Utah Utes

I love me some Utah Ute football...especially when they dominate the BYU Cougars.

One Word

I recently received an email from a friend asking me to describe them in one word. I thought it was fun trying to think of one specific word to describe her the best but it wasn't as easy as it sounds.

The game is on and you're it!

Think of one word, just one single word to best describe me and post it in my comments. You can leave a brief explanation of why you picked that word if you want.

Then feel free to post this on your blog if you want me to try to describe you in one word. It's also fun to see how many strange and interesting things people say about you.

More Ariana and Annika

Since my last post about the things my cute nieces Ari and Anni say, I've heard and remembered a few more.

We were at the store (a few years ago) getting some food and other things when we went down the aisle where the milk is. A lady was there getting milk, she grabbed three or four gallons so Ari said...

• Lady, don't take all of it!

I tried to tell Ari that there was enough milk for everyone but I was laughing too hard to explain it to her or to really care.

I was just in California with the family, at night my dad would usually tell my nieces bedtime stories. One night Annika walked up to my dad and said...

• Grandaddy, if you don't tell me a story tonight I'll call you stupid Grandaddy but if you do tell me a story I'll call you King Grandaddy.

Anni really loves story time.

When Ari was a little younger we would watch her and Annika while Kelie and JR were at work. As nice as I usually am and as much as I spoil my nieces, sometimes I had to lay down the law and be an enforcer. When this would happen and I had to tell Ari not to do something, she would always try to think of something smart to say back to me. A few times she really couldn't think of anything right away so after thinking for a few seconds she would say...

• Oh yeah, well, you're in a wheelchair!

Ari is pretty clever and very good at stating the obvious.

On Ari's birthday Anni was sitting at the table eating breakfast when she said to Kelie...

• For my birthday when I turn five, I want Robbie to have a sleep over.

How cute are my nieces?

More to come...

Hilo Hellian

If you know much about me then you know I love MMA (mixed martial arts) fighting, I usually have people over and watch all the UFC and other MMA fights at my house (let me know if you're interested). Anyway, my buddy Aaron recently had his first fight in the Ultimate Combat Experience and took care of business so I thought I'd post a blog about it because I'm so damn proud of him. Check out his fight below.

Aloha!

Alyvia

Alyvia Ann Stanclift (my third niece) was born to Kelie and JR on July 29th at 8:12 PM. She weighed 8 pounds even and is 21 inches long. She has a head full of beautiful dark hair with blue eyes and looks a lot like her older sisters Ariana and Annika did when they were born...Absolutely gorgeous!

I was in the hall right outside of the delivery room with my dad and nieces waiting for Alyvia to be born and JR and my mom were in the delivery room with Kelie. Ari and Anni were going crazy with anticipation, they had their ears pressed up against the door and said they could hear crying every few seconds. Once we finally did hear crying in the room, the girls could barely handle being in the hall on the other side of the door and asked every minute for about a half hour if we could go in to see the baby yet. Eventually we were welcomed in to meet Alyvia. Ari and Anni loved looking at, holding and getting to know her (so did I). When it was time to feed Alyvia the girls were very curious as to what was going on and kept trying to peek. When Kelie switched sides, Ari innocently asked "Mom, is there more milk in the other boobie?". JR got to help with Alyvia's first bath while everyone gathered around to watch. Then it was time for us to leave the hospital, Anni leaned over and said in her cute little voice "I will miss you Alyvia".

Do You Remember...

Have you ever seen this before? I stole this idea from another blog that I read and I think it's pretty fun. Leave a comment of a memory that you have of me, something of us together or anything else. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember is fine! If we're only blogging friends, write about a post that is most memorable. :-)

Ariana and Annika

Ari (6) and Anni (4) are both at an age that they say some pretty funny, cute and clever things. I thought I'd try to remember some and write them down to help me remember my girls when they're in St. George.

Annika and I were playing with my dog Diesel when he rolled over on his back trying to get a belly scratch.

