My Favorites

I had quite the christmas this year. It began with my dad picking me up and driving to Washington state for Kohl's baptism and Aldus' ordenation to the priesthood. It was really fun to see everybody in Tacoma and be able to attend those special events. Then, we drove home to Minnesota through fog, ice, wind and snow to be with some of my other siblings and family. These are some favorite moments:

• In Washington, my nephew Finn (almost 3) was changing his clothes because he had wet himself during his nap. We were sitting on the couch with his Mom and she suggested (knowing what his response might be) that he should change on the other side of the couch so not everybody could see him. He giggled and said "why?" What do you say to that?
• Seeing my parents quietly holding hands as we read the scriptures as a family.
• Winking at the old ladies in my branch at home.
• Throwing compliments out to the same older ladies and seeing them smile (priceless).
• I had a bet going with my brother as to which of us would have to sit by the most annoying savages on the plane to Utah. My brother sat beside a young mother and nice kid. I sat between a complete drunk lady on one side and a very talkative and opinionated gay guy on the other. They argued/talked for 3 hours straight (not joking). The best part: Every single time Mr. Sandman and I attempted to escape their heinous conversation, the drunk lady would crack a joke about mormons and nudge me in the ribs. Now I see the comical nature of the situation. Needless to say, I lost the bet.
• Getting to see every single one of my nieces and nephews and all my siblings during the christmas break (except my missionary brother).

Thanks to my family for a couple great weeks. Happy new year! I wish you all a wonderful 2010.

A Little Shout Out

Not long ago, the BYU women's soccer team played New Mexico. BYU has a really good team and we won the game, but not before the New Mexico players acted horribly. They committed foul after heinous foul against the BYU girls. I was pretty outraged when none of the offenses were even penalized. Apparently I wasn't the only one.

Somebody made a youtube video of it and it got spread around. The particular player who committed the majority of the offenses is a savage. Anyway, she wrote an "apology" in the New York Times but left out the part where she apologized or said sorry. Nice. The story and video can be found here.

The silver lining in all of this is that the BYU girls were pretty good about not acting in-kind. So, this is a shout-out to all the BYU girls who kept their composure and beat New Mexico soundly without stepping down to the level of their opponents (a.k.a. the filthy savages).

Life: The Best Game EVER!

I have a roommate with a gaming problem. He spends most of his time playing World of Warcraft, Halo, and Call of Duty online. Most of his life is wrapped up in those games. When he isn't working, he is entranced by his games.

He said to me last night "I wish that all the achievments from my games were worth things in the real world." Please stop and ponder the significance of that statement.

Gaming = investing time and energy into something where the rewards are imaginary and the achievments are worthless. It is like working hard all month for your boss to hand you an envelope with your pay. When he does hand you that envelope he says "You've worked real hard this month. You've earned this." You excitedly open your envelope only to realize that it is stuffed full of monopoly money.

Life = Investing everything you've got into things that really matter and really count. Education is something that matters. Working hard matters. Forming and raising families is something that matters. Eternal Life matters.

Life is better than that game if you are daring enough to give it your very best. So, if my roommate were to say that to me again, I would tell him that life has real achievments that he is equally capable of reaching.

Great Friends, Great Thoughts

I like having great friends. I like being surrounded by people that lift me up and make me better. I would venture to say that is one of the reasons I love BYU so much; it is just easier to find great people like that when you are at a great place like this.

On one such occasion with just such friends we were some pretty great thoughts. One friend asked us "What are we going to do to return to virtue/invite others to return to virtue this week?" She was basing her question on the talk by Sister Elaine Dalton. The entire talk "Return to Virtue" is a powerful invitation to return to virtue and lead the world in doing the same. It is beautiful. My friend's invitation was beautiful because she was inviting me to return to virtue with love and meekness and as my friend. Then we all took turns giving ideas of how we could do that this week.

