Mohave County Jail Provides Merry Christmas for Local Couple

Here is this year's nomination for the Darwin award:

http://kingmandailyminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=28798

It's a Christmas miracle.

6 things I love about my wife (including but not limited to)

1. She is my moral compass, keeps me honest, and encourages me to take the high road.
2. Her Hands: Nobody has touched me with such care and gentleness. I love to see her do the same with my son.
3. She accomplishes so much for our family. Despite preschool, babysitting, caring for Colin, and the million other projects she has going on, she always finds time to make cookies.
4. I have never met a more honest person.
5. She forgives and forgets.
6. She is beautiful.

OUCH

At least he'll be ready for Baylor Law some day. The ability to take a beating with a smile on your face is an invaluable characteristic for BLS's.

Why Public Defenders Have a Short Lifespan

I appeared with my client at a Jury Trial Management Hearing today. I told my client that the State agreed to dismiss the charges against him if he agreed to return ownership of a car to its original owner without contesting title (he was charged with buying a stolen car having reason to know it was stolen). My client asserted his innocence from the beginning, and I actually believe him, but the car would have gone back to the original owner anyway. If the case had gone to trial, he was facing 10-35 years.

My client agreed to the dismissal and to relinquish any claim to valid title. Then he told me that he had no respect for me or confidence in me because he disagreed with the way we investigated the case on his behalf.

I guess it wasn't enough that our investigation raised enough doubt before trial to eliminate his exposure to prison completely. A simple "thank you" would have sufficed; saying nothing would have sufficed, too.

5 things about me...

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Filling up my (mom's) car for 86 cents a gallon
2. Turning in applications for college
3. Forking and barricading
4. Sluffing (skipping school, for you non-Utahns)
5. Loving my senior year of high school

5 things on my "to-do" list today:
1. make a cake (lemon with raspberry filling)
2. go to a baby shower
3. clean up the cake tornado
4. laundry
5. spend time with Dave and Colin

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. ice cream
2. popcorn
3. chocolate milk
4. summer fruit- cherries, strawberries, canteloupe, etc.
5. chips and queso

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. get a pedicure every week
2. pay off our mortgage
3. pay of Dave's student loans
4. pay for my brother's mission
5. buy lots of fun toys for Colin (and Dave!)

5 places I've lived:
1. Kingman, Arizona
2. Waco, Texas
3. Provo, Utah
4. West Jordan, Utah
5. Great Falls, Montana

5 jobs I've had:
1. teacher
2. loan processor
3. retail clerk
4. bank teller
5. image specialist

5 people I tag:
1. Savannah
2. Barb
3. Karin
4. Misty
5. Nichole

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you’ve answered the questions on your blog.

Calling all basketball players.

My office is trying to get together a city league basketball team for this winter. We are about 2 guys short of reaching a comfortable number in case of absences. So if any of you 1 0r 2 readers of my posts want to play or know someone who would like to play, please let me know in a comment. Come on, you know you want to play for the Kingman Jailblazers.

*Disclaimer: Michael "Air" Jordan is not affiliated in any way with the Kingman City Basketball League, nor is any person who can actually dunk affiliated with the Kingman Jailblazers.

Crooks!

Having associated with a lot of "alleged" crooks over the past 2 years, I have found that they can generally be lumped into 2 groups: 1) the kind that steal and you know they're stealing, and 2) the kind that steal and you don't realize it for a long time. I have decided that the second group is far worse primarily because the amount of scheming and deception is greater.

There is one group of "alleged" businessmen who, I always fear, are robbing me so well that I don't know it--mechanics.

About a week ago I heard a humming noise coming from the back of my car. It has 112,000 miles, so I figured some bearing must have gone out. I took it to the dealer. They kept the car over the weekend, did a "thorough" check, then told me what they found--both rear wheel bearings were bad ($95 x 2), both front spindles were bad ($425 x 2), and the alternator was bad ($250). They said the rear wheels would need 4 hours of labor, the front would need 4 hours of labor, and the alternator would need 2 hours of labor, all at $97/hour. A grand total of $2800 after tax.

