Hinckley Blog

After three boring quarters, things finally got interesting when Utah drove 69 yards down the field for the first touchdown of the game and ate up more than 7min off the clock. That put Utah ahead 10 to 9. The BYU offense took over at their own 20 yard line with 1:30 left in the game. On the first play Hall was sacked and the next two downs were incomplete passes. That brought up 4th and and a very long 18. Hall took the snap from the shotgun, shuffled out of the pocket to his right and found Austin Collie all alone at midfield for a 49 yard pass. The stadium went wild! A few plays later, Harvey Unga (a freshman) ran 11 yards up the middle for the touchdown. That put BYU up by 5. But there was still too much time on the clock. If we made a two-point conversion, it would force Utah to get a touchdown and the PAT to tie the game. BYU takes a time out and then comes back for the two-point try. Once again Hall finds Collie, this time in the back of the end-zone for two points! Utah took the ball back and the last play was a desperate Hail-Mary to the endzone, but it wasn't enough. Time expired and the fans swarmed the field.



Jenni decided to fall asleep on the ride home rather than listen to the post-game show on KSL.

We're out of Provo. We packed all our stuff in the Uhaul and divided our things between 1485 and 1800 S. 1900 East. Now we're back in the room that has had an ambivalent closet/bedroom identity. But it's cool and dark and it's home. The next day, Jenni made 20 pounds of potatoes for the Koelliker Thanksgiving dinner. Believe it or not, we still have a lot left over.

And did I mention that Disney on Ice is doing HSM this weekend at the arena formerly known as the Delta Center? It's everywhere!

Coming home on Monday evening from Dinner with Dad, we decided to see if we could get stand-by tickets. The regular tickets were sold out but they assured us that all the stand-byes had been able to get in at previous performances. Waiting in line with us were the Bauman's, the Morgans, and a score of others. We were admitted to auditorium at 6:55 and excitedly took our seats. To say that the crowd was worked up would be an understatement - this was the biggest thing to happen at East High School in anyone's living memory!

And we were not disappointed. The production started off at a high-energy level and accelerated from there. No fewer than 100 students were in the cast, many of them dancing in the aisles of the auditorium. Mr. Green was at the keyboards, Annie Pulsipher (Y2) played Mrs. Darbus, Emily Lund (GP) played Sharpay, and Bill Christiansen played himself. By the time we reached the concluding megamix we knew we had been witnesses to something special! The only drawback was than our EHS graduates and their posterity were not all there to see it!

As JT said yesterday, "The stake so nice they named it twice." Yesterday was the end and beginning of an era in the church in NYC. President Belnap was released after ten years of serving. As he took the pulpit he said that ten years and two days ago he stood shocked, scared and speechless at the pulpit having just been sustained as the Stake president, and today he feels the same way, only added by an overwhelming gratitude for this opportunity he has had to serve. When he spoke he informed us of the growth he has been able to witness in the last ten years in the Manhattan Stake. Ten years ago there were 5 wards and four branches, now we have 12 wards and 2 branches. He's seen the area at its lowest low - 9/11 and its aftermath, and its highest high - dedicating a temple to the Lord. In the last ten years, the stake met and performed in Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and Carnegie Hall. He spoke about the ability to raise and have thriving active LDS families in the capital of the world. From uptown to downtown, Harlem to China-town, East-side to West-side, we are of one heart and one mind. The stake provides 1/3 of the temple workers, and has baptised several wards. All of this shows a deeper success of individuals and families rooting themselves to the gospel and "all has been for our good". Then he told us he wanted to bare his testimony one last time to us the languages of the stake. He then proceeded to bare his testimony in Spanish, Chinese, American Sign Language, and English. Then the choir sang "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing." I couldn't see if there was a string orchestra, but it sure sounded like angels were playing and singing.

The new Stake President is President David Buckner (Holly's bishop when she was here). He was the bishop for 6 1/2 years. His counsellors are Glade Holeman (our bishop recently released after 7 years) and Stu Hunt (also from our ward). We are so excited because we feel connected to all of them.

Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi was the visiting authority. He challenged the new stake presidency to do some amazing things -- such as, have stakes of Chinese and Spanish speakers and triple the number of temple recommends. Then he looked at the audience and said, "Am I crazy?" Everyone laughed and a nervous Pres. Buckner gave the thumbs up. Elder Kikuchi told us he envies the New Yorkers to live in this place at this time and carry on and strengthen the legacy here. He encouraged us to magnify our callings and never under estimate the good we can do.

