So I figure shoot why not tell enough to in short form on my web site to satisfy the very curious.

Basically I lit a bomb and was not able put the fuse out before it exploded in my hands. I was 11 years old just starting my 6^th grade year in elementary school. I’ll upload more pictures as I can, but right now these two will have to suffice.

The clean picture was taken today; it’s my right hand looks like currently. The bloody messy picture is my right hand on a Wednesday afternoon after school let out in 1992. The bloody picture was taken by a police officer at McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

The accident picture is actually a picture of a picture. That’s why it is all fuzzy, when I get my hands on a scanner I’ll upload more detailed images. I don’t actually have the negatives, just some images on photo paper and a few slides.

This post was also inspired by my coworker Dan Garfield who found a picture of an x-ray on Digg’s home page entitle "Exploded hand: Hand + Firecracker = Amazing X-RAY [pic]". Dan thought it looked exactly like my hand. But the x-ray was taken in 1997 while my accident happened in 1992.

Any way the bloody image might be what the guy in the x-ray’s hand might have looked like.

X-ray Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roentgenator/1435208683/

Blog post about x-ray: http://streetanatomy.com/blog/?p=201

With a little bit of love, family and some kind words and deeds my wife helped me change my perspective and suddenly the pain was gone. I must say I received every gift I asked for from my wife, I loved it! The best gift was the gift of time; it is amazing how people become more and more important to me as I grow older. I am thankful for the time I have to spend with those I love.

 I needed to see my father he has been medically retired from the Army Reserves and Teaching pottery now for over 6 years. He was my best birthday present, I drove up to see him in Ogden at a nursing home where he can receive physical therapy, food, entertainment, and the basic every day tasks that he has trouble performing by him self like getting dressed. He and my mother decided it was better for him to be in a nursing home rather than at home, my mother has been getting physically ill lately.

After 6 years of watching your eternal companion die slowly in front of your eyes and feeling helpless can do mean things to any ones emotional and physical state of being. I am glad they are taking care of each other in the manner.

My father told me that he loved me and that he was proud of me. He was happy that I wanted to spend my day with him on my Birth Day. He was flattered, that I would do such a thing. I knew he knew I loved him, which is exactly what I wanted him to feel.

I don’t get to see him much any more. This is a good thing, what I mean is I am no longer a child, I have a family of my own and it has been very nice to feel like a man when it is time to feel like a man; Just like it was nice to feel like a child when I was a child.

My second favorite gift was time with my Lady! My wife and I went to the Bavarian Chalet a German restaurant. In fact it’s the only German restaurant in Utah. I hadn’t been there since I was in junior high during our annual German class cultural experience. It did remind of the time I spent in Germany, and friends I made in my six years of German classes. I really learned how to love to the German people. There are so many positive things to admire in them: see my “Why I Believe Outsourcing in Germany Can Benefit You” post for a small list.

My third favorite gift was time with my friend Travis Nutley who dropped everything he was doing just to spend one hour with me on my birthday. I really enjoyed learning more about his new job with the Ogden police force and how he truly protects and serves. I appreciate him for that.

I also feel in a way that I am a better person because I know him, because I know someone who enjoys protecting and serving me and others. I feel the same about my father and his Army career; I have always admired and looked up to those who keep the peace.

This day was so packed full of fun and joy that I just wanted to share a little bit of it with you.