Favorites

Nori's favorite mode of transportation. And... evidently, MY favorite outfit.Maddie's favorite thing to do:

Puppy Magnet!

Anyone that knows Amy well knows that she is a puppy magnet. Whenever I leave town on business, it's a 50/50 proposition as to whether we will have a new pet in the house when I return. In fact, we could travel to North Korea (where dogs are a valuable source of PROTEIN!) and Amy would still find someone trying to give away a puppy. Amy spotted this dog with a young boy at the beach. It didn’t help that it was a Yellow Labrador and reminded Amy of our first pet, Hasty. Luckily, I was present and reason prevailed. Or, maybe the boy changed his mind about giving us the dog when I explained to him in Spanish that Amy loves puppy steaks. This would explain his freaked out look and Amy's general confusion when he grabbed the dog back from her and ran off down the beach.

Just kidding.

Beach Bums

Our first family mission upon arriving in Puerto Rico was to explore and scientifically score all of the nearby beaches using a complicated formula that takes into account proximity, granularity of sand, cleanliness, wildlife for snorkel viewing, size of waves, availability of shade trees for hanging hammocks, clarity of water, and availability of restrooms.

Here are some shots from one of our favorite beaches: Cerro Gordo - in order of appearance 1) Eleanor 2) Frances 3) Sophia 4) Evelyn 5) Madeline. No doubt, Margaret was either hiding or being intentionally un-photogenic by making ugly faces.

We must be in the FRONT ROW!

As I mentioned previously, our original American Airlines flight to Puerto Rico was cancelled because the FAA was giving AA a hard time about some inspections they skipped or failed or something like that. Inspections, schmections.

This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We had to wait two days for a flight that could accommodate all of us. This gave us two extra days to pack and re-pack and re-re-pack. I really enjoyed that. This gave us time to finely calibrate the weight and distribution of every bag. Each ticket allowed us to bring 2 fifty pound bags - and that... is EXACTLY what we checked in with. It may be no small coincidence that shortly after we arrived in Puerto Rico, major airlines started charging for checked luggage. Sorry.

When I arrived at the AA counter in Salt Lake City to check in, without saying anything, the AA agent changed our seats to FIRST CLASS! Score. It was just for the first leg of our flight - Salt Lake City to Dallas - but I thought that was a classy thing to do. I'm not sure that the legitimate first class passengers were amused by the giddy interlopers - but most seemed generally cheerful about sharing first class with our small herd. And, to the animals credit, they were very well-behaved (although a devious Mary Margaret did manage to order a fully-sugared, fully-caffeinated Coca-Cola while her parents were briefly distracted).

Marggie Destined for Artistic Fame

All of the girls took the annual Arbor Day Poster Contest very seriously this year.

Marggie, in particular, really wanted to win. She spent hours upon hours fine-tuning her submission. All that effort paid off when they announced at school late one afternoon that she had won for her grade level for the entire state of Utah.

Unfortunately, we had pulled all the kids out of school early that day - probably to do something important like get lunch as a family at JCWs (I really can't remember why). At any rate, Marggie missed the PA announcement. Amy felt bad and so we scrambled to create and print and install a banner across the entrance that she would see when she arrived at school the following day.

On the surface she seemed pretty non-chalant about the whole thing. I think she was pretty excited though. We were. Go Margs!

Maddie and I do baptisms for the dead

While I was in Utah retrieving my family (back in March and April), Maddie turned twelve. Yikes!! Here's a picture of Maddie holding up 12 fingers, er... toes, er... digits.

Baptisms for the dead... This is not as morbid as it sounds. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are; first - faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, second - repentance, third - baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and fourth - the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. This begs the question, “If all this is necessary for salvation, would a just God prevent one of his children from returning to his presence because they never had an opportunity to hear the restored gospel of Jesus Christ?” The short answer is no.

The longer answer, if you’re interested…

Latter-day Saints (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a.k.a. Mormons), believe they should follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by one having the proper authority. This step is necessary to take full advantage of the salvation offered by the Savior, Jesus Christ. Because not all of God’s children have the opportunity to learn of Jesus Christ or to be baptized by proper authority in this life, Latter-day Saints enthusiastically conduct family history research (genealogy) and then perform these important ordinances of the gospel vicariously in temples on behalf of those who have died. The deceased, who since dying have learned of Christ and his infinite atonement, then have an opportunity to accept or reject the ordinances performed on their behalf.