Good things are in store.

As it turns out, live music is always a good idea. Jamin and I returned to Sanders Memorial Theater last night for the first time since March of 2000, when we sat stary-eyed on the mezzanine falling in love to the tune of Lori McKenna's "Fireflies." Last night we rode the T to Harvard Square, took a shortcut through the Yard, wandered through the lobby--past the memorials of Harvard students who lost their lives in battles like Bull Run, Antietam, and Gettysburg--and up the dark-wood staircase to our seats on the last row of the side balcony. But our restricted view didn't block any of the energy bouncing off the stage from the only opening act that I've ever witnessed receive a standing ovation--and an encore! The Carolina Chocolate Drops is a trio that sings and plays foot-stomping old-time African-American music of the rural South with a fiddle, banjo, guitar, harmonica, snare drum (of the fife and drum variety) and I kid you not, jug. When was the last time you saw anyone play the jug on stage and get a standing ovation for it? It was unbelievable. And that was just the opening act! By the time Crooked Still took the stage for their first hometown show since last November, well, let's just say, there ain't no grave gonna keep those people from dancing in the aisles.

As we rode the red line home, over the river with our glittering skyline flashing by through the train windows, we began to panic about filling up with enough live musical feasts like this one to last us after Boston flashes out of our daily reality . . .

Club Passim, anyone?

Here she is:

It's true that I was unable to celebrate my 60th birthday at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, but my 6-month long celebration began with completing my first full marathon on July 24. This was followed by visits to all eight of my grandchildren and their respective parents, a few days sightseeing in Boston compliments of Time Out Tours, marking the big day with dinner at the Harvard Club of New York, marking the big day after with tickets to Wizard, visiting with the JTs, running with the marathoners in Central Park. Yet to come is Christmas in the Poconos. So all in all I am having a great 6-0!

Pops, adding to A&J's brilliant birthday tribute, here are a few that I've been thinking about this week. Something to take you into the next decade.

61 Road trip with you and Spencer to Conference when President Benson was sustained - our first from Scottsdale to Salt Lake, and we made up stories about a man who drove a Porsche along the way

62 Minivan camping at Picacho Peak

63 Hiking in Canyon de Chelly

64 Running around Scottsdale Country Club golf course while you quizzed me the night before the AP American History test

65 Father's interviews in the big office in Ada with the French doors - just like the other people who came to interview with the Bishop!

66 Teton Crest trail and "four days in the blasted wilderness"

67 A dozen post-hike recitations of "Did you ever stand on the ledge..." and your eyes get red towards the end

68 Bottom of the Grand Canyon, pouring rain, broken water filters, and dumping out all the food bags to cook up silt 'n' mush, silt 'n' ramen, and silt 'n' hot chocolate. Drinking tadpole water to survive.

69 "PT! Fold your little arms, big ones if you got 'em."

70 Sunday night slide shows

71 Bedtime songs from boot camp at Ft. Ord: "A little bird (a little bird) with a yellow bill (a yellow bill)..."

72 Using touch-up paint on the inside of the blue Mercedes...sorry.

73 Indian Princesses

74 Paul Simon at Desert Sky Pavilion, January 1991

75 David Wilcox and Beth Nielsen Chapman in Boston, November 2002

Thanks for a million and one happy times! xoh

We have been sitting in Penn Station for nearly two hours, as our train remains at the Sunnyside Yard with mechanical difficulties. I have been responding to emails, working on a presentation, and ultimately had to find a place to plug in my laptop. But this is the bad news.

Here is the good news: this morning we went for a run in Manhattan, up Fifth Avenue to Central Park. There were a lot of runners out, but I didn't think much about it until I started running around the Reservoir - the crowds were thick, and the path often blocked by clusters of foreign-speaking runners posing for photographs with the lake and the NYC skyline in the background. Then it dawned on me - the Olympic trials are tomorrow and the New York City Marathon is Sunday! It was amazing. The crowds continued to grow, with groups as large as 50 running together with matching shirts. After being passed by several groups wearing blue vests reading "Italia" I finally said "chiao" to the next group, who responded with a cheerful "chiao!" Running with hundreds upon hundreds of marathoners here for the biggest marathon in the world (38,000 runners) was energizing, to say the least!

So here is hoping our train comes soon - or we can reticket to another train!