Hopped Up on the Q

My Jake Heaps $0.02

2011-12-05T19:55:00.001-06:00

I think Heaps transferring hurts BYU more than it hurts Heaps. Riley seems to be the better short-term option and for lots of reason, a better QB right now. But I'm of the thought that if BYU is serious about competing/winning a national title, our best shot is 2013. We face Boise, Notre Dame, Utah, Texas, Georgia Tech, Houston, and some 6-6 type teams. Without Heaps we face that schedule with an unproven QB with loads of upperclassman talent at the skill positions (Hoffman, Apo, Alisa, Quezada, pick your Sr. TE) and what should be a strong Offensive Line with Houston Reynolds and strong 2010/2011 recruiting class (Ryker Mathews). While Riley has shown the ability to win now against teams with losing records, I think Heaps just walked away with our hopes of any chance at a National Title. Granted that would have meant BYU winning all their games which they've been unable to do since 1984...
The timing of losing out on a 3 year starter for the 2013 season is terrible. But that's just my $0.02

There and Back Again

2010-10-21T05:38:00.000-05:00

I met Steve at Bonneville Elementary in 1988. I don't recall much of our interactions from that period of time, however, I do remember my best friend was very tall and had a birthmark. I moved away in March of 1989 and as 5 year-olds do, became consumed in my new surroundings. Steve remained at Bonneville until 3rd grade and later moved to Sandy, Utah and then again relocated to Pleasant Grove, Utah. Steve's family had a rich tradition at Orem High and instead of attending school in Pleasant Grove he was enrolled at Canyon View Junior High - a feeder school to Orem High. Steve played defense for our freshman football team. He wore striped Nike socks that were blue and white and made his height stand out like he was a character from a Dr. Seuss book.

Stephanie and I met at Lakeridge Junior High. She was part of the same group as the girl I liked so we came to be friends through mutual friends. Later, in Utah History we discovered we both had an affinity for Pearl Jam, although her infatuation with Eddie Vedder was based on different criteria than mine. One of the most embarrassing stories about Steph was the first day I saw her without make-up. "Are you sick Steph?" To which she wryly responded with "No, I just didn't put any make-up on today. Jerk."

When it came time to move on to high school, Stephanie lived across town and should have attended the rival high school of the one I attended. Her friendships, and perhaps their excellent educators may have been among the reasons that brought her to Orem High. I remember going to Hogi Yogi in the Riverwoods the day Stephanie said she was going to Cosmetology School; I believe I told her she should go to college. Ironic, I still haven't graduated… she's been done with school for years. After high school, we'd sometimes go to Crest and get a beverage from their drive-thru.

Our high school has a tradition of holding a student body sponsored dance once a month. This provided ample opportunity for dating many people and getting involved with different circles. During one girls-choice dance, Steve, Stephanie, and myself were all included in the same group. The advent of energy boosts had just begun and part of our activities took us to a smoothie store. I promptly ordered a triple energy boost for my drink and the corresponding heart palpitations which were sure to accompany that mistake. Dinner that evening was at Brick Oven and Steve and Stephanie had the misfortune of sitting by an overly-caffeinated teenager. As annoying teenage moments go, I'm sure the restaurant staff was more than excited to see me leave. But that is the night I made a new, old, friend. I don't think Steve and Stephanie were on that date together that night, but it wasn't long after they started dating. Years later, the nostalgia bug hit and we dug out the memory books. After a few pages after the infamous 1980s "I Love Trucks" onesie pictures, Mrs. Cook's Kindergarten class picture came up. Steve stopped the page and said, 'wait a minute, you were in Mrs. Cook's Kindergarten class?' Without knowing, I had found my best friend 12 years later.

