Paris: Day 3

On the third day, we drove a half hour out of the city to Versailles. This was the most massive, amazing place ever. This is the front entranceway. Notice the gold on the gate.


These are just some of the rooms in the main palace. There are many different wings. King Louis XIII was the first to live here. It went thru many different royal families. And, each time, it seemed to grow larger. The most famous resident of the the palace was probably Marie Antoinette.

Check out this huge globe. How'd you like this in your study/office?

We spent most of the day touring the grounds and still only covered about 1/4 of it. It is so massive, the pictures don't do it justice.

If you look at the picture above closely, you can see part of the main palace. There are other palaces on the grounds, like Marie Antoinette's private little palace, the one below. This is where she spent most of her days. They say she didn't like the proper ways of the Versailles, so her husband had this palace built for her where she could retreat and not be so formal.

Marie had lots of little cottages build on the grounds. She had a whole working farm with all kinds of animals. This was my favorite part of the property. They still have animals there today. The cottages are so quaint.

Paris: day 2

We started our day at the Louvre. We were both still recovering from the flu the day/night before, but I was insistant upon seeing Paris. We ended up walking around for 13 hours this day. I was so exhausted by the end of the day, I was almost in tears. But, it was totally worth it!

After the Louvre, we walked over to Sainte Chapelle and the Notre Dame, which are both on an island in the middle of the Seine River. This was the view along the way.

Notice the Eifel Tower in the background.

The Notre Dame.

Who's the hottie?

After the Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle, we headed over to the pantheon and saw the tomb of Victor Hugo and other famous authors. We then headed over to the Eifel Tower. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

After the Eifel Tower, we went to an architecture museum then up to the Sacre Coure. I didn't get great pictures of that because my camera was being weird. After the Sacre Coure, I had to of course see the famous Moulin Rouge. In this picture I'm standing on an air vent. The coat doesn't give the effect of Marilyn Monroe, but oh well, I tried. Word of advice, if you ever go to Paris, avoid the street that Moulin Rouge is on...definately the redlight district. :)

Paris...the first day

The first day of our trip was rough. Hans and I both got the flu. We forged thru it though. However, we didn't see as much as we wanted to on that first day because we were both so sick. We did manage to see the Arch d'Triomph and the Musee de Orsay, which is the above picture. This museum has a ton of impressionistic paintings. I would have enjoyed it much more if I could have walked without feeling like I was going to throw up.


This is at the Arch d'Triomph. I'm not sure what kind of memorial it was, but it was pretty cool.



Hans not feeling well and taking a break on the arch.

We walked along the Champs-Elysees to get to the Arch. It was pretty cool. Lots of high end shops. Too rich for my blood.

The 3 stages after dying or the hill that overlooks the luminous city

First stage is the darkest. It is a pet cemetery in thick black woods, filled with shadowy objects, foggy, wood sheds on every side. They look like goblins houses. Venial sins are buried here. Spirits live in tiny huts, visit travelers here. They appear out of the fog, carrying blades. They ambush, they cannot hurt though. They seek your soul as a companion in there empty misery. They only wield fear. They may have been good people once. Might still be. They have not reached the first resurrection.
Further up the hill, the shady woods end and beads of dew twinkle on long leaves of green grass in the moonlight. Here the first glimpses of the luminous city can be seen. It is an empty elevation. Lonely benches scatter the hillside. There are no ghosts here yet - only the desire of spirits to relive the sentimental moments of their lives past. An old spirit couple wishes to sit holding hands on the bench and watch the city. Only it is night, cold empty and the city far away. Here loneliness forces the traveler to confront past decisions and forsaken opportunities. A hint of a future opportunity arises out of the darkness with the luminous city further arising in the background landscape.
The lonely spirit hill fades quickly and the traveler arrives in a ghost town – a city abandoned. A cruel joke: a city of darkness. The land levels off, and the luminous city is no longer in view. Where is my opportunity, the traveler laments. As the neighborhoods reveal their walls and windows scattered lights are on in some homes. Rolladens are up allowing the traveler to peer into the intimate area of the residents’ lives. What do they do those hours by the dinner table, the fireplace, hearth? An old bearded man, is he an immortal, is in a motion of either sitting down or standing, inbetween chair and table, frozen in this glimpse. Bald spot, white beard, glasses drooping on the nose like an old drunk bird about to fall off its perch. Suspenders and flannel shirt. The spirit of walt Whitman? No Heidi’s grandfather, wise man. Lives alone on the dark hill. Where is the luminous city? There are only dark empty buildings here now.

we did the right thing, why should we be punished?

