So, Jess and I have been doing this cleanse that seems to be working really really well. We did it 2 weekends ago and each lost 4 lbs, and we are doing it again this weekend and I'm already down just over 5 lbs. We have both been so frustrated lately because we've been eating a lot better, watching our calories, going to the gym 4 times a week since October, but just haven't been seeing much by way of results. I've always wanted to do a cleanse but the ones at the store can be as much as 30 bucks, and I didn't want to do one THAT bad, but we found a recipe for one that you can make yourself and it seems to do the trick. I feel like it has really boosted my metabolism to help me start drop some weight. Here's what you need for the recipe if you'd like to try it:
60 oz filtered water
12 tablespoons of RAW honey, make sure it saws "Raw" on the label (it has the enzymes you need)
12 tablespoons of lemon juice, not the bottled stuff but actually squeezed (squozed? squozened?) from lemons. They recommend organic lemons, but I don't believe in organin food (somewhere a hippy just lost his wings)
and last of all 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Mix it all together. It's hard to get the honey stirred in but it will dissolve eventually. So find 2 days in a row that you can do this because you won't be eating for those 2 days, and then you just drink some of the cleanse throughout the day. Jess and I just have a glass every couple hours. This should last you the 2 days, so about 4 8oz glasses a day, and they you can drink just filtered water in between (and I would recommend it just to rinse the cleanse off your teeth as it's acidic)
And then that's it. The first weekend we did it we just did the cleasne saturday and then fasted sunday and it seemed to do fine. This weekend we are trying the cleanse for the full 2 days. You do this 2 weekends in a row and then take 2 weekends off and then 2 weekends etc until you've lost half of your goal weight, then once you've lost half you switch to just doing one day every other week after that. It sounds hard, and I thought it would be, but it actually hasn't been all that bad. Jessica has a hard time with the cayenne pepper, but don't cut it out because peppers are really good for metabolism. Also, you can add 32 drops of "cell food" or other liquid multivitamin. This increases the cost (cell food is about 30 bucks an ounce) but realize that you aren't eating food for 5 or 6 meals which for me is between 6 and 12 dollars, and the drops will last for 15-20 cleanses. Plus, the kids will have fun juicing the lemons. Win win.
Anyways, just finally found something that has been helping me get that boost I've needed and thought I would share with you all. If you try it (and I think you should) let me know how it turns out. I hope it works as well for you as it has for us.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Fit in Six
Hey, it has been a while since I have posted. Sorry readers. It has been so nice having a wife that I can get all of my randomness out to that I haven't been posting. Not much is new. We are still under contract on a house, but the person working our case at HUD quit sometime and they haven't reassigned our case yet, so we don't have any idea what will happen there. We are going to China in May for almost 2 weeks and are so excited! Jessica's brother is going to run a marathon on the great wall so we are all going to support him and take a tour at the same time. Should be a great trip (not including the 2 15+ hour flights and 12 hour train ride). So that's what's new with us. Before I get to the main point, be on the lookout for a new poetry contest coming up. I've been intrigued by the idea of "feed my sheep" and began to wonder what are my sheep that need feeding? or Jessica's? How can I feed the sheep in my ward etc. Now to the main topic of discussion. Jessica and I are having some trouble getting motivated to get in shape and healthy etc. So we thought "what would get us motivated?" and the answer was: work toward a "funner" goal. I had a mental flashback to elementary school, and in the principal's office there was this giant glass pyramid that they were trying to fill with pennies so every week we would each bring in as many pennies as we could find until this pyramid was all the way full and then they gave us icecream sandwiches. Then they kept track of which grade or class was ahead and we kind of competed that way, and I remember that it really motivated me to bring in pennies. So I would like to do something like that. Jessica's friend has a chart/system that she has used for a contest like this. You get points for eating good foods, exercising, praying, reading a good book etc and lose points for eating bad food or being lazy etc. It lasts 6 weeks, hence "fit in six", though I would rather work towards 100,000 points as a family ( you can each get 1,000 per week) or go boys vs girls and the losers have to throw a party at the end of the 6 weeks. I just really want to lose weight, though this isn't a weight loss competition. Here are the rules:
Fit in Six Rules (6-week program)
Weigh In – Weigh yourself every Monday. Add 10 points to your total score for the week if you lose at least 1/2 pound. Honor system of course! THIS IS NOT A WEIGHT LOSS COMPETITION! You will only receive 10 points out of a possible 1,000+ points each week for losing weight. If you choose to skip the weigh in, that’s fine! (The weight loss part is just an added bonus to becoming fit! Some of you may even gain a little weight because you’ll be building muscle! Don’t fret though, this is good weight!)
Daily Points – Keep tally of your points on the daily point tracker sheet provided. You’ll need to print a new point tracker each week. We will go from Monday morning to Monday morning. Total your points and email the number of points you got that week. If you send your points on Monday, add 5 points to your total, or if you send later than Wednesday that week, minus 5!
Good Food – Add 5 points for each serving of good food eaten in the Fiber, Protein, and Dairy groups. Add 5 points for each serving of fruits and vegetables. Drinking 60-64 ounces of water (around 8 cups) each day also adds 5 points to your daily score. Don’t forget to tally each good food you eat on your chart!
Bad Food Points – Subtract 5 points for every SERVING of bad food eaten. NO MAX!
Cardio Points (walking, jogging, elliptical, bicycling, swimming, heavy yard work, etc.): 15–29 minutes = 15 points; 30–45 minutes = 20 points; and 46+ minutes = 25 points.
(25 points a day max and no points for Sunday.)
Resistance Training (weights, pilates, yoga, pushups, sit-ups, lunges, squats, stretches, etc.): 15 minutes = 5 points; 30 minutes = 10 points; and 45+ minutes = 15 points.
(15 points a day max and no points for Sunday)
After 9 p.m. – Earn 10 points if you eat NOTHING after 9 p.m. (or 1 to 2 hours prior to bed time).
Addiction – Choose something you struggle with that takes away from living a healthy lifestyle, whether it’s a food addiction, computer addiction, or addiction to sleeping/lack of sleep! Whatever the addiction, you receive 5 points for each day you do not succumb.
Personal Prayer Points – There’s a special relationship between your body and your spirit. Strengthen your spirit as you strengthen your body. You receive 10 points for daily personal prayer.
Read – Read an inspirational book and get 10 points each day you read!
Daily Calendar – On Sundays, we will email a list of things you can do each day of the week for an extra 5 points. Watch closely—one day will always be a “free” day where you can have one thing off the bad food list without subtracting any points!
Food list
GOOD FOOD
(You are not bound to eating only the foods listed, just use good judgment!)
