Celebration for a Wonderful Man

In honor of Brother Decker, the wonderful choir director and father figure to many, many people. We all love him. Who can ever forget such a caring man who devoted so much time and heart to the development of the choir and each individual. These are some of the people who came to see him and give their thanks. Who could ever forget lines like "Don't trample Jesus", "Tenors, join the men" and "You need to be men, not mice. And women, you need to be FAT mice." Oh the memories.

It's All Worth It!

Trying to be witty or funny just isn't going to work for this one. Cold hard facts is all that needs to be presented for you to get the idea. Yesterday, I successfully used up 2 tape white-out dispensers, and had to move on to a liquid bottle (which had to be dried). At the end of 7 hours, I had gotten through the letter G. Today, the system of simply whiting-out personal information was reconfigured. The old people (more than 5 years ago) were to be shredded, to save on white-out and time. So, starting back at A, those who were too old to be serious were separated from their file and put in a pile to be shredded. The shredder is heavy-duty, capable of shredding up to 8 sheets at a time. Half-way through the third large stack of papers (there were lots of old people), the shredder stopped. Confused, I emptied the bin, thinking it was telling me it was too full to go on. Replacing the bin, it still wouldn't shred. Slightly worried, I laid on the floor and picked at the jammed bits of paper. The poor thing wasn't satisfied and refused to eat any more. Deducting (and hoping) that it was simply running out of breath, I waited for it to cool down. Success! It shredded a few more papers, then quit. I think it's angry at me. So, with piles of paper shred, a small hill of removed staples, and with white-out on my fingers, it's time to go home, and save letters J-Z for next week. Working as an office grunt is medicine enough to motivate one to continue going to school.

Taking Life Too Seriously?

-A day without sunshine is like . . . Night.
-On the other hand, you have different fingers
-He who laughs last thinks slowest.
-Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
-The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
-Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
-If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
-When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
-Every one has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
-How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
-Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
-What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
-I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.
-Just remember - if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
-Life isn't like a box of chocolates . . . it's more like a jar of
jalapenos. What you do to day, might burn you tomorrow.

*a forwarded email. These aren't my own genius.

A Duck Face or Two

Can YOU make a duck face? Put your bottom lip under your teeth, stick the top lip out, and cross your eyes. We're an intelligent looking group, no? This is what you get after we've all eaten a great dinner, playing an intense game of Scrabble, then ingesting several large size home made Oreo cookies.

Nothing Should Surpise Us Anymore

Odd things in this world I have so far discovered:

The TWINKIES project. Experiments upon twinkies to understand what really goes on with them.

Virtual Bubble Wrap. Odd, but incredibly entertaining!

Web pages dedicated entirely to red heads, or those who love them. Who knew we were that special?

An iTunes channel that plays bird sounds, and only bird sounds.

Improv Everywhere.

Elephant Jokes. (warning, I laughed really hard at these)

Youtube lego movies.

Action Figures of Kung Fu Monkey's.
These are what keeps life amazingly awesome! Humans are limitless, or so it seems, especially when they are bored.

The Art of Blood Removal

She looks so beautiful, innocent, loving. You would never expect a woman with this face to hurt even a fly.












HA! That's what YOU think. Stick a woman like her in a phlebotomy class, and this is what you get!









And it doesn't stop there. If she isn't satisfied with your arm, she will go so far as to stick a tube up to a vein in your foot. See the look of glee as she extracts blood from her loving boy?












Truth be told, it was nearly painless. She did a great job. The bleeding stopped quite quickly, and there was no bruising. Besides, who doesn't want a personal vial of their own blood? Tender keepsake, don't you think?

There are much more painful ways of having blood removed, and a needle is by FAR the tamest. If you were one in company of such a being as Count Dracula or Lucy Westenra, you may find yourself lying in their arms, looking deep into their eyes, then feel a rather uncomfortable and painful poke to your throat. Slowly you would sink into a tired slumber, unable to feel much, turning nearly as white as your bones. Sadly, that's nearly all that would be left. If not attended to quickly, and revived with some pure blood of some living soul, you would be left with little time to live. In turn, after your death you would have the gruesome need to extract fresh blood from some poor bloke. Each night you would rise to claim a new pet, and without it, you would forever age, but never die.

See, having blood drawn by a living professional isn't so bad after all.

*Disclaimer: Erin has been reading Dracula by Bram Stoker

A taste of real life

Inspired by LaverNa, who recently returned from a Pioneer Trek experience.

A few years ago, I was also privileged to make a trek journey in Wyoming, Ft. Bridger area. Laverna touched on the gratitude that comes with such an experience. Running water, soft bed, clean clothes, a/c, car, ice, fresh food, time to read, pants and shorts, and on and on.

