Stuff I learned this week

I presented a paper at this conference on Thursday. Wow, there are a lot of smart people in the Triangle. We also had some super bright environmental economists from other areas come.

Roger von Hafen's presentation on BioFuels was particularly alarming. Do you realize that our mis-guided ethanol subsidies have raised the price of popcorn 40%! Talk about hitting us where it hurts! Oh, and it is causing the price of tortillas for poor Mexicans to skyrocket.

Holy Mole!

I made this today. It was fantastic.

The recipe is from Tyler Cowen (economist, ethnic food expert, and blogger. Check out his homepage.)

April and I modified the recipe slightly. We used poblano chilies and the pepitas I used never popped when I cooked them. I just cooked them to a darker color over medium high heat in a little oil. I used my cast iron pan for all the cooking.

Addendum: The sauce needs about 1 tsp salt.

leaves and elderberries

Hello!
We went on a ride yesterday, up Cub, through Hull Valley, down to Birch Creek. The road was the worst it's ever been, but we'd never seen the leaves so beautiful. We looked for elderberries along Birch Creek and found almost none. After going up and down Emigration for more than an hour, we found enough to bring home for what we thought was a batch of jam. Wrong - not quite enough. We have to go to Logan today, so I guess we'll go up Logan Canyon to get what we need. I think this jam will top the cost of doves in time and gas spent!
Mom

Ian's Antics

Today Ian says:

• I love my friend Jesus.
• What's my 'nother granma doin? (A little more prodding brought out that he was talking about daddy's mom.)
  

If you don't recognize the book in the picture, it is one of Ryan's TinTin collection.

Hibiscus

The Hibiscus that I got April for Mother's day has finally bloomed!

Ha Ha! We live in Paradise!

Wait. I'm thinking of Scott and Beatta...

New on my office door

The Best Insult I Heard Today

One of my neighbors who is economically blessed offered this phrase to describe the comments of some folks in elders quorum:

They have a Shapley Value of, like, zero.

I'm sure Ryan likes it, anyway.

Sun Valley fire

Hi -
Here's a couple of pictures of Fox Creek, my second most favorite place to hike. Chocolate Gulch, my favorite, was not burned at all. The grassy area surrounded by burn is a pond in the spring. There are still areas where you can see smoke, although the rain/snow on Tuesday and again this weekend should get it all out.

Also, Iconoclast Books in Ketchum is moving to a new "spacious" location up close by the LDS church. I think the store will lose all of its charm. The old creaky wooden floors, books piled everywhere - I'll miss it!

Another New Arrival

Hello to All:

Two days of living without a grill, however underpowered, motivated us to make the trip to Logan today. After much unsolicited advice from everyone I know regarding grills, I decided to trust the Lowe's guy. I asked about infrared burners. He said, "Well, if you want to be a connoissuer (using the term as if it were a dirty word)..."
I decided I didn't, so we picked one out. He then whispered, "If you want a display model, you can get 25% off."
"Display Model" means it has been sitting outside chained to other misbehaving grills all summer, getting coated with dirt and its owners' manual had been pretty soggy more than once. Perfect.
No one thought it would go into the Explorer assembled, but we just squeezed it in!

So, please welcome the Perfect Flame Norbert 2000 Meatblaster Grill to the family. Its maiden dinner will be, fittingly, Korean shortribs this evening.

Dad

Bathtime for Bonzo

Memorable Insults

For my birthday, a list of memorable insults I have received:

1. This sauce is "Olive Garden" good. (From dinner party guest)

2. That was actually not a bad lecture. (From student)

3. These specifications are parsimonious to a fault. (From anonymous review of one of my papers)

4. You are slicing the baloney a little thin. (Colleague's response to an idea for a paper.)

5. We don't bean .260 hitters. (Oh, wait, that was Varitek to A-Rod.)













Additional memorable insults always welcome...

