Desperately Seeking George.... George P. Lee

So for those of you who don't know, my dissertation research centers on the Mormon Church's Indian Placement Program, 1947-1996. I've done most my research and am just getting a few interviews and re-visiting a couple archival sources regarding the decline of the program in the 1970s and 1980s. One person I still need to find and interview is George P. Lee, the Navajo who was the poster child for the placement program, testified to Congress about its value, served as a mission president and then general authority (first Indian general authority) until his excommunication in the late 1980s. Nobody knows for sure why he was excommunicated--it could have been his remarks challenging the Church authorities and criticizing the phasing out of Indian programs, or it could have been the child molestation charges that later surfaced (along with his conviction). Regardless, he is a central player in the placement program history and I need to find him. Last I heard he was in Saint George. Does anybody know where I can fid him?

Why Quiznos Stinks

So I am cheap. Yup. One strategy to save cash while still eating out is to register with food places online, and then they send coupons and notices of great deals. I received this coupon from Quiznos yesterday. I printed it and took it into the store last night for dinner. The $4 torpedo sounds like a good deal, and two for $6 sounds like a great deal. However, the store refused to accept my coupon. They said it was a "copy" because it was printed in black and white. I explained that I have a black and white printer, and so all coupons I print are black & white. The cashier/night manager continued to make other excuses to explain why he could not take the coupon--they were all lame. I got angry, and maybe a little agressive. He told me to talk to the owner, but when I asked for his number he directed me to the corporate phone number printed on the glass (and when you call that number you cannot advance unless you have a recipt number). Then he threatened to call the owner, which I welcomed. Then he picked up the phone to call the police and told me I was trespassing.

So, the moral of the story... Dont go to Quiznos, and certainly dont assume that Quiznos will actually accept a coupon from Quiznos.

Swimming, the Zoo, and Memorial Day

A couple days ago Abby went swimming.
Jen and Abby went to the Phoenix Zoo with some friends.

Jen and Abby at Tempe Market Place. Abby wanted to climb into the fountain.
Below are a couple of videos.

Visiting Utah

So we're going back to Utah from Jun 12-20-ish. I received a small travel grant to fund some research and will spend some time reading microfiche and other materials in Provo and Salt Lake. We lined this trip up to fit with Amanda's (Abby's birth mom) wedding (Jun 13) and we'll see some old friends. So, old friends living in Utah, send me an email so we can catch up a little.

Playing with Abby

Fun with Abby in the Bath

A Couple Photos

Above Jen gets applause for her performance at her final concert of the year. The ASU Womens chorus with some percussion back up put on a great concert last week. The department thinks Jen did such a great job this year that they're inviting her back for an unprecedented second year of running the choir. They found a way to pull some funds and while everybody else at ASU is losing work Jen is so dang good they found a way to break the rules and keep her on board. Next year she'll do the same choir and get two assistants to help out.

Below our good friends Doug & Jessica pose during thier farewell party. They are moving to Michigan to pursue more education. Such is the monster that haunts many of our relationships. Isnt Doug good looking? I want to steal his face.

Water Storage

Its big. Its blue. Its official (and its ugly). We now have water storage.
We're trying to be good Mormons and keep our three month supply of food and two weeks of water. Well, we've got the water (still working on the food). We do have a 72 hour kit, so that should win us some more points, right? And in case you are wondering, a 55 gallon drum like this requires about 1.25 cups of household bleach to keep it clean, and it should be rotated every six months.