• 3 Fiber – up to 15 points each day: (5 points for each serving)
Oatmeal (i.e. old-fashioned or Quaker Weight Control)
Whole grain hot cereals (unsweetened)
Low-sugar, high-fiber cereals (i.e. All Bran, Fiber One, etc.)
Whole wheat or whole grain bread, pitas, and tortillas
Brown Rice
Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, etc)
Etc.
• 2 Protein – up to 10 points each day: (5 points for each serving)
Fish (tuna, salmon, halibut, etc)
Shrimp
Chicken (w/o skin)
Turkey (breast or ground)
Extra lean beef
Eggs, Egg Whites, Egg Beaters
Protein Shake (less than 250 cal per shake)
Cottage cheese (nonfat or 1%)
Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, etc)
Tofu
Etc.
• 2 Dairy – up to 10 points each day: (5 points for each serving)
Skim or 1% milk
Low-fat cheeses (string cheese, mozzarella, laughing cow, etc)
Low-fat or nonfat yogurt (Dannon Light ‘n’ Fit, 1 cup: 80 to 100 calories)
(If you are lactose intolerant or you have issues with dairy, you can achieve
similar results with soy products, a calcium supplement, etc.)
• All Fruit – up to 15 points each day (5 points for each serving)
(You can eat more servings of fruits, you just don’t get more than 15 points!)
• All Vegetables – up to 15 points each day (5 points for each serving)
(You can eat more servings of veggies, you just don’t get more than 15 points!)
BAD FOOD
(Subtract 5 points for each SERVING of food you eat a day on this list, as well as other unhealthy choices not specifically listed.)
• Sugary cereal, full-fat granola
• White flour pancakes, waffles, biscuits, etc. (You may have one serving of white pasta, potato, etc. each day, but two servings results in -5.)
• Fried or cheesy foods, full-fat cream sauce or other fattening sauces (marinara is OK)
• Bakery items such as muffins, cake, bagels, doughnuts, brownies, cookies, pie, etc.
• Soda or other drinks with sugar
• Full-fat mayo or sour cream, butter, margarine, creamy sauces, full-calorie/full-fat salad dressings, dips, etc.
• Ice cream, whole or 2% milk, cream, full-fat cheeses, full-fat cream cheese
• Potato chips, Cheetos, Fritos, Doritos, Cheezits, crackers, etc.
• Fast food, restaurant food, pizza (If you do go out, there are usually healthy selections available that you can order. A veggie pizza from Papa Murphy’s is a great choice, but a pizza loaded with tons of meats is not!)
• Chocolate, candy, candy bars, pop tarts
• Full sugar syrups, jams, jellies
• High-sugar or high-calorie protein bars over 150 calories
SAFE FOODS
(No points given or taken away)
• Unsweetened cereals: Cheerios, Wheeties, Crispix, etc
• Nuts
• Low-sugar jams
• Diet soda or Crystal Light (both not necessarily good for you)
• Protein bar less than 150 cal
• 100-150 calorie snacks
• 100-calorie popcorn or air popped popcorn (with no butter!)
• Sugar-free jello, fat-free sugar-free jello pudding
• Light, fat-free, or sugar-free Cool Whip
• Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich or other low-calorie frozen desserts (no more than 150 calories per serving)
• Mustard, salsa, relish, pickles
• Spray butter, Pam
• Olive oil, canola oil
• Other low-calorie, low-fat healthy alternatives
Fit in Six Rules (6-week program)
Weigh In – Weigh yourself every Monday. Add 10 points to your total score for the week if you lose at least 1/2 pound. Honor system of course! THIS IS NOT A WEIGHT LOSS COMPETITION! You will only receive 10 points out of a possible 1,000+ points each week for losing weight. If you choose to skip the weigh in, that’s fine! (The weight loss part is just an added bonus to becoming fit! Some of you may even gain a little weight because you’ll be building muscle! Don’t fret though, this is good weight!)
Daily Points – Keep tally of your points on the daily point tracker sheet provided. You’ll need to print a new point tracker each week. We will go from Monday morning to Monday morning. Total your points and email the number of points you got that week. If you send your points on Monday, add 5 points to your total, or if you send later than Wednesday that week, minus 5!
Good Food – Add 5 points for each serving of good food eaten in the Fiber, Protein, and Dairy groups. Add 5 points for each serving of fruits and vegetables. Drinking 60-64 ounces of water (around 8 cups) each day also adds 5 points to your daily score. Don’t forget to tally each good food you eat on your chart!
Bad Food Points – Subtract 5 points for every SERVING of bad food eaten. NO MAX!
Cardio Points (walking, jogging, elliptical, bicycling, swimming, heavy yard work, etc.): 15–29 minutes = 15 points; 30–45 minutes = 20 points; and 46+ minutes = 25 points.
(25 points a day max and no points for Sunday.)
Resistance Training (weights, pilates, yoga, pushups, sit-ups, lunges, squats, stretches, etc.): 15 minutes = 5 points; 30 minutes = 10 points; and 45+ minutes = 15 points.
(15 points a day max and no points for Sunday)
After 9 p.m. – Earn 10 points if you eat NOTHING after 9 p.m. (or 1 to 2 hours prior to bed time).
Addiction – Choose something you struggle with that takes away from living a healthy lifestyle, whether it’s a food addiction, computer addiction, or addiction to sleeping/lack of sleep! Whatever the addiction, you receive 5 points for each day you do not succumb.
Personal Prayer Points – There’s a special relationship between your body and your spirit. Strengthen your spirit as you strengthen your body. You receive 10 points for daily personal prayer.
Read – Read an inspirational book and get 10 points each day you read!
Daily Calendar – On Sundays, we will email a list of things you can do each day of the week for an extra 5 points. Watch closely—one day will always be a “free” day where you can have one thing off the bad food list without subtracting any points!
Food list
GOOD FOOD
(You are not bound to eating only the foods listed, just use good judgment!)
• 3 Fiber – up to 15 points each day: (5 points for each serving)
Oatmeal (i.e. old-fashioned or Quaker Weight Control)
Whole grain hot cereals (unsweetened)
Low-sugar, high-fiber cereals (i.e. All Bran, Fiber One, etc.)
Whole wheat or whole grain bread, pitas, and tortillas
Brown Rice
Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, etc)
Etc.
• 2 Protein – up to 10 points each day: (5 points for each serving)
Fish (tuna, salmon, halibut, etc)
Shrimp
Chicken (w/o skin)
Turkey (breast or ground)
Extra lean beef
Eggs, Egg Whites, Egg Beaters
Protein Shake (less than 250 cal per shake)
Cottage cheese (nonfat or 1%)
Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, etc)
Tofu
Etc.
