steve groch

Pool Party

2011-01-10T05:22:00.000-08:00

At our new house.

We've also got a solid gold indoor pool.

But you are not invited.

Ok this is Hearst Castle, where Sheila and I went for our first anniversary.

I shouldn't blog this late at night..

For those of you who drive a Miata...

2010-08-06T00:02:00.000-07:00

Maybe some of you aren't after all. Though I'm still not convinced..

Gift Idea?

2010-02-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

With a full-time job and full time school for the next 4 months, I am sooooo working for the weekend. I seriously need a poster of Chris Farley as a Chippendale's dancer for my office. Anybody?

It aint over til the fat lady sings.

2009-12-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

(This is how I looked, except Sheila was laughing too..)

Last night Sheila and I were at the Interstake Center with our ward to hear a performance by David Glen Hatch and an orchestra. Of course it was super boring, and I had run into Jonathan Monte, who as you are probably aware, is a huge Simpsons fanatic. So as the concert got to be extremely boring, I sent a text to Jonathan that said "It aint over til the fat lady sings."
Then this big fat chick in a sparkly dress comes out and starts singing (she was horrible). So he texts me back "Is that one fat enough for you?" I almost died laughing. Anyone who has watched the Simpsons for the last 20 years should appreciate that one. I don't think there's ever been a more perfect reference.

Best Christmas Movie of all time...

2009-12-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

"Hey Griswold, where do you think you're gonna put a tree that big?"
"Bend over and i'll show you."
"You have a lot of nerve talking to me like that."
"I wasn't talking to you."

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

2009-11-14T18:49:00.001-08:00

To the bLogstalkErS out there who may feeL like they've been kept In the dark sincE my last blog...

I'm back baby!

It's not that I don't care about blogging. I enjoy it but I've been a little preoccupied the past year or so, as evidenced by the quality of my blogs. Here's the cliffs notes/photo montage version of the last year so I can get back to writing about stupid stuff that only I think is funny.

I got a job.

I got married.
I went to a Brad Paisley Concert.

(We like the same music)

I developed a bad case of mental retardation.

Ok fine I just went to dentist and they gave me drugs and numbed my face. And actually it was more like 8 trips to the dentist with only 3 to go.

That's probably enough highlights now for me to get back to writing stupid stuff.

Huzzah!

a knock knock joke by ezra

2009-04-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

knock knock
whos there
poopoo
poopoo who?
im gonna poop on your shirt

atta boy

This one just about blew my funny fuse.

2009-04-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

Madonna....How do I even write a blog after reading that little piece by Kristin Booth. I seriously busted up laughing the first time i read it, and read it again today and it's still hilarious. I'll probably read it again tomorrow. Itskristinmay.blogspot.com . Look it up. Seriously. Hilarious. That girl has a gift...

This one doesn't flow at ALL!

2009-03-29T23:14:00.001-07:00

Some incoherent, profound, but incomplete thoughts.

Strength.. I don't think you can assume you're strong just because you've managed to avoid having to lift any weight. In fact, I might go so far as to say that avoiding resistance makes you weaker.

Arm Wrestling. I never arm wrestle anyone. As long as you think there's a chance I could beat you, I'm cool. I'm good. In your mind, I'm strong enough, if not Herculean. But in reality, (don't tell anybody this) I'm not THAT strong... I just never lose.

Parenting. The parents who never have trouble or conflict or drama with their kids may think that's a sign of their amazing parenting ability. Give yourself a pat on the back and brag to your friends about how great your lousy kids are. But those kids are going to turn out rotten and you will have learned nothing except regret. The exhausted parents who you and I see trying not to lose it at the store or in church because mommy said no, those are the parents who will find the most fulfillment in their calling as a parent and their kids have a much better shot at turning out decent, and in the end the parents will be able to say they tried their hardest and worried infinitely more about their kids than what others would think.

Spiritual Strength. There have been times in my life where I have taken the path of least resistance, feeling like there would be no consequences for my actions or that my lack of action wouldn't have any effect on me because I was strong deep down.

Examples (there are a million) : Some friends are gossiping about another friend and I either said nothing or nothing nice. or I skipped church to go to a baseball game. or I didn't do my home teaching.

I had the idea that I was strong deep down, whether or not that goodness made it to the surface. Often the path of least resistance will lead you places where you will not be able to resist. It will essentially cause spiritual atrophe. Is that building strength? Of course not. Choosing not to do what I know is right is the opposite of building strength. Sometimes the seemingly easier way can be very tempting, and Satan is very good at throwing out smoke screens and blinding us from the real consequences of our choices, but I am confident that walking the straight and narrow (always choosing to do what's right and listening to and obeying the voice of the spirit) will provide PLENTY of resistance to effectively strengthen and tone my spiritual muscles beyond what my secretly weak physical body will show. It seems to me that the straight and narrow is the path of Just-the-right-amount-of Resistance.

Lastly, some thing are black and white, and I am so grateful to our God for very clearly defining some of these things through modern revelation. By clarifying some gray and controversial areas, the path becomes clear, and I am free to walk down it with confidence. Sometimes God has to just shove a sock in Satan's mouth and tell us what's right before we've strayed too far.

I don't think this really relates to anything I've said so far, but I still feel like I should write it down. After getting ticked off at a basketball tournament where for the most part I had a great time, I was driving home with steam coming out of my ears when I had this distinct moment that I doubt I will ever forget (especially now that I'm writing it down) where I could picture Satan laughing his head off at me for giving him so much power. It was a "That was almost TOO easy" kind of laugh. It was like in football where the defense blows their coverage and the quarterback casually tosses it to a wide open receiver, who realizing he is SO WIDE OPEN, totally drops the ball. Well, lucky for me Satan dropped the ball on that one, and I was able to regain control of my emotions. Often a blown play like that results in a shift in momentum. I feel like I learned a little bit more about myself and in the future I will be much better prepared to handle a situation like that.

OK, I'm done. Kind of.

Did Joseph Smith see the times we live in?

2009-03-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

I think it would have been pretty awesome to hear these words directly from the mouth of Joseph Smith:

The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.

I had to memorize this on my mission, and we recited it often, but it means more to me today than it did the entire two years I spent serving the Lord. There isn't the tiniest shred of doubt in my mind that this man was a true prophet who knew what he was talking about.

*Calumny- A misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation

Soooooooooooooooooooooooo

2009-03-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

I'm so good at ruining people's pictures with perfectly timed spinning jumps.

Celestial Sandwich

2009-02-16T22:45:00.001-08:00

That is not a metaphor.

I should be sleeping.. but I have to take a few minutes to publicly express my love for that sandwich today.. The Tuscan Pesto Chicken sandwich from the Safeway Deli in Carmel. It's THAT good that I'm writing a blog about it to an audience that doesn't care. Chicken, Lettucs, Tomato, fresh Mozzarella, Artichoke Hearts, pesto sauce, and a vinaigrette toasted on some deliciously seasoned bread.

Sheila, Jackie, George and I waited in line for awhile to order, but man was it worth the wait. The guy ahead of us in line was mean to the nice sandwich lady. So we were extra nice. I did a happy dance pretty much nonstop from the time I first smelled the Deli. We cheered her up by fanatically cheering her on as she made our sandwiches. By the time I had that warm sandwich in my hand, the HUGE smile on my face had spread to hers and we were all happy. And man, was that a good sandwich. MMMmmmm. Mmmmm. MMMMMMMMmmmm. I can't stop. MMMMmmmmm MmMMMMmmmm. MMMMMMMmmmm. Yep. That good.

A New Low

2009-02-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

Apparently these are all the rage right now. I've had the flu for a few days and am SO incredibly bored that I've been reduced to filling out lame lists of things nobody wanted to know about me. Whatever.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I'm pretty sure I was named after my mom's ex boyfriend. Another popular theory is that I was named after Steven Tyler, as my younger brother is named Tyler.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
When the A's traded Rich Harden.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
It's not that I don't like it, I just recognize that it's very poorly drawn.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Carne Asada, in my Los Gallos Quesadilla

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Still waiting for the Paternity tests to come back..

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I'm a loner Dottie, a rebel.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
With precise comedic timing.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
I do. They hurt right now.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I was going to say "only if my life depended on it" but that's not quite the same as skydiving. I'll just say no. Too fat.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I like cheerios with bananas chopped up in them. Also, Corn Chex.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Only if I have to.

12. SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO GO ON VACATION
Maui.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Nothing beats home-made vanilla, but the best I've ever had was called Strawberry Habanero, and it was amazing. Sweet strawberry ice cream that had a kick to it. MmmmMMMmmm.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
I read their face like a book.

