cc: file, Grandma Hafen via Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, Claude and Katherine Warner, Lloyd and Luana Warner. Diane Cluff, Andrea Nielson, and Heather and Nate Pace
"As Andrea and I were driving to St. George on Saturday, she turned to me and said `It is so nice to have someone in my life to take a turn and to drive.' I decided this is an appropriate theme for this week's thoughtlet, especially since I have been led to someone who makes me feel like my efforts are appreciated and that I am a needed and am an important part of her life. My male ego never has been very good about being taken for granted, or not being needed.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I had the opportunity to drive to the AstroDome at 10:00 each morning. Continuum had a nice booth at the OTC (Offshore Technology Conference), and I gave presentations from 12-1:00 and from 2-3:00 each of those three days. It was a real ego trip to have these great salesmen we have hired come up to me after a demonstration and say, `Roice, you will never have to worry about having a job! You are really very good.' I would pick one person out of the passing crowd, get them to sit down, find out a little bit about them, and then talk to them with this microphone on. By the time I finished my half-hour description of the demo, there were usally 20-30 people in the booth and there were often good discussions which came from these people. Conventions are fun. Even if one has to drive all the way to the AstroDome. Early in the mornings and later in the afternoons I was answering e-mails, and working on the Landmark Technology Forum presentation titled: Immersive Collaboration.
After the Wednesday afternoon's demonstrations I went to the VETL and picked up some materials from Bowen Loftin for the presentation. Then I had to drive to Intercontinental Airport to catch a plane to Seattle. Ken Turner had crated a painting Andrea liked, of a handcart, which I bought for her as a wedding present. It nicely illustrates how each of us have those on the other side of the vail who are there to help us on our trek, particularly when it gets hard for us. Packaged in 2x4's and masonite it was big and ackward and heavy. However, I was able to check it as baggage, store it at the Seattle airport, and so I didn't have to move it around too much. Paul and Roice, I guess I am saying I understand how ackward it was to take Roice's painting out to L.A. as baggage earlier this year.
I didn't get to the hotel until 11:30 Seattle time (1:30 AM Houston time). It turned out I had reservations at the wrong Doubletree, and I talked them into letting me stay there. As I walked towards the room, there was Roger, along with Robert Hemming of Chevron and Tom Griffith, who recently left Boeing. We had a good discussion for about a half an hour, and then we all went to our rooms. Our drive was worn down and it was time to go to sleep and get refreshed.
The meetings on Thursday were very good. It feels to me like this work of the last few months is going to come together and create a very exciting and interesting new entity. Roger is concerned it will all go away, or that the gorilla's will just take it, stomp on us, and leave us with nothing for setting it up for them. It is pretty hard for a mosquito to get the attention of a gorilla and not get slapped down to size. It takes a lot of drive to stay out of the way and still give direction to the gorillas. Roger does a good job, and we team together quite nicely. I left just before the tour of the Boeing spare's plant, and so I missed the tour and the consolidation meeting over dinner. I got into the Cedar City airport about 9:10 PM. Andrea and Rachel were there waiting for me. They had just started to drive to the airport when they say the SkyWest plane landing. They were at the airport before I got off of the plane. One of the joys of a small town.
Friday was wonderful. Got up and went for a run/walk with Andrea up Leigh Hill, then down by the college, and back up to her house. Mrs. Shirts went with us to St. George, and we went to a lunch honoring all of the Graduates of Dixie College. Heather got her 2 year diploma. Between the lunch and the Graduation Ceremony we went to a temple session. We didn't time it very well, and ended up doing some sealings before the session. Brother Hulet, the man who will marry us, was the sealer, and it was funny to watch them with the Nelson/Nielson confusion. Good practice, which one usually does not get with a temple wedding. The graduation ceremony ended about 8:00, and we all went to dinner at an Italian restaurant. By the time we made the drive back to Cedar City it was about 10:00, and I was sufficiently tired I just went to Sara's and went to sleep.
Saturday morning I slept in. Andrea's comment about having someone to take a turn and drive was as we went back to St. George. We stopped and visited with Ward and Fern Abbott, then Grandma Hafen, then we took Mom to dinner at Hunan, then we stopped to see Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Luana. They were not home and we talked for a little while to Claude and a a couple of his boys. We got back to Cedar in time to have a barbeque to celebrate Andrea's brother Steve getting his Master's degree and Heather's graduation. Most of us went to see `The Mummy' afterwards. It is a modern cartoon, takeoff of Indiana Jones, and was too violent for my tastes.
Sunday was church, lunch at Andrea's with her Mom, working on my Landmark paper, catching the 4:35 PM plane to Salt Lake and the 8:20 flight to Houston. Lyle Rowberry and my accountant Merril Littlewood were both on the same flight to Houston and we had a lot of fun. The plane was late leaving Salt Lake and we did not land until 1:30 AM. Then I still had to drive home, sign checks, check mail, etc. 5:30 came early. The day was very full, and I got home just in time for Family Home Evening. Sara, the Laws, Sister Moreless and her Grandaughter were there. It was a fun evening. I went to bed early because I was so tired, and that is why this is being sent out tonight.
Today was spent taking the paper to the Adam's Mark on a zip drive to be loaded on the computer for presentation, giving a major presentation to Conoco in the new center, picking up my new suit, tying to load some presentation software at the Landmark Forum, getting a new copy from the office, trying to load it again, participating in a management meeting, giving the 45 minute presentation in the Landmark Decisionarium titled: Immersive Collaboration, going back to the management meetings, having my living ordinance temple recommend interview with the bishop, and working on this. It seemed all I did today was drive. I am tired and so I will not attempt any words of wisdom, except: depending on your drive, do not drive too hard. In other words, pace yourselves and have a great week. See you all on Saturday."