A poor attempt at saying thank you...

Merci Boucoup, Gracias -- Ever had a hard time saying thank you, so instead of just being a man and going out and saying it you try to cover for yourself by saying it in a foreign language in which you are completely illiterate. Well I have that problem, and I've finally gotten over saying it... Now I just have to work on writing it down and sending it in a letter... Anyway, I (Reid Buchanan, i.e. the most intelligent, charming, best looking... I could go on... person (for emily - knowing she used to be such a feminist) in the family wanted to take this time to say thanks to a uniquely special person, that everyone else has done a better job (I guarantee) at one time or another thanking than I have. Grandmama Francis (I know you changed your name on your license, but I always liked it -- it always had a mystery about it -- the name the 99 year old Grandmother would never use) Vivian Van Horne (Van Horne is two words -- not the way Grandmama has it on her credit card) Thank You, for letting me use your house in Anna Maria as a rejuvinating safe haven where I could be as lazy as I wanted to be -- until Carlin came and showed me up -- and could build a new better and stronger relationship with Vivian, Billy, Noah, and Loic (Carlin is left out for showing me up.) It is greatly appreciated, and I can not think of a better investment of my laziness. As everyone else mentioned - I will love you always and hold a very special place for you in my heart. <- that line has been way overused and is so cheesy it kills me to write it, but I cannot think of a better phrase to convey how I feel.

P.S. Gradmana, after reading this post you have my full permission to delete it as I am sure it will keep me from returning to this blog. The letters Coming Soon!

Our Candidates make me so MAD!!!!

So McCain wants to lift the tax on oil over the summer. I'm sure this is just a political gambit, but its unreal that there hasn't been a bigger uproar about how rediculous this idea really is in the press. But of course, no matter how dumb (or tricky) McCain is Obama comes out with something even more rediculous. Quote "There is no way that offshore drilling will do anything to help gas prices now, or in the near future". This is directly from Obama I just saw the interview on TV. Has he never taken an economics class? Why aren't all of the bank stocks currently at 0? All they are doing is losing money, so why are there stock prices not at zero? BECAUSE THEIR BUSINESSES ARE STILL EXISTING AND PEOPLE KNOW THEY WILL MAKE MONEY IN THE FUTURE. Why...if you want to buy a barrell of Oil does it cost more than it does to buy a barrell of Oil today? Why do 10 year T-Bills (government bonds) yield more than the current interest rate? BECAUSE CURRENT PRICES ARE TELLERS OF FUTURE EXPECTATIONS!!!!!!! So what the hell is Obama thinking? First off, just the fact that the United States may start drilling for Oil off of its shores will push Oil prices down because future expectations of our demand and the overall World supply will drop and increase respectively. Secondly, I'm just curious, what's wrong with investing in our future? Even if drilling for oil now won't get us gas until 213 SO WHAT??? His logic fails me. So is his sollution...never drill, never get the oil? that doesn't seem smart. Does he think our energy crisis will be solved in 5 years? If he does he is in a party of one. It's unreal how dumb the entire democratic party is on this issue, it baffles me. I'm mad!

What a GREAT trip Loic had going to Peru

Ok so most of my family which reads this Blog already know about how I was not able to get onto the plane to Lima Peru due to ridiculous bureaucracy but most of you don't yet know what happened to me after I spent the night there. I swear by well anything which is not sacrilegious that this story has not been one bit embellished and that there are many details left out so as to not make the story too long. If you can read it out loud with someone it will make the story more enjoyable. I'll keep posting if any more funny stories come up.

So here is how it went. That morning I met another traveler who's flight had been canceled and he had to wait at the airport until the evening for the next flight. So while he was sorting out all of his problems so as to get onto his flight I was watching his bags so that he didn't have to go all around the airport carrying them. Once he had succeeded at everything which he had to do he came back and we went to get something to eat and whatnot. Then later at around 1:30 – 2:00 he was taking a nap in the corner where I had spent the night and I asked him if he was game to watch my bags for a while while I tried to do what I needed to so that I could fly that night. So just for prudence's sake we thought it would be better if I gave him my phone # just in case something came up.

So now I was running all around the airport trying to find a way to receive a fax or to print the document which I needed. By the way, the airport is quite big and has four different terminals where you can check in. So I was at a different terminal and Adrial (the guy I had met) called me and said that I should come back because there were two police men who had seen something in my bag.... and then the phone cut off. So naturally I assumed that it would be best if I returned, so I picked up my backpack which I had with me and took off at a jog, but it still took me 5 minutes before I got back to where he was and when I was almost there Adrial was putting back all of his things in his suitcases so I immediately knew that they had searched his bags.

