{"id":206,"date":"2002-03-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2002-03-03T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/2002\/03\/03\/issue-28\/"},"modified":"2002-03-03T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2002-03-03T07:00:00","slug":"issue-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/2002\/03\/03\/issue-28\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 28"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"header\">\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"90%\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"issue\" width=\"35%\">March 3, 2002<\/td>\n<td class=\"issue\" width=\"31%\" align=\"center\">Issue 28<\/td>\n<td class=\"issue\" width=\"33%\" align=\"right\">Lehi, Utah<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h2>In this issue:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#camping\">Weathering the Weather<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#olympics\">Olympics Photo Essay<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ethan\">Losing Ethan<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#computer\">Brain Surgery<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a name=\"camping\" id=\"camping\"><\/a>Weathering the Weather<\/h2>\n<p class=\"byline\">Eric (24 Feb 2002)<\/p>\n<p>One of the blessings of working with the Young Men is a tremendous appreciation for the simple things in life, like sleeping indoors during a blizzard, for example.<\/p>\n<p>I gained this appreciation in December as the Young Men&#8217;s president, John Boyd, and I took a couple of boys camping up American Fork Canyon. The idea was to build snow caves, which I remembered being pretty fun when I was a Scout. Unfortunately, our expert assessment of the snow concluded that it was a little too dry and crystalline to make good caves. That assessment was concluded right after we dug John out from under our collapsed cave.<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/snow-camping-john.jpg\" width=\"189\" height=\"249\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\">John, moments before the collapse.<\/span><br \/> Dec. 14, 2001<\/p>\n<p>A better strategy might have been to just roll up inside a tarp, because at the rate it was snowing, you could have had a nice cave by just holding still for a while. Around midnight, when we were finally ready to attempt sleep, the snow had stopped. We slept under the stars inside our collapsed cave, because three walls are better than nothing.<\/p>\n<p>It was mentally tough to strip off our outer layers of clothes in order to get into sleeping bags. What was harder was putting those outer layers back on again in the morning. There&#8217;s something disconcerting about seeing all the ice still caked on the outside of your coat exactly as it was the night before. I guess some irrational part of my brain expected it to melt instead of stiffening up even more.<\/p>\n<p>We burned through the firewood we brought with us pretty quickly, but we were lucky to find a few small dead trees that we pulled down for fuel. While warming them over the fire, I discovered what the insides of gloves look like when one made that subtle transition from cold and wet to on fire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/snow-camping-morning.jpg\" width=\"326\" height=\"211\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\">The snowy night made for a beautiful morning.<\/span><br \/> Dec. 15, 2001<\/p>\n<p>The morning was cold and clear, but when we finally broke camp (and after a little sledding) we discovered that the mountains had spared us of the wind portion of the blizzard. Back home, the snow had drifted several feet high. Shannon had been pretty worried about us as the house rattled through the night. It felt especially nice to curl up with her that next night, in a soft, warm bed, and with a roof over my head.<\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"olympics\" id=\"olympics\"><\/a>Olympics Photo Essay<\/h2>\n<p class=\"byline\">Eric (24 Feb 2002)<\/p>\n<p>Patrolling Blackhawk helicopters were a frequent reminder that the games were afoot. Other than them, and the torch relay, Lehi remained pretty quiet during the 2002 Winter Games. We did venture out a few times, though, for some Olympic experiences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/torch-waiting.jpg\" width=\"160\" height=\"226\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\">Waiting in the freezing cold to see the<br \/> Olympic Torch be carried through Lehi.<\/span><br \/> Feb. 6, 2002<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/torch.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"231\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\">After a quick warm-up in the Lehi Bakery,<br \/> we caught up with the torch-bearer for a photo-op.<\/span><br \/> Feb. 6, 2002<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/olympic-hockey-outside.jpg\" width=\"255\" height=\"246\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\">A highlight was a men&#8217;s hockey game at the Peaks Arena in Provo. Kerry and I went with Shannon&#8217;s parents (Shannon stayed home with Ethan, who was sick).<\/span><br \/> Feb. 13, 2002<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/olympic-hockey-inside.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"177\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\">We somehow managed some great seats to see<br \/> Ukraine beat up on France.<\/span><br \/> Feb. 13, 2002<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/brazil-bobsled.jpg\" width=\"284\" height=\"243\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\">We had dinner at the Rodizio Grill two tables away from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.saltlake2002.com\/r\/3\/bio\/BS_INOCENCIO_Matheus_F.htm\" target=\"new\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matheus Inoc\ufffdncio<\/a> (left) and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.saltlake2002.com\/r\/3\/bio\/BS_BINDILATTI_Edson.htm\" target=\"new\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Edson Bindilatti<\/a> (right) of the<br \/> Brazilian bobsled team.<\/span><br \/> Feb. 15, 2002<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/brazil-luge.jpg\" width=\"336\" height=\"230\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.saltlake2002.com\/r\/3\/bio\/LG_MIZOGUCHI_Renato_H_G.htm\" target=\"new\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Renato Mizoguchi<\/a>, who rode luge for Brazil, was also there.