Update from the Winter Wonderland

From the slowness of my internet, it's more difficult to be motivated to actually blog, so this one will have to suffice for the last week and a half. I would include pictures too, but what a hassel!

It all began with an ugly sweater party... I took a trip to the local DI in hopes to find something really unruly that would earn me ample attention, but alas I settled for an actual decent sweater that was not too ugly, but certainly itched. Being elected the first one to choose a white elephant gift, imagine my delight when I unwrapped my very own empty pack of gum and scratched ASL learners CD. Nobody stole my gift... As the party died out, I returned to my apartment to find my good roomy Austin on his way to Seven Peaks to ice skate. I took the opportunity to aquire a new skill, and failed miserably, though it was fun to fall once. Not bad for my first time on the ice. On the morrow we broke the fast with lasagna at one of my roommate's parent's house. It was so good I pondered a fourth helping... for DESSERT! I slept very well that night, having temporarily escaped the pains of perpetual hunger. The next week went by, homework and tests came and went in a blur, and the weekend rolled around... Party Time! Well, for most people. I spent Friday with Jake and Lindsey mainly, and that's a reward in itself. I get to witness firsthand the unnatural growth of Andrew Alfalfa-Grass Russell. Lately I am terribly funny to him, and nothing makes me happier in life! Not even Divine Comedy, which I enjoyed with a fun date. Is there an end to all the mormon cultural spoofs? Nope... and they still make me laugh. So as I wrote 'Z's in the snow, the mark of my alter-ego, and got pelted in the ears with snow balls, I realized how wonderful it all is. There's a magic in the air with all this snow business... perhaps it's related to Christmas? But I feel life frolicking and singing like a disoriented TMA major. College life is like a snow-board downhill for me. A lot of wrecks, but some smooth rides in between.
Here's to the wet pant legs and runny nose of December!

Christmas with a little metal

So I didn't do my calculus homework yesterday because I was busy ROCKING MY PANTS OFF with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra! Pants is a funny word. So three hours of the closest experience I've ever had to a rock concert, and I wanna go again! The lights, the Christmas, the screaming guitars... the only damper was the big man with B.O. next to me! My date had fun too, but probably only an Ok amount compared to me.
So the guy gets up to the mike and starts singing a nice soft version of the the Holly and the Ivy, and all of a sudden he's screaming the carols like Steve Tyler on speed! I didn't know the concert would be so... hard, but it was still worth the trip and the zero in Calculus. I'm so ready for Christmas! pants

A Very Special Week in Texas

So there is this something stuck in one of my saliva glands in the bottom of my mouth. It really hurts to salivate. Fortunately, it finally came out today!! How satisfying... it did plague me for several weeks, along with a missing cap which exposes a nerve on one of my teeth (I was eating Mike and Ikes... what was I THINKING?!). The happiness of meal-time was a bit dampened, even on Thanksgiving.

But this is all beside the point. This past week was wonderful, a much needed break. Many of those who are reading this were right there along with me, so they know all the things that transpired, and I can sum it up pretty simply: good times with the family. My faith and family are my anchors to happiness. I should never get down, especially not this last bit of fall semester with Christmas just on the horizon. So bring it on Finals!! Fang will still be there whether I fail or not!

My return to school was greeted with three tests, a paper, and a super date tomorrow. Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and yes, I have a female who has already agreed to go with me. I feel like it's the most wonderful time of the year!! Excuse me while I go dancing with myself...

My Date This Weekend

So the last post was written on Wednesday or so. Just for the record, pretty much the same thing happened on Friday. I almost put a hole in the wall with my head. Have you ever asked out someone who already has a significant other? I have before. It was fun then. Now it's just awkward, and disheartening... but it matters not, I am not down. How could I ever question the goodness in my life? So, I decided to take a trip to the temple on my own, and I knew then that I always have companionship. Actually, I was only reminded.
So that was my weekend, as well as Axis and Allies with a good friend, Nathan Kuhn (we dominated, yay for Japan!), and raquetball with another friend. Ya, I destroyed her, left handed AND in socks!!! Of course, with the word "her" I'm sure your thinking it's not a feat to be proud of. It's not really, but it was still tons of fun.
So who needs a date to enjoy the weekend? Well, I imagine it would make it quite a bit more enjoyable, but life can be enjoyed come what may.

