Feb-Apr 2010 update

I haven't written in a while so I'll sum up the happenings of my days as quickly as I can.

Movies: Disney's Oceans, The Royal Tenenbaums, Best in Show, Marley and Me
Music: Counting Crows, Gorillaz "Laika Come Home"
TV Shows: Deadliest Catch, Axe Men, NBA playoffs
Vacation: Guam and Japan

I starred in a movie about a lonely ghost. I moved to a new apartment. I got a new car. I've started reading Harry Potter, I'm on book 3 now. and that's it!

Good News

I got a job offer from the company that I have been an intern with for the past year and a half. I am now the full time estimator for their large commercial projects of countertop, tile, and exterior cladding installations. I was also told that I will be leading up our efforts to find work internationally. They also said that I would be moving into a project management position as we get more contracts. This all very good.

I am very happy that I have a job right now. The construction market has been hit worse than anything else, so this means that I am very fortunate to be employed. This week Global Stone is flying me and a couple of other people to Dallas to meet with some general contractors there. Hopefully I will be able to see my family while I am there.


It is that time of year when everyone in BYU housing starts to think about their summer plans and living arrangements. I have mixed feelings, but I am sure that I will be moving out of Roman Gardens at the end of April. I was thinking about taking advantage of the new home owners tax credit, but I am a little bit nervous about making a commitment like that because I don't know how long I will have a job here. If my company doesn't get new contracts soon, I might not be around in 3 or 4 months. I am also conflicted because my roommates will not be around in the summer so I need to figure out who I can live with. I really like Provo, so I think that I will stay around here, but I am open to a lot of different options right now.

My numbers are swelling, JOIN ME!!

I am up to 4 followers as of today! (welcome Brandon) There could be as many as 2 or 3 readers that just haven't subscribed yet. This is very exciting to me.

Last week I wrote something in my journal that I have been thinking a lot about lately. I feel that I need to explain myself so that others might know why I do and believe the way that I do. I have had a very special experience happen to me when I was about 15 years old. This experience involved an overwhelming and undeniable feeling come over me and teach me that God is real and that Joseph Smith was His prophet. This message was made so clear to me that I cannot deny it, and if I were to do so, I know that I would have to answer to the wrath of God for my actions.

There are basically two reasons why I do my very best to live by the teachings of Christ.
1. I know that there is a God and that He wants me to do my best.
2. I have never been happier in my life than when I live by the teachings of Jesus Christ. I have had too many experiences with both good and bad to not recognize the difference. Simply put, I go to church each week because it makes me happy. I pray because it makes me happy. I read scriptures because it makes me happy. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a month or so of righteous or wicked living to note the difference, but it is there.

I sometimes get frustrated or question why I have been given the knowledge that I have. I did not have to ask for it, I did not have to pray about it. I feel that what I have been given is purely a gift that I am now in charge of taking care of. I wonder why others do not come to the same knowledge as me, even for those who have apparently put forth greater effort than I did. Perhaps they are meant to grow in different ways, but it still makes me sad to see people struggle through their life.

I am so grateful for my testimony of Christ and the restoration of His church. It is by far the greatest source of joy in my life. Hopefully by reading this some of you might know me a little better now than you did previously. Also, I am always willing to discuss my faith with anyone so give me a call and I'd love to chat about it.

Allocating Free Time

I am finding that I have more free time at this point in my life than any other time over the past 7 years. I come home from work around 5:30 or so and I don't have anything that I have to do until about 11 when I go to bed. This is a wonderful problem to have. I have already begun allocating my free time to worthy causes.

I joined some byu intramural sports teams. I am now the active goalie for a inter-tube water polo team and I play my first basketball game tomorrow. I have also started a new band called The Adventures of Robot and Squirrel. My band is a duo with my friend David Thorpe. I am a little bit nervous about the life of the band already because I think that we have our first show this Friday and we have never had a practice before. This should be a lot of fun.

Other things that I am doing to use up all of my free time include going to church activities and I have been very close to acquiring a keyboard a couple of times because I want to learn how to play. I'll give more details as the quest for a keyboard unfolds. I am also planning on reading more books than I ever have in a year. So far I think that I will read the Old Testament for the first time, Frankenstein, the Prince and the Pauper, and some other classics. I am open to suggestions if you have any.