In short, I am striving to be the type of person that lifts others and invites people through example and words to be something better. I would like to thank my friends. If you are my friend it is because I enjoy being around you and your presence in some way lifts me and encourages me. If you are my family, on the other hand, it is because Heavenly Father knows that, in the long run, your presence will make me better (patience, humility etc.). If you fall into either group, thanks for being there to help me.

So, what are we (you+me) going to do this week to lead the world in a return to virtue?

Me vs. Mt. Timpanogos

I have fears. These fears include, but are not limited to, an intense fear of heights and an intense fear of enclosed spaces. I was once stuck in the elevator of a parking garage for half an hour with 15 other people. Let's just say it didn't help any.

A few days ago I took a date and went with my brothers to hike up to the Timpanogos caves. It did not occur to me that such an activity would involve both heights and pretty enclosed spaces. I would just like you all to imagine the look on my face when I looked at the door to the mountain and realized, for the first time, what I had gotten myself into. It was one of those "oh crap!" ones.

My first thought was that I could tell my group to go without me and that I'd just meet them down at the cars. I then realized that I had brought a date along. If I left her to go through the cave alone then I would be one of those guys that girls tell their roommates about during pity parties. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place (the hard place was actually a huge precipice...if you want to be picky). I asked around to figure out just how enclosed the spaces were and I was told that there were places where I would have to get down and crawl. Again, oh crap.

As a last resort I told my date of my fears and said her that if I started freaking out, she should slap me across the face as hard as she could. She smiled and said "really?" I said yes, but not without being nervous that she'd smiled while saying that. With a few deep breaths, and maybe a prayer or two, I walked into that cave.

One of my big irrational fears was that an earthquake would occur. Luckily, the guide calmed my fears by assuring us that our deaths would be quick. Though she smiled creepily while she said it, I didn't feel reassured. In fact, I couldn't help but notice that she didn't say it would be painless.

However, I made it through without being slapped once. I vanquished my claustrophobia and conquered the mountain. Now I just have to conquer my fear that Janet Reno will strangle me in my sleep, and heights.

I have questions

Question #1: Is it allowed for somebody who has never even been to California to join a group called "Californians against Utah weather"? I really hope the answer is yes and I have reasons. First, I spent all summer in Chile which was in winter season the entire time. So, I'm sick of winter. Second, the other day it was warm and cozy to the point where the huge guy that is my roommate left the air conditioning on all night. When I woke up the next morning it was suddenly freezing and they were forecasting possible snow. What?! I don't know about the rest of you, but if the weather has to change I'd prefer that it be gradual.

I guess I wouldn't be offended if the group denied me entrance, but I want people to know I agree with their ideals.

Question #2: What is the best "getting to know you" question you have ever heard? I will leave the definition of "best" up to the reader. And by getting to know you questions I mean the crazy questions people always ask you on those first dates, or when you are forced to sit for a while with a chatty person.

I was volunteering at parent teacher conferences today as a translator and there was just such a chatty person who was asking me the sort of questions that are just a little too personal for our 45 minute acquaintance. Then I overheard two girls talking and one of them definitely asked the other what her favorite animal was. I laughed out loud as I instantly imagined somebody asking their date that. Now, please fast-forward to my blind date tonight...

I was talking to my friend at one end of the table when Sally (name changed) emphatically states to her date Jim (name changed), "Oh! the giraffe is by far my favorite animal; they are my passion!" She then named off all of the things that she owned that were associated with giraffes (it was a long-ish list). By the end I was obviously crying with laughter.

The End

I'm Back!!!

So, I have decided that now that I have school under control (or at least as under control as it is going to get) I am going to return to my blog. Writing on here as been a great experience for me and I want it to continue.

I will grant you that life might not be quite as funny now that I no longer have hilarious conversations with the man of the house where I lived, but I have a good feeling that Provo life is going to provide me with more than sufficient reasons to occasionally laugh out loud...or at least quietly chuckle.

So, join me if you dare in what promises to be just as good a chapter as the last.

Also, go BYU football!!!