• 2 Dairy – up to 10 points each day: (5 points for each serving)
Skim or 1% milk
Low-fat cheeses (string cheese, mozzarella, laughing cow, etc)
Low-fat or nonfat yogurt (Dannon Light ‘n’ Fit, 1 cup: 80 to 100 calories)
(If you are lactose intolerant or you have issues with dairy, you can achieve
similar results with soy products, a calcium supplement, etc.)
• All Fruit – up to 15 points each day (5 points for each serving)
(You can eat more servings of fruits, you just don’t get more than 15 points!)
• All Vegetables – up to 15 points each day (5 points for each serving)
(You can eat more servings of veggies, you just don’t get more than 15 points!)
BAD FOOD
(Subtract 5 points for each SERVING of food you eat a day on this list, as well as other unhealthy choices not specifically listed.)
• Sugary cereal, full-fat granola
• White flour pancakes, waffles, biscuits, etc. (You may have one serving of white pasta, potato, etc. each day, but two servings results in -5.)
• Fried or cheesy foods, full-fat cream sauce or other fattening sauces (marinara is OK)
• Bakery items such as muffins, cake, bagels, doughnuts, brownies, cookies, pie, etc.
• Soda or other drinks with sugar
• Full-fat mayo or sour cream, butter, margarine, creamy sauces, full-calorie/full-fat salad dressings, dips, etc.
• Ice cream, whole or 2% milk, cream, full-fat cheeses, full-fat cream cheese
• Potato chips, Cheetos, Fritos, Doritos, Cheezits, crackers, etc.
• Fast food, restaurant food, pizza (If you do go out, there are usually healthy selections available that you can order. A veggie pizza from Papa Murphy’s is a great choice, but a pizza loaded with tons of meats is not!)
• Chocolate, candy, candy bars, pop tarts
• Full sugar syrups, jams, jellies
• High-sugar or high-calorie protein bars over 150 calories
SAFE FOODS
(No points given or taken away)
• Unsweetened cereals: Cheerios, Wheeties, Crispix, etc
• Nuts
• Low-sugar jams
• Diet soda or Crystal Light (both not necessarily good for you)
• Protein bar less than 150 cal
• 100-150 calorie snacks
• 100-calorie popcorn or air popped popcorn (with no butter!)
• Sugar-free jello, fat-free sugar-free jello pudding
• Light, fat-free, or sugar-free Cool Whip
• Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich or other low-calorie frozen desserts (no more than 150 calories per serving)
• Mustard, salsa, relish, pickles
• Spray butter, Pam
• Olive oil, canola oil
• Other low-calorie, low-fat healthy alternatives
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Randomest Post Ever
Teaching: I should be preparing a lesson for church tomorrow. I have a good start on it, but this sounded more fun. It's Lesson 45 on the Millennium. I've actually learned quite a bit from it, so that's good. I was supposed to only teach every other month but so far it has been every month. Oh well. I just hate worrying about it.
Golf: So I don't know when my golf game got so good, but I've really improved the last year or so. I like it a lot. Jess and I went to the Glenmoor course a couple of weeks ago and besides being FREEZING cold, it was a great game of golf. I got a 47, which is still pretty high, but it means I've cut a stroke off half of the holes. I even got a birdie this time, which was awesome. I have a lei that I keep in my golf bag that I can wear whenever I get a birdie.
Shooting: our company took part in the UMCA (utah mechanical contractors association) shotgun tournament in october. It was super fun. I did super good in that too. In fact, I hit 22/25 on my second round. I think that's the best I've ever done.
Yeah, really nothing else to write about I suppose. I'm a try to make pie sometime today or this weekend, just to try it out. Thank to everyone for your help with recipes (recipies?) hmm.
Golf: So I don't know when my golf game got so good, but I've really improved the last year or so. I like it a lot. Jess and I went to the Glenmoor course a couple of weeks ago and besides being FREEZING cold, it was a great game of golf. I got a 47, which is still pretty high, but it means I've cut a stroke off half of the holes. I even got a birdie this time, which was awesome. I have a lei that I keep in my golf bag that I can wear whenever I get a birdie.
Shooting: our company took part in the UMCA (utah mechanical contractors association) shotgun tournament in october. It was super fun. I did super good in that too. In fact, I hit 22/25 on my second round. I think that's the best I've ever done.
Yeah, really nothing else to write about I suppose. I'm a try to make pie sometime today or this weekend, just to try it out. Thank to everyone for your help with recipes (recipies?) hmm.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
So then I says.....
So, I got married. We don't have the internet at home as of yet, but then, we don't really miss it either. Things are going well. We are adjusting to married life pretty well, and the craziness of the wedding and aftermath is finally subsiding. I realized the other day that we've had wedding stuff to do almost every day for the last 6 months! It was all worth it, but it's nice to just watch tv or read a book without feeling guilty. We are getting situated in our new ward, they were even foolish enough to ask us to speak in sacrament in a couple weeks. I also taught the elder's quorum lesson last week. It's a very friendly ward. We go from 11-2 which is GLORIOUS because the singles wards always met from 1-4! Anyways, thought I would update the page, haven't for a while. I've started working on a new 5 word poem. My words this time are: where, liberty, none, write.......and.....ummmm...some other word.
So I'm going to be working on that. Till next time.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Pictureless
Sorry, no pictures, but we finally got moved into our apartment. Well, ok, it's just my apartment for now, but we got all of Jessica's things moved in too, which is good because her stuff ROCKS! Anyways, it feels like we've been moving for like a solid month but I think we finally have everything in. We had a washer and dryer moved in today, I'm impressed they could pull them up the stairs because they are stacked so they had to pull BOTH of them up at the same time. Now, to unstack them... hmmmm..... thanks google! It really is amazing how well things are going, we really feel so blessed. We are so grateful for each of you. I know you're probably getting tired of hearing about the wedding etc, but let's face it.. it's the biggest bestest thing that's ever happened to me... and there's only 30 days left!!! :O Crazy I know! Things are great. I've lost somewhere's near 10 lbs by cutting a lot of fat out of my diet. Hopefully I can lose a bit more, like.... 40 more.... but all in good time. I don't really have anything to blog about, just that I love Jessica and I'm so glad we are getting married. It feels like we're married already sometimes, we've set up a budget and everything already. She's amazing at being on top of things like that. Bachellor party this Friday for anyone that wants to come with us. I won't say where on here, but if you'd like to come call Danny, Russ or me. Can't wait for this summer. Bear Lake should be awesome! Wedding, cruise, meteor shower in august, getting to know and be a part of an entirely new family, and we get to see Mark and fam too. What a great summer already!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Swimmingly
Well, the wedding plans are progressing nicely. We now have a venue: the old meeting house on highland. The lady was super helpful and the place looks really nice. Jessica picked out and purchased a dress this morning, the second one she tried on and it looks fabulous! We have a lead on invitations and the reception center provides a cake. We're looking at photographers this afternoon and should have one booked by the end of the day. All we have left is flowers, a honeymoon and a place to live after we're married. Piece of cake. I think we've decided on a cruise, which one doesn't really matter to me. If you've been on one that you really liked, let us know, or if there are cruise lines to avoid, that would be good to know too. Last I heard, Mark and fam is going to be able to make it for the wedding as well, so we are excited about that. Just seems like everything is fitting together swimmingly. On that note, I have a bunch of movies that I'm looking to get rid of. I'll include a list of them below. If you would like any of them, let me know, they're free as i'll just be throwing them away soon.
