tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62606003614803800342024-02-18T19:58:55.175-07:00Ramblings of an LDS DadThe daily stories of my life and how my family help me work through it!
(In some circles this blog is referred to as "Ryan's Words of Brilliance".)Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-87622640656519156042016-01-04T21:15:00.002-07:002016-01-04T21:15:26.232-07:00How to build a backyard cob pizza oven: Lower Insulation Layers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We have built the base and created a ring to contain the insulation layer. This layer consists of glass bottles packed with wood chips covered in a clay slip. Clay slip is clay and water mixture the consistency of runny pancake batter. You take the slip and completely cover the wood chips. This process fireproofs them, cements the bottles in place and creates air pockets to trap the heat with. </div>
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We out a layer of the wood insulation down first to protect the bottles from breaking. Then we layered the bottles in packing the wood/clay mixture between them. <br />
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Once we got the first layer complete we added a second. This was a personal choice it is not required. I wanted to make sure I did everything I could to keep the heat in the oven. <br />
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Once we got both layers done we packed the whole thing in more wood chips. In all we used about 50 lbs of clay and half a bale of wood chips. </div>
Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-986333232463746872016-01-04T20:59:00.000-07:002016-01-04T20:59:14.384-07:00How to build a backyard cob pizza oven: Cooking Surface and clay dome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The cooking surface is one of the most important parts of your oven. If you get it wrong you will be fighting it for the life of the oven. After I created the ring and insulation layer I built the frame for my heat sink or thermal battery. This is a 4-5 inch thick slab or equal parts sand and clay. I wanted something that would hold heat and be solid. It does not look like it but this is actually level. </div>
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I filled the mold with the sand and clay mixture really working hard to pack it into the corners and crevasse. I am sorry I did not get a photo of it after we took the framing off. It took a week to 10 days for it to completely cure. In that process it did crack in a very minor way and dried in unevenly giving a slight wave to the cooking surface. I took a couple of bricks and used them like sand paper to smooth out the surface . <br />
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After I laid out the bricks. This is harder than it looks. There is an extensive chapter in the book telling you how to do it. It is best to read them practice. In these photos surface is very tight and level except for on corner that took me over an hour to get level. Then I was so frustrated I forgot to take a photo and just started to create the mold. </div>
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I wanted a brick archway so I created on. I used a couple of piece of OSB to make the mold.</div>
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We used mud and dirt to make the dome. I did this because it is what I had on hand. The book calls for sand to make the dome. I would use sand next time. It was much harder to get the dirt out once it had a week or two to dry out. </div>
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Once we got enough dirt to make the mold and fill in the doorway we started to shape the dome. I used a piece of scrap 2x4 and a bucket of water to keep the soil workable. <br />
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Them came the clay. I ended up doing this twice because my first batch had to little sand. You really want a 3 or 4 to 1 ratio sand to clay. This is also the most fun part of the process. The clay is wet and sticky and totally fun to play in. But do plan a cold shower with a garden hose before you are done to get the clean up process started. <br />
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After we got the clay mixed I covered the dome with wet newspaper. This is to create a barrier that you will recognize when removing the dirt from the inside of the dome. <br />
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The clay dome is important this is what will trap the heat and actually cook your food. It is also structurally what will hold the other layers of the oven. The book called for a 2-3 inch thick layer of clay. I actually did my 5-6 inches thick. I wanted to make sure there was significant thermal mass. You simply start at the bottom and start layering up around the paper covered mold. <br />
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The consistency of the material was very important. You had to make sure the sand and clay were completely mixed and there was not to much water or it would slump off. <br />
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<br />Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-46609529477307440882016-01-04T20:23:00.001-07:002016-01-04T20:23:32.660-07:00Compliments best not givenEveryone loves to get a compliment. That is unless it is a backhanded compliment meant to be an insult instead of uplifting. Those are not cool. But then there are compliments that are completely sincere but maybe would have been better left unsaid. Little kids are really good at these and sometimes inept adults too. Let me give you a few examples:<br />
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<li>"Your not in as bad as shape as I thought". Said the personal trainer to a friend of mine going in for their initial base line appointment. Is that the same as saying your not as fat as you looked or Wow I really expected you to have a worse body.</li>
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<li>"Your food does not taste bad." Said my child to the hostess who had us over for dinner and is not gifted in the kitchen. Her reply "Thats because I ordered out."</li>
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<li>Wow your not nearly as dumb as I expected. I have not ever used this but I would be lying if I said it had never crossed my mind.</li>
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I think that is enough. I don't want to dwell on the negative, just a passing acquaintance is damaging enough. However if you have more that is what the comments section is for.</div>
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<br />Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-69597667102642608072016-01-02T22:15:00.002-07:002016-01-02T22:15:52.518-07:00Family Photos...Who should be invitedThe new year has me starting down a new journey in my life. My oldest daughter has gone off to college met a boy and decided it would be a good idea to get married. I support this line of thinking and actually kind of like the boy. He is a real step up from other goof balls she has brought home over the years. In fact when she started dating I told her I would not like any boy she brought home. I did this so that when they broke up and she would spend days moping around the house I could say "I am sorry it didn't work out. You know I never like him anyway."<br />
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The wedding is for sometime next month, I am sure I will get informed of the day as we get closer to it. This new addition to our family has raised a question or two in my mind. Who gets to be in family photos? I have learned over the years from sad experience with single family members that when we get together as a family they always insisted on their boyfriend or girlfriend being in the photo. Then things would not work out and several years later we would be looking at pictures and say "who is that person?" Oh that was Uncle Eddies flavor of the week. From this I learned and have had a rule with my kids that once you get married then spouses can be in the photo. But not until, and being engaged does not count. <br />
