Leaving my Mark on the world.

2010-02-17T16:21:00.002-07:00

NFL - Best Fans on the Planet

2010-02-10T13:01:00.001-07:00

This was my favorite Super Bowl Commercial

The stupid stuff that makes me laugh

2010-02-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

Cracked me up

My kind of movie

2010-02-06T09:28:00.006-07:00

This totally happened to me yesterday.

Reminds me of a poem by Shel Silverstein called "True Story"

This morning I jumped on my horse,
And went out for a ride,
And some wild outlaws chased me
And they shot me in the side.
So I crawled into a wildcat’s cave
To find a place to hide,
But some pirates found me sleeping there,
And soon they had me tied
To a pole and built a fire
Under me—I almost cried
Till a mermaid came and cut me loose
And begged to be my bride,
So I said I’d come back Wednesday
But I must admit I lied.
Then I ran into a jungle swamp
But I forgot my guide
And I stepped into some quicksand,
And no matter how I tried
I couldn’t get out, until I met
A water snake named Clyde,
Who pulled me to some cannibals
Who planned to have me fried.
But an eagle came and swooped me up
And through the air we flied,
But he dropped me in a boiling lake
A thousand miles wide.
And you’ll never guess what I did then—
I DIED.

Just cant get enough of these

2010-01-16T22:32:00.004-07:00

Graph Laugh 2

2010-01-06T16:40:00.006-07:00

Building Bridges in 2010

2010-01-06T11:14:00.005-07:00

You know what I want to accomplish this year? Me neither. I like things the way they are. I am totally content with watching life evolve around me, it has always seemed to work out just fine.

I know some of you are cringing right now.

Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get over it.

Christmas

2009-12-29T10:06:00.007-07:00

I dont know how many times I have typed this blog post and erased it. In the end, there is no good way to explain how I feel about Christmas.

So I wont.

Im only gonna say that last Christmas I was given some epic advice on letting Christmas be what it really is. And last May I heard a CES talk by Elder Bednar titled "Things as they really are" that only cemented it.

Christmas for our family was wonderful and very enjoyable. Also, Im glad its only once a year.

Movie: Avatar

2009-12-22T22:31:00.004-07:00

I've seen it twice. I love it.

Christmas Lights

2009-12-08T10:46:00.005-07:00

Merry Christmas!

Movie: 2012

2009-11-15T21:35:00.004-07:00

Well, its fun to see the end of the world. Honestly, who could complain about that? But dont expect a good story.

They made the true hero out to be a bad guy, and it ruined the story for me. And the main character was needlessly putting 100s of 1000s of lives in danger to save his own family.

Stupid.

But again, its fun to see the end of the world.

Movie: A Christmas Carol

2009-11-10T11:40:00.001-07:00

The story of The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is by far one of the most epic stories of all time ever period forever. There is alot of self-discovery in hypocrisy everytime I watch any version of that story (even this one).

But the new Disney show stunk, like a skunk, in a trunk, full of junk.

The digital-ness of it was very unnatural and there were lots of scenes that felt like time fillers rather than moving the story forward. I was very dissappointed.

My 2 favorite retellings of it are "The Muppets Christmas Carol" and "Scrooge" starring Albert Finney. Ill just stick to those 2 this year.

Lately

2009-11-10T11:36:00.004-07:00

Here is what Ive done lately that I want to blog about but probably wont.

Read Dan Browns "The Lost Symbol". Same exact story as all his others, and the last 50 pages were WAY to preachy. Not too excited for his next book.

Read "Catching Fire", part of the Hunger Games series and LOVED IT.

Saw Surrogates with Bruce Willis. Definitely a guy show, and I loved it as well.

Saw Cirque du Freak, the Vampires Assistant. Kinda fun, not bad, not awesome. Glad I went.

Wish I could see Paranormal Activity. Very interested in a movie than get so much hype simply because of how terrifying it is. Too bad its rated R :(

Watching all 3 CSIs, Modern Family, The Office, Community, The Vampire Diaries, Law & Order SVU, V, House, Monk, Psych, and Bones. Soooo many good shows on TV right now, or maybe its the change in the weather? - but I am really loving TV lately.

Im slightly excited for the new Family Search. It looks cool anyway. I hope it can hook me, as I fail big time in the genealogy dept.

Thats good enough.

Halloween Parenting

2009-10-31T08:59:00.009-06:00

Rule #7 in the Mark & Amy Lyman family...
"There will be no constraints regarding the consumption of candy on Halloween night."

For us, whatever parenting rule may exist about allowing kids to eat candy, Halloween is an exception. On Halloween night, after each child has gathered as much candy as they can carry - they are completely at liberty to eat as much as they want. Come what may.