Because Maddie recently turned twelve, she can now go to the temples. So, while we were together in Utah, Maddie and I went to the Mount Timpanogos Temple one morning to perform baptisms for the dead. As a father, this was a sweet experience. To make it even sweeter, Amy's parents have accepted a volunteer assignment to work in the temple one day each week and they just happened to be assigned as the "greeters" at the temple entrance when we arrived.


Because the only temple in the Caribbean region is in the Dominican Republic, it may be awhile before we have another opportunity to go to the temple together.

Avoid Vieques

AVOID VIEQUES AT ALL COSTS!

Just kidding. Vieques is great. But, one of the things that makes it so great is that there's hardly anyone there! Would hate for the good word on Vieques to get out too much and attract hordes of people that would make it un-great.

Like I mentioned before, I took the afternoon ferry to Vieques. Was a bit choppier than I was expecting and it rained really hard for about 10 minutes during the hour+ trip which sent everyone on the open decks scurrying for cover.

There are two little towns on Vieques; Isabella II and Esperanza. Isabella II (Dos) is home to the ferry port and the most unlikely looking LDS chapel I've ever seen!

"Fart-o"

Amy has pointed out to me that when native Puerto Ricans pronounce the name of the port city of "Fajardo," that it actually sounds an awful lot like "Fart-0". "Fah-hard-o" is the location of the main island port for the ferries to the Puerto Rican islands of Culebra and Vieques.

Shortly before returning to Utah to retrieve Amy and the girls, I took what was supposed to be a short day-trip to the island of Vieques. The main purpose of the trip was to check out one last Van Volki being sold by a guy who works at the island's surf shop. Even surf guys on remote Caribbean islands have figured out that to be truly cool, they must drive a VW van. Surf-guy wanted me to see his van for sale but did not want to go to all the trouble of bringing it to the main island. After experiencing the ferry, I can understand his reluctance.

I'd been warned about the ferry from Fajardo to Vieques being somewhat... um, unreliable? So, I made sure I got to the ferry terminal bright and early. I got in line to buy a ticket about 60 minutes before the scheduled departure and the line NEVER moved. The way things were set up was comically ineffective. One of those things where you just have to laugh and learn and then avoid in the future. Long story short - I missed the morning ferry and had to settle for the afternoon ferry - which turned my day-trip into something more. More on that next.
Here are some pictures I took while walking around Fart-o:

U.S. President arrested for protest in Vieques, Puerto Rico

The headline for this post is misleading in two ways. First, it wasn't the real president. And second, he wasn't arrested. Huh? Martin Sheen who played President Jed Bartlet on the NBC series, the West Wing, has a reputation for getting himself arrested while protesting for various causes. "Good on ya," as the Aussies would say. One of the causes that he adopted (but never got arrested for - to my knowledge) was the effort to get the US Navy to stop using the Puerto Rican island of Vieques as a bombing target.

Here's a link to the Wikipedia article on Vieques: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vieques,_Puerto_Rico

And here's a link to the article about the US Navy protests: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy-Vieques_protests

So... that's where you might have heard about Vieques before. Stay tuned for more info on Vieques.

Not a Van Volki, but almost cool.

After inspecting a handful of VW Vans for sale here in Puerto Rico - I decided that I would prefer to spend my free time writing blog posts and not reading VW owners' manuals and fixing things with duct tape and baling wire.

So instead, I fullfilled a lifelong dream (and one of Amy's nightmares) and got a minivan! It rocks. Toyota engineers think of EVERYTHING! And, to ensure that Amy's nightmare scenario was complete, I bought some awesome stickers and "pimped our ride."

In the process, I eliminated another career option - auto detailer. Despite my valiant effort to apply the "Brigham Young University"decal evenly, it lists badly to the starboard side. Amy pretended not to notice, which was nice. But, when I pointed it out to her, she laughed and said, "Yeah, I noticed that."

Been a little bit busy.

Okay. Okay. Obviously, I've had a harder time posting new entries to the blog since Amy and the kids have joined the party. Go figure!

So, today... I've escaped to my favorite cafe/WiFi spot to post like crazy. Hang onto your hat - here goes...

Guesthouse Availability

We figured that we should start keeping track of when people are coming to visit and stay in our little guesthouse. Wouldn't want to double-book anyone!

