This is a picture of my dad when he was five. Sixty years later, we are lucky to still have him with us. September of this past year, dad suffered a massive stroke and was in the Neuro ICU for nearly a month. The hemorrhaging that occured in the brainstem should have caused his heart and lungs to stop functioning. During that time, he recieved multiple priesthood blessings -- and a miracle happened. Dad started breathing on his own again and began to turn a corner. (Obviously the Lord has more for James Perkins to do here on this earth.) Once Dad was released from ICU, he spent several more weeks in the hospital in acute rehab, suffering a few nasty falls as he worked around the clock with the PT and OT on his walking, talking, swallowing, etc.
Then a second miracle happened. Just this last week, the family got to have dad come home permanently...just in time for Christmas Eve. As kids, while growing up, Dad was always the example of dedication and hard work. That hasn't changed. By the time I left to come home to California, Dad was eating three (small) "solid" food meals a day and the nurse was going to look into removing his feeding tube. He can get in and out of his wheelchair by himself and is working on his speech and balance. (Ataxia, I have learned, plays nasty tricks on a person's perception and balance.) He will soon be going to the Balance Center downtown, where specialists will work with him and his physical therapists on this problem. While I was home, I took dad to his neuro appointment and he was just as lucid as ever -- recalling to his doctor the effects he was feeling from each of the (no kidding) 20 meds he is on. I read in an American Medical Journal that the amount of physical energy required of stroke victims during their recovery process can be compared to running an ultra-marathon
(100 miles)--over and over again.
Dad, I am so very proud of you. Once again, you have shown me the way to work, act and behave -- even under the most difficult of circumstances. I love you, and I love the Lord for the miracle of your recovery.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A Christmas Miracle 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
When the Y loses to the U...
...catastrophe strikes the state!
Half of you (like me) are dyed-in-the-wool Cougar fans, and the other.. well, I'm sure you are still shouting your Ute victory from the rooftops.
As the final scene of this little YouTube clip says: "There's always next year!"
This really is funny, no matter which side you root for:
May the "friendly" rivalry continue. It represents some of my best memories growing up in SLC. (Heather, do you remember when we used to paint each other's lawns blue and red?) AWESOME!
Friday, October 31, 2008
TAKE A STAND
I went out with members of my ward tonight to a busy intersection in Folsom. In our support of Prop 8, we held up signs and waved/smiled at on-coming traffic. It was interesting to see the results. Being a pretty conservative town, the vast majority honked their approval and support. Of course, we had the few who were very angry and let us know through colorful speech and sign language.
I'm standing there next to Sister Boyce in my ward, when a young guy (probably in his early 20's) approaches us and asks: "Excuse me, but what is Prop 8? Please tell me, what is Prop 8?" I had two thoughts in my mind... either this guy has been living on the moon, or that was a rhetorical question. It proved to be the latter. Then he said: "Who or what defines marriage? The Government or religion? Does the Bible define marriage? Why are we even voting on this issue? The Bible is dead and out-dated. Why are you guys out here promoting divisions, segregation and hatred?"
The guy was shaking, and for a second, I thought that either he was so mad that he wanted to deck me, or he was really nervous. I quickly thought... I need to just bear him a simple testimony of why I believe what I do. I told him: "You know, you are right, religion defines marriage -- the Bible definitely speaks of marriage between a man and a woman, but I don't believe that it's teachings are out-of-date. What is more, fundamental to my belief, is the idea that God has a plan for every one of His children. I believe that we are sent to earth to gain a body and, in order to create that body, we need a man and a woman. Having such a belief does not means I promote segregation or division. I am out here to express my beliefs, and you have the right to do the very same thing."
