XMAS 2014 Letter and Translation

Each paragraph in white text is as was included in the letter sent out with our card.  Following each is a rough translation in blue text.

Wow, that was fast. Richard must have voted for Pedro. The vampire facilitated visits to my blackfish, but not the one on CNN, where, among other things, he heard some inspiring tunes tripping down a Moorish alleyway of sorts, which caused him to want to imitate the really big wheel cyclist only to learn that it’s a lot harder than it looks, where he saw that Germany is not confined to a place on the map, and neither is England by the way  (did that kid really want pudding?), nor Spain; to that place where they are still working on that big holy family to learn that gaudy is not merely a decorating style, well, actually, they aren’t one in the same; one was around long before the other; they don’t have the Olympics every year but that event isn’t in the Olympics anyway – at least he tried, but he was so mean!; there is also one of those places under  the Y. Richard realized he needed a formaldehyde detector very late in the year (thank you Facebook friends! – good thing you can buy them on Amazon), does anyone have a recommendation for the best type?  But, voting for Pedro does have lots of benefits, even if ultimately becoming an orphan isn’t one of them; which under the right circumstances is not so bad, in fact, a good thing. Being platinum isn’t what it used to be, Mr. Tin Man. He also realized that time isn’t necessarily monotonic, and that it can be mind-expanding and entertaining to contemplate and practice that realization. The bucket list still has three – maybe next year – and the nonsense could go on forever, especially given the nonmonotonicity of time, but probably shouldn’t. When the hive is empty there is less noise so the drone can drone on, you know – good thing? Vampires, unlike pirates, aren’t real, but they can do good things for you. Wear some pants on your head for style, he said. Can anyone help him write a book about hats? Evidently not.

Richard noticed when he wrote 12/13/14 on a check and realized it was the last sequential date for some time to come. Probably last in his lifetime, no? Time flies whether you are having fun or not, but he is (we are) indeed having fun. All his wildest dreams really have come true - well almost all
 : ). Work is engaging and demanding, but  he likes that, and likes the people he works with. Rich and Roch managed to get away to Barcelona and Mallorca. Rich was in Barca on business and Roch tagged along for a few extra days. Barca is a beautiful and fun city, with things like Sagrada Familia being more impressive than expected, and lots of other interesting stuff. Mallorca is cool, but not quite Hawaiiesque; We went there for a weekend and found enclaves from various European countries, dominated by their language and vacation styles. We also accumulated lots of miles visiting existing and new grandchildren in Montana and Walnut Creek, and Rich reclaimed platinum status on Delta, but not Diamond, alas, which is where the real perks lie. In Walnut Creek one visit, we were on hand when Arrin delivered Jonah Carl Baron on March 25 in California. He is a bundle of energy and a cute little boy, often making everyone tired because he's too curious to want to sleep for long. Hopefully he's learning that skill now. Harper and Sam are also tons of fun - cute and smart as can be and no doubt tired of having pictures taken of them all the time. The entire family got together for Thanksgiving in Walnut Creek and most of us ran the Turkey Trot 5K Thanksgiving morning. Rich and Roch alternated pushing the running stroller with Harper and Sam aboard. During the race, upon encountering a group of about 5 high school age girls walking not so fast side by side, taking up most of the running path and asking them if they could let him through, Rich heard one of them step aside, but say, "that's so mean!"  Not certain she was talking about him, but it was California, you know, even if not SoCal.  Well, that's enough of that. On a more somber note, both of Rich's parents passed away this year, his father in June (on Father's Day) and his mother in October. They lived long, wonderful and blessed lives and it was a sweet experience to celebrate their lives with friends and family.   Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas (the last three states on Rich's bucket list) will have to wait for 2015. Rich has a book about a hat that he wants to write, but nobody will help him. Maybe that means they have more sense than he does. But he is pretty good at hat making, just check out some of those photos.

Rochelle looked way up for nearly three hours and said, “Wow, I am really short!” When did that happen? Was it in 2001? She never got into that one so much, but mind expansion is good. How much did she like Seals and Croft? I guess we’ll have to see, but for now, it’s over the rainbow. Sprogs are good enough to keep you busy a lot of the day, or three, she thinks, those of others’ that is. Those of her own sprogs are better in two week increments. Rocket ships are fascinating, especially when they are really water towers, among other misunderstandings. Talent comes in many forms. Some people can sing. Other people can dance. Still other people can be on TV. Did she vote for Pedro?  It isn’t Oahu after all – good thing. Did she want to go to the Olympics, where Rochelle proved her bravery and nearly ended up out there with Will Robinson – good thing the robot was nearby and was that guy really like that? Well, why did they put nuts in that small river and why is the large firmament so cold? Probably because that’s where the best sprogs are – good thing. Where’s Tom Sawyer when you need him? Is he at the beach in the Old Dominion, or is it a Commonwealth? Good thing Martha came along; Washington? It’s never too late for a little education in construction techniques, nursing or elephant riding, or for getting everyone together at the old stomping ground, even if it gets really dark. Is that the Air Force? Real pirates aren’t cute. 