Yes, Im a horrible parent. Get over it.

Graph Laugh

2009-10-21T11:43:00.013-06:00

Lafawnda

2009-10-20T14:08:00.001-06:00

There is a lady here with me in our training class who looks exactly like Lafawnda from Napoleon Dynamite. It makes me laugh every time I see her.

I wonder how many people tell her that.

New York and Virginia

2009-10-19T21:43:00.003-06:00

I spent last week in New York at a satellite conference. Lots of good food, and I got to see Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Wall Street, and the Federal Building where George Washington was sworn in as President of the US. It was really fun.

This week I am in Virginia doing some training on one of our satellite products. Lots of good food and an amazing hotel.

Although it is fun to do some traveling, I would rather be home with my wife and kids.

Web Design

2009-10-19T21:41:00.002-06:00

I have been asked a couple times for some of my images that I have used in the past on some of the websites I have designed. So I dumped them all to www.shnee.com

Good Scary Movies

2009-10-08T09:32:00.006-06:00

Im not a big fan of mindless slashing or gore in horror movies. I want a scary movie where the plot actually makes sense. It can have some jump scenes, but not too many. I want to just be plain scared out of pure fear of what is going on. I also like the scary movies where your still scared when its over. Here are some of my favorites.

What Lies Beneath (PG13)
This stars Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. Their chemistry as a married couple is absolutely horrible, but the plot is good and due to the cast, the twist is well pulled off. I loved it.

The Others (PG13)
Starring Nicole Kidman, this is a haunting type show, also with a twist. But its got plenty of jumpy scary scenes. Its the small things that happen with the "others" that keep you scared. Like the doors closing by themselves, or the piano playing, which suddenly stops right before she gets to the room to see who it is. Its the mystery behind the haunting. I loved it.

The Ring (PG13)
I think this movie is only really scary if you watched it in theatres. This is one of the very few movies that I still felt scared for a time after I saw the movie. Most movies resolve themselves by the end, and this one didnt. Also, the DVD has some scenes that give the plot some more depth whereas the normal movie is more about being scared out of your pants with a plot on the side. This is the scardest Ive ever been in a theatre, not sure you could pull it off on your own TV. There is one part at the end that is just outright terror, and some girls in the back of theatre just started screaming, it was unreal. Not jumpy, just extremely intense.

The Skeleton Key (PG13)
Starring Kate Hudson, this movie is absolutely fantastic. The plot is perfect and the twist at the end is actually believable. Its a little about voodoo, so its got that creepy evil feeling most all of the movie. Im not sure I can stress how satisfying the storyline of this movie was. And although the storyline was resolved in the end, you feel slightly empty and in awe of what transpired and having been fooled the entire time. Just fantastic.

The Sixth Sense (PG13)
I dont think I liked this quite as much as everyone else. The twist at the end was a little too much for me, but the idea behind the story was really well done. And the fear factor was more out of being unable to cope with the reality of the show than with it being actually scary. But I enjoyed it nevertheless.

This truly is the greatest story EVER

2009-10-07T10:43:00.001-06:00

Utah State Fair

2009-09-15T10:26:00.004-06:00

We went to the Utah State Fair yesterday with just our 2 littlest, Bridger and Brynzi and my mom and Dad. It was pretty fun. I ate a bucket of crawfish and deep fried alligator for lunch, and then I had a carmeled apple later on. I really only go for the food.

Bridger got to see some bears and an alligator. He was scared of the alligator, he thought it would reach through the window and eat us. After lunch Grandma bought him a plastic sword that he stabbed me with the rest of the day.

And Brynzi was the perfect baby as always. She just looked around and didnt make a fuss. Even when she got wet from the rain.

During the last 2 hours we were there it started raining really hard and we got soaked. But I really dont mind the rain, its a nice change and I love the feeling of the moisture in the air. Plus when I get home, the sagebrush puts off a real strong smell when its wet, and I just love it.

Swimming with the old ladies

2009-08-06T15:20:00.014-06:00

I have been going to a water aerobics class on and off for awhile. Mostly off. But the last week I have been going regularly. Its Monday thru Thursday at 9pm-10pm at the Tooele Pratt Aquatic Center. Its $3.50 each time you go ($3.00 if you buy a 10 punch pass), and its wonderful.

Water aerobics is right between hardly excercising and excercising hard, so its perfect for me, cause I hate excercising, HATE IT! But I dont mind this.

Its fun, it feels good, and the old ladies are a hoot sometimes. They talk about their grandkids and their husbands and the good ole days, etc. Sometimes a 30ish group of women show up and they talk about all sorts of informative topics. I dont participate in the conversation per se, but the time sure flies when the conversations are interesting.

