08/19/09 Haywire...

So, I would've posted yesterday, but the computer went crazy on me and I couldn't log into my google account. Anyway, the whole password manager thing can make things difficult sometimes, especially when you made a grammatical error with the password itself. You see, using a blend of English and Japanese jibberish, you can make a pretty tough password that you can still remember, but when you use the wrong Japanese translation, it can take a while to figure out. As you can see though, it worked eventually. I'll have to change that password now. If nothing else, that word'll kill me if I forget about it again.

Anyway, that's not what I was going to talk about. There's a lot to go through before I leave. Starting with Sunday: The lesson went just about as well as I could expect it to. Sister Shrimp's class is always talkative, but when you throw in two visitors and the younger class, it's uh... interesting. Not sure what I would've done without Riley there. He's good and getting people to quiet down. -nods- Anyway, so yeah, the lesson itself was okay. I didn't do all I was planning, but I got the basic idea down. Plus, I got some feedback from the Temple President story. I like it when people remember the story you're telling, so they already know a little about where you're hoping to go with it. It was a good story, too. So, we were doing Baptisms for the Dead a few weeks ago, and the Temple President told us something really interesting. With missionary work, you see a lot of cases where a family will be taught, but only one person will join the church. The Temple President explained that in the spirit world, entire families are praying constantly, hoping that just /one/ person will be converted, so their genealogy could be done and their ordinances performed. Pretty powerful stuff. So anyway, I used that to set home the importance of eagerly pursuing the work of by-proxy ordinances for those that have passed on, which was the topic of the lesson.

Yay!

SO.. Monday... School started, I mowed the lawn, cut back a tree, prepared a super amazing Family Home Evening lesson- complete with roadmap, and was excited about grilling pizzas!

The plan was simple. We'd make little pizzas, personalize them, and stick them on the grill plain and simple. Well, there's a lot to account for. Messiness of the toppings, sheer size of the pizza itself, and how lucky you feel while performing the operation. Over all, Anna's pizza turned out the best. You see, I told Joe to hold a rolled-out pizza, and he did, but then he said that he hadn't washed his hands since doing something with a dumpster. Anyway, I wasn't all that put off by it, so it got selected as Anna's pizza. I'd share, of course. -nods-

We learned though. Small, thin pizzas with not much on them. That's what works. I think. Maybe we should talk to Ruth and Tom. They actually know how to do it...

Anyway, good stuff.

On Tuesday, I went berserk on our front yard. I got rid of all the weeds that have grown back since I got sick, and attacked the trees again, sawing through a couple branches with a hacksaw (slow process). Then, after Mom and Joe got home, I pulled up two of the trees that were trying to grow next to the house, as well as a stump that once belonged to a holly bush. It was just in the way...

But anyway, that was awesome! I was going to blog about it, but that's when the computer made my life miserable. After a wonderful night's rest, though, the problem was a little easier to fix. Good stuff. So now I get to attack trees again. Or do schoolwork... Or write a letter to Andrew... Or do scoutwork. I should kind of do all of them...

Oi... I gotta go. Bye!

08/15/09 Over the mountains and through the woods...

More like hills. Lots of hills. Not many trees either, come to think of it...

Anyway, there's much to talk about. This week and last were meant to be busy. Very busy. And you know what, they still kind of were. Odd little thing, that.

Anyway, as you know (I think), last weekend we went camping down in San Luise Obispo (I hope that's spelled right...) to visit David and Teresa. The trip was awesome, the car ride long, the memories... -dramatic- /unforgettable/... Okay, anyway...

So we got up there and met David and Teresa at the camp, at which point most of us were thinking that it wasn't much of a campsite. I say most only because- the scout that I am- I had seen plenty worse. And in all fairness, it was a pretty good campsite. Water and bathrooms nearby, dry kindling to help light a fire, and a good bit of shade. The only real downside was that it was a little cramped. People next door, small-ish campsite, you get the picture. Of course, you all know what I believe real camping is, but that's not important.

