N.Y. Times Quote of the Day

"I have come to realize that my free time is worth a lot to me."
ALAN BEGGEROW, an unemployed steelworker, on why he has not found another job.

Bear Lake Golf

It has become sort-of a tradition when our YSA ward goes to Bear Lake. There are some who chose to get up around 5 a.m. to hit the links.

The early morning is full of laughs, tossing of clubs and grunts of disgust (mainly from me...). I am not a golfer by any means, but I do like to go out and have a good time with everyone. Maybe I ought to learn so I could have even more fun...

Torres del Paine

I miss Chile.

This is a photo of Torres del Paine in the Patagonia of Chile. The photographer caught this in the early morning light mounted on a tripod, with slow shutter speed and small aperature.

Mountains of the Moon

Stanley Glacier, Mt. Margherita Ruwenzorie, "Mountains of the Moon," Uganda

"Ruwenzorie which are often called the Mountains of the Moon," in Uganda, Africa. It's right on the equator and the weather is terrible! It rains all the time! I was stationed at the edge of the Stanley Glacier and the sun was out and presented me with this tremendous view.

Captured on KODAK PROFESSIONAL PLUS-X 125 Film with a Roliflex Camera.

Sometimes the comics say it best

Yesterday I read a comic strip called "Bliss." It was so funny because I think he illustrated our sometimes aweful communication abilities.

A couple is walking through the grass holding hands. It is rightfully titled "Soul Mates."

They are looking at each other solemnly with thinking bubbles next to their heads. He is thinking, "Should I dump her now?" and she is thinking "Should I dump him now?"

So often we think things and do not say anything. But no progress can be made either for or against what you want unless something is said. With no words, we continue to be that couple walking through the field just thinking.

I often think about the hinderance of technology. Two weeks ago my little sisters boyfriend almost broke up with her via text message. LAMO! Besides that, texting can often hinder one's ability to fully grasp the entirity of the conversation. There is no ability to hear tonality in the voice or read into body lingo.

Technology is great, but it is also something that is not helping our communication as a society either.

Quote on Wendy's desk

I really like collecting quotes from people and events that I go to. This is my last week on cops and I have been sitting at Wendy's desk. She has a quote taped to her cubicle:

"We think in generalities, but we live in detail."
-Alfred North Whitehead,
English Mathematician & Philosopher (1861-1947)

You know I lean toward the school of thought that says this is true. Too often in our life we get stuck in generalities. We do not plan the details in our lives and therefor miss the great things that could happen.

Too, I think in a way we have to live generaly, to an extent. I cannot fully experience something until I am in the moment. I know it is going to happen, but I do not know the details.

Sometimes I think the details scare us so we avoid them. We prefer to live generally while missing the details of the great things that could happen.

Personally, I would prefer to live my life in detail allowing me to experience everything. I can plan for it and hope the details work out for my experience.

N.Y. Times Quote of the Day

"No request has been made to NATO. The possibility, the shape, the structure of any international force ? none of them has been seriously addressed."
JAMES APPATHURAI, NATO spokesman, on the difficulty of deploying peacekeepers to Lebanon.

Lunch fortune

Your original ideas find a place in your work and play.

Lucky numbers: 41, 28, 33, 29, 30, 2

Yes, I ate Chinese for both breakfast and lunch (fortune cookie for breakfast and actual Chinese food for lunch with a fortune cookie fo course).

Breakfast fortune

A dream will always triumph over reality, once it is given a chance.

Lucky numbers: 2, 32, 16, 18, 26, 42

Ladies... This one is single...

Hostess Cupcakes... 7.18.2006

Have you ever seen a girl wolf down five Hostess Cupcakes in two minutes? Marzipan is the ward champion. Heidi tried, but she laughed more than she ate... While Jake tried to assure her he could eat eight in two minutes, he only managed to get three...

Marzipan the Champion!

Family Home Evening 7.18.2006

We had a great time as we got together for Ward Water Olympics. But I think as soon as to organizers mentioned water on a 100+ degree day, the only competition that would be going on was who could get who the wettest.

It all began when I was talking to David and the unidentified culprits came a blasted two water balloons on him. That was the beginning of throwing water balloons. The organizers quickly squashed the rebellion to organize the games.

First, we would be working as a team in a relay carrying potatoes between our legs and dropping them in buckets. From there we had to toss water balloons, albeit so gently, into a container with a nail on it and fill it up with water. For our team, the Bishop was the chosen one to get wet.

The team of Bishop Blair, Brian Singleton, Heidi Hill and I came in first, by a long ways.

The next event was jousting. We stood on top of buckets in the middle of kiddie pools. This is when the lightbulb came on in my head to get the camera out, as you will see. DUH!