15. RED OR PINK?
I went with the first thing that popped into my head for foods that were red or pink. Tomatoes or cotton candy. Hmmmmm.. Tough one.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My immune system.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
my niece and nephew and future nieces and nephews.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
No

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Barefoot and blue.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The rain.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Black

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Concrete right after the rain, BBQ, a baseball, freshly mowed grass.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Sheila

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU IN THIS?
Yes, thanks Elke.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Football.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Baldish-brown

28. EYE COLOR?
Hazely-brown

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yes

30. FAVORITE FOOD
Enchiladas, Lasagna, Pizza, Scalloped Potatoes

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Green

34. Summer or winter?
Summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Big kiss, Big hug, little hug, little kiss, big hug, big kiss

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
dumb

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
dumb

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Ice To The Eskimos: How to Market a Product Nobody Wants

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Don't have one.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Futurama.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
Richard G. Scott's voice

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Equally irrelevant in my life.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Daytona Beach, FL

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Yes.

46. WHERE WERE U BORN?
Hayward

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
nobody

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
It's hard to say, because we were friends for over 3 years before we began dating. She thinks it was at a church beach trip. She's probably right. She usually is. That's part of why I like her.

Utah @ Sacramento

2009-02-08T00:00:00.001-08:00

Last night Sheila and I went to Sacramento to watch the Kings play the Utah Jazz. I'll put pictures up here as soon as I get them off her camera. This game was a gift from Sheila to finish off what was an absolutely fantastic Christmas, and I had so much fun! In case you didn't know this about me, I LOVE the Jazz. More than any football team. Not quite the same level as the A's, but I've wanted to see them play so badly, and last night it finally happened. Thank you thank you thank you thank you.

Coincidentally, this game happened to be the night they were retiring #4 in honor of Chris Webber. It was super loud. But the crowd cheered waaaaaay more for #4 than they did for anyone on the current roster. The Kings suck. Nevertheless, they gave us a good game to watch by making it close right up until the end. One of my favorite moments was where the Kings made this really clutch 3 that put them up by 3 close to the end, and the crowd was on their feet and going crazy, thinking they were about to pull away, but then the Jazz came right back and hit one on the other end and suddenly the only person standing in that arena was ME going crazy! My other favorite moment was probably when we gave away our Webber posters to a mom who had a few more Kings fans back at home. I'm still smiling thinking about making her kids happier.

I felt a little bad for the fans, and I made a special effort not to be that obnoxious Boston "fan" at a game in Oakland who is just there hoping he can rip on the crowd if the Sox are winning. I tried to have a little class, especially considering the reputation of the crowd that shows up to the games in Salt Lake. Anyway, it was a great night that I will always remember. Thank you Sheila. Also, In N Out was pretty dang good afterward.

Hire Me Already!

2009-02-02T22:58:00.000-08:00

I really really really need a job. Going to school right now is great for the longterm, but my lonely wallet is longing for the company of some dead presidents and founding fathers. I've been looking for months and have filled out a million different applications and sent my resume to about 50 different companies with only a couple bites. The few companies that have wanted me just weren't the right fit for me, but I'm confident that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing right now, and that's what is important.

I have this feeling that at some point Fedex is going to call me up and beg me to come back (or just offer me a position in Palo Alto.) I got a call the day school started from a company that wanted me to work monday through friday from 8 - 5 but it sounded bogus and not worth quitting school for. But if I could find something that lets me work in the afternoons or even graveyard I would be thrilled. If anyone has a lead for me I would be forever grateful!

Quiet Moments

2009-01-27T15:44:00.000-08:00

Every once in awhile I feel like I'm being taught an important lesson from on high and I feel like these are the moments that shape and define who I am. Some of these moments have occurred when major decisions have been placed before me, some have happened when I was earnestly trying to do what was right, and still others have happened simply as my loving Heavenly Father knew that I needed them to steer me without taking away my agency. These moments have acted as proof to me that God is real and that he knows who I am and that he loves me. As of right now, I am SO far from perfect, but I know I'm in a state of progression and that I'm headed down a good path that will ultimately lead to happiness. I just want to share a couple examples of how I feel like I've been taught.

Mission Story.

One day my companion and I were on our way to an appointment when we decided to go down a different street than we normally would. In my mind I was thinking, "Let's cruise past the Jones's house because I know Sister Jones was due to have a baby about 2 weeks ago, and maybe they can use our help somehow." As we got closer to their house we saw Brother Jones pull up so we stopped in front of their house and talked to him. We could tell he was anxious and concerned and stressed, but he was happy to see us as his wife still hadn't gone into labor and he needed a Priesthood holder to help administer to her. So my companion and I assisted him in giving her a blessing and later that night, she went into labor and had a healthy baby boy.

The teaching moment for me was a humbling one. It was an honor to represent the Lord in doing his work. Earnestly seeking to serve others and to ease other people's burdens put us in a position to be of use to our Heavenly Father, and it was a spiritual high to be able to help some people whom I genuinely loved.

A more recent experience.

I'll try to be vague, but pondering my experiences with this person helped me to really understand that we love those we serve. There's someone in my life who has been unpleasant for a long time, but certainly wasn't going away. I would have to see this person from time to time whether I wanted to or not, and usually it was a negative experience that left me with unkind feelings. Recently I had the opportunity to help this person with something on multiple occasions and to my surprise, I enjoyed our time together and didn't have anything but good feelings afterward. Totally bizarre to me. I don't know exactly how it works, but for some reason I care more about this person now that I have spent some time in serving them. So if there's someone you don't like, maybe you should consider doing some meaningful service for that person and see how your feelings change.

From my childhood.

I don't know how old I was when my friend and I were playing at our elementary school. Probably between the ages of 7 and 10. There were 2 playgrounds in plain view of each other, and we were at the more deserted one. For some reason we ended up running over to the other one where there were some kids playing and some adults somewhere nearby supervising them. Before running right back to our original play area, we noticed a couple soda or beer bottles sitting adjacent to the playground and decided it would be fun to kick them over. I don't remember if there was something in them or not but they definitely shattered as they hit the ground. As we returned to the other playground we heard a man yelling at us. As he was walking towards us, clearly angry, my friend suggested with not a little panic that we hightail it out of there. I don't know if I was too scared to run or just too fat, but I said no, let's see what he wants. The man approached us two petrified kids and scolded us for knocking over his bottles, and then slapped us both across the face. I don't think anyone had ever slapped me in the face up to that point in my life. It hurt, and we walked home crying. On our way, my friend got mad at me for making us stay there, but to this day I'm glad we did. It was a pretty early lesson to me about being accountable for the stupid things I do and not running away from my mistakes, but paying the price and learning from them. I still make mistakes but I feel like I still try to recognize them and rectify them.

Another fairly recent one.

When my dad died, I was faced with the task of deciding what to do next. I was in a kind of transitional stage to another state of transition when it happened and had a lot of things forced to the top of my to do list. I was forced to prioritize a lot of things in my life and ended up with a huge mess of decisions and plans and a gigantic headache. But when it came down to it, I researched all of my options and struggled mightily to know which one was right, and in that process decided to choose one that I wouldn't have chosen had I not prayed. It made the least sense for me, but I knew it was the right one and felt that things would work out the way they were supposed to if I just listened to the answer I was given. Now it's been several months, and looking at where I am, I don't think anybody doubts that I made the right choice regardless of the many open ends in my life. I learned a ton during this time that I would not have learned any other way and have definitely been blessed beyond anything I could have imagined. But one specific thing that I felt was a teaching moment from on high was this: When deciding what to do, only when I quit thinking about my desires and what would be the most beneficial to myself did I get a clear answer of what I should do.

More often than not, trials are what force me to depend on Heavenly Father, and it's during the hard times that I often will ponder something and have my perspective be completely changed. Those are the moments that stick with me.

I'm not at all writing this to tell anyone how great I am because of experiences that I've had or things that I've learned. Instead I am just trying to express a little gratitude to God for allowing me to experience what I have, both good and bad, and for the many quiet moments throughout my life where He, through the Holy Ghost, has spoken to me. They are moments that I can frequently ponder and remember who I am and who I can become.

Mean People Suck!

2009-01-27T00:08:00.000-08:00

I was just thinking about that bumper sticker on my aunt's car way back when. It's kind of funny saying that to strangers on the road. I used to get mad at other drivers until I started driving for Fedex. I dealt with horrible Utah drivers every day and realized one day that if I was going to get mad every time someone made a bad judgment call with their car, I was going to be mad a LOT. This was UTAH! The home of Utah Drivers. The bad driving habits of complete strangers certainly can't be a personal attack on me,especially when I probably go to church with that guy! I decided to go ahead and let their mistakes slide. It has made me a lot happier.

So the other night I was driving home and purposely cut off the same Prius 4 times in about a 7-mile stretch for no other reason than the fact that I dislike the Prius and think their drivers are lame for buying a lame car. Now, how should this Prius driver react to someone who sort of IS making a personal attack? He should probably be upset and want to know why I did that, and maybe want to punch me in the nose and make me regret ever having been a jerk. Or at the very VERY least, settle for giving me the finger. But he never even got the chance because he didn't want to wreck his gas mileage by chasing down my lightning fast '91 Toyota Pickup. Kiss it! ***

I'm kind of a hypocrite.

***Just to clarify, when I say I cut the guy off, I really mean I would watch in my rear view mirror for his turn signal and immediately get into whatever lane he was shooting for. Nothing dangerous or criminal. :D

I'd better not have daughters because I will be the biggest pushover.

