Mr Henry George Allen, esq., grandson of all grandsons (in my humble opinion....)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Mr. Henry George Allen, esq.
It's been a few months in the making, but may I present to you all...
Mr Henry George Allen, esq., grandson of all grandsons (in my humble opinion....)
Mr Henry George Allen, esq., grandson of all grandsons (in my humble opinion....)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Heck of a summer (so far...)
Hey Cougar Fans!! It's been a few months since I posted last... primarily because I wasn't sure that anyone was reading these things and also because it's been fairly hectic. Well.. Pooky last night asked me why I wasn't posting and when I told her (see above) she said, "I do!" So if for no other reason than to entertain my bride of almost 28 years, LET'S CATCH UP!!!
Major Events:
In May, I joined the Pookster in the "Improved Peepers Club". We traveled north of the border (they're sooo polite up there!) to Coal Harbour (notice the spelling... HarBOUR) Eye Center (www.seewell.ca) where I placed the future of my vision into the hands of Dr. Steven Kirzner (yep that's him on the website) and the technology advances of PRK. Everything went splendidly and I really wasn't nervous until after he finished the first eye... then I started hyperventilating... "what if he just screwed up my right eye?? I should probably stop him from screwing up the left eye!?! What if this is some terrible mistake???!!! I may never be able to see my beautiful Pooky again!!! OH THE INHUMANITY OF IT ALL!!! STOP HIM BEFORE IT'S TOO LA- what? he's done.. Oh.. OK... never mind." And of course, everything has turned out just as I knew it would. My vision is getting better every day (except for the blasted presbyopia... pres·by·o·pi·a
[prez-bee-oh-pee-uh, pres-] Pronunciation Key –noun Ophthalmology. farsightedness due to ciliary muscle weakness and loss of elasticity in the crystalline lens, also known as "just plain gettin' old!", ... Pookey loves that word) and I love having blue eyes instead of brown!"
In June, Legal Eagle Lexi and I actually fulfilled our life long (individual) dreams of running a half-marathon (that's 13.1 miles, folks) at the world famous 2008 Helvetia Half-Marathon. We drove down to Beaverton and our hotel on Friday afternoon and took a drive around the course. It was demoralizing... I was convinced that the miles in Oregon were a lot longer than the miles in Washington that Lexi and I had me measuring our progress by. I wanted to go home. I wanted to cry. I wanted to beat Lexi senseless for talking me into this stupid thing.
Helvetia is a rural community (I guess) on the edge of Portland/Hillsboro, Oregon. As my more experienced runner/Bro-in-Law Kelly T ("Thompson" for short) put it, "They don't call it Hillsboro for nuthin'..." (Kelly, his daughter Alison, and his son Eric, all marathon club members were running the course as well). The course started out in the "low country" meandering out and about for 5ish miles or so before turning ugly and becoming a 2 mile climb into what at the time seemed like the Swiss Alps. At mile 6ish we passed the Helvetia Tavern (for which the event is named) and at mile 7 we crested the top of the "peak", passing a church (for those who wanted to stop and offer a prayer of thanks for not having succumbed to a heart-attack or stroke) and a neighboring graveyard (for those not so lucky) and began the descent to thicker air and warmer weather... actually at the time that graveyard looked very VERY enticing... something about the thought of eternal REST!
At mile ten (somewhere around "H Hour + 3" I called Pookie on my I-phone (of COURSE I have an I-Phone... they're sooooo FUN!) to check in. She let me know that everyone (Thompsons and Lexi) had crossed the finish line. EXCELLENT. I was still "on plan/on schedule". If I came in last, then everyone else could feel good about NOT coming in last! (I'm such a giver... can you say "blessings in heaven" ?). I have to tell you, though, the last three miles were tough! Just when I thought I had it in the bag, the leg cramps started raising their ugly heads. At first I thought I should just slow down a bit, but then I realized I couldn't come up with a slower speed than what I was currently using (without slowing to a walk... which actually wasn't all that much slower than what I was doing) so I simply pressed on... dug deep... gutted it out... bit down hard... sniffed the pay-dirt... gave one for the Gipper... gave it all I had... you get the picture (I'm running out of sport euphemisms). I just didn't want to get beat by the last woman walker. They were crazy fast and already gaining on me; some had already passed me... one was actually carrying a cane!.. another was giving me verbal lessons on correct "walking technique" as she passed me ("Lead with your hips! Lead with your hips"). I said, "I'm not walking!! This is me RUNNING!!!" (oh the indignity). Anyway, long story short, I made it. I rounded that corner into the stadium (as most everyone else was packing up their cars and driving home). Oh the cheering... the clapping... pulling through the agony and experiencing the sweet sweet taste of success (in the form of a Helvetia Burger, yummy.. NOT!!). And thinking..."I will NEVER do this again!" Well, It's been four weeks since I ran that thing. It's been four weeks since I've run period. I need to get back out there... got that marathon in '09 to start training for!
