My friends and why I will miss them

I do not get emotional often. If I do, I do not act like it. But this feels different. My friends are leaving me. Sure, they are just graduating, but the gravitation of it seems very large to me.

I have really evolved this year. I am like Play Dough. What I was before was, let's say a car, and I get rolled out on a counter with a bunch of crumbs on it. Now, no matter what I became, whether a space ship or a duck, the crumbs will be all over and stuck. They help form the shape, they are part of the duck. Now imagine someone is reaching in and taking out a bunch of crumbs. It is not fun. No matter how gentle it happens, the duck will get mangled.

That probably made little to no sense, but it felt good saying (or typing, I guess) it. I love my friends. I learned the importance of friendship a while ago. Now, though, instead of being shunned, they are growing up, leaving me behind. 

I love my friends. Like I said to Kirsten Goodman, "I used to have no friends, so I love those willing to be friends with me." I became friends with sooooooo many people this year and I will always remember the influence that they have had on me.

To my senior friends, I thank you. Every one of you have changed my life, from teaching me how to dance (Zach Harris) to winning scripture mastery (Evan Kirby, Zach Hulsey, Andrew Mortenson) to playing Bang! for hours on end (Marissa Smith, Sam Norton, Kevin Fonseca, Nate Crosland, Clay Ellis). I have gone on dates with you (Kassie Hymas [but I will not touch your face]), I have learned in Health with you (Jessie Marquis) and I have been changed by you, greatly. You truly are the crumbs in my Play Dough duck of life.

To my not so senior friends (so 9-11 grades), see you next year. Thanks for everything you do, stay true to what you know.

Above all this graduation, though, is something much more troubling. The summer's end doesn't just bring school, but it also brings something I have been dreading since I was old enough to think regularly: my brother, my best friend, Brock, is leaving on his mission. He is my hero and I will miss more than anything. If that wasn't enough, half a year after he gets back, I leave. When I get home, he will most likely have an eternal companion and maybe a kid. 

I always thought we would be together through the most important parts of our lives, but we are barely too far apart. We did not go to high school together, we didn't really date at the same time, and we won't be missionaries at the same time. He is my hero, but we aren't as close in age as I would like.




After that emotional crap, here is this:

Chickens

So I went to my grandmother's house today, which is pretty typical of Memorial Day. Since my grandparents and cousins have houses near enough to each other, they have a collectively huge backyard. My cousins also have chickens in this backyard. So, when I went out there today, I saw this:

For some strange reason, my first impulse was to lift one over my head, like this:

Then I realized I am a total nerd. I love Legend of Zelda.

Luckily I did not have a sword, so this did not happen:

Heck, that would have been freaking awesome, even if I did die.

Top 5

I have been busy with work, school, and partying, so sorry for being less diligent here. To make it up to you, here are some of my top five lists:

Top 5 Reasons I Haven't Blogged
5. School. It was killing me. I mean tests until Friday? Come on!
4. Work. I am pretty sure I get scheduled the worst times possible for about 4 hours at a time. Whenever I want to blog, I am at work and have 3 more hours.
3. Lazy. I just never got around to it.
2. Partying. I mean, school is basically over.
1. Working with my family. I got seven or eight hours in yesterday. Then I had work for 5 more hours.

Top 5 Reasons Why Strawberry Days is the Best
5. It is the longest running celebration in all of Utah. Obviously everything gets better with age.
4. It is in the summer, which is the pinnacle of my existence. Thinking of Strawberry Days brings to mind staying out late, sleeping in and wearing shorts constantly.
3. It is in Pleasant Grove, the best city in the world, by far (with the exception of Lindon, which is a pretty close second). Can you imagine Strawberry Days of American Fork? That would suck so bad.
2. The rodeo and the parade. Just so much better than every other rodeo and parade. It is the only place where one can watch little children ride sheep.
1. Strawberries and Cream. The best food in the world. If I were rich, I would eat that everyday. It is amazing! If you have not tried it, do.