2008-12-15T00:54:00.000-08:00

I went up to Oregon for Thanksgiving. It was such a good time! I loved spending time with my oldest brother Jerry and his family. I definitely had some good laughs and spent a lot of really good time with their kids Jack and Abby. So just after Thanksgiving, Sheila and I accompanied our respective families on a trip to the Portland Zoo. It was really fun hanging out with all the kids and looking at the animals and riding the train to see the Zoo lights. Afterwards we all went out to eat at Chipotle and because our group was pretty big we needed a couple tables. I decided to sit at my own table inbetween the two families and after a couple minutes Isabella crawled under their table and grabbed her food and came to sit with me because I was all by myself. I love her!

This is Abigail.

Just hearing her call me Uncle Stephen melts my normally ice-cold heart. This girl has me completely wrapped around her finger and I miss her like crazy!
"Who's your favorite uncle?"
"Right there" (and she points to me)
"Who, ME?"
"UH HUH!"

Make fun of me for that if you must, but I love her!

Maybe you had to be there?

2008-12-03T01:41:00.000-08:00

"NNOOOOOOoooooo, my poop's not melted!"

-my 4 year old nephew Ezra (He didn't want to wash his hands after going to the bathroom)

2008-12-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in the Portland airport. It's close to 2:30 right now. I'm flying standby to SFO and the first flight I tried today was full so I didn't get on. The next one is overbooked by 12 people. The agent at the gate said I most likely will not get on a flight today. Fun. Here's me looking on the bright side. I found a comfy chair with an outlet and internet access right next to a humongous window that looks out across some sort of river that separates Oregon and Washington. And directly behind me is a man playing Christmas songs on the piano. It's not too bad. So here are a few highlights from my trip to Oregon for Thanksgiving.

-I was able to spend Thanksgiving day at my Aunt Eva's house in Rockaway Beach with my oldest brother and his family. Dinner was delicious and it was fun catching up with the family. Unkie Dave took me for a ride in the Solstice (0-60 in 5.4 seconds, top speed 140 mph.) It was slick outside from the rain but it didn't slow us down very much, if at all.

-I got to spend a lot of time with my niece and nephew, Jack (4) and Abby (2). They are adorable and have a new favorite uncle. They woke me up every morning by jumping on me, kicking me, throwing blocks at my head, and spilling their coco puffs on me. Still I would wake up smiling.

-I got to meet and spend a lot of time with Sheila's sister and her family. They were pretty great. They came to the zoo with my brother's family on Saturday and we saw tons of cool animals and also rode the Christmas lights train. The kids of course loved it and it was really fun for all of us.

-I ate probably the best ice cream of my entire life. Tillamook (the cheese) also makes ice cream so I bought some Tilla-mint, and it was the best ice cream I've ever had.

-Jerry and I waited in the Best Buy line Thanksgiving night from 11pm-5am. It was freezing, but entertaining. We didn't get anything for our time. I was hoping for at least like a ten dollar gift card I could use to buy some candy, but nope. Jerry went and got us some food at one point and then later bought hot chocolate for us and a couple people in line near us that were clearly freezing and close to death. Anyways, I ended up spending maybe 15 bucks in the store on something I didn't even really want.

SO. Now i can say I've been to Oregon, and I like it here. I could live here someday. Maybe. Not that I want to, but I COULD live here. Hopefully I can make this next flight.

DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB

2008-11-24T00:59:00.000-08:00

Brainless. Dazed. Deficient. Dense. Dim. Doltish. Dopey. Dull. Dumb. Foolish. Half-witted. Idiotic. ILL-ADVISED. Imbecilic. Inane. Laughable. Loser. Ludicrous. Mindless. Moronic. Nonsensical. Out to Lunch. Rash. Senseless. Shortsighted. Slow. Stolid. Thick. Unintelligent. Unthinking. Witless. All of these words describe me, Stephen K.C. Groch, for what I did tonight.

Cognizant. Intelligent. Responsible. Smart. I used a thesaurus and there were only 4 antonyms for stupid. None of these words describe me or my actions tonight.

It was about 11:45 tonight. Sheila and I had been discussing our plans for visiting Oregon this week for Thanksgiving. She has family there, I have family there, she has a plane ticket already, I do not. After all the time we spent tonight figuring out the logistics of this week, she suggested that tomorrow I should probably call my 88 year old Grandpa, who is a retired United Airlines employee, to let him know that I was planning on using one of his companion passes so that I could fly super cheap (and standby) to Portland tomorrow. He has told me on numerous occasions that I'm welcome to fly with his passes whenever I feel like it. I thought calling him was a good idea as well, and since he left this morning to spend some time with his girlfriend down in Carmel, and because he doesn't have a cel phone, I thought I would just leave a message on his machine at his house tonight letting him know I was heading off to Oregon. This way I wouldn't forget to let him know.

Not Smart! About 30 seconds into this message, in the middle of saying "I hope you're having a great time down in Carmel and that you're having success with the ladies..." I hear this angry voice come on saying "I'm not in Carmel, I'm at my house, what do you want!?" EEEEEEP!! I will admit right now, it scared the shadoobies out of me, and I may or may not have peed on Sheila's floor. Here I was calling an 88 year old man at 11:45 on a Sunday night to tell him I'm mooching off his retiree benefits. If you know Pop Pop Pop, you will understand that he wasn't super polite to me. Understandably as well. But he was supposed to be in CARMEL!!! He told me he was going to but that he decided to go tomorrow morning instead. Scariest moment of my life. I'm done writing or thinking about it. Just know that I was NOT expecting someone to be home. Sorry Gramps. I really do hope you have fun in Carmel, but I hope I don't see you for several weeks now.

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

From Houston

2008-11-16T20:36:00.000-08:00

Quote of the Trip:

"If that smoke comes over here I'm gonna float to that barbecue like cartoons." -hungry Wade, at the Tulsa-Houston football game.

Thursday morning I hopped a flight to Houston from San Francisco. Here's what I've noticed about Texans. They like to eat. They're down to earth. They love what they like and hate what they don't. I've had some good experiences down here from watching a buddy play in a big college football game and spending time with old friends to doing a little window shopping (wink wink) and learning at the feet of the wise. I had some great food down here too. Chabooka's (pronounced like your favorite star wars character I think) over near NASA was delicious. Here's something I have in common with your average Texan.

"WE" Like: Donuts.
"We" Dislike: Having to get out of the car to get donuts.

Voila! Drive-thru donut shops were born, and spread like wildfire across the greater Houston area. They're EVERYWHERE! And this is the only place I've ever heard of where a Krispy Kreme went out of business. That's how much they like their donuts. Donuts weren't broke here, so move along. But the downside to the convenience of unhealthy, yet delicious food is this: Combined with the surprising fact that Texas is hot, you've got a recipe for some fairly widespread love handles. I want donuts, but I don't want to get out of my car, let alone go for a jog. A tough predicament, and one I find myself in without even living here.

Anyways, the moral of this story is:

It has recently come to my attention that for quite some time I have been carrying some extra weight around that I don't need or want anymore. Texas has inspired me to lose it. But don't judge me if I stop off on the way to the airport in the morning for a drive-thru delight. Or two. And a Kolache.... And a chocolate milk. and a Texas-shaped donut and some M&M's for the plane ride. Whatever, I'll still be inspired when I get off the plane.

Halloween did not get the attention it deserved this year.

2008-11-07T16:37:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering, 4 year olds not only FIT in pillow cases, they actually LOVE being carried around in them. Pillow case in point.

Another thing I've learned is that Halloween is a great time to meet your neighbors. We may be shy, but when the kids want some candy, they will brave the scariest of circumstances to get it. I sprinted back to the house to get a camera when I realized we had a photo opportunity with Ethan and Ezra and some of the bearded locals, some of which have a bit of a reputation and are actually used to scare the kids into obedience. Barefoot Billy (with shoes on) and Santa Claus (pictured here in a seasonal flannel), on one porch with my nephews. Priceless.
Oh, also, Barefoot Billy isn't afraid of vampires or the Incredible Hulk, so you'd better behave!

The people have spoken.

2008-11-05T23:29:00.000-08:00

"The right to amend California’s Constitution is not granted to the People, it is reserved by the People."

It's going to hold up. The people have spoken. Twice.

I'm very happy after all the work we've put into the Yes on Prop 8 campaign here in California that the voice of the people has spoken in favor of marriage between a man and a woman. Here's just a couple of thoughts I have about it now that it has passed.

-While there are bound to be numerous legal challenges, from what I've read and understand, it's going to be a few years before the media can brainwash enough people to overturn this one. We won the battle, but we know that this world is going to get worse before it gets better.

-I feel a greater sense of urgency to have my life in order so that I can be prepared for whatever may come in the future. I just can't expect an easy life free of conflict. I know that I have plenty of room for improvement. Down the road I know that when we face this issue again I can do a lot more than I did this time around. And I did a lot. I think the same is true for our church as a whole. Our ward as a whole did a lot of good work, and I am really thankful for the support. But in all honesty, we could have done WAAAAAAAAAAAAY more than we did. I don't mean that in a negative way at all. It makes me feel confident that when we face this issue again, we ALL can do a lot more. We all know that we didn't even bring out the big guns.

