The sign reads “do not pass snowplows on the right.” As I read that a lot of thoughts went through my head and they were not limited to; “What a stupid sign,” “Who would ever do that,” I could picture some idiot being pummeled by the snow as they attempted it, but for there to be a sign, somebody must have,  more than a few people must have actually tried and of course failed. I saw in my mind several cars and snowplows driving through a snowstorm going over this Oregon mountain (we had just passed Deadman’s Pass, and yes I did slow down after seeing that sign), and I saw what it must have looked like to the Snowplow driver- almost white out conditions all around and 2-5 inches of snow piled up on the road in front of him, he is going about 30-40 MPH through the long and winding road clearing the snow away from the left lane in hopes that the road will be safer for the other cars after he does his job, all the snow gets pushed off into the right lane either for a snowplow in the right lane behind him, or for him to clear the next time he comes down that road. Then all of a sudden he sees in his right rear view mirror some very impatient driver in a small car attempting to pass him on the right. The snowplow driver has no choice but to drive on and as the car attempts to pass he gets pummeled by the heavy snow being plowed from the left lane, the car gets pushed off the road and death or serious injury is the probable result. Traffic is held up for hours and rescue crews come and the media reports on the accident and the next thing you know, there is a meeting to discuss how to make the roads safer and a committee gets together and decides that they need to make  3 permanent signs for this dangerous road that read “DO NOT PASS SNOWPLOWS ON THE RIGHT”- I think that they could just make a sign that says- “Don’t be stupid”, but that really isn’t specific enough.

I actually learned some lessons from this sign. It was a long drive and I had more than a few hours to reflect on the ridiculousness of the sign, but how in life sometimes we need signs like that, signs that aren’t for all of us, but signs for the few, yet how often we are the “few” that need them.

What can we learn from this sign? I think there are a few lessons we can learn from this

-          We shouldn’t try to pass or go around those that are in front of us clearing away the obstacles

-          It is better to wait and be safe than to hurry and put yourself in danger (i.e.  Speaking when angry, rushing through rush hour traffic,  etc.)

-          Not everybody “gets it” (what is obvious for some people is not obvious for others), and we sometimes need to be taught, told, and reminded of basic things

-          You don’t always have to understand the “why” to benefit from wise counsel

-          We shouldn’t dismiss simple rules because of their simplicity

In life there are obstacles that we encounter and some of them are on dangerous, steep, and slippery roads. Almost all of the time when we can’t get through them on our own there is help- whether it be a friend or family member or a teacher or a role model that clears away the obstacles or makes a way for us not to be pummeled by them. No matter what the obstacle (drugs, immorality, addictions, etc.) there are people, programs, prophets and angels plowing the way for us to not be absolutely pummeled by those forces.  So we shouldn’t try to pass or go around those that are in front of us clearing away the obstacles.

We often need reminders or counsel from parents, teachers, and/or mentors that point out the things that are obvious. The basics are what we are reminded of day in and day out. Not because they aren’t common sense, but because despite the obvious right decision we still mess up and need reminders.

I think that decisions that are slow and thought out are seldom wrong. I am a person that likes to rush into things and make decisions quickly and get going in some direction and then correct course on the way. Sometimes, decisions need to be made quickly and decisively, but most the time and especially on the big decisions we can wait a little longer and think through things before we commit to something, and the wise people in my life are people who make big decisions deliberately, and aren’t forced or persuaded to act more quickly before they feel comfortable with a decision. So I think it is better to wait and be safe than to hurry and put yourself in danger.

So many more thoughts, but so little time to figure out how to write them.

Any other principles we can learn from this sign?

A word of encouragement during (or right after) a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.
- Anonymous