Also for your entertainment, a picture of Jeff Foxworthy and Randy Johnson's love child:

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to our almost mid-thirties brother. I hope all your hopes and dreams come true and may your life expectancy be increased. For your birthday pleasure, I offer you these choices...
1) I will make cookie dough and you can chase me mercilessly through out the house while I try and save the dough from your grubby little paws.
2) You can pull your pants up to your arm pits and chase me through the house.
3) You can squat down on the lawn mower at Dad's house and chase me through the yard like a crazy man with a mission.
4) I will stand against a wall and you can throw rotten tomatoes at me.
AHHHH the joys of an older brother.
Happy Birthday!!!!
Alison

Fall on the Sofa

Has anyone seen any good movies lately? Any TV season premieres people are looking forward to?

For our part, we're excited about season four of The Office...haven't seen many good movies lately, although I did like Transformers quite a bit, despite it's extraordinarily cheesy dialog (almost as bad as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars). It would have been better if they had served cold cereal with milk during the show.

An Update on Ryan's Conditional Life Expectancy

According to the federal government, I have about about 44 years to live. My probability of dying this year is apparently 0.001468. Look up your own if you dare.

I have been reflecting on mortality for 2 reasons. First, I ain't getting any younger, and September always reminds me of that. Second, the first counselor in our Elders Quorum died, and I was called to replace him. I view it as a great opportunity to do work for the dead. (Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all week!)

FamilySearchIndexing.org

Hello!
I have just spent the last hour learning to do the new family history volunteer work that is available online. Did you read the article in the August Ensign? It was as easy as they say! I registered and started with my first batch of 50 names ALL BY MYSELF! That means that you can all do it! I read somewhere that you can choose the language and country to use (French, Spanish, German, Finnish), but I didn't see that. I'm doing 1900 census from Maryland. Try it! You can do it 10 minutes at a time if you want. Once you are registered, you can use any computer with internet.

Mom

Happy Birthday Alison!

Alison's Birthday Plans:


















Alison is rapidly approaching the big 3-O. Thank goodness Tobin is around to push the wheelchair and help with the complicated prescription medication paperwork.

Enjoy your special day Alison! As a present, check out a website I'm sure you'll love:

http://www.stuffonmycat.com/

The Passing of a Family Icon

It is my sad task to report the passing of a Bosworth Family icon. Alas, the Cheapie - Deluxe green Char-Broil grill which has graced our deck for so many years has, I'm afraid, scorched its last short rib. Not even the gentle touch of the Elder Wand and the word REPARO can help it this time.

Held in high regard by some of us (Beatta, for sure), disparaged by others (Ryan), it sat silently out there, in wind, snow, rain and sun, ready to perform its task. Through thick steaks and thin chicken breasts, through High School Dances and wedding receptions, it uncomplainingly fulfilled the measure of its manufacture.

Interment will be in an undisclosed part of the Franklin County Landfill. The owners ask that, in lieu of flowers, donations in the form of Lowe's gift cards be sent.

Spatulas and tongs at half-mast, please for a moment of silence.

Thank you.

Dad

Project

Now that we are both almost totally unemployed, I've decided to finish those projects that have been pushed aside for years (some of them for too long). The project of choice this week is to send out those photos I took of us at Easter in 2006. They are now obviously outrageously outdated, but hey, they are better than what we had before -- which is nothing.

So be on the look-out for some mail with a picture cd.

On a more cute note, Henkka can now recognize his cousin Hallie from the picture we have posted on our fridge -- and can say her name as well! Now we'll start working on Ian and Molly, whose photos also occupy the fridge door.

Pot Roast in the Crock Pot

Here is Ryan's modification of the All American Pot Roast Recipe from the family book. We had some friends over tonight and they wanted it, so since I typed it up I thought someone else might be interested.

Moving the Bar Sideways

Mom & I go to Church in Sun Valley "sometimes", and we go to Church in Preston "sometimes".