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In due time I am sure that little people will be added to this mix and my wife says that they have to be allowed in the photos...even if they are crying. I actually agree with that. But here is another question if we take a series of family photos, can I have one of all my kids and grand kids and have those have married people step out? Or take a photo with everyone and have my kids spouses step out one at a time in case things don't work out and we can still have a family photos from the event. <br />
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As I was typing this my son came and looked over my shoulder and said "Dad you are over thinking this. Have you ever heard of photo shop? You can just take them out of the photo and add anything you want in. In fact could we Photoshop in some abs so you look like Dwayne Johnson that would be epic." <br />
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At least its good to know they are thinking outside of the box and trying to make their old man look good. <br />
<br />Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-10036752119617035142016-01-02T20:55:00.000-07:002016-01-02T20:55:29.699-07:00How to build a backyard pizza oven: Materials and Specifications <br />
I have read and seen lots of posts about going out and digging your own clay. Going to the beach and collecting sand. Then scavenging construction sights looking for old pieces of concrete. Looking for a free way to do this was not my goal I was more interested in finding consistent building materials.<br />
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I took the Home Depot and Lowes approach. I did do some scrounging for the base. I wanted an oven that would have a cooking surface about waste high. Something I could add a table or bench to if I liked the original product. This is what I did from the ground up. <br />
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I had my two teenage sons dig the foundation. Our frost level is 18 inches down we dug down about 20 inches. For the foundation we went to a local farm a friend of mine runs and collected broken pieces of concrete. There are more details on the post dedicated to the foundation. <br />
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For the base we spent several months camping in the hills around Boise and into Oregon collecting a variety of stones. I used the extra concrete chunks to fill the center and mortar to secure the stones. There is also a post on that as well. <br />
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The ring I used to contain the insulation I made out of concrete. The molds was made of wire and 1/8 inch press board that cost me $10.00 at Lowes. I cut it to fit the the concrete so we could level the top of the ring. It was not a consistant thickness but the top was level. I am unsure what if any effect this will have on the final outcome. <br />
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We filled the ring with beer bottles I got donated from the local tavern and I used fire clay mixed with water and used it to cover wood chips. I bought the clay at Potters Center in Boise (<a href="http://www.potterscenter.com/">http://www.potterscenter.com/</a>) for $25.00 for 100 lbs. For the entire oven I ended up 400 lbs give or take. I used a bale of pine wood shavings used as animal bedding I got from a local feed and seed for $10.00 or so. There is more on this in the lower insulation layer post.<br />
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For the cooking surface I created a 4 inch thick slab of a 1 to 1 sand and clay mixture. This created a thermal battery to store heat and a solid level to put the bricks on. I created a mold of dirt on the bricks in the form of the oven. The book said to use sand however I did not have any. <br />
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For the thermal dense layer of the dome I used a 2 to 1 sand clay mixture. This was not enough sand and cracked terribly. I ended up taking it apart and rebuilding it I then added more sand the 2nd time so it was closer to 3 to 1 mixture. It still cracked a little but not nearly as much. More on this in the dome construction post. I also reinforced my with chicken wire so if it it did crack it would not fall apart. <br />
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The outer insulation layer was similar to the lower level with a combination of wood shavings and clay water mixture called slip. I covered it with chicken wire so the final plaster layer would have something to stick to.<br />
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The outer layer was a 3 to 1 sand clay mixture with one part straw shavings for strength and 4 cups wheat past binder. <br />
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Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-54555547794989071772016-01-02T20:52:00.000-07:002016-01-02T20:52:38.560-07:00How to build a back yard pizza oven: Base/Pedestal Construction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One of the goals of pedestal was to try and make it look like natural rock just stacked on top of each other. I did not want any concrete or mortar visible. I accomplished this to a degree by using large rocks on the outside of the pedestal and with smaller pieces and concrete filling the inside. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZnLBlI8K5JK_XdSQk_xJxGib0UInrTLUfgXTiWZ9OPcC1eIftW9D3wmTT6jZUpLvuhXHk3aes9Qjqu98XBxqqtnCEWY-G8MFX9pxnjHIquwfcWLk43M7ZGheNDxobcfIynGXdK2gbeKi/s1600/IMG_1372+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZnLBlI8K5JK_XdSQk_xJxGib0UInrTLUfgXTiWZ9OPcC1eIftW9D3wmTT6jZUpLvuhXHk3aes9Qjqu98XBxqqtnCEWY-G8MFX9pxnjHIquwfcWLk43M7ZGheNDxobcfIynGXdK2gbeKi/s320/IMG_1372+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We started with the foundation to make sure the pedestal would sit upright and not shift over time. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other nice thing about all the concrete in the inside where you cant see it is that is does not have to be pretty. I let my kids take this part of the project on. Just make sure you have lots of mortar where you need it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqwFEQeSAMGjra-NG4KQmCnva0NM_GvfdbuN5w38u-qrTn7CUcUSSBZf8s3nEYFoD6JibL4WK6Pfah1IiQJfc31KRSusIClqnY7VyvpBhS7b8qaRM4RD86O9l0fP4ENvTSPr4YB34ki4V/s1600/IMG_1384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqwFEQeSAMGjra-NG4KQmCnva0NM_GvfdbuN5w38u-qrTn7CUcUSSBZf8s3nEYFoD6JibL4WK6Pfah1IiQJfc31KRSusIClqnY7VyvpBhS7b8qaRM4RD86O9l0fP4ENvTSPr4YB34ki4V/s320/IMG_1384.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We tried to cover the foundation completely. We layed the rocks in a circle trying different ones until it was basically level and the gaps between the rocks were small and manageable. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k3Qe69TPT3p551pWW0kLMGmDQmsDIpwR-cdFJYm7QEZ_K7cJsC7IFBxiXkTBtZyEDQH6QyickaQZyrBRJ4BvP30rgKOlC_2cQnI8klI4BzpsSsGLWpKPUlenCS4PCdeyBPYp2aS8l9_W/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k3Qe69TPT3p551pWW0kLMGmDQmsDIpwR-cdFJYm7QEZ_K7cJsC7IFBxiXkTBtZyEDQH6QyickaQZyrBRJ4BvP30rgKOlC_2cQnI8klI4BzpsSsGLWpKPUlenCS4PCdeyBPYp2aS8l9_W/s320/IMG_1382.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We filled the center with gravel, concrete and rocks that were not nice enough to be visible for the pedestal. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We layered mortar and concrete with each layer of rock to insure it was stable and not going to move. We used a total of eight 90 pound bags of mortar for the pedestal.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We layered the gravel into the cracks them filled them over with mortar. We tried to use the same methods we used in the foundation so it would be stable. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want to note that we did not use dirt. We only used rock. Dirt wicks moisture from the ground and will cause issues with the clay. It also settles more than rock does. By using various sizes of rock we created a moisture gap and and mad the entire structure more stable.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kids commented that this was a real life game of tetris trying to get the rocks all to fit. There was lots of trial and error to get them to work. Once we cover them in concrete going back and changing things gets significantly more difficult. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the second layer of rock.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the 3rd layer after we got the fill gravel put in place.</td></tr>