-This is just something to be thrown out there. The YSA groups in California were responsible for making over a million phone calls the last couple weeks, and we had actual contact with around half a million of those calls. As of the night of NOV 5TH the Proposition has passed by about a half a million votes. Thank you everyone who supported it.

-The people have spoken and chosen Obama to be the next President. He's not exactly my favorite person, but I believe in Democracy and accountability for decisions. I think it's going to be interesting how the next 4 years play out. America, you picked him.

Anyways, I'm excited to be done blogging about things that matter to me. It's time to get back to pranks and pool pee-ers and fireworks.

MMMmm I love baseball...

2008-10-09T19:58:00.001-07:00

Sorry, this blog really is about baseball. You don't have to read it.

I was born and raised an Oakland A's fan. I LOVED baseball as a kid. Love love love love love loved it. Playing it, watching it on TV, going to the Coliseum with my family and friends, talking about it, the view from the nosebleeds, the rush from sneaking down to the rich people's seats, the smell of the grass while we laid on it to watch the fireworks, the popcorn, the hot dogs, the barbecues, the dirt, joining the foul ball club...shoot, even the beer smell contributed to my experience. LOVE! love.

So when did I grow up!? Why doesn't my team quite do it for me now? What has changed? I love the A's because of my childhood. The memories I have from my little league experience-- playing for untalented, losing teams and still being cheered on all game long, all season long. Hearing my dad cheer for me from his riding mower out in home run territory and trying to hit him with a homer; Nailing the first batter I faced; Legging out an inside the park home run; signing a game ball thinking it was going to me but knowing that Coach sometimes would give it to someone who needed it more; Knowing that if anyone tried to steal third base against me and my catcher, they didn't stand a chance; Racing two teams to the Snack Shack for nachos and a soda; Collecting baseball cards; Bubble gum; All-star games; Walking home from practice in my cleats; I get a just a little bit misty-eyed remembering how great it was.

As I grew older and abandoned my dream of playing professionally, I still followed the ballclub I loved from birth. If I had a dollar for every time I crawled under the BART turnstiles to hop on a train to the game with my dad... Home runs, stolen bases, great catches, the drummers, the chants, the boos, the penant races, watching Rickey taunt pitchers from the basepaths, the ball in the beer cup, the first foul ball I caught, the history, --these are the things that endeared to me both baseball and the A's organization.

At the start of this writing, I felt a little frustrated that the A's bigwigs won't just shell out some cash to allow us to keep the players whom we love and believe will help us win some rings. I've felt a little betrayed that they call their shallow pockets and unpopular trades "moneyball" and sell it as a great business model (which it IS) while I sit here watching football in October instead of A's baseball. But looking back, the A's have had some great teams and some good runs, with the occasional down year, and there are 29 other organizations fighting to be the #1 team. In the words of Ricky Bobby's dad: "If you ain't first, you're last!" Does this mean if a different team won the World Series every year for 30 years, that I would only be happy with my team in ONE of those years? Of course not! Every team wants to be that ONE team, but they can't all be every year. While rebuilding can be frustrating, losing playoff games can be pretty frustrating too. When the season is over with, I would say my baseball experience, with just one championship for my team in my 25 years, has been at least as good, if not better than a fan of the Yankees, with their 4 rings in the same period. The A's are not a high revenue team. A contributing factor is that their tickets are cheap, which means growing up without a lot of money, I've had countless opportunities to watch them play. Had I grown up in New York City, barring a miracle, I would not have been able to attend a single Yankees game.

My final thought. I would much rather hop on BART with thousands of other poor people even if only on a Dollar Wednesday to actually go watch an A's team that can usually hang with the best of them and have a great baseball experience than be a Yankee fan and sit at home in October wondering how their overpaid team flopped and why they couldn't afford to go to a game this year. No ballclub will have a championship team EVERY year, so I am thankful that my team at least makes it affordable for me to go experience watching young players develop and as an added bonus, they still manage to flirt with having a championship team every year.

Helen Keller

2008-09-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

Look closely at this quarter. Can anyone tell what those words are coming out of Helen's eloquent lips? Is anyone else outraged that this insulting depiction of Helen Keller was chosen as the design for the Alabama state quarter? I'm offended. Actually, this was just a piece of flair I made on facebook for my HK loving friends. And this is me reminding them publicly that she is waiting for each of us on the other side and I'm not necessarily looking forward to it! She heard that!

This is a juicy confession!

2008-09-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Let me reveal the sequence of events that has led me to write for a few minutes...
It's Friday night. I have no date. My plans fell through, so me and Arnold just spent some time playing Halo (an UNDISCLOSED amount of time) and then his controller battery died, so that was that. I then put on the Simpsons, but quickly remembered some of the thoughts I had been pondering while playing nerdly video games needed to be put into words. So I paused it and here I am.

Here's a scenario I've been through probably a couple hundred billion times. I'm sound asleep and suddenly my phone rings, and before I recognize that it's my phone I've already realized I've slept in and am supposed to be at work, and that it's my boss on the phone asking me what's up. Now. Who HASN'T done this? Cough Cough, ahem, ahem, AHEMMMM, Hello Ralf whats up? Hello hello hello. Then I pick up the phone and say "Hey Ralf, whats up?" I practice speaking for a few seconds before actually talking to someone in an attempt to trick him into thinking I wasn't sleeping. I don't know why it matters at that point because I'm already late for work, and obviously it's because I slept in. He knows it, I know it, and really, it's not even important. I'm supposed to be doing something besides sleeping.

The reason I'm talking about this is because I realized I do the exact same thing when I've been sitting on my butt for awhile just playing Halo. Just Halo. If you call me and I'm playing it, I'll probably look at my phone real quick to see if it's someone important enough to interrupt me from dominating some trash talking 12 year old boy in an online video game. If you're a guy, I'll pick up and give you a small portion of my attention span. If you're a girl, I probably won't answer. I'll just call you back after this round is over. If you're really important to me, or on a rare occasion, if you're someone I just really need to talk to, I may put the controller down and go talk. If I care what you think about me, when you ask what I'm doing I'm going to say something like "retexturing my ceiling" or "got my hands full with babysitting" or "Cooking a meal for some orphans". Or here's one of my favorites: "I'm just looking for a job!" Don't get me wrong, the purpose of this confession is not to make anyone question what I say when you ask what I'm doing. I just.... I guess I don't know what the point of this is. But for some reason, it's a lot like being late for work and having your boss call you to snap you out of your sleep. It's embarrassing for some reason. Like, hey dummy, maybe you should be doing what you're supposed to right now! "Sorry I must have slept through my alarm, but I will get there as soon as I can." Then I probably skip the shower and speed off to work. Thank you Boss for the wake up call so I can get back to reality. OK, here's my last thought. Sleep is obviously good and that's why there is a time set aside for it. Halo, same thing, althought there are probably cooler and/or more productive things I could be doing with my down time. No more lies. If you catch me I'll fess up.

I am dorky. I admit it. But I'm still one of the coolest guys you know.

Party time. Excellent.

2008-09-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

"Wayne, um, what do you do if every time you see this one incredible woman you think you're gonna hurl?

I say hurl. If you blow chunks and she comes back, shes yours. But if you spew and she bolts, it was never meant to be."

I watched that clip from Wayne's World and I've been trying to decide if it's true.

It think it is. I've never hurled in front of a girl, but I did fall off my bike and dislocate and break my shoulder in front of a girl. She asked if I was ok and naturally I said "Yeah baby, I'm fine." She said "Are you sure?" and I said "What are you doing Friday night?" Then she walked away.

While that may not have been the actual conversation, and I may or may not have been crying, the girl bolted when I clearly needed some help. I thought girls were masters of that language where what you say has next to nothing to do with what you actually mean.

******COMPLETELY UNRELATED******
To the fist-shaking jaywalker dressed in black who I almost hit with my car the other NIGHT in Santa Cruz:

Hey dumbwad, if you're going to jaywalk dressed in black at nighttime, you might get hit by a car---MY CAR even, and I'm not going to feel that bad you smelly hippy! Get a job!

Busted!

2008-09-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling impulsive, so this blog is written in red. Woooo! I've got nothing to say. Nothing at ALL! This is simply a service for all you bored pencil pushers out there with nothing better to do than to read blogs all day and get paid, while I, the unemployed, slave away on my keyboard to provide you with about 30 seconds worth of mild entertainment---for FREE! So I apologize for interrupting your game of Bejeweled, but in the spirit of come-uppance, I just had the genius idea to air some dirty laundry. This will be my first ever tattle-tail, blog.

tat·tle (ttl)

v. tat·tled, tat·tling, tat·tles

v.intr.

1. To reveal the plans or activities of another; gossip.

2. To chatter aimlessly; prate.

v.tr.

To reveal through gossiping.

