Favorite Christmas Movies

With only a few days until Christmas, we have been inundated with Christmas movies. What I can't figure out though, is why at Christmas time do we see an increase in horror flicks? Or see so many James Bond reruns? Nothing brings the spirit of Christmas more into my heart than a good slasher movie or James Bond defusing a nuclear warhead while romancing a beautiful woman. Fortunately there are plenty of good "Christmas" movies to watch. I have made a list of my ten favorite "Christmas" movies of all time. Some are of the more serious nature and some provide a good laugh. The list, naturally, is based on the Christmas movies I have seen.

MY TOP TEN ALL-TIME FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES

1. A Christmas Story
2. It's a Wonderful Life
3. Miracle on 34th Street (original version)
4. Mr. Kruger's Christmas
5. A Christmas Carol (many versions)
6. Home Alone
7. Polar Express
8. The Christmas Shoes
9. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
10. Elf

Honorable Mention: The Muppet's Christmas Carol, The Santa Clause.

I debated making a list of my least favorite, but many of what I think would make the list, I haven't seen. Besides, I'd rather focus more on the positive at this time of year. So, Merry Christmas everyone.

Why Can't We All Be Like Dogs?

I don't want to speak to loudly, for fear that the 'god's of bad things' will hear and find need to upset how happy I am right now with how my life is headed. I won't go into detail. Partially because I don't want strangers researching my life via this blog. But right now things are good.
I've often said that I could always find something to complain about, but most people don't want to hear it; and in all honesty, neither do I.
I did want to mention two things that have made me happy: 1) An old friend (old in the sense of we've known each other for a long time) and I are friends again. 2) My grandmother has finally found something to smile about. Tuesday night a friend of my mom, brought her puppies over for my grandma to pick one to purchase. Well, to make a long story short, she went home with two little girl puppies and her smile is a bright as ever-well, at least since before my grandpa died. As I saw the joy in her face, it reminded me of a program I saw once. The program was about children with facial deformities. They highlighted how these children were viewed as 'monsters' and shunned by classmates. One particular scene showed a young girl playing with her dog in the snow. It occurred to me that we have a lot to learn from dogs.
This dog didn't see her deformity. The dog didn't care who she was or what other people thought of her. This dog loved her because she loved it. How I wish that we all could have that same quality. That we could accept others regardless of who they are, what they've done, or where they are going. I wish we all could see the beauty that we all possess. I struggle with this too. And I don't believe it is so much a matter of tolerance. Tolerance to me shouldn't be a temporary aspect of accepting someone, where we 'put up' with them until they are no longer in our lives. And once they leave or we leave them, we can go back to disliking them.
There is no question that some people appear to be harder to love or be friends to than others. Maybe we should even include ourselves as one's some find difficult to befriend and include. I remember being in a single's ward while attending BYU and the theme of the ward was inclusiveness. What a concept many of us seem to struggle with. Why should one person be included because they look a certain way or act a certain way or excluded for the very same reasons? Who decides what is cool and uncool? In this battle for 'popularity' there are always two victims: 1) The group who causes the exclusion, and 2) The person being excluded.

It could have been worse . . .

***UPDATE***

My finger is healing fine. In fact I no longer need to bandage it, and, if all goes as well as it appears, there should only be minor evidence of the accident. I am very grateful for the concern and love everyone sent my way. Thank you all.
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"It could have been worse." This is an oft used saying in the parlance of sports. Of course we often use this in everyday life when evaluating a myriad of life events, tragic or otherwise. I recently have experienced this first hand. On Saturday, November 17, I was working with my brother-in-laws and my dad doing some millwork for my parents house. We were working with a tablesaw. At this point you are probably already thinking, "Stop right there. I don't want to know." Well, I had a brain cramp and found myself doing something I knew I shouldn't. I put my hand to close to the saw blade and the running blade sucked my middle finger on my right hand towards the blade. Let me say that spinning steel and human flesh are not a good mix-but you all probably knew that already; so did I. And I sure do now.
The blade nicked the end of my finger. My first thought, even before looking at my finger was, "this is not a good thing." Not ouch! It was actually surreal. It took me a moment to fully realize what had just happened. I'd heard how others had these horrific accidents. Now I had joined this club of fools. Well, as the saying goes, "it could have been worse." My finger is sore. It will leave a nice scar. But I still have a complete finger. When it heals it won't be pretty, but it won't affect me in any way. And nobody will really even notice. Again "it could have been worse."

