Annual List of Banished Words

Apparently there is a group in Michigan that gets together every year and chooses words that they believe should be banished from the English language. They took over 5000 nominations of words, phrases, and other such jargon that people deemed banishable (yes I know that's not a real word).

This year was a record year because for the first time ever the list included an emoticon. The heart formed from a "less than" symbol and a number 3.



Rough year for love all around...

Octopinion

Apparently Octopi have an opinion about movies....



When shown videos in standard 24 frames/sec format the octupi had no reaction, but when sped up to 5o frames/sec (to accommodate for their highly significant eyes) the octopi displayed different reactions depending on the genre of movie shown...



Their favorite was Disney's Little Mermaid...

Ever ever after....

Just saw Disney's Enchanted for the first time.



Cheesy? Incredibly. Did I love it? Yes!

What can I say? I'm a sucker for the sappy Disney movies

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to spread a little Christmas cheer and remind all to read the Christmas story in the Luke 2 and 3 Nephi...

Shoe attack

The Dog House

I can't take credit for finding this:

Dani found it and I saw it on her blog - it's good enough though that I believe it's worth your time.

The DogHouse

I really do not like Dogs at all

I very much hope that whoever I marry is okay that I never want to have a dog. Not a small one, big one, furry one, hairy one, loud one, quiet one, etc. Just not a dog fan

I'm a nerd

Just playing around with Photoshop

I thought I would try the new grunge style that seems to be so popular these days...

Send Email to Cell Phone

Hey ya'll - I found this pretty useful. You can send an email directly to your phone...

Definately worth your time.

I wouldn't listen to the music if I was you, but the sports plays are incredible

Sign of the times?

Apparently there has been a mad shortage of acorns this year....

Could this be a sign of the times?

Happy Turkey Day

In honor of the Thanksgiving break I decided to post about some of the things I am grateful for.
These are in no particular order - Some of these are religious, others are more humorous...a good smattering of what makes up my wonderful life:


1 - God
2 - Jesus Christ & His Atonement which allows me to continually overcome my weaknesses
3 - The Restored Gospel and my membership in the True Church here on earth
4 - Joseph Smith and every prophet in this dispensation through President Monson
5 - The Book of Mormon (and all scriptures for that matter)
6 - My Family
7 - My angelic mom who can only be described as a Saint
8 - My Dad who is the epitome of a righteous priesthood holder and treats my mom like his princess
9 - All my brothers and sisters and how much they make fun of me for being single
10 - James Reed Belliston - a fine man and an even better friend. Roommate for three years now and a great pillow-talk partner
11 - Steven Christopher Fisher - 1 part oaf, 3 parts cowboy, and an all around genuinely loving person - couldn't ask for a better friend
12 - Bryce Kimball Gandy (also known as Bruskers) - childhood sandbox playmate and official apartment entertainment - not a mean bone in his chiseled body
13 - My baby - My MacBook computer - she never lets me down
14 - My 1995 gold Toyota Camry (who by the way is still unnamed - I'm open to any recommendations - she's a girl, I know that much)
15 - My wonderful job at the MTC
16 - Great professors who take the time to help me realize my potential - specifically Geoff Wright who pushes me to accomplish things I wouldn't do on my own
17 - Ice Cream - nothing gets me ready for bed quite like it
18 - Cheesecake - see ice cream
19 - BYU - I love it here
20 - My 18 pairs of basketball shorts (I gave away my 5 least worn pairs)
21 - Hoodies - makes getting out of bed bearable
22 - Sportscenter - no description required
23 - My mission experience in the Philippines
24 - A pair of jeans that fits just right (Click Here to get my exact feelings) - I actually have a pair I bought in 1999 that I love
25 - My extended family (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, in-laws, etc.) - I get to see them quite often and I actually enjoy spending time with them
26 - Orange slices (the candy)
27 - Anything with the word cream in it (Ice____, ____ cheese, Whipped ____, etc.)
28 - Pineapple
29 - Rice (the good kind - long grain - from Asia)
30 - Tillamok Cheese
31 - EFY
32 - Good friends (yes that includes you - all 368 of you on facebook who claim me as a friend) - I would list you all by name but then no one would want to read this...
33 - My mom's homecooking - I get it every Sunday night
34 - Earplugs (Reed says some weird things in his sleep)
35 - Tabs (I hated having to open a new window for every new web page you went to)
36 - Trix and Peanut Butter Crunch
37 - Belts - not a huge fan of suspenders
38 - Strawberries and Rasperries
39 - Meat
40 - Cheese
41 - Nerdy people who understand me (I spend about 30 minutes a day at least surfing the internet and reading all my RSS feeds)
42 - Hot Showers
43 - My pillows
44 - Toothbrushes - I really like brushing my teeth
45 - Good books (Les Mis, Harry Potter, Man's search for meaning, etc)
46 - Country Dancing - love it
47 - Country Music (George Strait, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Emerson Drive, etc)
48 - Christmas lights
49 - Good smelling Candles
50 - Deodorant
51 - Musicals
52 - Christmas Music
53 - Peppermint Ice Cream & Hot Fudge
54 - Plaid
55 - Adobe Creative Suite CS3
56 - Chicken Alfredo
57 - Good Socks (the champion socks from Costco - I have yet to find a better sock)
58 - The internet
59 - Volleyball
60 - Park Football
61 - Family Home Evening
62 - My roommates printer (I've printed many a paper of that printer)