Here is an excerpt from yesterday's Buffett interview:
BECKY: You mentioned before when we were talking about the mortgage plan that it may help some people that it shouldn't.
BUFFETT: Of course.
BECKY: But that's something we need to suck up and understand at this point. But it does lead to other people who have questions about whether they're being penalized for doing the right thing. In fact, Bob and Lani in Rapid City, South Dakota, write in. They say, "We are conservative South Dakotans. We are now saving more, but the government wants us to spend more. Are you `short' or `long' on our strategy to `pay all your personal bills promptly and always live within your means'?"
BUFFETT: Well, I've always followed that myself, so I'm with them 100 percent on that. But in terms of 100 percent, I mean, you don't want to get behind the eight ball. I mean, if you are, you've got to work your way out, but it's always better. You know, Ben Franklin wrote that, you know, hundreds of years ago, the--you know, earn a dollar, spend 99 cents, result happiness, you know. Earn 99 cents, spend a dollar, result misery. And--but in terms of the inequities, if I were a--had been a client of Bernie Madoff's and fortunately I never heard of him, but let's say I was a client of Bernie Madoff's. I'm in the middle of Lake Michigan with him. We're in a boat together. Bernie's at the other end. I've just lost all my net worth. I see this hole spring up at his end of the boat. Am I supposed to cheer? No. I mean, in the end, you know, I want to save Bernie, too. I mean, not because I really want to save him, but I--you know, there is no way to divorce myself from what's happening on the other end of the boat. And this thing is covering--going to cover the whole boat. There's no question about it. So the people who havebehaved well are going to find themselves taking care, to some extent, of the people who didn't behave well.

From an individual perspective I think it is correct to get mad and judge the unfairness for what it is. At the same time, I can see the necessity of bail outs based on the reasoning described in the interview (http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/CNBC/Sections/News_And_Analysis/_Blogs/Warren_Buffett_Watch/_DAILY%20POSTS/Documents/Ask%20Warren%20-%20Complete%20Transcript%20-%202009-03-09.pdf)

Basically, at the government and industry leader level, it is time to clean up the mess and get the economy functioning smoothly again, even at the expense of printing more dollars by selling more debt. I can see why Buffett is reserving judgement and thinking about it as not a bunch of individuals with problems, but as a complex system of organizations that intertwine and whose problems affect the entire system population. But there is indeed a role to play for advocacy of living within your means, not just at indivuals, but businesses and of course government officials.

But as I look into my doomsday crystal ball...let's say I have done the conservative thing so much that I have planned for the absolute worst: I have a year's supply of food in the shed, ammo, fuel, you name it... the majority of people have run on unbridled greed and have not so planned. The worst does indeed happen, even the gov is unable to help (think katrina but 10x worse). After a few months, angry hungry, crazed mobs roam the streets looking for clean drinking water. Do I really expect to be able to hoard my stash to my family alone? All moral qualms aside, I fully expect to be robbed even beaten or murdered for my food and water.

Unfortunately the fear and greed cycles are things we have not and probably will never evolve out of and they are not just individual issues, they are systemic and cause systemic affects and thus require systemic intervention. Fortunately or unfortunately, I don't think we will achieve the economic vision of the conservative party: where government is virtually non existent when it comes to the economy, individuals and businesses thrive and fail unbridled, and money is tied to a standard of gold or some other commodity. I think businesses are far too big, and interrelated, especially finance. You could blame globalism, for making the world economies so interconnected. Despite all the problems, I think this is the best course and we would be worse off otherwise. Free enterprise still exists and I don't think we'll lose that. I can't envision the united states voting away its freedom in favor of dictatorship at least not in my lifetime. I think economic bitterness can lead to such things as protectionism and eventually socialist dictators. That's why the role of educating what sound financial behavior is is so important and essentially futile as greed is inherently part of man's nature such as good and evil. Just as their will never be world peace as long as we have our freedom, so their will never be smooth markets without bubbles and panics. (i am speaking secularly and don't mean to infringe on any visions of the millenium/zion) I just dont think I will be alive to see man shed these flaws.

