Tis the Season

Lisa and I are finally getting into the Christmas spirit. We dusted off our bin of Christmas stuff and started putting up the tree.

My finals are finished and I don't have school until Jan 7th! It'll be a nice break. Lisa finishes hers next week but she said they shouldn't be too bad.

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Gobble Gobble

Happy Turkey day, I know it's late but hey. We went to the folks and had a feast. The turkey was perfect, in fact, everthing was really good. I gained the 7 lbs back that I lost, oh well. Utah dominated BYU. That means a BCS game and Dad is going to get a nice Ute curb number in front of his house. That reminds me of a joke. What's the difference between a BYU fan and a litter of puppies? Eventually the litter of puppies will grow up and stop whining!
Gotta love those Utes.

Lisa and I will probably take a trip to their bowl game, I wonder if that would count as an official honeymoon? It would probably be the Sugar bowl in New Orleans. Do guys get beads for showing their teats?

Anyways life is good. Finals are upon us, and I'm ready for this semester to be done with.

10-0 BABY!

In case people didn't know, Lisa and I are HUGE Utah football fans. Whenever there's a home game we make a day of it. Yesterday we went tailgating with some friends and I was laughed at when I busted out my little portable grill (not very manly of me appearantly). My burgers were a big hit and we met a lot of fun people. The game was awesome, and not as cold as I thought. 46,000 people yelling and jumping around puts off a lot of heat. And incase people missed the game (it was on CBS this time), we beat #12 TCU off of a last minute score. I'm happy that we didn't sell our tickets (our section was going for about $200 a ticket).


GO UTES!

Happy Halloween

This may sound stupid, but I forgot how much I like Halloween. Seriously though, there's something about all of the B class horror movies and grown men dressing up in some crazy costume that just makes this such an awesome holliday. The holliday is all about fun, there's no grand meaning behind it (Not that meaning is bad), just an excuse to have a good time. The history of Halloween is also pretty interesting, but I won't bore everyone with a history lesson.

I even like the whole "haunted house", bit. Luckily we've been told that some of the nations best and scariest are in the area so we are planning on hitting some up with some friends and try and get into the spirit of things.

Now a bit of CAS business (Citizens Against Stupidity).

Our subject study is non other than Gov. Sarah Palin. Like a said in my first blog, this is a non-partisan group, it just goes to show how deep this sickness goes.

The following is the transcript from the Couric/Palin interview.

COURIC: Why isn’t it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries? Allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy? Instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?

PALIN: That’s why I say, I like ever American I’m speaking with were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the tax payers looking to bailout.
But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy– Helping the — Oh, it’s got to be about job creation too. Shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americas.

And trade we’ve got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive scary thing. But 1 in 5 jobs being created in the trade sector today. We’ve got to look at that as more opportunity. ALl those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that.

Thank you very much Gov Palin for such a descriptive explanition to a rather direct, on the point question. Health care reform and scary trade deals were all very helpful in explaining why this bailout went to save Wall Street. It all makes perfect sense now! What was the name of that other guy who was up for the Veep job? Maybe it's time to give him a call.

Citizens Against Stupidity Unite!

So I've decided to start a club to combat the rampant rise of stupidity in our nation. Stupidity threatens us all, and this destructive disease seems to be spreading at an unprecedented pace.

At first, stupidity outbreaks were mainly found in areas like Hollywood, Hippie Conventions, Washington DC, and Trailor Parks. But now this crippling disorder has attached its evil claws to our Educators, Doctors, Law Enforcement Officers, and every other facet of society.

Citizens Against Stupidity (CAS) stands firm in the belief that when you encounter someone afflicted with the deadly stupidity virus, that it is your civic duty to make that person aware of their own stupidity so that they can seek help before it's too late.

This is a non-partisan, non-religious movement since stupidity has infected all walks of life.

