Who Matters Most

A couple of days ago, Ashley called me.  We chatted for just a few minutes and then she said "Brother is calling me.  Gotta go.  Bye."

I guess it would be rude to tell your brother that you are talking to your dad and return the call to your brother at a later time.


(P.S.  I love you Fernash)

Merry Christmas to All.

Here is our Christmas card for this year.  Click here to see it.

And now for our annual update.

Lindsey graduated from BYU, along with her husband Brandon.  And in August they moved to Houston to be by us, or was it so that Brandon could get a Masters degree in Geology at Rice University?

Carrie and her family left Houston and became Nashville Cats.  And right now, they are learning that Nashville is cccoooooolllllldddd.  Her husband, Shawn, is in the orthopaedic residency program at Vanderbuilt in Nashville. 

Ashley moved from Dallas to the Silicone Valley area and then back to Dallas, so she could work in Minnesota.  She only changed jobs once in all of the moving.  You can take Ashley out of Texas, but not for very long it seems.

Brittany is in our nation's capital and loving it.  She is a GREAT teacher, as shown by both the number of her physics students that took the AP test (highest in her school's history) and the percentage that passed (also the highest in school history).

Ryan and Brianna welcomed their daughter Atley to their family.  Ryan also completed a half Iron Man trialthalon.  Don't know if you will ever get Ryan out of Texas again.  But that's fine with us!

Bethany probably had a less exiting year in 2010 than in 2009.  She remodeled her kitchen, so now we have most family get-togethers at her home.  And she is now cramming for the OB-Gyn oral boards that she will take soon.

Susan (aka Mom the Bomb) had a position at a pediatric clinic in Katy, then she didn't.  But she found another opportunity at a practice in Spring, and is loving what she does.  And she really loves being close to kids and grandkids.

Michael (aka Dad the Bad) lost his job, again.  Some things never change!!!  But that means I'm back in Katy with the Fam!  And no worries!  Life is good and full of opportunities for me.  I just need to decide which one will be the best.

May Charity, the pure love of Christ, fill your hearts this season and through the coming year.

Red and Blue

I saw a lot of chatter on Facebook about yesterday's Uah - BYU football game.  I admit, I graduated from BYU, but I also attended the U for a year.  I also admit that, when I do see The Game, I want BYU to win.  But I left Utah in 1979, and since then, the importance or passion or whatever you want to call it of the rivalry has faded for me.  I think I have only seen 2 installments of The Game since then.  And one of them, I just happend to 'stumble upon' while we lived in San Antonio.  But just to show that The Game is more than a local passion, and that I don't bleed Cougar Blue, here is a true story from Katy, Texas.

About 20 years ago, on Sunday after The Game, at the beginning of Sunday School class, someone mentioned that BYU had defeated Utah, again.  To which someone else in the class (and I think it was Dave Swope, a real Red-blooded Ute) responded with something like "That's OK.  We're still waiting for a BYU grad to be President of the Church".  And 20  years later, we are still waiting.....

¿Do I Look That Old?

MTB teaches the 4-year-olds in Primary.  At the end of the meeting block, I always go to the classroom and wait with the kids and MTB, while the kids are waiting for their parents.  Today when I walked in the room, MTB had her back turned toward the door, so she didn't see me.  But the kids did, so they told her I was there:  'Sister Reed, Sister Reed, your Dad is here!!!'

What I Like about Houston

First and foremost, I love bieng with MTB and other family members.  Click here to see some of the fun!

One Last Post: What I Miss About Mexico

I received more pictures from my despedida (going-away party). 

Jesus, 'El Inge' (The Engineer) and Estela.

Daniel and Lourdes.  Danny works at NXO and Lourdes is Oscar Rojo's sister.

And here is the entire group.

 

 

I really miss all of you.  ¿Do you miss me yet?





My next postings will be what I like about being back in Houston with MTB.

More of What I Miss about Mexico

Pepe and Katia.  Let us know when the little one arrives!

Clarita (Muy Movida) and Carlos. 

Enrique (Kike) and Pepe Lepe.  Don't ask why they are so close!

Oscarito and Vanessa.  Oscar received several offers to change jobs while we worked together, but he stayed with me.

Claudia and Fernando.  Claudia was my assitant for almost 11 years.  She said I'm the only man she has been with for that many years!

That's All Folks!!!

So, after 11 years and 9 months working in Mexico, it all came down to this:

• 1 very large and 2 carry-on size suitcases to take my clothing back to the USA
• 3 pretty emotional good-by sessions with my co-workers.  I couldn't say much.
• One of these was a small party at Oscar Rojo's home.  MTB was there as well.  It was hard for both of us to say goodby!
• One box of personal documents that I took from my office.

But more than anything, it is who we are and our influence on others that really matters.  And I think I can safely say that I am a better person becuase of my experiences here, and I hope that my friends believe thay are better people as a result of letting me into their lives.

Some Things I'll Miss, Others I Won't

These are some of the things I will miss about Mexico.