Once I arrived though the sheriff told me to put the bag there on the ground, and I obliged, but he then said “no, you're not listening to me. I said put it there pointing to a specific location on the ground.” It was at that point that I almost burst out laughing, but I was able to hold it in otherwise it would have been quite bad. So I moved my bag to where he pointed and stood up to see him with his hand on his holster, and I thought that this might be a bit worse than I thought. Even though I knew that it was just for the intimidation factor, it is still quite intimidating. So then he made me turn around and put my hands on the wall, and he stared searching me. He took everything out of my pockets and did a very through search. I was actually impressed at how well his search was, I don't think that I would have been able to hide anything on my body without him finding it had I wanted to.

After the body search, he took my documents and wrote down all of my information and then started asking questions such as if I had ever before been arrested, and where I was going... Continuing one of the sheriffs asked me why I was traveling with a machete, and whether I knew that it was illegal to travel with a machete in the airport. So I started to respond, wanting to tell him that it is not illegal but he kept on cutting me off. From there on out I don't really remember the details very well because I was way to fed up with them and just started to zone out.

Either way, a little while later an airport official came up and told the policemen that it was perfectly okay for me to be traveling with a machete and and knives as long as they were secure and in a checked bag. So at that point the policemen, were like O'hh, and then they started lose the intimidating facade and actually would let me answer them. So again they asked me when I was supposed to travel and I told them yesterday but that due to the bad organization of Spirit Air lines I had already spent the night at the airport, and that due to them I was about to miss my next flight and that I might have to spend the night there again. From there on out, it was obvious to see that they actually felt a bit bad. So they spoke to Adrial and I and said that a few hours is not enough time to be willing to leave your bags with some one and that if they wanted they could impose us with a hefty fine for being so naive and leaving our bags with strangers. One of the sheriffs told me “for all you know he could be a terrorist or a serial killer, and same goes for you, even though he is young he could be.... well point proven he's traveling with a machete in his backpack.”

Now that the whole ordeal was at an end, they let Adrial go and asked me what it was that I needed to be able to travel. So I told them the whole story. In the end they were actually quite helpful and were able to print out the document that I had been able to save to a flash drive earlier that morning. Additionally, they were able make up for the lost time by cutting to the front of the lines so that I didn't miss the flight again. On the way to the gate I struck up a conversation with the sheriff which was accompanying me. I started it by asking things about his job and then he asked me what year I was in and if I had a girl friend and what not. He was actually quite a friendly guy once he stopped playing the role of bad cop.

Now that I was at my gate I met Adrial again and he told me what happened to him before I arrived. He said that he woke up and was wandering around, but was still close to the bags but that the policemen must have thought that they were unattended luggage. So the sheriffs asked him if the luggage with the machete was his and he said no. They then asked him if he knew me and he also said no, because we had just met. Adrial then offered to call me and they then assumed that he had lied because if he had my phone # he must know me. So he called me. Afterwards he told me that the reason it cut off was because when he had said that there were two policemen they jumped on him, knocked the phone out of his hands and slammed him up against the wall. Supposedly he was not supposed to let me know that there were policemen there because it would give me a chance to escape. When I heard that it made me feel sorry for him, that all that happened to him just because he was around me. I guess that I am just not a goo one to be around when traveling.

Well that is it for the story with the policemen. Just to add to the irony of the trip and all of its difficulties, another thing just had to happen. So I am now on the plane down to Peru and I take a deep breath and think to myself, “few, it is all over now, no more worries.” Then when I arrive, going through immigration is fine and easy, and then comes baggage claim. So I'm waiting because it always takes some time and the airport in Lima. Well not this time, this time instead of just taking time, my bag flat out did not arrive!!! Yep, they had lost my bag. I was able to get my bag the next night, but that whole day I was stuck in shorts, a T-shirt and a jacket and I was quite a bit cold. At least everything is okay now, I have my bag, my health, my family and one heck of a story which I'll able to tell my children. Of course by then, due to exaggeration, it will probably be a S.W.A.T. team which came up to me at the airport, and I probably will have been living at the airport for a few months eating out of the trashcans.

Well I hope that you enjoyed the story of my little adventure and feel free to post comments laughing at me, many of my friends already have. Have a great summer everybody.

PS. if anybody wants my e-mail address here it is Loic1445f37@yahoo.com

Titles for Think Tank

How can I possibly tell anyone I belong to the S.H.I.T.T. Think Tank!!! How about the NNEATT Think Tank. "Nifty Nine Evolves Action Think Tank?

Kirby Dance Clearup!

So it seems that some people do not know what a Kirby dance is. Kirby is a pokemon character very popular in an Nintendo 64 video game called Super Smash Brothers. Reid has created a "keyed" version of what Kirby looks like.

Hi Everyone! Well, this is my first post on the blog. So, let's see what's new?

I'm very excited to go to Florida to see two wonderful cousins and a fantastic grandmother tomorrow. I've had a great visit with friends and family here in Boulder.

