"Sorry, I checked out."

I was sitting in my Management Communications class on the first day of this semester awaiting the good news about what the class would hold. While we were discussing the different course criteria, Bro. Clarke asked a question to a specific man in the class (my apologies to the man in my class because I do not know your name). The man responded by saying, "Sorry, I checked out. What was the question?" Bro. Clarke, being the kind and loving person that he is, replied with a witty, "Where did you go?" The man didn't really catch what Bro. Clarke said, but I had a good chuckle about it. However, the question grabbed my attention and I am sad to say that I didn't hear much of anything else that Bro. Clarke had to say. I have to admit, if Bro. Clarke would have asked me a question, I would have had a similar response as my fellow class mate (Even more funny than that would be the fact that my response to Bro. Clarke's question of my mental whereabouts would have been something along the lines of, "I was thinking about where I go when I check out.").

In consequence of Bro. Clarke's question, I have thought long and hard about where I go when I "check out." So here you have it:

First, I would have to say that the great majority of my "check out"'s find me on the golf course. I think about my swing, my gear, my technique, my putting, etc. Basically I am playing a round of nine in my head. It isn't as enjoyable as really playing, but since I am stuck in class, it is the next best thing.

Second, I find myself focusing on a specific sentence or thought from the lecture. I can't help myself when it comes to funny or intriguing ideas and thoughts. It is like that thinking game where you start thinking about one object and then continue to think for a specified amount of time. At the end, whoever is playing the game reports on where they "ended up" and their mental road map that led to their destination.

Third, I often visit places that I have never before visited: Fiji, Hawaii, Ogden, etc. Those thoughts usually end with a bid sigh and a rock-bottom re-entrance into reality. However, they are fun to visit on occasion.

Finally, I often find myself planning out my day. I will "check out" for a personal planning session to make sure I am on track to accomplish everything that is asked of me that day and the coming week. I am not particularly fond of these mental journeys, but I guess everyone has to deal with the boring stuff. Maybe next time I will think about my daily plans while I picture being on Mars. That would shake things up a bit!

So, as is tradition, I cannot have all of the fun. I want to know where you go when you check out? somewhere fun? somewhere exotic? somewhere boring? or maybe somewhere only you can go! I want to hear about it!

150 Words

I was thinking about this requirement of writing 150 words a week and an ingenious idea came to me! I am now going to write 150 words:

Bill Foible Gazebo Tuberculosis Bulbous Fork Hammock Toyota Wagon Strategy Humble Sleep Dog Honda Isopropyl Pesticide Obnoxious Happy Sad Golf Gatorade Jet Pillow Television Leaf Tree Bamboo Earnest Lime Sick Curly Mow Asymmetric Wheel Safari Ocean What Comma Asterisk Freckle Pizza Sneaker Break Mess Stand Bendy Golf Goalie Afro Rugby Desert Tee Driver Dessert Pluto Scatter Life Bunny Boxer Sharp Ticket Sequence Zebra Oasis Shattered Disgusting Checkered Mad Corner Market Homoskedasticity Economics Notepad Heteroskedasticity Rook Cement Outpatient Word Soccer Camp Buzz Wholesome Puppy Nickel Instant Sand Messaging Blast Fingers Pony Camping Canoe Pallbearer Spick Strangle Abominable Tiger Search Pun Jar Bone Velvet Painting Pickle Pixie Homogenous Confederate Fishy Smells Travel Nose Southern Chewbacka Knapsack Chops Hair Underarm Fake Dumps Teaser Mouth Teeth Coffin Look Broadway Neptune Loophole Feel Motorboat Warfare Modernism Profit Margin There Stick Influenza Fowl Pikachu Cheek Tongue Manager Marbles Waffles Tattoo Heretic Birch Heresy Leather Pants Saskatchewan

So, there you have it. 150 words that just came to me while I was writing this post. I hope you enjoy some of them. I have to say that I have some favorites in this life. I think that "Homoskedasticity" takes the first place prize, but I have to give an honorable mention to "comma," "Isopropyl," "Neptune," and "Waffles." Just think how fun it is to say those words! The part that is really intriguing to me is that chances are that each person who reads this post probably has a favorite word or two that they are dying to share. I guarantee if you read this post, you thought of some words that I should have included, but I didn't. (Oh, and by the way, it wasn't a typo to have "golf" in there twice. I think the reasons for this are obvious.)

Five Fabulous Favorites From Fridays!