***UPDATE***

I had a hand specialists' PA look at my finger yesterday at the AF Hospital and he told me it looked great and will heal very nicely. That was good news. There never was anything to suture and it wasn't deep enough to reach the bone. Plus the nail is fully intact.
I saw a news piece this morning on The Today Show about a nine year-old boy with a rare leg condition which has taken away his ability to walk. Doctors told him things would only get worse. The options were to do nothing or to have the leg amputated. This brave boy chose to have his leg amputated. What courage that took. I realized shortly after the accident and then again this morning how forunate I am in comparison. Sure, temporarily I am having to use my left hand; a minor inconvenience. Eating is more difficult. Getting dressed is harder. And it seems as though I am continually giving everybody the 'bird.' But as I already mentioned, this is temporary. My last post was about the things I am grateful for. I am grateful that I am healthy and that it wasn't worse.

Thanksgiving

I Started this entry with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away. I thought I'd get a jump on thinking about what I'm thankful for. Instead of doing a top-ten list I've decided to simply start writing and see what happens. I will continue to add to this from time to time.

Family, Jesus Christ, the Lord, the Holy Ghost, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, beautiful, modest women, being healthy, dogs, clean air, the right to vote, a free country, my laptop, a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, clean water, good food, clean clothes, quality tv programs, BYU sports, BYU in general, my afghan blanket (I know that is redundant), my dad's paintings, my nieces and nephews, my heritage, my education, my opportunities, my testimony, being tall, Disneyland, the Utah Jazz, traveling, airplanes, my car, my bike, the mountains all year long, snow, clean jokes, kissing a cute girl, cuddling, hugging, holding hands, country music or just good music, the smell outside after a good rain, tapioca pudding my nana used to make, Temples, the scriptures, President Hinkley, flu shots, Mondays-Sundays, Christmas, cell phones, my iPod, having served a full-time mission, sun sets, pro football, college basketball, being happy, people listening to me, friends, genealogy, the moon and the sun, rocks, birds, a clean house, working hard, a full head of hair, listening to others, pillows, money, being able to draw, desire, attitude, hope, faith, charity, honesty, being a full-time friend, forgiveness, the Atonement, the United States of America, laws, running, swimming, dvds, sidewalks, sand, oceans, palm trees, the sound of the wind, driving with the windows down, a working radiator, cheap gas, people who like me, fish, green grass, blue skys, safe drivers, dedication, volunteers, a restful sleep, naps, snacks, staying clean, Applebees, Cheesecake Factory (we finally have one here in UT), McDonalds, still more to come . . .

Turtle Tending

This past August I became the sole provider of a three-toed box turtle. Unable to locate an owner, and my sister Brooke being adamant that my nephew Jake be eight before he can have it as a pet, it fell to me to care for this animal. I've had many different types of pets: dogs, fish, crabs, frogs, mice, hamsters, gerbils, lizards, snakes, a ferret, pigeons, and for a few days, a bat (not all at the same time). But I never realized how much effort is required to take care of this turtle. My first hurdle was trying to figure out what kind of turtle it was. After some time, I was able to figure that out. The next obstacle was finding the adequate enclosure. I finally settled on a very large, rubbermaid type container. After that, figuring out what he ate was the next challenge. Now that those are resolved it is now making sure I keep the thing alive.
In trying to find the answers to all these questions, I have learned a lot about turtles. Not an expert by any means, but much more knowledgeable. I know it is a male. It's about seven years old. It has red-orange forelegs, with the same colors on the sides of it head. It likes to eat worms and slugs. Bannanas are popular too, but lettuce it won't touch.
Anyhow, I am enjoying this new adventure. I don't know that I would choose it as an everday pet, but for the next two years I think I'll be okay.