Our featured story for the day is Dr. Laura West of Los Angeles. Dr. West called in to my work last night inquiring as to why we haven't shipped her contact lenses yet. Now, Dr. West is an MD so she is able to write her own contact rx's without seeing an eye doctor. Upon looking up her order, I noticed that she wrote out the wrong prescription for the contact order that she placed. After several minutes of listening to her repeat over and over again that she was a Doctor (apparently she thought that I wasn't paying attention the first 10 times she said it) I was finally provided the opportunity to speak. I explained that the order and the rx didn't match and that she'd have to send in another rx with the correct info. She then went off again about how she is a Doctor (this time she was being condescending) and that she already sent in a rx and shouldn't have to do it again. Again I told her that the rx we had was different then the order that was placed, hence we needed another one faxed in with the correct info. We went on like this for another 10 minutes or so and she was beginning to get offensive. I was baffled that a medical professional was so incapable of understanding how prescriptions work. Then it hit me, this Doctor is infected with the Stupidity Virus!

It was at this point that I jumped into action as a member of CAS, and tried to make the Doctor aware that she is a victim of stupidity. I calmly told her that even those with basic reasoning skills would understand that prescriptions must match the order being placed, and the fact that she couldn't understand that as an MD frightens me (my exact words). I could tell I was getting through because there was a long period of silence, but unfortunately stupidity won and the Doctor began her rant about how she was a Doctor and I was the stupid one. She told me to cancel her order and that she would never do business with a bunch of idiots like me again. To which I calmly responded that if I was ever in need of a Doctor while in L.A. I would be sure to seek the help of someone who at least understands basic medical procedures. That was the end of our conversation.

Now, there are some key symptoms in this case to help us identify the Stupid among us.

The first sign was that she kept repeating the fact that she was a Doctor over and over again. This was done to throw me off her trail that she was stupid. You'll notice this technique will be used by people like Doctors, Lawyers, and your Boss. "Because I'm your Boss" is a classic statement made by the stupid.

The second sign was that she was unable to listen to basic reason or follow simple instructions. Stupid people often have trouble with that, hence the reason why I had to repeat myself over and over again to no avail.

The third sign in this case was her reaction when she found out that she was suffering from stupidity. The angry, condescending response when I brought it to her attention is a normal reaction for those who are suffering from this disease.

I can only hope that Dr. West seeks help for her condition, and it brings me satisfaction to know that I may have helped her to the road of recovery.

36 things you don't know about us.....

1. Bryce & I will be married for three years in March.
2. Bryce is on WEDDING RING #3….don’t worry, I’ve been with him both times when he’s lost them.
3. I will always think cheerleading is a sport no matter how many times Bryce & I have this stupid argument.
4. I cheered all through High School and coached for a few years after.
5. We haven’t taken our honeymoon yet.
6. Don’t worry we’ve taken vacations since we’ve been married, just not the “official” honeymoon.
7. I’ve changed my major three times from interior design, to architecture, and now urban planning; I finally will graduate this spring.
8. Bryce is business finance major and is planning to graduate in 2 years.
9. I have 132 credit hours and I still haven’t graduated.
10. Bryce will have 90 credits when he transfers to the U.
11. This is sad but true:( both of our hair is starting to thin….don’t you think were a little young?
12. I love ketchup on pretty much anything.
13. Our favorite restaurants are Rodizio’s and Tsunami.
14. Bryce and I both have 3 brothers and 2 sisters.
15. I’m the 3rd child
16. Bryce is the baby
17. My favorite food is cottage cheese with yogurt mixed in.
18. Bryce’s favorite food is chicken fingers with fries.
19. I like to sleep diagonally across the bed. Ha-ha Bryce has no space!
20. Bryce goes through phases of eating certain foods…right now its French fries and they have to be really thin and served with fry sauce.
21. We think the only good tasting fast food restaurant in Salt Lake is the Artic Circle on 700 east and 3900 south.
22. We have a car that we call the “Ute Mobil”….its a red Mazda Protégé 5 with Utah plates and decals.
23. We bought our first washer and dryer last weekend.
24. Bryce shaves his head once a week.
25. I’ve been coloring my hair since 7th grade.
26. One of my roommates hooked me up with Bryce….we actually ended up swapping dates.
27. Bryce kissed me within the first 20 minutes of knowing me. He believes you might as well get the tough part over so that you feel comfortable around that person.
28. I like to sing even though I won’t do it in front of others.
29. I played viola for 9 years, I haven’t played since high school.
30. Bryce thought a viola was a brass instrument.
31. All of my immediate family lives in Buffalo, New York.
32. I’ve worked in the food business since I was 15.
33. There’s a picture in Bryce’s parents house of his brother Jay and his wife. I thought for the 1st few months while we were dating that this was Bryce and that he had been married before. I didn’t tell Bryce this until about a month ago.
34. Bryce speaks Spanish.
35. I speak Spanglish.
36. Our final thought on 36 things you don’t know about us: We are NOT pregnant and aren’t planning on it for a few more years.

