cc: file, Grandma Hafen via Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, Claude and Katherine Warner, and Lloyd and Luana Warner.
"I spent yesterday afternoon and evening at the Texas State Fair in Dallas with Pat, a never married girl friend of my assistant, Rhonda Hartmann. It was a wonderful afternoon and evening. It has been a while since I did something with no plan, no deadlines, no objectives, no agendas, no one checking up on me and second guessing how well I have done, and with the only intent being to enjoy myself. Going to the Hafen Family Reunion in Pinto with Roice and Mom and Sara was kind of like this (.../9836.html). I am going to do more stuff like this.
As I walked among the concession stands and exhibits, I recalled the trips we made in my youth to Salt Lake to go to the Utah State Fair. There are a couple of memories which stand out. I recall shortly after I started working in the Meat Packing Plant, so maybe when I was 13 or 14, going to a demonstration at the State Fair where they had some spray they put on eye glasses, after which they could put your glasses through the steam coming out of a teapot and they would not fog up. When we were killing pigs, which happened on Wednesdays, this was a big problem. A dozen pigs would be herded up the shoot into the holding pen, we would lift the gate enough to wrap a chain around a back leg, the pig would be hauled up with a pulley, as they hung there kicking and squealing, Bob Goodwin or Dad would cut their throat, after they were bled, they would be gutted, then they would be dropped in a vat of boiling hot water. After they soaked for five minutes (and another pig was hung up and bled), we would hook the carcas, pull it onto a table, and scrape the hair off before putting them in the cooler. It was not only hard, hot, and messy work, I was continually fighting seeing what I was doing because my glasses would steam up. So I was really impressed with the demonstration at the Utah State Fair.
I remember at one Utah State Fair, signing my name and having a `computer' evaluate my handwriting. My evaluation was very different from any of the others with me. Among other things the analysis said I would be successful in a manufacturing business, and was quite detailed in what I should do with my life. I wonder if that evaluation is why I read my horoscope for years? I remember having a box of `secret stuff' and having those 80-character computer punch cards in it, and that I would read the evaluation every twice in a while. I wonder if those cards are still in one of these boxes Melanie was helping me to sort out this summer? I remember Dad trying to win me a prize one time. He threw a ball into a series of concentric rings, and on the first time got something like all but 1/16th of the points he needed to win. He kept buying balls and attempting to win. He finally ran out of money, asked the guy if he would take a check, was told no, and we left disappointed. I remember thinking how hypnotic the gambling was, and specifically wondering if they had magnets in the balls and a switch they turned on with an electromagnet which made or kept balls of certian scores from going in certian slots. I remember when Rob and I stopped at the carnaval in Panquich (.../1997/9722.html) having a strong emotional reaction and distrust of anyone associated with the carnaval. I wonder if that came from family trips to the State Fair?
A few months ago, I watched a 1950's musical movie on TV called `State Fair,' and recall thinking about how accurately it represented some of my feelings about the State Fair. Just as an aside, if you have the opportunity to see the movie someday, maybe you can build a picture of the relative innocence of my youth, compared to what you guys face.
I left Dallas about 10:15 PM last night. This morning at 1:00 I drove through Huntsville, and I thought of Paul and his short stay at Sam Houston State University. I laughed about a friend's story that they were going to originally going to call it Sam Houston Institute of Technology, until they looked at the acronym. Paul, I am so pleased with your involvement with the Institute Program, and the benefits I see you received from that involvement. At 1:30 AM, I drove past Camp Strake. I recalled the campouts, the leadership training sessions, and laughed thinking about the last time I was at Camp Strake with Rob. The song, Camp Strake, I wrote on the 15th of June of 1996 summarizes my feelings as I drove down that particular stretch of freeway:
Gary Jones and I had no idea the roof top carrier, which was empty, was going to fly off the roof of his little car. Even in the dark, I could recall that semi-truck heading for this bouncing piece of plastic. And all of this after having a 20 foot long branch fall 40 feet from a big pine tree and hit three scouts, one squarely on the top of his head.
At 2:15 AM I got to the Barker Post Office and found a nice note from my Sister. She thinks I ought to submit `Swedish Roots' to a Promised Valley Productions `Call for Proposals.' I would sure like to see that work shared, and I recall the last time I submitted it to them it got a standard rejection letter. Oh well! At 2:30 this morning I got to the house, and there was a letter from Paul. Paul, your letter's usually arrive on Monday, and so by the time I write the next weeks Thoughtlet, I have forgot to include any of your jewels. For those who don't get copies of Paul's letters, he is being moved back into the field, and leaving the office. He will be at his old address in Omck, which is listed below. He mentioned receiving letters from your Mom, from Rob, from Sara, and from Melanie. The money problems are not affecting the missionaries, since they get their money in U.S. dollars. However, he has expressed concern for the members and wonders if they will be able to make it through this winter. On a more positive note, Paul wrote:
I had no trouble falling asleep, and even woke up before the alarm to get ready for church. The Bishop still hasn't decided about the calling(s) he talked to me about. Between catching up on Personal Priesthood Interviews and talking to friends I havn't seen for a month, it was 2:30 PM before I got back to the house. I took a nap, went to a Philmont 1999 planning meeting (Roice, Ben, and Paul, I would appreciate it if you would each call or write Rob and encourage him to go to Philmont with me this next summer), came back and worked on catching up on reading newspapers, and then wrote this. As I was finishing it up Mike Reed called. He just moved his family to San Antonio, and then got transferred back to Houston. So during week days for the rest of this calendar year, and possibly longer, he is going to stay in the bedroom above the library.
