A typical night while watching TV news

Tuesday night, we were watching ABC 4 News and their coverage of a debate over two proposed coal-fired power plants, both of which would pollute the air near the Utah-Nevada border and send pollutants across the state line into Utah cities. The report listed a few of the pollutants that are commonly released into the environment by burning coal.

Ryan (curiously): "N-H-3... isn't that ammonia?"
Marissa (laughing wickedly): "Do I look like a freakin' chemist?"

She just LOVES watching the news... tee hee...

This makes WAY too much sense...

The Sports Guy (who writes for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine) shares his email every once in a while. Here is one that really hit home with me (and something I'VE been saying since I was old enough to be a Jazz fan):

Q: Since you're the most vigilant with respect to spreading ways to improve the NBA All-Star Game, here's something they should have done this year in lieu of the celebrity game: The Hornets should have challenged the Jazz to a one-game playoff. If New Orleans won, it would claim the name "Jazz" as its own, and Utah would have to get a new name. If Utah won, then New Orleans would have to give up a lottery-protected No. 1 pick. How would that not have been must-see TV? CP3 taking on D-Will to determine not only who is the greatest young PG, but also to establish order and logic in their team names!
-- Brian, Brookline, Mass.

SG: Fantastic idea and it makes way too much sense. The real crime of the Jazz thing is the coolest team name in the entire league ("the New Orleans Jazz") suddenly became the dumbest and most inexplicable name in professional sports ("the Utah Jazz"), and nobody seems to care. What's the big deal about changing a name? If anything, it's a lucrative turn of events for the Utah franchise because it would get to come up with a new logo and new jerseys, right? So what's the problem here? They could be the Utah Snow, the Utah Salt, the Utah Blizzard, Utah Ski Lifts, the Utah Big Love. ... I mean, any name is better than the Utah Jazz! Somebody please explain to me why we can't work this out.

I don't know why we can't change it. The "Old Guard" (Karl and John) are gone. Nobody would protest. In fact, I bet most fans would welcome the change... as long as we drop the whole double "Z" thing. AND as long as Larry H. Miller doesn't make us the Utah Handcarts, the Utah Road Construction, the Utah Traffic Cones, the Utah Potholes, the Utah Buttars, the Utah Arches, the Utah Ski Bunnies, the Utah Downwinders, the Utah Pill-Poppers, the Utah Jell-Os . . .

Acting in "The Civil War"

"1861"

ARM'D year! year of the struggle!
No dainty rhymes or sentimental love verses for you, terrible year!
Not you as some pale poetling, seated at a desk, lisping cadenzas piano;
But as a strong man, erect, clothed in blue clothes, advancing, carrying a rifle on your shoulder,
With well-gristled body and sunburnt face and hands--with a knife in the belt at your side,
As I heard you shouting loud--your sonorous voice ringing across the continent;
Your masculine voice, O year, as rising amid the great cities,
Amid the men of Manhattan I saw you, as one of the workmen, the dwellers in Manhattan;
Or with large steps crossing the prairies out of Illinois and Indiana,
Rapidly crossing the West with springy gait, and descending the Alleghanies;
Or down from the great lakes, or in Pennsylvania, or on deck along the Ohio river;
Or southward along the Tennessee or Cumberland rivers, or at Chattanooga on the mountain top,
Saw I your gait and saw I your sinewy limbs, clothed in blue, bearing weapons, robust year;
Heard your determin'd voice, launch'd forth again and again;
Year that suddenly sang by the mouths of the round-lipp'd cannon,
I repeat you, hurrying, crashing, sad, distracted year.

~ Walt Whitman

* * * * * * *

My latest acting endeavor - playing "Third Soldier From The Left" (OK, actually the character's name is "Patrick", but you get it) - has been a wonderful experience so far. I've had yet another chance to meet and work with some of the most talented artists in the valley, in all aspects of the production. I've learned more about our country's history and feel honor-bound to portray these "slices of life" with absolute honesty, integrity and respect for their sacrifice. I've even had a small brush with celebrity (Merrill Osmond plays the lead as the Union Captain, and even introduced a few of us to his sister Marie - what a cutie! - I think Merrill wants to set her up to date us. LOL). I'm also a (small) part of a tremendously gifted ensemble, where each actor pursues perfection in every note, every word, every soldiering maneuver. I'm honored by the opportunity, and humbly grateful as I bask in the reverence and rejoice in the innate nobility of this play.
At the risk of sounding arrogant, I've recently been fortunate enough to be cast in leading roles in various plays. However, I've found no dissatisfaction in playing as a member of the ensemble again... it is just as enriching as a lead role when one is surrounded by talent, passion and teamwork... and this production has it in spades. "The Civil War" was panned by critics (at best) when in played on Broadway in 1999 and had a relatively short run. The mix of pop influences and American history was not well-received. I understand that, given the subject matter of the play, our crowds will favor us with standing ovations and glowing word-of-mouth reviews. Be that as it may, I do believe this play will continue to earn those accolades through our eternal striving for excellence every time we hit the boards.
"Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee, An Actor's Life For Me!"

