Infernal Invention

Who invented ties? When you think about it, they're useless. I'm getting good at tying them, but I still think they're useless.

I got a horse and signed socks

It was fun to visit Blanding and Mexican Hat Elementary schools. I almost sold out of books! I got a horse at each school. A stuffed horse mascot from Blanding, and a really good drawing of a horse from a Mexican Hat student. Another student at Mexican Hat had me sign his socks with a permanent ink marker.
I hope his Mom doesn't mind.

Snow stinks

I wanted to come back from my brother's house in St. George to go to the New Year's Eve dance, but it snowed so much that Mom couldn't come get me. She came the next day instead. I wasn't very happy new year about it.

I kind of ran out of ideas for my next Warriors book, so I started working on another one. But don't worry, I'll get back to it.

I'm going to Blanding on Thursday.

Thai Food Tastes Funny

When we were in Salt Lake visiting my brother, Scott, we went to a Thai restaurant. I ordered this noodle mushroom thing that even Mom thought looked good, but when it came, I couldn't eat it. She tried a bite and coughed, then asked the waitress if it could be exchanged. The waitress said in her Thai accent that on the menu it said it had jalapeno peppers in it.

I ate some of my little brother's sweet and sour orange chicken.

Then the waitress came back and said they'd make a different noodle dish for me.

I still didn't like it.

Mom boxed it up and shared it with my brothers, one of who has spent time with Cambodians, and thought it was pretty tasty.

I'll have a bacon burger, thank you.

Tropical Christmas

Well, it wasn't exactly a tropical Christmas, but we got to go to St. George where my brother lives for Christmas. I got an external hard drive to save my writing on, AND I got five new book ideas. I wish I could just plug my brain into my computer and have the stories download just like I picture them in my head.

Come on, someone, get with that technology, okay? Then let me know as soon as it's invented!

Slippin' Away

Mom tried driving in the snow yesterday. She got stuck in the driveway. I tried to get her to rock the car so I could push her out, but she didn't quite get it, so we had to get my big brother Zack to do it. Then Mom flipped a U-ey while coming home from church and got stuck in the slush. Zack and I got her car out and brought it home, then when she was going somewhere else, our 70-year-old next door neighbor had to push her car to get her unstuck.
It's a good thing I'm in the driver's ed car this week so I can my license and drive her wherever she needs to go.

Saving Mom's car

Mom took me to Emery County, Utah, for some school visits. I talked so much I wasn't sure I could talk again, but it was fun.

On our way home, we drove over Fairview Canyon instead of going around through Salina. It was shorter, but it also was more dangerous when Mom went around a curve and hit a rock. It scraped along the ground and she yelled, "Oh, no, I broke the car, I broke the car!"

"Mom, pull over," I said. I told her to turn off the engine and set the emergency brake, then I crawled under the car and pulled out a big, square rock that had fallen off the mountain. A lady stopped and drove Mom to a tow truck place while I stayed with the car. A truck drove by, slowed, took a look at the big puddle of oil running down the canyon road like dark blood, and sped up to leave me behind.

We got towed to a garage and Dad came and got us.

Mom says I saved the day.

I don't know about the day, but I'm pretty sure I saved her car engine.