There are some human aliments that seem to be a product of the times. Because of our luxury, we seem to go over the top of enjoying what we have. From having a clean plate, we have to have each ceramic dish sparkling free of all water spots. From having plenty of wonderful fresh food we didn't have to plant, grow or clean ourselves, we run through a fast food restaurant, and fill our bellies with grease filled food, that is who knows how old, covered in sauce that makes you feel terrible after eating. From a nice house with a room for each child, to a house you never have to leave since the movie theater, library, swimming pool and gym are built in. Trek taught me that warm water is just as good for your body as cold. A bug on your plate isn't going to hurt you, just flick it off and load up the plate! Boys are not only wonderful strong and useful, they are good, hard workers and wonderful. No one can tell me "boys are dumb" ever again. You can do more than you think you can. At the point you think you are going to collapse, someone says "camp is across the valley", you really can make it all the way across the valley. When you are so tired and can hardly walk, if someone is in need, you have just as much energy as if you just woke from a long sleep.

Love what you have, work hard and don't miss a moment of this wonderful life given to you by a loving Heavenly Father. Onward and Upward!

The Building of a Marshmallow Castle

The beginning of the first corner. Toothpicks and glue (water and powdered sugar). That's all it takes.







In the works. It's a delicate process.



















Marshmallows are incredibly versatile.










The finished fortress. Notice the cannons on the roof, the tower in the right corner, and the buttresses on the front corners.










The knight guarding the princess from the evil dragon, while the sea turtle stands guard at the gate.







Castle building sure takes a lot of energy.








Looking out into the fiery, fierce, furious face of the dragon. The sea turtle bravely stands his ground.







The devastation of the ruined castle. It was burned from within, and to protect all those around it, the quickest and safest move was to smother the flames with it's own walls. The castle now rests in peace.





Parts not pictured: The flower box in the castle window, the armadillo, the marshmallow mustache.

Memorable quotes from the night: "You're 19, and I'm 21, and we're building a castle out of marshmallows?!" - Jim
"And why are you building a marshmallow castle?" - on lookers. In response "Why not? We had the extra marshmallows." - Erin
"My armadillo is playing dead." - Eliza

Lest you think we're lacking

Last week, before I even got out of bed on Friday, my mother had replaced the kitchen faucet. It had been dripping slowly on and off for a few months, progressing to a steady, irritating drip drip drip. When I finally crawled out of bed, she was in the process of fixing the bathtub. The handles had been leaking for months as well. I left the house, and when I returned, we had new handles! This is to prove we are not completely lacking in domestic skills, if you remember the burning of several cheese sandwiches. See, ain't they pretty? No more leaks...for now.

Expression of Love?

I woke this morning, looked out my window, and saw....


Well, there you have it. The culprits have been identified. I'm just laughing and remembering the time when this all started. Sad to note, I participated in the purchase of the markers when Whitney and I drew on someone else's car last year. What goes around comes around...hee hee. Thanks Luke and Whitney, I feel loved!

Sitting Around

There is a particular street I take nearly every day for one reason or another; school, work, friends. All seem to be in that general direction. A church along that street has a sign out front where they post the title of the next sermon and the preacher's name. The topic this week is "Sitting Around." Seems to be a prevalent topic in people's minds this week. Yesterday, there was little to do on my list. At one point, I realized how much time was being wasted, that could be used for work, improvement, and progression. In that moment, I made a sudden decision. I pulled into the parking lot of an old job. As a fast food place, it's not the most exciting job in the world. You leave dirty, sticky, smelly and greasy. Even as I walked to the door I thought, 'do I really want to do this again?' Yes. What else am I doing with my time, besides wasting it? Even though it is fast food, it is an honest business, the pay is decent and the food is good. They took me back in an instant. Since I worked there for over 4 years (though it was almost 2 years ago I resigned) I remember just about everything. No training needed. Customer service can be enjoyable, and making shakes can be at times, a delight. It is worth it. As for hard work, Spencer W. Kimball had this to say: " 'I decided I wanted to go on a mission as I had been taught all my life. When I got to the end of my high school, I went to Globe, Arizona, to get a job, so that I could save money...I'd grown up on a farm so I could milk cows. I could do a lot of things. My father bought me a little pitchfork when I was just a little boy, and I found work in the dairy wasn't easy either. I didn't like it. I would milk the cows and then go in and do the washing of the cans and bottles. We would use scalding water, and our fingers would get somewhat used to it, and then I would go out to milk the cows the next time, and my fingers would crack and bleed.
" ' I went to the Globe Ward every Sunday night. We would walk about two miles down the road to get there. I would hold my hands above my head as we walked, so that the weight of the blood in my fingers wouldn't crucify me. It hurt terribly, so I walked that way. I guess people thought I was giving up, but I wasn't. I wasn't surrendering. I was just on my way, and so my fingers bled every day...In between, we would go out to turn the cows into the field and take a square-ended shovel. You know what we did with the shovel. We cleaned up after the cows. You know, I never did like to clean manure. It was about the filthiest job I ever had, but I had to do it to keep my job. It was part of my job." To get where we want to be, we have to make sacrifices, we have to work. Giving up shouldn't be an option when it is a worthy cause. What in life comes easy, that is truly valuable? Being a missionary, education, family, friends, service, charity. There are countless trials that are thrown in people's paths every day. Don't surrender.
A friend of mine, Jim, elaborated on what he called "idle worshiping." This is a practice of going through the motions. One can understand that it is important to read the scriptures, know they should pray to Heavenly Father, go to church, be a good person in general. Of course, these are wonderful things, but simply doing them without thinking, you won't get very far very fast. It is necessary to take what you read, hear and feel, into your heart; and not only keep it there, but use it, act like you believe, and teach others.
So what's the point? Happiness. True happiness and peace in a world full of turmoil. It's worth it. I promise. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ.

