McAllister Family Blog - McAllister

Big City Lessons

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 09:07:00 -0700

It's pretty safe to say that I'm a soccer guy. And, as a soccer guy, it is also safe to say that I picked the weirdest time to relocate and completely change my living situation. The World Cup is something that comes along every four years, and for soccer people it's a time to be completely immersed in the game for a solid month. That month happened to be the same month that I began working for ATG in Seattle. Heading into this adventure I knew that working and living in a metorpolitan area of nearly 4.2 million people would be just a little different than a life working at a great public university amongst a community of 125,000 in rural Utah. During the World Cup this summer I experienced a day that illustrated just how different life can be in the big city, and how much I have to learn about living here. The United States Men's National Team was scheduled to play in its final group match against Algeria, kicking off at 7am local time on a Wednesday morning. The situation was fairly straight forward for the Americans - win and you advance. If the result was anything else then the Stars and Stripes would most likely go home. With such a big match I wanted to be able watch the entire thing while still getting to my desk at a reasonable time. I'm usually expected to be available at work by 9am, so the best solution for watching the game and still making it to my desk was to head up to the office by kickoff and watch the match in the ATG break room. This plan would require catching a bus early in the six o'clock hour, which meant that I had to wake up just after 5am. Surprisingly, that happened with out a hitch. I was up and ready with ample time to make the necessary bus, which not surprisingly had several more open seats than I was used to seeing. The Westlake Center, where I work, was even more empty than the bus. And, that's kind of where the strange things began happening. I got to the elevator just after seven, and was feeling good about my timing. I punched the button for 12 but the light for the floor didn't turn on and the carriage remained still. Someone else got into the elevator and hit the button for the 11th floor and we were off. I tried the floor 12 button a few more times before arriving at 11, but the button was obviously broken. So, I got out at 11 and tried another of the four elevators, which also produced the same result. Now, if an elevator isn't cooperating the next logical step in trying to get to your destination would be to go the old fashioned way and take the stairs, right? This idea sounded reasonable enough. After a little exploring I found a door on the 11th floor that led to a typical looking stairwell. Skipping up the steps two at a time, and feeling I had out smarted the elevator, I reached my floor with out without breaking a sweat. I reached for the door handle to complete my journey and was met by a petrified knob that was securely locked in place. Frustrated, I retreated back to 11 only to find that door also securely closed. As I descending down the tight staircase I learned that the door on each floor was impassable from the stairwell. That is, except for the main floor, where the doors opened up to the coffee shop near the main building entrance. Humbled by the building that had obviously beaten me, I walked back over to the bank of elevator doors resigned to the fact that I needed to ask for help. I approached a security guard who was in the middle of explaining to someone else that this early in the morning - although now not as early as I would have liked - you need a key card to go anywhere on the elevator. I stepped into the car to watch the uniformed man demonstrate swiping a card through an inconspicuous crack, and then pushing the button for a floor. After repeating these steps I reached my floor and entered the break room about 15 minutes into the match. The game was already showing on the tv, which wasn't a complete surprise, although I was expecting more than one person to be watching. As I sat down I looked over at my fellow soccer person and discovered it was Berry, the vice president of software development, and he was on a call. He would remain on the call throughout the entire match, including when Landon Donovan dramatically knocked in the World Cup saving goal for the United States in stoppage time. When Donovan's shot hit the net I joined the rest of the country in celebrating leaping form my chair with pumping fists. I flailed. I jumped. I think I may have even spun around a few times. But, I did not make a vocal sound. Being on the job for only a few weeks I figured it would be poor form to disturb the phone call of the VP of software development, so I channelled my years working in the press box and kept my celebrations silent. For a soccer guy, moments like Donovan's goal against Algeria will not be forgotten. Neither will the lessons learned that morning as I become more familiar with life in the big city.

