On December 27, I flew to Mexico City with my dad and brother Adam for a six-day vacation, and we fit a lot of great experiences in! Here are a few photos:

<– Adam on Pyramid of the Sun (MUCH bigger than I expected! Awesome!!) with the Pyramid of the Moon in the background at Teotihuacan.

–> walking up the steep stairs up the Pyramid of the Sun.

<– Adam and I at a taco stand in Amecameca. We LOVE the atmosphere in Mexico and enjoyed walking around downtown at night.

–> Inside the Amecameca cathedral. With two 17,000′+ volcanoes towering over the city, think of Amecameca as Mecca for alpine pilgrims.

<– We left the trailhead at 5:22 a.m. and 13,000′ feet above sea level. An hour or two later, the sun rose and showed Popo behind us as we made our way up the steep, rocky trail up Iztaccihuatl. The Popo half of this national park is closed since it’s an active volcano. It had a major eruption a month earlier. I was kinda wishing we’d get to witness that again!

<– Dad’s school. Looks fantastic.

We went to mass next to a 600 year old cathedral and welcomed in 2012 with the family of the pension owner where we stayed. Great people! All very nice. ^ note the Mayan calendar t-shirt.

I caught the bus back up to the DF and flew home the next day.

December book sales doubled November’s record and I finally earned more as an author than as a university writing teacher (yay!). I expected sales to drop off after the Christmas season (14% of all 2010 book sales came in December, for example), but so far that’s not the case and January looks much better than last month so far. I’m hoping this trend continues! I would love to write full time and crank out three or four titles per year!

Last month I set up a system for readers of the Courage, Love and the Meaning of Christmas series to be notified as soon as book 3 (A Fall from Heaven) is ready – just send an email to heaven @ shaunroundy .com).

Ever since, as readers have signed up, they’ve also been sharing a lot of nice things about their experience with the series so far. Knowing how eagerly (and sometimes impatiently) they’re waiting for the rest of the story greatly increases the priority of getting that last book finished – though I’m still working out a few key revelations that will ensure that it’s the best of the three.

Since people rarely post to public places like Amazon reviews, I’ll share a few of the comments here (anonymously – I hope they won’t mind!).

This Christmas my favorite reads were by far your series with Spencer and Ski. I would definitely like to be notified when A Fall From Heaven is released in Kindle version. Please add me to list of people waiting patiently (or should I say impatiently) for the sequel!
“Fabulous writing…”

“PS I love your other books. You are an amazing writer!”

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I’m nearly finished grading for the semester. Only half a dozen or so late papers left. Yay! I have so much I can’t wait to get working on and finish up. Anyway, the class “final” was a two-ish page paper explaining what each student learned this semester. Research shows that such reflection cements their learning even better.

For several reasons, this has been my favorite paper to grade: they’re short, they’re well written, they’re enthusiastic and personal, they report significant learning and progress in writing abilities (which is evident in their final research papers), and for the most part, they’re highly complimentary of the course and the instructor.

Now comes the part that explains this blog post’s title. Convention dictates that you shouldn’t brag. It says you shouldn’t think too highly of yourself, and if you happen to think you’re a fairly quality person, then you’d better hide it so no one mistakes that for pride.

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Every day is a new beginning. Every morning, the sun rises over the eastern horizon and chases the day across the sky. As it goes, the current moment swallows the future, chews it quickly, and spits it out as the past. Every second is a new beginning and ending all wrapped up together in one narrow slice of forever. Every steady tick of the clock opens and closes doors and windows, taking the infinite “possible” and transforming it to immutable “history.”

I’ve watched beginnings and endings for a very long time. I wrote an entire book about them – they made an unavoidable subtheme in the account of my first spontaneous trip to Taiwan and China as I moved from place to place, with people and places continually appearing in my life before falling away behind the steady march of time like watching railroad ties fade away from a train’s caboose.