Yesterday, Okay... I'm getting tired of blogging and I know you're getting tired of blog-reading. But before we call it a night, I just want to show you what we ate last night...
Major Events:
In May, I joined the Pookster in the "Improved Peepers Club". We traveled north of the border (they're sooo polite up there!) to Coal Harbour (notice the spelling... HarBOUR) Eye Center (www.seewell.ca) where I placed the future of my vision into the hands of Dr. Steven Kirzner (yep that's him on the website) and the technology advances of PRK. Everything went splendidly and I really wasn't nervous until after he finished the first eye... then I started hyperventilating... "what if he just screwed up my right eye?? I should probably stop him from screwing up the left eye!?! What if this is some terrible mistake???!!! I may never be able to see my beautiful Pooky again!!! OH THE INHUMANITY OF IT ALL!!! STOP HIM BEFORE IT'S TOO LA- what? he's done.. Oh.. OK... never mind." And of course, everything has turned out just as I knew it would. My vision is getting better every day (except for the blasted presbyopia... pres·by·o·pi·a
[prez-bee-oh-pee-uh, pres-] Pronunciation Key –noun Ophthalmology. farsightedness due to ciliary muscle weakness and loss of elasticity in the crystalline lens, also known as "just plain gettin' old!", ... Pookey loves that word) and I love having blue eyes instead of brown!"
In June, Legal Eagle Lexi and I actually fulfilled our life long (individual) dreams of running a half-marathon (that's 13.1 miles, folks) at the world famous 2008 Helvetia Half-Marathon. We drove down to Beaverton and our hotel on Friday afternoon and took a drive around the course. It was demoralizing... I was convinced that the miles in Oregon were a lot longer than the miles in Washington that Lexi and I had me measuring our progress by. I wanted to go home. I wanted to cry. I wanted to beat Lexi senseless for talking me into this stupid thing.
Helvetia is a rural community (I guess) on the edge of Portland/Hillsboro, Oregon. As my more experienced runner/Bro-in-Law Kelly T ("Thompson" for short) put it, "They don't call it Hillsboro for nuthin'..." (Kelly, his daughter Alison, and his son Eric, all marathon club members were running the course as well). The course started out in the "low country" meandering out and about for 5ish miles or so before turning ugly and becoming a 2 mile climb into what at the time seemed like the Swiss Alps. At mile 6ish we passed the Helvetia Tavern (for which the event is named) and at mile 7 we crested the top of the "peak", passing a church (for those who wanted to stop and offer a prayer of thanks for not having succumbed to a heart-attack or stroke) and a neighboring graveyard (for those not so lucky) and began the descent to thicker air and warmer weather... actually at the time that graveyard looked very VERY enticing... something about the thought of eternal REST!
At mile ten (somewhere around "H Hour + 3" I called Pookie on my I-phone (of COURSE I have an I-Phone... they're sooooo FUN!) to check in. She let me know that everyone (Thompsons and Lexi) had crossed the finish line. EXCELLENT. I was still "on plan/on schedule". If I came in last, then everyone else could feel good about NOT coming in last! (I'm such a giver... can you say "blessings in heaven" ?). I have to tell you, though, the last three miles were tough! Just when I thought I had it in the bag, the leg cramps started raising their ugly heads. At first I thought I should just slow down a bit, but then I realized I couldn't come up with a slower speed than what I was currently using (without slowing to a walk... which actually wasn't all that much slower than what I was doing) so I simply pressed on... dug deep... gutted it out... bit down hard... sniffed the pay-dirt... gave one for the Gipper... gave it all I had... you get the picture (I'm running out of sport euphemisms). I just didn't want to get beat by the last woman walker. They were crazy fast and already gaining on me; some had already passed me... one was actually carrying a cane!.. another was giving me verbal lessons on correct "walking technique" as she passed me ("Lead with your hips! Lead with your hips"). I said, "I'm not walking!! This is me RUNNING!!!" (oh the indignity). Anyway, long story short, I made it. I rounded that corner into the stadium (as most everyone else was packing up their cars and driving home). Oh the cheering... the clapping... pulling through the agony and experiencing the sweet sweet taste of success (in the form of a Helvetia Burger, yummy.. NOT!!). And thinking..."I will NEVER do this again!" Well, It's been four weeks since I ran that thing. It's been four weeks since I've run period. I need to get back out there... got that marathon in '09 to start training for!