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Here are a few shots of the completed portion. The top is not perfectly level but close. I expected that and have a plan to correct it in the next phase. <br />
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My other reason for having a pedestal this high is so that I will be able to cook at waste level. I did not want to have to kneel on the ground to cook pizza. </div>
<br />Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-29221318650105691262016-01-02T20:25:00.001-07:002016-01-02T20:25:56.290-07:00How to build a backyard Pizza Oven: Foundation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
When we started this project the location was very important for the simple reason we were literally setting it in stone. I wanted a spot next to the back door but my wife wanted something a bit further from the house. I picked a spot under two willow trees that offered some shade and a bit of natural shelter. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclgJR1gRb2W5nj4JfXBDZFrXF6gDsHGQtjUR05XaI2G8F7BlnLPS2Uu7QkZCbu6YKJeh0Mm_hWpuutnkwLp7Q5wgVNKKscy75s6Ie9AdJXkBE-OfYW07cCkNGwv1UxJKSVxRKIjImsWNQ/s1600/IMG_1357+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclgJR1gRb2W5nj4JfXBDZFrXF6gDsHGQtjUR05XaI2G8F7BlnLPS2Uu7QkZCbu6YKJeh0Mm_hWpuutnkwLp7Q5wgVNKKscy75s6Ie9AdJXkBE-OfYW07cCkNGwv1UxJKSVxRKIjImsWNQ/s320/IMG_1357+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ground before we started digging.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spot was about 50 feet from the house and left lots of room to expand this project or have a place for people to sit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my Harmon who with his brothers help dug the foundation hole,</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhNicrNa-KEcwSoNtpTJltv7pIiaXqe-p5unj4BA47kgyBsIAnqHQUCmg4yOnP0a3COFZmS2xzYi42gnT_G89cAgXtkba-hCbxxGGQH8OFVJggiSOmhPGTXliJbyDSEYlAMNcTR-Y4Fgl/s1600/IMG_1361+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhNicrNa-KEcwSoNtpTJltv7pIiaXqe-p5unj4BA47kgyBsIAnqHQUCmg4yOnP0a3COFZmS2xzYi42gnT_G89cAgXtkba-hCbxxGGQH8OFVJggiSOmhPGTXliJbyDSEYlAMNcTR-Y4Fgl/s320/IMG_1361+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our frost line is 18 inches on a severe winter. I had the boys dig the hole to 20-22 inches deep. We made sure the botton of the hole was level.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOo8e-QXTniR25g71Mt6P_Zc1SJlh0IHVsIk6gZzoMaZR4dr_aZR62fQMwcCbyHm52bERAPH1R8R8ho-yKjWPewLasd6wBTMyc4TyW7HgkuG96SAxn7FqJFVIgVQDM7BtlH6qzdHiicjVy/s1600/IMG_1365+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOo8e-QXTniR25g71Mt6P_Zc1SJlh0IHVsIk6gZzoMaZR4dr_aZR62fQMwcCbyHm52bERAPH1R8R8ho-yKjWPewLasd6wBTMyc4TyW7HgkuG96SAxn7FqJFVIgVQDM7BtlH6qzdHiicjVy/s320/IMG_1365+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We filled the hole with broken pieces of concrete. This did a couple of things. One I knew they would be strong enough to hold the weight and two they were uniform in thickness and relatively easy to work with.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We layered the rock on top of each other trying to make sure the gaps were covered. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Between each lyer we added gravel to fill the holes in the cracks.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPei-PL5lYfFe_S6MafbEuHO8TdX8DxC7sDfrJ92G4rRcBjSqhyiicywHYzNljScYcc2fJK4_RlPjsjOxY0kRFNZgN8d3e5OjEsP8tKkBhRs9EhdiQwDdSBwDvyRc01NMK81gUaAL_88h/s1600/IMG_1369+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPei-PL5lYfFe_S6MafbEuHO8TdX8DxC7sDfrJ92G4rRcBjSqhyiicywHYzNljScYcc2fJK4_RlPjsjOxY0kRFNZgN8d3e5OjEsP8tKkBhRs9EhdiQwDdSBwDvyRc01NMK81gUaAL_88h/s320/IMG_1369+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iZWM_dWdIJv4CKhgI6LCegUK17u6qpRSQWpMWW95C0bDn7dGmAtKWzT2_8fMiMI0luYb2tHgq7pbyeTFxWmmrfmvlp_kk3Ygf5ihmYNGGuU_VHyZ4xCbATM0dYxxAnCAKAaKjQ1qQkFt/s1600/IMG_1371+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iZWM_dWdIJv4CKhgI6LCegUK17u6qpRSQWpMWW95C0bDn7dGmAtKWzT2_8fMiMI0luYb2tHgq7pbyeTFxWmmrfmvlp_kk3Ygf5ihmYNGGuU_VHyZ4xCbATM0dYxxAnCAKAaKjQ1qQkFt/s320/IMG_1371+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once it was complete it sat about an inch above the grass line. Putting the 3/4 minus crushed rock between the larger chunks of concrete really stabilized the whole thing. There was no movement when we were finished,</td></tr>
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<br />Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-2986305146201127132015-08-16T14:46:00.001-06:002016-01-04T21:16:00.213-07:00How to build a backyard pizza ovenIt all started last summer. I saw a link to things you could do to raise your property values. One of these was to add an outdoor cob pizza oven to your yard. This really spoke to me not because I was eager to raise my property values but I believe there are two perfect foods in the world: Pizza and Hamburgers. These are two very simple culinary items that if done correctly are amazing but if done incorrectly (refer to McDonalds and Pizza Hut) destroy any resemblance to good eats. Anything I could personally do to improve my pizza making abilities would be considered a gift to all mankind and make me the coolest dad ever on pizza night. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQllc1lFz0hAs0B9wuzM7fVP0RK-f3f-BXugn6CJbfmBf3rIFgHecM3WfZaSNr84Z6_vvm0G5xMFZo4cKIE5y9QshLAzkHE37xpyzoR1MiMRWcyEb5-Ig9O6JPv7HqXeQVZXd281YbMeGS/s1600/IMG_2207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQllc1lFz0hAs0B9wuzM7fVP0RK-f3f-BXugn6CJbfmBf3rIFgHecM3WfZaSNr84Z6_vvm0G5xMFZo4cKIE5y9QshLAzkHE37xpyzoR1MiMRWcyEb5-Ig9O6JPv7HqXeQVZXd281YbMeGS/s320/IMG_2207.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza oven after I added the first layer of plaster. The final product will have a blue or gray plaster per the Wife's request.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The creation of the oven started well before we started to dig a foundation hole. I read a single blog post and thought I new enough to start building. I went back to find that same blog and could not so I read others. The more I read the more I learned how little I knew. I watched youtube videos that seemed to contradict each other. My wonderful and supportive wife gave me the instructions that she did not want some "ghetto duct tape creation" in our backyard. In order to help me accomplish this she bought me a book that is considered the go to source for this kind of project. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/096798467X/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=45090073597&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4485228374421919531&hvpone=13.58&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_fkhrnz6m0_b" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-nv-IQbztgqF1yXGGX0dDUDTEAUhU28fzuz2u4OHnDLQ075ihYUOomBCsPOHfJUxLWtEZj0eBaFhAeB3e6dJQqnCe_lpUjarcmrCBJMEyiIA6-0QHTt5ixOyhSAsqpWDGC3ufKkyRbvZ/s320/51i3dT8ffNL._SX356_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This book answered all my questions and gave me step by step instructions. After reading it I realized that most of the videos and online instructions were watered down versions of this book. If you have a desire to build a cob or mud oven the first step should be to buy and read this book. <br />
<br />
I wanted to create step by step blog record for anyone who was interested in taking on this type of project. I thought that multiple posts would be more effective than a single huge post with dozens of photos. <br />
<br />
Here are the additional links:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://randrj2.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-build-backyard-pizza-oven_52.html" target="_blank">Foundation</a><br />
<a href="http://randrj2.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-build-back-yard-pizza-oven.html" target="_blank">Stone Pedestal Construction</a><br />
<a href="http://randrj2.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-build-backyard-cob-pizza-oven_4.html" target="_blank">Lower Insulation Layers</a><br />
<a href="http://randrj2.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-build-backyard-cob-pizza-oven.html" target="_blank">Cooking Surface and clay dome</a><br />
Removing the molding soil<br />
Upper Insulation layer<br />
Outer plaster layer<br />