I couple of years ago I decided to run an Olympic triathlon, and so in preparation I signed up to run a few sprint triathlons. My training early on consisted of thinking about how unprepared I was for 6 days out of the week and actually running or swimming one or two days each week. I didn’t tell anybody that I would be running the TELOS Tri (sprint) and when I arrived by myself with my brother’s bike, I didn’t know what to expect. It was such a cold day that they decided to reverse the normal order (Swim, Bike, Run) to be Run, Bike, Swim. It changed from going from my weakest to strongest events to be the opposite (my strongest to weakest). If I was wiser, I would have given up. I ran 3.1 miles, I biked 12, and then the (300 or 400 M ) swim and pain began. After the first lap, I quickly realized why the swim is supposed to be first- there are fewer deaths of people drowning because of exhaustion. I thought I was going to die. My energy was all spent on the less hazardous events of biking and running and I couldn’t get it out of my mind that “if you get tired running or biking, you can stop or pass out and still live, not so easy to do when you are in the middle of a long square pool with people splashing water on you as they painlessly pass your patheticness. I don’t remember most of the thoughts that went through my mind, but I remember finally reaching the edge of the pool after my last lap and it taking me an extra minute or two to muster the strength to climb out of the pool and as I hobbled toward my towel, I couldn’t contain my stomach and the little food and a lot of pool water that was in there came spewing out. After the second time, I was so embarrassed and discouraged, I grabbed my towel and went straight to my car, head hanging low, body beaten, stomach still struggling, and so so sad. It was at that time that I realized how important it was to me to have received the steady and frequent support supplied by my parents throughout my life (seriously, they never missed an event/race/performance/concert). I called my mom after that to tell her that I could barely finish the sprint tri- and I tried to convince her that if I did an Olympic tri, I would surely die. She then gave me some words of encouragement and told me that I could do it and that I would not die. I believed her and it was her words of encouragement that stopped me from giving up on accomplishing my first (and maybe last) Olympic Triathlon.

Mike Linton- testing out wet suit in preparation for first open water swim.

Last Wednesday, the 20th of January I went in for PRK (a similar eye surgery to LASIK) to correct my vision. I went to Hoopes vision and the experience was a good one, although I am still waiting for my vision to come back completely. Recovery from PRK takes longer than post-LASIK, and is more uncomfortable for the first few days, but that is what the doctor recommended for my eyes so I went forward with that.

Here is a video of my PRK surgery. I showed this to one of my friends and he passed out, so I don’t blame you if you don’t want to see it, but a lot of people have asked me to explain and I told them I was going to post it. If you want an explanation of what they are doing you can read the part below “How is PRK performed?” and that explains it in detail. The video is 5 minutes long and it is of just my right eye. I was awake the whole time and what I saw most the time was a blinking red light interspersed with several fuzzy red lights which was like looking through a broken single colored kaleidoscope.

From PRK Surgery

The next three paragraphs comes from Hoopes Vision website.

PRK
Like LASIK eye surgery, PRK (short for photorefractive keratectomy) is a surgical procedure that can help to correct and improve vision dramatically through cornea reshaping.

What is PRK?
PRK is an effective refractive procedure that can be used to correct hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism. While the procedure is similar to LASIK eye surgery, the first step of PRK greatly differs from that of LASIK.

How is PRK Performed?
Numbing drops are administered so that the surgeon can operate on the eye without the patient feeling any pain. While LASIK surgery requires the surgeon to create a corneal flap and fold it back to access the inner cornea, PRK requires the surgeon to remove the epithelium (the outer, one-cell-thick layer of the cornea).
After the epithelium has been removed, the surgeon will reshape the cornea with an excimer laser to correct the anomaly that has been causing vision problems. Once the cornea has been reshaped, the area will be “bandaged” with special contact lenses that will assist the eye in healing the epithelium.

Alot of people have asked about the differences between LASIK and PRK and why choose one over the other. This person’s blog describes a few reasons why PRK can be better.

My Recovery from PRK

When I was talking to the eye doctors consultant/sales person who also received PRK I thought he said that PRK  puts you out for 3-4 days and you are in so much pain you just sit with your eyes shut and listen to 12 hours of books on tape and you can’t really do anything else. I expected to be blind for 4 days straight, but so far my experience has been different.

Day of Surgery- went home and could see a little better, my eye was still numb and there wasn’t any pain. A couple of times every hour it would feel like I had an eyelash stuck it my eye, but a couple of blinks and I felt good again. Drops every 1/2 hour and 4 hours, and ice packs for swelling. I slept with eye protection on that night and it was pretty uncomfortable. I watched television and it wasn’t too much of a strain to see.

1 Day after surgery- not much pain or discomfort, drops every hour and every four hours, post op checkup and they said all looked good and I could drive.

2 days after surgery- I drove into work and it was the worst day. vision went in and out while driving and I decided not to drive home and we just went and played board games that night. It was really uncomfortable in the morning, but more annoying than painful. I couldn’t focus on the computer and it was better for me to either lie down in the dark conference room, or walk around with my sunglasses on, but not really accomplishing anything.

