Zona

I walked into the lobby of the hotel in Bellingham after 14 hours on the road. I asked the man if he had a room with two queen beds. I pulled out my wallet, showed him my creds, and asked if they had a government rate. They do. (most do) Sometimes it's cheaper, sometimes it's not. I didin't even ask what the rate was, I just gave him my card and signed the paper he gave me to sign.

We left the house at about 10 AM which is incredibly late for me. I like to be on the road early. This change was somewhat of a relief though because I'm usually trying to get everyone moving faster than they normally do when we travel as a group. Northern Utah and into Idaho was the normal drive with some high clouds and wind but DRY roads. The sun went down on us in the rolling hills of Eastern Oregon.

Since we had eaten fast food lunch, I decided that we would do the restaurant thing for dinner and Pendleton, Oregon was the candidate. I took the last of three exits and it looped me around onto city streets that guided me back to the second exit area. The roads were torn up but I spied a Mexican restaurant and pulled in through the traffic cones. No parking spaces. I pulled back out onto another torn up road in an attempt to get over to another Mexican reastaurant but with no street lights I was unable to see any access so we drove around trying to find a different route to the restaurant.

Downtown Pendleton is full of seemingly redneck hangouts and haunts and my son opined that it should be called DUMPleton. We stumbled on a Taco Bell and ate there.

Back on the road and into Washington as a big red 3/4 moon rose over the Columbia River. Again, dry roads in through Yakima and my daughter and son texting me and Robert that they had met at the Vancouver airport and how far away were we? As we climbed into the mountains towards the Snoqualmie Pass I pointed out the exit that leads to Roslyn, Washington to Magaly. Roslyn is where the TV series Northern Exposure. As we climbed a light rain started to fall. Then I saw the first flurries and soon mother nature would be putting the snow in SNOWqualmie.

Shit!

Had and fast and vehicles behind me with missed aimed headlights and those "I'm a fairy" running lights under the headlights and the odd 18-wheeler and me hoping that I would not see tail lights racing headlights as I passed and slowed for the next curve. Over the pass we went and down out of the snow and into the rain which is also a delight. Crusing at 65 and trying to stay out of those 1/2 to 1 inch ruts in the asphault that when filled with water suddenly make it feel like you're driving on flat tires.

But we made it, and we're in Bellingham and I had my normal session of illusions after driving so long. Mind you that I could have driven 6 more hours easily because I become a machine when I drive. But once I stop and let my self coast down.... Last night I was "chatting" to no one in particular. Little windows of conversation would pop up. First mine, and then a response from someone I knew, but now, cannot remember.

Soon I will get Maggie and Robert up and moving. Then Fred Meyers for some groceries and wine for Matt and then into Vancouver.

Yesterday was Sabrina's 3rd birthday

So Halloween has come and gone and we had about 250 trick of treaters come by the house. They started well before the sun went down since our neighborhood is full of young Mormon families. I had one group at the door that took 5 minutes to clear out. As darkness fell the older kids came out to play. I answered the door one time to see one kids stumbling up the steps while his nurse costumed mother watched. To my glee she, along with her screaming cleavage decided to give the boy a hand. Magaly busted me checking that out and not being quite able to get the candy in the kid's bag.

I closed the door, turned to my annoyed wife, shrugged, and said, "I thought everybody in the neighborhood were members". That didn't help much.

I was at a bar last nite until almost midnite!

It was a gathering of people who are regular commenters on articles in the Salt Lake Tribune's online edition. Most of us wore little name tags with our online names and mingled about laughing and wondering where some of the "most wanted to see" posters were. My theory is that the commenters who were the solid people showed up. About 35 people showed up both from the left and the right side of the political spectrum.

There was the lady who had begun a nonprofit that supported hundreds of soldiers in Iraq and their families until it took over her life and she gave it up only to feel tremendous guilt for a year.

There were two women who grew up Mormon like me and had stories of so called righteous men who tried to get in their pants. One of them was isolated when the rumor spread and the blame placed on her instead of the perpetrator.