Finally settled in

So we had our big move this past weekend and it's amazing how much stuff we've accumulated in the past year or so. I remember when we first got married and loaded up all of our earthly possesions in the back of the smallest of Uhaul trucks we filled it to the back 3rd of the truck. We are now filling to the brim the big truck plus a couple of cars. Where did all of this crap come from? We literally filled 3 big black garbage bags with just shoes! Anyways a big thanks to Mom, Dad, Tavis, and Clint for coming down and helping us out Sunday. I woke up sore as sin the next morning, man am I getting old. We like our new place a lot better than our last place though so it's all worth it.

We went the first few days without hot water since our gas company was late getting to us, plus the shower nozzel was broken when we moved in, so bathing was interesting. Lisa was lucky since she could just shower at her gym after working out. She suggested I could either come work out with her and have a nice hot shower, or I could pour ice cold buckets of water over my head at home. I thought it was a smart a@# thing for her to suggest... I took my chances with the cold water. Just what are you implying sweety?

Tomorrow is the first home game for UoU football and guess who renewed their season tickets? We did, and it's a good thing we did because they are all sold out and you'd have to pay scalpers price to get them now. I've been waiting for this day for a long time, and fresh off our win at Michagan I expect us to have a great season.

Here's what's happening and what I'm thinking.

Yup folks it's that time again. Overpriced textbooks, late night study sessions, and the end of a summer that provided some relief from an otherwise hectic routine. To add to the fun, we are moving out the 31st and heading just up the road to our new apartment.

So like everyone else, we've been glued to the tv till the wee hours watching the olympics. After the girls gymnastics finished I realized something, China must think we're stupid. There is no way half of those girls are over the age of 14... tops, and for them to say "we have provided all of the proper government documents with the girls ages so there should be no questions" is just crazy. Well jeeze that makes me feel better, the Chinease govt. has given us their word that they are all of age. It's not like they would fake the documents in an attempt to win their prized gold medal, I mean, that would be like telling a little girl that she couldn't appear on tv during the opening ceremony because she wasn't pretty enough... oh wait. What really makes me laugh is that they've uncovered government sponsored, Chinease newspapers from a year ago that reported that these same athletes were 12-13 yrs old, ooops! They should be stripped of their medals for cheating.

On a completley different note, Hippies really piss me off! Hey hippie, get a job. I swear if I get one more hippie that asks me for money when I go downtown I'm going to flip. Make no mistake, they aren't homeless, nor do they claim to be, they are 20ish yr old hippies who just randomly ask you for money to buy cheeseburgers, and hemp based products and such. Then they get mad when you say no. Get a job Hippie!!! "No I can't do that because then I'l be contributing to the rise of evil, profit seeking coorporations"(an actual quote from a SLC hippie)

So Lisa has an admirer/stocker at work. He's some creepy hispanic guy who keeps bothering her. One night he kept asking her for a ride home over and over again. After she kept saying no he got in his OWN car and left. She talked to some managers and its suppose to be taken care of, otherwise I may need to take a trip to the OG and have a heart to heart with my hermano.

So in conclusion, school, moving, China cheats, hippies suck, and Lisa's creepy admirer.

Hey All

I'm on break at work so I'll make a quick entry. Last weekend Jay, Heather, and the Kids came up from New Mexico and so did Corey and Heidi from Boise with their kids. We went and ate at a Pupusaria and it was phenominal. Jay was having some serious flashbacks from the mission with all the fried Platanos and Cashew fruit. Michael likes the Hot stuff and took it like a champ.