<a href="http://randrj2.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-build-backyard-pizza-oven.html" target="_blank">Materials and Specifications</a><br />
<br />Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-8974008031906787632014-03-21T21:57:00.002-06:002014-03-21T22:04:21.023-06:00Awkward and AwesomeAwesome: Going to a Brazilin BBQ place and getting to eat all you want of 14 different cuts and types of meat .<br />
Awkward: Having my kids roll me to the car.<br />
<br />
Awesome: Writing a post in jest about how to get the church calling you want.<br />
Awkward: Having ward members come up to you at church and sincerely ask for pointers on how to get a calling I did not mention in my post.<br />
<br />
Awesome: Ice Cream<br />
Awkward: Still being to full from dinner to eat anything and trying to figure out the best way to consume ice cream anyway. I might have a problem that could warrant and intervention.<br />
<br />
Awesome: I figured out my ice cream dilemma<br />
Awkward: It involved a blender and me drinking from a turkey baster. I really need to consider that intervention.<br />
<br />
Awesome: We have been getting the whole family up at 6:00 in the morning to read scriptures for the past 4 weeks.<br />
Awkward: One of my children wants to know if we have learned enough and when they will be able to start sleeping in again.<br />
<br />
Awesome: People have sent me requests where to mail their cats.<br />
Awkward: To find out the humane society wont drop ship cats to in state or out of state locations.<br />
Really Awkward: Trying to explain how some cats should be sent by ground and to make sure to cover the air holes. Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-40605514448116444462014-03-20T12:33:00.001-06:002014-03-20T12:33:43.966-06:00Surprising the things people want to read about<a href="http://randrj2.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-rest-of-storyhow-to-get-removed-by.html">In my last post I discussed how a person was removed from sacrament meeting by the police</a>. It was a once in a lifetime experience I honestly do not wish to go through again. In the first 24 hours after I posted that entry there were over 500 unique visitors to my blog. I am just a small time blogger and on a really good day I might have 40-50 people review a post. So having 10 times that was kind of cool and a bit shocking. Who are these people and where did they come from? How in the world did they find my blog? I have had 15 followers with no additions for over a year. I speak to a few people in my ward and get notes from family about certain posts. I sometimes call the Bishopric and let them know I am going to make their life easier <a href="http://randrj2.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-best-way-to-campaign-for-new-church.html">by telling people how to get callings</a>.<br />
<br />
But with a single day of almost %1000 more hits I am now wondering if I should start to seek world domination via the Internet. It should not take long to be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. The only problems I see with this plan is I don't have that many great stories to publish or know how to write software. I am now going to try something different and probably more realistic. I would like to double the number of followers I have on my blog. This is where you come in and help. You need to<a href="https://www.google.com/friendconnect/signin/home?st=e%3DAOG8GaD%252FqLmAHglxgJk306Bnpb0ut58s01osPCC18i48VQ6MNLYdQGXB1UjANJQmYkpRcTCBW4Bb%252Btbx9BTZEm4e4ph5Wkn2oW9UlvUF2Qveg9B4r6DnVp52IbUzozASFFOglSytPvaeuJ%252F9jdRnIf6hWqQkTrCIHhgbaTyfMAO5Z1XyB3288fEhJzaYOInUABLws6YJeNcIHT3PQdW8kr9eXusc%252BCAmMLISGLVepTY5ovO6Df0DTkpO2JO5TrXnVoGs9kvDvIgnrp8QhtX0%252BL4Yi1a4AxuX8w%253D%253D%26c%3Dpeoplesense&psinvite=&subscribeOnSignin=1"> sign up as a follower on my blog</a>. You will get the following benefits:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>By following my blog you will be able to have a photo of yourself at the bottom of my home page under the title "Stalkers." This might be unnerving for a few of you but for most I have a feeling you will be right at home.</li>
<li>When I do write a post that will give me world domination of the Internet I will be kind to those who new me before I hit it big. This could mean you will get actually a <a href="http://randrj2.blogspot.com/2014/01/christmas-cards-and-costco.html">signed Christmas Cards</a> instead of the mass produced ones I will have my minions make for me.</li>
<li>I have changed the settings on my blog so you don't receive emails from me whenever I make a post. I want followers but I don't want to spam them. That seems kind of counter productive.</li>
<li>My sister has 34 follower and it is a point of contention that she has more. She has admitted my blog is better in every way but still does not understand why more people don't follow it. </li>
<li>I will give you candy.</li>
<li>If you don't want candy I have a van down by the river with puppies in it you could see.</li>
<li>My blog will tell you how to get super powers and use them for good or evil depending on your mood. </li>
<li>You will be in the know when people talk about my blog around the drinking fountain at church. You will be able to say "I was one of the first 30 people who followed his blog. I cant tell you the many ways his writing has changed my life...some of them even for the better."</li>
<li>We have a special introductory offer if you sign up now you only have to pay 8% tithing for the rest of year!</li>
<li>We will mail a free kitten to the person of your choice with every new follower. If you like the person we will overnight the box and cut air holes in it. If you don't like them we will skip the air holes and send it by ground. </li>
</ol>
<div>
You have benefits before you all you need to do is <a href="https://www.google.com/friendconnect/signin/home?st=e%3DAOG8GaD%252FqLmAHglxgJk306Bnpb0ut58s01osPCC18i48VQ6MNLYdQGXB1UjANJQmYkpRcTCBW4Bb%252Btbx9BTZEm4e4ph5Wkn2oW9UlvUF2Qveg9B4r6DnVp52IbUzozASFFOglSytPvaeuJ%252F9jdRnIf6hWqQkTrCIHhgbaTyfMAO5Z1XyB3288fEhJzaYOInUABLws6YJeNcIHT3PQdW8kr9eXusc%252BCAmMLISGLVepTY5ovO6Df0DTkpO2JO5TrXnVoGs9kvDvIgnrp8QhtX0%252BL4Yi1a4AxuX8w%253D%253D%26c%3Dpeoplesense&psinvite=&subscribeOnSignin=1">Click to become one of the cool kids</a>. Come on everyone is doing it. </div>
Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-2562654780506422872014-03-18T15:37:00.004-06:002014-03-18T15:37:32.342-06:00The rest of the story...how to get removed by the police from sacrement meeting<div class="yiv552278878msonormal" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.142857551574707px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have had several facebook requests explaining my last blog post. So here it is.</span></div>
<div class="yiv552278878msonormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.142857551574707px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">About 6 years ago we were having a normal Fast Sunday with sacrament meeting getting ready to start.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>I noticed a sister who was less than active and usually had some issue with somebody in the ward walk in.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>She had not actually been in the church for about a year so this was a bit odd.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>To be fair and without breaking confidences she and I had a really rough history. For example, she got arrested for beating her grandson<span style="outline: none;"> </span>(this is public record) and I visited her in jail and <i>might</i> have said she looked good in <b><i><span style="color: orange;">orange</span></i></b>.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>(Refer to yesterdays post item #10.)<span style="outline: none;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv552278878msonormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.142857551574707px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; outline: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span>Back to <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1305666475_0" style="cursor: pointer; outline: none;">Sacrament meeting.</span></span> The first part of the service went as normal songs, prayers and passing of the sacrament.