aviator, alex and emma, chasing liberty, charlies angels, casino royale, die another day, employee of the month, 50 first dates, fantastic 4, finding forrester, hancock, hot shots, hitch, just married, jaws, kickin it old school, liar liar, memoirs of a geisha, mask of zorro, mr and mrs smith, meet the fockers, quantum of solace, robin hood men in tights, roxanne, rush hour 3, starsky and hutch, so i married an axe murderer, talladega nights, taken, 21, 2 fast 2 furious, tomb raider, wedding singer, what women want.
aviator, alex and emma, chasing liberty, charlies angels, casino royale, die another day, employee of the month, 50 first dates, fantastic 4, finding forrester, hancock, hot shots, hitch, just married, jaws, kickin it old school, liar liar, memoirs of a geisha, mask of zorro, mr and mrs smith, meet the fockers, quantum of solace, robin hood men in tights, roxanne, rush hour 3, starsky and hutch, so i married an axe murderer, talladega nights, taken, 21, 2 fast 2 furious, tomb raider, wedding singer, what women want.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Wedding
So, you've all heard that I'm getting married!! June 30th.... Draper temple. Set the date. So here's our story.
Jessica Clark and I have been in the same ward for around 2 years. She noticed me first, in fact, she "stalked" me for a year before we ever went out. Not the creepy kind of stalk, just that she noticed me in the ward. Anyways, last spring she got put in the relief society presidency as the secretary and so it was part of her job to track attendance etc and text the numbers to the assistant ward clerk.... aka me. This went on for a few months until July when our bishop announced a WAM (women ask men) event to be held at his house on the 1st of August. Well, after a LOT of coaxing from a few of her friends she finally called me and left a message (I think I was walking around walmart when she called and didn't feel it vibrate in my pocket) anyways, so she asked me out in the message and I called her back, got her voicemail so I accepted in a message and eventually she called me back (awkward) and anyways, both of us thought about calling it off, making up some excuse, but we didn't. The dinner was awkward to say the least. We didn't know each other, we didn't know really many people there. just a lot of people in a very little space. We went home early, but I had a good feeling about it. We just kinda got along. Anyways, I asked her to some other thing a week or so later, and she couldn't go, and I eventually asked her to a Bees game which she agreed to. It was kinda awkward at times (thanks kayla) but she broke the touch barrier and everything just felt natural. After that she asked me to walk around murray park with her one sunday and we've been dating ever since. We used to just walk for like 1.5 hours, just talking about everything and anything. It has been amazing as we've gotten to know each other how much we have in common and every time we've moved forward in the relationship we've both been on the same page.
I have never felt this way with anyone before. From way early on I think we both knew that we would be getting married. In fact, as a way to prove to the Lord that I was willing to move forward and take a leap of faith I decided to go look at rings one day at the shaneco.. and it turns out that Jessica, that same day, without any communication between the two of us, was also looking at rings online! And since then I've known that it was meant to be.
So a week ago we had another WAM event in the ward and I thought it would be a good time to propose, so I got her to think that I couldn't afford the ring until later, and went and paid it off last saturday. She and I went to the jordan river temple and I had the ring with me but was mostly looking for confirmation that I should propose. We went out to dinner after and went for a drive. We parked at a park and were talking about our families and getting to know each other better and I asked her to marry me. And without hesitation she said yes, and of course. So that's when I pulled out the ring she didn't know I had. She FREAKED OUT!! Like she had just seen david copperfield make a jet disappear!
I'm so grateful for her. I can't imagine someone that would complete me more fully or love me more completely. She helps me be a better me. She's helped me be a me I have never known I could be. She's given me confidence. She's given me someone I can rely on and someone I can trust completely. I'm looking forward to you all getting to know her better and also getting to know her better myself. She truly is amazing! Thank you all for supporting me and for accepting her. We look forward to seeing you all there.
Jessica Clark and I have been in the same ward for around 2 years. She noticed me first, in fact, she "stalked" me for a year before we ever went out. Not the creepy kind of stalk, just that she noticed me in the ward. Anyways, last spring she got put in the relief society presidency as the secretary and so it was part of her job to track attendance etc and text the numbers to the assistant ward clerk.... aka me. This went on for a few months until July when our bishop announced a WAM (women ask men) event to be held at his house on the 1st of August. Well, after a LOT of coaxing from a few of her friends she finally called me and left a message (I think I was walking around walmart when she called and didn't feel it vibrate in my pocket) anyways, so she asked me out in the message and I called her back, got her voicemail so I accepted in a message and eventually she called me back (awkward) and anyways, both of us thought about calling it off, making up some excuse, but we didn't. The dinner was awkward to say the least. We didn't know each other, we didn't know really many people there. just a lot of people in a very little space. We went home early, but I had a good feeling about it. We just kinda got along. Anyways, I asked her to some other thing a week or so later, and she couldn't go, and I eventually asked her to a Bees game which she agreed to. It was kinda awkward at times (thanks kayla) but she broke the touch barrier and everything just felt natural. After that she asked me to walk around murray park with her one sunday and we've been dating ever since. We used to just walk for like 1.5 hours, just talking about everything and anything. It has been amazing as we've gotten to know each other how much we have in common and every time we've moved forward in the relationship we've both been on the same page.
I have never felt this way with anyone before. From way early on I think we both knew that we would be getting married. In fact, as a way to prove to the Lord that I was willing to move forward and take a leap of faith I decided to go look at rings one day at the shaneco.. and it turns out that Jessica, that same day, without any communication between the two of us, was also looking at rings online! And since then I've known that it was meant to be.
So a week ago we had another WAM event in the ward and I thought it would be a good time to propose, so I got her to think that I couldn't afford the ring until later, and went and paid it off last saturday. She and I went to the jordan river temple and I had the ring with me but was mostly looking for confirmation that I should propose. We went out to dinner after and went for a drive. We parked at a park and were talking about our families and getting to know each other better and I asked her to marry me. And without hesitation she said yes, and of course. So that's when I pulled out the ring she didn't know I had. She FREAKED OUT!! Like she had just seen david copperfield make a jet disappear!