And its alot harder than I thought, my arms start to burn really bad about 20 minutes into it, and my legs start to burn about 35 minutes into it, and I can feel my muscles pulsing the next day. But you can take it as slow or hard as you want and the hot shower at the end feels sooooooo good.

Anyone is welcome to join me, there are no sign-ups or anything, you just show up. And you wear a floater belt around your waist the whole time, so you dont have to know how to swim.

State of the Family

2009-08-06T12:25:00.023-06:00

I thought I would just post an update about my family. This is gonna be long and boring, but Im writing it more for myself so I have something to read when Ive forgotten what it was like when they were young. I am not neccesarily writing this for anyone else.

Crystal is the oldest and she knows it. She is very adamant about things not being her fault and/or getting her way. Its hard for her to admit that how she attempted to handle a situation was wrong and her younger sibling was not at fault or didnt deserve what Crystal did to "fix" things. I completely understand this. I am also the oldest. The real frustration for me comes when I get on Crystals case about something only to realize way too late that she is only doing exactly what I do when I reach the end of my rope. At that point, so much time has gone by that I doubt she could connect the apology to the actual incident. Kids have an amazing ability to forget things even happened while I can mull over it for a couple hours. When it really boils down to it, Crystal just wants to be the oldest and she wants to be good at it. I need to spend less time getting angry about things and more time showing her a better way to react and resolve. In order to do this, I gotta teach myself the same thing. But Im glad Crystal is the oldest, she is a great help all around and I know she cares about each of her siblings as much as me and Amy do. She is exactly where she needs to be in our family.

Rooker is the puzzle. Its nearly impossible to figure out what it is he wants. He spends a very large part of the day with swords and costumes, unfortunately this has meant that his sisters have been hit by his weapons every now and then. Again, yet another thing I have to learn not to be such an ogre about, I just gotta help him learn that it hurts both inside and out to be hit. Also, being a boy, Ive caught him doing things just to be mean. Like stepping on a book so his younger brother Bridger can't pick it up, or taking a toy he needs without asking. I totally understand this as a male myself growing up with 5 younger brothers and 1 younger sister. There is in fact a certain devious delight to showing your dominance over another. I guess overtime I just grew out of it and I am fairly certain Rooker will as well since it doesn't happen very often and it doesn't really fit his personality. Rooker is also a thinker. He has the uncanny ablity to totally absorb what is happening on TV, commercials and all, and then discuss them at length with us later on. He sees products at the grocery store and he tells us "facts" about them (such as how absorbent they are) that he learned from TV. Before his super-hero phase, it wasnt unusual to find him alone, just sitting and pondering. I dont know where its all gonna lead, but I am totally at peace with it. Rooker is exactly who he needs to be.

Bailey.... Wow, I dont even know where to start. In Dr. Suesses "The Grinch" there is a scene where you get to see his heart grow 3 times its normal size. I feel like Bailey was born this way. She feels bad when things die, she likes stories about princes and princesses, she loves her cats, she is very much the huggy type, her hair is constantly in her eyes and the cuteness of it drives me crazy. She generally takes a beating from her siblings and just cries instead or dishing it back. The ability to make her feel bad is unparalleled because of her personality and Im very touchy about anyone in our family that takes advantage of it. She's the kid in our family that if there is one dish of ice cream left, I'll give it to her cause I have this feeling that "she deserves it" over the others just because of who she is. In essence, Bailey is Charity in the flesh. Bailey will be the child I watch the closest, especially in her teenage years. I will forever be in the shadows of those who have influence in her life.

Bridger is a punk. He gets into everything, he needs alot of attention, he wears nothing but a diaper, he is VERY loud as a person, and he spills EVERYTHING he eats. I know that part of it is his age, but I know he can do better. Ive never met a kid that was so loud. Everything he says causes a tear in my ear drums. It doesnt matter if he is sitting on my lap, everything is 10 decibels above whatever else is going on. I know he doesnt have a hearing problem, cause we never have to repeat anything we say, he was just built loud. We are constantly telling him he is too loud, and on top of that he repeats everything at least 4 times. I just want to put in some ear plugs sometimes to enjoy the silence. He used to be super needy also, but the last 2-3 weeks have been alot better. He is finally spending time playing with his cars and getting into trouble and less time hanging on our necks. He also doesnt take any crap from the other kids. In the end, he will be left crying, but he has an expected male aggression and will go after Rooker if Rooker pushes an issue. He loves his Mom and Dad with all his heart, and feels bad when we get upset at him. He loves his cousin Ryder, and together they can do things beyond comprehension, like drag sugar all over the house, or ride their little bikes forever down "the busy road" in the back of our house only to be brought home by a neighbor. His adventures with Ryder are on a much larger scale than we are comfortable with, but deep down, Im glad they have them. I think that attitude will really pay off for him later on. Or at least I hope so.