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>I was conducting and right after I opened it up to testimonies and she rushed [more like power walked] to the front and was the first speaker.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>She said something to the affect of I need to warn you about our bishopric; and then went on a 10 minute rampage of how we had done her wrong.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>She covered everything from threatening us bodily harm to, being refused church welfare, me destroying her family and threatening to excommunicate her.<span style="outline: none;"> </span><span style="outline: none;"> </span>There was some obvious thought and premeditation in her actions and the timing was also not coincidental because she was moving to Portland later that week.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>At some point of time she quit speaking to the congregation and started to speak to us by turning and looking at us but making sure to use the microphone.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>She then closed in some fashion and power walked out of the chapel.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>A couple of brothers followed her out.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>(This is really the g-rated version of what happened.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>Imagine the worst possible things you could say at this moment of time and you are pretty close to where she was.)</span></div>
<div class="yiv552278878msonormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.142857551574707px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; outline: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We all just sat there kind of dumb founded…this was not covered in any training the Stake had offered. There was no spirit in the room, people were crying, kids were asking parents what just happened…not a good place to be, at that specific moment in time.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>I got up and said that we had just seen a great example of what we should never do sacrament meeting.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>Some of the things she had said were true, however most of them were blatant falsehoods.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>I then turned the time to my one counselor whom she did not attack personally.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>He recommended that we start the meeting over with a new hymn and prayer, which we did.<span style="outline: none;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv552278878msonormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.142857551574707px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; outline: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>But,</i> the fun did not stop there.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>Once this sister was out in the foyer, she kept her tirade going. One of the sisters with her children in the foyer was really upset and called the police.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>During the 2nd opening prayer the RS President came and pulled me off of the stand and let me know what was going on.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>I grabbed the brothers that followed her out and told them to keep tabs on this situation and asked them to help try to salvage as much of sacrament meeting as we could.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>I was back on the stand when the police arrived.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>This disruptive sister saw them pull up so she ran back into the chapel and tried to hide by sitting in the middle of the congregation.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>The sheriff’s deputies very quietly came in and asked her to come with them.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>The members in the foyer gave their report to an officer and he escorted her off of the property and said she could not come back without written permission.<span style="outline: none;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And now I have a story that tops every other Bishop when we get into the “you would not believe what happened in my ward last Sunday" mode of storytelling.<span style="outline: none;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv552278878msonormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.142857551574707px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; outline: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="outline: none;"></span>Then to top things off, I mean the <i>icing on the cake</i>, she called me and wanted help moving later that week.<span style="outline: none;"> </span>I personally <i>did not</i> go, but we did help her move out of the ward.<span style="outline: none;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Note to self: Fast and testimony meeting is NOT open mic night...or is it?</span></div>
Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-50965915205371139012014-03-15T23:00:00.002-06:002014-03-15T23:00:45.299-06:00Things I learned as BishopI posted this list on my blog several years ago and it came up in conversation recently. I thought I would post it again several of these were reinforced in the past few months as scoutmaster. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Young men consider throwing knives at each others feet and
appropriate activity to pass the time.</li>
<li>Some members consider "Book of Mormon stories" a
racist song.</li>
<li>You cant give sisters the priesthood even when they ask for
it.</li>
<li>Letting people know they are getting a new calling or
released usually goes better if they know before it is announced sacrement meeting.</li>
<li>It is always a good idea to have a plan B when the youth are
in charge of cooking on a camp out.</li>
<li>Girls camp different than boys. When an small animal is found they run
screaming away from it. Boys run
screaming towards it with clubs and knives drawn.</li>
<li>When giving approval to the young men to build a fire, size,
location and fuel all need to be specified.</li>
<li>The most memorable combined activities involve the police
showing up with guns drawn.</li>
<li>Its better to confess your own transgressions than those of other
ward members.</li>
<li>When people are in your office crying, laughter is not
always the best medicine.</li>
<li>You know fast and testimony has gone horribly wrong when the
police show up and remove people.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-68085650830554004362014-03-14T08:06:00.000-06:002014-03-14T12:12:45.640-06:00Why did they do that? Why did I do that?I often sit back and watch people and wonder what were they thinking? I also look at old photos of myself and say what was I thinking? This applies to fashion, some of the people I dated, some of the things that I did...and lived through. In the 13th section of the Doctrine and Covenants it says one of the blessings of the Aaronic Priesthood is the administering of angels. The older I get the more I am convinced that these are guardian angels whose sole job is to keep teenage boys alive. I do not know a single adult man that does not have a story where they should have been killed as a teenager. I am not talking doing heroic types of things to save others. Oh know I am talking doing really stupid things because in a teenage boys brain the laws of physics, good judgment and common sense simply don't exist. There are entire websites and TV shows devoted to capturing these moments on film for posterity. It is not my goal to encourage this behavior but I would like to give parents home that you are not alone. All of the following examples are things that I was either a witness to, participated in or had a 2nd person verify they are true.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>This one is a favorite. One of my cousins who went to a predominantly Hispanic populated school (over 80% Mexican) on career day dressed up as a border patrol officer. I was told he got called to the principles office and sent home. It might have been because his brother was also dressed up as an illegal alien.