As you can see, Mom got her new Kitchen with new cabinets, countertops, lights, paint, sliding door, table and chairs, stainless steel appliances and hard wood flooring thru out the kithchen and hallways. It looks very nice and is a much needed update. Of course, what started out as a small project snowballed into a huge renovation but the end now seems to be in sight. They completley re-stuccoed the outside of the house and got new windows put in, the kitchen is pretty much done and now just have to put in new carpet in the living room and buy some new couches and build a new porch outside. They pretty much have a brand new upstairs and outside. Dad of course has a master plan of splurging on this so down the road he can splurge on his cabin. He's always thinking two steps ahead that one.

We ended the visit by going up to Birch Creek to play 9 holes Monday morning. We were playing a two man scramble with Dad and Corey on one team and Jay and I on the other. Jay's turned into a pretty decent golfer and we played probably 70% of his shots but I came on strong in the end. At least I had the biggest long ball off the tees for the day. Needless to say we demolished our competition and finished just 2 strokes or so over Par.

Well breaks over so I got to get back to it (it actually ended 10 Min ago).

Oye Como Va

Como Va la honda carnales y bienvenidos a mi pagina! It's been busy as always but today I found a little bit of time to add a quick new post. Lisa's Dad and youngest brother came to town for a few days as they headed back to NY from Boise. I was able to wiggle out of a couple of hours at my work and we took them to Rodizio's which is a must for out of staters. Lisa took them downtown on the tracks before that and finished it off with a stroll through liberty park to digest all of the meat we ate. The night after that we went to a little Mexican place and we were the only white people there, which is always a good sign. Food was good, and we were all sweating a little from the Chile and lack of AC. Oh how I miss those days....

Lisa and I are having a blast with the summer off from school. Thursday's are play days so we've been to some concert series at Galavin Plaza, Jazz festivals, Art festivals, Downtown Festivals, Soccer games, movies, BBQ's, and of course hours floating around the lazy river at Lagoon and catching some rides. You wouldn't believe how burnt I got on the 3rd from Lagoon. I forgot that my chest and back aren't use to seeing the sun like they once were, I peeled like a fish.

And for those who've yet to see the new Batman, It's awesome! We went with Zac and Cait last night and Heath Ledger is the best Joker ever. Batman spoke in a cheesy voice the whole time though, but still good.

Fun time with the fam

So this weekend we had a blast catching up with my fam from Boise and Indiana. We all met up at my parents house and everyone was there except Jay and his fam (who we missed). It was great to see that Stacey's kids still remembered us for the most part. Sat night we BBQ'd and Lisa and I set up a tent for the kids and we're the designated adults for the night in the tent. It went surprising well considering we had 5 little kids in there. Ethan kept popping up claiming to hear something outside every 5 min. so he ended up sleeping with Lisa and I. I've never heard a 5 yr old snore so louldly in my life. And for such a small guy he sure took a lot of space on the air mattress. I only had 1 bathroom call during the night so I guess I can't complain too much.

My bro brought over his Wii and his PS3 and we all had a blast with Mario Cart for the Wii and "rockband", which is a pimped out version of guitar hero, only it comes with a drum set, 2 guitars, and a mic for vocals. Needless to say I didn't fair so well in the vocals, and was ok at the guitar, but I found a home with the drums. Why learn to play the actual instrument when I can just be a virtual rock star? Lisa was rippin it up on the guitar too. We were up all night wailin away on that game. We're gonna have to purchase both of those games I think.

And of course it wouldn't be an official reunion without fishing. Since we had the kids we all went to the local trout farm so that the kids could catch some fish. It was an adventure trying to untangle line while an excited 5 yr old is holding the rod. Needless to say both Clint and I got a few hooks in the fingers (which is why we cut the barbs off the hooks), but it was well worth it because they had a blast (even though they were scared to death of the fish when we landed it).

And you are all lucky that I'm still around after nearly chocking to death on a piece of melon from laughing so hard. My Aunt Melinda and Uncle Al are some funny individuals.

It was a great time and it sucks that we can't get together as often.

For once Andy Rooney makes sense.

Andy Rooney said on '60 Minutes' a few weeks back:

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers.. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door. Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kil l someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game. I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE ? I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion. I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off. When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability. I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English! My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours. I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines. I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business. We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations. I don't hate the rich; I don't pity the poor. I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them. I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building. It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say 'NO!' I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries! I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa ; so how can they be 'African-Americans'? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else And if you don't like my point of view, tough...