Banging my head on the wall!!!

This Saturday is a perfect dating opportunity. Conditions are perfect: work is off, there's nothing good on TV, I know where I would take her and what we would do. There's only one missing element: THE FEMALE! I always have trouble with this one...

So I pray for opportunities. It's the Lord's will, right? And I go to work today and strike up a conversation with the girl from Folsom (completely unknown on the mission), and I feel like I should ask her about her weekend... instead I ask her about Thanksgiving plans and shortly afterward get back to working on my own, like a good prep-cook (this is at the Skyroom). As I signed out of work yet dateless, I felt incredibly disappointed in myself...

And that wasn't even the worst one.

Psychology comes around at noon, and there is a cute girl from my group who had beforehand said she would not be attending the class the rest of the week. "Hey you're here!" "Ya, I don't know why I'm here, I just felt like coming." And we talked... about Thanksgiving break. And the bell eventually rang, I knew my opportunity was here, and I let her walk away. She's in a jazz choir too!!

Do you ever get that feeling of missing golden opportunities, and knowing you may never have them again? Almost like the Lord prompted me to ask them out, and I missed it. It was hardcore depressing, up until I went to Scoreboard grill and indulged in saturated fats. But now it's back because I'm writing about it. I feel like giving myself a swirly, or sleeping from now until Thanksgiving break, whick I LOVE to talk about so much!

Lately

So it's been a while since I've put a serious blog here. The last one I suppose was kind of down. But lately, wonderful things have been happening in my regular life!
I got to attend the temple for the first time since I've been up here. I also went to stake conference today, as well as a fireside on dating. I made a commitment to try and get more girls in EYE LOCKS!! (Let's play a game called "How many girls can you creep out in one day?") School is going well, work is going well, the social clime is bout the same but it's no big (because my relationship with my Savior is what is most important, and that's still strong), and on top of it all, the Rockets are rocking my world! Hoowah!
Oh yeah, Jonno was here last week. We had fun. But he never beat me up like he promised to... Am I the only man of my word around here?

Embaressing Moments: One of Many

So I'm pretty talented. I can tie my shoe WHILE I am walking... or rather hopping on one foot. It saves time. So on my way back from the RB, I thought I could tie my shoe while walking UP THE STEPS!

It was pretty embaressing.

FREEDOM!!

After finishing the two tests (Psychology rather poorly), I felt like leaving the testing center and shouting in total Braveheart style "FREEEEDOM!!!" How ironic that in a few weeks, I will be stressing over the same subjects again... But for now, I will enjoy obligation-less life. That's a good feeling, you know... but only for so long. I still remember this summer...
I knew how to do ALL of the calc test save taking the derivatives of arctangent and arccotangent, so I feel good about it. Of course, I've felt good about things before, and then I've been severely disappointed later. What else was awkward is I was concentrating so hard on the test in the testing center, I failed to notice my knees were on the girl's butt sitting in front of me for, it must have been like ten minutes. Oops!

Math Lab Marathon

So I'm getting ready to enter the arena of Calc testing for the second time, but this time that nasty algebra won't catch me so off guard! I've got a goal to put in TEN hours of study, so if I fail again, I'll seriously consider being a hobo for Halloween... in preperation for life.
It all began yesterday at the math lab... putting in even four hours there is quite the effort. Between dosing off and struggling with the abstract formulas, I knew I would have to take frequent breaks. And to my delight I found a wonderful nutritious dinner waiting for participaters in a certain seminar. Having no intention to attend said seminar, I helped myself to cake and cheese cubes. Finally, at 5:30, the chapter review was done, and I headed off to work to clear my head.
Six more hours... at least.

