Day 15 of Penny

I've been on a fruit roll-up kick lately. They are Berry Berry Cool. None of the other things that I've eaten today would photograph well, and I don't plan on eating anything awesome later. I do love Greek Gods Yogurt, and I'm thinking that I'll have some of that and some blackberries later.

There is a two part reason that I am a colossal fat ass these days. 1. I have had a roller coaster year with my health, and I was on steroids for months. 2. When I'm stressed out I eat like a pig trying to make weight for fair. Work and health issues stressed me out like crazy and frankly I was a little depressed too.

Lately, I've not been hungry much and I don't eat a whole lot when I am hungry. I think I've got a handle on my health, and I've eliminated the stress of my Benedict's job. I did not realize how much that was mentally weighing on me until I left. I feel like a different person, and I really like me. I'm starting a Fat Packing regiment as soon as the weather breaks. Hiking is a great way to loose weight. I plan to combine it with healthier food choices and I think that by my birthday in September I should be back to my ideal weight.

Day 14 of Penny

The most fascinating person I have ever met? Well, I don't know who that is honestly, but I do get a kick out of the Dos Equis commercials. They remind me of my friend JD.

If I'm honest, I try to remember small details and little things about everyone I meet. You never know when these things will become important, and it gives interest and depth to your relationships. I'm the kind of person who remembers how my friends and acquaintances order food and drinks. I pay attention to the types of shoes they wear, and I soak up any details people tell me about their lives. Where was their favorite place to play growing up, what is their favorite song? Do they love or hate sea mammals? Do they like fry sauce, and if they do, do they like it with pickle bits in it?

I don't have a whole lot of preferences when it comes right down to it, but I do like to see other people happy. I like to try and give objective observations when people ask me, and advice if they want it. I'm not necessarily a chameleon, but I'm the most neutral color you've ever seen (really look at a picture of me, I'm mostly beige). I have friends from all walks of life, and I take pride in actually knowing real things about them. I may be terrible with names, but I can remember whether or not you are an AC/DC fan.

I suppose this is how I learned to fit in and cope with moving a lot. I'm fascinated by the world and people around me, and I want to be a part of it. Usually a minor background role, but part of it none the less. Ask me a minute detail of your life, if we've ever actually hung out, I can probably answer it.

Day 13 of Penny

Day 13 = 5 Men I Find Attractive

Rockers of course! I believe that if you care going to have a crush on someone you have no intention of ever actually meeting they should not only be hot, but also have some kind of super power. The following guys are hot because they are amazing at what they do, and some of them actually are hot too. There are many, many more rockers that I find attractive, but these are the ones that made the short list. Click on the charts to see the hotness breakdown.

Tom Morello, Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, Lead Guitar

Tom Morello just plays the guitar in the same way that Picaso just paints. Sure he's a little nerdy looking, and he is way into liberal activist movements. This can be overlooked because when he picks up a guitar, magic happens. I don't think its all drugs either, the man is brilliant and that makes him super hot.

Chris Cornell, Soundgarden, Audioslave, Lead Vocals

As you can see from the Chart Data on Chris Cornell, he has a very balanced hotness that makes him a total package rocker. If you've ever seen him perform it is like he is baring his soul on stage in an almost religious way. Very, very hot.

Tre Cool, Green Day, Drummer

Tre Cool is the guy you hook-up with and pretend not to know the next day. He is an amazing drummer, and for that alone he is hot. I'm afraid he is way too popular with tweens and young teenage girls, and that is why I would not own up to being with him. Also, he seems to suffer from a severe case of ADD and he has a lot of money. So, he'd be the kind of guy that bought a baby giraffe and then tried to bring it home in his Bentley Flying Spur. Physically attractive, mental repellent, totally doable, so not a long term relationship, probably followed by an ugly period of text messaging and freaky voice mails.

James Hetfield, Metallica, Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

James Hetfield is a bad romance waiting to happen. He is a Rock God, he is a car guy, and he has this gravely dirty quality about him that you can't quite put your finger on, but it is incredibly hot. James is not necessarily a good looking man, in fact he's a little white trash. I still dig it, and if you ever listen to Metallica late at night with the lights off, you will want him too.

Jimmy Page Circa 1972, Yard Birds, Led Zeppelin, Lead Guitar

I have seen his named spelled both ways on the internet, and could not find my Led Zeppelin Album cover to see which was correct. You might not care, but I did. Anyhow, British Rocker, master of his craft, Satan Worshiper. He's a freak, with a brit accent. It's hot no matter how you slice it, but you would need a time machine to hook-up with him. He's a washed up nasty old man now, and while he is still talented, I wouldn't get with him currently.

Day 12 of Penny

I felt that my highs and lows would be best presented in graph form. As you can see last February and March sucked, I was in and out of the hospital with my Chrone's Disease. I got on new medicine and things improved greatly over the summer months. October came and brought with it Hunting Season which is a total pain in the ass, and brought on extra stress and frustration at work. Things improved with the holidays, but I was sick an awful lot which kept the numbers from reaching normal ranges. That ladies and gents, are the highs and lows of my last year.