All of us standing there agreed with the guy that we shouldn't even have to be voting on this issue, but we also assured him that when legislation comes up that tries to attack what we believe, we are going to stand up! He ended up shaking our hands and thanking us for talking with him. As he walked away, I said to Sister Boyce, "I should have told him that I wasn't married, but that I'd like to be." She laughed and said: "You should have asked him, 'Do you want to marry me?'" :)
I'm so thankful for Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation that can bring clarity and happiness to all his children, regardless of their status in life. Tonight was a reminder about the importance of missionary work, especially during such tumultuous times. It has been wonderful to see so many people overcome fear and share their testimonies in so many different ways, here at home and all over California. I you haven't seen this clip yet, you should watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-zWFH-PGeM
Whether or not Proposition 8 passes in California on Tuesday, we all must make a choice. "Who's on the Lord's side, who? Now is the time to show."
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
SUPPORT PROP 8, Defend the traditional family
With just 14 short days left until we vote on this very important issue of religious freedom, I have to believe that God's plan will roll forward despite those who would wish to see it frustrated.
Please help your undecided friends and neighbors the most by simply and sincerely bearing your testimony of your belief in God's Plan of Salvation. There is nothing more powerful than brining the Spirit into a conversation by bearing witness of God's Plan of Happiness for His children. It doesn't have to be complicated, just sincere.
Some of these simple, but well-done videos can help to answer questions that we hear people around us asking every day. The first video posted here has several companion "shorts" you can find on YouTube along the right-hand side. The second posted video does a wonderful job explaining the history of how this proposition came to be. Please share them with your colleagues and friends. They are not confrontational at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-jc4ujp9Ok%20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI-GjWY-WlA
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Expression without words
Classical music is something, I feel, helps man to refine his thoughts and feelings. I believe it is one of the most expressive types of music -- oftentimes without lyrics. In fact, that proves its power -- the melodic messages transcend words to connect man's heart to God, to heaven, and certainly to all those "larger-than-life" thoughts and feelings we all experience. For helping man to define the world around him, I love classical music.
Johann Sebastian Bach:
"[Music is] For the glory of the most high God alone, And for my neighbour to learn from."
"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul."
Here are 80 of my favorite pieces and something I have learned/experienced from each one. They are in no particular order:
- Carmina Burana (Carl Orff)
The sound of peril in gluttony & lust - Swan Lake Suite (Tchaikovsky)
The very essence of grace, beauty & elegance - Peer Gynt: In The Hall of the Mountain King
(Edvard Greig)
Rising action of any good story sounds like this… - Brandenburg Concertos (J. S. Bach)
Extravagance and richness! - Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight Sonata” (Beethoven)
Melancholic purge power! - Eine Klein Nachtmusic (Mozart)
Childhood memory of standing in front of the Hi-Fi conducting my own orchestra - Ave Maria (Schubert)
Such an expression of respect & devotion - Für Elise (Beethoven)
Some of my earliest piano memories - Cantata BWV 208 “Sheep May Safely Graze” (J. S. Bach)
All things gentle and pure - The Ride of the Valkyries (Wagner)
Bugs Bunny & friends! - Vocalise No. 14 for Cello & Piano (Rachmaninoff)
Sings the song of the aching heart - Entry of the Nobles from Mlada (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Fanfare for the truly important people in life - Largo Al Factorum--Barber of Seville (Rossini)
How to prep an audience for the truly unbelievable - Lohengrin (Wagner)
What a story heard here - March of the Toreadors--Carmen (Bizet)
Thank you Sesame Street for exposing me to great opera! - La Traviata (Verdi)
Although tragic, has it’s colorful and live moments - Waltzes (Strauss)
Sum up all my daydreams of being swept away in a beautiful gown by my handsome prince - La Boheme (Puccini)