• The great people that I have worked with for the last twelve years.  I'm not going to attempt a list of names, because I'm sure I'll leave someone important off the list.
• Tacos al pastor from just about any street corner.  The best food in Mexico is not in the expensive restaurants, it's on the street corner!!
• The cool weather.  I don't have to get up at 6:00 am on Saturday to run or ride my bike.  
• Riding my bike in the mountains.  We actually live in a small canyon at an elevation of about 7,700 feet.  I don't climb mountains, but there are plenty of 500-yard to 1.5-mile hills that challenge this old body.
• Susana's tacos dorados and her enchiladas.  (Susana was the maid that prepared my meals until Susan moved here in 2007.)
• The abrazo greeting of my male friends, and the kiss-on-the cheek greeting of my female friends (without fear of a sexual harassment lawsuit). 
• The beautiful views of the volcanoes that are east of the city. 

Some things I won't miss so much:

• The traffic.  True story:  Ashley flew almost 700 miles from Houston in less time than it took Susan and I to drive the 16 miles from our home to the airport.
• Neighbors who think it is OK to play music so loudly that you can hear it for several blocks, and to keep it at this volume level until 4:00 a.m.
• The general culture of exploitation.  The wealthy take advantage of the poor; the poor have no problem in taking what they can from the rich, etc.
• The idea that being courteous means addressing others as 'usted' and not 'tu', while not really caring about others.  (See the point about loud music above.)
• The air pollution that makes the views of the volcanoes a rare occurrence.

My How Things Have Changed

I'm beginning my last two weeks in Mexico. As I pack things and prepare to move back to Houston, I'll be reminiscing a bit. Here is my first set of observations.

When I came to Mexico

• Susan was in her third year of Medical School.
• Bethany was in her Senior year at BYU.
• Ryan was a missionary in Peru.
• Brittany and Ashley were in at Taylor High.
• Carrie was at Memorial Parkway Junior High.
• Lindsey was at Memorial Parkway Elementary.

And I had gray hair.

Today

• Susan is a Board Certified pediatrician.
• Bethany is an OB-GYN, and will be taking her oral boards in November. She is also married and the mother of 3 beautiful daughters.
• Ryan completed an MBA at ASU and is making Chevron more profitable. He is also married and the father of a wonderful son and, in November, will be welcoming a baby girl to the family.
  
• Brittany completed a Masters Degree in Engineering at Penn State and is the Best High School Physics Teacher in the USA!
• Ashley completed a Mission to 'Dirty little Provo', earned a degree in Economics from BYU, and is consultant to major organizations.
• Carrie earned a degree in American Studies at BYU, is married and the mother of 3 great children, the Nashville Cats.
• Lindsey finished her degree in Spanish at BYU, is married and the mother of a not so shrinking Violet.

And I still have gray hair.

Texas Here I Come

Yesterday evening my new boss told me my last day at NXO Mexico would be September 30. Today at noon I broke the news to my co-workers. This afternoon, my new boss was upset with me for telling them. Go figure.

Anyway, Texas, here I come. Be there in October!!!

I Changed Jobs Today

Actually, I didn't change jobs, but NextiraOne Mexico now has a new owner. I put a lot of money in the pockets of the former owners, and I acutally enjoyed working with them. Everyone I knew and worked with at Platinum Equity was very professional. It's a good organization.

What happens next? I still don't know. But the future looks bright to me!!!

What I Did Last Weekend

I went to a Baby Shower last weekend. Men are invited to the showers here, and the father-to-be, Pepe, was pretty much immersed in the event. That's me on the right, if you're wondering. Pepe is in the middle. His mother drew a mole on his face every time he was unable to guess who gave the present he unwrapped.



And here is the happy couple.

Poodle News

I'm in DC this week at a Microsoft event. Microsoft wants us to do business with them, so they are paying for my hotel, airfare, and most meals. But the best thing about being here is that today I met Poodle for lunch. She told me some news she probably won't post, but I will.

She had 22 students sit for the AP Physics exam (the most in her school's history) and 19 (about 87%) of them passed (again, the highest percentage and highest number of students passing in her school's history).

CONGRATULATIONS!!! IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO AND YOU DO IT WELL!

Rumors are a Riot

The rumors are flying in Mexico about what I'll be doing now that Platinum has sold the company. They range from my being fired as soon as the deal closes to our moving to Beverly Hills to work for Platinum. As if we could afford to live in Beverly Hills, where homes sell for about $2,000 per square foot. Seems that everyone else knows more about my future than I know.

It's Done, Part II.

Click here to see the news.......

And to answer MTB's comment, the process to sell the company began about 2.5 years ago.

It's Done!!!

At long last, after about 2.5 years, it's done!!! "What's done?" you ask. Well, I can't tell you until tomorrow....

Texas and Texans

A few days ago, my sister, who does not live in Texas, asked me these questions:

How is it that the Texans are such a City on a hill so to speak? They are proud to live in Texas, call Texas home, be a Texan. What is it about them that makes that so?

John Steinbeck said this about Texas:

Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word.

General George Patton had this to say about Texans:

Give me an army of West Point Graduates, and I'll win the battle. Give me a handful of Texas Aggies, and I'll win the war.