1. Aimless chatter; prattle.

2. Gossip; talebearing.

3. A tattletale.

It was Jamie's idea to list your stereo on craigslist!
"So I told my mom to try to get her in trouble." -J. Booth---wait that's too obvious... Jackie B.
Wade was driving the truck that carried the snow and the people that threw the snow at the old lady.
Hey Kim, where'd you get that Tapatio in your cupboard.

OK, I'm tattling on myself. Melody, when you threw that tomato super hard at my back, it didn't actually hurt. But it WAS a great excuse to throw you off our raft into the river.

That's all for now.

p.s. I hope you clicked on the little volume thing by the definition.

Vote YES on Prop 8

2008-09-13T15:13:00.001-07:00

On the ballot in November will be a Proposition to amend California's constitution to state "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

I have friends who are gay. I'm still voting for it because I feel that marriage is meant to bring children into the world in an environment where they are loved and cared for by both a father and a mother, who by their very natures contribute differently and complement each other and the child's development. While not every child has the blessing of a father and a mother to raise them, I believe it is the ideal environment and that this family unit is how God intends for us to progress both as individuals and as members of a society. We are not forcing others to agree with us , but by instilling values into our children, hopefully we can preserve for society the things that make it strong.

Prop 8 will not take away any rights of homosexual couples.

It WILL define marriage. It will protect it. Vote for it. It's the right thing to do.

My right to practice what I believe in is more important to me than rewarding other people for defying traditional values. I respect their freedom to practice what they want and I expect them to respect my freedom to support what I believe is best.

To the Apathetic:

This WILL affect your right to practice your religion. If you don't care about YOUR rights, don't vote.

Retirement

2008-09-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

I realized today while eating a delicious Los Gallos Quesadilla con Carne Asada and sipping an ice cold horchata with Arnold that life is good. We talked about baseball and how it's not quite what it used to be but we still love it. I retired fairly early, not exactly how I wanted to go out, but nonetheless I have been enjoying it. Here's a few pictures really more for me to reminisce. Reminiscing is an important part of retirement. It's right up there with naps and seeing the grandkids (or in my case, my sister's kids). Also traveling is important.

When I retired I hit the road. A lot. This is in Colorado somewhere.

This just seems like a likely place for the Retired to congregate.

I think I'm going to buy this place. It's somewhere on the Florida panhandle, right on the Gulf.

Or maybe I will buy this little fixer upper. This is one of the many piece of crap homes in New Orleans. Somehow I missed an exit and ended up driving through that hole, so I took a few pictures.

This just makes me happy. Florida. I kind of wish I'd made more retired friends down there so I could visit them.
This picture also makes me happy. A shipwreck?! How cool is that. I'm not sure if the Retired like to dive, but it sounds really fun to me. And if I had wrecked my ship there, I would have been content washing ashore in Florida. I would have retired as of that day.
Oh yeah. When you're Retired it's important to visit lots of national and state parks. But you'd think this park was in San Francisco.. And yes I drove like 20 minutes out of my way to get to this park in the middle of the night just to take a picture. Steve, grow up.

Life is good.

However, if I get just the right offer I may consider coming out of retirement.

Drunken Collision

2008-09-01T23:51:00.000-07:00

To the drunk girl at the beach:

I'm sorry you walked so close to me today. But from your viewpoint you could have clearly seen the Mein Asian scoop up that wet sand to throw it at me. You should have known that my natural reaction would be to turn and run away. And I know you saw me! I'm huge! So what were you thinking?! Why would you just stand there and let me plow into you and nearly rip your top off (and according to bystanders, maybe touch second base) in a failed attempt to keep your drunken butt from hitting the sand?! I tell you, some people's kids...

To the better looking friend of the drunk girl:

I.O.U. a 12 oz soda can with booze in it. I'm sorry your drink got spilled as well. I don't even understand how me knocking over your friend caused YOUR drink to get spilled, as you were holding it and were not part of the action, but that's not important. I just want to make it right. So if you read this feel free to send me your phone number!

Karma?

2008-08-27T04:53:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm, probably about 12 hours ago I sent a text to Brittney to rub it in her face that I was eating a burrito from what is perhaps her favorite mexican restaurant near her home. She's at school in Utah so she can't go there any time soon. I'm so funny sometimes... She texts back to inform me that my text was not well timed (or possibly perfectly timed) as this was the day she happened to be fasting. Talk about mean! Well Brittney, I thought I would inform you via blogging that I have been up all night puking my guts out! I'm writing this during one of those breaks where I feel good for a few minutes before running back to the bathroom to continue puking. Touche. And what's this sound I just heard? That's my sister, and it apparently just hit her. Gross.. Well played Brittney, well played.

My bad

2008-08-21T20:08:00.001-07:00

hope?

I prayed with a lot of faith for the rain that fell on Supai, AZ a few days ago. I was carrying about 50 pounds on my back, was really hot and had a mile and a half of switchbacks to climb up when I ran out of water. When the rain began to fall, it not only cooled me off, it allowed me to wring out my soaking wet shirt into my mouth to have a tiny sip of water. Gross eh? Well, it was that or drinking from the half a bottle of water I came across on the trail. When I saw that bottle I seriously looked up and said "really?" No, I prayed for rain, not for half a bottle of mystery water. The rain in all seriousness was an answer to prayer. I may not have died, but I would've been in pretty bad shape had it not rained right when it did.

So sorry to everyone who was caught in the flood. I hope you lived. If not you're probably going to haunt my dreams tonight.

Sidenote. Had we stayed the night like I thought was our original plan, we would have all been evacuated out of there by helicopter instead of hiking 11 miles. Kinda weak, but at least I made it out.

Sidenote #2. Not too long after leaving the village of Supai I came across a native american guy on a horse. As I stepped to the side for him to pass I noticed he looked unsteady on his horse. Suddenly it stopped and he leaned way to the side, so it responded by spinning in a circle, throwing him to the dirt in the process. I ran up and took the reigns and checked on him and offered him some water. A couple minutes later he came to and the first understandable words were "$#%@ you man!" and a little flip of the bird. He accused me of making him fall off his horse and blamed white me for everything that's wrong in his world. My bad. He tried to get up real quick to probably inflict some punishment on me for my blunder but he couldn't and when he finally gained his feet I handed him the reigns and kept walking. D'OH! That horse could've been my ticket out of there!

awkward moment

2008-08-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

"Does anyone else think its a little weird that Macarthur has a girlfriend?"

--Brittney, in a van full of girls, and myself... and MACARTHUR lying down in the back seat

The White Witch

2008-08-10T00:12:00.001-07:00

Saturday night. No date. Nothing to do. I decided I would go for a motorcycle ride out through Niles Canyon and eventually meet up with some friends out in Dublin. This was a bad idea because as I approached the canyon I remembered that exactly one week ago I had scared the gadoobies out of someone by telling her the white witch story.

There are a variety of white witch stories. The one in my mind right now is back in the 60's there was a girl riding in the car with her boyfriend on her way to prom up in Sunol. They were running late so he was driving really fast and accidentally hit the pillar of that overpass, the one where you have to slow way down or basically you're dead. Well, obviously they died. She was flung from the car and they never found the body. But every year on that night she is said to be seen in the canyon trying to make her way back to prom. Either she is running in her prom dress right next to your car and staring at you, or she is hitchhiking. Supposedly if you pick her up your car gets cold so you know its her and then when you cross a certain bridge she disappears from your car. Spooky. Kind of.

Anyways, tonight I was riding all alone through the canyon and remembering the story and there were a couple times where I couldn't look over because she was probably running right next to me. And I couldn't help but look for people on the side of the road the entire time I was in that canyon.

The way back was interesting. It was really dark and maybe not as creepy. But when I got back to the Fremont end of the canyon I started noticing all the skid marks in the road and I couldn't help but wonder what would cause someone to skid. Probably a car in front of them stopped pretty quick and they weren't paying attention, or maybe a deer. But I like to think that it was a girl in a prom dress suddenly flagging them down from the middle of the road. Creeeeeeepy!

The BOM.com

2008-08-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

I was just in the middle of writing a long serious blog about how much I love the gospel when I got distracted by someone talking to me on facebook about chinese accents and fish colored bridesmaid dresses.. anyways. Seriously, the Book of Mormon is truly the BOM! That was super cheesy but so true. I'm trying to think of a huge intense word that describes the way I've been reading it lately. --a lot-- Good enough. I'm lovin' it! (TM Mcdonald's Corp.) The Book of Mormon is to me what Twilight probably is to you. Except I put it down every now and then to hang out with my friends. Ba-ZING! It's amazing. I am in awe that the things it teaches were written hundreds of years ago and meant for us today. I'm really thankful for it. It shows me that God is not imaginary and incomprehensible but very real and full of love and logical and in control. He knows whats best for everyone because he knows everyone individually. And in that book there are specific revelations and warnings and promises that we are all meant to read and be aware of. So read it! The church is true. That is all.

Bulimia

2008-08-04T17:46:00.001-07:00

Since when does observing a friend's weight loss and complimenting her on it combined with watching her throw up her dinner make me a supporter of bulimia? Come on now. Besides, it's probably not THAT unhealthy...