And, there are many more, but I'm sure half of you who get on here don't make it even this far so I'll just stop there.

Happy Thanksgiving - there's a lot to be grateful for!

Great Christmas Gift

This is one great deal if you ask me...

Great Christmas Gift

Fishing anyone...

Patents

Just so you all know - McDonalds has put in a request for a Patent on making sandwiches. Apparently they have included a flow chart as well to ensure that no one steals their precise way of making a hamburger that doesn't taste very good.


When do we reach the point that we just say: "Hey, that's dumb," and worry about more important things?

For your viewing pleasure

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Noodling

All right ya'll - maybe you have heard of this already - I don't know. But, whether or not you've seen this I think it's awesome.

It's called "Noodling"

Noodling is a southern US practice of fishing for catfish using only bare hands. Many other names, such as catfisting, grabbling, graveling, hogging, dogging, tickling and stumping, are used in different regions for the same activity. Noodling is currently legal in eleven states.^[1].

The term "noodling", although today used primarily towards the capture of flathead catfish, can and has been applied to all hand fishing methods, regardless of the method or species of fish sought. Noodling as a term has also been applied to various unconventional methods of fishing, such as any which do not use bait, rod & reel, speargun, etc., but this usage is much less common.

Although the concept, catching fish with only the use of the arm in the water, is simple enough, the process of noodling is more complicated. The choice of catfish as the prey is not arbitrary, but comes from the circumstances of their habitat. Flathead catfish live in holes or under brush in rivers and lakes and thus are easy to capture due to the static nature of their dwelling. To begin, a noodler goes underwater to depths ranging from only a few feet to up to twenty feet, placing his hand inside a discovered catfish hole. If all goes as planned, the catfish will swim forward and latch onto the fisherman's hand, usually as a defensive maneuver in order to try to escape the hole. If the fish is particularly large, the noodler can hook the head around its gills.

Most noodlers have spotters who help them bring the catfish in, either to shore or to their boat. When a catfish bites onto a noodler, it holds on for quite a while.

With some of the biggest fish caught weighing in at up to 50-60 pounds, very few noodlers are strong enough to attempt noodling by themselves. Although carrying the fish after they have been subdued is not difficult, trying to secure a fish and remove it from one's hand at the same time can be a challenge.

Now that's cool

Even if you don't know Tagalog I think you can appreciate this...

Role Reversal

So, me, Bryce, and Reed were all sitting in his front room just shooting the breeze and we started talking about dating (I know, I know - big surprise right?). Well Reed had an epiphany that I believe is worth mentioning. He had the thought:



What if we switched roles for a month? For example - we talk to President Samuelson, and here at BYU for a month we do a social experiment. Guys and girls switch roles for a month. Girls have to ask guys out (and the expectation is at least 1 date a week - this is the expectation for guys right now so it shouldn't be any different for girls), girls pay, and girls take the lead role in planning the date, leading the conversation, and showing they are interested. Guys on the other hand try to flirt with girls they would like to be asked out by, they turn down or accept date offers, etc.
Wouldn't that be incredible? I think it would be fascinating - I mean, think about it. Guys would finally understand what it feels like to be the only one of your roommates no asked out, to be the one who hasn't been on a date in weeks and really can't do anything about it, to be on a date with someone you really don't want to be with, etc. Girls would finally understand what it feels like to drop 40 bones on someone only to have them turn you down the next time, to be turned down by someone you are interested in, to have to plan and come up with new and innovative dating ideas, etc.


