cc: file, Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, Claude and Katherine Warner, Lloyd and Luana Warner, Diane Cluff, Maxine Shirts via mail.
"Busy week, with somewhat more to say than the last two weeks. For those not here who have seen the news, global warming has created some flooding problems in Houston. However, we have no problems in Katy from the flooding. Sara, as I recall you come home this week, and it will be interesting to hear what, if anything, there was about Houston's flooding issues in the French news. I miss you, and sure look forward to seeing you again. My prayers have been with you, and I hope everything has gone wonderfully for you.
Last week I wrote the Thoughtlet on Saturday night, and sent it out Sunday morning before church. It was Fast & Testimony Meeting, and I was pleasently suprised by Tana Holmes comments. She had a long list of all of those who have helped her family and have been involved in Bryant's decision to be baptized a couple of weeks ago (0120.html). About the third family she listed was `The Nelson's, who have been there forever. Roice was our Home Teacher for several years, and when Bryant's Mother died, Andrea brought in a nice meal (../0050.html).' It is not very often one get's thanked for being a Home Teacher, and it seems to me like it was 15 years ago when I home taught them with Aaron Boyce and maybe with Roice. I guess, like global warming, all things are acknowledged in their proper time frame. Andrea had a nice lunch ready when we got home, and I left for Denver 15 minutes after we got to the house from church with a full stomach and a series of nice hugs and kisses (thanks Andrea, Heather, Rachel, and Matt).
I was at the airport plenty early. Hopefully I have taught all of you that I have always strived to not travel on Sunday. Priest Quorum responsibilities and feeling I needed to be at the AAPG ice breaker to mix and make contacts resulted in my compromise last weekend. I was shocked at how long the lines were at the airport. It looks to me like everyone else in the world uses Sunday to travel on. Sad. The consequences of not honoring the Sabbath include the withdrawal of the spirit of the Lord, which can often prove to be the critical factor in success or failure of our activities. The lines were all the way to the doors going outside, and it took over 25 minutes to get through the security clearance the lines were so long. I didn't check bags and went straight to the gate, and was suprised at how long it took to get checked in. I had a new book Andrea got me: `A Brief History of Tomorrow, the future, past, and present' by Jonathan Margolis. He is British and has a funny sense of humor. It is an OK book, and not essential reading like `Ishmael.' I got to the third chapter on `Global Warming' by the time we got to Denver. I also read over the AAPG sessions and learned there was an entire session on global warming at the AAPG on Tuesday morning.
Riley Skeen met me at the airport and we had to wait for about 45 minutes in a line at Advantage to get a rental car. We were in line next to Marc Croes, who got a Masters Degree in Geophysics at the same time as we both got our B.S. Degrees at the University of Utah. He has an interesting Prospect he is selling in the Acquaitaine Basin of Southern France. As we listened to him describe his Prospect, I knew it was the right thing to have come to the AAPG. As Riley and I pulled into the parking lot downtown, Riley said `I guess I can go in there with jeans on, look at that old guy.' It was John Masters, the founder of Canadian Hunter, who made billions of dollars for a bunch of different investors. I said hello, and we spent a half an hour talking and catching up. I had heard he has a new company, which is exploring in the center of several basins. He was interested in one of my technologies of mutual interest: `TMI-003, A Cuttings and Core Imaging System.' As Riley and I walked into register, I told him that parking lot meeting might prove to be the most important one of the week. We'll see. On the other hand, maybe it will be the discussions about global warming.
I won't repeat all of the people I met with, talked to, set up follow-up meetings with, etc. Even though Monday morning was spent in Colorado Springs with Richard Nehring and company, even though Tuesday afternoon was spent in Boulder with Jake Eisel (a geological consultant who gave me 4 Prospects ready to drill in the Williston Basin), Jeff Winston (../9931.html, ../9935.html, ../9936.html, ../9937.html, and ../9949.html), Bob Wentland (Chroma Energy), and Geoffrey Dorn (formerly Arco Research and now at the University of Colorado at Boulder: ../0002.html, ../0006.html, and 0119.html), and Wednesday morning there was not time to meet with anyone before going to the airport to catch the plane, I collected 37 business cards, got commitments from a dozen companies to provide Dynamic with data, was able to return with nine new Prospects to add to Dynamic's inventory of deals to sell, and met with a lot of friends. Riley and I shared a hotel room to cut down on costs. At one point he said, `I really like Andrea, and I can't help but think of Marti when we talk.' I replied that even though I am happier than I have ever been, love my new family, and know it is right thing, my heart aches almost every day because of what could have been. Especially as I watch some of you kids struggle in ways you don't need to if you simply followed the simple truths we tried to teach. Riley went with me to the AAPG session on Global Warming on Tuesday morning, and watched as I asked the Keynote Speaker about the proportional contribution of CO2, the chief culprit among greenhouse gasses (because it doesn't decompose for over 100 years), from cement vs. burning fossil fuels. He was oblivious to the fact cement is an issue. His only response was that most of the CO2 issue with burning fossil fuels comes from burning coal. I left the room for another meeting after his talk with feeling of disgust for those who attack the oil companies because they are sometimes business successful.