So, we set up camp, start up a lovely fire, and visit. After we had some coals, we threw in the foil dinners and roasted hotdogs. The hotdogs were mostly just because they were there and we felt like snacking. Uh huh. You didn't think hot dogs were appetizers, did you? Well, they're very good ones. (especially when made into pigs in a blanket, but that's another story...) The foil dinners were delicious, as expected, and we didn't have any burnt, thanks to the /real camping/ foil dinner cooking secret. You see, the second time I made foil dinners (ah, the memories...), I had read on a website to try wrapping a slightly damp paper towel around the foil dinner, then add another layer of foil. Ever since that fateful day, I've never had a burnt foil dinner. -nods- That's real camping. Foil dinners, hamburgers, and hot dogs. For dinner, at least. And whatever you do, no tri-tip. That's not camping! How could you do such a thing??? I'm telling you... I'll never forget that one. It's just not natural...

Anyway, that was amazing. After dinner, we had smores and wuffums (D&T, how do you spell that?). -happy dance- Also real camping.

Let's see, after that, we read scriptures, had family prayer, played some Killer-Uno, and went to sleep. Good stuff.

The next morning, we boiled water the old fashioned way and had oatmeal and hot chocolate. There's something about fire-boiled water... It's cool. Anyway, oatmeal and fire water? Real camping. I was really happy with the arrangement. I mean, we were near people, and we were within walking distance of the nearest bathroom, so I can't call it real real camping, but it was close, and very fun.

After we ate, we lounged for a bit and decided to tour campgrounds. Both the one we were staying in and one that David and Teresa liked. The latter of which, I must add, was indeed very nice. Very nice playground. Thought of Andrew. Took pictures.

We had lunch there, lazed around a bit, then went to David and Teresa's. Another dog was visiting, and there was a small matter of getting the two used to each other, but other than that, we really didn't do much but visit until dinner. D&T made some wonderful hamburgers! And a vegetarian alternative. And corn on the cob. And watermelon. Lot's of food...

After dinner, we decided we didn't want to sleep on rocks again (-sighs-), so the guys went to break camp. -hits fast forward button-

Okay, not much happened. We went back, visited some more, went to sleep, got up, got ready for church, went to church, got spiritually enlightened, went back to get everything packed, and hit the road!

Just some last comments before I move on to the next topic:
The impromptu choir performance was awesome. Lot's of people got up to sing, too. I was a little surprised. -nods-
Also, I really liked the priesthood lesson. I'm thinking I might use some of it for my Sunday School lesson.

Next day...

Monday was interesting. I mostly did paperwork for scouts, finishing of Cit. in the World, so I'm pretty much set. By the end of it, though, I was beginning to get a little bit of a headache. I wemt to bed...

... and then it all went down hill... At 1 AM, I got out of bed and promptly ran to the bathroom to throw up.

This, unfortunately, was not in my plans. My plans were to do yardwork. Both here and for the Penas. That... uh... didn't happen. To make a long and annoying story short, I was feeling horrible with a crazy migraine for several days. I couldn't keep food or pill down, light was a nightmare, and I kept getting dehydrated. Wednesday and Thursday, Mom stayed home and helped, but I was still mostly out of it. By Thursday, though, things were looking up. And by Friday, I was back to my regular- if not mentally sound- self. I kept track though. I threw up seventeen times. Fourteen of which took place within twenty-four hours. Ouch.

But, I'm better now, and it's Saturday, so something more must have happened. On Friday, Joe filed some stuff in his room, and Mom and I ran some errands. We got some wood mulch, got a schoolbook for a college class, and did some business with our fall classes. I have a card now. XD I can go cruising on lightrail.

That's pretty much it. Today was more interesting. Today, we rented a truck, went over to Debi's and picked up a couch. A really big couch. With recliners. It was in a room that was too small for it, so she gave it to us to put in the family room. Things are still in motion, but the dust should settle soon enough. In any case, it gives me a project to work on. ^^ After we did all that, we went to the Squeeze Inn. Fun stuff! Good workout, too. -nods-


Well, I'm afraid that's about it. I've been busy, eh. Kind of feel bad for Andrew though. I need to send him pictures. And I'm a couple days late with the letter now. He'll forgive me though.