Day 11 of Penny

I hope that you read "Day 11 of Penny" and realize that the dramatic pronunciation and jazz hands are implied.

Anyway, I do have someplace I like to visit and would live in a heartbeat. Couer D'Alene, Idaho. I'd love to have lake front property there, and a serious fishing boat. We visit there pretty regularly, as it is a favorite of my Padre's also. I like the laid back feel of Idaho, and Couer D'Alene is kind of off beat and fun. Not to mention beautiful. Raym would probably live there too, even though he thinks its actually "Quarter Lane."

I'm pretty happy where I'm at, although I think we will eventually end up in Cache Valley. I love it there too, especially Clarkston and Weston. I've always wanted what I refer to as "A Homestead" somewhere that you actually plan on staying. A few acres to farm and a really neat farm house. I love the Frank Lloyd Wright Craftsman style, and if I could afford to replicate it, that would be what I would have. All hardwood floors, and antique or replica fixtures. I'd love for it to feel like a Norman Rockwell painting when you walked in.

So few homes actually have style anymore. There is a neighborhood in North Logan that does, but I have a feeling I wouldn't want the people who live there as neighbors. They probably wouldn't appreciate our collection of crappy pick-ups anyway.

Day 10 of Penny

This is the first thing that came to mind when the list says "Bullet Your Day." The list of "People To Kill" from Billy Madison. I can hear ELO's "Telephone Line" playing in the background as I write this.

• sometime before I'm ready for it to be morning Raym comes in as says "Bye, I'm off to work"
• (much later) I get out of bed
• let in the cats
• make my bed
• brush my teeth
• vacuum
• day dream about Aston Martins and BMWs
• sweep and mop the kitchen
• day dream about hot rockers
• clean the bathrooms
• day dream about hot rockers who clean bathrooms
• do a couple loads of laundry
• practice the guitar
• day dream about being a hot rocker
• put together lesson plans for music theory
• do the dishes
• day dream about Audis
• eat some lunch
• run errands to the post office, bank, and grocery store
• day dream about a new house
• make cookies and listen to bluegrass
• Raym comes home
• make pancakes and bacon for dinner
• work on more music theory lesson plans
• day dream about hot rockers
• order method books for students
• play with the cats
• kick the cats out because they were fighting (there was actual fur flying)
• take a bath
• day dream about how perfect life would be if I had a disgusting amount of money at my disposal
• personal study time
• read my book time
• sleep
• repeat

As you can see, there is a lot of day dreaming. The quality of work around here suffers for that.

Frustration!

Okay, this is going to be controversial and probably to some offensive today. My topic today has been weighing heavily on me for a couple of years now, and I'm going to address it in a proactive manner. I don't like to beat around the bush, but I will try to remain as unoffensive as possible. The views expressed here are completely my own, I'm not borrowing from anyone else.

What is my frustration? I don't even know what to call it, but it begins and ends with a select group of people living on the Wasatch Front with what appears to be a strong out posts in South Eastern Idaho and South West Wyoming. They are not just Mormons, or BYU fans, but usually they are. It's the women that sat at home with their Cricket making anti-Proposition 8 materials to ship to California. It's BYU fans that pat themselves on the back for kicking star players off their basketball team (they are the only ones who care btw). It's cheerleaders that call the news to let them know that they chose to quit their squad because there were two events scheduled for Sundays this year. It's people who make a big deal about going to the edited versions of R rated movies. Mostly, it's the people who need to be in the spot light for doing things that are not necessarily part of the LDS Religion at all, but oh my, they are making a stand.

It's generally the worst part of any group that gets the spot light, mostly because they are interesting I guess. Nobody cares that there are millions of members of the LDS Church who are not attention craving basket cases. Plenty of us who are doing our best to live our religion in the best way that we as individuals can. There are those among us who struggle with addiction, and mental illness, and all kinds of heavy things; and we are able to work on it without turning it into a circus. The actual Gospel part of our church is a beautiful message, and a wonderful way to choose to live. The pop culture that has popped up around it is a big ugly mess. No wonder outsiders to the our church think we are a raving mad cult.

I personally am not out to convert all my friends through my shining star example--I'm not a shiny example of happiness and piety. I won't be handing out church materials with my cookie trays during Christmas, and I won't be giving disapproving looks to people who make different life choices than I did. What you can expect from me is this: I love the actual message of my church and that is why I participate. I think its just fine that you don't. I keep an eye on people I care about; and if I think you need help, I will serve you in the best way that I can with no strings attached. What I ask of you is this, when you see Crazy Mormons on the street, or on TV, please don't include me in that group. Realize that like any other group, it's the crazies that get the most attention. There are plenty of us out there that aren't letting our BYU freak flag fly (because we don't have one), in fact we are the majority.