Needlecrack (Ethan named this blog)

2008-08-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

"hey umm im megan christensen and Im just replying to your personal ad off of craigslist and I dont know, it would be kind of cool if we could hang out some time and yeah, so just call me back at area code 415 362-9857. thanks, bye."
That was the message I got on my phone at 11:09pm last night. Very funny. Deep down I know who is responsible, although I have accused several people of it today.
On friday night a friend suggested that we list another friend's cd player on craigslist as a joke.
http://provo.craigslist.org/ele/779472814.html
Then of course I told a lot of people about it and it was generally agreed that it was a good prank. As I was telling my good friend Jeralyn about it, she started talking about how she was just barely reading personal ads on craigslist with her roommate and laughing.
So who already had it in her head to make a fake personal ad on craigslist?? hmmmmm.... That definitely makes them suspects..
Later that day I spent some time with some other friends up in Salt Lake. Julie was in town visiting Megan and Andrea and some other friends. They had nothing to do and I told them about what I had done and they laughed. I suggested to one of them that we try a similar prank on one of the girls and she said no way and if anyone is getting pranked it's me. 6 girls with nothing to do? Suspicious.
Could the person who owns that cd player have a motive to do this to me? Well, of course, and really I had it coming. The number I was called from was not that 415 number but actually a 209 landline. Who is from the 209? Alyssa Meik. Pretty suspicious.
It's obvious to me who is responsible. Any guesses who it was?

Why did I miss this?

2008-07-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

So my friend Steve* told me this story that I think is worth retelling. He had apparently made this random trip to Wyoming just to buy fireworks. So he was at his sister's house when her husband suggested that they pound a pipe into the lawn. Steve agreed this was a brilliant idea. They got a pipe and a sledge hammer and pounded it in at an angle. A perfect angle. The pipe was now pointed directly at the Tidwell* house across the street and down a couple houses. They lit a bottle rocket and dropped it in the pipe. It shot out of there and landed in their front yard and exploded. Beautiful. So they proceeded to light about 12 dozen one after the other, tweaking the pipe just a little bit so they could land them on the roof, in the backyard, near their cars, on their porch... Good fun. Wish I could've been there. So my friend Steve* had gone into the backyard to look for something when a fire engine came rolling up. They asked some neighbors across the street if they knew who was lighting these things, and they said "we heard them but we couldnt tell which direction they were coming from." Awesome. Good neighbors. The engine left and they lit a few more as a tease. Then they cleaned up a little bit. A little bit later, a police car camr cruising up the streetm talking to different people, trying to find out who was the culprit. Steve walked down the street to get his loudmouthed nephew away from some not so cool neighbors. While over there, one of them asked him if he knew who was lighting off fireworks, to which he responded with a smile and "They're trying to figure that out right now." A successful afternoon of fun with nooooo consequences whatsoever. I'm so jealous!

Pool-Peers Anonymous

2008-07-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

My name is Steve. I pee in pools. Not always. In fact hardly ever now since I was a kid (like 18ish) but there are still occasions where I feel it is entirely appropriate and enjoyable to pee in a pool. I've been doing my research, and here's what some friends of mine have to say about it.

"Peeing in the pool is wonderful and brings back great memories." -HK

"Peeing in the pool is AWESOME!" -JH

"Peeing in the pool is like dating someone in your ward. It sounds good at the time but then you're stuck in it." -JH

"Freak Nasty!" -BS

Obviously some opinions vary. Is it gross? Kind of. But only kind of. Talking with some friends, I had just finished describing how I purposely did NOT pee before going to sneak into somebody's pool with Arnold so I could do it when we got there. Then Arnold walks in and finishes the story with "Right before I got out I peed so Steve would have to swim through it" and he laughed. Sucker. I peed right when we got in. Is it really that gross though? Because of all the chlorine they dump in there, I don't think it is. It then just becomes a funny joke about making someone swim in your pee. That sounds a little gross, but maybe it's because I'm a boy that it doesn't bother me. But maybe it is gross. Everyone is entitled to their opinion about it, but let's be honest, whether you think it's gross or not, you probably do it.

What makes peeing in the pool truly gross is not the act itself. It is the endless lies spewing from the mouths of those who pee and deny it. Everybody does it. E V E R Y B O D Y. Not Kim though. That is all.

Dreams

2008-07-11T01:38:00.000-07:00

Sheila and I have decided that from now on whenever one of us has a dream, we are going to look it up in her Dictionary of Dreams and with our own designated color, highlight the topics we dreamt of. The purpose of course is to interpret each other's lives. It's pretty fun. So tonight I want to try to have the same dream I've had several times in my life. A very vivid recurring nightmare. Here it is. Any interpretation could be entertaining and maybe even helpful.

So I'm at Mission Peak in Fremont, a place I've hiked a million times, and I'm running from someone really scary. I eventually find this door, slightly twilight zone-ish and run through it and suddenly I'm on the campus of my elementary school, which is about 10 miles away. I keep running because he's still after me and I remember running over near the bike racks and finding a car parked nearby. I hide underneath it and am peering out scared out of my mind and not even breathing because I'm scared he will hear me. Suddenly I see his feet by the car and (this is seriously freaking me out just remembering this...) I am completely still. A moment later this Freddy Krueger looking guy is staring at me and I practically die it's so scary. Then I wake up.

That's the dream. I hope I have it tonight. Now, this is crazy, but one time I woke up from that dream and I got up to go pee. I was still shaken up from it and I walk into the bathroom and the toilet is gone! There's just a hole in the floor! Suddenly I'm grabbed from behind by a robot who electrocutes me. Then I wake up again. This time I'm actually awake and yeah, I wet the bed.

4th of July

2008-07-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Very Patriotic. I especially like the semi-missionary attire..
Last night I watched fireworks at a park in Salt Lake with about a billion other people. Salt Lake means lots of LDS people. I've been to General Conference several times and there's always some sort of gathering of "christians" out front who "love" us and show that love through homemade signs about Joseph Smith and shouting Bible verses. Don't tell them I said this but I personally feel they add something extra to conference because they give you this great contrast between right and wrong. The way I feel when I hear the talks given inside is magnified by the actions of the protesters outside. So whenever I go to conference I actually look forward to seeing them out front. Well last night I was surprised to see these same people gathered at the park. Here there were thousands and thousands of people coming together to celebrate their country and the freedom they love, and here's this small group of people with signs to remind us that we're going to hell if we don't repent for being Mormon. Is that not ridiculous? I just wonder if they ever go anywhere in Utah without their signs. Are they going to show up at my birthday party? As far as I could tell, nobody really gave them too much attention. I toyed with the idea of tossing some firecrackers in their general direction, but I refrained. I celebrated the 4th of July the way I wanted to, and they did it their way. Good for them. I hope they feel a renewed love for their country.

I'm going to miss Utah. For real.

Fireworks

2008-07-02T03:03:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a little spur of the moment run to Wyoming to buy fireworks..

I am a fat kid. I have been in a candy store. I also love cake.

Without taking away from those things, I would like to express how much more I love fireworks.
Right now anyways. (I did just eat some strawberry crepes with ice cream at IHOP.)

Forget about how much money I spent today. Let me tell you how much fun I've been having with just this smallest of purchases..
These are very cheap and simple. You pull the string, it blows up like a firecracker. The simple beauty is all you have to do is tie each end to something. Example. Tie one end to the cupboard or fridge door, and the other end to something inside. When the door is opened --- BOOM! It's hilarious.

You can get tricky. Here I tied one end to a burner on the stove and the other to the handle of a saucepan, which I balanced on another pan to make it a little bit more tempting to pick up and move before something spills. So when the pan is pulled away from the burner it's going to be funny.

So it's around 5am. I've spent the past 2 hours rigging up this apartment here. This is the key to anyone who may be living here right now. If you read my blog you may discover some of these before you set them off. However, I'm pretty sure they don't read it. So here we go.

1. The stove.
2. The door to the balcony.
3. The door to the stairs that lead to our garage.
4. The door at the bottom of those stairs that goes to the garage.
5. The medicine cabinet in the bathroom.
6. The closet door in the hallway.
7. One of the sets of blinds in the dining room. They're up right now, so whoever decides to shut them when the sun is blaring through in the morning is going to get a surprise.
8. The Wii remotes that are sitting on the table in the livingroom. That was Tyler's idea. I hope he forgets. I probably will.
9. The dishwasher. This was beautiful by the way.

Now here's the part that makes me look like an idiot. This place is rigged for several little explosions come morning, and here I am sleeping on the couch. In addition to scaring whoever sets them off, most of them will wake me up too. The other thing is if Tyler sets one off there's no doubt in my mind that he's going to light firecrackers and set them off by my head while I'm still sleeping.

Out of these 9 little booby traps, I'm guessing I forget and set off, mmmmmmm, 4 of them.

That's it for tonight. I think it will be worth whatever uppance comes my way.

Wear Sunblock. Seriously.