I'm so grateful for her. I can't imagine someone that would complete me more fully or love me more completely. She helps me be a better me. She's helped me be a me I have never known I could be. She's given me confidence. She's given me someone I can rely on and someone I can trust completely. I'm looking forward to you all getting to know her better and also getting to know her better myself. She truly is amazing! Thank you all for supporting me and for accepting her. We look forward to seeing you all there.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
5 word poem 2
Well, I finally came up with something. This one was tough!! words: (cleric, respectably, magnifying glass, expeditionary force, swine)
A cleric, once, I knew him well
respectably at Kent did dwell
and once with magnifying glass
did stumble on a bonnie lass.
No expeditionary force
nor swine, nor bull, nor palace horse
no rushing wind or fire's ray
could make him turn his eyes away.
I know. Not much. But, they're all in there. Words for the next one are taken out of James Patterson's "Lifeguard": beating, investment,including, jumped and muttered.
If you would like to write a poem with these words feel free or find your own words randomly from any book (dictionaries work well. For other books take the nearest "not normal" word to the one your finger points to, otherwise you end up with "and, for, then, with, the etc etc") Happy hunting!
A cleric, once, I knew him well
respectably at Kent did dwell
and once with magnifying glass
did stumble on a bonnie lass.
No expeditionary force
nor swine, nor bull, nor palace horse
no rushing wind or fire's ray
could make him turn his eyes away.
I know. Not much. But, they're all in there. Words for the next one are taken out of James Patterson's "Lifeguard": beating, investment,including, jumped and muttered.
If you would like to write a poem with these words feel free or find your own words randomly from any book (dictionaries work well. For other books take the nearest "not normal" word to the one your finger points to, otherwise you end up with "and, for, then, with, the etc etc") Happy hunting!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
I'm charging each of you a penny for these thoughts
Well, my room is FINALLY clean! I know! Crazy! I ended up throwing out 5 bags of trash, somewhere around 7 empty boxes, a bag of clothes and a ton of other stuff. I combined all of my small boxes into two tubs that now sit waterproofly in my closet. I shredded like 5 gallons of papers. Hopefully I can keep it this way. It's weird walking into my room.... no like literally being able to walk into my room.
Other news, I got new glasses on Saturday (thanks Jess). They should be here this week I hope. I got contacts too, and they called and told me the contacts are in already. I'm also trying to update my look, not necessarily for every day, but just some dressier clothes. Also, I finally got my ingrown toenail sorta cut out. He numbed it (most of the way the first time, and eventually all the way after I screamed) and cut out the part that was causing the problem. It feels much much better. I go back in on Friday to see how it's doing and to schedule a time to get the root cut out so it won't keep coming back. It's nice to be able to put on shoes though.
I wonder how I should go about telling a girl that I know that I can't imagine her ending up with any type of guy. I've pondered it a lot, and she finally asked about it on her blog and facebook so I feel like this is my chance.... but I don't know how to tell her. Trust me, I've thought about it. As she is... I don't think such a man exists.... if she were to change some key things then it's possible. She's the same girl that I blogged about before that had a list of like 100+ things she was looking for in a guy. I'm sorry, but if you've dated 80+ guys.... it's not them.... it's you.
Well, I think that's it. Still haven't written my second 5 random word poem. It's giving me grief. Till next time.
Other news, I got new glasses on Saturday (thanks Jess). They should be here this week I hope. I got contacts too, and they called and told me the contacts are in already. I'm also trying to update my look, not necessarily for every day, but just some dressier clothes. Also, I finally got my ingrown toenail sorta cut out. He numbed it (most of the way the first time, and eventually all the way after I screamed) and cut out the part that was causing the problem. It feels much much better. I go back in on Friday to see how it's doing and to schedule a time to get the root cut out so it won't keep coming back. It's nice to be able to put on shoes though.
I wonder how I should go about telling a girl that I know that I can't imagine her ending up with any type of guy. I've pondered it a lot, and she finally asked about it on her blog and facebook so I feel like this is my chance.... but I don't know how to tell her. Trust me, I've thought about it. As she is... I don't think such a man exists.... if she were to change some key things then it's possible. She's the same girl that I blogged about before that had a list of like 100+ things she was looking for in a guy. I'm sorry, but if you've dated 80+ guys.... it's not them.... it's you.
Well, I think that's it. Still haven't written my second 5 random word poem. It's giving me grief. Till next time.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
5 Random Word Poetry
Well, spring cleaning is well under way. I've thrown out 4 garbage bags full of stuff, I've sorted through every box and shredded everything that needed to be shredded. My room is still a mess, but I think one more day will do it. Ps. I love heated mattress pads, especially on a cold night like tonight. MMmmm warm!
If you recall one of my goals this year is to blog more, but only slightly less known is this: to write more poetry. So I've come up with a creative way to get the juices flowing. :O Happy Groundhog day!!!! Just had to say that! =) Best Holiday EVER!! Ok, where was I? Oh, right, creativity. So I've started writing poems starting with 5 random words from a book. My first poem comes from 5 words from the first Harry Potter book. The words were speech, behind, don't, my and over. The goal isn't to create a masterpiece, it's just to tie the words together in some sort of rhyming...thing. So here is my first attempt
(I think I'll call it..) Jessica Potter
I gave a speech without my mouth
But only with my actions
Behind the words my body spoke
Were all of my reactions
Don't listen to the words I say
For when my words are over
The things I've done or tried to do
Will show how much I love her
Tadaa! This one was considerably easier than the next one I get to write. For that one I picked 5 random words from my spanish dictionary (from the english-spanish half of the book) The words are cleric, respectably, magnifying glass, expeditionary force and swine.
:-/ I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with those yet (not even exactly sure what all of them mean) but it should be fun to try. Stay tuned for that post. Peace.
If you recall one of my goals this year is to blog more, but only slightly less known is this: to write more poetry. So I've come up with a creative way to get the juices flowing. :O Happy Groundhog day!!!! Just had to say that! =) Best Holiday EVER!! Ok, where was I? Oh, right, creativity. So I've started writing poems starting with 5 random words from a book. My first poem comes from 5 words from the first Harry Potter book. The words were speech, behind, don't, my and over. The goal isn't to create a masterpiece, it's just to tie the words together in some sort of rhyming...thing. So here is my first attempt
(I think I'll call it..) Jessica Potter
I gave a speech without my mouth
But only with my actions
Behind the words my body spoke
Were all of my reactions
Don't listen to the words I say
For when my words are over
The things I've done or tried to do
Will show how much I love her
Tadaa! This one was considerably easier than the next one I get to write. For that one I picked 5 random words from my spanish dictionary (from the english-spanish half of the book) The words are cleric, respectably, magnifying glass, expeditionary force and swine.
