all I see is people saying no one is doing the social distancing. At the same time I see the parking lots empty and the streets empty. There are a lot of people taking this seriously and doing what they're asked to do. There are people who are not and those people need to pull their heads out.
Enjoy the good news that you see. Embrace it. Share it. There is a tremendous amount to be grateful for, even during this time. It's important to be educated and to not underestimate what this virus could do to our country. Be the good you want to see. You'll be amazed at how quickly things will start to look up. Like I wrote last week, find something that makes you happy and do it. If there's a hobby you used to do and now you don't, start it again. If there's something you always wanted to do, start. You've got time. Make it good.
For Priya's birthday she got a toy guitar from Coco. Priya likes it a lot but Mirinda fell in love with it and often would sit on the couch playing it and singing. So I bought her a ukulele. She's so excited about it. The only problem with buying a 6 year old a ukulele is that you've bought a 6 year old a ukulele. She wants to really learn how to play it and I have no idea how to play one. So I guess I'm using my time of social isolation to learn how to play the ukulele so I can teach her how to play it. It should be interesting. Plus I have like 4 Hawaiian shirts that finally fit me again and I need an excuse to wear them.
Something that has constantly occurred to me this week is this: Organization will set you free. I really do believe that. When you always do what you need to do first, then you'll be able to enjoy the things you want to do more. Each morning this week the girls have got up and been given about 10 minutes to do what they want to do and to wake up. Then they start exercising for 10 minutes. It's either Mickey Mouskercize or DDP Yoga for kids. DDP Yoga for kids is being offered for free right now, by the way. After the exercise they have breakfast. These girls never eat breakfast. After exercising they finish their entire breakfast. Then it's homework and get dressed. Since they know exactly what to expect every morning it is so much easier to get them to do it and to give them incentives to do what they need to do. After they've done everything they get to have fun. There is much less fighting and arguing when they know what to expect. I think one of the problems is we have in our mind as adults what should be done and how it should be done. We don't always vocalize that to the kids and as a result they are left trying to guess what we're thinking and sometimes it looks like we are just being unfair or mean when there may be a good reason for the way things are being done. That's where organization comes in. Setting clear expectations and then following those expectations helps kids so much. Not always. Kids are still going to be kids. They're still going to have good days and bad days, good moments and bad moments.
I'm convinced that organization is the key in all this. Organizing priorities, organizing tasks, organizing everything. That's my suggestion this week. Get organized in whatever you need to be organized in. Let the kids help. Let them come up with suggestions and help to organize a plan. They will own it more if they have a hand in creating the organization.
Always do what you need to do first. My dad always told me a story about a fisherman who went out all day and caught four fish. When he came home he was very tired. He knew he had to clean the 4 fish but he thought he would sit down for 15 minutes and rest. After 15 minutes the 4 fish had become 6 fish. The thought of that made him more tired so he rested for another 15 minutes. Now he had 8 fish to clean. That was an overwhelming thought. After an hour of resting he had 20 fish to clean. The thought of that many fish was too tiring to him, exhausted as he was. He gave up and the fish didn't get cleaned.
In reality there was still only 4 fish. But because he decided to do what he wanted to do instead of what he needed to do first it felt like too much to do as he rested. Clean the fish first. Then do what you want to do. You'll enjoy the things you want to do so much more because the things you need to do aren't constantly on your mind expanding and growing until it just seems like there's so much to do.
Just remember this will end. Stay home and stay safe. Make a plan. Get organized. Find the joy where you can. It will get better. And if you need a good laugh or a recommendation on takeout, listen to my podcast.
It's not that I think we should only be wide eyed optimists. Excepting the hard truth of this virus is an important part of taking our own responsibility to help stop it. However any time there is any piece of good news or anyone trying to show any optimism in any way it is quickly squashed. It's OK to have good news regarding the situation we're in. It's OK to know that things will get better. It's OK to hear about good things people are doing. When I look at the media all I see is people saying no one is doing the social distancing. At the same time I see the parking lots empty and the streets empty. There are a lot of people taking this seriously and doing what they're asked to do. There are people who are not and those people need to pull their heads out.
Enjoy the good news that you see. Embrace it. Share it. There is a tremendous amount to be grateful for, even during this time. It's important to be educated and to not underestimate what this virus could do to our country. Be the good you want to see. You'll be amazed at how quickly things will start to look up. Like I wrote last week, find something that makes you happy and do it. If there's a hobby you used to do and now you don't, start it again. If there's something you always wanted to do, start. You've got time. Make it good.
For Priya's birthday she got a toy guitar from Coco. Priya likes it a lot but Mirinda fell in love with it and often would sit on the couch playing it and singing. So I bought her a ukulele. She's so excited about it. The only problem with buying a 6 year old a ukulele is that you've bought a 6 year old a ukulele. She wants to really learn how to play it and I have no idea how to play one. So I guess I'm using my time of social isolation to learn how to play the ukulele so I can teach her how to play it. It should be interesting. Plus I have like 4 Hawaiian shirts that finally fit me again and I need an excuse to wear them.