I told the man that was too much for now and thanked him for his time. Fearing that they were up-selling me, I took my car to a mechanic/friend from church and told him what the dealer's shop said. He did his own inspection--yes, the rear wheel bearings were shot, but there was nothing wrong with the front spindles or the alternator. Instead of 4 hours for labor, the job could be done in 2.5. The final bill from my friend? $323, including parts and labor.

So, what category of crook does the dealer mechanic fall into?

Spaghetti, anyone?

Husband Tag

1. What is his name? David

2. Who eats more? I'm embarassed to say I usually eat just as much as he does

3. Who said, "I love you" first? He did

4. Who is taller? Corbett

5. Who is smarter? Dave has more eduation, but he can't find his keys without me, so you tell me.

6. Who is more sensitive? Ha. Definately me.

7. Who does the laundry? The laundry fairy (Cambrea)

8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do

9. Who pays the bills? Me again!

10. Who cooks more? I do, but Dave does help out with cooking every so often

11. Who is more stubborn? Umm, depends on the situation

12. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? I'm the one who initiates the post-disagreement discussion, but it's usually because I'm right and I can see the situation more clearly

13. Who has more siblings? Dave

14. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Dave, unless I have a come-apart, then he lets me have my way

15. What do you like to do together? Watch movies, play games

16. Who eats more sweets? Dave

17. Guilty Pleasures? (He's going to kill me) "The Hills"

18. How did you meet? He hung out with my roommmates occasionally and bided his time until he got the courage to take me on a date (see #19)

19. Who asked whom out first? I invited him to "hang out", and he brought a friend and turned it into a date

20. Who kissed who first? He kissed me

21. Who proposed? He did

22. His best features and qualities? His eyes, his cute little ears, and the way he takes care of me

23. Tag you’re it. Who do you tag? Karin, Tana, Corrine, and Emily (hint, hint, Em!)

Skills. You know, computer hacking skills, ninja skills...

17

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Sweet. Nursery has about 13 "there every Sunday" kids, and we'll be back up to 12 by next April, so I may come in handy!

Supai is fierce!

We made a backpacking expedition to Supai back in June. Supai is in the Grand Canyon, and you might remember that Dave and I spoke at the branch there last May. We thought Supai was so unique (one of those "last great places") that we wanted to have the experience of hiking down and out instead of taking the helicopter. So we loaded up and headed out with Dave's family.


(If you click on the picture, you won't have to look at such a tiny view and you'll be able to read all of my witty commentary.)

Supai is such an amazing place! If you ever get the chance to go, take it! You won't regret it.

Colin T. Corbett is a beauty shop guy

I was talking to my friend Tana on the phone the other day, and I stopped mid-sentence and started laughing at Colin. He found one of my combs that I use to brush his hair with sometimes, and he was over at the tub wetting the comb and then brushing his hair.



Over and over again. It was so funny! I was amazed that he thought to play this game all by himself. I didn't realize how much he paid attention when I brush his hair. I always wet the brush and then get to work, just like Colin imitated. It is so neat to see how much Colin learns from watching his mommy.


Colin is an equal-opportunity brusher: He even brushes his hair with his sand rake. (It makes sense if you think about it, a rake really does look like a comb.) Again, I was amazed at my little boy's reasoning skills. I know every mother thinks her baby is so smart, but I really am proud of Colin.


A side note about the scruffy monkey seen here: I do brush Colin's hair, but it's a hopeless cause. His hair is so fine and most of it is just like bird down! (When I wash his hair, the water just runs off it until I rub it in!) And then he has this long tuft of hair (just like his daddy did when he was little) that doesn't stay in place for more than a few minutes. But the beauty shop guy is getting his first hair cut tomorrow- I think he's going to enjoy it!


P.S. Two gold stars to the first person to name that obscure reference in the title!

The Color Code

My mom went to a training recently and they did some work with the Color Code, so she wanted all of her kids to take the test and see what we were. Turns out, I am 38% blue. What are you?

Take the test!

