Still Waiting...

So here's me recap of day two at NECC. The theme for the day was lines. Everywhere I went there was a line. Whether it was going to breakfast this morning at McDonald's (35 minutes for an Egg McMuffin) or once I got to the conference to wait until I could get into a session. In fact, most of the sessions I wanted to go to I couldn't even attend because they were closed due to the number of people already inside the room. For one session I got in line at 1:15 to wait 45 minutes for a 2:00 session. It was worth it though, as I learned about a ton of things you can do with your cell phone. Most of this post was done using my cell phone and a service called Jott.

Well, I'm off to two receptions tonight: the first by Apple and the second by Tech4Learning - let's just hope the prizes come from the first party and not the latter....

Where am I Today?

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In the past couple of weeks I've been away from home more days than I've been in SLC. I think Tara feels like she's a single mom, raising two kids without the help of a dead beat dad. So far this month I've spent a weekend in Wyoming, three days in Dixie, and now I'm in the heart of Texas - attending a conference in San Antonio. I don't even know what time zone I'm in anymore, ok so it's not that bad yet.

A couple of days ago I mentioned how warm it was in St. George. I can't even compare what 106 feels like in Utah compared to 98 in Texas. After walking around the Riverwalk for an hour last night I had to wring out my shirt when I got back to the Marriott. I think I'm going to go through 3 shirts a day while I'm here.

Fortunately I'm not alone this week while I'm in Texas. Ross and Rob are also with me at the conference. We've also run into several of the trainers from Utah and gone to dinner with Rob and Kevin from NUES. I guess I should mention that in addition to our group from Utah, there's about 20,000 attendees from around the country here as well. Let's just say you get used to being in a line pretty quick around NECC.


The keynote address was the highlight from Day 1. James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds, spoke about how the collective intelligence of a group can outweigh the wisdom of any one person individually. It's a book that I have on the shelf, but haven't had a chance to read it yet. After hearing from Surowiecki, it just moved on deck in my list of next reads. Well, enough for now - let's see if I can make it back to the room with soaking my shirt....

I Love to See the Temple

I'm going there someday, but not today. We had the best of intentions this month. About two weeks ago we asked Mark and Angie if they wanted to attend Ward Temple Night with us. We figured, with the advanced warning, we could both get babysitters with days to spare. Sure enough, everything worked out and we picked up our friends and headed off to the Salt Lake Temple.

As we entered the temple each of us pulled out our recommends and proceeded to go inside. Only Tara and I noticed that Mark and Angie were held up for some reason. No worries, I thought. Even if there's a problem they always let members of the bishopric vouch for ward members. Well, not this time. It appears there was a new memo, no one with an old or expired recommend would be permitted in (I thought it was because they didn't believe I was in the Bishopric with my funny mustache).

Unbelievable, even when we try to do the right thing it backfires on us. We were all disappointed, but still, do you ever waste a babysitter? We decided to head to the Gateway to catch a movie. The parking lot was full to overflowing. So, we headed to Trolley Square, unaware that the theater was closed. Nothing was going our way.

We stopped for a quick gelato and went home to spend an hour playing Guitar Hero until our sitters' time was up. Even if it didn't work the way we wanted it was still fun to get together with some friends and try to go the temple...

I'll Take St. George for 100 Alex...

Acutally let's make that 106 - degrees. For the past two days I've been in St. George teaching a GPS class to several teachers in the Washington School District. Sure, it's hot in Salt Lake right now, but it's scorching down here. The teachers don't seem to mind and they keep telling me that it's a DRY heat, but I'm dying in Dixie. Let's just hope I don't melt before I head home tonight....

Pioneer Trek

Eight years ago Tara and I went to Martin's Cove in Wyoming to participate in a Pioneer Trek with the Park Stake. It was a fun experience and a great chance to learn about some of the history with the Martin and Willey handcart companies. So, last year when the Big Cottonwood Stake told us that they would be trekking in the Cove I was excited to return. This year there was one big difference about our trip. While I learned about the Pioneers eight years ago, this time I felt the pioneers and really experienced a part of their journey. I'll explain.

As we arrived at the Stake Center on Thursday morning (4:30 am for the record) I had prepared myself for the trip physically. I was wearing my pioneer clothes, including: suspenders, trousers, long-sleeved shirt, a wide straw hat, and an official Wyoming mustache. Even though it was early I was ready to go. We learned that we would be trekking as families and I was assigned to be the crazy uncle (since Tara stayed home with the kids) to the Walhquist family.