• Anni - Is this Diesel's belly button?
• Rob - Yes.
• Anni - What are these other little bumps?
• Rob - Those are his boobies.
• Anni - Thinks for a few seconds...Diesel's boobies are on his tummy and my boobies are up here (as she pulls down her shirt and points).

Ariana had just finished playing with some toys when she started to run off to do something else.

• Rob - Can you come pick up your toys and put them away?
• Ari - Ignores me and keeps walking away.
• Rob - I say louder...Ari, can you come pick up your toys and put them away?
• Ari - You're not the boss of me!
• Rob - Yes I am (I know, childish)!
• Ari - No you're not!
• Rob - I'm the boss of everything (joking of course).
• Ari - Giving me a dirty look...No, you're not Jesus!

After she said that, I couldn't argue anymore. So, I left her alone and she went on to play with something else.

And my favorite. I was sitting at my computer with my back to the door. I heard Ariana's footsteps run in and back out of my room. When I went to check things out, the only thing I noticed was a one dollar bill left by my bed.

• Rob - Do you know who's dollar this is?
• Ari - It's yours.
• Rob - Do you know who put it here?
• Ari - I did.
• Rob - Why?
• Ari - I thought it would make you happy.

How cute are my nieces? They say plenty of other cute and funny things but I just can't think of all of them right now. There will be more posts like this in the future.

T-N-T

After a month or two of debate of what to do with a spot in our back yard where grass wouldn't grow, we decided to put in a small water feature. The digging started three hot days ago and we finished the project today. It looks much better in real life.

My brother Dan did most of the hard work with a little help from my Dad. Once everything was dug out and all the dirt and rocks were moved into place, I had the fun job of picking out the tree and plant life to go around the pond (with Dan and Megan's help).

After we finished planting and moving everything into place, the only thing left to do was give it a name. Since we built the water feature over the spot that we buried my dogs Tommy and Thurman early last year, I thought it was appropriate to name it after them...T-N-T (Get it? Clever huh?). Tomorrow we're going to the pet store to get some fish for the pond. My nieces are in town this weekend and are so excited, I told Ariana and Annika that they could pick out their own fish for the pond and name them.

My Two Dogs

Most of you have your kids to brag about and post pictures of but since I don't have any kids, I'll show off my two dogs. I've had Raji (Boston Terrier) and Diesel (Miniature Pinscher) since they were puppies, they are both about one and a half years old now.


Raji and Diesel are awesome companions! Diesel is a little more independent, he likes exploring the back yard, supervising anything that goes on and doesn't really mind being by himself. Raji on the other hand, is always right by my side whenever I'm home unless we get the frisbee or big ball out, then her total focus in on playing. They both love going in the car, PetSmart and the park are favorite places to go. They are great with other dogs and people and will smother you with kisses if you let them. They both sleep in my bed at night and wake me up plenty to let me know when they don't have enough covers (yes, they have their own blankets) or if they need a belly scratch in the middle of the night.


Since they have been so good lately, they got to go to PetSmart and get new collars that match their leashes. The new collars are alright but they don't look as good as the leather ones they had so I'll probably end up switching the collars back. Diesel's Harley-Davidson spike collar makes him look way tougher anyway and the girl dogs dig him in it too.

Study: Most Children Strongly Opposed To Children’s Healthcare

A recent survey of children found that they are not in favor of increased doctor visits and vaccinations.


Study: Most Children Strongly Opposed To Children's Healthcare

Lucky Number Seven

Seven years ago today my life was changed forever. Most of you that know me and visit my blog know what I'm talking about but for those of you that don't know, I'll try to fill you in.

On a Thursday morning, before a three day weekend because of the Memorial Day holiday in 2001 I got a phone call from a close friend asking me if I wanted to go to on a road trip for a few days. I had nothing else exciting planned so I gladly accepted the invitation. First, we drove to St. George to spend the night so we could meet up with a few other people in the morning. Since Mesquite is only about a 30 minute drive from St. George we decided to go hang out there for a little while. We ended up staying until early in the morning. A few hours after we got back to St. George we met our friends and drove to Lake Powell where we had an amazing time camping on the beach. There were hundreds of other people there which led to a few days with no real sleep.

