He Comes Home Today!

After serving two years in the Samoan Islands Brandon comes home today. We are all excited to see him. We spoke to him on Mother's Day and he sounds a little native. It might take some time for him to lose the Samoan intonation in his voice. That's OK. It will be the first time in 4 years our family had been all together.

Bryan is returning from his trip to Fiji with the BYU Soccer team. Ironically they both connect in LA and are on the same flight home to Salt Lake. I am sure they will work out seating arrangements and have a nice visit. I'm sure Bryan will fill him in. It is almost surreal. I can't believe he is actually coming home...finally. What a great experience it has been for him. He will carry Samoa and the Samoan people with him the rest of his life. Part of him will always be Samoan.

Sorry Brandon, I can barbecue pork ribs on the grill; I guess I will have to learn to bury the whole pig in the backyard pit and do it like you are accustomed to.

Reprint from the Fiji Times Sunday Sports section

Blues lose at home

ZANZEER SINGH
Sunday, May 11, 2008

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Former Ba goalkeeper Laisenia Tuba in action for Lautoka yesterday. Tuba will feature for the Blues from June 1

THE touring Brigham Young University picked up win number two short tour with a stylish 2-0 victory over Shop n Save Lautoka in a friendly encounter at Churchill Park yesterday.

The visitors were on fire against an unsettled Blues outfit scoring a goal in each half.

Ba recruits Niumaia Tagi and Laisenia Tuba made their debut in the Lautoka jersey but could not help the home side.

Valerio Nawatu failed to spark in attack showing signs of lack of game time.

Lautoka fielded a full strength team but could not find its combinations.

Jone Vono Junior was substituted early after he failed to function on the left flank. The Blues introduced former Fiji FA Footballer of the Year Salesh Sami off the bench but he also failed to find the target.

Arvindra Naidu and Joshua Wilson were the pick of the players for the home side, both coming close to finding the back of the net.

Naidu showed his class in the 10th minute with a solo run from inside his own territory.

The new find beat several defenders on his 60 metre run before driving his right footer straight into the hands of BYU goalkeeper Bryan Black.

BYU nearly scored in the 20th minute after a cross from Jordan Cushman found Steven Fellows lurking in the box.

Unfortunately for BYU, Fellows could not steer the ball into the right direction with his left foot.

Naidu got another chance to put Lautoka up in the 25th minute but his shot went wide. BYU found the opener from a defensive blunder.

Tuba was unable to clear a back pass with his shot hitting the back of Marika Madigi inside the box. Garrett Losee was at the right spot at the right time for the easy tap in..

BYU led 1-0 at half time.

Sami found space on the flank inside the opposition territory and sent in a timely cross into the box moments into the second spell.

However, Wilson's attempted left footer sailed away from the goalmouth. Against the run of play Curtis Graham missed an easy opportunity at the other end. Sami should have equalised in the 57th minute after he ran onto a through pass from Nawatu.

The nippy striker toed the ball past a diving Black but could not control it as it rolled out with the goalmouth empty.

Black made a grand save in the 62nd minute palming away a bullet shot from Wilson.

BYU sealed the win in the 70th minute when Brent Jensen caught Tuba napping with his low pile driver from 25 metres ricocheting off the upright and trickling to the back of the net.

Lautoka Football Association president Shalendra Prasad said they would need to build the combinations with the new recruits coming in.

The BYU team lost to Ba 1-0 on Wednesday but bounced back to defeat the Fiji under-20 selection side 2-0 on Thursday.

The visitors will take on Suva in its final tour fixture tomorrow.

BYU: Bryan Black, Steven Fellows, Jordan Cushman, Daniel McKinley, Brent Jensen, Brett Osborne, Garrett Losee, Clay Christiansen, Drew VanWagenen, Morgan Gilliam, Curtis Graham.

Lautoka: Laisenia Tuba, Manueli Kalou, Alvin Avinesh, Arvindra Naidu, Marika Madigi, Joshua Wilson, Nuimaia Tagi, Valerio Nawatu, Muele Vuti, Malakai Waqa, Jone Vono Junior.

Why men shouldn't have Action Figures

This makes me laugh. I think it was taken somewhere in Utah!

