Friends

Caution: Reading this blog may give you that warm and fuzzy feeling. If you are in a bad mood and don't want to feel better, I recommend you refrain from reading this blog and go pick on little children instead.

When I first got back to Utah, I had some fun catching up with old mission buddies, and it keeps paying off. Here are a few to name:

Richie Uminski: This is the guy that got me into EFY basically. He was my district and zone leader in the mission in Carmichael. He speaks sign language and can be a bit eccentric at times, but he is always fun to be around. People like me aspire to have 12 kids in their family, people like Richie aspire to have a down-syndrome child in their family for the special spirit they bring. I think Richie is the most likely to get translated of my acquaintances (outside the family).

Justin Krogue: Who can have a roommate for 6 plus months and find no fault with them? I have yet to with Justin, it's never been easier to live with anyone else. I spent a long time catching up with my friend from freshman year at BYU and fellow Texan when I got back to BYU. He is the role model of progression, making good money, getting super good grades, and now he's engaged! He seems so complete... just like the Whipples...

Nathan Creer: My adopted "son" from the mission recently returned from Sacramento where he rocked the numbers with his fearless and somewhat unorthodox methods. I saw him for the first time as Nathan instead of Elder Creer the other day at the mall, and maybe I'll hang out with him some more. His face is always red, so he nicknamed himself "baboonaz"... don't dwell on that one too long.

George Bush: Yes, my trainer is here in Provo as well. I found him at Albertsons, and we joked with each other in a manner Jon and I often do. In fact, this guy is one of the only ones I've ever known to have an imagination to rival Jon's... and artistic ability. It's the most fun to play basketball with him though, because, well... he's more of an artist than an athlete. For more on him, just look up gbush13 on Youtube.

Matt Yancey: My new roomy! We could reminisce all day about the good times in the Tongan ward. On the mission, Matt told me about all these books he read, then at the end of the transfer, he admitted he made all the stories up. I was really impressed actually... As my other roommates sorted through the mail, "Bill, bill, bill, bill..." Matt goes, "I wish Bill wouldn't get all the mail." Haha!! Good times...

Shaun Hall: I actually haven't seen this guy for a while. He was going to Utah State last time I knew, but maybe he went back to Minnesota for the summer. He needs to call me back! I probably served around Shaun more than anyone else in the mission, from the MTC, to him being my roomy to my zone leader to my assistant, until we went home at the same time and
have stayed in contact ever since. If only Logan wasn't so crazy far away!

Nathan Kuhn: Ok, this guy is not from my mission, but he just hooked me up with a job to have in between EFY sessions, so I had to include him. I actually met him long ago in Pete's Friendswood ward, and then again freshman year at BYU, and up to the present day. Good times, from Axis and Allies to College Pants Works or whatever it is... Here's to Texas!

The rest of my friends are imaginary, so I won't write about them. Oh wait, there's one more:

Fang: He leaves presents in my room every time I come home, never talks bad about me behind my back, and never trumps my ace of spades. Have I beaten this one into the ground? "Yes Todd, it was cute back then, now it's straight up creepy" Shut up you, it's a sensitive subject!!

Now this is getting really weird, I better stop...