The Weekend Continues

I knew I wasn't going to spend much time at home today... which was probably a good thing.
The day went as planned, work came and went with a frosty breeze to boot, and then it was game time! BYU was dominating by the time I had got my fill in of observing the officials on the field (did you know there are SEVEN?) and had to take off to go to Salt Lake with my buddy from the mission, Matt Yancey. We planned on hitting the seven o'clock LIVE endowment session, but an unexpected snow storm greatly hindered our progress. So we arrived 15 minutes later than the expected time, which was enough to miss our session... bummer. However, we knew the night wasn't wasted when we got a referral! This lady was asking us how she could get into the temple. "Easy," I said, "You just have to get baptized." The dynamic duo of Elders Martin and Yancey strikes again! We totally went back to the days of the mission! And we were getting snowed on the whole time. We ended up watching the Joseph Smith movie. I hadn't seen it in over a year, and I had this perpetual lump in my throat pretty much the whole movie. Maybe that's where your body stores all your manly tears you never shed... So afterwards, we talked to some sister missionaries and visited the tabernacle. Then we found out that sessions went til 8:00 on Saturdays too. Well, we live we learn. I'm still looking forward to a live session.
More interesting trivia: Did you know there is the big dipper on one side of the temple? It's symbolic of a few things, the main one I'd suppose having to deal with the North Star.

Weekend of Promise

It's a little sad that this posting is beginning to take the place of my real journal... now all I can write in my notebook is the REAL personal stuff...
This time last weekend, I was home alone and doing homework. Today, and tomorrow, will be quite a bit different. I went on a date for the first time since homecoming about four or five weeks ago. It was simple and fun, with a girl from my home stake. And it was her birthday... hopefully I made it happy! So I feel good that I took advantage of my first weekend off of work in a while. It payed off, though I hope dad will understand when I need him to reinburse me because funds are short due to dating splurges...
Tomorrow is a full day! The morning begins with football, where I will be the one throwing flags, then after I do some errands, I will watch a REAL referee throw flags at the BYU game, and then I'll hopefully get to attend a live session in Salt Lake. It's been a while since I've been to the temple. I need it.
So the blessings of the Lord are pouring in! I am probably ten times less frustrated than last week, and all I had to do was hold out, knowing that the Lord answers prayers... in His time.
The only bummer about today was that I missed Avatar again...

Officially Employed

For the first time in my life, I am recieving paychecks for my own labor... what an exciting thing! Especially since I'm exempt from taxes! But was I in over my head when I signed up?
First of all, the skyroom... not really worth mentioning actually. My REAL job involves putting on neutral gray, arming myself with a Fox40 whistle and a yellow flag, and taking on the fragile egos of hundreds of BYU students and Utah residents battling for nothing more than a meaningless win-loss record among fellow students. What a silly thing to do right? If you know me, my cheeful attitude and whimsical ways don't seem to measure up to official BYU intramural official, but I actually quite enjoy it! When people ask me what I do for work, I can proudly say "I run up and down a field and get yelled at." The pay is not bad, it keeps me in shape, and most of all, it is a challenge. I am taken back to the days of the mission where I experience the sort of indirect anger directed towards what I represent than more to me, but it's still tough for a sensitive soul like me so unaccustomed to having to take a stand for my decisions, even if I know they are wrong. Therefore, I grow, and growth is what life is all about, right? Progression... I'd like to say my work helps me draw closer to Heavenly Father... surely it helps me to serve Him better. I struggle, and it's during these times of struggle that I'm closest to Him (like when I was a 150 pound linebacker on my varsity highschool football team).
The only complaint I would have is the restraint of time it puts on me. I can't participate in all the wonderful extra things that happen throughout the week from 6-10 (like a capella club or latin dance club or muppet club), and my Friday nights are almost always shot. Thus my social life is pot... but who knows if it would be any different? My grades are a bit iffy at the moment too. But it'll all work out.
So this Thanksgiving, I'll be watching everyone extra close for that silly flag guard call... and illegal contact, though I might tackle Pete again just for kicks and giggles...

The Bright Light

Did I mention I reffed for four hours in the freezing rain Friday night? It feels so much like Christmas already... for me.
So I spent most of the 177th semi-annual general conference at Jake and Lindsey's place. It was awesome. This time of year always seems to weigh so heavily on the souls of men (at least on my soul, even in the mission) that conference brings a wonderful reminder of the promise I am so fond of in 3 Nephi 22:10 (or Isaiah 54, I think): "The mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, nor shall the covenant of my peace be removed, sayeth the Lord who hath mercy on thee." Roughly memorized... I have a lot of prayers up in the air right now it seems, and now I know that they will be answered, only not in my time, but in the Lord's. Everything will turn out all right. I know this. It's happened to me time and time again.
I got to attend the Priesthood session in Salt Lake with my roomies, and I also had the opportunity to attend the Sunday afternoon session, though I turned it down. There were eight tickets, and I felt like I should give four of my roommates the opportunity to take dates. And some of them failed... but oh well, I'd rather be here with my family than with them. The social life will come in time... in the Lord's time. Does that sound odd?
Well, I'm ready for a new week now, with new grades and opportunities, as well as new trials and disappointments. Such is the calling of an ordinary guy amongst an extraordinary people and with extraordinary responsibilities.