In the final attempt at organization, activitiy leaders thought we should try to hurtle water balloons at each other while attempting to hit the opposite team with them. It was quite interesting to watch.

However, all in all, balloons began to wander and were no longer aimed at the opposite team. Balloons began to explode near innocent by standers. I am sure you can put the pieces together of the resulting actions...

WATER FIGHT!!!

Good enough

Have you ever had someone tell you you weren't good enough?

Last night I was told this. Whether or not the person ment to say it, I don't know. But in any form, it sucks and it hurts. But through all of this I have to remember that is really doesn't matter what other people think. I am who I am, and I know I am OK.

My very good friend called and we talked for a minute about people. She is truely amazing! I enjoying being with her and she always has such a possitive outlook on life. It is truely encouraging when you surround yourself with people like her.

I try to surround myself with people who have a special light about them. She is one of those and there are many others like her in my life. They are what keep me going and help me to stay possitive.

I think sometimes I use others as a re-inforcement shield to my wall. Lately I think I have trusted in people a little too much and some chinks have shown in my wall. I am working on fixing those because it hurts too much when I begin to let people in. My words are on a large enough stage with my job that I don't need to let others any farther in.

Could he be the next winner?

"One day before he was the leader, then he was defeated. But he was no coward, and thanks to his great heart, it is a very great performance."
JEAN-MARIE LEBLANC, director of the Tour de France, on the performance of Floyd Landis.

Tsunami wipes out more than 500 in Pangandaran, Indonesia

"The tremors were not strong, so I felt no need to worry. But then I heard the screams of the people on the beach and when I looked over the fence the water was rushing toward me."
MUMU, a businessman in Pangandaran, Indonesia, describing the tsunami that killed hundreds.

Oh my...

I bought my tickets to Chile the other day. The best thing is that one of my friends will be getting married while I am there, so I will be able to be there for it. :)

It is kind-of a nervous thing. I will be going by myself and I am not sure what I am going to do yet. Sometimes those turn out to be the best vacations. I will be able to do whatever I want to do and not have to worry about anyone. Just how I like it.

Worst ever!

Ok, so I had the WORST second interview ever yesterday. ARGH!!!

Last week in the initial interview, Justin (the interviewer) invited me back to see what a day of work was like. "Wear comfortable shoes because you will probably be up and around a lot," he said. "We work with companies to give things away," he said.

So, in my mind I am totally thinking office and working with radio and other organizations to do promotional marketing.

WRONG!

I arrived at the appointed time on Monday and about 30 minutes into it, I found out it was door to door sales... Justin never mentioned anything about outside sales or door to door. The classified said it was for a sports marketing account manager.

I walked around and hit doors in the morning with this guy. He had the worst door approaches (all two of them), bad grammar, and chomped his gum like a moo-cow. He skirted around questions I asked about the company. It seems as if he was in it for the money and not because he liked it.

I called Anthony to save me and I left at 'lunch' (3:30 p.m.). When J was taking me back he told me how much he disliked the job. He is going to quit here shortly and move back to Nevada. He also talked about the potential to make some serious cash, but I told him it was more important for me to be excited to go to work than to make bajillions.

I am beyond door-to-door sales. During the course of the morning I had doors slammed in my face, dogs come after me and people be rude. There is only one cause for which I will endure any of that and Jojola Solutions is not it.

Relax

I have this terrible habit of taking work home with me... What does this mean? What did they mean by that word? Why did they say that? How is that possible? and the questions go on and on.

I am a journalist. I ask questions for a living and analyze everything. This is not so good when it carries over to boys. They don't analyze anything, they just live life and enjoy the path. I have decided that this is a good way to go. Stop asking questions; tell yourself it is OK if you don't know the answer to everything; don't analyze the boy because it will only give you a headache.

So, this is my new resolution. Let life be and don't analyze so much. Leave work when I walk out the door.

Wonderful people

I just had the nicest conversation with some lady I didn't even know. She was walking down the street and asked me where the post office was. It just so happened I was heading in that general direction and so she walked with me a bit.

She is here in Utah for a summer intensive at the U. The workshop focuses on movement and she was all excited about it. She also loves the local trails and the quaintness of Salt Lake.

I love walking around downtown and observing people and taking it all in. One of the great things I love is that evetything is within walking distance. I can buy local and lovely slow foods.

Last Saturday I went to Farmer's Market. It was a lovely reminder of Chile. A street market with local foods, people selling handcrafted goodies and those on the outside trying to make a dime. The downtown atmosphere really pulls me in and I would like to be here all the time. I love having things within my grasp.