3 days after surgery- mild discomfort, blurred vision, but could function normally

4 days after surgery- no discomfort but blurry vision, enough to drive and read and everything, but not clear

Michelle and I went on a hike last week and as we reached the waterfall and started to eat our dinner a rainstorm urged us down the mountain. I was grateful to see this double rainbow as we drove back from the hike.<

More details and picture to come

Ultimate Frisbee

GMAT studying

Michelle’s Birthday

Bought Food Storage

Dinner at Francks

FHE Latin Dancing

Play Basketball at the Energy Solutions Arena

Fireside about Joseph Smith

Ward Amazing Race (stopped to try and Win wicked tickets)

Strawberry Burnt Down Trees

Played Compatibility

Went up to Strawberry

First Golf of the Season

Ward Temple Night

FHE Ultimate Frisbee

Sang at a Fireside

Went on a spontaneous trip to Zion National Park

Hiked Angels Landing

Went Skiing for the last time this season

Dinner with old friends (Andy and Heidi)

D &C Institute Class

Ward Ministry Night

Taxes

Sang at General Conference

Calderwood/Horn Wedding Reception

so we had an easter egg hunt

Well it is that time of the month again. I go through my calendar and expenses and ask myself what I did or didn’t accomplish in the last month and then I try to figure out how to make the next month better. This usually consists of a commitment to spend less, train for the upcoming race (this time the ragnar relay), work smarter at my job, be kinder to my best friends, go to bed earlier and get up earlier, home teach every single person (even those that don’t return my phone calls), read more, and eat healthier.

So where did March go? I’ll sum it up in a few words. Choir Practice, Volunteering at Draper Temple, skiing, new business ideas, church basketball, U of U gymnastics tournament, National Dancesport Championship, blogging, starting to study for the GMAT , painting, planting peas, and of course a lot of Valcom work both day and night.

I have learned that I feel a lot more productive in the car when I listen to a book on CD. This month I listened to “Presidential Courage” which went through all the presidents of the United States from the beginning and described situations where they had to go against the popular opinion to do what was right for the nation. I recommend it but just know that although the content was interesting, the reader was a little dry and hard to listen to.

Some random things I learned; people react very differently to abstract art, when I am stressed I clean my room and car, it is possible to study for one month and get over a 700 on the GMAT, I like V8 fusion, Kyoto’s is still the best Japanese restaurant in town, www.condron.us is an interesting way to blog surf (but beware lest ye waste time), how to prune a pear tree, how to sell your art, that I can throw the cup, that you use to pour laundry detergent, into the washer with the clothes and it comes out perfectly leaving no residue around to worry about, I have a lot to be thankful for, memorizing gets easier the more you do it.

That’s all for March

So last year I bet my colleague Jamie on the BYU and U of U football game. The loser was to write a sincere poem discussing the relative merits of the winning team and the inferiority of the losing team. Because of this bet, BYU’s loss was therefore a doubly painful blow to my ego. This was written 2 weeks after the loss, but has taken me this long to post it.

So I promised at least a blog a month that would explain what I did the previous month. This is not just for your enjoyment, but a good time for me to reflect and remember what I did and decide what I am going to try and do better next month. I also find that when I write about what I have done and thought about, I learn, and I like learning.

Shaun invited me to an orientation for the BYU Executive MBA program and it is definitely something that I want to do, and I think it is the best program for the cost. I will probably wait a year or two before I start due to the cost and I will need to save up a lot, but I will get back into school someday. Work is going well and there is still a lot I have to learn before I am good at my job, so perhaps I may be here a little longer.

Our institute choir had the opportunity to sing at the fireside on March 1st, where Elder Hales spoke about finding and staying on the high ground. He said we need to stay on the high ground together and that we need not get discouraged even though all around us things are getting worse. He counseled us to learn how to budget our time and money, to not be wasteful, and to find joy in this life. He gave a few points as to what a couple has to do to maintain a great relationship and I have listed what he explained that both people in the relationship must do to be successful. They must:
1. Know who they are as children of God
2. Know the doctrines (specifically, temple covenants)
3. Choose to obtain God’s kingdom
4. Understand sealing covenant and that courting days are over
5. Think of the other more than self
6. Converse often and talk early about little hurts and offenses
7. See the good in each other by not nagging or speaking ill of each other, by being willing to change your heart and repent, and working hard at improving your relationship as well as cultivating a thoughtful spirit.

I believe this counsel, and I believe that if more people would live by these principles, more homes would find the happiness, faith and strength that is required to endure the tests of the tough times. I have been extremely blessed by the excellent example of my parents and my siblings as they live and have lived these principles.

I never thought that so much of my life would be in choirs, but I find myself in 3 choirs; ward, institute and temple. It takes a lot of my time, but I am learning how powerful music can be in teaching us the doctrines of the kingdom. I will expound on this at a later date.