Something that has constantly occurred to me this week is this: Organization will set you free. I really do believe that. When you always do what you need to do first, then you'll be able to enjoy the things you want to do more. Each morning this week the girls have got up and been given about 10 minutes to do what they want to do and to wake up. Then they start exercising for 10 minutes. It's either Mickey Mouskercize or DDP Yoga for kids. DDP Yoga for kids is being offered for free right now, by the way. After the exercise they have breakfast. These girls never eat breakfast. After exercising they finish their entire breakfast. Then it's homework and get dressed. Since they know exactly what to expect every morning it is so much easier to get them to do it and to give them incentives to do what they need to do. After they've done everything they get to have fun. There is much less fighting and arguing when they know what to expect. I think one of the problems is we have in our mind as adults what should be done and how it should be done. We don't always vocalize that to the kids and as a result they are left trying to guess what we're thinking and sometimes it looks like we are just being unfair or mean when there may be a good reason for the way things are being done. That's where organization comes in. Setting clear expectations and then following those expectations helps kids so much. Not always. Kids are still going to be kids. They're still going to have good days and bad days, good moments and bad moments.
I'm convinced that organization is the key in all this. Organizing priorities, organizing tasks, organizing everything. That's my suggestion this week. Get organized in whatever you need to be organized in. Let the kids help. Let them come up with suggestions and help to organize a plan. They will own it more if they have a hand in creating the organization.
Always do what you need to do first. My dad always told me a story about a fisherman who went out all day and caught four fish. When he came home he was very tired. He knew he had to clean the 4 fish but he thought he would sit down for 15 minutes and rest. After 15 minutes the 4 fish had become 6 fish. The thought of that made him more tired so he rested for another 15 minutes. Now he had 8 fish to clean. That was an overwhelming thought. After an hour of resting he had 20 fish to clean. The thought of that many fish was too tiring to him, exhausted as he was. He gave up and the fish didn't get cleaned.
In reality there was still only 4 fish. But because he decided to do what he wanted to do instead of what he needed to do first it felt like too much to do as he rested. Clean the fish first. Then do what you want to do. You'll enjoy the things you want to do so much more because the things you need to do aren't constantly on your mind expanding and growing until it just seems like there's so much to do.
Just remember this will end. Stay home and stay safe. Make a plan. Get organized. Find the joy where you can. It will get better. And if you need a good laugh or a recommendation on takeout, listen to my podcast.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Now Is the Time. Tomorrow is Good Too.
Take another deep breath. It will be ok. We're going to beat this thing. We knew it would be a bad week. It's time to get more serious about the social distancing. No really it is. Like seriously. Suck it up for a few weeks. I know it's hard. We're not used to it. Could be worse. Could be raining. Oh wait...
Can I offer a different perspective on the quarantine and social distancing and working from home? Someone asked me the other day how I was doing. I said I haven't been this relaxed in years. I'm not kidding. I have thoroughly enjoyed this week. I have not enjoyed the deaths and the spreading virus. I have not enjoyed the hysteria from one segment of the population or the complete disregard for others from another segment of the population. I have not enjoyed the ridiculous fighting that our government has done and is doing. I have not enjoyed seeing friends be laid off because of all this and struggling.
Here's the thing about all of that. All I can do is control what I do to help slow this virus. I can work from home. I can wash my hands often. I can keep my home clean and sanitize each day. I can practice social distancing. I can have my family do all of those things as well. I can not panic buy. I can support local businesses as much as I can and within reason always keeping in mind the issue of social distancing. I can and am doing those things. I'm doing that because it's the right and responsible thing to do. I can choose not to be afraid of the coronavirus but to be wise about the way I handle things.
The numbers we're seeing can be scary but the CDC warned us this would be a bad week. It will get better. It takes time. Stop listening to every news story that comes out to be honest. You absolutely need to be informed, but there is a tremendous amount of ridiculous and false information out there. I think a lot of it is analyzing where the information is coming from. If it's from CNN they have an obvious and open bias leaning to the left. If it's from Fox News they have an obvious and open bias to the right. Find the truth in each story and critically analyze it before sharing it. Cause holy crap people. Quit being so scared about every piece of information that comes across, but also quit being so flippant about each of our responsibilities. Just stop. If each of us would do what we've been asked to do we would see this thing drop off rapidly.
With all of this I said I haven't been this relaxed in years. I really mean that. The reason is I have time. I haven't had time in a long time. I have time to do the things I really love to do without feeling guilty that I'm not spending enough time with my kids. I've spent all day every day with them and it's freaking amazing. I'm working out twice a day now. I've had time to use my smoker more. I've had time to research new recipes for things I want to try. I've had time.
I fully realize we're all in different situations. I can only speak to my situation. Because there's not much I can do about what is happening in the world other then do my part, I'm choosing not to be scared. I'm choosing to take this time that's been given and improve myself and my family.