I personally think this would be awesome - just to open all our eyes a bit to what it's like for the opposite gender. Any thoughts?

Road Trip

This past weekend me and 3 of my best buddies went to the BYU-Colorado State Football game. The game was in Colorado so we made a road trip of it. We left Provo on Friday around 3:30 in the afternoon and pulled into Denver around Midnight. We spent the night with some of Reed's family. They were incredibly gracious to us (offering us beds, a wonderful hot breakfast, too many treats for even Fish to eat, and a great lunch before the game) and we had a great time with them. Saturday morning was spent playing outdoor volleyball (3 on 3) in a local park - my team won - poor Reed, Steve, and Bouch.
Then we headed for the game. Boy was it a game. BYU gave us a great scare - waiting until there was abou 1:12 left in the game to finally seal up the deal.
They really know how to watch a football game there in Colorado. The stadium was located out in the middle of a huge field (no parking lot - just a lot of dirt, cowpies, and beer cans) and when we pulled up we could tell that they had been partying for awhile. There were trucks everywhere (in fact the only thing I saw more of than truck s was beer) and everybody was pretty plastered.
After the game we waited for a little while before taking off - we wanted to let all the drunk people get in their cars and drive a little before we joined them on the road.

We drove halfway home that night and spent the night in podunkville Wyoming @ a super 8 before coming the rest of the way home in time for an afternoon sacrament meeting.
A few highlights from the trip:
To break up the monotony of the trip we decided we would all sing our new favorite song at the top of our lungs. We sang "Love Story," by Taylor Swift 13 times that trip. Tears were shed, voices cracked, and gosh darn it I love that song.


We passed numerous windmills on the way. It was always interesting to see a line of them - all of them but one would be spinning. The same wind, same location, yet some were spinning quickly, while others weren't moving at all. Me and Reed had a pleasant conversation as we related this to dating. Same people, same place, same game, and yet some are really working it (having success) while others appear to be completely stationary. Interesting how that works out isn't it?


We also stopped at the Abraham Lincoln monument in Nowhereville, Wyoming. We saw two gay cowboy truckers with their arms behind each others backs as they walked. Yes, the words: "two", "cowboy", & "gay" all describe the truckers. Rather distrubing.

Hat

I would simply like to ask a question.

Please vote. In favor or or opposed to this hat?

I happen to own it and would simply like to hear what everyone's thoughts are. And please don't say: "Well only in certain situations." I know that - I'm not planning on wearing it skiing or to my classes.

Thank you

Pig Tails & Overalls

Can I just put in a plug for pig tails and overalls. It seems like no matter how many girls I talk to they all think that pig tails and overalls are ''not cute" and ''so third grade.'' I think they both look very cute on girls. Pig tails give girls this look of cute and blissful innocence that I find very attractive. Overalls do the very same thing.


I'm not really sure why girls would think these negative things about pig tails and overalls (if you feel inclined to clue me in please do) - I mean, when I was in third grade I wore plaid shorts and a t-shirt. I don't hear too many guys complaining about plaid shorts or t-shirts these days.
Can I also add one disclaimer? I think the pig tails look the best when they are braided (I don't know enough to know if that has a different name than a pig tail - like maybe a braided tail or something) and those are definitely preferable. As far as overalls go - go with khaki.

Dating

So the whole 'dating' title - it's just a facade. I mean who wouldn't read your blog if you have a post dedicated to dating? I know when I hear the word 'dating' my interest is usually peaked fairly quickly.

This post is about pet-peeves. Everyone has them - they're weird (ever notice how weird is spelled with an E before an I even though it doesn't follow a C? Weird, huh?) but we all have them, and I think it's fun to try and point them out. One thing that I have noticed is that it's usually easier to point out someone else's pet-peeves than it is to identify your own. My roommate Reed for example - we have lived together for 3 years now, and I know his pet-peeves. Probably better than he does. But, with a little help from Reed, I have identified many of my own pet-peeves, which I will now be so gracious as to share with you.