There were people with big hearts who are now friends of mine.

There was an employee of the Trib who went around to hear all of our "who we are" stories. I told him of a conversation I had about the Trib comments with Tony Pierce. Tony, who edits all of the L.A. Times blogs and moderates comments, was surprised to find out the Trib does not moderate comments before they're posted. There IS a word editor that recognizes profanity and edits with appropriate **** but other than that, when to hit "post", your comment appears immediately. he told me that there was initial debate at the Trib whether or not to do the moderation thing and they are pleased at the behavior of commenters who basically police themselves and report some offensive comments from time to time.

People who entered the room with differing levels of bravado and apprehension left with hugs and handshakes and smiles and looking forward to the next time we get together. Most were from the local area but I met one lady who drove from the San Francisco Bay area, and one man from L.A. who came just to be there.

people ask me why I live so far from work and I tell them they just said the answer. Far. From. Work.

I was born and raised Mormon

I was taught the doctrine of the church from my childhood and at the age of 19 I did what every young Mormon man should do. I went on a mission. I know Church history. I know about polygamy. I know how the Mormons of the early 1800's were persecuted and murdered and how the migrated to Utah. I've been through Temple Ceremonies that Mormons hold sacred. And even though I have been inactive for many years, I do not speak of those sacred things. It's just a respect I have of those things. I know of many people who attend church regularly but do not live as they should. I have heard countless stories from non-member friends of Mormons who do not live as they should. I hear criticism of what I do from people at times who then tell me, "and you're a Mormon". My reply to them is that if they are to hold me to some perceived standard, that standard must also apply to them in order for their criticism to be valid.

Now, in what some may consider irony, I live in Utah. Mormon ground zero. Here, the Church makes headlines on a daily basis. Mormons outside of Utah rarely hear all of what makes the news about the Church here. Sometimes I find it quite entertaining. Sometimes it just plain baffles me.

If you are a devout Mormon, Dallin H. Oaks is an Apostle on the same level as Christ's original Apostles. If you are not Mormon, he is one of the hierarchy of the Mormon Church. You would consider him just as Mormons would consider a Cardinal in The Vatican. Dallin H. Oaks is one of The Twelve Apostles. He is also the former Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court.

The Mormon Church made national headlines when is supported the repeal of gay marriage in California. The Church was heavily criticized for it's actions even though many now believe it was a poor organizational effort on the part of gay marriage proponents that led to the repeal of gay marriage.

Dallin H. Oaks, in a speech at the Rexburg, Idaho campus of BYU, likened the backlash against Mormons after the Prop 8 battle in California to the persecution of Blacks during the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's.

I have a big problem with that.

I was 10 years-old when Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. I saw the marches. I saw police dogs attacking black marchers. I saw fire hoses turned on black marchers. I remember when four black girls were killed by a firebomb thrown by a ku klux klansman. Blacks were lynched by mobs. Blacks were beaten by the police. Blacks were denied voting rights.

None of that has happened to any Mormons since the Prop 8 battle.

Dallin H. Oaks spoke to Mormons in Rexburg and most take his words as being inspired by God and Christ. When you're on the inside, you only see the inside. But when you are on the outside like I am now, you see what non-members see. The Mormon Church sends missionaries out to all the world to preach the Gospel. They seek converts. I am on the outside and I wish Mormon Leaders would consider that view when they speak. Mormons need to remember that non-members see the Mormons just as they see Catholics, or Jews, or Muslims, or Baptists. Many beliefs of other religions baffle Mormons as much as Mormon beliefs baffle members of other religions.

Dallin H. Oaks has backed down a bit on his comparison statement but it will always baffle me that a man of his education, experience, and position in the church would fail to consider how his words effect non-members. The members are already on board. It's those who don't believe that an Apostle should be seeking to reach out to. You don't need to convert the converted

My sister Sarah scanned some old photos. My dad was inducted into the army the day the war in Europe ended. He spent two years as a military policeman in Germany. Although he never admitted it, Sinatra got his look from my uncle.