On Sunday afternoon we drove home only to find out that some of my other friends had gone to Wendover to play poker. We got cleaned up and decided to head to Wendover to meet them. After hanging out for awhile and losing a little money at the tables we tried to find a hotel room because we were both pretty exhausted from the long weekend but since it was a holiday everywhere we checked was booked. We ended up trying to drive back to Salt Lake but it didn't turn out to be the best decision. About half way between Wendover and SLC I must have dozed off a little and I drove off the side of the road and I rolled my truck a number of times.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital with tubes in my mouth, nose and all over my body, not being able to talk and not being able to move. Although, this was all kind of a blur because the doctors had me so drugged up. I had partially collapsed and bruised lungs, staples in the top of my head helping to close up a huge gash and 9 broken/dislocated vertebrae in my neck and back. The worst of the injuries was to my C 6/7 vertebrae in my neck. The two vertebrae were dislocated pinching my spinal cord causing me to be paralyzed from the chest down and only left with partial feeling in and partial use of my arms.


My friend was also pretty beat up from the accident but she was little more fortunate and was able to walk away which I'm very thankful for.


After the accident, I remained in the U of U hospital rehab unit for a long three months where I lost about 50 pounds. I had to wear a horrible back/neck brace anytime I was out of bed which really sucked. While I was in the hospital I did meet some great people (therapists, nurses and other patients) and my family and friends were such a great support, they really helped me to deal with and get through the hardest time in my life.



Today, I'm still paralyzed from the chest down, I only have partial use of my arms and I cruise around in a wheelchair but I'm pretty thankful for where I'm at in my life (most of the time), things could always be worse. I have the most amazing and supportive family and they take pretty good care of me.

Love you guys!

Blog Comment Poll

Hey everyone, I have a question about what is supposed to be done when someone leaves a comment on one of your blog posts. I put a poll at the bottom of this page to help me figure this out so just scroll down and select the answer you think is best (sample below).

When someone writes a comment on your post, do you respond by...

• commenting on your own post and hope they check the comments again.
• writing a comment on their most recent post.
• not responding at all...it's just a comment page.
• emailing or calling them.

Thanks yo!

Mama's Day

I don't think words can express the love and appreciation that I have for my mom...but I think I'll try. My mom has always been an amazing woman, one of the most talented and creative people I know. She can make anything with a sewing machine from something simple like headbands to very extravagant Wedding dresses, she is a great cook and an even better mother and person. I think I have always known how spectacular she is but for most of my life I have taken her for granted. Over the last seven years I have really been blown away by her commitment and devotion to my family and me. Since my car accident in 2001 she has been there for me in some amazing capacities. Not only has she been my mother, she has been my nurse, my cook, my chauffeur and my friend. I could never repay her for all that she does for me.

Well mom, you are the best ever and I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you. Happy Mothers Day, I'll try to keep dad from ruining it for you again. :-)

Ari the Tom-boy

This video of my niece Ari playing baseball is on my sister Kelie's blog but I loved it so much I thought I'd put it on my blog too. When Ari called to tell me about hitting the ball and running to first base, she said in a very serious voice "I am so good at baseball" and of course after seeing this video I had to agree with her.



Love your guts Ari!

The Name Game

This was on my friend Matt and Kami's blog so I thought I'd steal it and add it to my blog.

1. ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Thurman Tacoma
2. GANGSTA NAME: (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Vanilla Samoa
3. FLY Guy/Girl NAME: (first initial of first name, first two letters of your last name) R-AD
4. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Green Dog
5. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) James Salt Lake
6. STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name) Adaro
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Red Dr. Pepper
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Rudy Beech
9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) Vanilla Caramel
10. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Wolfgramm Beecher
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Alsop Auckland
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Halloween Cockscomb
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Orange Shoey
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Cracker Willow
15. ROCK STAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your favorite hobby/craft, favorite weather element + “Tour”) The Poker Rain Tour

Some of My Favorite Pictures

Of course in my favorite pictures I'm going to include my beautiful nieces and sisters.

