The Runnin' Utes

July and August were a blur. Computer problems have not helped. We had been using our main computer (Bessie), then left it for a while. We came back and wondered who shut it off. We turned on the power button, nothing. We bypassed the UPS, nothing. We changed the power cord, nothing. I replaced the power supply (and case since Kimberly wanted one that had more USB plugins and it was only a little bit more), so I moved all of the components across--still nothing. Then it was time to start into the CPU and mother board. And here I sat, as though I were Lightning McQueen chained to old bessie, tyring to repair the damaged road. I know, some of you are probably saying "Oh, man, you get to work with Bessie! I'd give my left two lug nuts for somethin' like 'at". But I saw it otherwise.

So, now, although there is no visble difference in our newsletter contribution from prior months (the font is the same, etc.), and although I cannot type any faster, please note that these words were run through a new mother board and through a faster processor, using new memory, was stored on a new hard drive (we had outgrown the 40 gigger on the other computer anyway), and even though it was viewed on the same monitor it was run through a new video card. [In case you are wondering, I did stick with the AMD family of processors.] Maybe I should use a snazzy font, so it looks different. When I was reloading all of the software, for a bit I was wondering if it would be better to look and see if anyone was selling a typewriter and an old mimeograph machine on EBAY. But, my computer is now like Mater described himself, a "precisional instrument of speed and aeromatics". Unfortunately it does not rev when you turn it on, and then ask if it scared you. By the way, anyone want to go cowputer tipping tomorrow night. Keep quiet about it though, I would hate the police or a prosecuting attorney to find out about it before we actually figure out how to sneak up and tip the beasts while they are sleeping.
Besides computers, camping would probably describe well our family activities for the past month. Brigitta went to the new Church Girl's Camp at Heber, while the rest of us went to Family Camp near Preston. Then Dane and I went back to the same scout camp (near Preston) for another week. That was long enough to rememorize twenty-odd scout songs. Of course, don't let that horrid dread keep you away from the Labor Day camp. This year Sorina likes the songs "The Princess Pat" and "Yogi Bear" and "The Moose" (see below). I think all of the boys also like The Moose song. I also think Kimberly misses being out camping, she told me the other day that I smelled worse than when I was camping (after Dane had used too much garlic salt for the garlic bread, and not just a little too much, lets just say I did not have to season the cucumber slices I ate after the garlic bread and they were delicious). By the way, I do not know what she means, I did take showers while camping. We all had fun during our excursions, and this year our vehicle actually made it further than a block from home (unlike our track and field qualified Ford Van with the "Javelin" engine--that is my name for the engine since it has a thrown rod, although the shot-put would be its second best event since it also went kaaaa-put.) I know some of you joke that Ford stands for Fix or Repair Daily, but if the acronym were accurate it should be called a Forward Van "Fix Or Repair When All Revenue Declines". Talk to you all soon, and we are looking forward to your news.

PRINCESS PAT
The Princess Pat
Lived in a tree
and She sailed across
The seven seas
She sailed across
The channel too
And took with her
A Rig-of-bamboo

A Rig-of-bamboo
Now, what is that?
It's something made
By the Princess Pat
It's red and gold
And purple too
That's why it's called
A Rig-of-bamboo

Now Captain Jack
Had a very fine crew
They sailed across
The channel too
Their ship did sink
And so will you
If you don't take
A Rig-of-bamboo

A Rig-of-bamboo
Now, what is that?
It's something made
By the Princess Pat
It's red and gold
And purple too
That's why it's called
A Rig-of-bamboo

THE MOOSE SONG
The moose
The moose
Swimming in the water
Eating his breakfast
Where does he go?
He goes to sleep.
He goes..to..sleep

2nd verse! quieter than the first
The moose
The moose
Swimming in the water
Eating his breakfast
Where does he go?
He goes to sleep.
He goes..to..sleep

[yell] Wake up moose!
3rd verse! louder than the first
The moose
The moose
Swimming in the water
Eating his breakfast
Where does he go?
He goes to sleep.
He goes..to..sleep

4th Verse, sadder that the verse. Do in a weaping voice.
Dead moose
dead moose
Floating in the water
Not eating breakfast
Where does he go?
He decompose
He de..com..pose

Yogi Bear Song (sung to Camptown Races tune)
I have a friend that you all know,
Yogi, Yogi,
I have a friend that you all know
Yogi, Yogi Bear,
Yogi, Yogi Bear, Yogi, Yogi Bear,
I have a friend that you all know
Yogi, Yogi Bear,

He has a friend that you all know,
Boo-boo, Boo-boo,
He has a friend that you all know,
Boo-boo, Boo-boo Bear,
Boo-boo, Boo-boo Bear, Boo-boo, Boo-boo Bear,
He has a friend that you all know,
Boo-boo, Boo-boo Bear,