<\/span><br \/> Feb. 15, 2002<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/slc-2002.jpg\" width=\"174\" height=\"255\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\">We went downtown to check things out, but other than waiting in line for security checks, listening to the anti-Mormons, and watching thousands of other people wandering around, there wasn&#8217;t much to do.<\/span><br \/> Feb. 18, 2002<\/p>\n<p class=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/olympic-dancer-gerrit.jpg\" width=\"199\" height=\"308\" \/>\u00a0 <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/olympic-dancer-ethan.jpg\" width=\"194\" height=\"308\" \/><br \/><span class=\"caption\">The Olympic Square had some good dancing music.<\/span><br \/> Feb. 18, 2002<\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"ethan\" id=\"ethan\"><\/a>Losing Ethan<\/h2>\n<p class=\"byline\">Shannon (20 Feb 2002)<\/p>\n<p>Last Tuesday, I lost Ethan &#8212; every mother&#8217;s nightmare. It didn&#8217;t happen the way I&#8217;d always feared it would. I wasn&#8217;t shopping at the mall or the grocery store. I lost Ethan at home.<\/p>\n<p>Ethan and Gerrit had spent the morning playing at a friend&#8217;s house, and when they got home, Gerrit was ready for his afternoon nap. After reading the boys a story, Ethan slipped away while I indulged in some rocking and cuddling with Gerrit. Leaving Gerrit in his bed, I glanced into Ethan&#8217;s room. Ethan wasn&#8217;t there.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ethan is supposed to have &#8220;quiet time&#8221; in his room while Gerrit naps, so I assumed he was trying to play hooky &#8212; maybe downstairs playing on the computer. In any case, I thought he&#8217;d be my shadow in less than 10 minutes so I dropped into my favorite chair to read for a few minutes. Two chapters later, it dawned on me: the house was perfectly quiet &#8212; too quiet. Ethan was <i>not<\/i> playing on the computer, or hide and seek, or anything that would require he be in the house. Ethan was gone!<\/p>\n<p>I ran downstairs to check the office &#8212; it was dark &#8212; called Ethan&#8217;s name, checked the back door &#8212; it was locked &#8212; ran back upstairs, yelled Ethan&#8217;s name with that special parental tone, a combination of <i>ollie ollie oxen free<\/i> and <i>get out here this minute before I tan your hide<\/i> &#8212; no response.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The first seeds of panic were beginning to grow. Fragments of our pre-story conversation were coming back to me. Ethan couldn&#8217;t find his robot and was afraid he&#8217;d left it at Danny&#8217;s house. I had brushed him off and said we&#8217;d worry about finding it later. Did Ethan set out for Danny&#8217;s while I rocked Gerrit? I ran out the front door yelling Ethan&#8217;s name. It was freezing cold and very windy. Ethan wouldn&#8217;t leave would he? Danny&#8217;s house was far away.<\/p>\n<p>I ran back into the house and reached for the phone, torn over who I should call first, the police or Eric. Instinctively, I dialed Eric to report I&#8217;d lost his first born &#8212; <i>and please don&#8217;t hate me forever<\/i>. I was still searching\u00a0 the house, rechecking all the bathrooms calling, &#8220;Ethan &#8212; EEEETHAANN!&#8221;\u00a0 Eric answered, but before I could utter my first hysterics I dropped the phone. I picked it back up and told Eric that I had lost Ethan, and in relief, just found him.<\/p>\n<p>Rechecking Ethan&#8217;s room for possibly the third time, I finally saw him angelically sleeping in a jumble of blankets on his loft bed. I was so relieved. I tiptoed out of his room, shut the door, and went back to my book, this time enjoying the silence a house with napping children. A part of me wanted to shake Ethan awake while crying, &#8220;Don&#8217;t you ever do that to me again!&#8221; But Ethan napping is such a rare thing, why ruin it because his mother is crazy?<\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"computer\" id=\"computer\"><\/a>Brain Surgery<\/h2>\n<p class=\"byline\">Eric (03 Mar 2002)<\/p>\n<p>I took a step deeper into Geekland recently by overhauling my home computer. Sure, I&#8217;ve been inside the case lots of times, but this time I pulled out and replaced the motherboard, main memory, and the CPU. In computer terms, that&#8217;s something like a brain transplant &#8212; or maybe even a brain and heart transplant.<\/p>\n<p>I start to feel the need for an upgrade around the time that I can triple my computing power for a fraction of what I paid for my existing system. But I even showed some restraint and didn&#8217;t buy the fastest processor available &#8212; just a measly AMD Athlon XP 1900+ instead of the 2000+. I suppose that small discretion was offset by buying a bleeding edge motherboard.<\/p>\n<p>I put in an Nvidia nForce based motherboard, which has so much stuff integrated into it that I went from having something packed into every expansion slot down a nice tidy chassis.<\/p>\n<p>The bleeding edge part is that my system is a little flaky in a couple of respects. Hopefully newer drivers will straighten some of that out. The nice side is that my 3DMark2001 score (a graphics benchmark) improved from 900 to 2256. Whew! I was starting to get near the bottom end of the hardware requirements for the latest games.<\/p>\n<div class=\"footer\">\n<p class=\"copyright\">Copyright \ufffd <a href=\"mailto:ericsmith@email.com\">Eric Smith<\/a>, 2002, All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>March 3, 2002 Issue 28 Lehi, Utah In this issue: Weathering the Weather Olympics Photo Essay Losing Ethan Brain Surgery Weathering the Weather Eric (24 Feb 2002) One of the blessings of working with the Young Men is a tremendous appreciation for the simple things in life, like sleeping indoors during a blizzard, for example. &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/2002\/03\/03\/issue-28\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Issue 28&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-familynews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1774,"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206\/revisions\/1774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}