Thank you

Thank you grandma and grandpa Lokodi/Ehrmann. We received your box of clothes for the kids. Eva loved her dresses. I put her in this pink one with the sweater for church on sunday. She looked so cute, if I say so myself.

I guess I should give a little update on our life right now. We are in the process of moving. Life has been bitter sweet these days. I'm finding it very difficult to get used to the idea that we won't be living here anymore. I was able to give one last lesson in Relief Society yesterday. I really enjoyed doing it. At the end of the lesson I bore my testimony and I cried like a baby because the idea of not being able to be in that ward anymore makes me very sad. I have never been in a ward where I have felt so excepted and loved for just being me. I am not the easiest person to get along with. I'm very blunt and oppinionated. However, the women of this ward just seemed to put their arms around me and love me unconditionally. We are a very tight knit family. I had both my babies in this ward. When Gabe was born, Hans was in Iraq and I was so frightened. The ladies here took care of me. I survived thanks to them. Every woman in this ward has touched me in some way or another. I love this gospel and I love the people in it. This church has a way of shaping people into such christ-like beings who genuinely care for one another. I just happen to think my ward here is more loving and christ-like than anywhere else. We have learned to stick together and look after eachother. I just want the women of my ward to know how much I love and appriciate them. I wish and hope that I have been able to touch their lives at least half as much as they have mine. I will be ever grateful for their love and friendship. I thank my heavenly father every day for the wonderful opportunity I have had to be loved in such a way as this. Thank you Wiesbaden Military Ward!

We will be packing up the last of our belongings on the 25th and then heading for Philly on the 28th. We will be visiting Hans' parents for a little bit before heading to our new home in South Carolina. I know I will miss Germany so very much, but am looking forward to a nice warm summer and hopefully being blessed in our new ward. It's always exciting to meet new people. We will be close to my Aunt Elizabeth. I am looking forward to getting to know her better. Here we come South Carolina! On to the new adventures of life.

Lindsey

Gabe's 1st Birthday

Saturday was Gabriel's 1st birthday. We didn't do anything big. Just a fun family day together. This is the first birthday that Hans has been able to be here for for either of the kids. It was nice to have him home for this. Gabe had a pretty good day even though he's teething like crazy.

I know the cake is really pathetic, but we don't have many dishes left in our house because our household goods were shipped already. So, I didn't have the right kind of stuff to make a cool cake. However, even if I did have all my stuff, it probably wouldn't have looked much better to tell the truth.

Eva had fun licking the spatula before the cake. She's also trying to blow out Gabe's candle for him. Isn't she such a big helper? (my eyes are now rolling)

After the yummy cake.

Sensei and Grasshopper: Buffett's and Lampert's view on bail-outs

Over the past week 2 shareholder letters were released. Berkshire Hathaway's by Warren Buffett and Sears' by Edward Lampert. Buffett's status has already been sealed in the records as the best investor of all time and his letters are read for his insights on Berkshire, business in general, macro-economic conditions, political commentary, witticisms on life etc. He is now 78 years old, still runs Berkshire Hathaway, entertains business schools who make field trips to visit him, has arranged for the majority of his wealth to be donated to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Charity, has supported the democratic ticket, and advocates for fairness of economic opportunity on tax issues such as estate tax, capital gains tax, and payroll tax.
Edward Lampert is a 46 yr old hedgefund manager who posted 18 years of extreme outperformance and formed Sears Holdings (inlcuding Sears and Kmart) when Kmart was on the verge of bankruptcy. The way he runs Sears indicates it could be the next Berkshire. In stark contrast to Buffett, Lampert is very reclusive partially due to the fact he was once kidnapped for ransom.

Below are some general commentary from both on the government's response to the economic crisis.