My Favorite Media Dads

I look forward to the day when I am married and have children of my own. Until then I have been making a list of dads from TV/Film that I 'admire.' Some are fictional and others from real life. There are many quality men who qualify. But why a list? Recently I watched Cinderella Man and Pursuit of Happyness. I began to think about the kind of father I hope to be. These men were inspiring. Some of the men on my list aren't your 'Father of the Year' candidates. But they are men who love their kids. So without further ado, in no particular order, my top ten dads of all time:

1. Mr. Parker (Darren McGavin) A Christmas Story: From his incoherent cussing to his casual looks of annoyance. Mr. Parker, as he's known in the movie, was awesome, period! Mr. Parker: He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny. Mother: He does not! Mr. Parker: He does too, he looks like a pink nightmare!
2. Homer J. Simpson-The Simpsons: He may not win 'Father of the Year.' Okay, he won't ever win, but when he really must be a good dad, he can. Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
3. Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) The Andy Griffith Show: He's actually one of my idols. He was a single father and sheriff in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina. Surrounded by eccentric townsfolk and a bumbling deputy (but you gotta love Barney), Sheriff Taylor brought sanity to Mayberry.
4. Tie: Ray Barone and Frank Barone (Ray Romano and Peter Boyle) Everybody Loves Raymond: Again, both father and son are not exactly Fathers of the Year material, but pretty cool, easy-going, laid back dads. Frank Barone: [to Ray] You're even dumber than I tell people.
5. Chris Gardner (Will Smith) The Pursuit of Happyness: This guy was amazing. He showed true love a father should have for a child. If you didn't buy into the movie, and walked away feeling better about life, that is sad. Favorite quote: Chris Gardner to his son: Don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something. Not even me. All right?
6. Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) Cinderella Man: Much like Chris Gardner, a real dad. Jim Braddock: I have to believe that when things are bad I can change them.
7. Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) The Cosby Show: He's actually not one of my favorite, favorites. But it's hard to keep him off my list. Clair: So you don't want another child? Cliff: There's times that I don't even want the ones we have.
8. Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) To Kill a Mockingbird: In a time when showing kindness to a black man was virtually against the law, Atticus raised Jem and Scout to see equality in all people. Atticus: There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible.
9. Jimmy Morris (Dennis Quaid) The Rookie: I love the relationship between Jim Morris and his little son.
10. Buck Russell (John Candy) Uncle Buck: Yes, I know he's not a dad. This one is for all the uncles out there. As an uncle to 12 nieces and nephews, I've had the opportunity to babysit. You'd be hard pressed to find an a more caring, loving, and funny uncle than Uncle Buck. Buck to niece Tia: Stand me up today, and I'll drive you to school in my robe and pajamas and walk you to your first class.

Dating Woes

A friend recently posed the question, "Why is dating so hard?" A good question and one loaded with many relevant answers. Before I begin, I want to state that I am using 'we' to mean men and women and in no way does this imply that it is universal, that everyone fits this. In addition, I also want to stipulate that in no way am I an expert or will you completely agree with my assessments. Plus, I am guilty of some of these things as well. So, in no particular order, here goes:

1. Unrealistic expectations. We place expectations on others that even we might not even be able to attain. We want them to be 'like' us. Most have heard opposites attract. This is true if you are a magnet. In life, we are attracted to those most similar to us. One word of caution: Don't look for someone exactly like you . . . you probably will end up not liking them as much later. Because you think something is right for you, don't expect it to be so for someone else. Also, remember, we are all unique individuals and how you're feeling may not be how they are feeling. Give the benefit of the doubt.
2. Fear. We allow fear to control us to the point that we may walk away from a good thing. This might be because of past experiences. And Satan is the chief source of helping us use our fears to control us. Fear of being hurt. We have all felt this and probably been the cause of it to someone else and possibly ourselves too. Sometimes this fear is a fear of change. We get established and comfortable with a certain type of lifestyle and any change to this can cause fear. A good quote fits this: "By probing to deeply, or talking endlessly about some problems, we can foolishly cause the very thing we are trying to prevent . . ." -President Boyd K. Packer. If your fear is divorce, getting hurt, loss of income, infidelity, or any other relationship fear, be careful how much you think about it. It can consume you. Don't create a problem where one does not exist.
3. Selfishness. In a book I read not to long ago, the authors all mentioned how most divorces arise because of selfishness on one or both in the marriage (and we can add a dating relationship). I feel President Gordon B. Hinckley said it best: "I am satisfied that a happy marriage is not so much a matter of romance as it is an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one's companion." What you think and feel matters, but so does that of your loved one.
4. Misplaced priorities. We all want security, financial and romantic. But to what extent are we misplacing what truly matters with what matters?
5. Disrespect. For the men, we need to look at women as who they truly are: Daughters of God and future mothers. We need to respect their bodies and their minds. And we men need to remember this quote from President Hinckley, “The girl you marry will take a terrible chance on you." But for all of us, we need to give respect to get respect.
6. Seinfeld Syndrome. Most of us have a preconceived image of our ideal spouse. At the request of a friend, I once had a list of the physical and spiritual attributes I looked for in a woman. When meeting someone new we tend to 'check off' what qualities and attributes they posses and which they don't. In addition, we often compare this person to someone we previously loved. If they don't quite measure up, then we are quick to send them on their way. The sad thing is, we may be missing on getting to know someone very special. Ask yourself an important question: "Would I measure up on their list?" We need to love someone because we are physically attracted to them, but more importantly, we need to truly love them because of who they are.
7. Communication. Talk. Listen. Listen. Listen. Then act.
8. We are who we are: Maybe this should be number one on the list, but men are from mars and women are from venus. That pretty much sums it up.
9. Comparisons: Often we have been in a relationship that we felt very comfortable in. We may have even loved the other person. Then comes a breakup. The problem here can be that we compare our last with all those who are now interested in us. This is unfair to them and to ourselves.
10. Loving and Being loved: We all have an innate need to give love and to be loved. But for some of us, we make it very hard for someone else to love us, despite their many efforts.
    

That said, life is good and life is great. Wish you all the best.
Feel free to give your input or add to this list.

"Fully Invested"

I have always been a BYU sports fan. I bleed blue and I always will. As a fan who is "Fully Invested" I love the direction the entire BYU athletics program is headed. What does it mean to me to be a "FULLY INVESTED" BYU fan? It means supporting all BYU sports programs, men's, women's. Major sports like football and basketball, to lesser attended sports like tennis, lacrosse, rugby, gymnastics and so forth. It means wearing the actual school colors to sporting events, not dressing to impress those around you with the latest fashion trends. It means staying to the end of a game, whether a blowout (for or against), in all degrees of weather, and against any opponent (although this is debatable). It means admitting that sometimes the other team is just better (this includes Utah at times). I realize that the slogan was borrowed by coach Mendenhall to inspire and define the football program, but I believe that this idea should be imposed on all the athletic programs at the Y.

Grandpa Barrett

Grandpa died on September 5, 2007. He exemplified what a family man is and should be. He also showed the love a man should have for his wife. My grandpa was also a true 'American Hero.' He would proudly fly the US flag whenever possible.

During WWII, Grandpa was a member of the 8th Air Force 379 Bomb Group flying on a B-17 as a top turret gunner. He and members of his crew flew 32 missions over Germany.

With over 1,000 WWII vets dying daily, it is increasingly important that we share with each other exactly what these men and women did for all of us. Sadly with these deaths go many of their stories with them, stories that this generation need to hear. Many of them still can't bring themselves to share the events they went through. That is their right and they've earned it. For others it was therapeutic. For me, listening to both my grandpas tell their stories, I gained a new found respect for their generation; a respect I hope to pass on to my kids. I look forward to the day when I can tell my kids about their 'Great' great-grandpa.

Skydiving-August 2007

My bro-in-laws, Paul and Eric, invited met to jump from a perfectly good airplane in August. It is very hard to explain just how much fun and how unbelievable this experience was. Doing it with my bro-in-laws made it even more fun. Sadly, I didn't pay for a photographer, so I really don't have any good picts of me. Paul and Eric will vouch for me though--I hope.

Just Wanted to Say Hey

Hey all, I just wanted to say hi to everyone visiting my blog. This is my first foray into blogging. This is my niece Rachel and I after her baptism. I really like this photo. I'm proud of all my nieces and nephews. If you don't have family, you don't have much at all.