Provo Halloween Half Marathon

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:29:00 -0700

I never knew how mental racing was. Running down the Provo Canyon river trail on Saturday, while competing in my first half marathon, every time another runner passed me I would think, "that's it, everyone is in front of me and I'm now in last place." My feet ached, my calves burned, and due to a technical mix up before the race I was running without my usual GPS watch that tracked my time, distance, and pace. Without my watch, and with no mile markers posted, I had no idea where I was on course, or how I was doing in regards to time. This stretch of the race was very discouraging. I didn't expect to feel so alone and so lost. As is the case much of the time in my life, my music was my cocoon of comfort to keep my mind focused on the positive and distracted from the negative. Each time that I would take out my earbuds to adjust their position the comfortable tones would be replaced by the sounds of footsteps of the other runners approaching from behind. I'm most entirely at fault for arriving in such a lonely situation. The race began high up the mountains above the Sundance resort. Waiting in the crowd of over 700 runners at the starting line I was accompanied by Amber and our friends Eric and Betsy Billman. We all followed Amber, the experienced racer, who jockeyed through the masses to get as close to the starting line as possible. When the clock started Amber got started quickly, weaving around anyone that kept her from keeping her desired pace. Taking Amber's lead, I also started quickly. We stayed together for a few minutes until I felt cramped and split a couple of runners. I heard Amber yell, "see you later," and I was off - letting the momentum of the hill pull me down the coarse. Once I reached the more level area of Provo Canyon the jell-o feeling in my legs told me that I probably took the first five miles too fast. Next came the drudgery of Provo Canyon and the river trail. There were a few times where I honestly felt like stopping because the pain in my calves was so bad. And, although I paused briefly a few times to stretch against a tree I continued on, trotting closer to the finish line. My hopes brightened when I finally emerged from the canyon, although the pain in my legs was still ever present. As I began heading south towards the Riverwoods shopping center I noticed a person with a camera waving frantically at me. She even took a few pictures in my direction. I didn't think there was anyone behind me, so I first thought the friendly photographer had me confused for someone else. But, as I got closer I realized I was the mislead one. The happy person was Amber's sister Jen. At this point, I figured the finish couldn't be that far off. We came to a stoplight and then cut into a commercial development. The spectators along the trail became more frequent as we made the last turn before the chute. While entering the final stretch I heard a, "yeah, Scott!" from my sister Julia who was positioned on a grassy knoll with a video camera. My pace increased a bit with the thought of almost being done. But, it wasn't until I saw the clock that I threw all my energies into a last gasp sprint. Before the race, my goal was to complete the 13.1-mile course in one hour and 45 minutes. When I saw 1:44 on the clock - the seconds were obstructed from view - I knew I still had a chance to make it across the finish line in time. With 14 seconds to spare I finished my first endurance race. In her second race in as many months, Amber improved upon Top Of Utah Half Marathon time by three minutes, coming in at 1:50:33.

Masma Roadtrip: To the coast

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:54:00 -0700

Before jumping into the details of the second day of our trip I should mention that Florence, aka Masma, was cremated, much like her husband Jim, aka Paspa, when he passed on nearly ten years ago. Seeing her remains as a mass of ashes really brought meaning to the scripture, "for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." All of the events of this day include Masma being with us. The second day of our road-trip of rememberance began with a trip out to picturesque Donner Lake, where our Truckee based group of McAllister men gathered to remember Florence. Nate led us to a quiet spot close to the eastern shore of the lake. Memories and laughs were shared. The feeling was very light and enjoyable. Nate remembered Masma's lemonade, and I talked about Masma's dedication to keeping her mind sharp - always completing the daily crossword in the newspaper. Brent offered a prayer while uncle Peter led us all in a buddhist chant. The chant that Peter taught us said, "Nam myoho renge kyo." I don't remember what each word meant, but I remember that he mentioned that it had something to do with devotion. After snapping some pictures and exchanging farewells, we let Nate get back to his workday while the rest of us descended the western slopes of the Sierras, on our way to the coast. We didn't take the most direct route to our destination. While passing through Sacramento we stopped off to see the temple that was built since the days I served there as a missionary. Once we crossed the Bay Bridge into San Francisco we exited the Interstate and drove along the Embarcadero to see the city and the piers along the bay. We made our way through the north side of the city, up by the Golden Gate Bridge, and latched onto scenic Highway 1. This is a stretch of road that hugs the Pacific coast, and is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the world. We started in Pacifica, just outside of San Francisco, and made our way south toward Pigeon Point. The fog overtook the Golden Gate bridge and covered our drive down the coast. It wasn't until we came to Pigeon Point, where we could see our destination at Franklin Point, that the sun brooke through. The timing was perfect as the sun lit the beach where we were heading and little else. Bill and Peter were waiting for us at the head of the trail that led out to the point. Bill's older son Joe pulled up moments after our arrival. We trekked through the sand and dune grass out to the point where we had laid Paspa's ashes nearly a decade earlier. We shared a similar moment as that morning in Truckee with prayer and chanting before Peter - the youngest, and probably most nimble of the three brothers - scampered out onto the farthest rock point and laid his mother's ashes to rest in the sea.