Buffett: "...Fear led to business contraction, and that in turn led to even greater fear.
This debilitating spiral has spurred our government to take massive action. In poker terms, the Treasury and the Fed have gone “all in.” Economic medicine that was previously meted out by the cupful has recently been dispensed by the barrel. These once-unthinkable dosages will almost certainly bring on unwelcome aftereffects. Their precise nature is anyone’s guess, though one likely consequence is an onslaught of inflation. Moreover, major industries have become dependent on Federal assistance, and they will be followed by cities and states bearing mind-boggling requests. Weaning these entities from the public teat will be a political challenge. They won’t leave willingly.
Whatever the downsides may be, strong and immediate action by government was essential last year if the financial system was to avoid a total breakdown. Had that occurred, the consequences for every area of our economy would have been cataclysmic. Like it or not, the inhabitants of Wall Street, Main Street and the various Side Streets of America were all in the same boat.
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Amid this bad news, however, never forget that our country has faced far worse travails in the past....Though the path has not been smooth, our economic system has worked extraordinarily well over time. It has unleashed human potential as no other system has, and it will continue to do so. America’s best days lie ahead."

Lampert: "[Explains the inconsistencies and unintended negative consequences of government intervention beginning with Fannie and Freddie]...The two most important books that any student of current events should be reading in this environment are both by Friedrich Hayek, the esteemed Austrian economist. Based on events he witnessed beginning in the early part of the 20th century, Hayek wrote The Road to Serfdom as a warning to England and the United States against the damaging impact of socialist policies and The Fatal Conceit as a warning against heavy intervention in markets and society at large. Despite the almost universal belief today that more, but better, regulation is needed and that the role of the state needs to be not just temporarily larger, but permanently larger, Hayek’s writings and logic should give everybody pause as to the consequences of these actions.
As a country, we need to rebuild confidence and trust and to understand what happened. Whether by business or by government, the misdiagnosis of situations leads to poor prescriptions for rehabilitation and recovery. When the misdiagnosis is done at the federal government level and involves large parts of a national economy, the consequences can be swift and significant. The unintended consequences are often swifter and even more significant. As the leaders in our nation continue to evaluate and evolve the policies and rules of the game, we would all be wise to heed the cautions raised by Friedrich Hayek. I appreciate that the free market can be a difficult master and that there is an important role for government and regulators, but I hope that as we move forward the rules of the game and the methodology for changing those rules will be more consistent and fair than they have been over the past year. Those who desire to protect civil liberties in times of war appreciate the importance of laws protecting individuals and institutions. In times of economic and financial distress we need to be similarly vigilant in protecting economic and contract rights so that we can continue to have a system that functions properly. Attempts to threaten or eliminate those rights will chase away the capital and investment that our country needs to restore prosperity and to thrive in the future."

Lindsey (haha just kidding, she was standing 0ver me) - Hans

What kind of Poet Shall Be?

A Neal Cassady, who prefers to throw his energies at life and only writes during the small pauses between experience. A poet whose main job is to experience life and further its vision. His material shall only come from real life. He would not develop worlds of fantasy, as this would take away from his living. He would speak like Whitman and Buddhists. No rules but sharp everyday language. Even business language, yea even the tactical warrior's language. It shall not be stories, mere moments. A collection of shards of glass, that together amount to a broken kind of beauty. Sometimes there will be seasons where he is unproductive, where the clouds interfere with his divine reception, and all that echoes through his empty mind and soul is the wind. He would be at times a mischief maker, not of any substance that could stand up firm against judgement. Like Russell Edson, he'd get kicks from throwing bricks into people's window of reality. Sometimes he'd be more subtle and place something onerous at the door and giggle in the bushes. A mystic child becomes a holy goof, a holy goof becomes an eccentric saint. But he can be deathly serious too. So enthralled by zeal for that unreachable, that heaven, that place that lies beyond the veil and casts its shadow and escapes its laughters into our prison world. He'd nurse a habit: a yearning to keep apace with life and youth and the vigor of mind's vision, constantly on his knees pleading for dreams and signs, he cannot focus for the length of a whole life's story, a novel is always out of reach, and undesirable. Though he occasionally reads novels so powerful they amount to a beating, he is also familiar with haikus that are as efficient as a fatal stab. Though he is sympathetic to a mother's lullabye, he is in awe of Jesus' three charged words "Lazarus come forth" and if the poet can only three words speak, that are half as charged with the Eternal charge as these, his mission would be complete. The real fruit of his art is his life. The writing is only refuse. Eiffer und abfall nur eiffer und abfall.

the pump

For the past 3 days and for the first time in a long time I have run similar to the running I did in cross country practice in high school. And if you have any doubts of a runner's high, I definitely felt it. Not quite the same as a body building rush but watch Arnold talk about the pump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMjG2s6UOaw lol :)
Anyway when I got back into what felt like a steaming living room from the cold air outside and my lungs still heaving, I felt somehow connected to every living being and every living being that ever walked the surface of the earth. I felt the opposition in all things, I felt fragile and sturdy at the same time, eternal and mortal, capable of anything and vulnerable, I felt young and old, I felt alive in my children. Eva was sprinting back and forth on the couch, and she was so rosy cheeked I felt content to die and live vicariously in her inherited spirit. Then I layed on my back and watched my household, the earth, and everything in it go on, and all so beautiful.