Brynzi is the youngest. She would be 8 months old now. She is so freakin adorable I dont know what to do. I love holding her for the most part. I love nibbling her cheeks. I love the way she climbs over me when I lay on the floor as if I were mount everest. I love the way she grabs my legs when I come home from work, I love how she laughs when I place my nose in her ribs. She still does all the normal baby stuff like cry when she's hungry, mess in her diaper, wake up during the night cause she needs her binky, etc. But all around she has been an absolutely wonderful addition to our family. She was exactly what we needed for a 5th child.

Amy is perfect for me. She gets stressed about the things I dont pay attention to but should, like our budget and wether our kids are involved in things that would improve their lives, or how healthy we are eating as a family, or how religious we are outside of church, etc. I can see why a strong marraige is so important. I can only imagine where I would be as a human being if all those things I listed werent being taken care of. I would be totally worthless and not even know it. Im a total loser when it comes to being emotionally sensitive or being affectionate. It basically boils down to a half-hearted "love ya" before I hang up the phone or a peck on the lips that could almost qualify as a kiss as I head out the door to work. Thats about the extent of my display of affection to her in our everyday lives, but we've made it 10 years now with no bumps at all, we have built a very comfortable life for our kids, with good nieghbors, a decent income, activities that make a difference and are enjoyable, a religion that matters, and a family that cares deeply for each other. My marraige to Amy has made this all possible. I can't imagine not having her around.

I am absolutely content with the current state of my life. Everything I need, I've got. Everything I want, I can get. Everything I have, has been given to me with little to no effort on my part. For as long as I can remember, everything, without my influence, has evolved around me such that my happiness is the result. I have often pondered why my life has been this way, and I have not been given the answer. I have deep feelings about those that I perceive have been taken from, instead of given too. It doesnt feel fair and it makes me want to hide. The only option I really have is to be grateful and ready to give what is required. I just hope Im ready when the occasions arise.

Yellowstone

2009-07-30T11:35:00.003-06:00

We all went to Yellowstone with Amy's side of the family. The 6 hour drive each way was death, 3 nights in a tent is another death, but the kids had a great time, and thats why we went anyway.

Mark's Nightmare on a Plate

2009-07-27T21:03:00.021-06:00

I have this secret dish that I make that I love with all my heart. The problem is that its so potent, its guaranteed to give you nightmares.

You will need.

	Baby Dill Pickles
	Cottage Cheese
	Garlic Stuffed Olives
	Good Seasons Italian Dressing
	Jalapeno Garlic Olives
	Jalapeno Stuffed Olives
	2 Large Vine Ripened Tomatoes
	Salt and Pepper
	Hot Cauliflower

1. Cut each tomatoe up into 4ths ON THE PLATE, then take each 4th and cut it into slices. This will create lots of bite-sized tomatoe slices and there will be a delicious mess of tomatoe juice and seeds all over the plate.

2. Grab 4 spoonfuls of Cottage Cheese and kind of dab it around the tomatoes so its unevenly spread all over the plate.

3. Drop 3 each of Garlic Stuffed Olives, Jalapeno Stuffed Olives, Hot Cauliflower, and Baby Dill Pickles and randomly drop them around in between the tomatoes and on top of the Cottage Cheese. The smaller the pickles, the better.

4. Drop 4 or so Jalapeno Garlic Olives and 2 of the garlic cloves from the same jar randomly around the plate.

5. Spill zig-zag patterns of the Good Seasons Dressing all over the place. I like to make horizontal lines and then vertical lines to make sure I've covered most everything.

6. Shake Salt & Pepper everywhere.

The trick is to make sure every single bite has a bit of cottage cheese with it, or it will be too overwhelming. The strongest flavor will come from the Jalapeno Garlic Olives. The part you won't enjoy is if the dill pickles are too big. They should be as tiny as you can find, you should be able to chomp them in a single bite. The smaller they are, also the more expensive they tend to be.

Also, there will be an amazing cocktail of all the vegetable juices and dressing mixed in with leftover cottage cheese at the end. I generally even eat that up.

I truly honestly love this meal. And its spicy enough I generally don't have to share it with my kids. They especially don't like the cauliflower, its got quite a kick.

And dont say I didnt warn you. Eating this late at night is a gauranteed all night party in your stomach and it will give you nightmares.