My adult life is dotted with memories of Steve and Steph. The day I left for AIT in Virginia in 2001, my two best friends came to wish me farewell. Shooting basketballs with Steve at Bonneville thirteen years after we first met there. Running away on a bike with flat tires when Steve had to pick me up. Our dinner conversation at Ruby River in Provo, I believe one Halloween night. Mi Ranchito with Joe and the infamous 'Chicken Bone.' Mi Ranchito in general. Numerous holidays, especially New Year's at the Russell's. Steve's apartment and his Carne Asada eating roommate Adam. Playing Word Racer and twisting the plot of A Walk to Remember at Steph's apartment. Countless night's each of us drinking 12 packs of Mountain Dew. Eating Beto's and staying up way later than we should have the night before his wedding. The day my best friends got married. Getting my haircut monthly from Steph while she was in school. Calling Steve and Steph the day I saw Saw and waking them up at midnight. Eating dinner in Huntsville at Macaroni Grill. The crazy connection Steve's path had with my wife. Holding Rex for the first time.

I met Rex in July of 2007. He was a long baby. I thought he looked like Steve a lot. I remember Izzy coming to visit Steph and Rex in the hospital. It seemed they were drawn to each other from day one. Rex brought a side of Steve out that I hadn't been privy to, but an example of love and fatherhood I will try to exemplify. Steve doesn't do anything less than 110%; in his role as a father, he has further elevated that standard. As Rex grew, Steve would tell me stories of how fun it was to raise him. Rex's outfits seemed to be some of the enjoyment as well. Rex has worn many hats. Most notably, the dog hat, a White Sox hat, a pirate hat, a Woody hat, and recently, an Atlanta Braves hat. Each hold memories for me, and likely for the Stuart's as well.

I have not experienced the joys of being a parent. Honestly, I'm terrified of being a parent, but the other night, I was allowed a glimpse of what the love a mother and father feel must be like. Steve and Steph had me over to visit Rex after an evening event. Steph took Rex into bed and laid him down for the night. Steve was attending to some chores so I took a few minutes to scan the website. A minute went by and I heard Steph calling my name. I hurried into the room and asked if I could get her anything. She said "Rex asked you to lay by him." I was taken back for a second, and then slipped my shoes off and said I would love to lay next to him. I repositioned his stuffed animal and stared into his eyes and was reminded of when I was a child. I would ask my mom to tell me what to dream about. She often would respond by suggesting I dream of 'floating down a river of chocolate on a boat made of marshmallows' and other candy. I told Rex to dream of the candy world I used to visit in my dreams. I rubbed his cheek and forehead as he became drowsy. We chatted for a minute longer and I feared I was keeping him awake more than I was helping him fall asleep. I kissed him goodnight and told him I loved him and left with Steve to shop for groceries. It was a touching moment for me, one I'll not soon forget.

Rex, Steve, Stephanie, Annalin - I love you

www.toeternityandbeyond.com

Rant on Soccer

2010-07-01T10:34:00.002-05:00

Am I the only one not applauding the US Soccer team? Lucky to tie England, had to rally from 2 down against Slovenia, scored in 91' v. Algeria, another goal given up in the first 5' to Ghana. I don't really think what they did was 'a little bit beyond soccer'. The Algeria goal is memorable, but placed in context, it's not that amazing. As a severely casual soccer fan, I'm left asking "What if..." for another 4 years. The draw to the semi-finals shaped up to be the best scenario the US could have asked for, but we lost to a lesser ranked team. What if the US didn't have to play from behind in 3 of their 4 matches? Without researching, I estimated the US played 390 minutes of soccer. Again estimating, I think we led for 30 seconds? In my opinion, these 'accomplishments' are why soccer will be the least popular major sport in the US.

He said he hopes the U.S. run in the World Cup will be forever remembered. "What I can tell from these kids, what we did was a little bit beyond soccer," he said.