2008-06-27T00:27:00.000-07:00

When I set out on the road to work for the summer, I drove something like 3400 miles from Fremont, CA to Provo, UT to Roswell, NM to Houston, TX, to Lake Charles, MS to Orlando, FL. I stopped about an hour short of the Atlantic Ocean, which I had never been to. So leaving Florida I felt like I owed it to myself, after driving SO far, to at least go touch the other ocean before driving right back where I just came from. So I drove out to Daytona Beach. Anyone who has a mullet or drives an old trans-am knows about Daytona and it's not for the beach. The town was a bit trashy, but I loved the beach. Being from northern california, I'm used to cold, foggy beaches overrun with dirty, smelly hippies. Man I hate hippies. But that's for another day. This Atlantic beach was amazing! Just for comparison, here's a couple pictures. Don't get me wrong, I love the beach in California but they're just different.

Pirate's Cove (San Francisco)
It almost seems unfair for me to use this picture, but this was a really nice day at the beach. the fog was slightly offshore. But we hiked a couple miles and then down a pretty steep cliff just to get to this secluded, rocky beach. It was nice, we took naps and laid there for awhile. Can't really knock it. But the water here was freezing and green, so obviously we didn't play in it, and yeah, I just knocked it.

Daytona Beach, Florida
This was absolutely amazing. The sand was nice, although this was a pretty high traffic area. The water was so comfortable--way warmer than the ocean I'm used to, and BLUE! I loved how the slope of the beach was so gradual it felt like I could walk a mile out there before it got deep. And for some reason I really like the fact that Europe and Africa are on the other side of this water. No offense China. Also, there are some shipwrecks at this beach. I loved it!

Anyways, when I started writing this, what I really wanted to talk about was my sunburn. I got a little sun in Daytona, but then I drove that night to Pensacola, on the other end of the state, basically at the tip of the panhandle. I slept in my truck for maybe an hour and a half, and then woke up when I had this recurring nightmare that I don't want to talk about. So I drove along the coast looking for a place to change my oil, and didn't find one until I was almost to Alabama. So I got that taken care of, then headed into Alabama where I found a really nice beach to play at for a little bit. Who even knew that Alabama had beaches? I didn't. So I played for a few minutes, and then laid down and watched the thunderstorm that had formed and eventually closed my eyes and slept for a couple hours. BAD idea. I woke up and headed back out on the road, on my way to Texas, and a few hours later it started to burn really bad! I rolled into Houston around midnight, shirtless I might add, where I stayed with Wade and Clarissa. Wade and I stayed up and talked for a little bit and then he went to bed. I walked into the bathroom and was admiring myself in the mirror when it started to burn really bad. Then I got nauseous. I was leaning over the sink wondering if they would be mad if I puked in the sink when I totally blacked out and collapsed on their floor. I remember hitting my head on the wall as I fell, and I definitely woke everybody up. Wade says he came and knocked and asked if I was ok, to which I didn't hear or respond. Since I wasn't his wife, he went back to bed and I slept for awhile on their bathroom floor. Eventually I crawled back to the couch. This sunburn basically ruined my trip. I could hardly do anything while I was in Houston, and when I left there to meet up with the Booths at Lake Powell, I started to blister and peel, and became completely miserable, and had to stop and get a motel in El Paso. It seriously ruined my life. But I'm better now, and can appreciate again feeling good. Anyways, go ahead and judge me for whining about a sunburn, because yeah, it was just a sunburn, but it was seriously the most miserable week of my life. Hey Steve, way to end on a downer. Not cool, but anyways, I made it back to Utah, I feel good, and now can look back at my week and appreciate how good I feel. Here's my burn. Focus on the red, not on the fat. Also, note the white spot left from the drawstring on my shorts.

Send me down the river?

2008-06-25T11:49:00.001-07:00

So innocent...

My nephews went to the hospital today to get some shots.

They called me right after. Neither of them cried. They're 3 and 5. Impressive. I still cry. Maybe we're not actually related..

In the waiting room, Ezra, the younger one, sat next to an old man and talked and laughed with him.

Here's the highlight of the conversation.

Ezra: "I'm going to send you down the river and sell your walker on eBay!"

That boy. . .

Movies

2008-06-21T21:31:00.001-07:00

I recently saw the new Indiana Jones movie. It was good, until it got really lame. You know what I'm talking about. But it inspired me to watch the original movies that I loved so much as a kid. So last night I watched The Last Crusade. It was always my favorite. However, watching it made me realize that I've never actually seen the movie before, with the exception of maybe the final 5 or 10 minutes. So today I watched the Temple of Doom. It was always a good one, and I was excited to watch the boulder come rolling after him. So I watched it and it turned out to be really boring, and just like last night, I realized I have never actually seen it before. Especially since the boulder part never happened. Apparently that's in the first one, which I'm pretty positive I've seen before, but who knows? I definitely saw UHF when I was little and there was a boulder in that. Maybe that's the one I saw.

Anyways, this is a boring blog. I apologize. But I guess what this all means to me is that there are a lot of things I remember from when I was a kid, like, lots of little scenes and memories and things that were probably in movies, or even dreams I had. I wish there was some way to sit down and sort them all out and know where they're from. Example: Some crazy lady with six fingers. I should make a list of movies I need to see again and then just watch them!

Willow, Goonies, Neverending Story, Flight of the Navigator, Princess Bride, Harry and the Hendersons. There's more. I need to do it.

Alligators

2008-06-20T00:56:00.000-07:00

Today I was at Brazor Lake somewhere in Texas with Wade and Clarissa and their families. After we all ate dinner, the three of us, along with Clarissa's baby and sister Sarah went on a walk around the lake to look for alligators. The first thing we saw was not an alligator. It was an armadillo off in this swamp. Sarah was the only one wearing shoes so she took my camera and hopped into the potentially alligator infested swamp to get a better picture of it. Take a look.

Can you see it? Thanks for risking your life Sarah. I'm sure the money we get from National Geographic for this picture will make it worthwhile.

We kept walking and eventually we saw a couple of gross looking eyes popping out of the water.

I was excited. My first wild alligator. I'm not afraid of them because I know what they taste like. That's a good way to conquer fears of different animals. Just order them at a restaurant. Luckily, my fears have so far turned out to be delicious.

So we kept walking and found another gator just hanging out in the water. Here's the video explaining what we did with it.

You may have noticed that while filming, the cameraman got a litle freaked out. That was because a gigantic snake, we'll say between 4 and 5 feet, came slithering right by his feet as he was backing up. It had a greenish tent with a yellow pattern on it. Scary.

We kept on walking and eventually we could see something on the side of the trail. It looked like either a gigantogator or a big log stretching between the water and the trail. We got closer. Tell me what this looks like!

Here's the sucky thing. We didn't even disturb this one. I'd say this sucker is beItween 8 and 10 feet long. Naturally I wanted so bad to go tackle it or grab its tail or try to bite it--SOMETHING! BUT, in addition to my horrible debilitating sunburn, I was wearing flip flops. Boo. If I had some running shoes on and a little more mobility this story would be a lot better. But as a friend pointed out, the sunburn probably saved my life. Somebody needs to invent that WhatIf machine, so I could see what could have happened if I had messed with it.

So instead of even trying to pass by it, we ended up turning around and walking back the way we came. It was very exciting though. I'm amazed that they told me nobody has ever died at that park. Just people's dogs mostly. But you'd think that at some point, some dumb kid with good shoes on and somebody to impress would have done something unfortunate.

Thunder and Lightning

2008-06-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today we had a sweet thunderstorm come through when I was just at some outlet stores in Orlando. If you haven't seen thunder and lightning (a rare occasion where I'm talking about the weather, not my biceps) in the south, you haven't seen thunder and lightning. Unless you've seen my biceps. Anyways, one struck pretty dang close and scared me just enough to make me almost start to regret all the times where I've said something inappropriate and someone mentioned getting struck by lightning. Almost. Anyways, I might go sleep outside on Cocoa Beach tonight. I'm tempted..

Florida..

2008-06-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

So for some reason I feel like making it everyone else's business what I'm doing the next couple weeks.. Do you care? Probably not.. although if you love me enough to blogstalk me, then maybe you do care! SO, this is totally just informational.

I'm taking off tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday) on a flight to Orlando. First Class I might add, thanks be unto my grandpa for buying my ticket, although he may or may not know that I'm going first class. Go ahead and judge me for this. It's standby anyways, and super cheap for him since he retired from United. So I will get to Florida tomorrow night at like 930. Am I excited about this trip? Yes and no, but mostly just no. I'm not exactly going to disney world, although, well, I guess I really am.. but thats not the point of the trip. I'm picking up my truck and all the stuff that I brought with me when I drove out there at the end of May to work out there. So I'll spend a few days there to take care of some business and maybe hit up the beach and or disney world, and then probably thursday or friday, maybe even saturday, drive like 1000 miles to Houston to be there for the blessing of my good friends Wade and Clarissa Meik's baby. I'm actually really excited for that.