Today marked a new ending for me. Today was the last day of class for another semester. My work has only begun with the five-inch pile of papers stacked on my dining room table, but the faces of my students that I recall smiling, laughing, listening and speaking won’t return.

As always, this has been an enjoyable semester. We not only had a good time, but I’ve seen an impressive amount of progress in my student’s writing. We successfully accomplished our objectives. I had to get on their case once about putting in more effort and following the steps I had taught, but they rose to the occasion and impressed me with high-quality writing immediately after.

At the beginning of the semester, the majority of the students admitted to not liking writing much. I asked why and got the expected answers: it’s hard, it’s time consuming, grading is often ambiguous, and it often seems boring and pointless.

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Looking for a Christmas book list? Then check out eclecticbookscatalog.com.

In the spirit of “Shop Locally” and “Buy Made in America,” this is a list assembled by authors and connected fans with suggested “safe” clean reads. Some are Christmas related while others just make good gifts.

Enjoy!

Hot off the University of Life Press, two brand new books by Dr. Phillip Buster arrive just in time for the Republican primaries and next year’s elections! These books clarify and confirm what you always suspected…and as you may have guessed, there is not a single word between the book covers, making these books the perfect gag gift or coffee table book for your favorite political junkie or adversary!

The book comes in two forms:

Everything Democrats know about Government
Available from:
1. Amazon.com @ http://amzn.to/democratbook – like it and leave a funny review!
2. Direct from the printer
3. Amazon Kindle @ http://amzn.to/democratkindle
4. BUY 5 GET 1 FREE from UofLIFE.com:

Everything Republicans know about Government
Available from:
1. Amazon.com @ http://amzn.to/republicanbook – like it and leave your funny review!
2. Direct from the printer
3. Amazon Kindle @ http://amzn.to/republicankindle
4. BUY 5 GET 1 FREE from UofLIFE.com:

Each version clearly and concisely explains Democrat or Republican logic & values regarding:

- The Economy
- Social Issues
- Foreign Policy
- Energy Policy
- Environmental Policy
- Ethics

A comprehensive historical timeline reveals significant contributions each party has made to America’s past and present greatness.

From the back cover:

“Brilliant!” – Fox News

“Says it all. An ideal political reference guide.” – The Washington Post

“Dr. Buster’s impeccable reasoning and direct style result in perfect clarity and outstanding readability.” – The Wall Street Journal

[Everything Republicans know...has reviews from The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and USA Today]

At last – complex politics made simple! Written for novice Democrats or Republicans who want to better understand their political rivals, this insightful and succinct overview accurately summarizes the logic, wisdom and values behind Democratic viewpoints on:
- The Ecomony
- Social Issues
- Foreign Policy
- Energy Policy
- Environmental Issues
- Ethics

A comprehensive historical timeline outlines major Democratic contributions to America’s past and current greatness.

About the Author

More and more, I’m getting excited about the possibility of leaving the country indefinitely. As I’ve investigated various options, here’s my current ideal plan:

1. Cruise ship from Florida to Spain. The best rates go for about $700 right before and after spring semester finals. If my students really come along, we could spend part of the 7-9 days studying creative writing (which some want to learn) and we could write and publish a book about our trip so anyone can follow us later.

2. Once in Spain, we might as well take a $40 ferry to Morocco and spend a day or two, just to add another continent to the itinerary.

3. Maybe catch Barcelona for a couple days, just to check out Sagrada Familia cathedral and the bizarrely awesome Parque Guel. Plus hike up to a dilapidated Roman castle above any old town.

4. For sure stop in Paris for a while. And maybe Germany where I have three friends and relatives I could stay with…though probably not if we’re a large group. If students really come along and “hire” me as their tour guide, I’ll spend as long as they want anywhere they want to go!