Me 'n the Legal Eagle
Legal, Me, 'n Pookie
Kelly 1 and Kelly 2... can you guess which one is the marathoner??
The Dedication: on a more somber note, I must say that one of my inspirations for running this thing (besides to run with The Eagle.. who by the way literally took off after a half mile and left me on my own...) was to celebrate the life of my older sister and former nemesis, Kirsten (wife of Kelly T, aka Thompson the Marathoner). Years ago, she was the victim of a tragic accident which left her terribly disfigured physically and handicapped emotionally... You see we were both bouncing on our parents' bed (she was probably 7 and I was 5) and I fell back and head-butted her in the mouth. She cried like a little girl... 'cuz she was a little girl, and I cried like a five-year-old boy, 'cuz, well, I was a five-year-old boy who had just had his older sister bite a hunk of flesh and bone out of the back of his head... but enough about me... this is about Kirsten. Anyway, It was her birthday on the 14th of June (the same day as the half-marathon) and I knew that had she been able to, she would have wanted to join us. I should clarify that nothing about the bed bouncing incident in any way had anything to do with keeping her from running with us... she's just totally out of shape. Anyway... after she reminded me that the event was falling on her Birthday, I decided to dedicate the last three miles (the toughest miles) to her memory... Kirsten, those miles were for you. Happy Birthday dear Sister.
Kirsten in her younger years.... after she'd moved on from making me give her horsey back rides across the living room floor every Saturday morning 4 to 5 times without stopping before she'd let me watch the cartoons that I wanted to watch even though I'd gotten up and gotten to the TV first and CALLED DIBS!! (.... no I'm not bitter anymore...)
Kirsten in her younger years.... after she'd moved on from making me give her horsey back rides across the living room floor every Saturday morning 4 to 5 times without stopping before she'd let me watch the cartoons that I wanted to watch even though I'd gotten up and gotten to the TV first and CALLED DIBS!! (.... no I'm not bitter anymore...)
Yesterday, Okay... I'm getting tired of blogging and I know you're getting tired of blog-reading. But before we call it a night, I just want to show you what we ate last night...
(...the crabs, ... not Gina)
Pookie loves dem Dungeness Crabs!!!
Until the next post!.........
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Legal Eagle Lexi
Heer come de judge! Heer come de judge! ;-)
After what must have seemed a lifetime of school, my Numero Uno Daughter (and baby of the family to boot) gradeeated from BYU's lawschool. We are soooo proud of her (but proud in a non-boastful way....).
Last weekend I piled into the Sierra Duromax (at 15.8 miles per $4.40 gallon of diesel) and headed to points south to meet up with Puekee at Provo, Utah (Go Cougs!) to attend the long awaited event. Pooky had got a little jump on the event by flying down a few days earlier to presumably help LegalEagleLexi pack up and get ready to move on up here (hence the choice in MY vehicle). I took off around noon and met up with my Numero Uno Son (and oldest child by 2 1/2 minutes), his wife (my Numero Uno Daughter-in-Law), and my Numero Uno In-Laws, all of whom had taken off three hours before me. We all met up at the Double Tree Inn in Boise, Idaho... kind of a half-way mark. Then next day, the in-laws blitzed for Provo while Matt, Julie, and I took a detour to my home town of Malad where Julie got a quick tour of heaven on earth and we had a SCRUMPTOUS lunch at the Malad Drive-In. Matt had the Special, J-Girl had the Glamour Burger and I stuck with the classic Cheese Burger with everything as well as a Deep Sea Dandy. Matt and Julie went with the Fresh Lime for refreshment and I selected a vintage root beer (again staying with the classics). We all shared fries with fry sauce (yum yum) and had scones with honey butter for desert. Oh glory be.. it was like eating manna from heaven. After tossing the trash we scooted past the ol' Allen Drug (a mere shadow of what it used to be), headed past the homestead (it's painted yellow... YELLOW!.. blasphemous!.. that house was built to be white with green trim..PERIOD) we too headed south to meet up with the fam at the La Quinta Suites in Orem (a dismal mistake... but more on that later).
Gathering up the clan we headed to another conjurer of past memories for dinner, The Brick Oven where we met up with my sister Kirsten and her husband Kelly who just happened to be passing through on the way back from visiting their daughter (new baby boy!!) and were looking for a free meal.