What tragedy in love sounds like - Concierto de Aranjuez (Rodrigo)
Reminds me of the sounds from within the walls of the Alhambra with all it’s Moorish influence - 1812 Overture (Tchaikovsky)
What is a firework show without this piece complete with cannons? - Nessun Dorma--Turandot (Puccini)
Summarizes my life-long love affair with Italian and the exquisite tenor voice - Piano Sonata No. 8 “Pathétique” (Beethoven)
Permission to daydream - Suite No. 1 BWV for Cello (J. S. Bach)
The cello hits the frequency of my own beating heart - On the Beautiful Blue Danube (Strauss)
Now that is party music! - Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp (Mahler)
A grown-up’s lullaby - Concerto Grosso in G Minor--Christmas Concert (Handel)
Every Christmas is made more lovely with the musical genius of Handel - Boléro (Ravel)
This paints a picture of the mounting intensity of the bullfighters dance OR the Roman Legions marching before the Emperor - Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 “Morning Mood” (Edvard Greig)
Good morning to the world…reminds me I am thankful for each brand new day! - Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major (Mozart)
It’s o.k. for adults to skip down the street, isn’t it? - Symphony No. 2 in E Minor (Rachmaninoff)
This is the song my heart wants to sing when I find the love of my life. I don’t think there is a more romantic piece - Trois Gymnopedies No. 1 (Satie)
The rain that is falling on my window; very relaxing - Concerto for Piano & Orchestra in A Minor (Edvard Grieg)
A surprise around every corner, just as in life - Adagio for Strings (Barber)
The tragedy of a love that can never be - Water Music (Handel)
The summation of all things Baroque - Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin)
An American in Paris – need I say more? - Fanfare for the Common Man (Copeland)
And so should great men be announced… - Appalachian Spring (Copeland)
I can feel the air and see the sky - Rodeo (Copeland)
“Beef, it’s what’s for dinner!” - Claire de Lune (Debussy)
Floating, weightlessness - The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)
All the forces of Nature at work: brute chill & gale of Winter, flirtatiousness of Spring, the warm caress of Summer, and the wistfulness of Fall - Cello Concerto in B Minor (Dvorak)
Musical genius - Carnival of the Animals--Swan (Saint-Saëns)
The grace and beauty of the ballerina - Requiem Mass in D Minor (Mozart)
An intense choral response to grief - Concerto for Mandolin, Strings & Brass in C Major (J. S. Bach) Bach could persuade the atheist to believe...
- Cannon in D (Pachelbel)
My earliest memory of classical music played by my parents - Also Spach Zarathustra (Strauss)
2001: Space Odyssey - Trumpet Voluntary--The Prince of Denmark (Clarke)
My memories of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London - Messiah (Handel)
Inspired of God; has there ever been a more inspiring piece of music written? - Symphony Fantastique (Berlioz)
A memory of Paris on a college trip - Symphony No. 9 in D Minor --Ode to Joy (Beethoven)
Happiness embodied in music! - Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring (J. S. Bach)
Best heard inside some of the greatest cathedrals in Europe - Music for the death of Queen Mary (Purcell)
What a tragic story in history; reminds me of being inside Westminster Abbey - Hungarian Dances No. 5 in G Minor (Brahms)
Dizzying, frenetic pace – makes you want to jump into the culture - Symphony No. 40 in G Minor (Mozart)
Summation of Mozart’s musical genius - Stars & Stripes Forever (Sousa)
My father used to crank this up on the Hi-Fi every 4th of July and wake the dead! - Night on Bald Mountain (Mussorgsky)
So very dark and mysterious…just the piece to play on Halloween Night! - The Planets (Holst)
Written for a “large” orchestra … what an understatement! - Habanera--Carmen (Bizet)
Again, Sesame Street brings the visual of the singing orange! - Variation on a Theme from Paganini (Rachmaninov)
‘Somewhere in Time’ and Christopher Reeve! *sigh* - The Nutcracker--Chinese, Russian, Russian, Arabian & Clown Dances (Tchaikovsky)
Christmas, going to see the Nutcracker with my grandmother and great-grandmother @ the Capitol Theater - Movie Themes for Superman, Indiana Jones, Star Wars (Williams)
Let's not forget the modern composer. It’s unbelievable how many times I listened to these LPs growing up. Such memories! - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Liszt)
I’m willing to bet this piece has appeared more often in soundtracks than we realize! - Royal Fireworks Music (Handel)
Title defines all… - Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (Edvard Grieg)