Blues (Motive: Intimacy) Blues are motivated by Intimacy. They seek to genuinely connect with others, and need to be understood and appreciated. Everything they do is quality-based. They are loyal friends, employers, and employees. Whatever or whomever they commit to is their sole (and soul) focus. They love to serve and give of themselves freely in order to nurture others' lives.

Blues have distinct preferences and have the most controlling personality. Their personal code of ethics is remarkably strong and they expect others to live honest, committed lives as well. They enjoy sharing meaningful moments in conversation as well as paying close attention to special life events (e.g. birthdays and anniversaries). blues are dependable, thoughtful, and analytical; but can also be self-righteous, worry-prone, and moody. They are "sainted pit-bulls" who never let go of something or someone once they are committed. When you deal with a BLUE, be sincere and make a genuine effort to understand and appreciate them.

You know who you are

The responsible parties had better step forward to identify themselves and what they've done; otherwise, we know who you are and what you've done!

Dishwasher Escapades

I really wasn't kidding about the dishwasher thing.

A post-Father's Day post

This year, Dave had to share his first Father's Day with my birthday. Dave invited a few of our friends over to celebrate my birthday, and we ate Father's Day/birthday cake. I got cake decorating tools for Mother's Day and for my birthday, so of course I had to practice my skills. This cake is my second attempt at cake decorating. I really want to make Colin a fabulous cake for his first birthday in a few weeks. I've started watching Ace of Cakes on the Food Network, and I am very inspired to make a magnificent creation. (That show is so great, it just might be my new favorite.) P.S. Dave was very gracious to share his day with me, but we agreed that when my birthday lands on Father's Day again in 2014, we each get our own day. I just like my birthday.

Swimmin' at Papa's

We went to Bakersfield, CA to visit Dave's dad and brother this weekend. The weather was great, so I was excited to take Colin swimming. This was his first swimming experience, and he loved it! Colin loves his bath, so it's no surprise he took to swimming.


It was so much fun to watch him figure out what to do with such deep water. Colin would actually splash his hands, kick his feet, and grunt trying to keep his head above water. (We were really holding him up, of course.) He would swim to Momma, and he made such a terrible face trying to keep his head up on the way over, that we were shocked when he would turn himself around to go back to Daddy. Over and over and over.


Needless to say, he slept very well that night.

My first appeal has been decided!

After close to two years of litigation, the case has finally come to a close. Here is an article about how things ended: Bystander to Wildlife Shooting Has Conviction Overturned or Another Article.

The person who pulled the trigger got no jail and close to $5000 in fines pursuant to a plea agreement. The two friends who were with him, and told him not to shoot, were sentenced to jail time. Mine went to trial and got 30 days jail and about $2600 in fines. The remaining co-defendant, who was supposed to be tried the next day, watched the trial and decided to take a plea for 10 days jail and fines. Because of the appeal, my client, thankfully, never served a day. The State dismissed the only charge remanded for new trial.

Is paint in the vegetable group?

Today I had a little helper sweeping my front porch, and I pulled my blinds up so I could keep my eye on him. It was killing Colin that there was a kid at our house and they couldn't play together! So Colin was glued to the front window, and as he pulled away, I noticed that he had something in his mouth. It was paint chips! Colin was so distraught that he gnawed the paint right off the wall. To be precise, he didn't just take off the paint, he chewed all the way through the plaster down to the metal corner rounder. Yum!

Happy 4th of July!

We're still around!

So things always seem to be busy, but lately they've seemed to be even more so. Colin is incredibly inquisitive these days, and he insists on opening all the cupboard doors and exploring what's inside. (I know we need to put child locks on all 15 of my kitchen cupboards; it's on the list!) Colin used to think it was funny when Mommy said "no", but now we're seeing the beginnings of a very strong personality who wants to do what he wants to do. So if Mommy won't let him in the cupboards, he'll just climb up on the dishwasher door. No kidding.