Hans

Why is the richest man in favor of the "Death tax?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLD0p1QpcI8

It is always thought-provoking to listen to Buffett. Here he is giving recommendations on the Estate tax or "death" tax. You will see his views on this tax, they do fit in with his overall views on the tax structure which do lean in favor of low earners. It is refreshing to hear developed ideas, based on reality, practical observation, and interaction in the business world, that scratch below the initial contact level of persuasion we were used to hearing during the campaign. No wonder he does not want to be a politician, he has way too much common sense.

Hans

Update from the busy week

We had a snow storm last monday so we took the kids out for some fun. We were watching our friends kids for five days, so we all bundled up and enjoyed the great outdoors. Gabe was having a great time in the snow.


I had already finished bathing Gabe. I stuck a diaper on him and let him run around for a while. I kept Eva in the tub longer because she loves playing in it. I went to find Gabe about five minutes after I let him loose and found him back in the bathroom with Eva. She was putting bubbles all over his face and body. They both thought it was the funniest thing in the world.



These two pictures were of Friday night. We had the huge 1st Armored Division military ball. It was in the Kurhaus in downtown Wiesbaden (a gorgeous building). It was fun to get all dressed up and feel like a woman, not a mommy for once. I was looking foward to going thru the whole night without being barfed on, spilled on, peed on, etc. but it was unsuccessful. Some idiot was dancing with a glass of wine and spilled it all down my dress. I was pretty upset. I went thru the rest of the night smelling like alcohol. Besides that, it was a pretty good night.

Last night, some of my girlfriends and I got together and went out to dinner. We had a great time. I'm sure going to miss this bunch of ladies. I love the women in my ward! It will be a very sad day when I leave. I am trying to get as many girl's night outs as possible before I leave. I don't think Hans appriciates it too much, but he's been such a great sport and watches the kids for me. He knows how much these ladies have meant to me. I have had such a wonderful time getting to know my cousin Renee (the woman next to me in the picture) as adults. We have had so much fun. She is one of my dearest friends. I love you Renee!!

thoughts on The Christmas Sweater

Lindsey and I both finished the Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck this week. We both found similarities other than that we both grew up relatively poor. For me, the biggest similarity was the idea of multi-generational sacrifice by divine influence: in the book, the death of certain characters (I dont want to give too much away for those who will read it, so I wont name names) was seemingly a part of the trials given to this young man in order for him to recognize God's love for him and his huge role in changing his perspective to one that is accepting of God's love. For me, my grandparents and great grandmother came to the US at old age, forsaking the option of going to Germany. Although their basic physical needs were provided for in the US after my grandfather could not work anymore, they were deprived of a very real need: friendship and community. They were very much psychologically isolated in the US because of their inability to master English and integrate into the culture/community. It is safe to say their lives were a sacrifice for their daughter and mostly for me. I also had/have a guilt because of this, for not making their lives better, both because I couldn't do much, and because I wouldn't. Like Eddie, I spent a long time in the cornfield - the first 20 years of my life actually. I see the meeting of my wife as a defining moment or culmination in a multi-generational series of inspired events. This was my first taste of why and where the long time in the "cornfield" was leading me to. In order to recognize and appreciate the sunshine, I had to endure a long time in the storm. I have run the "what if" scenarios, what if we had the restored gospel earlier in my life, what a different life it would have been... but it could not have been any other way, and the way it was was the absolute best way (yes I am an LDS version of Candide) because as Eddie discovered in the book, although he didn't cause the trials, he was responsible for getting through them. in other words, what happened was cruel, but God cannot be blamed just because we describe him as all-powerful. In the reality of our existence here, he does not act all-powerfuly all the time. In this mortal stage, he purposefully gave us agency, and if he were to swoop in and make everything better, the agency and plan of salvation would be destroyed. So as Candide would say, it is indeed all for the best, as long as I claim the divine potential in the opportunity God set up for me. If I had rejected my wife and/or the restored gospel, the suffering of my grandparents and great grandmother would have been in vain. And surely I would have been held accountable for this eternal blunder. By making the right choice I have also been able to "fix" things in a way, or at least lessen my guilt by offering my great grandmother and grandparents the blessings of eternal families by doing their temple ordinances. Although I have not clearly received a yes or no answer of acceptance from all parties beyond the vail, I did receive some warm feelings of inspiration from beyond the vail, both in dreams and daytime reflections.