1 - The little thingy in the shower. The pin that you pull to make the water come out of the shower instead of going into the tub. I like for that to be down. The reason is this: I hate it when I get in to turn on the shower and - not expecting it to come out of the shower - am surprised by a blast of icy water when I first turn it on. Also it drips and wastes water. Peace, Love, Granola.

2 - Routines. I don't like my routines to get messed up. Before I got to bed every night I always do the following (in the order given): Wash my face, brush my teeth, say my prayers, stretch, make my going to bed noises (hard to explain over a blog post), place my pillow under my knees while lying on my back (I do this until I am almost asleep), then I turn over onto my stomach and sleep with a pillow under my one arm.

3 - People who do stupid things. Not just people who do stupid things - but, people who know better and do stupid things. It drives me bonkers when I know that someone knows better and still does something stupid.

4 - Loud things. I don't mind loud things in loud places (football games, carnivals, rodeos, etc.) but, I hate when people have loud things in the wrong places. The car that revs it's engine 546 times outside our window at 1AM, the person in the cougareat talking on their phone loud enough for everyone in the WILK to hear them, the person in the movie sitting behind you who sniffs every 5 secs so loud you thought he was bending down to get close to your ear to do it, and so forth.

5 - Dirty hands. I'm no OCD (at least if I am I don't know about it) but I really like to have clean hands. I wash my hands a lot - especially while cooking - to make sure they are clean. I also like to have a nice wash rag to dry my hands on after I wash them. I bought some for our apartment and I wash them every week.

6 - When things don't work. That may seem like an odd category but it drives me nuts when something that is supposed to be working won't work the way it's supposed to. My car, computer, cell-phone, etc. I hate it when something doesn't work - it always seems to happen at just the wrong time.

7 - Wet toes. It drives me nuts when my toes are wet. I always dry off in between them in the mornings. Don't know why - just can't stand it.

8 - Fruity Gum. I seriously want to throw up just smelling it. It makes it 10X worse when someone chews fruity gum and smacks it. I feel bad but I made up my own rule for the MTC - No fruity gum in class - ever!

9 - Doctrinally incorrect statements that are used in church. Christ never said (that we have record of) " I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it."

10 -Parking in provo.

Anywho, those are some of my pet-peeves. I thank you not to judge, I promise, for the most part, I'm still a pretty normal person. Feel free to share your #1 pet peeve, I would love to hear about them

Check this out

If you hate parking in Provo as much as I do . . .


Parking Tickets

Prop 8

Watch this:

Video

Rain

I recently was introduced to the song "Like the Rain," by Clint Black. I really like it. I did a little research and found out that there are, in fact, according to muze.com, over 5,000 albums containing at least one song with the word 'rain' in their title, just since 1960.

In my opinion the top 3 are:

1 - Rainy Days And Mondays, by The Carpenters

2 - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, by B.J. Thomas

3 - Rain, by The Beatles

Why do you suppose that is? Why are there so many songs about rain? Well I stick with the guys @ http://www.lacarte.org. They make the claim that it's probably because rain is the easiest word to rhyme with 'PAIN.'

Pain - it seems to show up on a lot of songs... In fact that's one reason why I love country songs so much. Not so much the pain aspect as much as the ability country music has to put into words the feelings that are hard to describe. In honor of my love for country music (don't judge me) I present to you the top 100 country songs.