It has been a typically hectic week. Monday I had two meetings at 8:00 AM, followed by another meeting at 9:30, then before I knew it needed to leave for the University of Houston. I had lunch with the lady who is responsible for the Walden Visualization Systems' contract, then participated in the BEG demonstration to Maravin (PEDVSA) at the VETL (.../9837). The Venezuelian's came back to the office for a description of Continuum Resources. Rob came to Family Home Evening, along with the Smiths and their two kids, as well as Larry and Paige Law. Most of the rest of the week was spent in planning and software design meetings. We talked about E&P Data Types, my vision for Continuum Resources, how to display E&P Objects, as well as selection and navigation. John Amason has done an excellent job of recuiting a top notch team of developers. It is kind of like the original design meetings at Landmark back in 1982 and 1983, or maybe the work with Richard Verm at the Seismic Acoustics Laboratory in 1981, or maybe the work with David Nebeker at Evan's & Sutherland in 1979. Guess it is something I do OK, and do enjoy. Wednesday night Rob and I took about half of the Teacher's Quorum down to the VETL for demonstrations in the CAVE(tm) and on the 3-D Table. He wanted to spend the weekend at your Mom's house with his friend David Hergenrotter, and so I decided to go to Dallas and slip in on the last day of the Urban Land Institute's Annual meeting. I left the office at 4:15, got stuck on I-45 for 2 hours, and didn't get to a motel up by the temple, until 10:35 Friday evening. It was a spur of the moment thing to call Rhonda's friend Pat and ask her out. It was hard for me to do, and Pat is a real good sport, and agreed to go out Saturday evening.
The battery on my alarm clock died, and I still woke up in time to go to the temple. In my prayer Saturday morning I asked for guidance for me for the day, and was very specific about what I intended to spend the day doing. As I left the room and walked to the elevator, I was struck by how the elevator came, no one was in it, and I felt like I was being accompanied by an angel. I got to the temple just as a session was starting, and ended up spending 20 minutes reading. I picked up a Book of Mormon, and it opened to Moroni 6. I read through chapter 8 before our session started, and was struck by the wisdom of the words written here relative to Baptist beliefs, fully recognizing I was going to take a Baptist lady out to dinner that evening. I was particularly struck by the following passage in Moroni 7:27-30:
There were only two other brethern in the endowment session with me, and as I sat in the Celestial Room after the session, I noticed how unhappy one lady seemed to be. I waited until she stopped praying, which was at least 10 minutes, and said `It's going to be alright.' It was a very special experience, and I wondered if there was an angel whispering in my ear.
The ULI Meeting exceeded my expectations. They did not have a one-day registration, and I couldn't afford a $1,300 registration fee. So I just walked in on a couple of talks. The presentations I went to were wonderful, and fit exactly with my interests with regards to Walden 3-D, building a new house, and changing the way we build our cities. I was able to define a possible next phase of development of Continuum Resources, and was very excited about having attended. As I was leaving I was asked a set of questions by a ULI staff member from a questionaire, which gave me an opportunity to give some feedback to the Urban Land Institute. I called Pat, and she was receptive to me coming earlier than previously arranged. She had just got in from working on a `Habitat for Humanity' project with her church group. After we briefly introduced ourselves to each other, I helped her fix the tire on her wheelbarrow, move a bunch of rocks for some landscaping down a 20 foot deep drop to a stream channel bank in her back yard, clear a path of weeds, and talk. It was beautiful weather, and it was really enjoyable to work with a lady in the outdoors. I was reminded how my Birkman test stresses my interest and enjoyment of the outdoors. When we came to a stopping place, we talked, and introduced ourselves a little more. Then we went to the Texas State Fair and just hung out, listened to the Clint Black concert, ate dinner, and enjoyed the afternoon and evening. I called her this evening to get her zip code so I could send her a thank you note, and it's pretty obvious our new friendship is not going to go much further. Oh well!
When we were at the State Fair, I laughed when I saw a booth where you gave your birthday and a signature, in exchange for a description of your personality. I didn't say anything to Pat about my memories. I just ate a candied apple, and enjoyed the evening. Saturday was one of the best days I remember having in years. The day was not only enjoyable, there were probably angels in the car, keeping me awake as I drove back to Houston, through Huntsville, past Camp Strake, to the Barker Post Office, and back to 1307 Emerald Green. I hope each of you have days like this, and I hope you take the time to savor these days when they do happen."