(Please note, I'm a Longhorn fan, not an Aggie. But this is about Texas, not the rivalry between the two largest universities in the state,)

All Texans, add your comments! I'll make sure my sister sees the results.

Happy Mothers' Day

Susan, You are a Saint and and Angel. This does have one downside: your wings get in the way when I hug you!

Feliz Cumpleaños Mi Guerita

Happy Birthday to the Woman who

1. Has shared her life with me for almost 34 years;
2. Is the most resilient person I have in the world. She may be discouraged, but she is never beaten;
3. Can organize anything and do it better than any executive I know;
4. Has compassion for all;
5. Thinks it is great that her children call her Mom-the-Bomb;
6. Thinks it is great that her grandchildren call her Reed;
7. Lets me call her Guerita;
8. Looks so much younger than me that people think she is my Trophy Wife (which she is!!!);
9. Is the most intelligent person I know. I have always maintained that she is the smarter than I.

The list is endless. You are the Best!!!

Just for the Funks!!!

Wishing you all the best. Click here to get the skinny on Nashville!!!!



I love you guys and I will miss you. MTB and I left our homes in May 1979 and made our own lives. And we wouldn't change anything that we have gone through on the wonderful adventure that has been our life. I know you are building your own life. Good Luck!!!

56 Continued (or More about my Birthday)

I received 3 gifts from employees: 1 conserative (missionary) tie; one jar of Hershey Kisses (not from a secret admirer, just someone who knows I love choclate); and this:


Good picture, right? I have to admit, of these 3 gifts, the wrestler's mask is my favorite.

Picked-up MTB at the airport. She spent the weekend with me.

Taught an Institute class, always an enjoyable experience.

Ate tacos al pastor at Tacos Chamizal with MTB. She put too much hot sauce on her tacos, and as they say here, 'se enchiló', meaning she started coughing because she had too much chili in her throat.

On Friday, MTB and I went to see the ballet Swan Lake. You can see a few fotos from that event in her blog (click here).

On Saturday, MTB and I went to the Temple, and then went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen.

On Sunday morning I took MTB to the airport. Shortly therafter, I was wishing we could still be together.

The best gift of all was to have MTB here with me. It was a great weekend!!!

56

Subtract from it my age when BabyTheShady was born, and you get how old I was when I married MTB.

Add 1 to it and you get my Dad's age when I left for my mission in Brasil.

Subtract from it Poodles's age and you get my age when MTB started pulling the gray hairs from my head. Fortunately, she gave up, and I still have hair.

Subtract from it Brother's age and you get my age when I graduated from Northwestern.

Subtract from it Bethany's age, and you get my age when I was told I was to young to have a baby.

Subtract from it Fernash's age, and you get my waistline, in inches, when I graduated from high school. I'm happy to report I'm only 1 or 2 inches larger now!

After April 25, subtract MTB's age and get how old I was when my Dad had to open the blanket around me because he didn't believe the doctor when told that I was a boy. After having four daughters, Dad wanted to make sure.

Add to it my age when I started working in Mexico and you get 100.

Turn it around, and it is 65.

In 3.5 years, I can withdraw from my 401(k) or IRA without penalty.

-- OR --

I can keep contributing to them for 14.5 more years before I have to make withdrawals, the more likely scenario.

Thanx to everyone who remembered me on my day last Thursday! I had a great day.

MTB Still Loves Me (even though I'm an Idiot)

MTB and I had planned to arrive in Amsterdam on Saturday morning. But alas!! I did not make sure I had my passport with me when we left for the airport! We arrived at check-in at 2:45 pm for a 3:45 pm flight. No way we were going to make it home and back in time. So instead of riding the Eurorail, we navigated the Houston freeways. Instead of eating in Brussels last night, we ate at the local bakery, Oh La La in Katy. Instead of a 4-star hotel in Brussels, we stayed in our apartment.

But the apartment looks a bit better now. Instead of relaxing in Luxembourg, we bought a solid Mahogany bedroom set. Being an idiot does have its price!!

Christmas Memories, 2009

Here is what I will remember about our 2009 Christmas.

1. Getting peanuts from 3 of my children. When they were younger, and we didn't have much, they always gave me peanuts for presents.

2. Caroline getting excited about going to dinner at Costco! She ate the foot-long hot dog and almost all of a 16-oz cup of yogurt.

3. Devin thanking me profusely for changing his diaper. He is the only child that has thanked me for this service.

4. Carrie and Bethany getting a bit teary-eyed as they saw their oldest children (Caroline and Mabel, respectively) riding their own bikes.

5. Devin patting my pockets and saying 'Money', then patting my zipper and saying 'Money'.

6. Annie grabbing her dad's hands to help her put together the tracks for their little train. She did this after her dad helped her push together some of the tracks.

7. Mabel clutching the dress she received from Suma's mother. Mabel took it to bed with her, and put it on first thing the next morning, Sunday, and wore it to church.

8. Leah's face lighting up with a full, open-mouthed smile -- Just like Brittany when she was an infant.

9. Asher getting exited about most everything and doing his scissor kicks.

10. Spending 17 days with MTB and the Fam!!!

Thanx everyone for a great holiday!!!