1. A Woman in Love - Ronnie Milsap
2. Almost Like a Song - Ronnie Milsap
3. Always On My Mind - Willie Nelson
4. Amanda - Waylon Jennings
5. Amazed - Lonestar
6. Anymore - Travis Tritt
7. Before The Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender
8. Behind Closed Doors - Charlie Rich
9. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain - Willie Nelson
10. Breathe - Faith Hill
11. But For The Grace Of God - Keith Urban
12. Carrying Your Love With Me - George Strait
13. Cold Cold Heart - Hank Williams
14. Cowboy Take Me Away - Dixie Chicks
15. Crazy - Patsy Cline
16. Don't Take The Girl - Tim McGraw
17. Feels So Right - Alabama
18. Forever and Ever, Amen - Randy Travis
19. Forever And For Always - Shania Twain
20. From Here To Eternity - Michael Peterson
21. Gentle on My Mind - Glen Campbell
22. Golden Ring - George Jones and Tammy Wynette
23. He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones
24. He'll Have To Go - Jim Reeves
25. Hello Darlin - Conway Twitty
26. Hello Walls - Faron Young
27. Help Me Make It Through the Night - Sammi Smith
28. Help Me Understand - Trace Adkins
29. How Do I Live - Trisha Yearwood
30. How Forever Feels - Kenny Chesney
31. I Believe - Diamond Rio
32. I Believe In You - Don Williams
33. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) - Hank Williams
34. I Can't Stop Loving You - Don Gibson
35. I Cross My Heart - George Strait
36. I Do - Paul Brandt
37. I Do (Cherish You) - Mark Wills
38. I Fall To Pieces - Patsy Cline
39. I Love the Way You Love Me - John Michael Montgomery
40. I Melt - Rascal Flatts
41. I Still Believe in You - Vince Gill
42. I Still Miss Someone - Johnny Cash
43. I Swear - John Michael Montgomery
44. I Walk The Line - Johnny Cash
45. I Wanna Make You Cry - Jeff Bates
46. I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton
47. I'd Love To Lay You Down - Conway Twitty
48. If Tomorrow Never Comes - Garth Brooks
49. I'll Go On Loving You - Alan Jackson
50. I'm Already There - Lonestar
51. I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry - Hank Williams
52. It Only Hurts When I Cry - Dwight Yoakam
53. It's a Love Thing - Keith Urban
54. It's Your Love - Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
55. Keeper Of The Stars - Tracy Byrd
56. Kiss An Angel Good Mornin' - Charley Pride
57. Let's Make Love - Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
58. Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
59. Love, Me - Collin Raye
60. Lovesick Blues - Hank Williams
61. Me And You - Kenny Chesney
62. Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right - Billy Currington
63. My Woman, My Woman, My Wife - Marty Robbins
64. No Place That Far - Sara Evans
65. One More Day - Diamond Rio
66. Only One Love In My Life - Ronnie Milsap
67. Pure Love - Ronnie Milsap
68. Raining On Sunday - Keith Urban
69. Remember When - Alan Jackson
70. She's In Love With The Boy - Trisha Yearwood
71. She's Got You - Patsy Cline
72. She's More - Andy Griggs
73. Somebody Like You - Keith Urban
74. Something That We Do - Clint Black
75. Strawberry Wine - Deana Carter
76. The Dance - Garth Brooks
77. The Heart Won't Lie - Reba McEntire
78. The Man In Love With You - George Strait
79. The One - Gary Allan
80. This Kiss - Faith Hill
81. To Make You Feel My Love - Garth Brooks
82. Today I Started Loving You Again - Merle Haggard
83. Tonight I Wanna Be Your Man - Andy Griggs
84. Two Sparrows in a Hurricane - Tanya Tucker
85. Unanswered Prayers - Garth Brooks
86. We Danced - Brad Paisley
87. What a Beautiful Day - Chris Cagle
88. When I Call Your Name - Vince Gill
89. When I Said I Do - Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black
90. When Somebody Loves You - Alan Jackson
91. When We Make Love - Alabama
92. When You Say Nothing At All - Keith Whitley
93. Where've You Been - Kathy Mattea
94. You Had Me From Hello - Kenny Chesney
95. You Won't Be Lonely Now - Billy Ray Cyrus
96. You Won't Ever Be Lonely - Andy Griggs
97. Your Everything - Keith Urban
98. Your Man - Josh Turner
99. You're My Best Friend - Don Williams
100. You're The Best Part of Me - Dale Watson

I borrowed this list from http://countrymusic.about.com

Reminders...Skadush

Hello all,

I'm back and plum-full of blogging topics. I dedicate this post to reminders. Before I embark on a verbose post all about reminders I just wanted to take this opportunity to introduce everyone to my new favorite word "skadush"



Now - on to reminders. I am one of those people who has to have reminders - I am known for being notoriously forgetful. I have my schedule all spelled out for me on my computer (using Ical), I have it again in my Missionary Planner (which I get complimentary from the MTC), I use a minimum of 5 post it notes a day as reminders of things to take to school, to turn in, to read, etc. I have printed out versions of my schedule I carry with me, I have them posted on my wall, and I have my schedule on my google homepage. Despite all of my efforts, invariably, I miss appointments, forget birthdays, show up late to meetings, and completely space commitments. Due to my cursory nature I am constantly on the look-out for new ways of reminding myself. I stumbled on one today that I found very interesting and wanted to share with all of you.