We believe that we can now be considered "less active" in two wards at the same time.

Quack Quack

Go Ducks

the beach

I just wanted to say, again, how much we are loving the beach. We went again today with our friends. We tried to go to the beach on Little Creek Base again, but the barbed wire and large tanks caused us to change our minds. Must be drill day. We went to a beach by Willoughby Spit. I was at first disappointed by the rocks and not so great beach, but we soon discovered an abundance of hermit crabs, fish, blue crabs, coral, other stranged things in shells and jellyfish. We caught a little of each (yes, even a jellyfish), and examined them on the beach. The kids had so much fun. We spent at least two hours just "exploring". It is crazy how so many beaches so close together are so different. After the storm this weekend we are going to hit the waves again at Virginia Beach. I hope Ryan and April will give the beach another chance. A 1/2 hour on a windy day is no way to experience it.
We are supposed to get the tropical storm Gabrielle? Gabriella? on Sunday. It is hitting the Outer Banks and then coming up the coast of Virginia. We are exicted to see it? Is that right? I am excited anyway.
Happy week to everyone.
Alison

Firsts

The last few days has brought a lot of firsts to our house. Molly has finally figured out how to get her hand in her mouth and also toys. As I was taking pictures of her playing yesterday, she also rolled. So, here is the photographic evidence of both firsts.



I also finally remembered to buy her cereal finally, so she got her first food, which Ian thought was great. He was very excited to help feed her—and he didn't ram the spoon down her throat.

Hiking

Ian, Molly and I went hiking today. We had a very lovely time. Ian made the request yesterday and he made it around a .8 mile loop today. We saw squirrels, a bright lime green colored snake, which jumped off the board walk when we got too close, two deer, and a green lizard that let Ian touch it several times and thus became "my friend". Here's a picture of Ian in his hiking hat and shirt waving the two leaves that he carried around the path to show daddy he had been hiking.

Christmas

Hope this works for everyone for Christmas. Ryan gives to Scott, Scott gives to Alison, and Alison gives to Ryan. We will just rotate each year. Feel free to give stuff between the kids, I know April wants Ian and Molly to give to all the cousins.
If anyone has any special needs or requests or ideas for presents let everyone know.
On another note....keep an eye out for a tropical storm off the coast of South and North Carolina and Virginia. Norfolk is supposed to get quite a bit of rain Sun-Wedneday. Not so much wind, as rain, which is supposed to be a good thing.
Alison

Ian announces:

I am a bear sitting on my log thinking of honey.

(Think Winnie the Pooh.)

Labor Day, or the Slaughtering of Worthless Souls

Last night we hade a bunch of neighbors over for dessert (Beatta made her world famous Strawberry Rahka), and we started talking about Labor Day and what we should do to celebrate. I mentioned that in my family, Labor Day always meant the first day of dove season, so we typically went hunting.

This awoke quite the conversation as some of the group were astounded that I would kill an animal for such a small piece of meat. After much discussion I discovered that it was okay to kill a pheasant or duck or deer, as they had lots of meat; apparently the worth of an animals soul decreases as its size rises (though one of my mathematically adept neighbors argued that the spectrum must be cubic or quadratic in nature, as killing rhinos and elephants is certainly not acceptable).

So, I suppose the question is, with so little of the Bosworth family still in dove hunting areas, what are we all doing today for Labor Day?

HOT!

For most of the year, we, the SoCal contingent of the Bosworth Family, get to smirk at the complaints of others during the summer heat--we bask in mild sunshine and welcome all visitors.

Apparently someone forgot to tell the people in charge that we don't like hot weather, because the past week has been scorching--nearly 100 every day. Add to that the fact that many folks--including us--don't have air conditioning, and you get some very uncomfortable afternoons.

Henkka seems to be surviving the heat better than Beatta and I, but we hope the weatherman is right about temps falling back down to around 75 by the end of this next week.