Colin and I went to Utah at the end of June while Dave was at a conference in Ohio, and the day after we got back we left to go camping in the Grand Canyon with Dave's family. Fun vacations, but I've just had trouble bouncing back since then. BUT- Slowly, but surely, I'm catching up. I've been trying to catch pictures of Colin's antics lately, but he has learned that the screen on the back of the camera is pretty neat (and also how to take the lens cover off) and so I've been getting a lot of this lately:


Colin has also been struggling cutting a tooth for almost 3 months now, and that darn thing will just not come through! He's becoming quite animated when it comes to discomfort or displeasure. He often growls when he falls down or when he doesn't like something!


I've also been busy teaching preschool and art camp this summer. Colin loves when the kids come over and stands at the window looking for them.


He has started imitating them lately; it's enough to make a momma/teacher proud!


Colin thinks that pointers and markers are pretty much the most fabulous things ever invented, and he carries them around the house all day. He has stashes of markers here and there around the house so he's never too far away!

Because I'm the mother, that's why!

While I was growing up, one of my mother's favorite sayings was "Because I'm the mother, that's why!" It was a very definitive end to any argument we could muster. Today, I have proof that mother does indeed know best. Remember when your mom told you not to run with a fork in your hand?


Well, she knew what she was talking about.


P.S. No, I don't know who this kid is- I got these pictures from a forward, but my e-mail wouldn't forward them right! I was so disappointed that I decided to blog it instead, because dang, Gina.

Now that's a brave ruling!

A judge in Tucson, AZ has excluded the results of Intoxilyzer 8000 tests in 49 DUI cases now pending in its court. This stems from the manfucturer's (CMI) refusal to disclose the source code for the breath tester. To reach this ruling, the Court found that the State could not establish the reliability of the breath test machine as a foundational requirement for its admission in evidence because the formulae it used to estimate blood alcohol concentration from breath alchohol concentration remains secret.

I have ranted about the device here: The Alcohol Breath Test

You can find an article about the ruling here: Article

CMI claims that the source code is protected by trade secrets law. This may be true. If they expect, however, that states use their device in criminal prosecutions, there must be transparency to assure just convictions and just acquittals. There should be no secrets in the criminal justice system.

There are two important results that will come of from releasing the source code: Either 1) courts will find that the device is reliable and can be trusted, or 2) courts will find that the device is unreliable and will force law enforcement agencies to replace them with something reliable. When the testing process is more reliable, more of the guilty will be convicted and more the innocent will be acquitted. Everybody wins.

April pictures of Colin

I know our blog has been seriously lacking lately. Sorry. I'll get on that soon.

March pictures of Colin

Virginia v. Moore

The Supreme Court just issued a new search and seizure opinion yesterday. The case deals with the conviction of a defendant for possession of crack cocaine. Moore was pulled over, and officers discovered that his license was suspended. In Virginia, driving on a suspended license (dosl) is a misdemeanor pushishable by up to 1 year in jail. Although a crime, Virginia state law forbids officers from making arrests for dosl; they are required to write citations and release suspects.

Regardless, the officers arrested Moore in violation of the law. A search incident to arrest revealed the crack, which led to a conviction. The Virginia Supreme reversed the probation on the grounds that a search incident to an illegal arrest is an illegal search that requires suppression of the evidence. The US Supreme Court has now reverse the state supreme court and held that the search was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment because the arrest would have been reasonable under federal law regardless of the state law restrictions.

Here is the problem that I have with the opinion: A police officer employed by a state agency only has those arrest powers specifically granted by that state. If the state tells the officer, you can only do A, B, and C, he has no authority to do D. This is particularly true when the state tells the officer, "We specifically forbid you from doing D." So if the officer actually does "D," he does so without lawful authority--he does so illegally. The state employed officer cannot borrow his actual authority from federal law. The Supreme Court has essentially said, "Since a federal agent would be allowed to do it, the state agent can exceed his lawful authority to arrest and subsequently search a suspect."

It just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The Supreme Court has justified the decision by saying it won't let state law, which may restrict state action more than the federal constitution, dictate federal constututional standards. That is a true, important policy. But in applying that rule, the Supreme Court has authorized state officers to exceed the limited authority given to them by their employers. It ignores the fact that the arrest was illegal at its inception.

I feel as if Pandora's box has been opened allowing for great erosion of civil liberties in criminal court.