Masma Roadtrip: To Tahoe

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:35:00 -0700

Everything happened so quickly. Just over a week ago, while spending the morning at home with a fever-laden baby, I received a call from my mother. She informed me that my paternal grandmother, known to us as Masma, was not doing well and was only expected to live another 24 hours at the most. That was a week ago Tuesday. Looking at the big picture, this shouldn't have come with much surprise. Masma was 92, and she had lived a life that was full and memorable. She was moved from a facility near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area to a very comfortable place in Provo, Utah six months ago. Reasons for the move were two-fold: she had a large concentration of grandchildren in the area, and the cost of living was considerably lower. We enjoyed having her more accessible in Utah, and I would like to think that she enjoyed the attention she received from the extended generations of posterity that came to visit her. By Tuesday night I was driving south to Utah county to meet with my mom and sister Julia, who were sitting with a mostly unconscious Masma. We sat and reminisced late into the evening before my dad arrived from the airport at about 11pm. I ended up sitting next to my dad, at Masma's bedside for the rest of the night. Dad and I talked quietly at times, but mostly sat in silent thought. We noticed her breaths grow increasingly farther apart, and at 2am I watched the life drain from her face as she passed peacefully into the next life. Now, a week later, I find myself sitting in a motel in Truckee, California. My dad and I departed from my sister Jenna's place in Taylorsville this morning and picked up my brother Brent at the Reno Airport this afternoon. Our journey across Nevada was highlighted by an audio book by T. Boone Pickens and the occasional Cat equipment sighting. We met up with my dad's brothers Bill and Pete and connected with Bill's son Nate, who lives in Truckee, just before he left for work at the Drunken Monkey. Dad, Brent, Bill, Pete, and I drove down to Lake Tahoe from Truckee and explored the area surrounding the lake before skipping rocks off of its banks. We finished the night by enjoying some decadent sushi rolls at the Drunken Monkey with Nate as our server.

Quarterly Update

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:07:00 -0700

Among the major highlights of the last quarter is Ashley's third birthday. We celebrated by taking her to a local establishment called the Cache Valley Fun Park. This facility has an enormous play-land area. Large enough for myself to climb around the tubes and shoot down the slides. I didn't even get stuck once. Although, my knees were grateful when it was time to grab some chicken stars and head home for cake. In the days leading up to Ashley's birthday Andrew embarked on the whole new world of solid foods. As you would expect from our posterity, Andrew likes food. He embraced the solid stuff from the first slurp, and is still eating like a horse. I feel fortunate to still be employed as the economy is taking it's toll at Utah State University. Work started getting weird when the university issued a mandatory week-long furlough for all employees during spring break. After getting over the idea that I was getting a cut in my salary for the year, I was grateful that USU gave us the time off for the missing compensation. We decided to take full advantage of the week together as a family. Our main activity was a day trip to the exotic land of Ogden, Utah. We descending from Cache Valley to visit the Treehouse Children's Museum on tip from a friend at work. Ashley loved the place. We arrived early in the day and stayed to well into the afternoon. Ashley was on the young end of many of the activities and exhibits, but she still enjoyed herself. And, I see us going back for many years to come. A price we pay for living in the paradise that is Logan is the occasional spring snow storm, of which we've had a few this year. Spring break, the first week of March, actually opened with a hefty snowfall. There was enough fresh powder to build a snow princess in the backyard. Today was actually the first time that our entire yard was vacant of snow this year. It was a nice day. Another nice day was a few Saturdays back when we met the rest of the McAllister cousins in Salt Lake for a free Real Salt Lake soccer game. The team opened up the stadium and invited the public to watch the final preseason match between RSL and a second division side. The weather cooperated perfectly, so that our three families - mine, Jenna's and Julia's - combined to nearly take over a section of the soccer stadium. On a somber note, we enjoyed gathering relatives on Amber's side of the family as we honored the life of her aunt Mary who passed away this last month. Mary always liked to have fun, and thoroughly enjoyed life. She will be missed, but we know she is much more comfortable without having to deal with the pains of mortality any longer. That's about it from us. Pictures of the described events will follow soon in shutterfly. As always, if you don't receive our shutterfly emails and you would like to please let us know and we'll get you on the list.