He has a girlfriend you all know,
Cindy, Cindy,
He has a girlfriend you all know,
Cindy, Cindy Bear
Cindy, Cindy Bear, Cindy, Cindy Bear,
He has a girlfriend you all know,
Cindy, Cindy Bear,

They all have an enemy,
Ranger Smith,
They all have an enemy,
Ranger, Ranger Smith,
Ranger, Ranger Smith, Ranger, Ranger Smith,
They all have an enemy,
Ranger, Ranger Smith,

They all live in Jellystone,
Jelly, Jelly,
They all live in Jellystone,
Jelly, Jellystone,
Jelly, Jellystone, Jelly, Jellystone,
They all live in Jellystone,
Jelly, Jellystone,

The Runnin' Utes

July and August were a blur. Computer problems have not helped. We had been using our main computer (Bessie), then left it for a while. We came back and wondered who shut it off. We turned on the power button, nothing. We bypassed the UPS, nothing. We changed the power cord, nothing. I replaced the power supply (and case since Kimberly wanted one that had more USB plugins and it was only a little bit more), so I moved all of the components across--still nothing. Then it was time to start into the CPU and mother board. And here I sat, as though I were Lightning McQueen chained to old bessie, tyring to repair the damaged road. I know, some of you are probably saying "Oh, man, you get to work with Bessie! I'd give my left two lug nuts for somethin' like 'at". But I saw it otherwise.

So, now, although there is no visble difference in our newsletter contribution from prior months (the font is the same, etc.), and although I cannot type any faster, please note that these words were run through a new mother board and through a faster processor, using new memory, was stored on a new hard drive (we had outgrown the 40 gigger on the other computer anyway), and even though it was viewed on the same monitor it was run through a new video card. [In case you are wondering, I did stick with the AMD family of processors.] Maybe I should use a snazzy font, so it looks different. When I was reloading all of the software, for a bit I was wondering if it would be better to look and see if anyone was selling a typewriter and an old mimeograph machine on EBAY. But, my computer is now like Mater described himself, a "precisional instrument of speed and aeromatics". Unfortunately it does not rev when you turn it on, and then ask if it scared you. By the way, anyone want to go cowputer tipping tomorrow night. Keep quiet about it though, I would hate the police or a prosecuting attorney to find out about it before we actually figure out how to sneak up and tip the beasts while they are sleeping.

Besides computers, camping would probably describe well our family activities for the past month. Brigitta went to the new Church Girl's Camp at Heber, while the rest of us went to Family Camp near Preston. Then Dane and I went back to the same scout camp (near Preston) for another week. That was long enough to rememorize twenty-odd scout songs. Of course, don't let that horrid dread keep you away from the Labor Day camp. This year Sorina likes the songs "The Princess Pat" and "Yogi Bear" and "The Moose" (see below). I think all of the boys also like The Moose song. I also think Kimberly misses being out camping, she told me the other day that I smelled worse than when I was camping (after Dane had used too much garlic salt for the garlic bread, and not just a little too much, lets just say I did not have to season the cucumber slices I ate after the garlic bread and they were delicious). By the way, I do not know what she means, I did take showers while camping. We all had fun during our excursions, and this year our vehicle actually made it further than a block from home (unlike our track and field qualified Ford Van with the "Javelin" engine--that is my name for the engine since it has a thrown rod, although the shot-put would be its second best event since it also went kaaaa-put.) I know some of you joke that Ford stands for Fix or Repair Daily, but if the acronym were accurate it should be called a Forward Van "Fix Or Repair When All Revenue Declines". Talk to you all soon, and we are looking forward to your news.

PRINCESS PAT
The Princess Pat
Lived in a tree
and She sailed across
The seven seas
She sailed across
The channel too
And took with her
A Rig-of-bamboo

A Rig-of-bamboo
Now, what is that?
It's something made
By the Princess Pat
It's red and gold
And purple too
That's why it's called
A Rig-of-bamboo

Now Captain Jack
Had a very fine crew
They sailed across
The channel too
Their ship did sink
And so will you
If you don't take
A Rig-of-bamboo

A Rig-of-bamboo
Now, what is that?
It's something made
By the Princess Pat
It's red and gold
And purple too
That's why it's called
A Rig-of-bamboo

THE MOOSE SONG
The moose
The moose
Swimming in the water
Eating his breakfast
Where does he go?
He goes to sleep.
He goes..to..sleep

2nd verse! quieter than the first
The moose
The moose
Swimming in the water
Eating his breakfast
Where does he go?
He goes to sleep.
He goes..to..sleep

[yell] Wake up moose!
3rd verse! louder than the first
The moose
The moose
Swimming in the water
Eating his breakfast
Where does he go?
He goes to sleep.
He goes..to..sleep