:-/ I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with those yet (not even exactly sure what all of them mean) but it should be fun to try. Stay tuned for that post. Peace.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Actual Writing Contest
So..... my roomie came up with a brilliant idea for promoting his website promotethegood dot com. He's having a writing contest AND you can vote for your favorites by "liking" it on the website through facebook AND the winner of the contest gets 100 BUCKS AND he'll donate another 100 bucks to a charity you can choose from a list also on the website. SO, if you would like to win 100 bucks and know how to write go to his website, register, submit and VOTE :D yay! There are a few catches.... first.. at least 30 people have to enter the contest, second, the contest ends saturday at midnight, and third, as in contests like this he gets the rights to the work, but it would be the same if you submitted it to the ensign or where ever else. The topic is something, I don't remember how he phrased it (it's probably on the website) but something like the inseperable connection between virtue and happiness. So write write write.
In other news, things are going well. I took a half sick day today because I was afraid I was getting whatever Dan and Danny have had, and as long as I don't move it's ok but still feel a little sick. I've started my spring cleaning early this year (Thanks, Jessica, for your help in getting started and motivated.) I went to Walmart and bought some plastic tubs to put all my stuff in (plastic tubs are more waterproof than cardboard boxes) and I also got a paper shredder and a clothes hamper and a garbage can that I can keep in my room to keep the clutter off the floor. OH, and an accordian file folder to sort papers in. So far I've filled two garbage bags, gone through all of my "important papers" and sorted out anything that needed shredding, been through half of my boxes to throw away anything I don't actually use/need/want, and cut up and thrown away all of my old garments. I need to create a DI pile too, get rid of all those old clothes that haven't fit me for 40 lbs or so. It has been fun. I'm glad to finally have something tangible to see progress in and to have a process for storing and keeping track of all my junk.
I've also started reading a new book. My therapist recommended it and Jessica checked it out of the library and let me borrow it when she was done. It is called "How to avoid marrying a jerk: the foolproof way to follow your heart without losing your mind" by John Van Epp. It has been an amazing read so far. Just the things that I have learned about my needs and wants and behaviors etc has been great! And reading it I wanted to get some feedback from you all: What would you say are the top 3 things you wish you had learned about your spouse before you got married? Or, what 3 things are you glad you learned about your spouse before you got married? What would you say are the top 3 stresses on your marriage right now? (nothing specific, obviously, but be honest) I'm trying to get a feel for how you all make your marriages work and how you felt you knew your spouse well enough to make that big leap. Anyways, any help in this would be much appreciated. I think that's a long enough post for now, so remember - write an entry for that contest, and answer the marriage questions. Peace.
In other news, things are going well. I took a half sick day today because I was afraid I was getting whatever Dan and Danny have had, and as long as I don't move it's ok but still feel a little sick. I've started my spring cleaning early this year (Thanks, Jessica, for your help in getting started and motivated.) I went to Walmart and bought some plastic tubs to put all my stuff in (plastic tubs are more waterproof than cardboard boxes) and I also got a paper shredder and a clothes hamper and a garbage can that I can keep in my room to keep the clutter off the floor. OH, and an accordian file folder to sort papers in. So far I've filled two garbage bags, gone through all of my "important papers" and sorted out anything that needed shredding, been through half of my boxes to throw away anything I don't actually use/need/want, and cut up and thrown away all of my old garments. I need to create a DI pile too, get rid of all those old clothes that haven't fit me for 40 lbs or so. It has been fun. I'm glad to finally have something tangible to see progress in and to have a process for storing and keeping track of all my junk.
I've also started reading a new book. My therapist recommended it and Jessica checked it out of the library and let me borrow it when she was done. It is called "How to avoid marrying a jerk: the foolproof way to follow your heart without losing your mind" by John Van Epp. It has been an amazing read so far. Just the things that I have learned about my needs and wants and behaviors etc has been great! And reading it I wanted to get some feedback from you all: What would you say are the top 3 things you wish you had learned about your spouse before you got married? Or, what 3 things are you glad you learned about your spouse before you got married? What would you say are the top 3 stresses on your marriage right now? (nothing specific, obviously, but be honest) I'm trying to get a feel for how you all make your marriages work and how you felt you knew your spouse well enough to make that big leap. Anyways, any help in this would be much appreciated. I think that's a long enough post for now, so remember - write an entry for that contest, and answer the marriage questions. Peace.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Resolution #2
Ok, so I'm really bad at planning new year's resolutions, so sometimes when the year starts and opportunities come up then I decide to make whatever it is a resolution. This is the case for last night. Russ and I went to work to use the copier/scanner to email ourselves this song that we want to learn (King's Singers: Goodnight, My Angel) and on the way home it was freezing so I stopped at the Sevs to get some hot chocolate. (ps they have really good hot chocolate) As I was getting out of my car a young man stopped me and asked if he could have a ride down to 5900 south (about 2 miles) and I told him that would be fine but that I was going to go get some hot chocolate first. So he waited for me outside and I drove him to what I imagine was his house and didn't even get mugged or anything. So that became resolution #2: help a stranger in some inconvenient way.
I always hesitate blogging two days in a row because people tend to only see the first one, so if you are reading this and haven't read my blog from yesterday you should check it out. I guess I'll have to wait to see what adventures come my way tomorrow.
I always hesitate blogging two days in a row because people tend to only see the first one, so if you are reading this and haven't read my blog from yesterday you should check it out. I guess I'll have to wait to see what adventures come my way tomorrow.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Demo-crazy
So, I've decided one of my new year's resolutions is to blog more. I'm not sure why exactly, but probably because it's easy. So I have this co-worker, you know, at work that sits right behind me. This co-worker is an ok guy, seems nice enough, but happens to be a democrat. Well, I've noticed a disturbing trend lately that whenever I buy a bag of Fritos at the gas station ( I like both the chili cheese and the honey bbq twists, not important to the story, so you could have skipped reading this part as per the common use of parenthesis) this guy takes it upon himself to put his 65 year old hand in the bag and grab some.... without asking or even thanking me for the fritos. I don't know where he gets his self-entitlement to my bag of fritos, maybe it's a generational thing, maybe he has an unsatiable need for corn and fake chili seasoning, but my guess is it's because he's a democrat, I mean, isn't that the democrat way? have someone else earn something and then take whatever you want? Let's face it, I do have more fritos than he does, and don't we ALL deserve fritos and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of empty carbs? It has become kind of a game I play now (I refer to "now" to imply that this has been going on for a while and is not an isolated event, again, not information you needed to understand the story) so today I bought some and didn't open the bag, just left them sitting on my desk. Finally I couldn't take it any more so I opened them like 5 minutes before lunch and sure enough... there was his old gross hand!! Grabbing my fritos!! I don't know what the deal is, and a confrontational me would say something, but let's face it I don't need ALL of the fritos and I would share a lot more than he takes if he'd ask. Just irks me. Anyways, there's my blog for the day. Expect a bunch more. Oh, I'd also like to start writing more poetry so if anybody wants to suggest any ideas, they would be appreciated.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Dangit, Gym!