My cousin and I had this old record with wedding music on it, and we’d dress up and switch places marching down the isle to this piece - Pie Jesu (Faure)
Memories of the Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City - Air on the G String (J. S. Bach)
Soothing, calming, peaceful - Panis Angelicus (Franck)
The beauty of the harps make it sound like heaven - Concerto for Two Trumpets in B, Allegro (Vivaldi)
One of my Humanities professors favorites, we dissected it so many times, it's burned into my mind - Gaîté Parisienne: Baracolle--The Tales of Hoffman (Offenbach)
If you listen to this piece and don’t want to kiss someone all along the way, there is NO HOPE for you at all! - Can-can--Orpheus in the Underworld (Offenbach)
Oh this story blows Moulin Rouge clean out of the water! - Washington Post March (Sousa)
Oh, what a day for a parade! Yay! - He Is An Englishman--H.M.S Pinafore (Gilbert & Sullivan)
Reminds me of my crazy, singing family & our Perkins family reunions! - Three Little Maids From School--The Mikado(Gilbert & Sullivan)
Ditto… - The Very Model of a Modern-Major General--Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan)
Ditto… - Má Vlast (Smetana)
Listening to this, what’s not to love about Bohemia? - Chariots of Fire (Vangelis)
Again, in the spirit of modern composers, this is so very inspiring & my mission president's favorite - Radetsky March Op. 228 (Strauss)
As a 5 yr. old, listening to this piece, I led the march in my very own parade! - Polovetsian Dances--Prince Igor (Borodin)
Kismet, or if you prefer “Manifest Destiny" - Romeo & Juliet Suites No. 1 and 2 (Berlioz)
The perfect musical tribute to one of the greatest stories and playwrights of all time - Peter and the Wolf (Prokofiev)
From one of my earliest story reading memories, I learned how the instruments tell the story
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Northern California is on FIRE!
This is the "new" bridge which is right next to the old "Rainbow Bridge." The American River is just so beautiful. And to think this is all in my back yard. I love my home!I figure that if I was going to die, skin cancer would get me first for all those summer days I laid out slathered in baby oil paying no mind to the damaging rays of the sun. And I mean YEARS of summer days!
Čau Praha!
I just can't wait for September to roll around. That is when my dear friend Kristina and I are heading to the Czech Republic. This has been a life-long dream. I've been to the UK/ Ireland, and all over Western Europe, but never made it to Prague. Many friends of mine have been and have given tips on where we should go, what we should see. Will there be enough time? We'll be there for a week and then get to hop down to Vienna and Salzburg.
Prague's streets were jammed with silent pedestrians wandering about, looking out of the corners of their eyes at German soldiers carrying guns, at armoured cars, and at other military precautions. Some Czechs were seen turning up their noses at the Germans.
Germans were everywhere. Bridges were occupied by troops and each bridge-head had a heavy machine-gun mounted on a tripod and pointing to the sky. Every twenty yards along the pavement two machine-guns were mounted facing each other..."
Mmmm, mmm, mmm!McLaren = McLove
No kidding, I saw a McLaren yesterday! So, for those of you who believe that Sacramento is a poor cow town -- let that be a lesson to you! An older gentlemen pulled up beside me on Folsom-Auburn Boulevard. (I think he must be used to folks staring -- my gawking didn't really seem to effect him.) I had been staring in the rear view mirror for some time as it drove up. I continued to admire through the 2 minute light. WOW is all I can say! And then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone. It's not fair being teased like that. "Please Sir, would you take me for a little ride?"
Here's some interesting research on the most beautiful car I've ever seen:
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is an Anglo-German sports car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, built in Portsmouth and the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. Daimler AG, owner of Mercedes-Benz, also owns 40% of the McLaren Group.
It is the fastest automatic transmission car in the world. Due to the presence of the automatic gear box, front mid-engined arrangement and its driving characteristics lead some commentators to classify the SLR McLaren as a GT whose rivals can be considered to be the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish and Ferrari 599 GTB.