Check out HassleMe - it's awesome. Now I wouldn't recommend using this for set appt's like a meeting, etc. But, for things like calling someone you want to check up on, feeding your pet, etc. This is revolutionary. With random email times you avoid falling into a rut and forgetting altogether. Skadush that!

The Rose

This post goes out to everyone. I love this song. This could be the one non-country song that really speaks to my soul like a country song does. I like this song because I think everyone can relate to different parts of this song at different times of their life. At the risk of taking away from the song I will say no more.... Enjoy "The Rose"

4 Puppies

There once were four puppies. Each was different, but each was good in it's own way. Each morning the puppies would awake to the sound of children as they walked by their puppy pen. "Choose me! Choose me!," each barked out loudly.
Afternoons were spent wrestling, digging, and doing other such puppy things. Days past and the puppies grew - each day looking for that special child to come who would choose them.
Scratch.
The largest of the puppies was named Scratch. Scratch was one of those puppies who was always the biggest and the strongest when all the puppies wrestled, and yet, he had an incredibly soft heart. Scratch would never do anything to hurt anyone. He often spent time talking with the other puppies when they felt alone or hurt. One day along came a child. Her name was Linda - Linda was young, happy, go-lucky, and carefree. She was excited for a puppy and immediately began playing with the puppies when she arrived. Something about Scratch stood out to her. He was big, but gentle. Linda decided that Scratch was the puppy she most wanted and took him home with her. Days past in bliss - they were best of friends - playing, laughing, and crying together. They spent the better part of a year together - everyday Linda running home from school to meet Scratch and play. There were few things Linda enjoyed more than Scratch and nothing Scratch enjoyed more than Linda. Then Linda joined the drama club at school. She began to see less and less of Scratch. She wanted nothing more than to be with him, but she just didn't feel like it was right for her to miss her drama meetings. Scratch began to try harder and harder to get her attention and there were days when Linda skipped out on drama to spend time with Scratch - but, afterward she felt bad. She didn't feel good about spending all that time with Scratch and not going to her drama meetings. Until eventually Linda's parents took scratch back to the puppy pen. Linda couldn't give Scratch the commitment he needed and it wasn't fair to leave him tied up in the backyard waiting for her.
Spud.
Spud was another puppy who grew up with Scratch in the same pen. He wasn't quite as big as Scratch but he was happy and enjoyed life at the pen. Spud had been taken by different kids at different times but always seemed to end up back at the pen - it just didn't work out with the different kids and Spud was sad. One day in walked Chelsea. She was unlike the other children - her and Spud just seemed to click. She came back to visit him in the pen, time and again, and each time Spud hoped more and more that she would take him home with her. Just when Spud had given up hope in walked Chelsea and told him she was taking him home. Joy filled little Spud's heart as he walked out with Chelsea - surely this would be wonderful. Days were spent together talking, confiding in, laughing, and enjoying one another. Spud was as happy as he had ever been. Hours flew by as they spent time together and it seemed that there was never enough time for them to talk about all the things they wanted to talk about.
Then one day Chelsea started acting differently - she didn't seem as excited to see Spud as she had been before. She seemed more aloof and not as happy. Spud tried to understand what had happened but couldn't seem to come up with anything.
Why could this be? Then one day, out of the blue, Chelsea told Spud that he would have to go back to the pen. "But, why?" he inquired, "What about all the wonderful times together, what about, what about..."
Spud was heart-broken. He didn't understand why this was happening. He felt alone, confused, and most of all sad. Chelsea still promised to visit him often at the pen and promised many more memories, talks, and laughs. But, Spud was still sad - why did such a good thing have to end? How could they possibly have as much fun if he wasn't with her anymore?
But, the day came and Spud returned to the pen.
Brutus.
Brutus was an extremely kind, soft puppy. His name definitely didn't suit his soft demeanor and attitude. He was the most carefree of all the puppies - nothing seemed to slow him down. He was often found in random and solitary projects where he was content and happy. None of the children who came to play seemed to suit Brutus - he was content being himself and spending occasional time with the other puppies. One day, all that changed. Brutus wasn't feeling up to his usual solitary games and on the recommendation of another puppy decided to play with one of the children he had seen so many times before. Her name was Abby. Something strange happened that day - it was love at first site. Brutus hardly knew what to do with himself. Having no expectations whatsoever of even enjoying himself he found himself utterly stunned with the amazing time he had with Abby. They both seemed to find each other hilarious. Brutus began to spend less and less time in his usual endeavors and more and more time with Abby. She was amazing - his new best friend, confidant, and joy. Well, the time comes, as you may have now expected that Abby decided to take Brutus home. For 2 weeks they both spent every waking moment together. Laughter filled the yard as they played together. Brutus was as happy as he had ever been. Then one day Abby did the unthinkable - she brought home another dog! His name was Gilbert. He was nice enough of course (Abby wouldn't have any of the other kind of dog in her house), but Brutus was devastated. He had thought that he and Abby were to be together - he didn't at all expect to be sharing time with Gilbert. Why had Abby done this? The next week was the hardest for Brutus - he tried to be as happy as he had been before - but he wasn't. He tried to spend time with Abby, but always felt that it was some sort of competition between him and Gilbert - each vying for her time. It wasn't fair, and he wasn't happy. The time arrived that Brutus had to be taken back to the pen. It just wasn't working out - 3's a crowd and he felt crowded.
Ricky.
Ricky was one of those charming puppies. It seemed he could charm his way into the heart of any child - and he did. The problem was Ricky never seemed to have any sort of attachment to them. He watched as the other puppies left then returned but never seemed to find himself attached to any child in particular. Until...
In walked Brandy. She was unlike any of the other children. She was intellectually challenging to Ricky. He couldn't just charm her into getting his way - and he liked it. Here was a child that he could attach himself to. She challenged him and he challenged her. Ricky found himself being more and more drawn to Brandy. They would have long talks that Ricky kept thinking about long after Brandy had left. This is new, this is exciting. Maybe here was finally a child that Ricky could see himself going with. For 3 weeks Brandy and Ricky would spend time together - almost daily - Ricky found life more satisfying when he was with Brandy and he looked forward to seeing her. One weekend Brandy didn't come - Ricky was worried sick. What could have happened to her? But then the next Monday she was back. "I had to go and visit another puppy pen to take care of some things," she explained. Ricky was just happy she was back and they had a wonderful time that day. But Ricky still felt a little unsettled. Something wasn't quite right. Why was she visiting other puppy pens? Wasn't this one the only puppy pen should she be at? Day by day his fears grew as Brandy spent less and less time at the puppy pen. Oh, she always had a good excuse for why she needed to leave early or why she wouldn't make it the next day - but that's just it - all of a sudden she was full of excuses. Ricky was distraught - he felt empty, discouraged, and sad. Then one day as Ricky was talking with another puppy he overheard one of the children: "Oh, Brandy. No, she doesn't come here anymore. She's always going over to that other puppy pen. I think she found a puppy over there that she's actually taking home..." Ricky stopped listening. That was all he could take. He ran to the corner and plopped himself down. "I'm done letting myself get attached," he thought. And there he remained, in the corner, saddened by the experience that left him hurt.
4 puppies. All a little less willing to smile at the children as they walked by. All hurt by those they had grown close to. All confused.

