I know most of my faithful readers have been losing sleep over this, but I'm sorry to stay that we're not going to the BYU game against Ole Miss on Labor Day weekend. Instead, we're going to see family in Detroit! We'll watch the game up there, cheering on with family. That will be fun.
In the interest of getting to know each other better, I'm going to write out some of my guilty pleasures. Things that I just love to do that make me happy.
Singing in the car at the top of my lungs (I know people in other cars can see me.)
Staying up late and talking with Torrie (I should be sleeping.)
Playing old video games (Either Civilization 3 for the computer or whatever sport is in season for Gamecube. Yes, that means I'm playing with player rosters from 2001.)
Taking naps (I know there's a million other things I should be doing.)
Eating frozen pizza (Especially the Totino's party size pizzas and a Dr. Pepper. Yum.)
Tickling Clara so that she will laugh (Usually I try to make faces or peek-a-boo or something to make her laugh. Tickling is the easy way to get a laugh, hence the guilty pleasure)
Italian Ties (I have too many of them and want more.)
Taking new roads to places (I know it's faster to go the other way, but then I can see a new place AND put a new line on my map!)
Attending Torrie's primary class instead of Elders' Quorum (I love the change of pace, and primary kids are usually a lot more funny than the guys in Elders Quorum.)
Reading Tom Clancy books (I want to read the classics. But there's just something about a Clancy book....)
Watching Jeopardy! (Makes me feel smart. Beware of Pride, boy!)
Eating candy (I know it's not the best food for me.)
Planning Vacations with no constraints that I will not go on (Having a baby sure makes that getting these plans to fruition more difficult.)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Should we stay or should we go?
BYU vs Ole Miss is in 33 days.
It's an 8 hour drive away. With a baby.
BYU's first game as an independent, against an SEC team that I'm optimistic we will defeat.
Expenses: We'd have to buy tickets. (Currently $44 total on stubhub for two people). Hotel would be paid for with hotel points. Gas down there. Food.
I haven't been to a BYU football game since BYU Utah in 2007 (Hall to Collie 4th down miracle, see below)
Just kidding, how could I forget going to BYU v. Washington in 2008? (Thank you, refs....)
It would be another weekend gone. (Remember, we travel a lot during the week). While we're home for the two weeks prior and the week after, we'll be gone each week for a month after that. Time home is really nice. (This really is the difficult point. I treasure my weekends home, especially ones that don't involve travel on either side. They are very nice.)
I'd probably have to take some valuable vacation time off on Friday in order to get there in time for the fireside. (I don't have a lot of this, and I'm trying to save up for holidays and future real vacations, not just a long weekend).
We don't really know anyone else that's going, besides one other couple from our ward (with whom we are pretty good friends, although they are old enough to be our parents).
So...........should we go?
Whether or not we go, I really really want to go to a BYU game next year, either against Georgia Tech or Notre Dame.
Here's a followup question. Are YOU going? And if no, why not?
It's an 8 hour drive away. With a baby.
BYU's first game as an independent, against an SEC team that I'm optimistic we will defeat.
Expenses: We'd have to buy tickets. (Currently $44 total on stubhub for two people). Hotel would be paid for with hotel points. Gas down there. Food.
I haven't been to a BYU football game since BYU Utah in 2007 (Hall to Collie 4th down miracle, see below)
Just kidding, how could I forget going to BYU v. Washington in 2008? (Thank you, refs....)
It would be another weekend gone. (Remember, we travel a lot during the week). While we're home for the two weeks prior and the week after, we'll be gone each week for a month after that. Time home is really nice. (This really is the difficult point. I treasure my weekends home, especially ones that don't involve travel on either side. They are very nice.)
I'd probably have to take some valuable vacation time off on Friday in order to get there in time for the fireside. (I don't have a lot of this, and I'm trying to save up for holidays and future real vacations, not just a long weekend).
We don't really know anyone else that's going, besides one other couple from our ward (with whom we are pretty good friends, although they are old enough to be our parents).
So...........should we go?
Whether or not we go, I really really want to go to a BYU game next year, either against Georgia Tech or Notre Dame.
Here's a followup question. Are YOU going? And if no, why not?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
To Post or Not to Post
I was talking to my brother-in-law the other day. We hadn't talked in awhile, and it was really fun catching up, hearing about his new job / baby / residence, telling him about our crazy lives. I asked how his new baby was doing, and what he looked like. Torrie then reminded me that there pictures on the internet, on Facebook.