Another obvious sacrifice was that of my own mother, who like Eddie's mom was a single parent. The 18 years of sacrifice for me also would have been in vain had I not made the right choice. She obviously made the right choice by longsuffering for 18 years (that is enduring to the end by any measure) and is only now later in life receiving the blessings she deserves by finally having a happy marriage.

I will let Lindsey post her insights of the book when she gets the time.

Hans

An update of our week

I have been laughing all day over this one. We are watching our friends kids for the weekend. Their oldest girl, Camorah, came into my room and said "Miss Lindsey, Gabriel is in the toilet." I told her to just close the lid and he'll get out. Gabe has a bad habit of putting his hands in the toilet. Well, she said "no, he's in the toilet." I didn't quite understand her so I went and took a look myself. This is how we found him. He was perfectly content just sittin' in the toilet. The picture below is hilarious to me. It looks like he's a grown man doing some serious thinking while using the pot. Apparently, before Camorah came to me, she went to Hans and told him and he said the same thing to her..."just close the lid and he'll get out". Neither of us expected this. I have no idea on earth how he got himself in there. Notice how far the stool is from the actual toilet. He climbs on everything. The horrible part of all this is that there was urine in the toilet. Eva apparently forgot to flush. I had just gotten Gabe dressed for the day and everything. So, he got another bath and another clean outfit put on after this experience.

Hans and I just got back from Garmisch, Germany. It's in southern Germany very close to the Austria boarder. In fact, we go thru Austria to get there. It was a marriage retreat put on by the army. It was completely free for us. We left the kids with a friend of ours and took off on Monday morning. We got back yesterday evening. We decided to go skiing in the Alps while we were there. I have only been skiing one other day in my entire life and that was in the poconos, so I don't know if you can count that. Anyway, the day we went, it was snowing like crazy. The snow was very powdery. Hans gave me a few lessons on the beginner slope. They didn't have bunny hills. So, after a few very very hard falls, I got the hang of it. I even went on an intermediate slope quite a few times and didn't fall at all. I have potential! These two pictures were of the beginner slopes. What was frustrating to me was that when I got brave enough to go on the intermediate slope, some little three year old boy was passing me up like it was no big deal. These german kids are crazy. Hans went on the black diamond and he said there were a group of little kids about five or six doing jumps. Isn't that crazy? Hans is a great skier. We had a blast but I am now having a hard time moving any of my muscles. It's a great work-out.

This is of the Neuswanstein castle. We hicked up there one day. I have been there many times, but I'm still in awe everytime I see the place.

Operation: Ear tubes in, adnoids out

Our day began early, we checked in at the hospital at 0730. Before the sedative, Eva was very anxious and grumpy, not wanting to wear her gown and eager to throw fits. The following pictures show what transpired after she was given a sedative.

It's starting to kick in: mommy I feel funny.


Maybe I'll try on that headgear and moonboots.

After the operation, which was fairly quick, she cried and her nasal passages were very congested. The nurse said all the children cry after surgery. But on the way home Gabe decided to lighten the mood with a little trick called: watch me try and shove my foot in my mouth. (no edits, Gabe performs all his own stunts)

Later that afternoon the doctor called to see how she was doing. This was a rare and very nice gesture which Lindsey especially appreciated after receiving less than hospitable service during previous hospital visits. Eva has to go back in tomorrow morning as a final check up.

wrestling and fine art

This is a fun activity, all I have to do is lay down on the rug and they attack.

We left Gabe unnoticed for a little and were surprised when he got into the kitchen cabinet and decided to arrange the dishes into what looks like the beginning of a polynomial graph.