Lazy Summer

Well it's been awhile so it's time to make a small posting. Basically nothing is happening here. We're just working hard and trying to find some time to play. We went to some cultural festival one weekend and ate a lot of different foods and listened to some different music. Some nations have some pretty crazy foods, and even weirder music and dancing. There was this one dance when all they did was play what appeared to be the grown-up version of duck-duck-goose, and they even managed to do it off rythme if that makes sense. Then some really large ladies tried to do a dance where they jump over a glass of water without spilling it, only they couldn't jump high enough so they kept knocking it over. I find other peoples cultures hillarious sometimes, and no I don't need sensitivity training so save yourself a call to Dr. Phil=).

Lisa's car overheated yesterday and we were afraid to drive it and didn't want to pay $200 for a tow, thank you Zac and Cait for coming to our aide at 11:00 PM Sat night you guys a great! We dropped it off at our mechanic and turns out we needed a new radiator cap and a new thermometer thingy. Nothing too pricy to fix anyways so that's a relief.

That's all for now folks.

Health Day's

Hey all! Here are some picks from this weekends Health Day's parade. For those not familiar, Health Day's is a small town celebration every mothers day weekend in Smithfield. Once again Corey is the winner of the "Best Sun Burn" contest and holds on to his title from last year. Lisa and I even attempted to run in the 1 mile fun run this year but never made it out of bed in time to do it. Thanks to Mom and Dad for a nice weekend. Steak dinners on Sat, then Steak leftovers Sunday. Good stuff!

Bitter sweet.

Well, we finally got our couches in from Ashley's. We ended up renting a U-haul monday to go pick them up because we figured it would be cheaper than paying $85 to have them delivered. I saved maybe $10 and wasted hours of my time. Next time I'll pay for delivery. We love our couches except as you can see our love seat has a broke frame. We noticed it as we were putting on the little wooden pegs after about 15 minutes of getting them home. We called Ashley's and they said that we would have to pay an extra $80 to have someone come look at it to see if they can fix it. They sell me a broken couch, then want an extra $80 to come look at it to tell me "yup, it's broken alright"? We emailed some pics to them so hopefuly than can take care of it, if not we'll just dispute the charges with AMEX (I love AMEX for just that reason).

On the bright side finals are officially over for both of us! We survived them well enough and we're both looking forward to no school for the next 4 months. Both Lisa and I were able to do about 2 yrs worth of work in a 12 month time frame. I should be at the U next spring, and Lisa should graduate that spring as well. It won't be much of a vacation this summer though, between the business and the 2nd job, both Lisa and I will be putting in about 65-70 hours a week each. Hopefully my 2nd job will be flexible with my schedule, I'd like to stay there for the insurance while I do my thing in the day.

Hope you enjoy the pics of our humble apartment. It's not much but it's home for now.

Until next time.

gotta love trunky teachers.

I caught some serious breaks this semester in regards to some of my finals. Coming into this week I was expecting to be crushed by the weight of finals only to find that I'm getting off easy. My Econ 2020 teacher is retiring after this semester and really stopped caring about the class. I was expecting another 120 question final on Tuesday but he replaced it with a course evalution form (at the end he let us give ourselves the grade we think we deserve in the class.)

Then my Bus Stats teacher decided not to do a comprehensive final and we just took a Chapter test. All that's left now is my Managerial Acct final Monday then it's Summer time!

Ok, so I have to tell you about our Sofa buying experience last Thursday. So Lisa and I decided it was time to get ride of our old sofa's and buy a new Couch/love seat. So we head off to the normal place's (RC Willey, Ashley's, etc) and see some things we like. Then Lisa remembers a furniture store in Sugar House that she passed by with a big "going out of business sign" in the window, everything 50% off. So we head out and as soon as we entered the store is when Penny, an overly zealous Mary Kay user, with a bright purple jogging suit pounced on us. She was a Nightmare! I haven't felt so hounded since... well actually since our trip to Zion so I guess not too long ago. It was "nag nag" this and "nag nag" that. And as far as this supposed "sale" everything seemed to be marked up 50% . We even checked out the "slightly used" level only to realize that by slighlty used they meant D.I. rejects. Then they had the nerve to charge $500 for a 30 year old couch I could pick up in an alley for free with probably half the stains. So thank you Penny, I still stink of your perfume.