I thanked her for the reminder, then continued: "I'm sorry I haven't seen the pictures, yet. I'll do it tomorrow. However, do you want to tell me what he looks like?"
He had no problem and described the little guy for me. We talked for a little longer and then ended our conversation, hoping to see each other soon. (Which would be real fun.)
However, the incident above brought up something in my mind which I think about fairly often.
The problem with facebook, blogs, etc. is that they take away some of the motivation to talk to people.
Don't get me wrong. I love keeping in contact. I love that I was able to spend five minutes this morning looking of pictures of a youth temple trip of a branch I served in while I lived in Italy. It was really cool to see some of the primary kids going to the temple.
I enjoy seeing updates of my cousins, uncles, old college friends, things like that. It makes me feel connected to them. I like that.
I like putting up a comment about Clara drinking out of a straw and getting tons of likes and comments. That's fun and makes me feel loved.
However, I do not like knowing everything in advance when I do talk to someone. Let me explain. I talked to someone today and I already knew every single thing they were going to update me about. Why? Because I had read their blog. I knew everything they were going to say. I knew the insights they had thought of. I even knew the little jokes they were going to make. I knew it all.
What an unsatisfying conversation! I didn't feel any extra connection to that person after the conversation. None of the warm glow of friendship that comes after seeing/talking to someone you hadn't in awhile.
Torrie has gone through the same thing - a conversation with someone she hadn't seen in awhile, yet nothing new came about, because it was all on facebook for everyone to see. Perhaps you have, as well.
Contrast that to a conversation I had yesterday with an old friend. Although we are pretty updated on each others lives, he asked deep questions. It wasn't just a pursory question of "How's your work going?" He asked specific questions, follow-up questions, and expressed real interest. I did the same to him as well. We talked about our families, goals, projects, etc. It was very satisfying and afterwards, I felt that I had been able to reconnect with a good friend. While this person is on facebook, and both of us post occasionally, the conversation was of much greater detail and intensely more satisfying.
So rest assured, I will not blog about everything. I will not facebook post about everything. There is more to me than meets the world wide web's eye. I would encourage you all to do the same, and if you're going to have a conversation with someone who you know looks at your facebook and/or your blog, come up with some new material as well.
I thanked her for the reminder, then continued: "I'm sorry I haven't seen the pictures, yet. I'll do it tomorrow. However, do you want to tell me what he looks like?"
He had no problem and described the little guy for me. We talked for a little longer and then ended our conversation, hoping to see each other soon. (Which would be real fun.)
However, the incident above brought up something in my mind which I think about fairly often.
The problem with facebook, blogs, etc. is that they take away some of the motivation to talk to people.
Don't get me wrong. I love keeping in contact. I love that I was able to spend five minutes this morning looking of pictures of a youth temple trip of a branch I served in while I lived in Italy. It was really cool to see some of the primary kids going to the temple.
I enjoy seeing updates of my cousins, uncles, old college friends, things like that. It makes me feel connected to them. I like that.
I like putting up a comment about Clara drinking out of a straw and getting tons of likes and comments. That's fun and makes me feel loved.
However, I do not like knowing everything in advance when I do talk to someone. Let me explain. I talked to someone today and I already knew every single thing they were going to update me about. Why? Because I had read their blog. I knew everything they were going to say. I knew the insights they had thought of. I even knew the little jokes they were going to make. I knew it all.
What an unsatisfying conversation! I didn't feel any extra connection to that person after the conversation. None of the warm glow of friendship that comes after seeing/talking to someone you hadn't in awhile.
Torrie has gone through the same thing - a conversation with someone she hadn't seen in awhile, yet nothing new came about, because it was all on facebook for everyone to see. Perhaps you have, as well.
Contrast that to a conversation I had yesterday with an old friend. Although we are pretty updated on each others lives, he asked deep questions. It wasn't just a pursory question of "How's your work going?" He asked specific questions, follow-up questions, and expressed real interest. I did the same to him as well. We talked about our families, goals, projects, etc. It was very satisfying and afterwards, I felt that I had been able to reconnect with a good friend. While this person is on facebook, and both of us post occasionally, the conversation was of much greater detail and intensely more satisfying.
So rest assured, I will not blog about everything. I will not facebook post about everything. There is more to me than meets the world wide web's eye. I would encourage you all to do the same, and if you're going to have a conversation with someone who you know looks at your facebook and/or your blog, come up with some new material as well.
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