Poe

If I ever get to go back to school to do graduate work in English, I think I'll become a Poe expert. I am not aware of anybody who was more talented in creating mood and emotion than Poe. I say this because Poe doesn't create emotion by describing it or by describing scenes in great detail; he creates the mood through the sounds of the words themselves. These lines from "The Raven" exemplify this quality perfectly with its groaning "o-r" sounds:

Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.

I recently rediscovered the poem "To M.L.S._" It reaches me for reasons I can't explain. This poem comes from a deeply depressed and troubled man, as you can tell from the picture above, who no doubt struggled constantly to unearth his "deep-buried faith." I especially enjoy his thoughts that his "grattitude Nearest resembles worship," where his worship in the traditional sense succombed to his drug addiction and depression.

Of all who hail thy presence as the morning-
Of all to whom thine absence is the night-
The blotting utterly from out high heaven
The sacred sun–of all who, weeping, bless thee
Hourly for hope–for life–ah! above all,
For the resurrection of deep-buried faith
In Truth–in Virtue–in Humanity-
Of all who, on Despair's unhallowed bed
Lying down to die, have suddenly arisen
At thy soft-murmured words, "Let there be light!"
At the soft-murmured words that were fulfilled
In the seraphic glancing of thine eyes-
Of all who owe thee most–whose gratitude
Nearest resembles worship–oh, remember
The truest–the most fervently devoted,
And think that these weak lines are written by him-
By him who, as he pens them, thrills to think
His spirit is communing with an angel's.

1847.

So glass chards from a 9 x 13 pan make a pile about yay big...

Colin has reached a new level of active boyhood. I put him in his high chair so he could watch me make dinner. I was sure to move his chair to a safe place not too close to the oven. Apparently I need to add "not to close to any counters" to my critera of safe places, because while I was gathering ingredients, Colin reached over and pulled my only surviving 9 x 13 pan onto the floor. Dave's only concern was whether we lost any coffee cake in the tragedy; you will be happy to hear that I had the last piece for lunch earlier that day. Crisis averted.

Pictures of Colin from February

It's a small, small world.

I spoke in Stake Conference this weekend and shared some stories about my grandfather's conversion and experiences in Rhodesia. After I spoke, the Stake President began his talk:

"The world isn't nearly as big as we sometimes think it is. It really is a small world. Thirty-eight years ago I was called to serve in the Johannesburg, South Africa mission. Soon after, I was assigned to the Salisbury, Rhodesia branch where I met President Corbett, shared many great experiences with him, and ate many meals at his home."

I couldn't believe it! This man from tiny Kingman, AZ met and interacted with my own grandfather in southern Africa. I was both astounded and extraordinarily jealous at the same time. One of these days I am going to make him sit down with me and tell me everything he remembers about my grandfather.

Play it again, Sam

So sad!

Our poor little Colin has been so sick this last week! He got a cold a week and a half ago, and just as I thought he was getting better, he started wheezing and had a really dry cough. I took him to the doctor and sure enough, he has bronchitis! So he's had a rough week. And he has such a mean mommy, as you can see, who won't hold him but instead mocks his pain by taking pictures of his sadness.

Happy birthday, Dave!

It was Dave's birthday last week, and we had a great time. We went to dinner, but left the baby with a friend. It was great to eat dinner at the same time instead of in shifts like we have been lately. Colin was all partied out and crashed as soon as we got home, but Dave and I enjoyed cherry "poke cake", Dave's favorite.


Dave's absolute favorite part about his birthday happened at the store. We made a quick stop for some ice cream on the way home, and...

Blue Bell ice cream! This stuff was seriously one of the best things about living in Texas. We haven't been able to find Blue Bell ice cream since we left the Promised Land. I think Dave about wet his pants. He seriously started pacing and jumping up and down right there in the freezer section. We paid almost $7 for a half gallon of ice cream, but it was definitely worth it. Yum yum.

FOUND!

To those of you who know MaLaan, never fear! I have found her long-lost sister!

Here's MaLaan with one of her cutie-patooties:



And here's her double:


She's on a billboard near my house. Uncanny, isn't it?