We boarded the buses and headed east into the Wyoming prairies. About six hours later we arrived at Martin's Cove and picked up our handcart to begin our journey to camp. There's a lot made concerning the amount of walking done on a pioneer trek, but the claims were greatly exaggerated for this crowd. The first day we ended up walked a grand total of 2.5 miles (I checked with the GPS). Still, it was good to start the experience with a short walk, filled with plenty of stops. Our little family, started a bit slow, but we met the challenges of the first day.

Friday is where the Trek became real for many of the participants, especially for me. While this Trek may not have been the most physically demanding, it certainly was one of the most spiritually rewarding experiences I've had in a while. We started early and made it to the Cove around 10:30 am. Martin's Cove is an interesting spot. Nestled within the surrounding hills, it provided a small bit of security from the raging Wyoming storms. For us, it was the site of a beautiful devotional in which we heard a wonderful talk from the full time missionary and an inspiring prayer from our Stake President, Ellis Ivory. There was a sweet spirit as the kids walked through the Cove and I'll admit I got pretty emotional.

Throughout the day we had been listening to accounts of the trials different pioneers faced as they journeyed to Zion. Most of these stories involved the losing of loved ones to the elements of the harsh Wyoming winters. Most of the dead were the young children who couldn't withstand the cold and stress on their tiny bodies. As I walked through Martin's Cove I couldn't help but think my own precious little children. Having heard these stories I knew that I would have been required to bury Kennedy and Alex had I been a pioneer in 1856. The thought was overwhelming and I wept for the pioneers who were asked to do such a thing. Being a parent, you can't help but admire the faith and determination of a group of people who were strong enough to keep going in the midst of so much heart ache. It was a moving experience to walk those three miles alone to ponder the love that I have for my wife and children.

After the Cove we headed to the Sweetwater River and, like the companies in 1856, we forded the water. Before crossing we heard the story of the Valley Boys, who literally carried men, women, and children across the frozen waters of the Sweetwater. Then we reenacted the events and watched our small band of teenagers cross the river. There were even a handful of boys who were willing to carry the women across as a sign of respect.

As the afternoon progressed, Sam and I were asked to play the part of military captains, sent to call the men to fight as the Mormon Battalion. I don't know how good our acting was, but the point was to take the men away from their families so the girls could participate in the Women's Pull. The men could only stand and watch as the ladies took the carts up the trail. We all placed our hats over our hearts and watch the determines girls show their faith.

What another incredible experience. The hill they had those women pull that cart up was rough - very rocky and pretty steep. And yet, each girl met the challenge and got their carts to the top. The most emotional family to reach the summit came via our ward We have a young man with several mental and phsyical disabilities, Chaz. He walked as far as he could that day, but needed to be carried towards the end of the afternoon. Instead of coming with the men, Chaz' family of determined women vowed to pull him up the hill in the cart. It was so incredible to watch Chaz' mom push her son up that hill. As she crossed the summit, there wasn't a dry eye as we knew the love Lauretta has for her special son.

We headed back to camp and heard more pioneer stories and everyone was happy about the amazing experiences we'd had that day. This morning we woke and broke camp fairly early. The kids were excited to head back home, but not before we had our final testimony meeting. That is one of my favorite parts of Youth Conference. You get to hear the kids talk about what the experience has meant to them. Often the kids who appeared "too cool" are the ones whose hearts are touched the most and it's wonderful to hear them talk about how much they love the Lord.

With the testimonies concluded, we picked up the carts and headed back to the buses. Six hours later, the trek was over. I can't tell you how excited I was to get home to hug and kiss Tara, Alex, and Kennedy. I had a special experience on this Trek. It renewed my faith and strengthened my testimony. I'm proud of my pioneer heritage and I hope their struggle won't be wasted by me. It was a wonderful trip and I'm glad I had Faith in Every Footstep.

A Long, Fun Day

I thought I would write a quick post about last Saturday. We spent most of the day in Mapleton with my family, but started the day out with Aunt Char. She invited us to her Stake carnival and parade. So I packed up the kids by 9 am and headed to the parade. The kids loved getting candy and seeing the fire engine. No pics, forgot the camera. Then we spent the next hour trying to get the kids to jump in the big blow up toy, go down the big blow-up slide, go down the water slide. Nothing. My kids are wimps. Not even daring Alex would enter the blow-up jump toy. So the kids hit the fishing pond, golf game, and arts and crafts. They had a blast, but we had to hurry-we were on our way to Tessa's birthday party at my parent's house.