Spencer W. Kimball excerpt from Finding Peace Happiness and Joy by Richard G. Scott

Stop Worrying and Start Living

Friday night brought no sleep for this girl. Saturday morning, starting at 12am, began with some cheesecake, a movie ("Pride and Prejudice" Provo version), lovely chit chat with a group of wonderful girls, a 3am marshmallow roast (add M&M's, it was perfect!) and some before bed jokes. Joke example, courtesy of Leah: Why do Elephants wear sandals on the sand? - So they don't sink. Why do Ostriches stick their heads in the sand? - So they can see the Elephants who forgot to wear their sandals! After turning the lights off, all was still in the room, except for the fire light dancing off the ceiling. Warm, comfortable and happy. 'Why waste such a wonderful moment on sleep?' I asked my self as thoughts other thoughts of 'you need sleep, you'll only get 4 hours of sleep' crept in. So what? The next day I had no major commitments, why waste the moment by stressing? A worried thought makes one tense. Tense makes one uncomfortable. Discomfort is hard to enjoy. Don't leave good company, you don't know when you'll see them again. Don't play out events in your head that haven't happened. It doesn't usually go how you plan anyway. A few hours away, is a few hours away. You can't do anything about it until you get there. Say "I love you" when it's true, stay in the hug a little longer, smile and laugh! Dance, sing! If it's raining, take your shoes off and dance in the rain. Yes, there are times when concern for the future is appropriate. Take action, do what needs to be done. If you can't fix it, you can't fix it. You'll be ok without it then. Remember it is in the Hands of the Lord that your life rests. If you do the best you can, what do you have to worry about? He's in charge, He'll get things done. Stop worrying, and start living the life He gave you to live! Eat a marshmallow at 3am, laugh at elephant jokes, and cherish each tear of joy as you realize how blessed you truly are.

Making New Friends

It's not as easy as walking up to someone and begin talking to someone, then each time you see this person, develop a stronger relationship. Some people are intent on keeping a distant acquaintance, what I call flirting at arm's length. (this applies to the opposite gender) If one is interested in another, how is it beneficial to ignore building a solid friendship in the beginning, simply functioning off flirting?

Then there are others that will go completely out of their way to say hello to you and see how you are doing. I witnessed a woman who saw a girl crying, and this woman did not hesitate one second before rushing to the tearful girl and putting her arms around her.

I understand that inter gender relations make a difference in action. But should it? Certainly you should take equal care in addressing those of your own gender as well as the opposite, whether you are single, taken, or married. In no way, shape, or form am I saying I am perfect at inter humanity relationships. Personally, I feel I need a lot of work in this area. Simply, I am expressing mild irritation. Though I guess I would do well to remember I am not the only imperfect one.

Increased Understanding

"The importance of having a sense of the sacred is simply this--if one does not appreciate holy things, he will lose them. Absent a feeling of reverence, he will grow increasingly casual in attitude and lax in conduct. He will drift from the moorings that his covenants with God could provide. His feeling of accountability to God will diminish and then be forgotten. Thereafter, he will care only about his own comfort and satisfying his uncontrolled appetites. Finally, he will come to despise sacred things, even God, and then he will despise himself.

"On the other hand, with a sense of the sacred, one grows in understanding and truth. The Holy Spirit becomes his frequent and then constant companion. More and more he will stand in holy places and be entrusted with holy things. Just the opposite of cynicism and despair, his end is eternal life."

D. Todd Christofferson

Employment

Film Studies decided to accept this poor unemployed soul. I will start in the next few weeks, and will be fully employed by July 1 (beginning of the fiscal year). Working for a very nice lady, my position will be "Erin do this, please." The "copying, filing, data entry grunt". I'm excited to work for a department I have an interest in. Office work is something I enjoy, so it won't be drudgery. This job will continue through the next school year. If I'm lucky, they'll keep me for a few years. The pay is good, and I won't have to work more than 20 hours during the school year.

Garbage Truck

As a kid, every time I heard the garbage truck come through the circle, I would run to the window to watch the man extend the lever and grabber to the garbage cans, pick them up and lift the can, then dump the garbage into the back, then set the can back down. For some reason it was fascinating then to a little kid. I was home today when the garbage man came, and I went to the window to watch as he picked up our can, then "threw" it onto the ground (it didn't stay standing). It was just as fun to watch him navigate the circle in the 8-wheeler. He did a pretty good job setting the neighbors cans down, though there were a few lying on the ground instead of standing upright...