(moving left to right: LegalEagleLexi, Kirsten (the bane of my youth), her husband Kelly, J-Girl, Matt (did I mention that they are "in the family way.. grandson on it's way), your's truly (I look like I really don't need a pizza) George, Verna, and The Pookster).
After dinner we Lexi went home to party hardy with some other graduates, and we all headed back to La Quinta (or as I came to call it, "La Casa De Diablo!" but that's another story... suffice it to say I will NEVER stay at the La Quinta Inn in Orem Utah again...)
The next morning we picked up the graduate to be and headed down to the historic Provo Tabernacle where the festivities were to occur. I dropped everyone off and then went around the block and parked in a two hour spot realizing that I'd have to come back and move the car just before the commencement exercises began (we got there early to get good seats and were planning on a three hour stay).
We did the picture thing and just hung out and enjoyed the moment and about 15 minutes before the main event, I took off to move the car so we didn't get towed or ticketed. As I walked up to the driver's side door, I stepped on a piece of pavement which had cracked and risen a bit and that was all she wrote. My ankle rolled and I went down like a 260 lb sack of potatoes trying to get in shape for a half marathon. Oh the pain.. the agony.. the embarrassment of laying next to a car crying like a baby in the middle of the afternoon in a pinstripe suit.
After getting my wits about me again, I managed to get up and limp back to the Historic Provo Tabernacle and back to my seat (a block away... forget about the car.. it was George's anyway) and sat down just in time for the event to start. It took some doing, but after awhile pain tends to begin to have a numbing affect. I became more interested in the speakers and the choir than I was in my throbbing ankle. I also think that the quality of the program helped take my mind of my injury. The speakers did a great job and when the graduates crossed the stage after getting "hooded" I found myself feeling extremely grateful that my daughter could receive her credentials from such a wonderful institution with such a sense of purpose and mission.
(GO LAWYER-COUGS!)
At the end of the the commencement exercise, everyone was asked to stand and sing America the Beautiful. It was awesome. I have not felt so patriotic since the days right after 9/11. I quickly found that I could not sing because my throat was so tight with emotion. I struggled to simply speak the words. It was amazing. I doubt very much that I could have felt this way in any other place than at BYU. WOW! I'd almost like to go back next year just to experience it again. Anyway... it was an awesome experience and one I won't soon forget.
After Lexi said her goodbyes, we headed back to the van (it was still there... no tickets) and headed back to La Casa De Diablo... nothing had changed... suffice it to say, heads rolled and Matt and Julie got moved to another room (with a bed with sheets) at the La Quinta's expense. I finally was able to get off of my throbbing aching ankle and get some ice on it .
(nice gams!!)Three days later (last night) while attempting to help Newman (our dog and decent mouser) catch a furry little beast as it scurried through our family room, I would manage to roll the other ankle and end up hobbling around on TWO sprained ankles... luck of the irish (and stupid old men).
Just before we left Provo for good, we stopped by Lexi's favorite restaurant, Cafe Rio, for one last salmon taco and a grilled taco salad. I asked my lovely daughter, "So Legal Eagle Lexi, who we gonna fleece with a lawsuit first?" Her reply???
Just before we left Provo for good, we stopped by Lexi's favorite restaurant, Cafe Rio, for one last salmon taco and a grilled taco salad. I asked my lovely daughter, "So Legal Eagle Lexi, who we gonna fleece with a lawsuit first?" Her reply???
Look out New York... Heer come da judge (and she's packin' righteous heat!!!)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Global Warming at My House
It's April 24... April 24!! Diesel is $4.45 a gallon and it's snowing!!... Al Gore is an idiot.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Catch UP
Holy Cow!! Has it been a month since I last posted!?!? Deary me. Ok... in as few of words as I can conjur to adequately give this past month justice, here's the update:
- George (Pookie's Pop) and I graduated from Salmon University with honors (and in my case a couple of door prizes INCLUDING a really nice fishing reel). LOOK OUT FISH!! Weezagonna do some damage this year!
- Pookie's got some NEW PEEPERS! We went up to Canada to have our eyes LASIK'd and both got turned down. Seems that I'm too blind and Gina was had too "delicate" eyes for the doctor's comfort zone. Ergo (that's Latin for "sooooo") Gina went the PRK route instead. That's where they burn the entire surface off of the eye, laser the heck out of the cornea, and then let it all heal back. Upside: It's all the rave in Europe and Canada now and they end up having less "after-surgery problems as a whole. Downside: It takes at least a week (or two in Pooky's case) for the peepers to become fully functional again (one more reason to give thanks for TIVO!). Now that it's all over and done with, the Pookster is really happy with the results (although for a few days she was VERY crabby... er I mean disappointed). Now that I've seen the result, I'm thinking of having it done myself at the end of May. I love the smell of burning cornea in the morning...