Hello!! How is everyone? Things is going well. It has been an amazingly long couple of weeks. Jessica and I just passed our 2 month anniversary, but it honestly feels like a year or so. 2 days ago was my half birthday, that means 28.5 which can be rounded up to 29. =( oh well, more years to come I guess. Jessica and I were looking for things that we can do together so we decided to start going to the gym. She's had a membership for a while so I just added me to hers. We've been 3 times this week and I've gotta say, other than the pain and anguish it has been pretty fun. What bothers me though is that they have like a whole warehouse full of machines to workout on, but what the crap do they all do?? Seriously? How many different machines do you need that simulate a bench press? One, that's right. They've got like 12 and they are all different in some way, how far you lean back the different types of handles etc. but at the end of the day all you are doing is pushing weight away from your chest. I don't get it. But my favorite part is the cardio cinema room! I love it! I've done almost an hour of cardio this week while watching movies. I like it because it's dark in there so I don't have so many distractions, other than watching Jess run on the treadmill infront of me. I haven't tried the treadmills yet mostly because, well, I'm a big dude so I think I'll stick to the lower impact ones. My muscles have been sore all week. It started with my legs, could hardly walk. Now they are doing better but my arms are really sore. So far I'm up like a pound and a half, but that's ok. I can't imagine that it's muscle, but probably swelling in my muscles. Other than the gym we've been pretty busy. Christmas time is a time for getting together apparently, so we've been doing that a lot with different people. But/yet/and it has been fun. We are going to St. George (hopefully ACTUALLY going to St George) for Christmas and I'm marginally excited about that. OH, and guys... if you want some really awesome smelling lotion Vaseline makes some for men that is "fast absorbing" and it smells awesome. Anyways, I guess that's it for now. Hope all is well and that you all have a merry merry christmas this year.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Conference Talk Poem
Here is my first attempt at a poem based (loosely) on a conference talk titled "Come unto Me with Full Purpose of Heart, and I Shall Heal You" by Elder Patrick Kearon of the seventy during the priesthood session. Also DON'T FORGET TO READ MY OTHER POST titled "STRIKE THAT....REVERSE IT" because I posted this one right after that one, and I think the other one is better reading. So make sure to read both. Ok thanks :)
Dark the night, and I,
Far from the path
Disregard with prideful heart
the warnings of the wise
And soon my apathy turns to fear
tis not a thorn but scorpion
that pricks my wand'ring soul
and leaves me numb, alone.
And crying for the ones I left
I seek their tenderness
for in their arms is mercy found
despite disobedience
The venomous sting of sin
like a scorpion in the dark
will wound a rebellious soul
and poison a wand'ring heart
But turning to the savior
I find solace at his feet
for in His healing love
I recapture joy and peace.
Dark the night, and I,
Far from the path
Disregard with prideful heart
the warnings of the wise
And soon my apathy turns to fear
tis not a thorn but scorpion
that pricks my wand'ring soul
and leaves me numb, alone.
And crying for the ones I left
I seek their tenderness
for in their arms is mercy found
despite disobedience
The venomous sting of sin
like a scorpion in the dark
will wound a rebellious soul
and poison a wand'ring heart
But turning to the savior
I find solace at his feet
for in His healing love
I recapture joy and peace.
Strike that... reverse it
So what I really wanted to talk about today is fast forwarding. This is a great technique I've learned over the last 2.5 years, but just recently have put to use. The main idea is that when you have a decision to make you fast forward in your mind to the outcome of each choice, thus you skip over most of the detail and get to the nitty gritty of the situation. I noticed that I did this with a certain girl the other day. We'll call her..... Jessica C. No no... J Clark. I made a choice about something that would have led to me pretending to be angry or hurt, which would have led to me believing that I was actually angry or hurt which would have turned into a miserable weekend. Now... this is a situation that I've played out several times in several prior relationships. And in the instant that I made this decision I "fast forwarded" to the outcome (aka the miserable weekend as described above) and was able, for the first time that I'm aware of, to change the situation. I immediately apologized, explained why I was sorry and what for, because at this point it only had made sense to me because I knew how it would turn out. Anyways, long story short, we had a great weekend and so I guess I just want to bare (bear?) my testimony of the usefulness of fast forwarding, that it works for I have seen it work, but only if you let it change your actions. How many times have I let things happen when I knew that I could change them if I had wanted to, or how many opportunities have I passed up because I didn't look at the results, only the effort involved? I've talked about this a lot in therapy, to avoid "certain situations" I can fast forward to what the outcome will inevitably be, mostly regret or shame or anger etc.
Anyways. I hope that you can find this useful in your lives, and, as always feel free to share experiences that you have had with this principle in the past or perhaps ways that you can apply it to things in the future. It seems that marriages could benefit from this, as Jess and I only see each other a couple times a week and we have benefitted from it and married people see each other... well..... every day. Best of luck.
Anyways. I hope that you can find this useful in your lives, and, as always feel free to share experiences that you have had with this principle in the past or perhaps ways that you can apply it to things in the future. It seems that marriages could benefit from this, as Jess and I only see each other a couple times a week and we have benefitted from it and married people see each other... well..... every day. Best of luck.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Blanket 1
Tadaa!!!!
So Jessica and I got together yesterday and went and bought some (too expensive) fleece and, with the help of one of Jessica's friends, tied this beauuuuuutiful baby blanket!! It's so freakin' adorable!! This picture doesn't do it justice really. I just wanna wrap up in it and sleep! Anyways, blanket number 1. Check. I've started working on blanket #2 today. It's not going to be nearly as cute, but it is for a little boy and has monkeys on it :)
So Jessica and I got together yesterday and went and bought some (too expensive) fleece and, with the help of one of Jessica's friends, tied this beauuuuuutiful baby blanket!! It's so freakin' adorable!! This picture doesn't do it justice really. I just wanna wrap up in it and sleep! Anyways, blanket number 1. Check. I've started working on blanket #2 today. It's not going to be nearly as cute, but it is for a little boy and has monkeys on it :)Thursday, September 30, 2010
Pursuit of Happyness
So I don't know what it is lately, but I just feel happy.... like all the time. People make me happy, just random people or people at work or family or friends. I don't know what it is. The work family members will tell you that sometimes I'll just start dancing, just randomly, if it can be called dancing. All I know is that I haven't felt this good for this long in a VERY long time, probably pushing 12-15 years. I noticed about a year ago that I was starting to have more good days than bad, but I still had a lot of bad days, but gosh, I can't remember the last dark day, the last bad day or foggy, mind-in-a-haze day. I have a new friend named Jessica that some of you have met that has added to some of this I think, though it has been going on a lot longer than I've known her. Everything feels right with the world, which is usually just a calm before the storm, but that's ok. It's been nice to have a few rays of sunshine here in the middle.