Top 5 People Who Want to Be Mentioned on My Blog (Whether they know it or not)
5. My aunt, Karie. She hasn't ever said anything, but she loves my blog. She is actually one of my favorite people in the whole world, and the reason why I hug a lot (she tells me I give very good hugs).
4. Mardi Thomas. She is so awesome though, I do not think I am allowed to do this without permission from her agent.
3. Katie Clark. Every time I see her, she asks if I wrote about her again.
2. Kellee Walker. The woman who gives me rides. She is awesome and deserves more than what I wrote about her before.
1. Delanie Doyle. She gets mad at me for not posting about her. Heck, she is even willing to go on a date with me just to be on here. That is dedication.

Top Ten Reasons I Do Not Want School To End
(In no particular order)

• Kati Briggs
• Zach Hulsey
• Zach Harris
• Cailey Haynie
• Mandi Madsen
• Jessie Marquis
• Sam Norton
• Kassie Hymas
• Marissa Smith
• Evan Kirby

Top 4 Most Disappointing Movies
4. A Series of Unfortunate Events. The worst.
3. Eragon. COME ON!
2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I don't need to elaborate.
1. Avatar: The Last Airbender. As a supporter of the television show, I hated the movie. I can understand if it was a book and you pronounced the names wrong, but in a TV show, IT'S RIGHT THERE! THEY ARE SAYING "Avatar" NOT "Ovetar"! I hate it so much.




I love this video starring Cameron Tribe!

Good Music

WARNING: This post is insensitive, rude and altogether slanderous to a majority of the US population. If you like  bands, artists or what passes as artists these days, that are super overly popular, do not say I did not warn you.

Like the rest of the crap in the world, people accept crappy music just because it is on. I am not a conformist. I do not thing that (insert weird, popular, female artist's name here) is a good artist at all. I would rather dances just played the worst songs by my favorite artists than what they usually play. The Decemberists, for example, is a great band. The music they write is creative, original and has more than 3 words in it. Another band, The Shins. Fun, upbeat, thought provoking. Muse, A-Ha, Aerosmith, Arcade Fire (Great video to boot), Band of Horses, Bishop Allen, Broken Bells, Chuck Berry, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Elvis Presley, Foreigner, Frankie Valli, Huey Lewis, Juanes, Modest Mouse (select few songs, I do not think they are the best band, language wise), The Postal Service, The White Stripes, The Who! What is the world coming to with stuff like Glee (I may have to burn my hands for typing that) being popular!?!? I hate it so much.

World, listen to good music. Like Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I have talents, kind of.

Here is a video I haven't shown ANYONE. I have been working on it for 169 days. I hope you like it.

I just like this one:

Dates: Mission Prep.

You may be thinking, "wait missionaries and dating?," but hear me out. All the dates I've been on (a grand total of two now), show me there are main points similar to missionary work. Like these:

•You will need to practice talking to people you have not ever met on their doorstep about things they may not really like (I.E. going on a date with their daughter or sharing the truth of the gospel).

•(This mostly applies to girl's choice with home cooked meals) You must eat everything on your plate regardless of how disgusting it looks or how hungry you are not. You must also accept seconds, thirds are optional. Fourths may get you kicked out.

•Regardless of how awkward you may feel and how much you dislike your date/companion, you must continue with a cheerful attitude and a happy demeanor lest you kill yourself. (I just figured this out on my own, not by experience)

•Kissing is for after you mission.

•Do not forget you have morals and you are always a representative of the Lord our God.

See? Five examples off the top of my head.

For more interesting and less philosophical reading material, here is my Morp date. I woke up to a text and 2 Facebook messages from Ashley about Morp that created and solve a problem 2 hours before I awoke. Then she picked me up, we went to her friend's house and played volleyball. Then we ate, argued about music, and did flips.

