back to the high desert

Who cares about Barry Bonds? I don't, really. I read somewhere that people are most impressed with baseball records, the numbers that seem to stand out, or at least did at some point. I cared when I was 13, but at some point lost that. What I care more about is the pitcher. Living in my limited television watching household, we still have not see the new 'shot heard 'round the world', nor have we see any of the fanfare that followed. Not even on nightly news. It just isn't something that we are overly interested in. But I did see the pitcher who gave up the record tying home run. Babyface. Looked like he thought immediately, "It could be me." And it could have been, but it wasn't. So I wonder about the record giving pitcher, how he feels about ending up as a footnote, a trivia answer in the history of the game. I could imagine someone even being proud of such a feat. But to be that guy. I am not too sure I would want to be that guy. As the ball sails into the stands. As time freezes and millions of people see his follow through...footnote. History. In the encyclopedia for more than a couple of years as a journeyman. Footnote. That Guy.

So, yes, we are back in Utah. I, like Janine, have trouble with calling it home. I feel that I have not really had a home in several years, last feeling connected to the wilds of Alaska. My affinities now pull me toward Oregon, though, as I find myself drawn to the rains, the lush greens, and the familiarity of west coast living. So anyhow, we are back in Utah, back to work today after a one day adjustment for the Shinn family. The trip home was not to eventful, which is nice. We did have to crowd into four seats, with either Janine or me always with a 2 year old on our laps. It was good, though, and I am so glad that our kids travel so well. Juan (whom I now call Ponch) seems to have overcome his fear of flying. It all happened about the time that he started his new career as a non-stop color commentator to everything that is going on. It is actually quite funny, as his mind is continually working and ingesting/digesting massive amounts of information. He has to verbalize most parts of it, too. Andres is a little less talkative, but no less of learner. His recall is quite good and has improved dramatically in the six months we have had with all of them. Shirley continues to grow in her ability to speak English (rapidly, I think) and is always such a good help with the boys. They were all excited to come back home, even after such a good trip and good time for them back east. I think the familiarity of their own beds and toys has been very welcoming and calming for them. It will all get flipped over again, though, as we head to our friends house to house sit (Rich and Corina, Traci's parents) as they go to meet up with the Clemens folk in Costa Rica. It will be like a mini-vacation right here in Utah, as we will have access to a backyard and digital tv. The digital tv means more Miami Ink for me, and maybe actually being able to find Barney on tv for the boys. Anyhow, we are really looking forward to the backyard to let the kids run and play in for a week. It should be a good time. And we really hope that Rich, Corina and Sandy have a great time in Costa Rica. They will be coming back on the same flight as Brad, Traci and Joel, so we eagerly anticipate their return. I am sure that it will go quickly.

Mike Baksic...recognize that name? He is that guy.

www.organicconsumers.org

www.coopamerica.org

These are two websites that I have recently been spending time looking at. I have found them to be informative on a few different levels, specifically being sparked after Janine and I have been trying to be more conscious of where we shop and what we buy. I would recommend that any readers at least check it out. It is, at the very least, interesting, and hopefully challenging to our shopping habits and patterns. It has been a process for us, to become aware of where we shop, where our products are made, etc., and honestly it can be overwhelming. But I believe that we need to be informed of the things that we ignorantly support through the strongest vote: our money. When we look at atrocities and unfair practices that are supported directly or indirectly through our choices, we must consider what we can do to change things. We may say that it is simple economics that encourages to shop at big-box outlets such as Wal*Mart or lack of selection that forces us to purchase items that are not fair trade or organic. However, the likelihood that we can not avert our purchasing from being intoxicated by convenience or low prices is something that I believe to be a fallacy. There are alternatives, even though they might not be readily available or easily accessible. But we need to investigate, to learn about our options to progress in such a direction of being more conscious of what our purchasing power really does. It is easy to criticize the obvious: wars, natural disasters, caste systems, maybe certain political ideologies, certainly certain world leaders. But is it as easy to criticize the corporate machine that has no conscience, no real arbiter to judge, no real non-influenced policing system? Maybe it is, but the real policing comes when we decide to speak economically to such things, the countless atrocities and human rights violations that continue to happen by the power of our dollar. So we need to become aware. And from there we need to become concerned. And from there we need to become involved. Again, it is overwhelming. We are not going to solve the world's problems, but that does not mean that we should continue to add to it blindly, ignorantly, or even willingly, out of concern for only ourselves. My mind races as I try to ingest these things, wondering in how many ways I am so deeply entrenched, so deeply rooted in those things which I am now realizing I despise. It is heavy. And we will not be able always be consistent in every purchase. But we do hope that we are consistent in moving in the direction in which we continually consider the "other", as we believe that is what Christ meant with the second greatest commandment of loving others as we love ourselves. May our love for Christ lead us that way.

This
is me
getting
off of
my
soapbox
;)


I hope all is well.

And Matt...I did eat a couple of soft pretzels. And yes, I did tell you to get all that stuff before you got married, but rest assured, there is ink after matrimony...I know a good artist in SLC...