4 puppies, back in the pen
4 puppies fighting the blues
4 puppies start over again
4 puppies sad and confused

Haircuts & Nintendos

I was just thinking today about haircuts. Haircuts are great for many reason (all of which I will not take the time to discuss here) but I want to discuss one of my favorite reasons for haircuts.
When you get a new haircut it's like a fresh start - you're a new person - it's like a new chapter in your life. I always love getting my haircut right after I take midterms - My mom cuts it, I shower and then when I step out and look at myself in the mirror I think: "Self, your a new man. You haven't bombed any tests with this haircut, you haven't offended anyone with this haircut, you haven't had any embarrassing moments, bad days, etc. with this haircut. So don't screw it up"


It's almost like you get a new identity - untarnished, with no baggage, etc. Now as I have thought about it the interesting thing is that from as far as I can tell this affect only affects the receiver of the haircut. When my buddies get haircuts I don't look at them and think: "Oh, wow - this is the post-haircut Steve I am dealing with now..." but the receiver of the haircut gets the wonderful new chapter feeling. Interesting.
While we are on the topic of new identities I found this website that allows you to generate a new name, email address, mom's name, social security #, etc. It's pretty cool.
Anyway - I was trying to think of other things/events in life that seem to signify a new chapter in life(aside from spiritual events such as baptism and taking the sacrament at church) and from as far as I can tell nothing happens as frequently as a haircut. Thank goodness for haircuts and the chance to "start over." It's almost like the reset button on the old nintendo game systems.