I especially love the pictures of Ari and Anni since they moved to St. George and I don't see them as much as I used to.
I couldn't ask for better sisters, Kelie and Kristi are so amazing.
How gorgeous are all of my girls?

I love their guts!

Utah Jazz

I love me some Utah Jazz basketball.

Another 20 Things...

Another 20 things that you might or might not know about me.

1. I have the best mom in the world, I could never repay her for all that she does for me. My dad is pretty alright too.
2. I miss my Nana more and more every day. Sundays, holidays and family reunions just aren't the same without her.
3. I watch Rachael Ray and The Price is Right every morning (Drew Carey...not as good as Bob Barker).
4. I treat my dogs like they were my kids, they are very spoiled.
5. I fell off the hood of a car going 40 M.P.H. down Millcreek Canyon.
6. I went to the emergency room 4 times in 6 months when I was a teenager (including the incident above) I was and still am an accident waiting to happen.
7. I was the Prom King in High School (yes, I'm living in the past).
8. I'm related to "The Jets" (the 80's singing group).
9. I have my own bowling ball.
10. If I wasn't a fat guy in a wheelchair, I would try to be a Mixed Martial Arts fighter.
11. I love Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies.
12. I love reading my family and friends blogs but I don't like to update my own blog very much (as you can probably tell).
13. I don't like talking on the phone, I'd much rather communicate thru email or on the Internet...I'm pretty anti-social these days.
14. My two favorite days of the year are my nieces birthdays (October 15th and May 27th).
15. I am a huge Utah Jazz fan.
16. I'm a Utah football fan but I do root for BYU when they aren't playing the Utes (dang...that was hard to admit).
17. I love the holidays but I can't stand Christmas music, it drives me crazy!
18. The last time I drove a car was about 6 years ago.
19. I spend most of my time during the day at my computer.
20. I have reoccurring dreams of me in a Tuxedo but I'm always in different places and situations.

Grandpa Beech

Since my Nana passed away a few years ago everyone focuses on all of the great things that she did, taught and stood for in her life. I would always joke that she was my Gramps better half but I don't think he gets enough credit for all that he is and does.

Gramps is probably the most generous and giving guy that I have ever known. From all of the things that he does for his family to literally bailing his friends and others out of jams. He is known for talking to everyone and befriending people in need. Growing up around him I used to think it was a little odd that he would keep helping his friend out after this guy was sent to jail time after time or that he employed the local handicap man at his appliance store or that he would let people live in our cabin while they got back on their feet but as I got older I started to understand that he would do these things because he was such a compassionate and considerate person.

Of course, he isn't perfect. My older brother picked up swearing from him when he was three years old and well...ummm...that's all I got. I think the only time I've heard him bad mouth anyone was when we were at a Chinese restaurant and the waiter who didn't speak very good English got his order wrong so Gramps called him an idiot, the waiter just smiled and said thank you (my cousin and I couldn't stop laughing).

For a lot of my life I've taken my ol' Gramps for granted but over the years it has become clear to me that he is such an amazing person and I'm very fortunate to have him in my life.

Love ya Gramps!

Diesel's Graduation

Today Diesel graduated from Puppy Training. We are so proud of him! :-) Karen is the best assistant dog trainer ever I seen.

My Cutest Ari

One of my favorite things about JR, Kelie, Ari and Anni coming up from St. George and staying at our house is every morning that I wake up, Ari is sleeping in my bed right next to me. She sneaks down sometime in the early morning and climbs into bed with me and the dogs because I'm her favorite. Love you Ari!

Just Another Day

Well, I turned 31 years old on Sunday October 14th. It was a pretty alright day, not much different than any other Sunday. We had our usual Sunday family dinner and I opened a few presents.