Maybe there's a hobby that you used to do and you just don't have time for it anymore. Start it again. Discover the love for it again. Maybe there is something you've always wanted to get into and just haven't had the time. Now is the time because you have time. Maybe you've always wanted to really get into exercising. Now is the time. It would be a shame to not take this time to improve ourselves. It really would. With limited access we might need to get creative with what we do. That's OK. Do it anyway. Figure out what it is you have always wanted to do but felt you were too busy and start. You've got to be home anyway. You can be at home bored and miserable or you can figure out how to use the time effectively. You can come away from this a better person or more jaded.
That's all I'm saying. Redefine what this time means for you. Do what you can to help others and do your part. We'll get through this. The time will pass either way. It can pass with us as a better person, or it can pass with us the same. The choice is yours.
The girls started exercising every morning. Some mornings they do yoga. This morning we found old episodes of Mickey Mousekercize on YouTube and the girls absolutely loved it. They did it for like 20 minutes and wanted to keep it up. Those kids amaze me. We had all these plans for this time of year. Priya's birthday party, Lagoon opening, and Disneyworld next month. All of those things aren't happening right now but they never complain. They're just happy to be here. I'm trying to be more like them. Deal with the large problems and the small conveniences and just live.
This week on Snooty and Slackjaw we did an episode on take out places. Please go listen and patronize some of these places. I went to R&R BBQ today. They have a great drive through system available and they were extremely grateful. Go check out the episode and go to one of those places this weekend. Hopefully we'll get the LLC approved so we can start the ice cream company. What better way to be quarantined then with some excellent ice cream?
Can I offer a different perspective on the quarantine and social distancing and working from home? Someone asked me the other day how I was doing. I said I haven't been this relaxed in years. I'm not kidding. I have thoroughly enjoyed this week. I have not enjoyed the deaths and the spreading virus. I have not enjoyed the hysteria from one segment of the population or the complete disregard for others from another segment of the population. I have not enjoyed the ridiculous fighting that our government has done and is doing. I have not enjoyed seeing friends be laid off because of all this and struggling.
Here's the thing about all of that. All I can do is control what I do to help slow this virus. I can work from home. I can wash my hands often. I can keep my home clean and sanitize each day. I can practice social distancing. I can have my family do all of those things as well. I can not panic buy. I can support local businesses as much as I can and within reason always keeping in mind the issue of social distancing. I can and am doing those things. I'm doing that because it's the right and responsible thing to do. I can choose not to be afraid of the coronavirus but to be wise about the way I handle things.
The numbers we're seeing can be scary but the CDC warned us this would be a bad week. It will get better. It takes time. Stop listening to every news story that comes out to be honest. You absolutely need to be informed, but there is a tremendous amount of ridiculous and false information out there. I think a lot of it is analyzing where the information is coming from. If it's from CNN they have an obvious and open bias leaning to the left. If it's from Fox News they have an obvious and open bias to the right. Find the truth in each story and critically analyze it before sharing it. Cause holy crap people. Quit being so scared about every piece of information that comes across, but also quit being so flippant about each of our responsibilities. Just stop. If each of us would do what we've been asked to do we would see this thing drop off rapidly.
With all of this I said I haven't been this relaxed in years. I really mean that. The reason is I have time. I haven't had time in a long time. I have time to do the things I really love to do without feeling guilty that I'm not spending enough time with my kids. I've spent all day every day with them and it's freaking amazing. I'm working out twice a day now. I've had time to use my smoker more. I've had time to research new recipes for things I want to try. I've had time.
I fully realize we're all in different situations. I can only speak to my situation. Because there's not much I can do about what is happening in the world other then do my part, I'm choosing not to be scared. I'm choosing to take this time that's been given and improve myself and my family.
Maybe there's a hobby that you used to do and you just don't have time for it anymore. Start it again. Discover the love for it again. Maybe there is something you've always wanted to get into and just haven't had the time. Now is the time because you have time. Maybe you've always wanted to really get into exercising. Now is the time. It would be a shame to not take this time to improve ourselves. It really would. With limited access we might need to get creative with what we do. That's OK. Do it anyway. Figure out what it is you have always wanted to do but felt you were too busy and start. You've got to be home anyway. You can be at home bored and miserable or you can figure out how to use the time effectively. You can come away from this a better person or more jaded.
That's all I'm saying. Redefine what this time means for you. Do what you can to help others and do your part. We'll get through this. The time will pass either way. It can pass with us as a better person, or it can pass with us the same. The choice is yours.
The girls started exercising every morning. Some mornings they do yoga. This morning we found old episodes of Mickey Mousekercize on YouTube and the girls absolutely loved it. They did it for like 20 minutes and wanted to keep it up. Those kids amaze me. We had all these plans for this time of year. Priya's birthday party, Lagoon opening, and Disneyworld next month. All of those things aren't happening right now but they never complain. They're just happy to be here. I'm trying to be more like them. Deal with the large problems and the small conveniences and just live.