Oh yes! While I was sick, I was able to watch a movie that David and Teresa loaned to us when we left. Stardust! Not exactly what I was expecting, but pretty funny. Different though. Definitely different. Awesome action music. After a little searching, I found one of the better tracks, and it is good...

Anyway, I've got to go work on the Sunday School lesson I'm giving tomorrow. See ya!

... Di-na-mi-tey! XD

08/05/09 Fish

So, it's late, but I want to post this so I can use it in a letter to Andrew. Mainly, though, I need to get that letter sent by tomorrow, or it might not get sent. Or Friday... But we're leaving then, so I'm not sure about that.

Anyway, today was pretty neat. It started out with early morning weeding, followed by going with Debi and the Hinds to see The Tale of Despereaux. Miriam was going to come with us, but there were some slight complications. Ruth gets a call before the movie and leaves. I'm not sure what all details we had, but after the movie (I might talk about it later), we went to Ruth and Tom's. Apparently, Miriam's finger got caught in the door of her car. Pretty bad, too. Cuts and bruising on both sides. Some swelling... The people at 24 hour fitness were nice though. Ruth took her to the hospital later and things seemed a little better. While that was happening, Tom and I helped Debi install some ceiling fans. Simple, right? But when they're on slanted ceilings and one of the rooms is two stories, it gets complicated. Still, it all worked out, and they look /amazing/. Anyway, after that was finished, it was time for mutual. They brought me home, I ate some leftovers, and mom dropped me off for a fishing merit badge lesson night. Pretty cool, actually. I learned some knots, found out more about fishing, and got that much closer to getting everything settled. -nods- Good stuff.

So, I'm back home now. It's night. Night is good. I'll probably hit the sack soon, so I'll just leave a few quick comments. First, the Tale of Despereaux was not what I expected. I expected some simple, but entertaining kid movie, but it turned out to have a much more elaborate plot. Or, at least, it's characters were. Pretty nice story. Not sure why they chose soup though... I imagine it has to do with Ratatouille. They were both made around the same time, I think. And things like to copy each other. -shrugs- Anyhow, it was an interesting movie.

Fishing line= good for fishing, bad for knot tying. Luckily, I'm okay with knots, so it wasn't anything too difficult.

Oh, yeah, Debi let me drive to Ruth and Tom's. That was cool. Her car has good brakes. -Not needed though. I knew you were thinking that. They just respond well.

Yep. I'm starting to lose it. Sleep is calling, and I've got the mind to follow it. Tomorrow will be crazy. Camping prep., scouts, cooking, housework, and at the end of it all, Esther and Debi's B-day dinner.

Yay! Now... I'm going to sleep. I keep hitting , instead of m. That's one of my signs that I'm drifting. See ya tomorrow. Maybe. I might not post... Still, bye...

08/04/09 My big mouth.

I just had to go and say it. "Calm after the storm," I said. "Things are quieting down," I said. Why'd I do that? Well... It isn't calm anymore. Today was supposed to be devoted to scouts. Hammer out Cit. in the Nation and get ready for World. But instead I spent part of the day juggling schedules, /while/ trying to do scoutwork. As it turns out, I do more than I thought. Monday was the reseting period so I could leap right back into action. Today was scouts, tomorrow will helping Debi with some ceiling fans and seeing a movie with the Hinds, Miriam, and Debi. This morning I thought it would be getting ready for going camping and visiting David and Teresa, then Sister Pena called and asked if I wanted to help do some yard work, then I found out that Debi emailed me yesterday about the ceiling fans. So, I rescheduled the yard work for next Tuesday, leaving Wednesday open again. After that, on Thursday, I've got to cook a Hawaiian pizza for the Fancy Nancy birthday party for Esther and Debi, as well as get some waffles and foil dinners ready for the camping trip. (The waffles are just because I like waffles...) Then on Friday, we head out for David and Teresa's. Oi... Busy week. Oh yeah, and Sister Shrimp is coming sometime to give me lesson materials so I can give a lesson in sunday school in two weeks. Oh, and I'm meeting with Brother McCord next Wednesday about scouts, so I want to get the Cits and Camping all set before then... Phew...