I'll spend a couple days there and then drive as far as I can. Maybe like Roswell, NM? Thats like 8 or 9 hundred miles from Houston. Texas is a heck of a drive that I'm not looking forward to taking for the 3rd time in my life. But from there I will head up to Lake Powell in the southern part of Utah and spend Thursday the 19th with the Booth family. I know theyre all going to read this, so I'll just say right here that they're the best and that I love them! And then it's on to Provo.

I don't really know what I'm going to do in Provo. That's kind of what I would call home at this point, and it makes me a little sad that I'm not going to stay there. I miss how comfortable I was there, but at the same time I know that I'm not at a point in my life where I should be comfortable, because I think that's kind of the same thing as not really going anywhere. If I'm completely comfortable, I'm probably not growing, and let's be real, I have some growing to do still. So I think I'll spend about a week there, but that could change. There are some people I definitely want to spend some time with while I'm there, but at the same time, I need to get back here and start life again. I still haven't figured out exactly what my plan is, but I know that the right place to be at least for a little bit, is here in California close to the family. It's not necessarily my first choice right now, but because I know that it's the right choice, I also know that I will be blessed for doing it.

So that's where I will be at, physically, for the next little bit. I will try to take some good pictures and put them up, and this just gave me a little pit in my stomach, but I bet I will have a story or two from the drive. That's it. Time to put up a little picture of my truck!

Oops, my bad!

2008-06-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

The first conversation of the day for me..

Mom: Stephen.

Me: hey mom.

Mom: (kind of laughing) I almost ran over Jackie.

Me: Whaaat?

Mom: I was coming down her street and she was getting out of her car and I wasn't paying very good attention and she was in the street and I had to swerve a little bit..(still kind of laughing) I dont think she recognized me but if you see her today, tell her im sorry.

Wake Up!!!

2008-06-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

So most people use alarm clocks to wake up right? You are the lucky ones. For the past 3 days, I've been welcomed to the conscious world by my 3 and 5 year old nephews (who happen to live next door) barging into my room and yelling BOO! and then climbing up on my bed. The 3 year old Ezra proceeds to jump up and down while screaming in delight, while Ethan goes straight for my face. As he tries to pry my tired eyes open, I roll over and try to ignore them. Next thing I know, Ethan is right up in my face taking deep breaths and then releasing a nice warm flow of stinky, forgot to brush my teeth, little boy morning breath directly into my nose. Ezra has since decided to bounce up and down on my side and I pull up the blanket and pretend I'm still asleep so they'll go away. I feel victorious when I hear Ethan whisper to Ezra that Uncle stephen is still sleeping, and that they should go do something else and then they scatter. I showed them! But wait, now I'm awake..and laughing. I guess in a lot of ways they're better than an alarm clock, since they leave me smiling, but the breathing in the face, while I think it was a brilliant and hilarious idea to wake me up, is a little much.

Introduction to Steve

2008-06-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, my first blog. my very first thought is that I should probably organize my thoughts before writing them down. Hmm.. Probably not going to. My second thought is what in the world could I write about that would be interesting enough for someone to read? As far as I know I don't really have any stalkers. Awww, I just realized one of the things I really like about the blogs that I regularly enjoy is they have a lot of pictures. Those are right up my alley, only I'm not a photographer and I don't want to get sued for using somebody else's work. Oh no, I just felt this overwhelming pressure to make this funny, because if there are no good pictures, it's got to be my words that do the entertaining. Well, anybody expecting a good funny blog produced by Steve Groch can pretty much forget about it, because if I ever say something funny, it was either inappropriate and at someone else's expense, or it was something unoriginal. My writing style is a lot different than my speaking style, at least I'm fairly sure it is. I think in a way, this is going to make me realize how unfunny I am when I'm by myself. Ahhh, I got it. I think instead of trying to make a commentary on life or something to that effect and of equal or greater lameness, I think what I can do is just tell some stories. Because really, who cares what I think? Lets just focus on what happens to me and those associated with me. I'll try to keep it totally positive and fairly lighthearted.

So this isn't going to be a funny story, but I think maybe I should give a little background for all you stalkers out there. hopefully this gives a little glimpse at who I am and where I'm at at this point in my life. I'm currently residing in Fremont, California. This is the town I grew up in. Pretty nice place, very diverse, lots of people, but still relatively quiet. I am in the process of moving back here for an indefinite period of time. I've been in Orem, Utah for the past year and a half, pretty much just floating by, working as a delivery boy for Fedex, and not really going anywhere. I'll just say right now that yes, i did wear shorts? I don't know why but often when I tell someone I worked for fedex, they ask if i wore the shorts. I don't get it.

Anyways, In April I decided to leave that company behind, take a chance and go work in Orlando, Florida for the summer as a door to door home security salesman for APX Alarm, a Provo-based company. I don't know that sales is my thing, but I did ok my first couple of weeks there. It all abruptly came to an end on May 15th when as I was walking out the door to a meeting, my phone rang. My first thought was please don't be my mom, as she had told me the night before that my dad had a stroke a few days earlier but they had just received some test results and everyone was confident he would make a full recovery. But sure enough it was her and before I answered I knew he was gone. She told me that they were planning to move him to a rehabilitation facility that morning but when he got out of bed he collapsed and lost consciousness, and although they tried for half an hour they were unable to revive him. He was 56. Sad. BUT.

Most people who know me are aware that I am LDS, and because of the things I've been taught since I was little, and through the countless personal, sacred, spiritual experiences I've had throughout my life, I absolutely KNOW that death is not the end. I know this. My dad is the first person I've ever lost. I've known of people who have died, but never really had much of a connection to any of them. While I've felt heartache for others who have lost loved ones, until 3 weeks ago, I had never lost one. Is there a void in my life? Absolutely. Do I miss my dad a lot? Of course. Is it hard to deal with the emotional roller coaster that naturally follows the death of a loved one? Extremely! But do i find a huge measure of comfort and peace KNOWING that my dad still lives! I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father. His love extends over all his family and he is the father of us all. We all lived before we were born into this world, and we all chose to follow his plan for us to become like him. It is a plan of happiness. It really is the object of our existence. Life is not supposed to be easy, but we have been given guidance that will help us through, and ensure that we are happy. Death is part of the plan. If death were the end, without exception this life would be meaningless as the relationships that we form and nurture would be fruitless, and would ultimately end in heartbreak. The very thought of death being the end is so ridiculous, it's not even worth considering. I KNOW that I will see my dad again. This makes me happy. Life will be harder with him gone, but I am genuinely happy for him, knowing he is now free from the pains and sorrows of everyday life. His health problems are no longer an issue. I know he is happy, and excited to be reunited with his family that has already passed. He is certainly excited for the day that he gets to greet my mom when her time comes, and the rest of us as well. At his funeral, while my family grieved the loss of a dad, a husband, a brother, and a son, through my tears I was able to smile and feel joy because i knew that our celebration of his life wasn't the only one going on. It's now coming up on a month since his passing, and I've been reflecting on a lot of things, trying to figure out my life, and dealing with the emotional stuff that I'm definitely not used to. It's been hard but I have had the best support from the people I love and I'm getting through it. My immediate future was very clear a month ago, and now it is very much the opposite. While dealing with the grief, I've also had to make some pretty major decisions. I've decided to quit sales, at least temporarily, and although it wasn't my first choice of where I wanted to be at this point, I've decided to move back to Fremont to be closer to the family. Mom definitely needs support as her life has been turned completely upside down, and heck, I need it too. Currently I am working on a plan to get moved back here and to work and maybe get some schooling in, and then move on when I feel it's right. Oh I think I will explain real quick one of the great things about my faith. I believe in prayer. Our Heavenly Father didn't just boot us out of the nest and say good luck, see ya when you die. Like any good father he is always wanting to communicate with us, only through prayer. And prayer to me is not just some nice sounding words. It is sincerely and earnestly talking with Him, and desiring to know his will and just as important, being ready to act on the impressions that he gives you. I have been guided throughout my life when I've been willing to do what he asks. when I moved away from here I had prayerfully considered my decision and felt it was the right thing to do. Now I've been trying to decide where I should be living at this point in my life, and I've had several options to consider, each having several reasons for me to go. I struggled for several days trying to decide which was best for me, and eventually I became aware that I needed to be guided from above. So as I prayed about it, the answer came as a fairly quiet impression. I realized that any of the options would be just fine for me, but for my family, only one was good for them. And that was to move near them. California wasn't my first choice, so I've been somewhat reluctant to accept that that's the answer. But deep down, who am I kidding? I know that I was given an answer, and although it wasn't necessarily what I wanted to hear, I know that if I obey, It will be the best thing to do and I will be happy. There is no doubt in my mind that this is true. Prayer is a real, powerful thing and can lead you places you wouldnt have otherwise gone, but are right. So now the ball is rolling and I can be guided further as i head down the path thats been opened for me. And I know it will lead to happiness.

Well, my final thought right now is simply one of gratitude. There are so many things in my life to be thankful for, and although I'm not about to list them, just know that despite the things that have made my life difficult, I have so many things I am thankful for. Life is good.

So that's probably the last serious thing I'll ever write about as that was not why I wanted to start a blog, but hopefully that gives a little insight into who I am.