-Landon Donovan (full article)

Engagement Photos

2010-06-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

Denise and I had our engagements taken near Soldier Hollow in Miday by Kate Benson. www.katebensonphotography.net

Wristbands for Rex! Coming in May

2010-04-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

Click for Order Form

To raise funds for the Stuart family, we will be selling wristbands in 2 colors and 3 sizes. The wristbands will have a debossed cancer awareness ribbon and words:

Rex Stuart

toeternityandbeyond.com

Colors will be green as well as white in sizes:

Large (8 3/8″ )

Medium (7 3/8″)

Child (5 7/8″)

(for reference the LIVESTRONG® bands are 8″ for adult and 7″ for children)

Pricing will be:

1 for $3

2 for $5

5 for $10

We will fulfill orders in Utah and Huntsville, AL. At this time we are only accepting cash and are not able to ship wristbands due to the prohibitive costs.

And Just Because This Has to Be Shared...

2010-04-16T03:58:00.000-05:00

An oldie but a goodie...

Random YouTube Search Yields:

2010-04-16T03:10:00.009-05:00

So I'm up late doing the usual YouTube crawl for Epic Beard Man Fights, etc. when I decided to do a more personal search...

New Blog: To Eternity & Beyond

2010-04-13T16:57:00.004-05:00

On Monday March 29, 2010, 32 month old Rex Stuart (my best friend's son) was diagnosed with inoperable brain stem cancer (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma or DIPG). He is currently undergoing radiation treatment 5 times a week for 6 weeks (today was treatment #11), where he is sedated for each treatment.
This blog is dedicated to him and his family.
A link to a bank account has been set up for the Stuart's in the event you would like to help the Stuart's with a donation via PayPal. Anything helps!. There is also a link to his Facebook group near the top of the blog.

toeternityandbeyond.com

Engaged

2010-02-03T18:41:00.002-06:00

Barring catastrophe, I will officially be engaged next weekend. Thinking of going to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel to propose as I don't know a lot of places in Northern Alabama/Tennessee to propose at.

The ring will look like this:

And will be accompanied by two other bands with sidestones and should look like this:

I am still working out the details but now it looks like the reception will be at noon on 03 July at SleepyRidge Golf Course in Orem, ceremony on South Beach, and a cruise to the Bahamas. I should have more details later and will post a few pictures from the happenings

Places to Try In...

2010-01-28T18:55:00.003-06:00

Feel free to comment and recommend interesting places to eat/see/visit. I'm trying to make a list so when I get bored I can try a new recommendation. I have tried to hyperlink relevant web pages where I could.

Contributor Legend:

Tiffany Tripp	TT
Nichole Davidson	ND
Klark Cannon	Q

Utah:

Restaurants:

Porcupine Pub & Grille (Pasta/Pizza/Other) Thanks to Calven for taking me here after a snowboarding trip. Located just outside the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

3698 Fort Union Blvd, SLC, UT - (801) 942-5555

Restaurant Morelia (Mexican) I'm looking at places on Google that have high ratings. Anyone heard of this place?

6098 South State Street Murray City, Utah 84107 Tel: [801] 265-8790 (After going, this place is ok, but don't go out of your way to go here).

My favorite alternative to big chain pizza in Utah is Wasatch Pizza Co. They make an excellent BBQ Chicken pizza topped with Cilantro.

Cinegrill

344 S 300 E

Salt Lake City

This place is a tradition on my mom’s side of the family, we love the people, scene and the Italian food isn’t too Americanized. It might be too sentimental to even rate it as the best food I’ve had due to prejudice. But try the MOPS pizza, it’s my favorite.

The Smokehouse:

214 East University Parkway

Orem, UT 84058

19 North University Avenue

Provo, UT 84601

Good pulled pork and good pizza, one of my favorite places in Provo/Orem, but that might not be saying much.

Pho Anh Dao

825 S State St, SLC

"The pho will blow your face off."

Thai Siam

1435 S State St, SLC

Great Thai food and fun atmosphere, but not cozy. I think it’s dish #28 on the menu that I couldn’t stay away from.

Foundry Grill

Sundance Resort, Provo

Awesome food, a little pricy, but so worth it!