5. Make our way to Moscow and catch the Transiberian railroad all the way over to Irkutsk. While living in Beijing way back when, Transiberian tickets went for $113 and I really, really wanted to go. But I was quickly running out of money saved up from working in Taiwan and had a return ticket home through Hong Kong. Now is my chance!

6. It’s also my chance to spend a few days riding horses in Mongolia and staying in yurts (gors), another activity I missed in Beijing and promised to return for someday.

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It has been a very slow year for technical rescues in Utah County. I think today’s was only the fourth! We usually have at least 3x that.

In this photo (click to zoom in), I’m the top left bright green dot. A girl fell 30′ and tumbled another 60′, and luckily stopped on a steep scree slope just down and right from me. You might call that a miracle.

She had serious injuries (but is expected to be okay) and no one knew exactly where she was. Her boyfriend, who had earlier hiked down the trail, got worried and borrowed a cell phone to call 911. The people who lent him the phone hiked up and, when the wind was blowing toward them, heard her screams. She had probably been there for an hour or two before they found her and tried to keep her warm while waiting for SAR and North Fork Fire to arrive. She was found high on the mountainside and far from any trails. Another miracle.

We set up 6 lowering stations to bring her down, including one I built with five pitons set in tiny cracks in the cliff just above her with water flowing over them. The operation went smoothly (of course), and a waiting Life Flight helicopter flew her away.

Maybe you’re thinking that none of these events are really miracles. It was just people doing small things. Like lending a cell phone. The bystanders who found the girl were hiking in the area anyway. SAR and NFF have rescued dozens of people along that stretch of mountain, and we consider it simple and easy. But that’s how most miracles come about, with just people, usually doing just small things.

If you were thinking these are no miracles, try looking at it from another angle, like the girl’s, who lay in pain for hours and who now recovers safely in a warm, soft hospital bed rather than dying on cold, hard rocks.

Now look around. Who do you see who needs a miracle? What small thing can you contribute? What are you waiting for?

I’ve taken the neighborhood kids rappelling twice in the last two weeks. Here’s a picture from Battle Creek Canyon this week. Two weeks ago, I sent them over an 80′ cliff in Dry Canyon a mile from my house.

Some of the boys had very little fear and thoroughly enjoyed the whole adventure, which is great; but the ones who impressed me most didn’t start out that way.

Two 12 year olds were visibly shaken as they eased over the first awkward cliff. One – after hanging just over the edge and trying to get started for a few minutes, glancing down repeatedly despite everyone’s admonitions not to – started to cry.

But neither one ever backed out! One moved steadily downward despite his shaking knees, and the other did the same once I tied a piece of webbing around his harness to offer an extra belay (a fireman’s belay on the end of the rope could stop them at any time).

When’s the last time you did something that scared you? Have you ever done anything that TERRIFIED you? I highly recommend it. It changes your life as you discover that you’re more capable and courageous than you ever knew.

I’ve long believed that courage is one of the most underrated values in the world. We sometimes speak of it as if only daredevils and heroes have a right to it. Not so. Courage is for everyone.

By the second outing, the kids were running laps up the trail and down the rope as fast as they could go, loving nearly every minute. They made me proud. With determination and courage like that, what can ever stop them?

This thinking about leaving the country indefinitely is having a good and unexpected effect on me – it’s teaching me to let go of everything and I’m finding it very liberating. If there’s something that’s just not working out the way I wanted, it’s okay. I may be gone by next summer anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Just let it go and move on. I like this. I should have done this years ago. Stop holding onto things that don’t cut it. Move on and find things that do.

The point is no longer to collect things that may be useful, the question is now how to get rid of everything so I don’t have to find a place to store it. I wonder if I could reduce everything I need to a single backpack. I’ll need a small computer and a camera, a few clothes that don’t take up much space, and that’s about it, right? That plus my favorite water bottle and a passport. A Kindle so I can study the languages I’ll need and read the classics I haven’t had time for for too long. Sunglasses and sunscreen, running shoes, credit card.

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