Pointless.

I'm beginning to wonder why I even have a blog. I have about 85 views, and I'm certain at least 82 of those are from me.

Summers...

As I've thought about all the summers I've lived through, I can safely say that I've been overall pleased with only 3 of them.

Summer 2005:
I entered the MTC on June 15, 2005, in preparation for my adventure in Portugal. I grew tremendously in those 9 weeks in Provo. I had never been so entrenched in the gospel before this time. Learning to live without my siblings, friends, and parents was somewhat difficult for me, but I couldn't be more grateful for this opportunity. Some of my closest friends were made in the MTC. I think friendship is kindled there because there are thousands of young people in the same position you are in: learning new things and experiencing a different kind of life. I still remember watching the hot air balloons and fireworks on July 4 and really feeling like I was exactly where I was supposed to be at that time.

Summer 2006:
By this time I had spent about a year in Portugal. The language was no longer an issue, and I was simply loving missionary work. The summer was somewhat split between two areas. I had been on Madeira, a Portuguese island off the coast of Africa, for about 4 months, so I essentially had skipped winter. Madeira was excellent, and I really didn't want to leave. Especially for Maia. Maia is close to two other areas I had served in, and I had heard that missionary work was dead there. Reluctantly I obeyed my mission president and went to Maia. The next six months were the hardest of my mission - knocking and contacting with little to no success. Scorching heat. Sticky humidity. Tough companions. But I loved it. Even though outward success seemed to be nonexistent, I felt that I was giving a very valiant effort. Maia became my favorite area because I truly felt I was in the refiner's fire.

Summer 2009:
I had become so accustomed to relaxing during the summer (except for my mission) that even thinking about attending school was horrendous. Walking across campus in the hot sun definitely did not appeal to my vision of a terrific summer. But, feeling that I should take advantage of the opportunity to take summer classes, I enrolled. Full time. Awkward schedule. No friends in any class. I did not want to be there. But as classes have ensued, I couldn't be happier with what I am doing this summer.

School. Work. Making friends. Family. Managing time. Book of Mormon Blitz. Institute. Dating. Outside. Trampoline. Basketball twice a week. Picnics. Reading. I love the feeling of productivity. I'm glad that I don't get to sleep in. Although I cherish an occasional sleep in, I mostly consider it a waste of time. I love exercising in early morning or late night. I've made some great friends in classes, and being more involved in the ward has been super. This summer is going great.

I won't say that my other 20 summers have been wasted or unappreciated, for I definitely have great memories from each one. But it's interesting to note that my hardest, most productive summers have been my favorites.

Forgive AND Forget?

I've thought a lot about the phrase "forgive and forget" lately. I personally find it difficult to do. Forgiving is something I do not struggle with - it may take some time and some work, but eventually I reach the point of total forgiveness, and I hope I deserve the same in return. Offending anyone, for any reason, is definitely not part of my life's agenda. I don't mean to do it. And, when needed, I always apologize for the wrongs I've committed. Actually, many times, I over-apologize which usually makes things worse. Since I was born I've wanted to be a friend to everyone, and make everyone I come in contact with happy. This results in a lot of unnecessary stress that I must deal with. Even when I am not outright responsible for some occurrence or activity, I take it upon myself to make things right, even if I have done no wrong whatsoever. I've struggled with this my whole life. I am very appreciative that most people have been forgiving towards me throughout my life.
Forgetting is something apart from forgiving. I think we try to forget too much. How are we to forget when someone offends, or when something happens? Wouldn't it be nice to simple erase our mental hard drives and honestly forget that something happened? Deleted. Recycle bin. Gone. Our minds don't work this way. There is no limit to what our memories can hold. Images can stay fresh in our minds throughout our entire lives. I think there is a reason for that.
Although it is true that our bodies make us up physically, it would be nonsense to say that is "who we are." We are much more. We are made up of everything we've ever done, said, thought, seen, etc. Experience makes us who we are. If we've done something we shouldn't have done, we remember it so we don't do it again. We shouldn't delete it, or we'd probably fall back into it over and over.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't try to delete our memories or things that we have been a part of. I'm certainly not proud of everything I've done, but I'll always appreciate what and who has made a significant impact on my life. Those are things worth remembering.