On a side note, I am curious to know who reads my blog. I anticipated Tyler and maybe another relative to read every once in a while, but I have learned that there are at least a few other subscribers. I would very much appreciate any feedback or thoughts from people that read. This is especially exciting to me because at times I feel a drought of new topics to discuss in passing, and this way I might be able to hold a conversation for an additional 2 to 3 minutes with someone. The possibilities are endless... never mind, unfortunately the possibilities have already been predetermined to last only a short while, but it is still exciting for some reason!

Thanks for the love

I received several wonderful gifts for Christmas/birthday this past year and I just wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciate them.

• Jill- I framed the picture you gave me and the drawing of the monster is in the living room. I plan to use the scarf this week.
• Teah, Josh, Dallin, Carter, and Miley- I love the calendar and I have it hanging in my room. Me and my roommates enjoyed the box of chocolates as well.
• Aaron- Thanks for the card and the gift cards to Walmart. I have decided to use them to help me get some new glasses soon.
• Dad- Thanks for the digital picture key chain. I have already shown off my family pictures to a few different people. I also used the gift card to buy a blazer that makes me look dashingly handsome.
• Mom- Thanks for the 30 Rock dvds. I love that show. Also thanks for the new suit, laptop bag, and book.
  
• TY- Thanks for the movie. I had a lot of fun seeing Sherlock with you guys. I think that I only watched 4 movies in the theater last year and I watched 2 of them with you while I was in town.
• Grandpa- I really enjoyed the get together at your place and I am going to use the money you gave me to help me buy my new glasses.

I probably left out someone or something along the way, but I am very appreciative of all that my family has done for me. Leading up to Christmas I always feel bad knowing that people are spending money on me. I want you all to know how much I appreciate all of you and for the closeness that we share.


As for this week, I have realized that I have way to much free time on my hands. I work 8 hours a day and then I come home with no responsibilities or activities. This past week was full of college bowl games and other sporting events, but I feel that I need to do more. I have decided that one thing that I can do is more service. I think that I will go up to the MTC or something and give that a go. If anyone has any service ideas, let me know because I've got time to burn.

I just finished watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. I am a little bit confused because they never had breakfast at Tiffany's. I didn't like the racial stereo type of asians either. I thought that the movie was facinating to watch. It makes me a little bit sad to think that times have changed so much that people like those in the movie don't exist anymore, or at least I don't know any, and they don't even make movies like that anymore. It got me in the mood to watch Casablanca, so I'll probably use some of my extra free-time to do that this week.

On a final note, I am trying this thing where I will answer any question that someone asks me. No holds bar. Brutal honesty. This is only good for 24 hours and then my secrets are my own. I thought that this would be exciting to do, but then I realized that I don't really have any secrets or try to keep things from people. But if you think of something, let me know and I'll tell you how it is.

Bring On 2010

2010 is going to be the best year ever. No school and a better job is a good recipe for more fun. I will actually have time now to enjoy some movies, do some reading, and start a new band. My new band is very exciting to me. I have a lot of ideas that I want try.

I want to write a story and then have the songs tell the story, our shows might even have a narrator between songs. I would also like to have special musical guests (our musical friends) to help with vocals or other instruments. I think that it would be a fun show to watch. Mr. Riff, the keyboard expert, has already agreed to add his genius to our recordings. Expect great things in the near future.

Culmination Week

I think that it is fitting for the year to come to a close in this fashion. I have worked very hard and I have done a lot of things this year, and this week might be the busiest week of them all. Not only is this week the busiest, but this is the most important week of them all as well.

At work I am in charge of submitting the best bid out of all the competing stone and tile companies in Utah for a major contract in Salt Lake. We. Must. Win. Our company is riding on this. There are a lot of people's jobs riding on this bid (not to mention my own). This project is also the most complex bid that I have ever been involved with also.

At the same time, I have to pass all of my final exams to make sure that I graduate this semester. I have been skating through a couple of my classes and so now it is important that I get a decent grade. This week will not be easy by any means.

Last night I went to Kristen's ugly sweater party. I was charged with the task of acting out a prostate exam for charades. I had a good time. I brought a robot costume as my white elephant gift, but no one else thought that it was as amazing as I did.