We headed home to pick up Jared and sped off to the big birthday party. Tessa turned 2 and had a fun bubble party, with games, a bubble cake and a hot dog barbecue. There were lots of kids there, thanks to the Bringhurst kids competing to see how many children they can have.



Kennedy was voted "most improved" bubble blower, but that just because Alex had already won the "most bubbles dumped" category, or she would have won that one also.




We spent the rest of the day at my parents and then the entire Houtz clan-all 30 of us-ate at Joe Vera's in Provo to celebrate Father's Day with my Dad. I'm not sure that is what my dad had in mind when he said he wanted to go to dinner for Father's day, but he got all of us! After dinner we decided to give my dad his Father's Day present right there on Provo Center street. We gave him a nice lawn chair to relax in after working in the garden all day. I'm sure it was quite the sight to see all of us testing out the new lawn chair as people drove down Center Street. We ended our night there, but the rest of my family headed to Bonnie and Dick's for homemade ice cream, cake and Art City day fireworks. I was sad to miss out on the rest of the party, but really, how much do you need to squeeze in to one day?

Just a Dad

Father's Day 2008 turned out to be a nice relaxing day at home with the family. We had visited with Tara's dad on Saturday in a Utah County marathon (from 1pm to 10pm) and my dad was down in New Harmony. So, yesterday became a day around the house.

Since it was Father's Day we canceled any additional meeting for Church and I actually slept until 7:30 - there's a rare treat! After killing the morning in bed, it was off to church and then home by 2:00 - another infrequent Sunday occurrence. I even got to kick off my shoes and watch the last couple innings of the Red Sox game. Fantastic!

Last night, Tara made a hodgepodge of my favorites including garlic bread and peach crunch dessert. Even better we were able to eat outside for the first time in 3 years at our house, since we recently assembled a new picnic table for the patio. It was lots of fun to sit around the table in the 90+ degree heat...

After dinner, I called my dad through Skype and we tried to talk while all the kids tried not to let us. Kennedy wouldn't talk to her Papa, Alex can only say Papa, and Liam / Coleton were keeping my dad running around the room to keep them from trashing his stuff.

At the end of the day we relaxed and the kids gave me their presents: some new shirts to wear to work. Alex made a sign in Nursery and Kennedy gave me a bookmark she made in Sunbeams. Those are definitely the best kinds of presents. All in all, it was a great day to be a dad...

Guess Who I Bumped Into

As part of my job I travel to conferences all over the state. So far this week I've been to Northridge High, the Canyons, Weber St. University Davis Extension, and the Box Elder District Office. I like the conferences (not the driving) because I get to meet so many great teachers from across the state. As you can imagine I run into people in interesting and unexpected places.

For example, earlier this week I was at the Business Conference in Syracuse. Imagine my surprise when I started going through the conference program and I noticed "Chic on a Shoestring" for the first and second sessions. In case you didn't know - Chic on a Shoestring is my sister Alicia's company. Of all the people I would ever expect to see at an educational conference Alicia might be one of the last.

I called her cell and completely floored her when I asked if she knew where Syracuse High School was.

"Why?"

"I just happen to be there right now and I'm waiting for your presentation to start."

Alicia arrived a few minutes later and I ended up being her tech support for both sessions. She did a great job, although if I had known she was coming I would have dressed better.

Morning Conversations

So, we've finally added a new member of our Morning Conversations. I'm embarrassed that it's taken this long to capture Alex's voice on the blog, but he's starting to say a few new things. In today's episode Alex discusses topics like travel (GO), food (cookie), family (DeDe, Mama, Daddy) and energy conservation (off). With that enjoy Alex's inaugural Morning Conversation.

Listen to our Morning Conversation.

Speaker of Our House

Yesterday Kennedy gave her first talk in Primary. Not surprisingly, she wasn't nervous about getting in front of the other kids. I think she was actually looking forward to it. Every chance she gets, Kennedy will run up to the stand after Sacrament Meeting ends. Most people think she's coming up to say "Hi" to me, but the truth is she wants to lower the mike and say share her thoughts with everyone. I'm pretty good at cutting her off, but yesterday the mike was all hers.

Her topic was the temple and it's something she can actually talk about with some authority. How many 3 year olds have been inside the temple twice? With Tara's help, Kennedy told the kids how beautiful the temple is and how we make promises with God. She shared how everyone wears white and how the temple is the place where we become "Forever Families."