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>I was with a family member who was working in an apple orchard and this really low (a couple of hundred yards off the ground) flying military transport plane flew over head on a training flight. They had done this 6-7 times that morning and he got tired of it so he got out his 22 rifle and put 4-5 shots into the plane. It immediately started to climb and it was not 20 minutes and there were police, military cars the works crawling all over that hill. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>While was on a camp out as a boy one of the older scout wanted to show me how pine pitch (sap) burned really well and was a great fire starter. So he walked over to a tree and lit some of it on fire. Of course it was on the tree, it sent the whole tree up in flames. 2 hours later we got the fire under control.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>While on a scout outing as boy our Scoutmaster set up a zip line with a hand held pulley. We climbed the hill side and spent hours sliding down this rope. There was a small pine sapling that was in front of the large tree the rope was tide to at the bottom of the run. We would hit this sapling every time we came down the rope. One of the scouts got tired of it so he cut it down. Our Scoutmaster said you should probably not do that. The scout made some comment about killing a live tree and kept cutting. He ran to the top of the zip line and came flying down and smacked hard into the tree the line was tied to. Our scoutmaster chose that spot because the sapling acted like a brake. As the scout laid on the ground hurt and bleeding the scoutmaster sat there drinking hot chocolate and said you probably should not have cut that tree down. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>When I was in the 5th grade we had a Saturday afternoon BBQ. The food was done and I wanted to cook marshmallows. However the fire was not hot enough so I took a gallon of gas and dumped a bunch on the hot coals. It started to smoke heavily so I tossed in a match. The fumes exploded and I got burned really bad. My face started to blister and my parents called the ambulance. I woke up in the hospital a few hours later. I was in face and chest bandages for weeks. I also got to miss the last 6 weeks of school that year.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>When I was a kid on my grandparents Dairy they had a bull that was so mean they bolted a metal plate to his horns to cover his eyes so he had to lift his head to see. This prevented him from charging and made him safer to be around. My uncle (with children) told us not to mess with the bull. My uncle (with no children) showed us how to run up to the bull beat on the metal plate and run. He was very clear that you don't run in a straight line you have to zigzag or all 2000 pounds of angry bull will tear you apart. </li>
</ul>
These are just a few items that I am aware of there are many more that I will take to my grave and my children shall never hear of. I don't want them trying to duplicate what I did. I want them to come up with their own unique ways of doing stupid things. It is really part of growing up. Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-50908169920766675292014-03-13T08:13:00.000-06:002014-03-18T15:50:00.753-06:00The best way to campaign for a new church callingThere are 2 schools of thought when it comes to getting a new calling.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>I want released from my current calling because I don't like it.</li>
<li>I want a specific calling because I like it and it is really easy for me. </li>
</ol>
<br />
When I served as Bishop there was a sister that came to me about every 3-4 months and let me know that her calling was not working out for her. We discussed it and it always came down to the same conversation. She wanted this other calling that she had held for years previously that was easy for her and would require much less effort than she was currently having to put forth. We discussed it and as a general rule she left the office with her original calling and a little bit disappointed. She would then spend the next few months coming up with new and varied reasons why she should have the other calling. The funny thing about this was if she would have put the same effort into her calling that she spent trying to get out of it she would have been amazing.<br />
<br />
I have thought about a multi staged approach to get the calling that you want. In most cases a direct approach to the Bishop and state that you want to be X does not work. However in there are a few cases where this is exactly what you should do for instance nursery leader, scouting anything or ward mission leader. I often refer to these as run for cover callings. They take a very specific person to do well and in most cases that person knows who they are. Then there are callings that people want because there is not a lot of return and report involved. Ward magazine rep, bulletin boards, ride coordinator, assistant to the assistant of anything these are jobs that are given in special or limited ability circumstances. So trying to get one is usually pretty tough. <br />
<br />
Now if you want to be a Sunday school teacher or primary teacher they are much easier to get. For a couple of reasons. The first being there are lots of positions to fill and 2nd there is a high level of turnover. Understanding the organization chart is key. You don't go to the Bishop or his counselors and straight up ask. You go to the primary president or Sunday school president and volunteer to be a substitute. Then the next week you go to their counselors and do the same. Then you go to the teachers in these organization and find the one that is gone a lot and volunteer to substitute for them. This process should take about a month. You will get to sub a few times and your face becomes familiar to them in this position.<br />
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The next step you need to get the Bishopric involved but not directly. It is a little known secret that Bishopric does not have any friends. This is because everyone is either mad at them or afraid to talk to them because you might become the next nursery leader. So invite one of them over for dinner or Family Home Evening. Make sure you teach the lesson so they can see your amazing teaching skills and talk about how much you loved serving as a primary or Sunday school teacher. Make sure to include a couple of inspirational stories from previous experience.<br />
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Now the stage is set for phase 3 you need to start slacking off in your current calling. Nobody wants to make a change if you are doing well. So let your performance slide just enough to get the job done but not enough to exclude be considered for something else. However if you are a scouting anything or nursery leader you pretty much have to lose a child before you will get released. So plan a hike in an area where you know search and rescue are very active.<br />
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Stage 4 this is the kicker. Find the ward clerk and executive secretary and let them know through casual conversation that you are experiencing burn out and would really like a change of pace. They attend bishopric meeting and when your name gets submitted by the primary presidency for a teacher. The Bishopric will talk about your amazing teaching abilities and your past experience. Then the ward clerk and executive secretary will weigh in and let them know how you are looking for a change. Boom you have a new calling.<br />
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Now the only kicker to this is that whole revelation thing. The Bishop has it and Heavenly Father has a sense of humor. You might get exactly what you want sort of. You will get called to the Primary just like you want except it wont be in the nice 8-9 year old class it will be in the demon possessed 4 year old class with 15 kids and no assistant teacher. You got what you asked for now you get to live with it. So before you go down this path you might want to consider that new experiences and a calling you are currently in would be amazing if you forgot yourself and went to work. Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-87821317463857844452014-03-12T10:38:00.001-06:002014-03-12T10:38:48.366-06:00Is it wrong to hold someone accountable for their job?I had an experience earlier this month that reminded me why people should really love what they do for work. I have been blessed over the course of my lifetime to have some really cool jobs. I make it a point to only take jobs with flexible schedules, a fair amount of travel and long term goals. This gives you the opportunity to integrate your job into your lifestyle and be successful at both. Having proper balance is something that I truly believe in. I really enjoy what I do now as a high school recruiter for a tech college and love to see the positive change in kids lives when they get an education. <br />