We also went to a few movies, among them Interstellar, which made quite an impression on us. Rochelle in particular, because the only seats left were on the front row of an Imax theater. We both came away with sore necks, but impressed with the show. Rich tried his hand at making a musical instrument, appealing to Rochelle's cousin and master maker, to help make a mandolin for Rochelle's birthday - it's the thought that counts. This was inspired by a lute player we heard on Mallorca. Rich being naive, thought the two might sound somewhat similar.  Wrong.  We spent  a couple of weeks (or so) of the summer at family reunions in Utah, with Rochelle being in charge of one of her family's parties. Lots of work, but a good day with Rich being able to throw water on people like the good old days. Roch almost got lost in Barcelona one day when she was venturing out on her own but found a woman in a grocery store that spoke English so she made it back on the right train. That's good.  Later, Rich heard a story of a wife of one of the people at his meeting that had been assaulted on the street in the city. Good thing for that robot. Rochelle spearheaded staining a new 6' fence that surrounds our back yard. Rich's initial estimate was that it would be a 1/2 day job. Wrong, by a factor of about 20. Fortunately Roch did most of the work. Nobody came by to help. We also went to the beach in southern Virginia with Rachel and family, toppling both Harper and Sam in the surf, which was more fun than they realized at the time. The 12 and 13 year old girls from our church (whom Rochelle teaches) talked us into taking them to the same beach one Saturday. Fun, but exhausting - none of them is named Martha. Rochelle was also recruited to teach part time at a local pre-school, sound familiar? She's very popular. Rochelle spent three weeks in India with Rising Star Outreach, working with people afflicted with Leprosy. It was a world rocking experience, leaving her never to be the same. Among other things, she, helpped dig a latrine, and rode an elephant. 

Rachel, Shiloh, Harper, Sam and the other brother: How close is 5.5/9 to 1.0? Most of the year spent tripping big time, then off to Bobcat land finally. Cool kids: fun, smart, cute, really nice. You have to be there to understand. How did the whales swim? How about sea lions? Does that cross really fit? At least the dog is the same color, but the drive is longer now. Snow, don’t go to China, or Nigeria.

We are so happy that Rachel is expecting a baby boy in April.  Rachel's family spent most of their year in Great Falls, Montana, but recently moved to Bozeman, Montana.  They really do have great children.  They had a chance to walk the hills of Wales on a vacation.  When at home they are both occasionally found at a Cross Fit gym.  Shiloh had work assignments that he thought were going to take him overseas, but they ended up not happening. 

Chris and Kasey: Swimming with sharks to Havana? How about being a Maverick and building a bridge? Stand next to giants and don’t swing. Cook spaghetti and charge a cell phone in the wilderness that is. Still on the farm? Probably not for long. Make a battery out of soap. Can they really do that? It depends how clean you want to get. Do they want pictures of that?

Chris got a job with a company called Power Practical - a startup in Salt Lake that was on Shark Tank recently and made a deal with Mark Cuban. The company makes a cooking pot that generates electricity and Chris has been setting up tests to see how well it will work as a primary power source for people in developing countries who don't have power in their homes - he also helped make the prototype for this battery and wrote the words for the kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/powerpractical/the-pronto-fast-charge-battery

Kasey got a job with an engineering firm in Dallas and goes to a lot of Maverics games. She's very happy there and the plan is that Chris will join her there in the next few months. 

Arrin, Marcus and Jonah: Tried to sneak that past the whale. What kind of dog is that? Mind the gap, as they say across the pond, but that pond is really big. Investing, but not in the bank. Mind the gap, I said. Funny that you can see the mountains better from the creek than from the peninsula, and the train ride is shorter, and grandmas live closer, one more-so than the other.

Arrin and Marcus had a son named Jonah. Jonah is a happy, energetic boy who loves the water and their dog, Juno, who has an unusual look. Marcus works for Deloitte, and often travels internationally for work. His passport now has stamps from Portugal, Germany, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Vietnam, Brazil, The Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. Arrin is no longer working in finance and is now working at Gap inc. in Inventory Management where she's found a work-life balance. They live in Walnut Creek, a train ride away from San Francisco and a short drive away from Grandma and Grandpa Barton.    

Ben: Doesn’t look like he carries a ring in his pocket. How many economists can fit into one family? Good thing there wasn’t any oncoming traffic. He wasn’t on TV; studying too hard. Visits to the vampire provide a little pocket change. Say cheese, and don’t mind that there’s a bush in the way. Philanthropy fits on the map, if you can find it. Profit is OK with me, him?

Ben doesn't have a girlfriend, and dabbled with the idea of studying economics at BYU. After a long night and a day on the lake with some friends, he fell asleep at the wheel while driving on the highway, luckily there wasn't oncoming traffic and escaped just having had an expensive nap. He wasn't on TV in the student section at the basketball game because he was at the library preparing for an exam. He's been working with a company that tracks the locations of international aid projects, providing the information in a format that can be easily accessed for researchers and those responsible for allocating aid funding. He's also been taking photos as a side-profession, but we think he should charge more than he does; you can see his work at benmanningphoto.com.