Then we went home. After the day date, I fertilized the lawn. Then I took a nap then showered. Ashley then picked me up. We went to some house (I don't know where) and we took pictures. I got about 75% through a backflip. I also got about 50% and landed upside down. Bit uncomfortable. Then we took more pictures and went another place for dinner. Ashley ate mango for the first time. Crazy, I know. She needs to bulrushes her life. Anyway, we played basketball for a while and went the dance. After awhile, we went to another house and played Mario Kart 64. I had the best time with Ashley and will be posting pictures when I get them.

I had one of the best days of my life and won't forget it soon.

Christ Centered Creations

In seminary, there is going to be an assembly where they show all these "Christ Centered Creations." I made this video. Check it up:

I also got asked to Morp by the lovely Ashely Sargent. She is really awesome. I am pretty psyched.

She is the one to the right.

Something I wrote at 12:00

I wrote this, something I know for a fact is true:

What I do today, this week, right now matter more than I can ever truly realize. The choices I make will not only affect me and my future but the future and lives of my spouse, my children and their posterity. What momentary lapse of self indulgence isn’t worth all those lives? What school assignment isn’t worth doing for those children of God?

This moment, this choice, every choice is a hinge, a changing point. However small this may seem now could and most likely would affect nations of souls. Those I befriend, those I will teach on my mission, my spouse, those wonderful children I will help conceive, and any of those people I meet could easily be changed forever by any selfish, self-centered acts on my part.

Though it may just be a second, its consequences will last eternally. No matter how small, this choice will make an exponentially large difference. The whole situation boils down to one simple yes or no question: “Is 5 minutes of temporary ‘happiness’ worth the salvation of millions of innocent people?”

The Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything

Just f. your information, this is my forty-second post. According to Deep Thought (of H.H.G.T.T.G.), 42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything. So I just went on my first date with a wonderful young lady, Kassie Hymas.

That's her. Beauty, eh? Photo stolen from Mandi Call's Facebook.

I find it amazing that someone so pretty would be willing to go with me, especially someone 2 years older. So she hadn't seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Crazy, right? We watched that. But prior to that, we had to wait for Nate's date (rhyme time?). So because it would have been impractical to drove from her neighborhood (south Lindon) to go to my house (central PG), we just went to a church parking lot. I then proceeded to teach Kassie how to interpretive dance, using the lessons I received from me brother, Brock, while Nate tried to break into the church to use the restroom.

Nate Church, one of my heroes.

After picking his date, Marissa Smith, up, we went to my house and watched Ferris Bueller. We ate popcorn and chips and drank Strawberry Lemonade. To pay homage to Seinfeld, we ate Snickers with a fork and knife. Pretty sick, right?

Scout Smith. I mean Marissa.

Afterwards we played Imagineiff... until 11:05. Then we took our dates home. Everyone got scared by a guy that was in his car who was in front of Marissa's house. I felt left out because I wasn't scared. Dang nerves of steel. My door step scene was not "romantic." Kassie is such a great friend and I am really happy I got the chance to go with her. She is the best. 

Loss of a Loved One

I realized something that will happen. I kid you not, my eyes are watering as I think of this. Over the past 8ish months, I have become really good friends with a lot of seniors. I never thought about it until the beginning of this post, but my friends are graduating and getting lives. I hate it. Why are they going without me. It's like when all your friends go to a party that everyone wants you to go to, but you cannot because you have to work the worst job in the world: school. I hate it so much.

I think I should be happy for your sakes. I am going on my first date this weekend, so I am pretty psyched for that. I am going on a date with a terrific young woman, Kassie Hymas, and doubling with one of my best friends, Nate Champ Church, who is going with another great lady, Marissa Smith. What could be better? We are playing GOOD boardgames, possibly eating food, and watching (edited) Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It is going to be (pardon my non-originalness) soooooooooooooo sick!

Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, get on up...

IT'S JAMAICAN TIME! I do not know why I said that, but I did. I will need a nap for an hour (at least) because I have gotten at most 6 hours a night for a fortnight. It sucks. So I will be planning a date for the weekend (maybe two dates). Pretty excited. Ha.


Here is a great website for just about everything: www.bureauofcommunication.com Go to it and have fun.