This week on Snooty and Slackjaw we did an episode on take out places. Please go listen and patronize some of these places. I went to R&R BBQ today. They have a great drive through system available and they were extremely grateful. Go check out the episode and go to one of those places this weekend. Hopefully we'll get the LLC approved so we can start the ice cream company. What better way to be quarantined then with some excellent ice cream?
Friday, March 20, 2020
Come to the Middle. It's Warm Here and We Have Cookies.
I didn't write last week because I was too annoyed. I'm still annoyed but I figured I'd write this week. Here's what I'm saying. Come to the middle. It's warm here and we have cookies. I still hold that the coronavirus is not a maniacal serial killer that is coming to kill you and your entire family. I also hold that if you are not doing your part to help stop the curve then you are not being responsible and you are putting others at risk.
Here's what I think is at the heart of it. We started hearing from the media about this virus and much of it was about getting clicks because it's a business and it's a big news story. From this you had two different groups arise. One of the groups bought into the hype and we had dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria. This is the group that rushed to the Costco to buy up ridiculous amounts of water and toilet paper and baby wipes for some reason. This is the breakdown of that segment of the population. The stats were released for panic buying by state. New York has been hit extremely hard by all this and their panic buying was about 20%. Utah? 266%. I'm not kidding. We spent 266% in panic buying over the last few weeks. That is incredibly ridiculous! And guess what? That's not being prepared. If you are out panic buying when the crisis is already occurring you are NOT prepared.
When the earthquake happened the other morning I started to go through in my head all the things that we had prepared for. I realized I was pretty good. We have food, shelter and water with the ability to clean water if we needed it. The one thing I was worried about was fuel to cook with. We have some, but I was worried we didn't have enough if the big one actually came. I went to Sportsman's Warehouse to get some fuel. I got some canisters but not a ridiculous amount because you can actually use those for a long time. When I went to check out the lady in front of me spent $500 on supplies. Then after she bought all that she asked if they had any propane tanks. They said they did and she ordered three. I really thought about telling her how ridiculous she was being and how she needed to calm down. I chose not to because everyone was on edge and I didn't want to be on the news for having this lady fight with me. But seriously. 3? Now maybe she was buying them for multiple people so maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt, but if we are panic buying at a rate of 266% the chances are that's not the case.
If you are one that bought a ridiculous amount of stuff as a knee jerk reaction here's my suggestion. Look around your neighborhood and family and see if there is anyone lacking. Then share the ridiculous amount you bought with them. Don't take any money. Just share. Now is the time we get to show our quality as human beings. Yes you should protect your family and make sure they have enough. If you have more then you need show your quality and serve others. This can either be the breakdown of society or our finest moment.
The other end of the spectrum are the ones who hate the media and who believe this isn't a real problem. I'll admit in my last post I was a little too cavalier about the issue and have since rethought my position. There are still many who are going about their lives as if nothing was wrong. Please don't. Wash your hands often. Go to youtube and check out Alton Brown's tutorial on hand washing. It's funny and also really informative. Disinfect your house. Each night I'm now taking a clorox wipe and wiping down high use areas of the home. Doorknobs, light switches, fridge handles, sink handles, counters, remotes. Basically anything that gets touched a lot. This is not being over reactive. This is being safe. If you run out of clorox wipes don't panic. If you have bleach you're going to be OK. Mix 1/3 cup bleach with a gallon of water in a spray bottle. Clean the area with soapy water, rinse. Then spray on the bleach solution and allow it to air dry. That will sanitize effectively.
But really do your part to help stop this thing quickly. That's what I'm saying. Come to the middle. Don't freak out but don't act as if nothing is wrong. We've got idiots down at spring break that are not helping the situation. Don't be that person.
Initially it's two weeks but of course it's going to be longer. It just is. It takes time. Here's the good news:
There is a Utah company that can now produce 50,000 tests per day. The test results come in about 2 hours which is much better then what we have been able to do. They are distributing them and I'm sure more companies will start doing the same. As we have the ability to test more we can quarantine more quickly which will help stop the spread of the disease. This is great news! It's not being talked about.
Here's more good news. They are finding that anti-viral medications are working on the virus. The malaria medication choloroquine has been working on eliminating the virus. More study and work needs to be done but FDA has approved it to be used in treatment. Cases are starting to show that those that were given the drug with mild to moderate cases are being able to get better. This is great news! More studies will be done. As we can test more effectively and find drugs that will kill the virus we will see cases go down over time and get a handle on this. Other drugs are being experimented on as well.
This will all end. It will take some time but it will get better. Shipping has not stopped. If we stop the panic buying more of the items we need will be coming in and we'll be OK. We may need to get a little creative with the food options for a little while but suck it up. This will get better. Focus on the positive and do your part. Show your quality.
Another thing when the check from the government comes in. I have a few suggestions. If you need it to pay bills because your job has been effected by this then absolutely pay the bills. If you're doing OK financially I have two suggestions. One is to patronize local restaurants. So many of them are doing take out options. Use them. You're still doing your part but at the same time helping the economy. The other suggestion is to put the money in the bank. Recessions are a normal part of the economy. Don't waste this money. Save it for when times are a little tight. You'll be glad you did.
