The Birthplace of James E. Talmage

James E. Talmage

This is the birth place of James E. Talmage. He was an LDS church apostle and one of our most beloved authors and scholars.  The town is called Hungerford England. We drove through the town for a few minutes. Nothing on the Internet indicates the exact address so we just drove around a looked at the place. It was really fun and I felt a connection to one of the greats.  Thanks Elder Talmage for your contribution to so many LDS students.

Hungerford England, Main Drag

Hungerford England

Not far from Hungerford we found this old church. It has been there for a long time and would have been standing at the time James E. Talmage was born in 1862. I love how old thing in the UK are and how the dots of history can be connected there.  I wonder if I have any ancestors in this old cemetery? It is possible.  


What an awesome drive through the English countryside.

Stonehenge Is In The Middle of Nowhere...

The real Stonehenge in England, UK

My boss and I drove out to Stonehenge today. We got to London really early in the morning and could not check into our hotel for a few hours so we thought "hey, let's see Stonehenge."

It is such a strange site, right in the middle of rolling green sheep pasture. It was raining and cold and incredible. How in the world did these giant stones get here? What is their purpose?  It is truly one of those strange mysteries.

Foamhenge in Virginia, USA

Speaking of strange stuff, Kady and I visited Foamhenge in Virginia and it was almost as remote, not nearly as big and only a few years old rather than about 5000+. Still Foamhenge was impressive in its own way. Why in the world would someone build a scale replica of Stonehenge out of foam in the middle of rural Virginia. Also great questions and almost as mysterious as the original.

Foamhenge vs. Stonehenge? Both were pretty cool.

European Adventure May 2012

An interesting design for an airport tower.

I am going from Salt Lake to London to Munich to Salzburg to Hamburg to Copenhagen to Birmingham to Paris to Salt Lake City over the next 12 days. Incredible trip for my work.  We are trying to figure out if what we do in the USA can be replicated in other countries. At our layover in Boston I was intrigued by the tower here. I have never seen one like this before, although I am not an expert on airport towers.

Action shot in the Boston Logan Airport!

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We are going to get on a plane and fly for about 8 hours. Fun. I look so excited.

Following In Guy's Footsteps

A few weeks ago I decided that when I am on the road for work I am going to try to stop in and visit a Diners Drive-Ins and Dives location and sample the same foods Guy ate. My first stop was the Comet Cafe in Milwaukee WI. Here is the description of one of the best meals I have ever had.

Just ate the open-faced meatloaf sandwich at the Comet Cafe in Milwaukee. Toasted rye bread with bacon wrapped meatloaf, mashed potatoes, onions, gravy, tomato, and more bacon on top. One of the best things I have ever eaten. Incredible!

The picture doesn't do it justice but here it is.

Finished off the meal with some apple pie a-la-mode. Very nice lunch and worth the trip to Milwaukee.

Pam's Caribbean Kitchen - Seattle Washington

Last night I went to a Diners Drive-ins and Dives location in Seattle WA called Pam's Kitchen. Actually met Pam and talked with her for a few minutes. There were two memorable dishes I tried. One was a Curried Goat Roti which is pictured below. The curry was just the right amount of spicy without killing your taste buds and the goat was cooked perfectly. It came with a side of potatoes and garbanzo beans. The special part was this flaky, fluffy, semi-sweet flat-bread that you eat it all with called Roti. It was incredible. For dessert I had Cassava Pone-cake with Guava ice-cream. The cake was made of cassava root and coconut and was served hot. It was incredible meal with very simple ingredients and a ton of interesting flavors. Go see Pam if you are in Seattle.

Salt Lake International Part 2 - April 11, 2011

About 4 1/2 years ago I purchased an American Tourister carry-on bag that has now logged about 100,000 miles. It was a "carry-on" bag so I have been arguing with flight attendants for four years that it will fit in the overhead bins.

Sometimes the bin lid closed with a little extra effort. Other times they turned it sideways to get it to work. A few times over the years they have had to gate check it. After my last trip where it was gate checked I did something revolutionary - I measured the bag with a tape measure. To my surprise it was about 24.5 inches not the 22 I supposed it was all this time. I have been telling people for a long time it wasn't my bag's fault and, unfortunately, I was wrong.

After much reasearch with my Uncle Google I decided on the R.E.I. 22 inch roller bag. And to my extreme pleasure it fit today perfectly. I owe a lot of airline people an apology. And I love my new bag.

Salt Lake International Airport - April 11, 2011

So I just saw a guy in security that typifies the current selfish way people in airports and airplanes have become.

He had a very full back pack, a fanny pack around the front (must be a Euro), a large roller bag, and a pair of ski boots. Now how in the world does that qualify for one piece of carry-on luggage and one personal item?

Why don't the airlines stop these people and say "you have too much stuff, go check something?"