Having another birthday really made me reflect on where my life has been, where I thought it would be and where it actually is today. My life today is definitely not what I thought it would be. Six years ago, I was living on my own, I had a good job that paid pretty well that I actually enjoyed (most of the time) and I was loving life. After an awesome weekend in Lake Powell followed by a fun night in Wendover everything that I knew was turned upside down. As most of you know, I was in a car accident six years ago and have been cruising around in a wheelchair ever since. I spent three long months in the hospital recovering and doing physical and occupational therapy then after a long stay there I had to move back in with my parents which I never thought would happen. My parents have always been awesome but they have been especially great over these last six years, they kind of have to be...everyone knows that putting up with me isn't the easiest thing to do.

Enough of my sob story...most of the reflecting back on things the past few days has really made me realize how fortunate I am to have the family and extended family that I have. I could not ask for better parents, they do so much for me. My brother, sisters and their spouses are so awesome and my two nieces are amazing. I've been lucky enough to have everything that I needed and wanted growing up and now. Things that I considered a high priority six years ago really don't seem that important anymore and I figure that no matter how bad life seems at times, there is always someone in the world that is worse off than me.

Anyway, life is good (most of the time). :-)

Best Buds

We have had Diesel for about two weeks now and he and Raji haven't stopped playing since he got here. They chase each other around the house and yard, they play tug-o-war with sticks and toys and they wrestle non-stop. One of Raji's favorite things to do while they are playing is to pin Diesel down on his back and bite his package, it really gets his attention. Diesel will be getting neutered soon to "fix" that (no pun intended).

If Raji and Diesel aren't playing together then they are usually resting or sleeping next to each other. I have never seen two dogs get along so well. They are best buds!

St. George

For the past few days my parents and I were in St. George to stay with Ari, Anni and Missy while Kelie and JR were picking out the interior features and colors for the new house that they are building down there. We took Raji and Diesel with us and while we were there the girls wouldn't leave Diesel alone because he's so damn cute and little. I didn't get too many pictures while we were there but I did get one that I had to post of Anni and Diesel sleeping. How cute is that?

Diesel

We have a new addition to the Adams household. We got another dog to keep Raji company. His name is Diesel, he is a 6 month old male Miniature Pinscher. My cousin Steph is pregnant so she and Mike decided that they had to give him up...their loss is my gain (thanks Steph and Mike). When I heard that they were giving him up, I jumped at the chance to get him. After some smooth talking on my part, my dad caved and Diesel arrived at his new home on Sunday afternoon. Raji loves him and they get along great. Raji is about twice his size but Diesel doesn't care, they have been playing non-stop since he got here. Steph said Diesel had a problem humping his favorite toy but I think we have that taken care of...now he just tries to mount Raji (good thing Raji has been spayed). Diesel has been sleeping in a kennel at night and I think it bothers Raji more than him. Raji checks the kennel a few times at night to make sure that Diesel is still there and everything is alright. My mom usually lets Diesel out when she get home from aerobics in the morning so I wake up with the dogs playing on my bed and jumping on my face. Trust me, it's not as fun as it sounds.

Not Much Happenin'

There's not too much goin' on with me these days. I'm just waiting for my nieces to come back up from St. George to visit (three more weeks). I'm still working for Bach FMS (a computer software company) where I do software testing and tech support. Sounds like fun huh?

Megan has talked me into doing a mini-marathon (probably only a 5K or 10K) with her sometime in the next few months. I will either do it from my wheelchair or my handcycle (a bike that you peddle with your hands/arms). I got my handcycle back from the UofU so I can start training to try to get myself in good enough shape so I can hopefully complete the mini-marathon. It should be interesting to see how I do but fun at the same time.

Most of you know that my two dogs Tommy and Thurman past away earlier this year and I got a new Boston Terrier named Raji K. She is 6 months old now and got spayed today. She is pretty groggy and is walking around like she had a few too many to drink but she'll be just fine in a few days.

Some family news:

We just had the Wolfgramm family reunion pool party at our pool and we celebrated G-ma Wolfgramm's 90th birthday at Gardner Village. I can't believe how good she looks for 90 years old. It was great to see everyone there and to catch up with them.

It's August so we have a ton of birthday's in my family to celebrate this month. We have another pool party with the Adams family in a few days to celebrate the August birthdays. Sweet, more Subway!