It was incredible to watch our little girl share a budding testimony. She really does love the temple, even if she still doesn't know what it's all about. It was a good day to be parents!

Making History

In spite of my recent post, I've tried to keep the blog politically neutral over the past couple of months. Still, this week was more about history and less about politics. Tuesday night, when Barack Obama became the Democratic Nominee for President, it symbolized a change in America. Imagine if you'd told someone 50 years ago that a Black man would be a party's nominee for President - they would have laughed. Blacks were considered "those people" and they were forced to be separate but "equal".

Now, Obama has transcended the stereotypes of race and shown people that we should judge them for the "content of their characters and not for the color of their skin." I know there was a racial divide in the Primary, but I still believe that Obama can overcome any doubts about his background and bring this country together.

His story is an American story. A man of biracial heritage. Raised by a single mother and his grandparents. Rising from poverty. A self made man. People from around the country see their stories in his. That is what is great about this country. Anyone can become President. Perhaps like Michelle Obama said, "I'm really proud of my Country."

Blessing or Curse?

About a month ago we finally broke down and got a DVR. Sure, we're two years behind all the rest of you out there, but I wasn't really sure I needed an excuse to watch more TV. Truthfully, there aren't that many shows out there that I want to watch. Even so, I never seem to have time to watch the programs that are on my radar. Hence the DVR.

I've really enjoyed having the ability to record an entire series without having to find each individual program. Set it once and you're done. This means I'll never have to miss another Red Sox game. Still, I always seem to have at least 3 games that I haven't even looked at yet. In addition to sports, I've set The Office, 30 Days, Top Chef, and Frontline into the scheduler.

The problem with having access to so many recordings is the only time to watch is after 9 pm, once the kids are down for the night. This was the case on Sunday evening when Tara and I sat down to watch a show called Love Actually (I can't believe it either).We had seen it starting on USA (glad we got the edited version based upon a few scenes) the other night and recorded it to give it a try. I am embarrassed to admit it, but it was a really good show. A complete and total chick flick and I loved every minute of it. We finally finished the movie around 12:30 am, and neither of us regretted the loss of sleep (until I had to get up to go to Brigham City the next morning). That being said, if you get the chance to watch Love Actually, give it a try.

Hooray for the DVR!

Need I Say More?

Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

By Lee Iacocca with Catherine Whitney

Had Enough?

Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course."

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.

My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to—as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us.

Who Are These Guys, Anyway?

Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them—or at least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a dictatorship, not a democracy.

And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of factions. We're a people. We share common principles and ideals. And we rise and fall together.

Where are the voices of leaders who can inspire us to action and make us stand taller? What happened to the strong and resolute party of Lincoln? What happened to the courageous, populist party of FDR and Truman? There was a time in this country when the voices of great leaders lifted us up and made us want to do better. Where have all the leaders gone?

The Test of a Leader

I've never been Commander in Chief, but I've been a CEO. I understand a few things about leadership at the top. I've figured out nine points—not ten (I don't want people accusing me of thinking I'm Moses). I call them the "Nine Cs of Leadership." They're not fancy or complicated. Just clear, obvious qualities that every true leader should have. We should look at how the current administration stacks up. Like it or not, this crew is going to be around until January 2009. Maybe we can learn something before we go to the polls in 2008. Then let's be sure we use the leadership test to screen the candidates who say they want to run the country. It's up to us to choose wisely.

So, here's my C list:

A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the "Yes, sir" crowd in his inner circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world is a big, complicated place. George W. Bush brags about never reading a newspaper. "I just scan the headlines," he says. Am I hearing this right? He's the President of the United States and he never reads a newspaper? Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter." Bush disagrees. As long as he gets his daily hour in the gym, with Fox News piped through the sound system, he's ready to go.

If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care. Before the 2006 election, George Bush made a big point of saying he didn't listen to the polls. Yeah, that's what they all say when the polls stink. But maybe he should have listened, because 70 percent of the people were saying he was on the wrong track. It took a "thumping" on election day to wake him up, but even then you got the feeling he wasn't listening so much as he was calculating how to do a better job of convincing everyone he was right.

