On my way to work this morning, the sun was coming up and happened to be shining on the underside of these clouds. Said clouds were then kind enough to reflect some of that light on these snow-covered mountains.
The effect made the mountains seem to glow with their own pale light. It was a sight to behold. I don't know if my camera really caught what my eyes couldn't miss, but there you have it, for what it's worth.
So you know I'm in the National Guard, and every once in a while we get to do fun stuff like jump out of perfectly good airplanes. Like this monster C-17, also known as the "Globemaster". It truly is a beast, and you can see below just how BIG this plane is. When it flies, it often looks like it's almost hovering because even though it's moving quickly, its size makes you think it's going super slow.
Anyway, we had a great jump with beautiful weather (cold, but not too bad.) The Sweetie and Henry made it to the drop zone, and enjoyed watching all the "jellyfish" float to the ground.
Heading in to the beast early.
I was about halfway along the seats. There was an identical setup on the other side.
Also, whenever I think of jumping, I think of the Pointer Sisters. Enjoy!
My new favorite movie is a documentary about pickup soccer (surprise!) called Pelada. Two pretty good, former college soccer stars decided to travel around the world filming street games. I know, the coolest, right? These guys play the beautiful game in Brazil, China, Iran (!), Germany, Kenya and 20 other countries documenting how everyday people love, love, love soccer.
I loved this film because I could identify with so many people around the world and feel a kinship with folks from all walks of life.
You may not be a soccer fan and think it's a boring game, but take three minutes to watch the trailer and see how soccer is played around the globe, then try not to watch the whole film on Netflix.
I'm not one to blog all that much about politics. I think I come across as preachy whenever I do, and that's not what this blog is for. So, it's with great restraint that I write about the "real" beginning of the Republican Party's nomination for president.
Tonight's Iowa caucus has come down to the wire between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, (both are candidates I would never support in a million years, but that's for a later time and place), and the vote tonight reminds me how crazy democracy can be. Really, Iowa? A win for a nobody with nothing? And all because he's not a Mormon? And I thought bigotry was a relic of history. Not so much, eh?
Tonight for Family Home Evening, we watched one of the new videos about the life of Jesus Christ that the LDS Church recently published. One of my goals this year is to have FHE in Spanish in an attempt to help Henry grow up understanding a second language. (He already knows a good number of words in Spanish like ojo, boca, nariz, luz, perro, gato, vaca, sapo, luna and others.)
Anyway, we watched this video in Spanish and talked about how we should respond to the glad tidings of great joy we have in our day and age. Are we like the shepherds who acted immediately and went straight to the stable where the Christ child lay, or are we more casual in heeding the words and counsel we receive from our Heavenly Father? I hope we're like those shepherds, eager to hear and learn and act on those glad tidings.
Doesn't 2012 strike you as a year to focus, slow down and enjoy - I mean really relish - life with those you love? That's what I aim to do this year: work with my Sweetie™ to get our house in order, help my kids grow, attempt to tap my potential, and just take in the ride, you know?
The Killers (I know...not the name you'd expect for a band fronted by a nice Mormon boy), release a Christmas-themed song annually. (This year's edges out my previous favorite: "Don't Shoot Me, Santa.")
Without further ado, I give you The Cowboy's Christmas ball:
Please enjoy the sheriff robot and Bonanza-style cinematography!
Via Open Culture and Flowing Data comes an animated film about a miniature robot that takes a cross-country trip from New York to California thanks to Google Maps and Street View. It's got a beautiful soundtrack and lovely images to boot.