Sorry this was a little ranty today but I'm tired of the doom and gloom. It will get better.
As for me, today is Priya's birthday and I'm excited to celebrate it with her. I can't believe that little weirdo is 5 years old. Her first birthday here she didn't really know what was going on, but now she definitely does. She's highly anticipating getting Elsa powers for her birthday and I think she'll be pleasantly surprised. The problem is now Mirinda wants Ana powers for her birthday. In the book Elsa is the winter witch and Ana is the summer witch. Maybe Mirinda will be getting a flame thrower for her birthday. We'll see.
Thanks for reading! We've got a new podcast episode coming out today so please give that a listen and share it! Also the ice cream business is almost ready to go. What better way to quarantine yourself then with home delivery ice cream?
Here's what I think is at the heart of it. We started hearing from the media about this virus and much of it was about getting clicks because it's a business and it's a big news story. From this you had two different groups arise. One of the groups bought into the hype and we had dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria. This is the group that rushed to the Costco to buy up ridiculous amounts of water and toilet paper and baby wipes for some reason. This is the breakdown of that segment of the population. The stats were released for panic buying by state. New York has been hit extremely hard by all this and their panic buying was about 20%. Utah? 266%. I'm not kidding. We spent 266% in panic buying over the last few weeks. That is incredibly ridiculous! And guess what? That's not being prepared. If you are out panic buying when the crisis is already occurring you are NOT prepared.
When the earthquake happened the other morning I started to go through in my head all the things that we had prepared for. I realized I was pretty good. We have food, shelter and water with the ability to clean water if we needed it. The one thing I was worried about was fuel to cook with. We have some, but I was worried we didn't have enough if the big one actually came. I went to Sportsman's Warehouse to get some fuel. I got some canisters but not a ridiculous amount because you can actually use those for a long time. When I went to check out the lady in front of me spent $500 on supplies. Then after she bought all that she asked if they had any propane tanks. They said they did and she ordered three. I really thought about telling her how ridiculous she was being and how she needed to calm down. I chose not to because everyone was on edge and I didn't want to be on the news for having this lady fight with me. But seriously. 3? Now maybe she was buying them for multiple people so maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt, but if we are panic buying at a rate of 266% the chances are that's not the case.
If you are one that bought a ridiculous amount of stuff as a knee jerk reaction here's my suggestion. Look around your neighborhood and family and see if there is anyone lacking. Then share the ridiculous amount you bought with them. Don't take any money. Just share. Now is the time we get to show our quality as human beings. Yes you should protect your family and make sure they have enough. If you have more then you need show your quality and serve others. This can either be the breakdown of society or our finest moment.
The other end of the spectrum are the ones who hate the media and who believe this isn't a real problem. I'll admit in my last post I was a little too cavalier about the issue and have since rethought my position. There are still many who are going about their lives as if nothing was wrong. Please don't. Wash your hands often. Go to youtube and check out Alton Brown's tutorial on hand washing. It's funny and also really informative. Disinfect your house. Each night I'm now taking a clorox wipe and wiping down high use areas of the home. Doorknobs, light switches, fridge handles, sink handles, counters, remotes. Basically anything that gets touched a lot. This is not being over reactive. This is being safe. If you run out of clorox wipes don't panic. If you have bleach you're going to be OK. Mix 1/3 cup bleach with a gallon of water in a spray bottle. Clean the area with soapy water, rinse. Then spray on the bleach solution and allow it to air dry. That will sanitize effectively.
But really do your part to help stop this thing quickly. That's what I'm saying. Come to the middle. Don't freak out but don't act as if nothing is wrong. We've got idiots down at spring break that are not helping the situation. Don't be that person.
Initially it's two weeks but of course it's going to be longer. It just is. It takes time. Here's the good news:
There is a Utah company that can now produce 50,000 tests per day. The test results come in about 2 hours which is much better then what we have been able to do. They are distributing them and I'm sure more companies will start doing the same. As we have the ability to test more we can quarantine more quickly which will help stop the spread of the disease. This is great news! It's not being talked about.
Here's more good news. They are finding that anti-viral medications are working on the virus. The malaria medication choloroquine has been working on eliminating the virus. More study and work needs to be done but FDA has approved it to be used in treatment. Cases are starting to show that those that were given the drug with mild to moderate cases are being able to get better. This is great news! More studies will be done. As we can test more effectively and find drugs that will kill the virus we will see cases go down over time and get a handle on this. Other drugs are being experimented on as well.
This will all end. It will take some time but it will get better. Shipping has not stopped. If we stop the panic buying more of the items we need will be coming in and we'll be OK. We may need to get a little creative with the food options for a little while but suck it up. This will get better. Focus on the positive and do your part. Show your quality.