Christmas Day and Daddy's Funny Haircut

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 08:27:00 -0700

Somewhere between between opening presents, and learning the valuable lesson of present precedence (more on that later), and kicking back for a lazy Christmas day I decided I needed a haircut. Eager to facilitate this wish, in fact a little too eager, Amber offered to pull out the clippers and recreate the short-haired look of last summer. For the most part I enjoyed the look, but especially the feel, so I agreed to such a style. In our haste to remove the fro we got our fractions a little mixed up. We knew that in August we used a guard that had an 8 on it. Amber was almost certain that it was the 1/8" guard. I wasn't positive, but I also didn't object. As the hair began to gather on the the bathroom floor we both thought it would be funny to leave a stripe of curly hair on the top of my head. So proud of our creation, we called up Ambers parents on Skype get their feedback on my new look. They were less than impressed. Ashley, on the other hand, thought my new due was a riot. She would look at me, point, and laugh while exclaiming, 'Daddy's got a funny haircut!' Even after cleaning off the mohawk Ashley still looks at me and laughs, simply saying, 'Daddy's got a funny haircut.' So, now we know to use the 3/8" guard when cutting my hair, not the 1/8". In the mean time I'm getting reacquainted with my collection of hats. Not necessarily because I'm ashamed of the look, but that Cache Valley wind on my scalp is COLD!

Cutting News!

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:10:00 -0700

We interrupt our originally scheduled series of backlogged blog posts to bring you this special news bulletin: I got a haircut. No, really. On Thursday night Amber and I were joking around about buzzing my head - something I hadn't had done since I was around eight years old. I remember it was at Grandma and Grandpa Verhaaren's house one summer, but that's another story. So, after flirting with the idea of becoming much more aerodynamic I heard my mouth release the words, "Yeah, let's shave it off." With that, it only took a few minutes under the sound of buzzing clippers and my looping locks lay lifeless on the linoleum of our bathroom floor. This is possibly the shortest I have ever worn my hair, excluding the previously mentioned summer. It was Amber's third try at cutting my hair in our entire marriage, the last time happening years ago resulted in an emergency trip to the campus barber first thing the next morning. I'm biased, but I think this is her best cutting job yet. Which brings up a point that I haven't been making clear to those I've told this story to in person. The purpose of the haircut was to go this short. I wanted it. There was not mistake on the length, although most of my co-workers think otherwise. See for yourself, and let me know what you think.

Frisbee Golf

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:55:00 -0700

We tried something new this week. Even though we have seen the frisbee golf course that surrounds Amber's office, we had not given the skillful sport a try. To be honest, the 4-foot polls with chain link baskets were just another piece of the scenery. That is until I joined the youth from our church for activity at the course a few weeks back. After tossing the disc around for a quick nine holes I knew it was something we could do as a family - even with Amber pregnant. The following week we headed up to campus where the course weaves through various dorm buildings at the university. With our USU ID cards we were able to check out proper saucers, and we set out to our first hole. Ashley was ecstatic to be holding a pink disc. I built on my experience from the previous week with the youth making conservative tosses that were safe and practical. Amber, on the other hand, went for distance on her first try. The idea was good, although she ultimately ended up in a tree before getting to the basket. No big deal, these things happen. And, I was able to shoot it down with only a few (dozen) throws of my own disc.

The second hole was even more fun than the first as we didn't get completely stuck in any local vegetation - although we came close to whacking a dorm room window...twice. The evening was progressing into an enjoyable one until the sidewalk reached up and hooked Ashley's feet out from under her. She came crashing down to the concrete with a smack. More shaken up than actually hurt, Ashley was done with frisbee golf - which meant so were we. Our game was postponed on account of injury. Amber and I will have to return soon to finish up the last six holes.