Dan and Megan's big day is coming up fast...September 1st is only three weeks away. Their wedding and reception will be in their awesome back yard so they can show off their new water feature named RobO. I just got a new navy blue pin strip suit for the wedding...it's too bad for Dan because I'll be the best looking guy there. I hate to steal his spot light but I gotta be me!

That's all I got for now, catch you on the flip side.

Rob Simpson

The other day I was bored (as usual) so I went to simpsonizeme.com and uploaded a picture. This is me as a Simpson with a shaved head.

Purple Tongue

We left Raji home alone for an hour or so and she decided to chew up a purple marker.

She sure is cute and we still love her.

4 Things...

4 jobs I've had:

1. Landscaping
2. Subway
3. Volvo Trucks
4. Facility Management Engineering

4 movies I can watch over and over again:

1. Troy
2. Sin City
3. Shawshank Redemption
4. The Count of Monte Cristo

4 places I've lived:

1. Holladay
2. SLC
3. New Zealand
4. Sandy

4 favorite TV shows:

1. SportsCenter (ESPN)
2. The Office
3. Prison Break
4. CSI and CSI Miami

4 places I've been:

1. California
2. Mexico
3. New Zealand
4. Jail (long story)

4 favorite foods:

1. Pasta
2. Pizza
3. Steak
4. Chicken

4 websites I visit daily:

1. Blogs
2. ESPN.com
3. NBA.com
4. UFC.com and MMAWeekly.com

4 places I'd rather be:

1. Las Vegas
2. San Diego
3. Hawaii
4. New Zealand

San Diego

Pictures of the Family on our vacation to San Diego.

Sea World

Sea World was awesome, it was my first time going (I think).

Ari and Kelie petting the dolphins.

Ari holding a starfish.

The flamingos were just chillin' but they were pretty boring.

And of course Shamu. Shamu and the other whales was the most impressive and my favorite part of Sea World.

Raji's Graduation

Today Raji graduated from Puppy Training. She was the smartest dog in the class.

The Sleepover

My sleepover with the girls...Ari, Raji and Missy. Kelie , JR, Ari and Anni have been staying at our house for the last week or so. Every morning I would wake up to find Ari sleeping in my bed with me. How cute is she?

I was hogging the covers but Ari didn't care. ;-)

20 Things...

20 things that you might or might not know about me.

1. My Nana and Mom are my hero's.
2. I hate to have my picture taken and when I do, I rarely smile.
3. I enjoy spoiling people close to me...it's what I do.
4. I am awesome at Tiger Woods PGA Tour on PS2 and GameCube.
5. I love animals, dogs the most.
6. I have two dogs, a Boston Terrier named Raji and a Miniature Pinscher named Diesel.
7. I like to have my head shaved.
8. I would rather shop online than go shopping at the mall or other stores.
9. I love to buy and collect shoes.
10. 10 is my favorite number.
11. I'm addicted to buying DVD's.
12. I work from home.
13. I worked at a Subway for a summer (owned by my family). Not the most fun job.
14. I'm part Tongan, my Grandfather on my moms side was born and raised in Tonga. He was one of the first Tongan's to come to America.
15. I love all sports, especially football, basketball and MMA.
16. I cannot sleep on my back.
17. I am very stubborn.
18. I am a perfectionist.
19. I spent one night in jail over a misunderstanding...all charges were dropped.
20. I'm a fat guy in a wheelchair. I broke 9 vertebrae in my neck and back in a car accident on May 28th, 2001 and am paralyzed from the chest down.

Tribute to Nana

Tribute to my Nana...Marilyn Jeanne Price Adams, how beautiful is she? Nana passed away in August of 2005 from a long bout with cancer. Nana always made everyone feel like they were her favorite and the most important person around but everyone really knows that I was always her real favorite.

Nana, we love you and you are missed!

Ari and Anni

My neices are moving to St. George this week and I'm so sad. They are beautiful girls (like there mom) and are one of the greatest joy's in my life.

I miss you girls!