[Note: SLR stands for "Sport, Leicht, Rennsport" (sport, light, racing)] Mercedes-Benz has stated that they will build 3500 SLRs in a span of 7 years, with an annual production of only 500 cars.
The car uses carbon fibre for its entire body construction in an attempt to keep the weight low.
Despite CFRP materials the total curb weight is 1768 kg (3898 lb).The following tests have proven that the SLR can achieve a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 360 km/h (224 mph) .Car and Driver achieved a 0-60 mph (100 km/h) time of 3.75 seconds. C&D suggests the times may be even lower if temperatures were lower. Car and Driver achieved top gear acceleration 30-50 mph and 50-70 mph times of 1.7 and 2.4 seconds, which are the fastest ever recorded by the magazine in a production car.
So maybe you are wondering what will this Chariot of the Gods set you back? The car's base price is GB£300,000 (approx. US$495,000 or €475,000.)
t? :)Sunday, June 22, 2008
Get Smart America!
Looks like Vespa is sending a message to all Americans: "Get Smart!" I went and saw the 60's movie re-make with Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway. Hilarious. In one of their get-away scenes, instead of hopping in the typical V8 Bond car, the two of them jump on a silver LX 150. I just had to grin...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Moving Targets
Oh, man. I think I've been called the b-word in at least 7 or 8 languages now, by both students and parents. Being the bad guy -- the one who testifies for the school in expulsion hearings, I have found, paints a big, red target on your back. Maybe it's just because I'm tired, but today's verbal attack in the hallway, after the discipline hearing, brought me to tears. (Of course, I made it to the bathroom before letting anyone see.) It's so hard when you give so much of yourself to help a kid and they (along with their parents) repay you by attacking you. Question: Is it really true what they say about moving targets? If that is, in fact, true, I gotta make sure I'm never in one place that long. Maybe last one to the meeting, and first one out?
Target in Dating
As long as we're already going with the target metaphor, would the same concept be true for dating? If it's difficult to hit a moving target, would that NOT appeal to the "hunter" in a man? It's been long-time common knowledge that women who are "too available" or who give themselves over without a chase of any kind, can quickly lose the interest of men. If this is true, then are women not best suited to present themselves as attractive "prey" and then "dash out of the thicket" as quickly and gracefully as possible? Example: Critical entrance to a party, not focusing on any man for too long, etc, etc. The only problem I have experienced here is: the prey doesn't actually get to pick hunter, and, after all, dating is "open-season." Question: What to do when you are shot by the wrong one? Or, the one YOU like hasn't re-loaded his gun or, worse, due to prior dating injury, is gun-shy? Even better question: What would dating be like if the the prey and the hunter swaped roles?
Saturday, March 1, 2008
God Bless the Cops
I love COPS. Or better stated, peace officers. Although, today, this is a lesser-used moniker. It's very true that, among other public servants, they are certainly underappreciated. If you ask me, that's a sad commentary on America.
I work with the cops everyday. They make my life a WHOLE lot easier. I'd say we have a mutually beneficial working relationship. I boot the kids off campus for breaking the law under the Education Code, and my cops help to either: 1) bring them back safely in one piece, or
2) pass'em on down the line to Juvy for violating some other part of the law. Yes, you might say we work in concert.
Given my relationship with said law enforcement, I'm still not to be exempted from the long-arm reach of the law. You should know that I regularly travel down the Rancho end of the Folsom Blvd. corridor every morning at increased speeds to avoid the traffic of the 50 Highway. On my way, I pass either Officer de la Cruz, or Officer Limpach who just smile and shake their heads.
As a joke, my officers left this sitting on my desk the other morning. They must really love me, don't you think? Ahh, the benefits of being a public servant...