Nevada:

Morels Doing 'work' for Symantec really paid off! Recommended by the executive caterer at the Venetian/Palazzo, we spent close to 2 hours eating and enjoying our wait staff. I wouldn't say its the best food I've ever had, (it was very, very good) but definitely ranks up with the best service.

Alabama:

Golden Rule BBQ I love BBQ Turkey and this place has quickly become my favorite BBQ place in Huntsville. Steve made the mistake of ordering a piece of Coconut Cream Pie, and now I'll have to do the same every time I go here.

Po'Boy Factory I was hesitant to try this N'awlins type food establishment because I hadn't ever tried gumbo, jambalaya, fried okra, etc. until I moved to Huntsville, AL in September 2009. The first time I went here, I ordered a Cajun Hamburger. I figured it would just be a beef patty with some cajun rub. I was wrong. I still don't know exactly what it is, but I believe it is a Cajun type Sausage pressed into hamburger patties. The result: a spicy hamburger with a very different flavor. Absolutely delicious. I had the Po'Boy variant of this today 1/28/2010, Louisiana French Bread, spicy sausage split in half, lettuce, and mayo with fries. Very good as well.

Another good BBQ place is Lawlers. Great Turkey and Pulled Pork. I just wish they had better sauce. Not a fan of vinegar based sauces.

Things to do/see:

Utah:

Kamas:

Great snowmobiling in Kamas (heading to Park City off HWY 40), good hills and forest trails. Check it out before you go with all the gear to see where the trails are, if I can remember correctly there might have been construction last time I went up.

Cascade Springs:

Up the Alpine Loop there is a right turn off, they’ll be a sign that says Cascade Springs. I remember going there when I was younger and loving it, not sure if it’s turned into a Utah Valley cliché.

Draper:

If you head up the side of the mountain (newer development) at night you can find some great places to overlook all Salt Lake Valley. There's also a place you can see both Utah and Salt Lake Valley, one on each side of the car. Where we where it was peaceful and homes hadn't been built yet, hopefully it's still that way. (Now has a temple!)

Sundance/Provo

Mountain Biking....take the lift up and do the downhill, it's awesome...don't forget your helmet!

Ireland:

The Cliffs of Moher Breathtaking views of the ocean, go at dusk. I imagine the sunset would look awesome from this vantage point.

Washington D.C.:

Arlington National Cemetary I doubt I'll ever be in a more 'reverent' place in my life. I truly think being laid to rest here would be one of the highest honors a military serviceman/woman can attain.

Continually updated...

It's Official: I'm In Love with Google

2009-11-20T23:32:00.000-06:00

It is likely I blog about Google 7/10 times I sit down to write a blog entry. Today is no different.

I check or use these services from Google daily:
iGoogle (Similar to MyYahoo)
Blogger (v. Wordpress)
Analytics (Scaled down version of what Adobe paid 1.8 BN dollars for Omniture)
Maps (discovered the 'MyMaps' feature yesterday; better than MSFT & Yahoo! counterparts)
Gmail (and chat client; hotmail sucks, Yahoo slightly better than MSFT)
Sites (Transferring our MyFamily.com information to a better free service)
Picasa (Public and private webhosting, likely not as powerful as Flicker, I don't store many pictures online)
YouTube ('nuff said)
Finance (Yahoo Finance is still better than Google, but Google has some compelling technology in their tools)
Reader (RSS Feed)
Connect (now I don't have to log in to my facebook with my old UVU account from 1999). Connect must be building an LDAP service in the cloud.)
Google Search: Hands down better than Bing, Yahoo!
Chrome (Much faster than IE 8, more streamlined than Firefox 3.0, however sites native to IE should have a plug-in, please fix this Google...)
Google Earth (How cool is this? Have you noticed that in some cities Google has the outline/description of where physical buildings are? i.e. Costco in American Fork, UT?)
Gotta love Google Suggest