So - I've embedded a Google calendar for the Casa Escondida (that's the guesthouse) on the right hand side of the BraceForCrazy blog. If you're planning on taking us up on our guesthouse offer, consult the calendar by clicking on the [+google] icon at the bottom of the calendar. We'd prefer that you be pretty certain that you're coming to visit before we blog out the dates for you on the calendar. None of this, "We'd really like to come - can we call you two or three days before if it's going to work out after all?" No, no, no. We want commitment. You must feel committed in your heart to enjoying the beauty and fun of Puerto Rico. No half-hearted, "Yeah, I guess we'll come visit - if we have to" kind of stuff.

So! Check out the calendar and reserve your spot now today.

Be careful what you pray for...

I told my friend Dave Collins today that we had been praying that we would be able to get everything all packed in time for our departure to Puerto Rico early on Friday morning. Dave said, "Ah-ha! So, you're the ones to blame for 250,000 stranded American Airlines passengers."

Hmmm... hadn't thought about it that way. But, yeah. Maybe we WERE responsible for all the cancelled flights.

Apparently, the Lord could see that there was NO way we were going to having everything packed in time for a Friday morning departure. So, yes, we are 'victims' of the American Airlines snafu. Our flight got cancelled and we are now leaving on Sunday morning and flying through Dallas (which makes a lot more sense than our previous routing through Chicago).

I'm not sure if American Airlines should get the blame for these cancellations or if the F.A.A. should get the blame. From what I've read, it sounds like the F.A.A. got busted for getting too cozy with Southwest Airlines. Who knows, maybe American Airlines was the one that ratted out Southwest. It sounds to me like the F.A.A. really overreacted and American is bearing the brunt of the F.A.A.'s embarrassment over their lackadaisical approach to Southwest. No doubt, Congress will get involved and obfuscate the truth even further.

Have you read "A Train to Potevka"?

This was my favorite book of 2006. Amy bought a copy for me at our local Costco (the author was there signing copies) and gave it to me for Christmas. I read it in two days. Remember the Remington shaver guy? "I liked it so much, I bought the company!" Well, I liked "A Train to Potevka" so much, I bought 18 copies to share with friends and family. I still have five copies left. I'd like to find a good home for them. I you want a copy, send me an email and I'll drop one in the mail to you. First come, first served.

Bargain airfares to Puerto Rico!

Have we tempted you at all to come visit in Puerto Rico?

Available dates for the Hacienda Glenn Guesthouse are filling fast!

Got an email from Travelocity this week promoting some great airfares from Salt Lake City to San Juan ($354 roundtrip!).

Wondering what to do once you get here? Here's a link to the best PR vacation planning site I've found.

Fahrvergnügen. Um... Gesundheit?

At first, we thought that we would ship our Toyota Sequoia to the island. Uh... scratch that idea. $2,700 in shipping fees PLUS additional taxes once it arrives.

Hmmm... what would seat eight, get good gas mileage, and not break the piggy bank? How about an old VW Minibus? Ahhh... there's nothing like driving a VW with an air-cooled engine. Shoot, there's even a word for it.

After searching ClasificadosOnline for available "VanVolkys" as they're called in Puerto Rico, I narrowed the list down to 3 or 4 possibilities. Today, I drove 90 minutes along the north coast to Hatillo to meet Manuel and test-drive his Van Volky.

Turns out, in between the time that Manuel first posted his ad and today - Manuel's friend "Harry" got his hands on the Van Volky and 'pimped' it out with a massive sound system. This little addition to the package added $900 to the price tag and eliminated most of the storage space in the back - thus necessitating the luggage rack on top. After a sound test, I can confirm that the system was intentionally designed to inflict hearing loss on the occupants of said Van Volky.

Oh well. The drive along the coast was nice. This weekend, I'll be taking a quick ferry trip out to Vieques island to test drive #2 on the list.

Puerto Rican street maintenance

I try to resist the urge to join in on the recreational griping that "ex-pat" mainland Americans seem to indulge in. After all, the things that most mainlanders like to complain about are the things that make Puerto Rico different from the mainland. That's the point isn't it?

However, you've gotta see this to believe it...

The first week that I was here, I was walking late one evening back to my hotel. I was on the sidewalk, but there was very little light. As I was walking along, minding my own business, my heart skipped a beat as I narrowly missed stepping in a pothole. At first (because of the low light) I thought to myself, "Self, you could have stepped into that hole and twisted your ankle." Here's a view of the pothole from a few paces away:

It was too dark to see the bottom of this pothole. So, I took a picture using the flash so that I could see how deep the hole actually was. I couldn't believe my eyes. What at first appeared to be a little pothole, turned out to be the ambitious (but poorly marked) start of the San Juan, PR to Bejing, China Tunnel Project - forecast to be completed in 3022.