The Dangerous Book for Boys
I don't know if you've heard about this wonderful book. It's been on the best-seller list in the UK and USA for a long while now. I managed to score it @ Costco this weekend for a mere $13.50 a copy (hard-bound.) My father is a bit of a Renaissance Man, and, I can't think a guy who'd love this book more, so I bought a copy for him. In addition, I'm having a rocket kit mailed to accompany the book for several more hours of fun! *grin* (Afterall, mom needs just one more reason to get upset with dad, who, much to mother's dismay, loves to fly his remote-controlled helicopters in the family room downstairs.)
Any birthdays or special occasion coming up for the men in your life? Honestly, you've got to check out this book
Some chapter headings:
-Making a Bow-and-Arrow
-The Five Knots Every Boy Should Know
-Understanding Grammar (Parts I, II, and III)
-Famous Battles (Waterloo, The Alamo, Gettysburg, etc. complete with field maps)
-A Simple Electromagnet
-Making a Battery
-Building a Rocket
-The Declaration of the Independence
-The Moon
-Marbling Paper and Grinding an Italic Nib
-Intro to Shakespeare
-Girls
-Timers and Tripwires
-Latin Phrases Every Boy Should Know
-The Game of Chess
-Seven Wonders of the World
-How to Cook a Rabbit
-How to Play Poker
...the list goes on and on.
When one opens the cover of the book, one encounters this quote:
"Don't worry about genius and don't worry about not being clever. Trust rather to hard work, perserverance and determination. The best motto for a long march is 'Don't grumble, plug on.' You hold your future in your own hands. Never waiver in this belief. Don't swagger. The boy who swaggers -- like the man who swaggers -- has little else that he can do. He is a cheap Jack, crying his own paltry wares. It is the empty tin that rattles most. Be honest. Be loyal. Be kind. Remember that the hardest thing to acquire is the faculty of being unselfish. As a quality, it is one of the finest attributes of manliness."
--Sir Frederick Treves Sgt. in Ordinary to HM the King
Sunday, February 10, 2008
This World Needs More Leaders Like President Gordon B. Hinckley
This is one of my most favorite pictures of President Hinckley. It demonstrates his wonderful, purpose-filled life. I'm positive he never wasted a minute, never lost an opportunity to serve, lead, or teach. I am reminded of the quote he often cited from his father's letter he recieved while on his mission: "Gordon, forget yourself...and get to work." 
And that is just what he did.
Baltimore Sun (Maryland, USA)
“In a statement, President Bush praised Hinckley as a ‘deeply patriotic man. While serving for over seven decades in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon demonstrated the heart of a servant and the wisdom of a leader. He was a tireless worker and a talented communicator who was respected in his community and beloved by his congregation."
Here is a beautiful recording of some of his most powerful testimonies he shared with the world:
http://media.bonnint.net/birg/1/128/12841.mp3
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The Love of my Life
Meet "Ruby"
She is the new love of my life. I look forward to Saturdays, days off, or skipping out of work before the sun goes down, just so I can go for a ride. She's fast, sleek, responsive and forgiving -- all at the same time. It's about as smoothe as riding a Nilla Wafer. Aw, yeah, baby! I can burn a good 1500 calories in a relatively short ride, AND I'm having fun enjoying the scenery.
Tomorrow, I'm joining up with the Sacramento Bike Hikers. Besides all the great excercize with no impact to my knee, there's the added bonus of all the CUTE guys. On the path and in the shop, man, they are EVERYWHERE! One time a month, I get to have cute guys at the shop teach me more detailed bike maintenance. I discovered that if you get a flat, you can't even stop to begin fixing it, without about a dozen guys pull over to offer help.
Question: Why'd I let this go untouched for so long? Silly me.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
MASTERPIECE THEATRE | The Complete Jane Austen | PBS
What a way to start off 2008 with a BANG! Now is when I REALLY miss not having my TiVo! I know what I'll be doing every Sunday starting January 13th.
Ladies, mark your calendars!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Which Jane Austen heroine are you?
This quiz states that I am most like Elizabeth Bennett.
If that is so, I am waiting for my Mr. Darcy...
Take the Quiz here!