Another thing when the check from the government comes in. I have a few suggestions. If you need it to pay bills because your job has been effected by this then absolutely pay the bills. If you're doing OK financially I have two suggestions. One is to patronize local restaurants. So many of them are doing take out options. Use them. You're still doing your part but at the same time helping the economy. The other suggestion is to put the money in the bank. Recessions are a normal part of the economy. Don't waste this money. Save it for when times are a little tight. You'll be glad you did.
Sorry this was a little ranty today but I'm tired of the doom and gloom. It will get better.
As for me, today is Priya's birthday and I'm excited to celebrate it with her. I can't believe that little weirdo is 5 years old. Her first birthday here she didn't really know what was going on, but now she definitely does. She's highly anticipating getting Elsa powers for her birthday and I think she'll be pleasantly surprised. The problem is now Mirinda wants Ana powers for her birthday. In the book Elsa is the winter witch and Ana is the summer witch. Maybe Mirinda will be getting a flame thrower for her birthday. We'll see.
Thanks for reading! We've got a new podcast episode coming out today so please give that a listen and share it! Also the ice cream business is almost ready to go. What better way to quarantine yourself then with home delivery ice cream?
Friday, March 6, 2020
Take a Deep Breath and Relax. It Will Be OK.
Everybody take a deep breath. Good. Now calm down. The coronavirus is not a mad serial killer intent on slaughtering you and your entire family. It is something to be concerned about and you should take necessary precautions. Buying toilet paper and water at the Costco are not those precautions you should be taking.
I had no idea this was a thing until I went to the Costco on Wednesday. People are insane. I knew one of the employees there and she said one guy came in to buy an entire flat of bottled water. Seriously everyone just calm down. And why toilet paper? I really don't get it. At all. It's knee jerk reaction but it's not really being prepared.
I firmly believe in emergency preparedness. I've got a large supply of toilet paper. I just didn't buy it the other day because somehow the coronavirus is going to effect the toilet paper supply. I've got a 6 month supply of food, along with a supply of water and the ability to make clean water any time I need to. Both of my vehicles have a 72 hour kit in them. I am an advocate for emergency preparedness.
Here's the thing about this virus. Since it has come out 20,000 people have died from the common flu. Yes it is contagious but it is not the rampant killer that we are fearing it to be. News organizations are businesses and the coronavirus gets traffic to their business so of course they are going to talk about it a lot. About a month ago I had a talk with my girls about this flu and we make it a point to wash our hands frequently. When we come home from anything I have them wash their hands. We don't go to see anyone who is sick. We don't have any plans to go to China anytime soon. Chances are we'll never come into contact with someone who has the coronavirus but if we do we'll take the necessary precautions so it doesn't effect us. That means if your kid is sick don't take them to Primary on Sunday. Stay home. You won't be smitten if you do that. You might be.
What this has done is made me review how prepared I am. I realized we needed 72 hour kits at work because if something does happen there's a good chance it will happen while I'm at work. As a result we purchase 72 hour kits for everyone in the office. I hope we never need them but if we do we'll be glad we have them. So just calm down and be wise. If you feel you aren't as prepared as you should be, make a plan to get more prepared. Start now. End of rant.
Very little can dampen my spirits right now anyway. The sun has decided to stop cursing us with winter and things are starting to move towards spring. I don't mind cold weather in March as much because I know even if it snows it won't last long.
Last weekend we had a staycation in downtown Salt Lake. We stayed at the Radisson and had a fantastic time. The girls love going on adventures as we call it. We got to swim twice which made them happy. I also promised them they could go to the Disney store and pick out something they want. They both got a Minnie hiking backpack and are so happy about it. It has a compass, flashlight, bug holder, plastic apple, and canteen. They are adorable walking around with them on. We went for Priya's 2 year anniversary of being a part of our family. It's amazing how much fun those two weirdos can make anything.
We're going to Disney World next month and the girls can hardly contain their excitement. Disney World is a lot different and it's overwhelming just how much stuff there is to do there. And to eat. If anyone has a suggestion I'd gladly take it. Unless it involves Frozen. The second movie came out on DVD and holy crap it's been our lives lately. At least I don't despise this one as much. I'm indifferent to it.
Update on the ice cream: we've decided on a name. It's going to be called JJ's Ice Cream (Jeff and Jim Bob). Our website will be up next week and we'll start taking orders hopefully next week. If you'd like to pre-order let me know on Facebook Messenger or text me if you have my number. We'll gladly take pre-orders. I'm really excited about this because I love to make ice cream. Don't ask me to make lite ice cream though. Ice cream shouldn't be lite. Just don't eat it every day. Unless you buy it from me. Then feel free to eat it every day.
As always thanks for reading! If you want to pre-order hit me up.
I had no idea this was a thing until I went to the Costco on Wednesday. People are insane. I knew one of the employees there and she said one guy came in to buy an entire flat of bottled water. Seriously everyone just calm down. And why toilet paper? I really don't get it. At all. It's knee jerk reaction but it's not really being prepared.