I'm slowly adopting:
Google Docs (Very cool collaboration; I can create docs are send a link to people v. clogging up emails with the back and forth edits: target Nextpage/Open Office)
Google Calendar (Easy to share calendar's makes public/private. Could use some more features still)
Google Translate (Babel fish rival; don't know if that still exists?)
1-800-GOOG-411 (free information and connect v. a per connection fee)
Google Shopping (Have to give credit to Steve for telling me about Amazon.com's 'Wishlist' program; I said "Google has to be doing this as well/already")
Alerts (For when corporate communication just isn't fast enough...; type in a term and have emails sent to you with the activity of the day. I'm thinking this would be better than paying $5.00 a week for gossip magazines)
Desktop Tool Search (I'm not convinced their client is superior to Microsoft's but perhaps they've remedied this since I stopped using it)

I would like invitations to use/am curious how these will revolutionize different industries:
Google Voice (VOIP, already has AT&T filing lawsuits/claiming the regulations aren't fair)
Google Wave (this technology could put companies like WebEx out of business with a few more features)
Google Health (basically you can create your own EMR; heaven knows where I put all my immunization records from all the willing medical services that have inoculated me over the years.)
Android (Compelling technology has me considering buying a phone based upon the Android OS. When will Google enter the OS competition)
Google Books (an initiative to catalog the world's books. Kindle and other eReaders could end up leveraging the work put in by Google if they don't already)

Taking Chance: Honor Veterans this Wednesday!

2009-11-09T12:43:00.000-06:00

Last night I watched one of the best shows I have seen in a long time. I had heard about Taking Chance in some media outlet, but I don't have HBO so I wasn't able to watch it when it aired in February. Apparently the movie was released to DVD in May, but I had since forgotten about the show until I was perusing Target's movies for sale. For as much controversy as HBO has been in, they do deserve credit for making this project.

I don't want to ruin the emotion of the movie, but if my recommendations have meaning to anyone, please go watch this movie. It's about a high-ranking Marine who volunteers to escort a deceased Marine to his hometown in Wyoming.

I am not familiar with the other civil servants (fire, police, etc.) traditions, but I would imagine those who have loved ones on police/fire teams would find this deeply moving.

Remember Veterans Day is Wednesday so thank a hero in the service of this great nation.

Thanks to: Nick Davis, Rudy Davis, Bobby Walsh, Sabrena & Skeet Schmella, Mike Cannon, Michael Cannon, Mike Saenz, Spencer Kerr, Chad Everett, Justin Taylor, Kevin Jensen and the millions of men and women who serve and protect our country and communities everyday!

Google Analytics - Potpourri of Nothing

2009-10-13T20:51:00.008-05:00

Thanks to Jason Skowronek I have replaced my tracking tool for my blog with Google Analytics. Yet another way Google is taking over the world...

In unrelated news, the Red Sox are out of the 2009 MLB playoffs, Avocent has been acquired by Emerson Electric, and I'm in the middle of the Q3 Financial Audit. Lots of things going on this week; I need to become more productive. So many things to do, so much time to waste not getting to them.

IMDB Top 250 (as of 22 September 2009) - 83/250

2009-09-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

Top 250 Spreadsheet
Thanks to my brother (Kraig) for enlightening on how to import from the web in Excel. Seems like I should have known how to do that before. As a result, I can once again officially track the movies I have seen on IMDB's top 250 list. So far I've seen 83/250. I am a little liberal in that if I have seen the movie, but don't remember much about it, I don't mark it as having seen it (i.e. Shawshank, Schindler's List).

Feel free to download the file from the link above and if you feel so inclined, track the movies you've seen.

11 May 2009: 74/250

Sweet Home Alabama!

2009-09-22T21:55:00.000-05:00

Short post, hopefully I'll come back and add more. I drove from Lehi, UT to Huntsville, AL last week to begin work at Avocent's corporate office. In honor, I listened to Kid Rock's cover of Sweet Home Alabama (All Summer Long) and hopefully will pick up a little drawl/accent so I don't stick out so much...