Valcom reserved a suite at Energy Solutions Arena to watch the Utah Jazz beat the Memphis Grizzlies. It was a lot of fun and I am glad that Michelle could come. It was almost as fun as watching BYU beat the Utes.

So Mexico was a lot of fun. It’s hard to explain how much I love to fly in an airplane and the feeling of going somewhere else. I like the fact that at the end of the day on Thursday I could say, “It is amazing that this morning I was in my bed in Utah, and now I am walking on the beach in Mexico, and it is the same day. I love technology, and planes, and beaches.” We walked the beach, had dinner, and then went and played tennis. It was a ton of fun.

The next day we went to the jungle and went on the Ziplines. I highly recommend the zipline tour. We went through the company called Selvatica and it was a great experience. We flew through the trees, rightside up and then upside down several times. It was a blast, and then from there, we mountain biked to a natural spring (Cenote), which had a zipline right over the water and then a 15-20 ft drop. So we played in that for about 45 minutes and then mountain biked back. The zipline into the cenote was probably the highlight of the trip. As soon as I get the videos and pictures from Michelle, you will understand why I loved it so much.

The next day we went and swam with the dolphins and I learned anew why they are one of my favorite animals. They are super intelligent, kind, and quick and powerful. It was amazing to see their coordination as 2 dolphins would come up behind you at the exact same time and put their noses on the bottom of each foot, and propel you out of the water and carry you 15 feet. If you have the chance to do this, as they say, “Its an experience of a lifetime.” Although if you have to choose between the Ziplines and the dolphins, choose the Ziplines.

Did I mention we got to see a 2-toed sloth? It was amazing to see how slow they moved. They really do move in slow motion and I thought it very entertaining to see them move like they were trying to not let a motion sensor sense them. I don’t know how animals get their names, but whoever named this one, did a great job, or did we get the word sloth from them.

I left my cell phone in the shuttle that brought us back to the airport, and I admit that I am addicted to having a cell phone by my side. I felt sad, distraught and lost. I have since invested in 3 more T-mobile dashes as backups, and I learned that if you lose your sim card and go to a T-mobile store they will give you one for free. I tend to lose or break about one cell phone every year and so I had invested in an extra sim card and so all was not lost. Besides they found my phone and so after a couple of long days I was reunited with my beloved companion.

I have recently been obsessed with learning about bloggers and blogging and SEO (search engine optimization), and how to use a blog as a tool for good. I’ll let you know what my conclusions with all these projects are when I know more. Recently (like 4 hours ago) I started the blog bumstobloggers. The name explains it, but the blog explains it all.

Lastly, I have listened to two additional books on tape. “The Audacity of Hope,” by super liberal and now President, Barack Obama, and “An Inconvenient Book” by Ultra conservative Glenn Beck. I guess I go from one extreme to another. My views definitely are more conservative than liberal, but I find the story of Obama inspirational and very interesting, while I view Glenn Beck as more open, honest, and hilarious.

Well that was February 2009.

Los Angeles, October 2008
We fought the LA traffic and finally arrived at the Pantages theatre 2 hours early with great anticipation to see the musical Wicked. As we walked by the theatre, a man wearing wicked green yelled out ”2 minutes left to enter a drawing for 2 front row tickets for $25/each, must have cash, come and enter your names.” In Chicago, I had entered into the contest and lost, but some guy who had won two tickets gave me one, and so my first experience watching Wicked was front and center and cost me $25. So I was pretty optimistic we had a good chance of winning. Two hundred people surrounded the Green man and he started turning the cylinder that held our opportunity. Into his microphone he explained that 10 names would be drawn and 20 total tickets would be given out. He yelled out the first name and a few claps and a few mumbles oozed from the crowd. The Green man was disappointed and started explaining to his captive audience, “We have something in California that we call Karma, the louder you cheer for those that win, the greater your probability will be of winning. So I want to hear some cheering, believe me it works.” That was all I needed to hear. A principle with a promise, I wanted those tickets. The next name he called was Travis, and I went bonkers. At the top of my lungs I yelled, “Travis, you rock!!, Way to win the tickets, You are the man, yeahhhhhhhh!!!” I was ecstatic as I could be short of going and slapping him on the back. He had some time to walk and claim his tickets so I was pretty boisterous for the full 30 seconds. Michelle was a little uncomfortable and I got a lot of weird looks. Then all of a sudden those weird looks melted into envy as the name Michael Linton was pulled out of the golden cylinder and he who cheered the loudest won the tickets. I believe in Karma. “For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again…” (Alma 41:15)