"This week was dominated by a broken P.C. fan. The fan started making noise early in the week, and was really bad by the end of the week. I took it over to the company on 610 at San Felipe, where it was purchased, and attempted to get it fixed under the expensive warranty GDC purchased. Their goal was to get you to break the warranty. They wanted the computer for 3-4 weeks, and it has to be sent to the other side of the nation, where the only place fixing computers is located. Then I called companies that advertised fixing computers, and they were so busy they never returned phone calls. Finally I made such a big deal about it that I got Rickie Laura, one of the GDC systems guys, to order a part, which I had to put on my credit card, overnight the new fan, and get it fixed. The broken P.C. fan was fixed by Thursday, which was my last day in the office for over a week (0628.html), and just barely by the time I left the office late on Thursday evening. Remember, Andrea and Rachel had left for Utah, and I was alone in the house, and so I worked late most evenings.
Monday I wrote down Alf Klaviness' name. I don't recall why. Oh well! Reminds me I promised to take Alf to lunch, and we have not done it yet. There is also a note that we loaded the first Tecton line in the Landmark software, and there was probably a review with the company founder and owner. His idea is good, and it is so much more risky than the Parker Gay, Dick Coons, Bob Ehrlich, Richard Nehring, and other exploration ideas Dynamic Resources put together, it is hard for me to understand how he got $50 million investment, and I was never able to raise a nickel. I went by Joe Robert's in the evening to get a report on the tomatoes we talked about in the restaurant in Vienna (0624.html). Turns out the church took advantage of the opportunity, and took 50 boxes of tomatoes. There were 800 boxes left that were going to rot in the fields. Joe gave me some eggplant and sausage, and I came home and fixed a nice tomato paste based meal with them. Rob didn't show for Family Home Evening. Oh well! Monday evening I finally sent my e-mail to Jan Miller about representing me in selling 'An Open Mind" to a publisher. It is now the 9th of December, and I still have never talked to Jan Miller. I call her office every month, and she is always busy or out of the office when I call. The good news is she has not told me no to representing me yet. Surely she is busy representing Joel Osteen and Stephen R. Covey. Time will tell if anything comes of all of this work.
Tuesday my notes only say "fixmylaptop.com." These must be the folks who never called back about replacing the broken P.C. fan. Wednesday I called Jan Miller's office, and learned she is on vacation. Oh well! I told Fred Hilterman I was going to be gone the next week to a Nelson Famliy Reunion in Cedar City. His response, without missing a beat, was "Are you going to have any Visa problems?" Thursday night I Home Taught the Minors. I told Sister Minor about the 800 boxes of tomatoes left out at Joe's farm. I do not have notes as to whether there was another run on tomatoes by members of the Relief Society or not.
Friday I traveled to Utah. I got there in time for dinner. Mom (Grandma Shirts) took us out to dinner at Sizzler's. I now qualify for a senior discount at Sizzlers (age 55 is the limit). I asked "Don't you want to see my ID?" The receptionist looked at me and said "No thank you." I felt really old. Matt's National Guard Unit returned from their debriefing after serving for a year in Iraq on Friday. They had been at Fort Gordon, where Matt was in the middle of his Advanced Individual Training (0613.html), being decomissioned for several weeks. This Heavy Artillery Unit is unit 222, the "Triple Duces," or the "Triple D's." When the Triple D's went to Korea they ended up being in the critical position against the heaviest fighting of the Korean War. Uncle Tony was in the Triple D's at this time. Maybe someday he will write in these Thoughtlets about his experiences there. The miracle was that there was not one life from the Triple D's lost in Korea. For many in Southern Utah, this is an example of the modern day Stripling Warriors (Book of Mormon, Alma 56). The Triple D's returned from a year in Iraq with no casualties. However, the unit that replaced them had had 7 casualties by the time the Triple D's returned to Cedar City on this Friday. I heard this over dinner, and wondered how can anyone ever wonder why I never question if the truthfulness of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.
These feelings and this spiritual knowledge is certainly more important than the emotions tied to a broken P.C. fan."