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The other day I was at my sons middle school getting some information to get my him started in track. I was picking him up to take him to the doctor to get a physical. I asked the person at the front desk for a copy of the physical forms. She said "they are online." I said "I am going to the doctor now could you please print them." She said "this is not my computer.". I said "I can wait." She said "I cant leave the front desk but you could go home and print them." I said "I don't have time could you send one of your student aids to get the documents that this note from your office says I need to pick up at the front desk (I then showed her the note)." She was visibly put off by this. She said "the doctors offices have copies of the forms." I said "are you 100% sure of that to the point if they don't you or the school would be willing to pay for a follow up appoint if they don't?" She did not answer that question then she stood up walked 5 steps to a shelf and dug through a file and produced a copy of the documents I needed. I was completely calm during this exchange and made it a point to make sure my body language and tone where clear this was her problem. Mainly because her office sent home the note with the instructions on it. If I did not have the note I would have backed down in the beginning.<br />
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I am not sure how to take this. I have 3 lines of thought. The first, I am a rude jerk and should have just gone home to print out the papers online and been late for the doctors appointment. Two the lady at the desk was really out of her element and did not know what to do and going to that file was a hail Mary that paid off. Three she was used to dealing with middle school aged kids and is never called to task and able to deflect what should be done on a regular basis. Whatever the case may be I got the paperwork, It has caused me to reflect and in the future I think I will call the school to verify the notes they send home are actually accurate. Or maybe just be nice and go home and print the papers out there. What do you think I should have done?<br />
Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-77610593752044003192014-03-11T06:00:00.000-06:002014-03-11T06:00:08.923-06:00Have you ever done something that seemed like a good idea at the time?Have you ever done something that seemed like a good idea at the time? Then you get far enough into it that you realize, "Hey. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea?" Let me give you a few examples of what I am talking about:<br />
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<li>"Let's pull an all-nighter". In what world is this fun? I have stayed up all night with friends and it is a great time until about 2:00am then it tends to unravel. That does not even take into consideration the total waste of the next day. It never fails on family outings, scout camps, or any other youth gathering someone will recommend it and someone else will try to join in. Ya good luck with that.</li>
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<li>Lets do a 25 day blog challenge. It was fun for about 4 days after that it was like someone was scratching fingernails on the chalkboard of my soul. Not a squeak with a piece of chalk but a long, slow scratch that never seemed to end. The one we just completed was especially bad because it required a YouTube video everyday. Not a lot of room to comment on something like that.</li>
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<li>You should go on a 50 mile hike. I love scouting. I love camping. But the whole 50 mile hike thing I have never been able to wrap my head around. Why would you walk 50 miles for the purpose of walking? I have been a scout leader going on 12 years and have never done one of these. I have gone 50 miles by canoe, raft, bike, car, and sailboat, but never on foot. I will be doing my first this summer because someone in the troop wants to. What exactly was I thinking when I agreed to this?</li>
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<li> Let's put tile in the bathroom and we can do it ourselves. Well lucky for me I no longer own that house. Tile is a lot harder than it looks to lay down. The bathroom looked good when we were done except for that one loose tile in the middle of the floor that everyone steps on. I realized I was in over my head about the time I tore the vinyl floor out and was committed to put something new down.</li>
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<li>Lets make napalm. What could go wrong there? Without going into too many details it did actually work and it was completely awesome and I will never give out the recipe and I realize I used "and" 4 times in this sentence. However, when we lit it off we didn't consider the size of the fireball, the black smoke, or the secondary fire. All in all we are lucky no one died or was hurt. But the incoming tide washed away all of the evidence by morning. </li>
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<li>Posting online that you have made napalm. Who will find out? Not my kids because they never read my blog. However some of their friend's parents do so I am sure someone will sell me out. Just for the record I was 23 when I did it so it was safe and I was a responsible adult.</li>
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<li>Eating Balut. Lets take a fertilized duck egg, incubate it for 13-19 days, boil it then eat it. Who comes up with this stuff? And who in the heck thought it was a good idea to eat it? The first time I puked. After that it got easier. In fact I got to where I actually enjoyed them. It has been a solid 20 years since I have tried and I don't see myself going back after all of these years.</li>
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<li> Blue eye shadow and big hair. You know who you are and you know what you have done. Don't make me breakout the 1980's yearbooks. Luckily I have never fallen into this category. </li>
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Everyone has regrets over doing some not-so-smart things in their life. I would much prefer to have a regret of doing something that did not work out verses staying locked in my house with the shades drawn all the time living in fear of what could go wrong. If you never go out and try the 50 mile hike you will never know what you have been missing (or haven't as the case may be). I have eaten all the parts of the animal you are supposed to throw away. After eating them it would be OK for you to take my word it is better to throw them away. Not every part of a chicken tastes good.</div>
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<br />Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-36846635221612793442014-03-10T08:59:00.000-06:002014-03-10T08:59:42.556-06:00Day 25: A song you could listen to all day without getting tired of There is no such thing as a song you can listen to all day long and never get tired of it. I do know what I am tired of is writing blog posts about songs. Dang this 25 days seemed to drag on for ever. Now I get to write about other items. I have a list:<br />
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<li>How to behave badly in sacrament meeting and blame it on your children.</li>
<li>The best way to campaign for a new calling. I am going to make buttons and posters.</li>
<li>Bucket list</li>
<li>Is it a requirement to rearrange furniture every year or so? I say no my wife says yes and I generally lose.. </li>
<li>he countless ways my blog is better than my sisters. I am up to 4 and still counting</li>
<li>Great quotes I hear camping with the scouts...I will give you a dollar if you eat that...</li>
<li>Coming up with names for my power tools</li>
<li>Yard work projects do we really need to mow the lawn</li>
<li>Carpet stains, every stain is a story</li>
<li>Fun things we find lost in our couch</li>