Seriously though, what's wrong with people?

Do you wear Contacts?

Hey I just wanted to let you guys know that if you or others you know wear contacts I can guarentee to get them cheaper for you. Stacey was paying about $220 a year for her's and I could get them for her for about $130 when all is said and done. Just let me know and I'll look into it for you. (This is not a sales pitch, I get nothing for doing this. Just thought I could help some family and friends save some $)

Home Stretch

Both Lisa and I are approaching the end of the semester and we couldn't be happier. Between the two of us we have 7 finals coming up next week. I'm still debating whether or not I want to take some summer classes since I've been taking full course loads for 4 semesters straight. But summer classes are easier and they cut out alot of the busy work so I guess we'll see.

Are people as excited about the warm weather coming up as we are? Sunday we had our first warm spring day so we busted out the shorts and went to Sugar House park to get some R&R. Man am I white! I had no idea how white I was until I saw my bare skin in the sunlite.

We're terrible with b-days but I know that April is a big month for my family so Happy Birthday to everyone who has a B-day in April.

Mental Health Hotline.

Hello and welcome to our mental health hotline.

If you are obsessive compulsive press one, repeatedly.
If you are codependent have someone press two for you.
If you have multiple personalities press 3,4,5, and 6.
If you are paranoid, we know who you are and what you want. Please stay on the line and we will trace your call.
If you are delusional press seven and your call will be transferred to the mothership.
If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a small voice will tell you which number to press.
If you are depressive doesn’t matter which number you press no one will answer you.
If you are dyslexic, press 69696969.
If you have a nervous disorder please fidget with a dash key until you hear the beep. After the beep, please wait for the beep.
If you have short-term memory loss, please try your call again later.
If you have low self-esteem, please hang up, all of our operators are too busy to talk to you anyway.

Small get away is just what the Dr ordered

Well, the end of spring break is here and Lisa and I are gearing up to once again tackle the books. We took a little trip to Southern Utah for a few days this week and visited Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park. They were both a lot of fun but we probably enjoyed Zions the most. Bryce was pretty but there was still a foot of snow on the ground so we weren't able to get out and hike some of the trails. It was still nice of them to name a park after me though. Zion's was a blast. It was a nice 78 degrees and we were able to hike a couple of the trails. Some of my sibblings might remember a little antique store near Zion that we stopped at once and picked up some cactus candy and fruit jelly. Well I thought I recognized the place so we made a quick stop to pick up some cactus candy only to be hoovered upon by the guy working there. Apperantly we were the first people in that store for a couple of weeks because the guy (who had a weird smell to him) clinged to us as if we were his long lost children coming home. We bought some over priced Habenero Jelly just so we could get out of there. They didn't even have the stuff I was looking for. We stayed in an Inn in Cedar City while we were there . It was nice, but the guy at the front desk was a little creepy. Have any of you seen the movie "Vacancy"?

Life is still going good and we are slowly plugging along at work and school. I'm really excited for the warm weather to come. I've had enough of the snow and cold for the year.

We lost our camera hook up to the computer so once we find it we'll post some pictures from the trip.

2 years and counting.

Yesterday we celebrated our 2 year anniversary. We made reservations at Rodigio's Brazillian grill, which is one of our favorites, and literally ate until it hurt; and then we ate some more. The food there is amazing. One of their dishes was rattle snake sausage and roasted bufallo. The rattle snake was okay, and bufallo meat is really lean and chewy. The rest was really good!

After that we needed to walk around to digest all that meat (they have a salad bar but why waste space with salad)? So we went to gateway and walked around a bit. The day was pretty relaxed, especially since Lisa didn't get out of bed until well past noon which meant I was able to come home from school and get back in bed too. My wife is the best!

This Thursday is her b-day so we get to do something all over again. I just don't think my stomach can handle another massive meat feast. Maybe I'll take her to a nice soup, sandwich, and salad place. I know I'll take her to Olive Garden, she'd love that!=) Seriously though she would be one unhappy camper if I tried to take her there.