Seriously, if my stride were any less manly and purposeful than it is - I would have found myself chest-high in a huge, unmarked hole in the middle of an Old San Juan sidewalk. This is the kind of hole that I dreamed of digging in my backyard as a ten-year-old to capture the Sasquatch! Which made me wonder if maybe there weren't some local teenagers hiding in the bushes waiting to "help" a hapless tourist like yours truly that was less lucky than yours truly. Nah...

The Puerto Rican pace is, well... relaxed. As evidence, I cite the picture below. A construction crew consisting of three men is replacing an intersection in Old San Juan. The additional 17 individuals pictured (+ another 10-12 out of frame) are part of the essential Moral Support Team. Plus, the Moral Support Team Captain (seated on curb and talking on cell phone) is busy calling MST HQ for reinforcements.

Sights and Scenes

I've had fun walking around and taking pictures. Here are a few of the best photos I've taken (which isn't saying much).

1. Old San Juan street. I think that the building at the end of the street is the Governor's Mansion.

2. This beautiful hotel used to be (as you may have guessed from the name) a convent. One thing they still have in common; you must take a vow of poverty before entering. Rooms are $600 a night. That would empty my pockets pretty quick.

3. No idea what this is. Just a pretty fountain on the NW edge of Old San Juan.

4. A fantastically colorful taxi.

5. American and Puerto Rican flags line the bridge leading away from the airport.

It helps to know the right people...

And Pete is "the right people." Pete is our landlord, a retired NYPD Detective, and a really nice guy. This past Saturday, Pete spent most of the day showing me around the area. I drove. He navigated. Together, we hit all the important stores; Costco, Sam's Club, WalMart, and every guy's favorite - Home Depot. We ended up at a huge mall called Plaza de las Americas. The only mall I've ever seen that was bigger was Mall of America in Minnesota.

In addition, Pete took the time to introduce me to friends in the neighborhood and even took me out for breakfast on Sunday morning before we headed off to the airport.

I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the island or for a nicer landlord.

Here's Pete at curb after I dropped him off at the airport.

Home Sweet Home

View Larger Map

Here is a map of the area surrounding our new house in Dorado, Puerto Rico. We're on "Calle Piscis" (the cul-de-sac) It's the house with the pool. Nice big lot. Zoom out to get an idea of how close we are to the ocean. Start planning your trip to Puerto Rico now - we'll have the guesthouse ready and waiting.

Househunting

I spent a few hours this afternoon and evening in Dorado, PR (Puerto Rico's "cleanest city"). Met "Pete" - a former NYC Police detective and owner of a home for rent. Think this one might be a winner.

Main House: Interior

Main House: Exterior

Guest House: Interior

Dorado House: Surroundings

Let's get this party started!

I recently sold my minority share in Captain Electric (the electrical contracting business in Orem, UT that I helped to build and grow over the past few years) back to the majority partner.

The dangerous (!?) outcome of this transaction has been the luxury (at least for a few months) to try something crazy.

Amy and I are exploring the possibility of moving to Puerto Rico and building a company that represents construction products sold through architectural specification throughout the Caribbean. The first product in our collection would be a concrete polishing system called RetroPlate (http://www.retroplatesystem.com/).

I am reaching out to my friends/colleagues/classmates for three reasons:

1. I’m in Puerto Rico from Feb 26 – Mar 11 to explore business opportunities, search for a place to live, etc. Do you know someone that I should try to meet while I’m here? Know some great hidden beach not to be missed? Let me know!

2. Man (six daughters and wife) cannot live on RetroPlate alone. If you know of other companies or products that would be interested in selling more in the Caribbean – I’d like to hear about them (even if it’s just something that you read about somewhere – no introduction required – just looking for great ideas/products). At the outset, my plan is to rep high-end construction products/systems. But, I’m open to pretty much anything.

3. And finally… life’s too short to spend doing something you dread. I don’t want to be the only crazy guy. I’m reaching out to my network to inspire you to take a risk, to grab a dream and run with it. The outcome of our Caribbean foray is far from certain – but I’m pretty sure we’ll enjoy the ride.

4. OK – a fourth reason. Keep in touch and you’ll have a friend/tour guide in the Caribbean.

If you don’t mind, I’ll try to keep you informed of the progress that we make. This blogging thing is new to me.