The Battle Rages On

Do you ever get that feeling of completeness where everything falls into place so perfectly and all is seemingly well? Do you know how it feels to have that feeling replaced with disappointment and struggle? I'm sure you do.
Such was the week. All was going so well, as I continued to dominate subjects in school like Trigonometry, Psychology, Religion, and Calculus. Work was great as usual, and social life was progressing... What more could I ask for? Well, there's obvious things, but for the moment, all was well in Zion.

Then I got my test back for ARTHC today...

Well, it happens. You live, you learn. My confidence now shattered (temporarily, it'll be back soon), I am left to wonder... is it really fair? Considering the time and steps I put into preperation, am I just destined to struggle constantly in school? Perhaps it's a shadow of the struggles I am bound to face in work... relationships... life... It's so hard. Yet my roomy is out with people every night and still scores at least a 3.6 GPA. What is it about me?

Taking it all in, I don't mean to sound discouraged... I'm just feeling reflective. I do that sometimes. But I rejoice in the struggles of life, though they may temporarily knock the wind out of me. What can one do but work harder, be stronger, and do it right?
Bring it on Professor Johnson. Life only gets better!

Facing the Giant

Last week marked the beginning of one period of midterms. I took them on with no fear, doing reasonably well, but this week there was one left to do. The dreaded Calcu... I cannot say sufficing to know my ears cannot hear it! (That's a rip off of the knights of ni in case you didn't catch that). Well, today was the day, and it took me three hours plus a bucket of stress with the few problems I still couldn't decipher despite long hours in the math lab and two one-on-one sessions with my teacher. And faithful attendence in class.
Thus it is, I'm not sure how I did just yet, but that weight is off my shoulders. Now I am free to salsa dance to Michael Buble all day in my apartment! Which I'm doing right now, though it's hard to type at the same time.

The Beginning

Without the family website and considering my inability to express myself over the phone, I'll post my updates here on this pseudo-journal of not-so-personal happenings. Lately, there has been enough going on to make this somewhat interesting, but I hope life continues to throw the curve-balls at me that will keep me from settling into some... comfortable... routine. Life's all about being uncomfortable after all, right? That's how we grow.



So it is, that I, a simple and quite regular guy (possibly a redundant statement), go through life, just trying to be extraordinary. One thing I have learned is we all have our extraordinary moments. To truly know someone is to know about these times in thier life. Few people really know me, I guess. So let's review what has been happening on my adventure here in the culturific shockwave of... PROVO!



My stay has been great, to say the least. If I had a twin back in Texas, I would pity him very much for not being here. I mean, I miss my family and all, but it feels good to progress again, and to have somewhat of a social life. This is where I should be. I live in an apartment with five other pretty regular guys. The brotherhood here is chill, we all get along fine and are connected in some way before our arrival here (except Austin, but we'll keep him). Much of the time is spent stressing over what to do to promote local popularity among the female population, and we do relatively well. Two of them just got back. Make that three. Now the nightly updates between roommates begin... I haven't been home since 8 this morning, and it's now after 10. This is my usual Tuesday/Thursday schedule.

Now it's Saturday. The week has gone by super fast, as it usually does. Such is life when you keep yourself busy enough. I feel really good about everything... work was good, I spent extra hours studying my calculus for the upcoming test on Monday, and I did really well on another test for Civ... I think... The only thing I'm missing now is a female... ya, thus I am at home at 8:00 on Saturday writing a blog. I asked a girl on a date, but she never returned my call. I guess that's normal for a regular guy like me. I am looking forward to tomorrow, because general conference will be only ONE WEEK AWAY!! And at the rates the weeks are going, it'll pretty much be tomorrow anyways! Conference is like Christmas for me now.
So, facing another brutal week of examinations and yellow flags, and rejections, I have this bright star to look forward to at the end. Life is sweet.