I spent 4 hours the other night fixing our new dryer. I had to take it entirely apart. The good thing is, I found the problem and repaired it. It should work for a long time. I figure if I had called an "official" repairman he would have told me that the cost of repairs would be just shy of buying a whole new dryer. In fact, I doubt he would have even fixed what I did.
A major dent in the back of the dryer was putting pressure on the internal drum. The felt seal around the edge of the drum had been shredded and the metal drum was spinning against the metal on the back of the dryer. The rubbing was making an awful sound and it actually cut about a 6 inch long slit through the back of the dryer. It was ugly. I bent the dryer back into form, placed a layer of heat resistant foil tape over the worn metal, replaced the felt seal on the drum and put the whole damn thing back together! My time - 4 hours. My cost - $25 for the new felt seal. The dryer works like new. Thanks Dad for passing down the "fix-it" gene!

The Modern Office Water Cooler

Every time I go into a C-Store, as they are now known, I see lines of people refilling their 32 to 44oz+ cups full of every variety of drink from Lemonade to Mountain Dew. (Guilty as charged!) Why do we do this? Don't we know this causes cancer in laboratory rats? Is this better than the old-school donut and coffee? I say no. The difference is, people only have one donut, maybe 2, and a cup, maybe 2 of coffee. Refill junkies suck on their straws all day long. That can't be good. You see office workers, road warrior salesmen and construction workers lined up to self medicate with the legal poison. The drinking paraphernalia runs the gamut from the custom silver cup with the fancy company logo to the bodacious "Dew-Bucket" that you have to put a seat belt around in order to carry in your car.

Where does it end? Are we going to end up with intravenous bags on our shoulders with a red straw inserted into our arm for the daily fix? I QUIT!! I REALLY QUIT!! I don't want a Mountain Dew Logo on my headstone. And we thought biting our fingernails was a bad habit. I don't think anyone ever died from an overdose of fingernail biting. However I can see the title of a future article in the New England Journal of Medicine, "Refills - The Modern Killer Epidemic."

I just walked around my office. Every desk has some form of refill cup sitting on it.

Not mine. I QUIT!!!

Don Henley

If I could choose to be any rock star it would be Don Henley. The music of the Eagles and Don Henley as a solo artist have been with me since my post mission days in the mid 70's. I only know Don Henley from the perspective of the music he writes, not on any personal basis as I don't make it a habit to read People Magazine on a regular basis. His lifestyle like his music seem to be well-grounded. He's just himself, he doesn't push a particular "persona" as many rock-stars attempt. He doesn't seek a full-time relationship with the limelight, he just walks into it when he performs. He dated Stevie Nicks, nothing wrong with that! He plays the drums, keyboards and the guitar for a living; what a life! He has a fabulous acoustical guitar collection. His songs are true poetry. They set wonderful visual scenes and tell soulful stories of life and love - plus they actually have a melody. One thing I admire is his political activism, albeit he is a Democrat (That's OK, I'm married to one) Unlike most celebrities showing up in a parade in Washington D.C. seeking gratuitous media time to air their political spin, he uses his lyrics to state his cause and opinions. Just look up the lyrics for The End of the Innocence for proof. He has 3 children and his wife has multiple sclerosis; but you wouldn't know that as he flies under the radar with his personal life. Besides, he's thin and looks good in a flannel shirt and Levi's. I rest my case!

Pinch me! He made the team!

I am proud of all my children's accomplish- ments. Here is one that needs publishing. Bryan has finally fulfilled a longtime dream of making the Brigham Young University soccer team. After the huge disappointment of last season he has finally made the team. This is his official picture on the teams website. http://soccer.byu.edu/ Now he just has to go take the starting position. I've always thought he was one of the best goalkeepers I have ever seen, but I'm his Dad. This is true validation of his talent and dedication. The team travels to Fiji in May to play two games with the Fiji national team. He will fly over his brother Brandon in Samoa on his way to Fiji. How cool is that?!

BYU plays in the Western Division of the USL's PDL (Professional Development League) It is essentially professional soccer as BYU does not play NCAA. His coach called him the other day to go work out with REAL SALT LAKE - the MSL team in Utah. One of their keepers was gone for awhile and they need one to take his place. It will be a great opportunity for Bryan to measure his skills against some of the best. You never know, they might just ask him to stay on. After all, he cuts an imposing figure in goal at 6'6" - 210lbs. RSL has a practice field about 500 yards from my office. Guess who will be sneaking over to watch a bit? Keegan, his younger brother, is the back-up keeper for Mountain View High School varsity, the same school Bryan and Brandon played for. He plays full time on the JV team. Not bad for a freshman. It will be a fun soccer season! GO COUG'S! GO BRUINS!