I got back to Houston a half hour later than planned on Wednesday afternoon, and went downtown to work with II&T on bids for the 8 new BP Virtual Prospects. We worked until about 6:00, and I was at the house by 6:40. There had been some heavy rains while I was gone, and nothing seemed that unusual as I drove to Katy. There did not seek to be any eminent signs of global warming. Andrea had a nice meal, we ate, and went to Young Men's / Young Women's. The Priests were in charge of `BOM Awards' (Book of Mormon Video Awards). The Deacons, Beehives, Teachers, and Mia Maid videos were pretty lame in my book. Then the Laurels did theirs. Rachel is a star, and their video was really quite good. The Priests did not have a video when I left for Denver, and so I was more than curious about what they did. It was phenomenal. David Moore had filmed the story of the Strippling Warriors from Helaman, with ketchup, and in a funny way. I was proud to be working with these guys. And I had nothing to do with their success.
Thursday morning I couldn't get the Global Warming stuff out of my mind, and so I wrote the following e-mail:
I didn't have time to take half a day and write this e-mail about global warming, and yet if it happens to have any impact, it might have been one of the best half day's I have spent in years. It is often so hard to tell when we are making wise choices.
I spent Thursday afternoon working at II & T. There was a lot of rain and flooding in Sugar Land, and so I didn't want to go to Chroma, and I want to start getting the Offshore Texas model together. There was problems building the Landmark Project, and the only way I was able to get it up was thanks to Marc Roulston, who keeps my systems up at the house. I worked on it until 7:00 and got home about 7:30. I missed the Barker Cypress exit, and as I came up to Fry Road, I think I hit a duck which was crossing the road. I couldn't tell for sure and didn't try to go all the way around by Barker Cypress to see if I did. Oh well! By Thursday evening the flooding was getting serious in parts of town. Friday morning I was on the phone and worked at the house for a few hours. I got to Sugar Land and Chroma about 10:30, and only worked an hour before the power went out. I had left my blue journal downtown, and Andrea had driven down, picked it up for me, and brought it out I-59 to Chroma. The backup power went out about an hour after she left, and I decided to leave, rather than wait and see if power came back on. I went to the Saturn dealership, because I got a ticket for the green Saturn I traded in 5 years ago. Stopped and talked to Richard Uden at Continuum about helping to build the Offshore Texas model, went by Sam LeRoy's and caught him up with what I've been doing, stopped at PGS on Highway 6 and asked for some of their spec 3-D seismic data, went home and picked up the three TMI packets, and went back to Conoco where I met with Ed Reynolds and described Dynamic's business plan. Busy afternoon, and I was pleased with the response of everyone. There wasn't that much rain on the west side, and I didn't even think about the impact of global warming. Andrea was finishing up some sewing, which I will talk about next week (0125.html). Paul and Kate called and caught us up with all of their stuff. Paul, you and Kate are silly. I hope you always keep some of that with you. After the phone call, I couldn't help wonder if you are ready for the responsibilities of a child. Then I realized that silliness is what kids need, and I'm sure you will do fine.
I finished the book: `A Brief History of Tomorrow' Friday night and Saturday. Riley sent me a Federal Express package of the Prospect maps I left in the trunk of the car. Andrea was fasinated with the flooding news on the television. She wanted to get in the car and go help someone. I caught up reading my Mochin (Project Mind) e-mail for the first time in five years. Project Mind is the only news group I subscribe to (../9748.html, 9840.html, 9844.html, 9845.html, 9846.html, and 0004.html). There were two interesting things I feel it is worthwhile to share:
And:
Today has been nice. I was suprised about a page 2 article in
this morning's Chronicle: `Bush touts research as Kyoto alternative.'
He will be outlining his research and technology initiatives in a
speach on Monday in Washington D.C. It will be interesting to see
if he mentions CO2 from cement, coral reefs, gas hydrates, the
`oil, gas, and mining gang,' pie building vs fixed pie, or the
relative cost of a Dairy Queen malt and a gallon of gasoline.
Sacrament meeting was good. Stephen Jones is home from the Air
Force Acadamy and talked about Father's Day a week early. He said,
`This is praise, if praise be needed, as a father he succeeded.'
And `Nothing can honor our fathers more than righteous living and
striving to achieve what they see as our potential.' Greg Jones
has been called on a mission to Halifax. Steve and Robbyn
Holleman's divorce will be finalized this week. We had a Priest
Quorum Presidency Meeting with the new Presidency. Greg Stine
wasn't there because of being stranded on Lake Livingston because
of the flooding. I stopped and gave Rob a nice dictionary and
thesarus for getting his GED. He was appreciative. He looks
terrible. Black eye, which came from `messing around.' He says
he is too busy to do anything with me because he is in the process
of moving out to an apartment. I asked him to keep me informed of
where he ends up. This visit was in such stark contrast from the
church meetings, I realize anew why I often feel overwhelmed.
Andrea had a wonderful pasta shrimp bean salad. We all watched
Mulan after lunch, then I worked on this, then we had Family Home
Evening, and Matt taught the lesson, and we played Clue. It is
hard to remember in these circumstances that 12 people have died
in Houston in the last three days from the storms, that thousands
are out of their homes and in shelters, and that there is pretty
direct evidence in Houston of the effects of global warming."