I spent a week in Utah with Dominique at the end of may. This photo is from that trip. Utah really messes with your sense of scale!

I love Ben's idea of having semi-regular discussions of interesting topics. I think that there are some great minds in our family. Thanks also to Ben for starting this blog. It's a great idea and I'll try to post more often.

Love you all!

Possible Names

So I figure the best way to gain respect right of the batt is to have a clever name, I believe it needs to involve an acronym, here are a few of my suggestions.
S.H.I.T.T - Socially Halcyon Insiders Think Tank (Halcyon means prosperous for those of you with small vocabs) - More suggestions will come.

THINK TANK CLUB STARTING, JOIN NOW

So I just spoke with Carlin and he agrees that it would be a blast to start a think tank. I have been busy lately thinking of ways to put our good brains to use, and have decided what better thing could we possible do than start a think tank? Our original members could be family and close friends, but hopefully it will branch out, and who knows, some day it may be as large as Toastmasters. I will be working on coming up with some names for us, I thought this could be the first topic, and our meeting will be sometime this weekend:

1) Using a commonly accepted and agreed upon economic forcast to benefit financially.
The goal would be to pull our brains together, figure out something about the future (how the election will affect things, whats going on with europe, and then put some money where our moths are, and set a timeline by which we will have expected our money to produce a return)

Or something along those lines. Other topics may include religion, politics (dangerous i know), different jobs, the importance of money, nature vs nurture, who knows, the opportunities are limitless, at the end of every meeting we will accept suggestions for next weeks topic.

Your's Truly

-Chairman

Kirby... DANCE!

<('-'<) ^('-'<) ^('-'^) (^'-')> (>'-')> CRAZY DANCE KIRBY! ~0('-')0~ GO NINJA! /0('-')0\

Garden news

Some of you may not know that Billy has planted a garden here at the Beach House. So far this spring we have had a good crop of carrots, all the Kale we can eat, lots of arugula, (sp?), and now many home-grown tomatoes. Less successful have been the squash and cantalope though we ate a few.

Another of the Nifty Nine will be joining us this Sunday when Carlin comes for a brief visit on his way to Peru. Loic will be done with school so the three Nifties should have a fun and relaxed time. I will hate to see them all leave on Wednesday. Gmama

Hello Importants - From Ben

"Knowledge Puffs up, but love Edifies" - the Bible. So I have decided to love knowledge, smart eh? Well I challenge anyone out there to take an IQ test, and let me know which one you take so that we can start a competition. I have purchased a few IQ test books and my current hobby is becoming the smartest person I know. Believe it or not your learning power and intelligence can increase just like your muscles can. Anyway, I think we should have a family IQ contest. But we'll really be unable to have a true comparison until we can have a neutral third party to watch over everyone and ensure honesty. Not to brag (but to brag) and for the sake of you people comparing yourselves, I got a 144, on this test a 140 and above puts you in the .4% - however, some tests test low and some tests test high, this one places you according to how you score versus other people. I have also been listening to books on tape that improve your vocabulary, I also now carry around 24/ a journal and a pocket dictionary, look out you word worms for Ben is coming!!! I have also purchased a book on riddles/puzzles of all kinds and I'll be posting them whenever I find a good one. Well thats all for now, LATERZ!!!

good news

Congratulations to Emilie and Carlin who have recently received additional honors to add to their growing list! Emilie was accepted into an all-expense-paid leadership training program which will be offered in multiple locations starting in the fall and Carlin was selected by U of R to be their candidate to try out for an entrepreneurial program in California.

Ben has undertaken an extremely heavy load (6 courses!) in summer school so that he can graduate in December. It's keeping him so busy that we're not hearing from him as often and that's the down side, but the up side is that so far he likes the courses and that helps. Hang in there Ben!

I have decided to call my grandchildren "The Nifty Nine". Truly, I know of no group of children in any family who are so outstanding in so many different ways. I know they will all be famous some day and maybe be the ones to salvage this tottering world. No brag, just fact. Gmama

Keep a good thought for Loic the next two days. He was up until 2:oo A.M. last night and got up at 4:00 A.M. working on a biology lab that was due today. He has much English homework for tonight so its not over yet. Thursday is the last day of school and he and Reid plan to go water skiing with friends that afternoon. Reid says to keep a good thought for Hillary Clinton who is now treading in deep water. Gmama and Reid.

Acrostic Poem to Reid

Best not to dwell on dismal themes
Even though they may fill your dreams.
Newly start each pristine day
On thoughts of joy and love and play.
Tis in your power and in your heart
On those around you to impart
Bright resolves to achieve high goals,
So life its richness can unfold.
Crave the things that long endure,
Use your great gifts good to secure.
Remember those who love you well,
Ever let the best that's in you prevail. Anonymous