4th Verse, sadder that the verse. Do in a weaping voice.
Dead moose
dead moose
Floating in the water
Not eating breakfast
Where does he go?
He decompose
He de..com..pose

Yogi Bear Song (sung to Camptown Races tune)
I have a friend that you all know,
Yogi, Yogi,
I have a friend that you all know
Yogi, Yogi Bear,
Yogi, Yogi Bear, Yogi, Yogi Bear,
I have a friend that you all know
Yogi, Yogi Bear,

He has a friend that you all know,
Boo-boo, Boo-boo,
He has a friend that you all know,
Boo-boo, Boo-boo Bear,
Boo-boo, Boo-boo Bear, Boo-boo, Boo-boo Bear,
He has a friend that you all know,
Boo-boo, Boo-boo Bear,

He has a girlfriend you all know,
Cindy, Cindy,
He has a girlfriend you all know,
Cindy, Cindy Bear
Cindy, Cindy Bear, Cindy, Cindy Bear,
He has a girlfriend you all know,
Cindy, Cindy Bear,

They all have an enemy,
Ranger Smith,
They all have an enemy,
Ranger, Ranger Smith,
Ranger, Ranger Smith, Ranger, Ranger Smith,
They all have an enemy,
Ranger, Ranger Smith,

They all live in Jellystone,
Jelly, Jelly,
They all live in Jellystone,
Jelly, Jellystone,
Jelly, Jellystone, Jelly, Jellystone,
They all live in Jellystone,
Jelly, Jellystone,

Melanie Had a Blessing

LHT and Bishop Harmon did give Melanie a blessing.

It seems strange to me that anyone who had ITP and had lost their spleen as a result could get another autoimmune disease such as MS. Dr. Tatton said  that, usually, if MS did not show up on an MRI, then it was not MS. Of course, it did not. However, the final test is a spinal tap. I think,  perhaps, Melanie is right in suspecting that a vertabrae might be the cause of her problems.

The thing that is most concerning is the double vision problem. If you see two totally separate images, it means that your two eyes are not pointed at the same target. Melanie does see two distinct images. This misalignment can be from an abnormality in the muscles or nerves that control the eyes' movement. Thyroid conditions and stroke may affect the nerves that control eye alignment. You may also begin to suddenly see double if you receive a blow to the head. Double vision (diplopia) may be an early symptom of MS.

Double vision occurs when the nerve pathways that control eye movements are
damaged. The vision from each eye is usually normal but the individual experiences double vision, often in one particular direction of gaze.

ITP, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, also known as immune thrombocytopenic purpura, is classified as an autoimmune disease. In an autoimmune disease the body mounts an attack toward one or more otherwise normal organ systems. In ITP, platelets are the target. They are marked as foreign by the immune system and eliminated in the spleen, or sometimes the liver.

Thoughts for Melanie

Nanci wrote: Hi Aunt Myrna, this is Nanci.  I am soooo sorry to hear about Melanie, I did not know what had happened.  Please, when you can, keep me posted on her.  I will keep Melanie, you and all of the family in my prayers!  Please also let me know if there is anything I can do.

Have an amazing day!!
xoxo
Nanci


Dear Myrna,

Ann Olsen wrote: My heart goes out to you & Leonard & Melanie and all the family and, of course, my family and I will be keeping you all in our prayers. From day to day, we never know what trials may come, but we do know that Heavenly Father and the Savior love us all with perfect love and He hears and answers every prayer.

Did Melanie's symptoms/illness begin last week?

Love you all, Ann

Jim and Karma Dixon: We will keep Melanie in our prayers.


Barbara wrote: It sounds like you have a lot on your mind. All we want is for our children to be healthy and happy. However they achieve the one and get to the other doesn't seem very important. I do pray, all of the time, and my prayers are
with you and Melanie.

Barb, your friend


Kate Childs Bird: Please let us know what you find out.  Of course she will be included in our prayers.  Take care and give are love to everyone.

Kate

From Ronald Nelson (and Louise)

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things!

Accent

A woman from Virginia was talking with her four year old son. He was asking
her why all their relatives from Wisconsin talked funny and sounded like
their noses were plugged up.

"They think we have an accent," she replied.

"But they have an accent, right?" he asked. "They talk funny?"

"Everybody talks in different ways" she tried to explain. "To them, we sound

like we talk very slow and all our words are d-r-a-w-n out."

His eyes got big and he whispered seriously, "Oh, no. You mean they hear
funny too?"


Ann Olsen wrote: One of my daughter-in-law is from Wisconsin. After 18 years in Arizona, she speaks "western" like the rest of us! HA, HA! She is very cool! Nick, her
son, arrives home from his mission to Marita, Mexico (Cancun area), next
Wednesday!!