I came home from work today and I was SO happy. I couldn't really explain the reason why, but I was filled with excitement. As I biked away from the MTC the missionaries were all looking at me in amazement as I had such a HUGE smile on my face (I am sure some of them interpreted my expression as "FREEDOM! YES!!!" and I am sure they too wanted to have that same expression). As I thought more about it, I figured there was something intrinsically good about Fridays. Kind of like ice cream. It just makes you feel so happy, even just to think about it! Hence, the title of my post. Here are five things that I absolutely LOVE about Fridays:

1. NO CLASSES! I am an Economics major, which means that I do not have classes on Fridays. I don't know when this policy was established, but it is widely held in the Econ. department that class should not and will not be held on Fridays (except for the occasional 110 class, which really shouldn't be considered Econ unless you are solving Legrangian equations). I know that as soon as Friday rolls around, my weekend has already begun! (This morning as I was biking to work, I saw a fellow ward member walking to school and I thought to myself "You should have been an Econ major, dude.")

2. WIFE TIME! My wife is an "Art and Visual Communications" major at UVU. That program, like the Econ department at BYU, has decided that they should not hold classes on Fridays either. As such, I know that when Fridays roll around, I actually get to spend some time with my wife! (Monday through Thursday I think I spend maybe a total of two hours with my wife. Each of the four days we have about a half an hour of "exchanges" where we can talk for a second and kiss goodbye as one of us heads off to school, work, to watch Micah, etc.) On Fridays I can have thumb wars with my wife or just sit and stare at her...and I won't be late for anything! YES!

3. MORNING SHIFT! I work as a supervisor in the Referral Center. The days there are broken up into a morning, early afternoon, late afternoon, and evening shift. Monday through Thursday, due to school and watching Micah, I work the 6:15-9:45 pm shift. This shift has caused me to miss two birthday dinners and a "Farewell as you head off to college" dinner for three of my sisters. Also, I have classes early in the morning so when I finish the night shift I usually have to come home, brush my teeth, change my clothes, and head straight to bed (I really don't like doing that at all). However, on Fridays I work 8:30-12:00 which means I am home for lunch and I still have the rest of the day to do whatever I feel like doing.

4. SATURDAY! I remember this song we used to sing in Primary entitled "Saturday" which talked about how Saturday was a special day because it was the day we get ready for Sunday. In my mind, we should write another song that talks about how Friday is a special day because its the day we get ready for SATURDAY! In the primary song, there is one line that talks about how we should work on Saturdays so we don't have to work until Monday. It is the same for me, just replace "Saturday" with "Friday." You know, "Friday is a special day, it's the day we get ready for Saturday. We go to our jobs and we do our homework, so we don't have to work until Monday!" I could make a BIG list about why Saturdays are great, but that isn't the title of this post. (Maybe I will do that in the future!) And the great thing about Saturdays is that I have all of Friday, which is basically like Saturday for me, to prepare for Saturday to come! Basically, for me, it is like having two saturdays in a row!

5. GOLF! Fridays are usually the day when Todd, my father-in-law, calls me and says something along the lines of, "There is something 'fun' going on today at 1:15 if you want to come." Translation: FUN TIMES ARE TO BE HAD AT THE GOLF COURSE TODAY!!!! I can't help but sing this song to Golf: "You are always on my mind! You are always on my mind."

So there you have it! Five fabulous favorites from Fridays! (I think I deserve extra points for that amazing alliteration, Bro. Clarke!) Now it is your turn. I want to know five things that you absolutely love about Fridays! You don't have to write as much as I did, unless you feel so inclined or unless you have to write as an assignment for your M Comm 320 class. I am really interested and excited to hear why Fridays are special to you, so now is your chance! Comment away!

(Bro. Clarke, I know that I used incorrect grammar on this post, but I was so dumb-founded that this is the best phrase I could utter!)

WOW! Who would have thought that little old BYU could beat the giant of Oklahoma? Don't get me wrong, I am true-blue fan through and through, but I cannot deny a couple things that are notoriously "BYU." First, BYU is known for being really poor in their secondary at the first of the season. Second, BYU's offensive line and defensive line, for that matter, has always struggled at the beginning of the season. Third, BYU seems to be notorious for "struggling" (for lack of a better word) when it comes to the big ticket games. Need I mention Utah, TCU and Arizona? Fourth, BYU was ranked 20th and OU ranked 3rd....the list could go on! Needless to say, I think I was just as pleasantly surprised as each person in Provo and maybe even just as surprised as the state of Oklahoma! I have to admit, it was pretty sad to see the faces of the OU fans as their last-ditch field goal attempt landed several yards short of the posts. All that remained were three swift drops of the knee for Max Hall, and the game was over! I felt even worse for the former Heisman Trophy winner, Bradford. Kudos to Clawson for the hit in the second period that landed Bradford on the sidelines, but sad day for the Oklahoma fans. I guess, on the upside, it is reported as only being a sprain, so Bradford should be back in before the season is over. (wow! I just read over my post and realized I sound a whole lot like ESPN! I am sure that any ladies reading this have since clicked away from the page or nodded off in boredom! haha) In any event, I just had to say that BYU never ceases to amaze me! Is it any wonder that I am a BYU, true-blue, diehard fan? GO COUGS!!!!