<li>Rock Chucks and Whistle pigs hibernation ends soon the hunt will be on.</li>
<li>The great tortilla wars corn vs flour</li>
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Oh and there is a song I could listen to all day. But not the same version. If there were just one song it would be Under Pressure. Here are a couple of my favorite arrangements. <br />
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Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-57645162973910086912014-03-09T06:00:00.000-06:002014-03-09T06:00:01.890-06:00Day 24: A song that you have danced to with your best friendIn high school we made it a point to go to every stake dance we possibly could. My kids have carried that tradition and arrange their lives around going to dances. In fact my daughter just drove 500 miles to go to a dance to see some boy named Bingo. I am not sure what his real name is but that is what I call him. Why do I call him Bingo, because Sparkey, Goofball, Lonestar, Loserboy and Rico have all been taken. But I digress. One of the most fun dances I ever went to was a new years dance in Seattle. I had friends from Oregon come visit, I had friends from Washington there and it was just a great time. One of the songs that stuck in my mind from that dance was Tainted Love my Soft Cell. I danced with this girls named Corey that I thought I liked turns out I didn't but it was still a fun dance. I would not call her my best friend but it was one of the best dances I ever went to.<br />
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I just watched this video for the first time ever. It is probably a good thing I have never seen it before because video is lets call it an area of opportunity. Lame would be another word.Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-22963774517274884022014-03-08T06:00:00.000-07:002014-03-08T06:00:06.270-07:00Day 23: A song that you cannot stand listening to<br />
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This one is easy there are two. Whenever they come on the radio I change the station. Usually with my kids yelling at me the whole time. Then I refer to the music rules of the car:<br />
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#1: The driver gets to determine the music.<br />
#2 If the owner of the car is not the driver he can override the driver. (IE: Dad tells the 16 year old he is changing the station)<br />
#3: If you have any questions refer to rules 1 and 2<br />
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These have been handy over the years and like a good recipe or craftsman skill they have also been handed down from one generation to the next. The true wisdom in these rules not being fully understood by the younger generation until they become the older generation. These rules are also the reason as a general rule I dont like to be a passenger and prefer to drive my own car. <br />
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Owl City: Fireflies</div>
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Imagine Dragons: Radioactive<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ktvTqknDobU" width="500"></iframe>Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-25510788592532561812014-03-07T06:00:00.000-07:002014-03-07T06:00:01.640-07:00Day 22: A song that someone has sung to youI get this one sung to me like clock work every March 31.<br />
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<br /><iframe width="500" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1iP9mCM0ZyM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-29836744826052757672014-03-06T06:00:00.000-07:002014-03-06T06:00:06.544-07:00Day 21: Your favorite SongI have mentally been done doing the blog challenge about 10 days ago however I made a commitment to finish. I have noticed the quality of the posts have gone down hill significantly in that time. By far the most popular post was the post how I dumped a girlfriend with a tape. Oh and it turns out she does read my blog. Oops my bad. You can see that blast from the past<a href="http://randrj2.blogspot.com/2014/02/day-2-song-that-reminds-you-of-your.html"> here </a>in case you missed it.<br />
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I currently don't have a favorite song. I have had several over the course of my lifetime. But one song that seemed to stay at the top of my favorite list for about 3 years (2 of that was on my mission while I was in pop culture outer darkness) was a classic (I hate using that word it makes me feel old) by the 80's hair metal band Def Leppard the song was Pour Some Sugar on mMe. Which at the time my mother hated because of the content. I told her the music in her day had the same content. Then we went down the path with that conversation every parent has with their kids about music in their generation verses the current generation. blah blah blah Then I had a stroke of genius I found a song with the same content from her generation. Yes in 1969 The Archies put out the song Sugar Sugar and behold 2 generations were now officially linked. I pointed this out to my Mom and she said they were totally different. So I will let you decided here are both videos for your listening pleasure.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/h9nE2spOw_o" width="480"></iframe><br />Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-52409316745223957712014-03-05T06:00:00.000-07:002014-03-05T06:00:11.015-07:00Day 20: The last song alphabetically on your iPodThis song came out my senior year in high school and had a really stupid video. However the performance at the grammys was significantly better. But I could not find that viedo so you are stuck with the original. The last song on my play list is by Billy Joel We didn't stat the fire.<br />
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<br /><iframe width="480" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eFTLKWw542g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-71159883215354234032014-03-04T06:00:00.001-07:002014-03-04T06:00:01.940-07:00Day 19: The first song on my Ipod The first song on my play list is actually Amazing Grace by Il Dvo but I listed that in a post a couple of days ago. The next song is by Pink off of her Playhouse Album Ave Mary A.<br />
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<br /><iframe width="480" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WQVaq7P01Y0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-40743591539930533232014-03-03T06:00:00.000-07:002014-03-03T06:00:01.934-07:00Day 18: A song that you love but rarely listen toMost of the songs that I rarely listen to are songs that I loved when I was younger and have since learned the meaning to all the words. Hence I dont listen to them anymore. Ignorance really is bliss. I try to shoot for bliss on a daily basis and frankly hit it more often than I would like to admit. <br />
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Other songs I really loved and then played them to death so I don't love them anymore. I might even have negative feelings towards a few of them. With iTunes if I have a song I like it is really easy to just add it to my phone and be able to play it whenever I want. But I heard this song on a campout a few months ago when of the other leaders had it on his Ipod and I thought I needed to buy it, however I completely forgot about it until right now. The song is Iko Iko.<br />
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<br />Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6260600361480380034.post-47379733863069876762014-03-02T06:00:00.000-07:002014-03-02T06:00:04.355-07:00Day 17: A song that makes you want to danceThere is a lot of great music now but not much of it makes wants me to get up and shake my money maker. However when I hear this song I do tend to move more than I normally would. I think the founders of rock and roll figured out.<br />
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Chubby Checker The Twist<br />
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I think part of my feelings towards this song come from when I was little. My mom taught us how to twist in the living room. We could not quite get it so she gave us each a towel and told us to pretend we were polishing our behind and low and behold we learned the twist. Good times...Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572153132602092408noreply@blogger.com0