Wise beyond his years

Abby: "Look, I'm all finished with my dinner."

Marissa: "Good job, Abby! Abby is the winner!"

Colin (petulantly): "It's not about winning."

What funny little people they're becoming...

Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom's the greatest... and a wonderful grandmother to her grand-triplets.
Hope you have the birthday you deserve!
We love you!

A truly happy Valentine's day

Marissa is on the mend!
Her doctors discovered that her gall bladder wasn't working right and that it had to come out.
She had the surgery last week and she just went back to work for the first time today.
Hopefully this is the end of the phantom abdominal monster that's plagued her these many months.
Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers.

Young love ... ?

Grandma Debbie: "Ben, do you have a girlfriend?"
Ben: (sinks slowly in his chair until he's hiding under the table.)
Grandma Debbie: "I think you do!"
Ben: (sits up in his chair, faces Grandma & holds up a fist & shakes it at her defiantly.)

Gotta love Valentine's Day.

Marissa's bane

We finally have an answer! Well, at least a direction to fight. At last!
My darling wife Marissa has been suffering with severe abdominal pain for several months now. She's undergone all sorts of tests to try and discover the cause of the pain, including CT scans, hydascan, x-rays, ultrasounds, liver biopsy, colonoscopy, endoscopy and a load of blood work... all with no clear answers. She even visited with a holistic doctor to see if she could help, again with limited results. A few days ago the latest CT scan finally revealed what we thought could be the problem all along: a mass on her pancreas. It could be anything from a benign growth or cyst to a cancerous tumor. We'll find out more in the next couple of days. At the very least, we know where to look to make her well again. Thanks to family & friends for your kind thoughts and prayers.

Happy New Year - and a quick update on me

Trips' Dad had one heckuva 2007. Got married to my sweetie. Did a LOT of theater. Worked hard. Played hard. Loved much. Marissa and I have a cute little condo in Salt Lake. The trips are in kindergarten and loving it. I have a steady job. I'm in reasonably good health. I have my family & friends close. I have life, liberty and much happiness. As 2007 skates into history, I recognize that I have much to be grateful for.
I'm still working at ABC 4 & CW 30 in Salt Lake. I've been here for almost eight years and everyone here has been very good to me. We have a fantastic team in Promotion & Marketing, and we're hoping that the management changes to come in 2008 bring some new opportunities for growth and development.
I'm in the current production of the original play "Lend Me A Tenor" at Hale Centre Theatre in Salt Lake, and I'm beginning to rehearse their next musical there as well, "Civil War." Between Hale Centre Theatre and Desert Star Theater, I think I've been fortunate enough to be in a show somewhere for the past 15 months... and I'm so grateful. It's been wonderful to make good part-time money doing something I love!
And of course, I try and stay busy with the triplets. What an amazing thing to be a father... three times over! They're at such a delightful age. Everything is to anticipated and celebrated. Everything is NOW. Marissa & I relish every moment we spend with them. Christmas was great fun, as we caroled together, visited family & friends, opened WAY too many gifts, and enjoyed the food and fun of the season. We're blessed to be a part of four terrific families, and we felt the love and concern of each this holiday season. We're grateful to be so blessed.

Mother hen

We were to have the kids today, but the boys are sick with head colds, aggravated asthma, and probably two or three other illnesses that they pass around during the winter. We didn't pick up Abby because she was worried about the boys. "What if they need me?" she said. Cute.
So, I called the kids today to chat with them for a little while. After talking with Abby, she passed the phone to the boys, saying, "Boys, Dad wants to talk to you! Talk to Dad, because he's worried about you... so VERY worried."
The cutest mother hen I've even known.
The boys are lucky to have such a loving sister... as lucky as I AM to have such a lovely daughter who is beautiful is every way.