Baseball Stadiums Visted & Teams Seen

2009-09-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

From June 2007

New goal: See Every Major League Team's Home Stadium (New or Old)

In Chronological Order:

July 22, 23, 24th 1993: (Rockies W 7-6, Rockies L 11-13, Rockies W 9-8)
Colorado Rockies v St. Louis Cardinals (Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO)
- Notable Events: Saw Ozzie Smith play; Saw Andres Galarraga play; got Roberto Mejia's autograph (exactly, who is that guy?!?). Saw 3 games, was part of the major league record for attendance in a season; Galarraga hit HR, Mejia hit home run; Galarraga won batting title in 1993 with .370 BA

August 21, 2002: (Braves W 6-3)
San Diego Padres v. Atlanta Braves (Qualcomm Stadium aka Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, CA)
- Notable Events: Saw the Atlanta Braves play; Saw Gary Sheffield hit 2 HR's; John Smoltz Pitch in Relief; Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal played

May 1, 2007: (Red Sox L 4-5)
Boston Red Sox v Oakland Athletics (Fenway Park, Boston, MA)
- Notable Events: Curt Schilling started; Saw Mike Piazza, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon and AL Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia. Red Sox lost in 10 innings.

August 19, 2007: (Yankees W 9-3)
New York Yankees v Detroit Tigers (Yankee Stadium, New York, NY)
- Notable Events: Saw Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Joba Chamberlain, 2nd to last year of Yankee Stadium.

September 5, 2008: (Braves W 10-5)
Atlanta Braves v Washington Nationals (Turner Field, Atlanta, GA)
-Notable Events: Saw Chipper Jones in his batting title year, Rookie of the Year Candidate Jair Jurrjens winning pitcher

May 30, 2009: (Diamondbacks W 3-2)
Arizona Diamondbacks v Atlanta Braves (Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ)
-Notable Events: 11 inning walk-off single by Eric Byrnes. Chipper Jones pinch-hit (more like pinch-strike out...). Part of Mark Reynolds 40+ HR season

September 15, 2009: (Cardinals L 1-2)
St. Louis Cardinals v Florida Marlins (Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO)
-Notable Events: Saw Albert Pujols go 2 for 3 with a SF; 2nd in Batting Avg to Hanley Ramirez. Dan Uggla hit a 2-run home run. Cy Young candidate Adam Wainwright led the NL with 18 wins, but lost in his bid for 19.

My Favorite Albums (In Progress)

2009-03-27T17:55:00.002-05:00

A.F.I - Sing the Sorrow

Cake - Comfort Eagle

U2 - The Joshua Tree

U2 - Achtung Baby

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory

Staind - Break the Cycle

Metallica - S&M
Metallica - Black Album

Pearl Jam - Ten (Re-issue)
Pearl Jam - Vs.

Goo Goo Dolls - Dizzy Up the Girl

Lifehouse - No Name Face

Ozzy Osbourne - The Ozzman Cometh

Rise Against - Appeal to Reason

Fedora 10

2009-03-26T23:48:00.002-05:00

My latest nerd adventure was to reformat my computer's hard drive and install Linux (Fedora 10). Its a completely different way of running/maintaining a computer than Windows; I can't say I understand what I'm doing, but I've managed to connect to my wireless network and install most of the plug-ins to make my computer work. Now if I can only get the files from my torrent's to play in the audio program...

Need Running Slogan for T-Shirt

2009-03-15T18:43:00.001-05:00

The current leader for our running t-shirt is: "Life is short...running makes it seem longer"

Google Music Search

2009-01-27T15:30:00.002-06:00

For the Obsessive Compulsive out there that hate having their iTunes not up to date, or if "Track 01" drives you nuts, this search tip has saved me lots of time.

By typing "music:" before your search, Google will restrict your results to music related articles. Most of the hits are albums, songs, lyrics, etc. You can then copy the album art and paste into iTunes.

Hopefully you're all not as neurotic as I am...