And last but not least spring break is coming up this week and we both have off at the same time. We are planning a trip to Zion's national park/Bryce Canyon for a few days. I just need to get rid of one more shift and we'll be ready to go. This trip couldn't have come at a better time, I'm getting pretty run down between school and work. We both need this little break.

Until next time.

Can you hear me now?

So I finally had it with our crappy cell phones dropping our calls every 2 min. Nothing's as embarrising as walking through the grocery store telling a very animated story only to realize that you dropped the call 30 seconds ago! So we upgraded yesterday. We both got the new blackberry pearls (of course Lisa's is pink) and have been playing with them trying to figure out what all the functions do. I really like it though, I just don't know if having access to your email 24/7 is worth an extra $60 a month? We have 30 days to decide if we want to keep them so I'll keep you posted. School is still going well. I decided managerial accounting is not for me. I definatley prefer the financial side much better.

We talked to Mom and Dad the other day and I guess Dad is applying for a job in AZ. Last I heard he made it through the first part and had a second interview a couple of days ago. I have'nt heard back since but he doesn't seem too concerned if he gets it or not. Mom of course is nervous about it.=). If they move I call Dad's chair at the dinner table since I am the rightful aire to my fathers kingdom. (The rest of you are all strays.)=).

Lisa is still chugging away at work and school and I'm relieved to find out that she had a little bit of the bug this last week. That may sound mean but.....she thought it could have been that damn pesky stork trying to sneak in univited. He has a post dated invitation, it would be rude of him to come early.

Anyways all is still going well, and we have spring break coming up in a couple of weeks and it's actually at the same time for both of us. It will be a much needed break I can tell you that much.

Until next time.

Presidents Quotes (continued)

This is what we come to expect from our recent leaders.

"It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is." –Bill Clinton, during his 1998 grand jury testimony on the Monica Lewinsky affair

"It depends on how you define alone…" –Bill Clinton, in his grand jury testimony

"There were a lot of times when we were alone, but I never really thought we were." –Bill Clinton, in his grand jury testimony

"Politics gives guys so much power that they tend to behave badly around women. And I hope I never get into that." –Bill Clinton, to a woman friend while he was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford

"We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." —G.W. Bush, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 G.W Bush

"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
G.W Bush

This is how it use to sound!

"The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away."
-Ronald Regan

"The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
-Ronald Regan

"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government."
Thomas Jefferson

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
Thomas Jefferson

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." John F. Kennedy

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." John F. Kennedy

A list of quotes for President's Day.

Experience hath shown, that even under the best forms of government, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
-Thomas Jefferson
You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."
- President Bush, 2/21/01

In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
Abraham Lincoln
I tried marijuana once. I did not inhale.
- Bill Clinton


Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind.
Author: John F. Kennedy

I've been Tagged

I’ve been tagged!
About My Husband Bryce. . .

What's Your Husbands Full name:
Jonathan Bryce Buys

How Long Have you been together:
It will be two years on March 10th. I can’t believe how fast time flies. I feel like we’ve been married longer.

How long did you guys date?
We dated for approximately one year.

How old is he:
He is 25

Who eats more?
Bryce eats ALOT more. Let’s just say sometimes what he eats in one day is what I eat in 3-4days.

Who said I love you first?
Bryce did…it was on Easter Sunday.

Who's taller?
Bryce is about a head taller. I love it cuz I can where very tall shoes.

Who's Smarter?
I would say he is but that depends on what subject area we’re talking about. I think he’s a smart alic most of the time and just makes me laugh.

Who does the Laundry:
I DO. Since we’ve been married he’s managed to do it a handful of times and successfully shrunken many shirts.

Who does the dishes?
Uugg. I do the dishes. When we got married he said there’s one thing I don’t do its dishes.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?:
Bryce is on the right and I’m on the left…but most of the time I like to sleep diagonally across the middle and hog all of the blankets. Bryce doesn’t sleep very well when I do this.

Who pays the bills?:
We both pay the bills. Automatic withdrawal is a beautiful thing.