The St. George Triathlon

Well I did it. Kind of.
About 5 months ago I committed to enter the St. George Triathlon. Brandon, my brother, and his wife, Michelle, had made plans to do the race, but Michelle got pregnant, so I took her place. I've always been a pretty consistent runner - nothing special, but I like to feel like I'm in shape. I felt like a triathlon would definitely be difficult, but a feat worth accomplishing.
I drove to Washington County with Brandon and Michelle, alone in the back seat of a Honda Civic. My legs were pretty cramped, but we had a great time on the road. We stayed at my aunt and uncle's home in Santa Clara. Brandon and I had a hard time falling asleep, he in a room with Michelle and I on the living room couch. Doesn't always seem like you can't fall asleep when you most need it? Like the night before a big test, for example...or the night before your first triathlon. I wanted all the rest I could get cause I knew in a few short hours I'd put my body through something I've never done before. It was also one of those nights just barely chilly enough for some sort of covering, but too hot for anything at the same time. So it was blanket, no blanket, blanket, no blanket...
We woke up this morning around 5:45 and arrived at the race location around 7. We racked our bikes and laid everything out so the transitions would be quick and effortless. Unfortunately, and fortunately, the 800-meter swim was cancelled due to the windy conditions. So, to compensate for the swim, the race directors added another 5K on top of the 5K we were already supposed to run.
The first 5K wasn't so bad. I could've run faster but I knew I had to save some energy. The big surprise, though, was that the entire run was on red sand. Running on sand is much harder than running on pavement, so it took some serious concentration to get through it.
We had rented road bikes in Cedar City, so I felt confident going into the bike. It was so frustrating, however, when I would be pedaling as hard as I could when a 15 yr. old boy would casually fly by. The worst part of the entire race was a hill - a mile long, steep hill in middle of the desert. I had dropped my waterbottle within the first mile of the biking, so I was dehydrated and hot.
I finished the bike and it was onto the red sand again for the last 3+ miles. Hardest.run.ever. I don't know how I finished. Everyone else must've felt the same because even in my condition I still passed a few people. I crossed the finish line pretty exhausted, but feeling great that I had done something new and difficult.
It's been a fun little trip to Southern Utah. I'm thankful for those who came down to support us in the desert sand. Wish you could've been there!

Egg Hunt Madness!

The day before Easter I had the opportunity to drive up to This is the Place Heritage Park to set up and work the FM100.3 Easter Egg Hunt. As the staff and I were dispersing the eggs around the old homes, the wind began to blow and rain drops were falling from the sky. I thought no sane person would want to drive up to this park to pick up a few Easter Eggs full of Tropical Lifesavers and a Tootsie Roll. For me, at least, it wouldn't be worth it. I'd rather spend $4 on a bag of assorted candy than to go "hunting" for eggs.
The rain eventually stopped and it turned out to be a pretty decent day. Hundreds of people filled Main Street, all anxious to hear the gunshot that signified the beginning of the search for the eggs. A never-ending line formed for the popcorn and hot chocolate, which I somehow was given charge to look after. After an hour of scooping hot chocolate into Styrofoam cups, I managed to relieve myself of that duty and go make sure no one was entering the egg-hunting grounds before the hunt began. I stood at the gate for the 12+ year olds.
I am amazed at how aggressive parents are in such situations. I've never had so many complaints or negative comments said to me as I did at this "family-friendly" Easter egg hunt. The children do not seem to care how many eggs they get. Normally a child would grab one and be happy for the rest of the day. When the gun sounded, however, parents stormed the fields, gathering as many of the plastic eggs as possible. It was ridiculous.
After witnessing such things, I have vowed to never participate in an Easter Egg Hunt with my future children.

Sugar Bowl 2008...off to New Orleans!

The University of Utah has a rich history of college sports. In my first year attending the U, the Utes had prominent seasons both in football and in basketball. Alex Smith led the team to an undefeated season, busting the BCS with a great victory over Pitt in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. He was drafted into the NFL as the number one overall draft pick.
While Smith was throwing the pigskin on the field, Andrew Bogut was piloting his crew to a winning season on the court. He also was drafted number one overall into the NBA.
I remember feeling proud to be a Ute as I walked around the campus that year. Although it was the hardest year of my life, feeling lost because of what was behind me (high school) and what lied ahead of me (mission), I found joy knowing that my school was great and recognized.
Fast forward to 2008. College football wasn't my main interest. I enjoy football; I like watching it; but I didn't follow. Needless to say, the Utes had an incredible year. It was win upon win upon win. There were a few close games (vs. TCU), and people can make all the claims they want about an easy schedule or terrible reffing, but when all is said and done, winning all 12 games in a season is impressive. The Utes, again, busted the BCS and were fortunate to receive a well-deserved invitation to the Sugar Bowl. It was to be played in New Orleans. In an attempt to spend time with his growing boys, my dad planned a trip and basically told us we were going. It was an awesome trip. The game was played January 2. New Orleans is a great place - fun to visit. We went throught the WWII Museum dedicated to D-Day. It was fun being with my bros and old man.
The game was amazing - the Utes jumped to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and the game was history. It really silenced all the Alabama fans who before had been relentlessly taunting any Ute in sight.
What a trip...

Well, here I am creating a blog. I'm not exactly sure what to do with it, or what to say. I'm doing this more for the experience than everyone else's personal enjoyment. I'm sure that as I continue on my road to blog-dom, my posts will improve in quality and content.