Just finished...

...reading Edmund Morris' 780 page biography, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. This is actually the second time I've read it. It's Volume 1 of a planned trilogy. I'm just beginning Volume 2, which I started and never finished years ago.

If any of you like biography, and especially biographies of great historical figures, you must read this book. Theodore Roosevelt is the most interesting man I have ever read about, hands down. Other than, possibly, Brigham Young and Joseph Smith.

A few facts about Theodore...

• He was a fast and voracious reader with a keen memory: he read well over 20,000 books by the age of 42 and possibly doubled that over the next 18 years.
• He founded the Boone & Crockett club - the oldest (and now one of the largest) hunting and conservation clubs in America.
• He authored over 15 books.
• Even though he was born into wealth and privilege in New York City, he entered politics young (becoming a New York state assemblyman at age 23), and against the will of his distinguished family, spent the next 30 years fighting for the rights of the working class citizens and making America a world power.
  
• He was one of the first Americans to climb the Matterhorn (and did it on a whim while on his honeymoon).
  
• Without any military training, he volunteered for the Spanish-American war in Cuba, became a Colonel in 3 months' time, and led the decisive charge up San Juan Hill with men dying all around him. He came home a hero and within 3 years was President of the United States.
• He owned a cattle ranch in North Dakota and lost more than half of his inherited fortune in a devastating winter that killed thousands of head of cattle.
• He spoke German, French, and some Spanish and Italian.
  
• At age 42, he was the youngest U.S. President up to that time in history.
• He once jumped off his horse into a pack of hounds, pushed them aside, and knifed a cougar to death.
• He shot a charging grizzly bear just feet away.
• He spent a week on the river tracking 3 bandits who had stolen his wooden boat from his Dakota ranchhouse. When he caught them. He walked them over 40 miles overland to the nearest town over two days time without sleep.

The stories go on and on. He was a larger than life figure whose life is well-documented; he almost seems unreal.

Interesting BYU comments

President Eyring says religion, learning don't have to conflict

By Sharon Haddock

Deseret News

Published: February 27, 2009

PROVO — President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has told his wife that when he is gone, she should get a cottage near the Brigham Young University campus "so she can see what God's up to."

"He had a soft hand on this university," President Eyring told the audience gathered Friday at the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni Institute for an Inquiry Conference on Scholarship, Learning and Teaching.

President Eyring said this life on earth is like a university experience. "He gives you a lot of freedom until we take the freedom from others," he said. "He is involved and he cares."

President Eyring said the university will get better and better and will still be here when the savior comes. He acknowledged the secular element that exists in the academic world but said there doesn't have to be conflict between religion and learning.

Running Old

So, I did a 5 mile run this morning and as I ran past the high school on the Parkway Trail, an old lady was coming up the steps of the high school and she said as I approached her and ran by, "Now that's ridiculous." Assuming she was joking about me out running in the cold morning air, I said, "I agree." She then said as I passed her, "I mean if you were young, that would be fine, but someone as old as I am out running?!"

She had to have been at least 70.

In-N-Out

Coming to Draper, American Fork, and other local locations.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705286427,00.html

Corona Arch 2: Electric Boogaloo

Chronic Compartment Syndrome

So, I went to see the doc for a second time up in Provo this morning, and he stuck huge needles in my lower leg, made me run for a mile on a treadmill, and then stuck more huge needles in my lower leg. He said I tested for chronic compartment syndrome. The kicker, though, is it's in my lower left leg between the shin and the ankle (just above). The docs in the clinic have never seen it there before, so they're consulting a specialist to see if I need surgery. It requires going in and cutting the fascia to release the pressure, then stitching it all back up. I Googled pictures of this procedure and fainted.

In the meantime, he said if I'm up to the pain, I can keep running for my marathon. So, the training goes on. In fact, I think even if he does tell me to do the surgery, I'll run the Marathon in May and then go under the knife. Who needs summer vacation anyway.

Corona Arch

We drove up Kane Creek Canyon on the north side of the Colorado River and hiked the Corona Arch Trail today. It's about 15 minutes from our house. The trail is 2.4 miles roundtrip. It's our new favorite hike (so far). The weather was an awesome 60 degrees - first hike of the year we were sweating.

The trail ends in the bowl with Bowtie Arch on the left and Corona Arch on the right in this picture. The trail wraps around the bowl just below Bowtie and ends at Corona.

Bowtie Arch.

Corona Arch. You can see Brandi standing underneath it to give you perspective.

Standing right under the arch looking up. This is my favorite picture of the day.

Matthew showing you what we had for an end-of-trail snack: apples, pretzels, and Powerbar. James got to the arch and announced to all present (including another couple there) that he had to poop, and he wanted to do it right under the arch. The people promptly packed up and left.

Corona Arch under the sun.

This is Moab from north of the river. We live just across the river at the north end of town. The snow covered La Sal Mountains stand over Moab on the east.