GC Puzzle Project - COMPLETE!

So, my parents worked on a puzzle while they were visiting me here in Salt Lake City a couple of weeks ago. It helped them pass the time with General Conference weekend.

But alas! My parents didn't finish it before they left one week later (it was 500 piece puzzle). I guess they needed just ONE more GC session!

It's one of my puzzles that I bought while visiting Zion National Park a couple of years ago. (NOT ZIONS - like some people like to say) It's a great picture of a canyon in the park. It makes for a great souvenir! It's got a purpose (hours of entertainment in puzzle piece assembly) AND it reminds you of the trip. Really, a genius idea! I give props to whomever thought of that first. Well done you, puzzle-souvenir creator person!

Anyway, this is how much they got done.

I didn't have the heart to take it apart without it being "complete," so I took it on myself to finish it up! I'm blogging it now so my parents can have some sort of "completion" from the experience. It's all about the "completion" endorphins...

So live it up, Mom and Dad!!!

And come visit again! I've got a puzzle from Arches National Park we need to do....

GC Weekend

It's General Conference(GC) time!!

I have loved General Conference - REALLY LOVED - starting back in 2005. When you are Relief Society Pres any time you have a Sunday off you embrace it with joy and rapture! And since I was released May 4th, 2008 (yes, I remember the date), I still appreciate that extreme happiness GC brings! Who doesn't love hanging out at home listening to GC in your pjs? Because MAN, Sundays have the possibility of being really stressful and not so Sabbath feeling in that calling. Oh, and the talks by the apostles are so inspiring and amazing that it's well worth every minute of it. So I guess it's two fold...pjs and really good talks.

Anyway, this GC weekend, mom an dad have come to visit!! They are here to see Alexis' play (they've never gotten that chance) and to see some friends they met while on their mission (at the San Diego Mission Home Office). So, here they are!!

Last night, we took - ok dad - took Alexis to dinner to celebrate her play, Dracula vs. the Hunchback (see www.theobt.org). We would do it Monday when we see it, but it would get out too late to be having dinner (plus mom and dad shut down at about 10pm). So off to Sizzler for some steak and chicken strips! It was a great time! Although mom's brownie was as hard as a rock...

Today (Friday) we decided to start with breakfast at our favorite breakfast dive and former (I hope former) drug headquarters, The Coachman on 13th and State Street. I got french toast, dad got a Denver Omelet (although he doesn't really like green peppers or onions) and mom go the waffles!

Then off to Lowes to get a replacement bulb for my lamp. Yes, I bought the only reading lamp that requires a "specialty" F4 light...geez! But I was successful and now I can read again when it's dark....

We then hit the Salt Lake City Cemetery to see Grandma and Grandpa Hansen's headstones. Mom hasn't seen them since Grandma died in 1992. We went to the office to get the map and official coordinates. Now, you may ask, "Dan? can't you get that info and find that all by your lonesome?? You've been there before back in 1998 and you didn't have a problem then! Why would you need to get help from the office?" Well, that's a good question! But alas, yeah, I tried to find it - with coordinates AND map in hand and didn't achieve the goal....lame, huh? I even had help!! But no relatives could be found. I do admit, I MAY have been a little distracted at the time...

No problem though! The sexton lady at the office had a more detailed map. We were just a row off last time - which makes a difference in a cemetery!

We found Grandma & Grandpa Hansen. And they are buried by Grandma Hansen's brother, sisters, and parents. Unfortunately, poor Great Grandpa William Thompson's tombstone is sinking and the grass if growing over it. We asked the lady at the office and she said we'd have to call the monument company to see if they could bring it back up. Poor Great Grandpa!! But don't worry! I'll check into it and make sure he doesn't sink into oblivion...

Then it was off to This Is The Place Monument and Heritage Village. Dad hasn't seen the monument since he was at BYU - a million years ago - so this was exciting for him. See, the monument has changed a bit....I'm not sure when the big one was put up. I do vaguely remember being at some dedication of something up there at This Is the Place Monument - I'm thinking it was 1999ish and Pres. Hinckley was there...I'm not sure how I heard about it or who I went with, but I remember hanging out there.

You should know that the Heritage Village has a "season" and we just missed the end of it. But that means all three of us got in for $11! (it helps when your parent's get the senior discount). None of the buildings were open but we wandered around waiting for our chance to ride the train that goes all over the property. We got to see some real pioneer llamas along with the pigs and cows. I hadn't realized that llamas were in the valley at the time of Brigham. Where they native to the area or did they make the trek across the country? Something to ponder....

Unfortunately, the train broke. Something about a caboose being out of alignment. So we ate at the Monument Cafe and had a This is the Turkey Sandwich (on a Kaiser roll) with some chips and lemonade. (I'm not kidding...)

While we waited we saw a Magpie. Pretty little bird! I don't think it's hostile - you never know with birds (you've seen the movie, right? The Birds? Never trust a crow!! I've had crows throw walnuts at me to break them open. At least people SAY they were trying to break them open. I think personally they were attacking me!! Maybe they were anti-Mormon. it was while I was in Canada on my mission. Hmmm. Crows are violent AND anti-Mormon! Interesting...)

I also checked out dad's new Rockport shoes! Aren't they snazy?!?! I like them...Dad's one stylin' man.

We also took a couple of candid shots at the base of the statue of Brigham and Joseph. (did you know Joseph was taller than Brigham?? Yeah, I didn't.)

The train finally came and we got to see the lay of the land. If you have never been, its a fun place! Even more fun when it's open - but still a pleasant ride on the train in some excellent abnormal slc warm weather.

We saw the Pony Express Monument. Did you know they only did the Pony Express for 1 1/2 years? Yeah, you remember Young Riders from TV? Didn't that last 3 seasons on TV? Yeah, it's like MASH - not done in real time. (the Korean war lasted 3 years but MASH lasted 11 seasons)







We saw Brigham Young's Forest home. Did you know he had a forest home? Apparently he experimented with planting all sorts of trees to see how they would grow in the desert out in Sugar House. I had no idea! And apparently Brigham was ok with pink. Interesting....






We also saw a great view of Hogle Zoo across the way. I've only been there twice. Once as a 10 year old - I'm afraid I wasn't as impressed because I grew up going to the San Diego Zoo, but it had a really cool display of all the things they found in the cages. They had all sorts things in it. I found an old picture of it that I just had to share.

My other experience there was about 3 years ago. I went to a horrible Dee's dance there. I got to dance with a 57 year old. Not cool. But that's the night I met Jubi and he's cool! Look at me see the bright side!!

Over all it was a very pleasant afternoon and I think the parental units (as my sister in law, Ann likes to call them) had a good time. At least they are smiling in the picture!!