Anyways, I guess that's all I wanted to say. I didn't get any other poems for this last entry, but I'll be the first to admit that the topic was kind of weird and I really didn't have much drive to write poetry the last few months. I nominate mom to pick the new topic. With Misty publishing her books I've just had this itch to write, so be thinking of things to write about or ideas you'd like to get out. peace.
Anyways, I guess that's all I wanted to say. I didn't get any other poems for this last entry, but I'll be the first to admit that the topic was kind of weird and I really didn't have much drive to write poetry the last few months. I nominate mom to pick the new topic. With Misty publishing her books I've just had this itch to write, so be thinking of things to write about or ideas you'd like to get out. peace.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
New Post Time
The meteor shower is ALMOST HERE!! I'm so excited! I've been planning to see this one since I saw it last year up at the property with Russ and it was so amAZing! This Thursday and Friday can't come soon enough. =) That said, things have been going pretty well. Work is enjoyable, a few problem buildings that I've been working on but it has been good.
We need to have another poetry thing. I was thinking "The things these hands can do" as a possible theme. Hmmm, nah, it's decided. That's the theme. So start sending your poems in. I'm looking forward to reading them. Also, if you find time, my roommate has created a website @ PromoteTheGood.org that you guys can check out. Basically he wants a forum for people to talk about the good things that are going on in the world around them. He has a section for poetry and writing, I've already put one on there from our last poetry competition. It seems like a really good idea for a website. I think eventually he will have a movie rating thing on there with different categories so you can see what all is objectionable in a movie before you see it etc. Anyways, check it out. Register for it, it's free and I don't think he sends emails out or anything.
The motivational thought this post comes from the scriptures, not sure where, but I read it a while back. It says "The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace" which, to me, means that we need to stop whining about what the Lord asks us to do and just do it and HE will do the fighting. Sounds like a good deal to me. Anyways, best of the best to all of you. Send in poems! =)
We need to have another poetry thing. I was thinking "The things these hands can do" as a possible theme. Hmmm, nah, it's decided. That's the theme. So start sending your poems in. I'm looking forward to reading them. Also, if you find time, my roommate has created a website @ PromoteTheGood.org that you guys can check out. Basically he wants a forum for people to talk about the good things that are going on in the world around them. He has a section for poetry and writing, I've already put one on there from our last poetry competition. It seems like a really good idea for a website. I think eventually he will have a movie rating thing on there with different categories so you can see what all is objectionable in a movie before you see it etc. Anyways, check it out. Register for it, it's free and I don't think he sends emails out or anything.
The motivational thought this post comes from the scriptures, not sure where, but I read it a while back. It says "The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace" which, to me, means that we need to stop whining about what the Lord asks us to do and just do it and HE will do the fighting. Sounds like a good deal to me. Anyways, best of the best to all of you. Send in poems! =)
Friday, June 11, 2010
Somehow I missed May
Hey, it's good to be back. Not much going on right now: still working, practicing the guitar from time to time, napping, watching movies etc. I made a new friend this past week. Her name is Reta. She is actually my roomie's friend and now lives in the apartment above us. She's really nice though. She invited me to go gardening with her and some people from her ward. I don't know how she talked me into it actually. It was a service project for a lady in their ward to plant her garden for her, and in return we could use some of the land to plant our own veggies. Well, the other two people that showed up had to leave right away, some type of miscommunication, so Reta and I set to work turning the dirt with shovels and pulling the weeds. We spent a good hour or so. We talked in Spanish, because she wants to learn spanish. She was actually surprisingly really good at it. Anyways, back to the point. So while we were gardening she mentioned that it was probably too late and the plants wouldn't grow, so I says that I'll never weed a garden that doesn't have veggies growing in it and it made me think about life how sometimes we need to stop weeding the gardens that aren't producing any fruit. In my case, for example, there are two girls that I like, both of whom, for one reason or another are unavailable to me, at least for now. But you wouldn't believe the amount of mental energy I spend just adoring these girls. Time to move on to greener pastures.
Likewise I know people that spend all their days sowing and dunging and pruning but are either having too much fun or are hoping for bigger fruits and completely forget they need to reap. That's human nature I think: you go gambling you just want to win 1 more dollar, you buy stocks you hold on to em hoping they'll just keep going up. I get caught up in this all the time. It doesn't matter how good I live my life or how well I tend that garden, if I never plant any seeds I'll never reap any fruit.
I made a program recently to help me learn names and faces of people in my ward. It works pretty well, I'd say. Pretty basic really, just flash cards with multiple choice. I love being an assistant clerk for this too. I get to meet almost every new person that comes into the ward, and I love the look of surprise on people's faces when I come up to them a week later and say "you're so n so, right?" Every chance I get, when I'm standing by someone I know and see someone I don't know I'll ask them who it is. It has been really rewarding emotionally to be able to connect with 30 different people, even for just a brief moment. This is one area I've really struggled in in this ward because there are so many faces that change so very often. I also wondered how I could possibly magnify my calling, I mean counting people is just counting people, turning in numbers is just turning in numbers etc so I figured this would be a good way I could stretch myself in this calling.
Alright, I think that's enough for now. Geez, I don't know why you're still reading, honestly. We need to have another poetry topic... maybe mad gab poetry. hmmm. Half an iced hay!
Likewise I know people that spend all their days sowing and dunging and pruning but are either having too much fun or are hoping for bigger fruits and completely forget they need to reap. That's human nature I think: you go gambling you just want to win 1 more dollar, you buy stocks you hold on to em hoping they'll just keep going up. I get caught up in this all the time. It doesn't matter how good I live my life or how well I tend that garden, if I never plant any seeds I'll never reap any fruit.
I made a program recently to help me learn names and faces of people in my ward. It works pretty well, I'd say. Pretty basic really, just flash cards with multiple choice. I love being an assistant clerk for this too. I get to meet almost every new person that comes into the ward, and I love the look of surprise on people's faces when I come up to them a week later and say "you're so n so, right?" Every chance I get, when I'm standing by someone I know and see someone I don't know I'll ask them who it is. It has been really rewarding emotionally to be able to connect with 30 different people, even for just a brief moment. This is one area I've really struggled in in this ward because there are so many faces that change so very often. I also wondered how I could possibly magnify my calling, I mean counting people is just counting people, turning in numbers is just turning in numbers etc so I figured this would be a good way I could stretch myself in this calling.
Alright, I think that's enough for now. Geez, I don't know why you're still reading, honestly. We need to have another poetry topic... maybe mad gab poetry. hmmm. Half an iced hay!
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