I firmly believe in emergency preparedness. I've got a large supply of toilet paper. I just didn't buy it the other day because somehow the coronavirus is going to effect the toilet paper supply. I've got a 6 month supply of food, along with a supply of water and the ability to make clean water any time I need to. Both of my vehicles have a 72 hour kit in them. I am an advocate for emergency preparedness.
Here's the thing about this virus. Since it has come out 20,000 people have died from the common flu. Yes it is contagious but it is not the rampant killer that we are fearing it to be. News organizations are businesses and the coronavirus gets traffic to their business so of course they are going to talk about it a lot. About a month ago I had a talk with my girls about this flu and we make it a point to wash our hands frequently. When we come home from anything I have them wash their hands. We don't go to see anyone who is sick. We don't have any plans to go to China anytime soon. Chances are we'll never come into contact with someone who has the coronavirus but if we do we'll take the necessary precautions so it doesn't effect us. That means if your kid is sick don't take them to Primary on Sunday. Stay home. You won't be smitten if you do that. You might be.
What this has done is made me review how prepared I am. I realized we needed 72 hour kits at work because if something does happen there's a good chance it will happen while I'm at work. As a result we purchase 72 hour kits for everyone in the office. I hope we never need them but if we do we'll be glad we have them. So just calm down and be wise. If you feel you aren't as prepared as you should be, make a plan to get more prepared. Start now. End of rant.
Very little can dampen my spirits right now anyway. The sun has decided to stop cursing us with winter and things are starting to move towards spring. I don't mind cold weather in March as much because I know even if it snows it won't last long.
Last weekend we had a staycation in downtown Salt Lake. We stayed at the Radisson and had a fantastic time. The girls love going on adventures as we call it. We got to swim twice which made them happy. I also promised them they could go to the Disney store and pick out something they want. They both got a Minnie hiking backpack and are so happy about it. It has a compass, flashlight, bug holder, plastic apple, and canteen. They are adorable walking around with them on. We went for Priya's 2 year anniversary of being a part of our family. It's amazing how much fun those two weirdos can make anything.
We're going to Disney World next month and the girls can hardly contain their excitement. Disney World is a lot different and it's overwhelming just how much stuff there is to do there. And to eat. If anyone has a suggestion I'd gladly take it. Unless it involves Frozen. The second movie came out on DVD and holy crap it's been our lives lately. At least I don't despise this one as much. I'm indifferent to it.
Update on the ice cream: we've decided on a name. It's going to be called JJ's Ice Cream (Jeff and Jim Bob). Our website will be up next week and we'll start taking orders hopefully next week. If you'd like to pre-order let me know on Facebook Messenger or text me if you have my number. We'll gladly take pre-orders. I'm really excited about this because I love to make ice cream. Don't ask me to make lite ice cream though. Ice cream shouldn't be lite. Just don't eat it every day. Unless you buy it from me. Then feel free to eat it every day.
As always thanks for reading! If you want to pre-order hit me up.
Friday, February 28, 2020
If Priya Kills Me Please Avenge Me
On Sunday it will be two years since taking custody of Priya. I can't believe it's been 2 years. Honestly. I'll never forget the first day I met that kid. I had to go to India early due to some issues with the court that weren't getting resolved. Her orphanage was inside of a state hospital. State hospital's in India are not fun places and it's hard to see so many people suffering. It took 45 minutes to find the actual orphanage once we were inside. Luckily I had the driver with me or I would never have found it.
Finally the moment came that I got to meet her. Her name was Shourya at that time. I am glad we changed it. There are people here who have a hard time pronouncing Priya for some reason so I can only imagine what she would be going through with Shourya. Still that name is better then 75% of the names we give kids in Utah.
She wasn't sure what to think about me at first. It's weird for a lot of these kids to see a white guy for the first time, especially a huge white guy. I brought her a coloring book and crayons and she liked that. She showed me how she liked to dance and she gave me a kiss but wouldn't sit on my lap. After a few hours I went back to the hotel. The next day I came back again with a ball that lit up. She absolutely loved that. It was amazing to sit and play with her knowing what chances she would have in the US that she wouldn't necessarily have in India. That's nothing against India. It's an absolutely amazing place with amazing people and I honestly believe everyone should visit there was in their life. I just knew we had the means to help her now and was filled with gratitude for that.
When I left that second day she started to cry. That was one of the most horrible moments of my life. I knew that I was leaving her there in the orphanage while I went back to the 5 star hotel I was staying in. I also knew there was nothing I could do about it but wow I felt like a piece of garbage.
I came back every day to spend time with her and every day she would cry when I left.
Finally the day came to take custody of her. She was a little scared at first but she calmed down. I'll never forget the moment we walked into the hotel she looked up and said, "Wow!". She had a bath and then all she wanted to do was stand by the window and look out at the city.
That kid constantly amazes me. She is so sweet and loving but doesn't take crap from people and will tell you exactly what she thinks. She's been through a tremendous amount in her short life and it doesn't seem to bother her.
I've loved seeing how Mirinda and Priya have bonded too. Both have helped each other out. Mirinda watches out for Priya and takes care of her. Priya has taught Mirinda how to use her imagination and role play better.