"Summer Time...and the livin's Easy"

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:02:00 -0700

The greatest time of year brings about one of my most favorite things to do - grill. Amber and I love food, so I like to try new things when ever it's my turn to do dinner. This happens more often in the summer because of my love for grilling. Our favorite meal that we carbonize over open flame is drumsticks, and this past week I took the plunge and made my own barbecue sauce. Upon first taste I wasn't sure it was a success. The taste wasn't what I expected, and thus was a little disappointed. But, I still went forward with the plan to use this homemade sauce on the meat. I'm glad I did. As the creator, I'm probably biased, but the sauce quickly turned into one of my favorite eating accessories. As mentioned in our previous entry regarding the 5K in which our family ran back in May, Amber continues to progress through pregnancy. Every day she amazes me with her strength. I think we're both a little apprehensive at the prospect of caring for two children. The best word of encouragement that I've heard is that I shouldn't worry because with two, Amber and I can still play man-to-man, errr child-to-child. When ever we go to three children (no, we're not announcing anything) we have to switch to a zone defense, and that's a bit more tricky. With the warmer weather comes outside chores. We were able to get our garden in before the days got too warm. And, we even have a yard! The grass has finally grown in enough to mow - which we've done three or four times. I think we can now properly call the area surrounding our house a lawn, and it's looking pretty good.

Personality continues to show in Ashley. With each new day she looks and acts less like a baby and more like a child. The miracle of parenting is truly awe-inspiring.

Historic Occasion

Wed, 07 May 2008 21:43:00 -0700

A couple of weeks ago our family participated in a historic event. As a family, each of us ran in our first 5 kilometer race. I was the motor to Ashley's race day chariot, while Amber kept us going at a respectable pace. In the end, we all crossed the finish line at the same time (31:21). However, the photo clearly reveals that Amber beat the stroller by a knee. So, in my first race I can say that I was beaten by my pregnant wife and two year old daughter - although we all got the same time.
If something sounds odd from that statement, it's because that we're announcing the pending arrival of another child. We found out this morning that Ashley will have a little brother some time in September.

Merry Christmas 2007

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:45:00 -0700

Snow was falling in large clumps by the time I pulled into the garage on Christmas Eve. Normally I would have felt bad for shopping on the last possible day, but with my recent work schedule I was lucky to get out and shop at all. Plus, I was getting home so that Amber could have the car to head out one last time herself, so I didn't feel too bad. By the time Amber returned from her excursion into the masses the flakes had accumulated a few inches, softening the world with a wintery glow. We prepared a ham, cheesy potatoes, and green bean casserole for our Christmas Eve feast. And, although we missed being close to family, we reveled in the quiet simplicity of being at home. The remainder of the evening was spent watching a short film entitled, 'The Other Wise Man,' and explaining to Ashley what was going to happen in the morning. I think we made progress, as we could hear her excitedly repeat, "Santa's coming", before falling asleep in her crib. We were awakened by Ashley talking happily, and although it would make a great story to say that she was still saying, "Santa's coming", we're pretty sure it wasn't that. Although, we're not exactly sure what she was saying. We started with stockings, with the best part seeing the understanding that would come into Ashley's eyes when she realized that the presents inside the sock were for her. Next came breakfast, and then our gifts to Jesus. Watching our child's reactions was the most fun I've had on Christmas, possibly ever. Ashley was into the whole process. It didn't matter who the present was for, she was there to assist in the tearing of paper or picking off of bows. Watching her was worth every bit of preparation and work that went into the Holiday. Following the presents we made use of the sled that Ashley got me, the snow clothes that Ashley received, and the newly fallen snow outside to give Ashley her first real experience playing in the snow. There is a slight incline in our backyard that provided an ideal sled hill for the first-timer. She laughed with glee as Amber and I pulled her around on the sled. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, and was so peaceful. Ashley spent the afternoon stockpiling all the bows she could find; and then she ran around the house carrying as many bows as would fit in her arms. Amber and I enjoyed the ensuing week off of work, as the university was closed between Christmas and New Years. The beginning moments of 2008 were spent with our good friends the Billmans. Their son Sam was born on the last day of 2005 - which makes him a little more than a month older than Ashley. We partied for Sam's birthday in the afternoon. Then after the kids went to bed we played games until just before midnight, when we tuned in to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Our festive celebrations came to an end this weekend as we travelled down to the Bagby homestead in Orem to exchange gifts amongst Ambers siblings and parents. An added bonus to the weekend was having the privilege of sharing in the joy of Amber's longtime friend April getting sealed to her longtime sweetheart Clint. It's always fun to see two people come together to start a new family, especially when those two are as happy as April and Clint. Family is the string that ties us all together, and Christmas is one of those times where the string is tightened to pull us all that much closer together.