Melanie

I suppose you all know that Melanie is quite ill. We (Melanie, Siovhan and I) spent Sunday in Utah Valley Regional Medical Center Emergency Ward. They did a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) on her head and neck and found nothing out of order. Dr. James Tatton, from Nephi, even though he is retired, made it possible for that to be done on a Sunday. He used to be the physician in charge of the ER there.

Howard flew to Utah Monday so that he could rush her home. He and Braden are driving as quickly (but safely) as possible.

The concern is that she might have Multiple Sclerosis. She wonders if she doesn't have a ruptured vertebrae. She has a doctor's appointment on Friday in Massachusetts. Hopefully, the doctor will find out what is really the matter. Her double vision has been getting worse. She has some numbness in her arms and legs and has back pain. The MRI ruled out tumors, blood clots and strokes. Here in Nephi they did blood work to try to find out something that was out of order but didn't detect anything remiss. Of course, they may not have done the right test. They did give Melanie the results of everything to turn over to her doctor.

Some vacation! First her car breaks down and spends the first few days in the shop getting repaired and then Melanie gets ill. Unfortunately, she hasn't been as easy to fix as the car was.

Lots of love, M

The Reluctant Gift: Putting Our Time on the Altar‏

Dear M,

Thank you so much for "The Reluctant Gift: Putting Our Time on the Altar‏." Recently I have had a special opportunity to be available much more often to care for two of my grandchildren -- 2-year old and a 5-month old. It truly is a blessing to me. The bonds of love grow stronger when we serve and make ourselves available to serve. I appreciate so much the article, The Reluctant Gift. Actually, Myrna, I know that you are one who always has and always will go the extra miles to serve and help others. Thanks so much for the great example you and Leonard have been in my life! 

Take Care,

Ann

Six Miners Trapped By Huntington, Utah

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) - A coal mine collapsed Monday in central Utah, trapping six miners less than 20 miles from the epicenter of a 4.0 magnitude earthquake, authorities said.

The Genwal mine reported a "cave-in" at 3:50 a.m. MDT, an hour after the earthquake, the Emery County sheriff's office said.

"Rescue workers are on scene trying to locate six miners that are unaccounted for," the sheriff's office. Rocky Mountain Power, a utility with a power plant in the area, sent a rescue team and heavy equipment, spokesman Dave Eskelsen said.

A command center was being set up in Huntington, about 15 miles from the mine, said Teresa Behunin, an accountant affiliated with the mine. She had no other details.

Todd wrote: Not anyone we know, I hope?

Myrna wrote: I don't know. They are having a difficult time getting to them. Dad and I tried to call Garth but he and Alyce were in Provo getting his treatment so we left a message and they have not called back. Love, M

Dangers of Aspartame‏

On Jul 29, 2007, at 3:54 PM, Eric trauntvein wrote:

A guy was talking to me at work telling me how dangerous my soda was, I told him his diet was worse because the body treats Aspartame the same as sugar. I was wrong! the following attachments I am sending will tell you why I was wrong. there are just a few but there is a lot of solid proof send it around . Yes, I was wrong about the body treating Aspartame the same as sugar, how can one confuse poison with sugar, love eric

Got a little couch potato? Check out fun summer activities for kids.

David wrote: Your first statement was right in some regards. I heard this on the radio asone of the latest medical discoveries.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20050613/drink-more-diet-soda-gain-more-weigh

Eric wrote: I just wish that, someday, something I decide to do will be right. Sugar became the enemy in the '80s and now aspartame is the bad guy. I should have stayed with water.


Aspartame, a high intensity sweetener marketed under brands such as Equal, NutraSweet and Canderel, was first discovered in 1965. But because of initial cancer concerns, it was not approved for use in dry goods until the early 1980s. Over the next score of years, its use slowly expanded to beverages and other food products, until all restrictions for its use were removed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996.


Although industry now keenly points to over 200 studies that prove its safety, aspartame has not fully rid itself of the black spot tainting its image.


Two years after one of the world's few comprehensive cancer-testing programs, the European Ramazzini Foundation (ERF), published its first study linking aspartame to cancer, the foundation last month (July 2007) again flagged up the dreaded link. And this second study has - again - resulted in a whirlwind of comment and controversy.


The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that there is a link between sugar sweetened sodas and diabetes. Analysis of the eight year Nurses' Health Study II shows that women who increased their sugar sweetened soft drink consumption from one soda per week to one or more sugar sweetened soft drinks per day gained weight and had a higher risk of type II diabetes. Women who decreased their consumption of sugar sweetened sodas tended to lose weight and had a lower frequency of type II diabetes.


The best solution is to drink water. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of pure water every day.