Personal
The Tale of The $30 Ping Pong Table
The year was 1999 and I worked as a low-level employee at the local K-Mart. I was a general handyman, doing everything from receiving to cart retrieval. It was a great job for a 16-year-old boy and it presented at least one very important opportunity. There was a floor display ping pong table in sporting goods…
Read MoreColorado Springs Family Adventure – Pikes Peak, Cheyenne Mtn. Zoo, Garden of the Gods
Our family recently was blessed to spend a few days with my in-laws in Colorado Springs. Even though we’ve lived in Colorado 12 years we’ve never done any of the tourist-like things that Colorado Springs offers. We are so very grateful to those in-laws who made the arrangements and showed us a great time. Garden…
Read MoreGoodbye Holly: The Eulogy for A Paulsen Family Dog
Holly’s beginning is uncertain. When we arrived at the dog shelter in Salt Lake on September 23rd, 2006 the employees told us she was appx 2 years old and had already been through 2 previous homes. Despite her rocky first years, she seemed sweet to us, and almost exactly 13 months after our marriage, we…
Read MoreDon’t Trust Bear Stats or Advice – 27 US Bear Attacks So Far This Year
I’m not a wildlife expert. I don’t work for some government research center. I’m just a guy who owns a firearm education and eCommerce business. I pay loose attention to news reports of bear attacks especially when a firearm is involved. That said, I think there is some misinformation out there and I’d like to…
Read MoreA Closer Look at My Personal Health & Fitness – Year 1
An annual check-in and look at my fitness and activity levels so I can be honest with myself about my health. This is my way of being accountable to myself by publishing these numbers publicly for all to see. Perhaps you may find some value as well.
Read MoreIf your house were about to burn down and you only had 5 minutes to grab something what would you grab?
It is an old exercise that I’ve seen a few times including in at least one major Hollywood movie. The idea is to force some inner analysis in thinking through what is really the most important in life. Seems like a valuable exercise but like most things, the theoretical exercise never measures up to the…
Read MoreOKC Changed My Life But It Can Also Heal Our Nation
This will be published on April 19th, 2021 exactly 26 years after the Oklahoma City Bombing. The lessons learned that day by our nation need to be refreshed and reshared. April 19th, 1995 at 9:02 am In April 1995 I was 11 years old. I have some memories of people referring to the “Oklahoma City…
Read MoreThe Perfect Yellowstone Vacation Plan
I grew up in southwestern Wyoming, only a few hours from Yellowstone but only visited a few times in my youth. I married a woman (also from southwestern Wyoming) whose family visited almost annually. Thus, Yellowstone trips are now part of our family culture and our kids hold us accountable to keep our commitment of…
Read MoreThe Dumbest Mistakes When Returning A Product To An Online Vendor
For the most part, it is a simple and routine part of my workload but there are some patterns I see from our customers that DRIVE ME NUTS. Below are some of those patterns distilled into some suggestions and advice that I wish my customers would read… but alas it would probably be a little rude to include the below in each package that goes out the door.
Read MoreTaking the Personal Device Solar Challenge
There are a lot of politically polarizing issues in our country but solar power is something almost everyone can get behind. You may not be ready to make the leap into residential solar and new age cars but here is a challenge that will get you started for less than $200.
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