Hey, Look! We skipped November!

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 22:01:00 -0700

What started as a weekly email has now degraded to a bimonthly blog. We last wrote just before Halloween, where Ashley masqueraded around the neighborhood as a bumble bee. It didn't take long for her to understand exactly how Trick-or-Treating worked. Before we realized what was happening our quick visit to immediate neighbors turned into a trip around the block with Ashley running from house to house in search of more candy. That same night was the start of the USU basketball season. As mentioned in our previous post, we sprang for season tickets thinking this was going to be a special season. So far, it has appeared that the basketball team has been hanging out with the football team. But, the games are fun to attend. After her initial first game jitters Ashley has settled in to the whole basketball game routine. She'll now clap when the crowd does and knows the name of our star player, Jaycee, our coach, Stew, she can make the sound for "woosh" when ever the Aggies make a free throw, and most importantly, her favorite phrase is, "Goo Aggies!" Thanksgiving brought family together from all over the northern part of the state. The first annual Family Soccer Game was organized at the Bicentennial Park, just behind Jen's (Amber's sister) house in Provo. Representatives from both Amber and Scott's families were in attendance, and fun was had by all who were there. The day concluded with an extremely pleasant meal at the Bagby homestead, surrounded by family and friends alike. One major difference from our celebrations of previous Thankful weekends was the omission of Black Friday observance. In years past, we would get up before dawn with the rest of the bargain crazies and stand out in the cold to get get some nifty gadget for next to nothing - after completing the mail-in rebate, of course. No, this year we decided to sleep to a normal hour. Amber went out to the stores after they opened and was still able to get all the deals we were remotely interested in. Feeling rested for the remainder of the weekend was welcome change, and helped to keep all activities pleasant. As the Christian-American population is aware Thanksgiving signifies the formal start to the Christmas season. Each year the Holidays get more and more exciting as Ashley learns more about them. This year will be remembered as the time when Ashley learned about the Christmas Tree. A couple of weeks ago, while Amber was visiting with a neighbor in their kitchen, Ashley was playing with a couple of the neighbors kids in the front room. The oldest of the neighbor kids came into the kitchen, where the ladies were talking, to get some food. At that moment there came a loud crash from the front room, followed by Ashley erupting into tears. Running into the room, the reflex of the mother of the two children was to yell the name of the child still in the room where the crash was heard, and the crying was still pouring from. However, the adults found that said child was fast sleeping on the couch while the balling Ashley stood next to the festively decorated tree - now lying on the carpet. Embarrassed by the destruction that our child accomplished, Amber excused herself and Ashley after helping to pick up pieces of some broken ornaments. After such an experience, we really don't mind that according to Ashley all brightly decorated trees are called, "kiss-mass tree. no touch!". -------------------- In case you receive these messages via email we've done a little fixing up of the blog's layout. Check it out: http://www.twincreekdesign.com/blog/mcallisterfamily

October is ... well, almost over

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:50:00 -0700

The sprinklers are so done. In fact, they are so completely done that I don't even want to talk about them. Just know that they are connected, working properly, buried, and there is even grass seed germinating in the soil above them. All credit on those has to go to Amber, who single handedly polished off the yard while I was in Chicago a few weeks ago. While I was geeking out at a software conference, she was taking every possible chance to get our dirt level, holes dug for trees, and even had time to build a little retaining wall in the backyard. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I should just stay out of the way while she works her magic. Although, I think I'll be in charge of mowing next year. Wintery weather has been creeping into Cache Valley, and for a college town like Logan that could only mean one thing - basketball season. With our football team that gets national recognition for how bad they are (seriously, this image is not a spoof: ), most of the locals around here can't wait for the basketball season to tip-off on Halloween night. The numbers don't lie. 8,543 brave souls showed up for the pillow fight against Louisiana Tech last Saturday. While the basketball team repeatedly packs it's 10,000 seat arena throughout the season. Let's be honest, who really wants to pay to see a football team who is 0-14? Amber and I were pretty bummed last season when we only made it out to one basketball game, so this year we've changed that. We'll be parked on row 22 in Section Q for the entirety of the season. We even lined up a babysitter for most of the games so that Ashley doesn't have to succumb to the eardrum piercing contests that will take place later in the season. Speaking of Ashley, she learned her first game tonight. We were playing Pass the Pig at a friends house and Ashley took over Amber's turn about halfway through the game. Before each roll she would look down at the two pigs in her hands and say, "piggie". A big grin would then grow across her face as she would drop the pig game pieces on the table. The team of Ashley and Amber ended up winning the game.