As for today though...

Today was actually pretty nice. It's sad to say, but I actually enjoy stress. It... motivates me? fascinates me? I dunno. Still, I got everything planned, weeded in the garden, mowed the lawn, picked some camping stuff out of the big camping boxes, filled out almost all of the Cit. in the Nation worksheet, got the requirements done for Cit. in the World done that I couldn't do on the way camping (Six hour car rides are working for me. XD), and even got in another experimental game of risk. Close quarters? I'll just say that the players will be smart enough not to go and attack each other right off the bat.

Oh, and I took my book back to the library. (Note: THE LIBRARY HAS SELF-CHECKOUT!!! IT'S SO AMAZING I FORGOT TO TE- -ahem- Enough with the caps... Anyway, I forgot to tell you. Repeatedly. Sorry 'bout that. It's cool though.)

Games By Email? Sounds neat! I'll have to look into that. ... Sometime? I suppose I could make room... But not yet. I need to wrap up Nation. And I think Mom and Joe want to get tacos or something for dinner... Plus, I need to write to Andrew- And I /really/ need to get those pictures...

Man, I'm pumped. I really shouldn't be, but this'll be pretty crazy. Crazy, stressful, testing of all mental fortitude I've got. (well... maybe not, but still.) This'll be fun... -grins-

So, yeah, I'm happy. Didn't get to work on the dining room project, but that was optional. I think I'll be able to get the essentials done, which is all that really matters.

Oh yeah, I gave the lesson in Family Home Evening last night. We're trying to get beyond just reading the Ensign and talking, so we're seeing how that goes. Ask Mom or Joe if you want to know how it went. All things I do seem like both triumphs and failures to me. At the same time, too. Funny how that works, but it keeps my spirits up.

I believe I'll have to leave it at this. My battlefield awaits! (By the way, I am not referring to Risk, although I would very much like to...) Ja mata!

07/03/09 RISK

So, ever since the game table in the family room was cleared off, I've been thinking about how it's a pretty good place for playing RISK. It's out of the way, we wouldn't need to use it regularly, so the game can be left out even when it's not being played, and the game fits fairly well on it. RISK is good. Takes forever though, which is why I'm thinking this area could come in handy.

I was excited about it, so yesterday, or today if you count this as the day I started writing this, I worked on an experiment to make set up time shorter. Basically, you draw a random territory, put a leader there with ten battalions, and do the same with all the other players, making sure that none of them are adjacent to each other. With the other 60 territories (for lord of the rings risk, that is), you put two neutral battalions that just defend. The test went fairly well, although the players started off pretty far apart from each other. I need to try a game where they're closer together, to get an idea if it would still work. Also, I found some nice places to put battalions. (The plastic bags are getting old, and I really don't like the idea of having all of the different pieces in the same pile.) A little set of drawers that go to a... tool thing? I don't know, I've been using it for ages, but never to hold tools or things like that. Anyway, the drawers are divided into three parts, which is just perfect for separating each teams' battalions. Much more convenient than the plastic bags.

Anyway, though. That's a work in progress.

I need to go to the library today, or tomorrow counting from when I started writing this. Maybe I should talk about that. Well, I was going to post yesterday, but while I was writing, mom came home from work. I said hi, she said that there was a letter from Andrew in the mail, so I spent a little while looking at that. Anyway, she needed to use the computer, and after that I was mostly working on dinner, so I didn't get back on the computer until now. That being said...

I'm running low on things to say. I've been working a lot in the garden. Yay! The weeds are still coming up, but the roots are easier to pull out now, so we might see some improvement later. And I really like our soil. It's starting to look nice. I should mow the lawn today, too.

Other that that, I really don't know if there's much else to say. Life is good. Andrew sent pictures, which we have to figure out how to put up with this crazy computer. They're really cool though. He took a couple pictures of the racetrack, and there's a picture from Kevin's baptism, and a bunch of other stuff. -nods-

I have to get around to writing. To Andrew, for scouts, all that rot. We'll see about that today, but it might be a little disappointing.

Well, I'm off. I might post later today, but there are things to do first. Without further adieu, I'll be on my way.