- The post burglary activity is now mostly behind us. Other than dealing with the hassle of figuring out everything that got stolen, getting it reported to the insurance company, and then getting it replaced, it hasn't been too much of a pain in the neck. The security system is in and I'm in the process of having a gate installed at the end of the lane. My co-worker got robbed two days ago in a very similar manner as we did. There have been three other robberies in our neighborhood since us. Our gate is in the process of being installed. What a hastle. Sign of the times I guess. I've been trying to teach Newman how to be a better guard dog. Every night I get on my hands and knees and get in his face a growl while Harry rubs up against my leg... Newman just looks at me with his pathetically confused face....
- Movies we've seen since my last posting include
- LexiLawyer and I are in training. Yep... we're runners. Only 151 miles more to the Adidas Helvetia Half Marathon in Hillsboro, OR. I'm running it for two reasons... 1. A chance to run with my daughter and 2. I'm told that there is a FANTASTIC HAMBURGER awaiting those that finish. SO BRING IT ON!! IT'S HILLSBORO IN JUNE OR BUST!!! (right Lex?) WHICH REMINDS ME.... Last week we saw "Run Fatboy Run" which is now my mantra. (It was a very funny movie by the way...)
- Books I've read in the last little while include
- George (Pookie's Pop) and I graduated from Salmon University with honors (and in my case a couple of door prizes INCLUDING a really nice fishing reel). LOOK OUT FISH!! Weezagonna do some damage this year!
- Pookie's got some NEW PEEPERS! We went up to Canada to have our eyes LASIK'd and both got turned down. Seems that I'm too blind and Gina was had too "delicate" eyes for the doctor's comfort zone. Ergo (that's Latin for "sooooo") Gina went the PRK route instead. That's where they burn the entire surface off of the eye, laser the heck out of the cornea, and then let it all heal back. Upside: It's all the rave in Europe and Canada now and they end up having less "after-surgery problems as a whole. Downside: It takes at least a week (or two in Pooky's case) for the peepers to become fully functional again (one more reason to give thanks for TIVO!). Now that it's all over and done with, the Pookster is really happy with the results (although for a few days she was VERY crabby... er I mean disappointed). Now that I've seen the result, I'm thinking of having it done myself at the end of May. I love the smell of burning cornea in the morning...
- The post burglary activity is now mostly behind us. Other than dealing with the hassle of figuring out everything that got stolen, getting it reported to the insurance company, and then getting it replaced, it hasn't been too much of a pain in the neck. The security system is in and I'm in the process of having a gate installed at the end of the lane. My co-worker got robbed two days ago in a very similar manner as we did. There have been three other robberies in our neighborhood since us. Our gate is in the process of being installed. What a hastle. Sign of the times I guess. I've been trying to teach Newman how to be a better guard dog. Every night I get on my hands and knees and get in his face a growl while Harry rubs up against my leg... Newman just looks at me with his pathetically confused face....
- Movies we've seen since my last posting include
- "21"; the story (loosely based on fact) of Harvard students who devised a way of count
ing cards and won a BOATLOAD of DENIROS in Las Vegas before being caught. - "Leatherheads"; the amusing (if not extremely well written) story of the beginnings of pro football (enjoyable)
- LexiLawyer and I are in training. Yep... we're runners. Only 151 miles more to the Adidas Helvetia Half Marathon in Hillsboro, OR. I'm running it for two reasons... 1. A chance to run with my daughter and 2. I'm told that there is a FANTASTIC HAMBURGER awaiting those that finish. SO BRING IT ON!! IT'S HILLSBORO IN JUNE OR BUST!!! (right Lex?) WHICH REMINDS ME.... Last week we saw "Run Fatboy Run" which is now my mantra. (It was a very funny movie by the way...)
- Books I've read in the last little while include
- "Cell" by Stephen King - CREEPY (and VERY enjoyable... I LOVE Stephen King novels).
- "The Few" by Alex Kershaw; the true story of the few Americans who snuck out of the country to join the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and fought i
n the air battles of The Battle of Britain (a full 18 months before the U.S. even entered World War II... in fact, they broke a bevy of neutrality laws in order to get to Britain). It was very inspiring and sad because all but one of the original "Eagle Squadron" were killed defending the British against the Nazi onslaught. Good Book!
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