Summer 2007, Part 1

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 22:26:00 -0700

Two and a half months into my employment change I already have by boots securely in the stirrups of my new surroundings. I would be lying if I said the transition was silky smooth, but the important thing is that everything at work feels pretty good now. Our summer, to this point, has revolved around shaping the masses of rocks and dirt around our house into something that resembles a yard. With the aide of a borrowed Landscaping Rake, yesterday's task was to even out the recently tilled dirt and sift out the last of the large rocks. Success was measured by the fact that we completed the task before noon and were able to escape some of the hottest hours of the 100-degree day. Some highlights of fun-ness have been the Robertson (Amber's Mom's) Family Reunion at the Heber Valley Camp. To call it camping is a stretch, as each site is equipped with a sink, natural gas hookups, full-sized refrigerator, and bathrooms complete with hot water and warm showers. Our site centered around three cabins that each had bunks for 16. From what I understand, the prices are very low because the guests are expected to help out with keeping their sites clean. With that said, it was super fun and we hope that it becomes a yearly tradition. It may even be a great place for a McAllister gathering, should we want to meet up in the mountains of Utah. Another very high note was the wedding of Amber's sister Lara to Eric Izant - which took place the same week as the excursion to Heber Valley. It was a wonderful occasion on a beautiful day. Plus, it will be nice to have a third male to rotate with in pulling names for Christmas. Ashley is getting more sure on her feet as the days tick by. Her vocabulary is also expanding. Her latest additions have been, "book", and "nigh-night". Amber continues to amaze with her juggling of motherhood, work, and coordinating help and advice on the yard. Work has been especially busy with a software upgrade that she spearheaded. Although the end result was a complete success, she is grateful for back-ups, and only had to restore the database once. And, if she can get a few minutes to clink some notes on the piano Ambers day is nearly perfection. I had the opportunity to geek out at a ColdFusion (the programming language is code in) conference in Washington D.C. at the beginning of the month. The week provided a chance for me and my co-workers to be filled with information on best practices and new technologies. While we were there, my brother Bryan drove three hours from Pennsylvania to hang out with us for an afternoon. He chauffeured us out to the new Air and Space Museum where we were overloaded with cool and historic aviation artifacts. Among the highlights were the SR-71 (fastest plane in the world - travels more than 3 times the speed of sound), Space Shuttle Enterprise, and the Enola Gay. We rounded out our stay at the museum with an IMAX film about fighter pilot training and a trip up observation tower, before completing the day with an introduction to Five Guys Famous Burgers. It could best be described as a east coast In-n-Out. Until next time, don't be strange...

April Showers

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 20:47:00 -0700

So much time, and so little to tell...wait, reverse that. Because the way the mind works I will probably start with the most recent events and work backwards in time. And, because I put myself under a strict time limit - so that I can actually catch up on my lack of sleep - this may end abruptly. Ashley's new trick has been to through her body into hysterical fits when she cries. There must be something terribly wrong from her point of view, but we have yet to figure it out. Although she is crying more frequently, it is still not all that often. Ashley is a joy to have wriggling around the house. Amber has just completed a significant chapter in her career with Utah State. While she is still employed - and allowed to work almost completely from home - she will no longer be working with Dining Services. All of her time will be given to Housing. After completing a few weeks of training with the Dining Services staff she is happy to have her duties simplified to a single department. The Major League Soccer season has been underway since the beginning of the month. Scott has already made 3 trips down to Salt Lake to cover games. It still amazes him that he has been given such an enjoyable opportunity. Love you all. Times up...