Who Mows the lawn:
Neither of us. We live an apartment.

Who cooks dinner:?
We both cook. I try to make dinner a few times a week but I’m not the best cook. I feel bad for Bryce. I admit he is a better cook than me!

Who drives more when you are together:
Bryce does. He’s the man and wants to drive so I let him.

Who is more stubborn:
Hhmmm….probably me but we both have our moments.

Who kissed who first?:
Bryce kissed me first….within the first fifteen minutes of meeting me. I have to agree with Bryce, it’s much easier to get it over with.

Who asked out who first:?
We never asked each other out; We were never “officially” girl/boyfriend…we were just always together.

Who proposed ?
Bryce did.

Who has more siblings?
We have the same amount. Both of us have 2 sisters and 3 brothers.

Who wears the pants in the family?
We both put one leg in each pant leg and do it together.

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope everyone had a good V-day. Both Lisa and I got off work so we could spend the day together. We didn't do anything too special. I made a couple of porterhouse steaks with sime GIANT king crab legs and some fresh broccelii. It was delecious! Lisa made a whopper ice cream pie with some sparkling strawberry cider. Then we went to the mall so Lisa could pick out some new clothes. I've decided long ago that flowers are a complete waste of money because they die and are then thrown away. Flowers, symbolically speaking, are a terrible gift for the one you love. Think about it, what does it really say? (Here are some beautiful flowers that represent my love, but eventually my love will go bad at which point it will be thrown away.) Okay the real reason is because flowers are a ripp off, but the symbolism thing is a good excuse without sounding cheap.

I'd rather spend $50-$100 on something that will last longer than a week. Anyways the day was a good one.

"The real question should be, is our children learning?"-President G.W. Bush.

I probably should be doing my homework right now but I need a little break so I figured I'd feel everyone in on the going-ons for Lisa and I. Lisa is much happier now that she switched her major from architecture to urban planning, mainly because she no longer needs to take all of the physics classes. She is scheduled to graduate Spring 09' and will probably be looking for an internship in the fall. She is still at the Olive Garden in Sugarhouse but hardly ever works a serving shift. She now mainly does bar and to-go which is much less stressful and better pay. She seems to enjoy it. So Lisa usually takes the tracks up to school right. Normally a quiet, peaceful journy, but a couple of days a go I guess some crazy guy started screaming at her and cursing because he thought she was cheating on an assignment. 1. she was usuing the calculater on her cell phone to do some math, 2. what the hell business is it of this guy anyways? I guess nobody on the train stepped in to help her out, but she got off the train alright. I think I'm going to buy her a taser or pepper spray to carry around with her. I guess you just can't count on good sumaritans like you use to.

My life is about as exciting as moss growing on a tree. I go to school every morning from 9-1, then I go to work from 4-11, then I do homework from 11-2 AM. Any questions? I was sort of bummed this morning because I had my final interview for a job at the Airport Security (TSA), which is part of the Homeland Security Beauru. I got the job only to have to turn it down because of scheduling conflicts. Basically I would have had to drop all of my classes this semester. I just wished they had told me the work schedule earlier, this has been by far the longest interviewing/testing process I've EVER done. It was over a month long process, broken up into several stages. It would have been nice because it was a salary position, full-time govt. benefits, and Lisa and I could have flown anywhere in the US for free. But I guess it just wasn't met to be, so I'm still at 1-800-Contacts, which I must admit is not bad at all for a phone job. I'm just waiting for that snow to melt baby! I really don't like working for other people!

I would also like to announce that I broke the 200 lbs. mark this winter. It wasn't an easy task, and I would be selfish to take all the credit for reaching one of my life long goals. First I'd like to thank Dr. Pepper for creating such an addictive product. Next my wife for offering to make me a bacon/egg breakfest burrito at 2;00 AM on a regular basis. And finally myself for having the self-disipline to eat as much of everything as possible for the last two years, without giving into the urge to work out. So thank you everyone involved in this momentus occasion for me.=).
Seriously though, I couldn't even fit into most of my pants. I had to take a weight training class so I'm being forced to turn the pudge into harder pudge, but I'm still at a respectible 195lbs.

Until next time.

The Buys of Salt Lake