A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something different. You know, think outside the box. George Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him is spinning out of control. God forbid someone should accuse him of flip-flopping. There's a disturbingly messianic fervor to his certainty. Senator Joe Biden recalled a conversation he had with Bush a few months after our troops marched into Baghdad. Joe was in the Oval Office outlining his concerns to the President—the explosive mix of Shiite and Sunni, the disbanded Iraqi army, the problems securing the oil fields. "The President was serene," Joe recalled. "He told me he was sure that we were on the right course and that all would be well. 'Mr. President,' I finally said, 'how can you be so sure when you don't yet know all the facts?'" Bush then reached over and put a steadying hand on Joe's shoulder. "My instincts," he said. "My instincts." Joe was flabbergasted. He told Bush, "Mr. President, your instincts aren't good enough." Joe Biden sure didn't think the matter was settled. And, as we all know now, it wasn't.

Leadership is all about managing change—whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt. Maybe Bush was absent the day they covered that at Harvard Business School.

A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Nobody in the current administration seems to know how to talk straight anymore. Instead, they spend most of their time trying to convince us that things are not really as bad as they seem. I don't know if it's denial or dishonesty, but it can start to drive you crazy after a while. Communication has to start with telling the truth, even when it's painful. The war in Iraq has been, among other things, a grand failure of communication. Bush is like the boy who didn't cry wolf when the wolf was at the door. After years of being told that all is well, even as the casualties and chaos mount, we've stopped listening to him.

A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power." George Bush has a lot of power. What does it say about his character? Bush has shown a willingness to take bold action on the world stage because he has the power, but he shows little regard for the grievous consequences. He has sent our troops (not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens) to their deaths—for what? To build our oil reserves? To avenge his daddy because Saddam Hussein once tried to have him killed? To show his daddy he's tougher? The motivations behind the war in Iraq are questionable, and the execution of the war has been a disaster. A man of character does not ask a single soldier to die for a failed policy.

A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. George Bush comes from a blue-blooded Connecticut family, but he likes to talk like a cowboy. You know, My gun is bigger than your gun. Courage in the twenty-first century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk.

If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. Bush can't even make a public appearance unless the audience has been handpicked and sanitized. He did a series of so-called town hall meetings last year, in auditoriums packed with his most devoted fans. The questions were all softballs.

To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION—a fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done. How do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President—four hundred and counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer that the high point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound perch in his hand-stocked lake.

It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now, that's not leadership.

A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential. Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through the roof.

A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent? Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters. A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face as a nation seem to be on the back burner.

You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel. Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites. You know -Mr.they'll-welcome-us-as-liberators- no-child-left-behind -heck-of-a-job-Brownie- mission-accomplished Bush.

Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home. I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world—and I like it here."

I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while.

The Biggest C is Crisis

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can see it for yourself. Then, instead of taking the quickest route back to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day—and he told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op at Ground Zero.

That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road to Iraq—a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father. He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will.

A Hell of a Mess

So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, competence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "the Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen—and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bobblehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises—the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the horseshit and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough.

One year older and wiser too...

So I turned 35 this past Thursday. I am officially closer to 40 than I am to 30 now. 10 years ago, I thought 40 was soooo old. Now, it seems pretty young.

Life is just flying by right now. Being a mommy has really changed my life these past few years. I went from working full-time at a pretty nice job, having more spare time and money, and being in pretty good shape, to still working full-time with no pay, having no time for myself, and being in awful shape. But, I wouldn't give it up for anything. (Okay, maybe I would give up the extra pounds I am carrying around, but we are working on that.)

We had a great lesson in church today about enjoying the moment that you are in right now and not wishing your life away, waiting for better times. I love the time of my life that I am in right now. I love my kids, my husband and the fun times and the not so fun times we have. I love teaching my children, learning from them and watching them grow. I can't believe that Kennedy will start pre-school this year and Alex is turning 2 in a couple of months.

I'm kind of rambling here, but I wanted to share some thoughts that have been going around in my head. Besides the fact that turning 35 has made me think a little about life and how quickly it can pass us by, I also had a nice birthday. Everyone has been very thoughtful. Jared's mom and sister took me out to lunch for my birthday, we had a big birthday dinner last Sunday with Jared's family and my parents invited us this Sunday for my birthday. On my actual birthday, I spent the day with Angee and Patty and all the kids and we ate burnt cupcakes that I made myself. Then we went for some Mexican food with the Duncans that evening. Jared gave me the Nike ipod running program (I told you I was working on the losing weight thing!) so I can get in shape for the half marathon I hope to run this September.

I guess turning 35 wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe it will give me some incentive to get my life in gear and be healthier by the time I turn 40!