If you've ever considered adoption I highly recommend it.
To celebrate the adoption day we're doing a staycation downtown. It's going to be a lot of fun. Initially we were going to go to St George but we realized we're going to Disney World in April so it was a better idea to save the money for that trip. The girls can't wait to go to Disney World. I'm excited too. The thing about Disney World is you can't wrap your head around it. There's so much stuff to do you won't be able to get it all done. There's so many places to eat as well. The trick is to just relax and let the kids have fun.
That's really the trick with going to Disneyland or Disney World. If you try to do everything you're going to be miserable. So either go for enough time that you can do everything or just be content with what you are doing. If the kids want to play in Toon Town for hours let them. You're building memories.
I don't think I ever gave an update on the Elsa powers that Priya wants. They have a toy now that you can wear on your wrist that will either shoot out water for silly string. She's getting that for her birthday but she wants it now and bugs me every time she sees one in the store. I keep saying that her birthday is coming soon but it falls on deaf ears. I am afraid that she's going to use the toy to find some way to kill me. If she does please avenge me.
My buddy Jim Bob and I are going to be starting a home delivery premium ice cream business. If you haven't seen or heard of this before you order pints of ice cream. It's especially fun for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, special events, etc. The problem is if you've ever looked at these deals online they are ridiculously expensive. We can do it a lot cheaper and (not to blow my own horn) I'm quite good at making ice cream. We can really do any flavor you can think of and it will be delivered to your home. We're even thinking about doing a subscription kind of thing. We'll get more details out when we have them but if you have something coming up and would like to purchase some, let me know.
As always thanks for reading! And don't forget to avenge me.
Finally the moment came that I got to meet her. Her name was Shourya at that time. I am glad we changed it. There are people here who have a hard time pronouncing Priya for some reason so I can only imagine what she would be going through with Shourya. Still that name is better then 75% of the names we give kids in Utah.
She wasn't sure what to think about me at first. It's weird for a lot of these kids to see a white guy for the first time, especially a huge white guy. I brought her a coloring book and crayons and she liked that. She showed me how she liked to dance and she gave me a kiss but wouldn't sit on my lap. After a few hours I went back to the hotel. The next day I came back again with a ball that lit up. She absolutely loved that. It was amazing to sit and play with her knowing what chances she would have in the US that she wouldn't necessarily have in India. That's nothing against India. It's an absolutely amazing place with amazing people and I honestly believe everyone should visit there was in their life. I just knew we had the means to help her now and was filled with gratitude for that.
When I left that second day she started to cry. That was one of the most horrible moments of my life. I knew that I was leaving her there in the orphanage while I went back to the 5 star hotel I was staying in. I also knew there was nothing I could do about it but wow I felt like a piece of garbage.
I came back every day to spend time with her and every day she would cry when I left.
Finally the day came to take custody of her. She was a little scared at first but she calmed down. I'll never forget the moment we walked into the hotel she looked up and said, "Wow!". She had a bath and then all she wanted to do was stand by the window and look out at the city.
That kid constantly amazes me. She is so sweet and loving but doesn't take crap from people and will tell you exactly what she thinks. She's been through a tremendous amount in her short life and it doesn't seem to bother her.
I've loved seeing how Mirinda and Priya have bonded too. Both have helped each other out. Mirinda watches out for Priya and takes care of her. Priya has taught Mirinda how to use her imagination and role play better.
If you've ever considered adoption I highly recommend it.
To celebrate the adoption day we're doing a staycation downtown. It's going to be a lot of fun. Initially we were going to go to St George but we realized we're going to Disney World in April so it was a better idea to save the money for that trip. The girls can't wait to go to Disney World. I'm excited too. The thing about Disney World is you can't wrap your head around it. There's so much stuff to do you won't be able to get it all done. There's so many places to eat as well. The trick is to just relax and let the kids have fun.
That's really the trick with going to Disneyland or Disney World. If you try to do everything you're going to be miserable. So either go for enough time that you can do everything or just be content with what you are doing. If the kids want to play in Toon Town for hours let them. You're building memories.
I don't think I ever gave an update on the Elsa powers that Priya wants. They have a toy now that you can wear on your wrist that will either shoot out water for silly string. She's getting that for her birthday but she wants it now and bugs me every time she sees one in the store. I keep saying that her birthday is coming soon but it falls on deaf ears. I am afraid that she's going to use the toy to find some way to kill me. If she does please avenge me.
My buddy Jim Bob and I are going to be starting a home delivery premium ice cream business. If you haven't seen or heard of this before you order pints of ice cream. It's especially fun for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, special events, etc. The problem is if you've ever looked at these deals online they are ridiculously expensive. We can do it a lot cheaper and (not to blow my own horn) I'm quite good at making ice cream. We can really do any flavor you can think of and it will be delivered to your home. We're even thinking about doing a subscription kind of thing. We'll get more details out when we have them but if you have something coming up and would like to purchase some, let me know.
As always thanks for reading! And don't forget to avenge me.
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