Long time

First of all I must apologize to all of you faithful readers out there - I readily admit that by now there might not be more than 2 or 3 of you, but at one time I was averaging 30-40 hits per day...
Anyway, I'm back from a long and wonderful summer as an EFY coordinator in the Northwest. I grew to love my team, we were all about as different as we could be but that was what made it so fun. I need to give a shout out to all of them - they made it what it was and I'm grateful for that.
I love the kids, the dances, the games, pizza night, devotionals, late night talks with counselors, ice cream, big mama (this monsterous black lady from the south who always gave you more food than you could eat), the speakers, the testimonies of the youth, sleeping on a different bed every week, driving, flying, navigating through airports (always made me think of Brian Reagan), rental cars, working with administrators, coordinating, having ample time for scripture study everyday, running on no sleep week in and week out, random trips to lighthouses, tillamook, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, bowling, cafeteria food everyday for 8 weeks, french toast sticks every morning, spending time with my dad, talking to my mom on the phone, telling everyone I met about the color code, refusing to be part of the drama and then getting sucked into it all, being he liaison with the university when we broke their hammock or their big screen TV, making kids get haircuts, dancing, Miley Cirus and all her wonderful music, learning how to fall asleep anywhere at anytime, talking trash with 50 yr old men, having my eyes opened to the world outside Utah, the sunsets over the Puget Sound, the same music at the dances twice a week for 8 weeks, inside jokes, new sweat pants, the doghouse, cheesecake for dessert, French fries everyday for lunch for 4 weeks, giving haircuts, the Olympics, more facebook friends than I've ever had before, the clapper, random talents kids have these days, pokemon, and so on and so forth.
If I could sum up the summer into one lesson learned it would be this: Always give everyone the benefit of the doubt - you never know what they are going through. Time and again this was pounded home to me as I talked with youth, counselors, friends, etc. You never can tell what they are going through and 99% of people really do try to do the right thing and be good. And when they don't they almost always know it - they usually don't need someone to tell them.
I loved it - I'm different because of the experience. The people I met have and will continue to change my life. The experiences I had have and will continue to shape me. If I was Julie Andrews EFY would definitely make my favorites things list...
Right behind raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.

Ouch

Howdy all. I know it's been quite sometime since I last posted but I've been busy with EFY. I am a coordinator up here in the Northwest (Oregon, Washington, & Idaho) and I love it. I have been moved to post again because of an experience I had. In all honesty I could probably feel 300 posts with all the learning experiences I am having, but I just wanted to highlight one.
Have you ever had someone say something to you that really hurt? They were joking, and you knew they were joking, but it still really hurt? I consider myself and pretty easy-going guy, with pretty thick skin (judge for yourselves, I could be wrong on that one) but, I had something said to me that really stung.
We all have things we believe in - things we try and do. Things we stick up for, invest ourselves, in, commit ourselves to, etc. I have some things like that (I think everyone does) and it was when someone began to poke fun - to call me out in a way - on one of those things that I really do believe in, something I am trying really hard to do because I really think that it's important - it was when they began to make fun of that, that I was really hurt.
This caused me to think. We really do need to be careful about what we say. This person and I have a great relationship - we tease each other all the time. I expect that we will continue to be good friends and tease each other. But, this experience made me think about how careful I need to be. A little slip of the tongue and I may hurt someone else.
Sarcasm. It's one of my favorite things in the world. I love it - use it, laugh at it - all the time. I also think though that it gets me into more trouble than anything else. It's hard to know when you've crossed the line. When your remarks may stray into an area that someone else feels really strongly about, somewhere that they really believe in, and have committed themselves to do. Even though it's simply sarcastic it still hurts. And as has been said many times: "There's a little truth under every sarcastic remark."
Don't worry - I'm fine. I have moved on, and everything is okay. But, I still think the point stands. We need to be more careful about what we say - especially when it is sarcastic. You never know when you may say something that really hurts someone.

The Felt Family

So... My little sister asked me to take some pictures of her family.  

I'm no photographer by any means, by I thought it was fun...