Where has the year gone

It's December 11, the month is nearly half over.  Where did 2011 go?


It's been a delightful year.  Two new grandchildren has blessed our lives and only our own precious little baby is still at home (sorry Amber, could resist rubbing it in a bit).  Amber will be off to school in a few weeks and then it's just Susie and I.


Susie, Amber and I went to Boise on Dec 3rd and met Marcus.  Cute little guy.  Definitely another keeper!  Twelve grandkids and they've all  been keepers.  They've been fun too.  If I'd known the grandkids would be so much fun, I would have had them first.
As most of you know, I spend a fair amount of time at the gym, trying to stay in shape.  This last week while I was working out in the gym when I spotted a gorgeous young lady.  I asked the trainer who was near-by: "What machine should I use to impress that sweet thing over there?"

The trainer looked me up and down and said: Try the ATM in the lobby."

Sounds like I have a lot more work to do to get in shape.  I just looked at my numbers this afternoon.  I'm now up to 161,316 calories burned off this year and I've done at least one workout every week.  Yeah! if I can just hang in there for 3 more weeks, I will have been successful in meeting that objective.

I must admit that a lot of my calories burned comes from my activities in the backcountry.  Fun things, like floating the San Juan or Green Rivers in a kayak, or hiking in Zion or Grand Canyon National Parks.  I always try to be safe, particularly in the backwoods because you never know when you might come across a bear or cougar.  Since Susie got after me a few years back for doing a solo hike on Mt Borah, I've tried to keep safety in mind.

When it comes to bears, my personal favorite bear defense gun has always been a Beretta in .22 short!   I've found over the years when hiking in bear country I never leave without it in my pocket.  Of course we all know the first rule when hiking in the wilderness is to use the "Buddy System".

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this it means you NEVER hike alone, you bring a friend or companion, even an in-law, that way if something happens there is someone to go get help.

I remember one time hiking with my brother-in-law in southeast Idaho, up near the Tetons.  Out of nowhere came this huge brown bear and man was she MAD!  We must have been near one of her cubs.

Any way if I had not had my little Beretta I am sure I would not be here today.  Just one shot to my brother-in-law's knee cap and I was able to escape by just walking at a brisk pace.

Sorry about that.  Susie told me that I need to focus on the topic at hand and quit telling stories. However, there is a risk that if I don't pass on the stories from my internet friends I'll start telling stories about my own family.  And that might be embarrassing.  Like the time that ... ah, guess I'd better stick with the internet stories - they're safer.  Besides, I don't want my grandkids saying the same thing about me that Justin has said about his grandfather.  Before Justin got married, he told me that he needed to apologize to my dad.  As the story came out, it seems that everytime we went to Grandpa Brown's place, Grandpa told the same stories (Ah yes, I remember those stories).  Then, when Justin and I were putting a new roof on our house, Lamar, an older gentleman in our ward, came by to lend a hand.  The reason for the apology -   in less than an hour, Lamar had told Justin the same story four times!