2009

2009-01-21T15:46:00.004-06:00

Today is my 2nd full week at my new job at a dental software firm called Dentrix. I am a Sr. Financial Analyst and have enjoyed the ability to go home at night (pre 8-9 pm) and not stress about answering 2500+ emails.

I am back in school, albeit very part time, but am pursuing the elusive dream of getting my degree and submitting myself to graduate school. If anyone knows a Calculus tutor, I will pay well. Ideally I would like to start in March and finish in May (BYU Independent Study). I'm serious about this one.

Currently I'm on an emergency preparedness kick. If anyone can find an "Army Improved Modular Sleep System" with digital camo, send me a link cause I would like to buy 1 or 8 of them.

49ers Win!

2008-12-08T19:34:00.004-06:00

The SF 49ers are currently riding a 2-game winning streak (against winning teams no less). I am getting a haircut tonight and then I promise I won't cut my hair until they lose again.

Way to go Alex Smith; why didn't you get hurt a long time ago! This new Shaun Hill guy rocks! Who needs a winning record anyway?

The latest pic of me doing what I love: Working in Alabama! Behind me are 3 to 18 dozen cookies. I'm starting to show my 15 dozen cookie stomach, hence the distance to the camera.

Back to Alabama

2008-11-10T23:57:00.001-06:00

Might as well move there...

House Pics

2008-11-01T12:33:00.007-05:00

I lost all the pics I had taken with my camera, so the old iPhone pics will have to do. Suzanna informed me I hadn't posted any pics of the house. The decorating will take months if not years to complete cause that's just the way I am. And the photography sucks.

Guest Bathroom and Stairs

Guest Bedroom and Master Bath

Entry Hall and Stairs as viewed from Living Room

Kitchen

Half Bath downstairs

What a Month

2008-11-01T10:12:00.003-05:00

I'll spare all the details, but here's my October in summary:

Informed I was ineligible for my home loan.
Told the processor screwed up; I was still eligible for my loan.
Interest rates spiked.
Rates dropped; I locked. Rates spiked again.
During the closing, I calculated that the purchase price was inflated: thank you basic math skills.
Bought my house.
Moved in the next day.
Went to Alabama the next day.
Slept in my own bed for 3 days.
Went to Ireland for 7 days; work wasn't completed so I was asked to extend for a week.
Re-routed flight to Philadelphia.
Flight got cancelled; 3 hours later the airline thought it would be ok to give me my bag.
Took a train to Trenton, NJ
Spent the night in Hatboro, PA and watched game 3 of the World Series.
Ate a Philly Cheesesteak and a real Philly Soft Pretzel.
Flew to Alabama.
Work project nearly critically delayed 3 times during week.
Flew home: 13 days after leaving.
Went into office on Halloween, discovered that my external hard drive isn't working and data recovery costs in the neighborhood of $2500. Who needs pictures/memories? Not to mention 20+ GB of music...
I need a haircut.
Have you seen gas prices?!? They dropped at least a dollar while I was away.
My stock is worth 1/3 less than it was.

Thanks to those that made coming home more pleasant, and the stops in-between bearable.
But I am lucky to have a home, a job, a great family, and friends.
Here's to November!

And now Alabama

2008-10-09T11:30:00.002-05:00

I close on my house today (yippee... why am I not exicted?). And now I am going to Alabama on Sunday getting back Wednesday, then turning around and going to Ireland the next week.

... so much for school.

Back to Ireland

2008-10-02T18:53:00.003-05:00

Another trip to Ireland. 19-24 October for SAP training. More to come.

Qtr End + School

2008-09-16T22:02:00.005-05:00

Exciting isn't it? Just when I thought I didn't have any time...

My House is Done

2008-09-11T00:58:00.002-05:00

Will update this later, but the house is built, it looks good, and the payments look expensive. Anyone want to move in, or better, just pay my mortgage? I'll post pictures of the entire process when I get some down time.

La Escuela is Spanish for ...

2008-09-11T00:50:00.002-05:00

... back to school. So I had illusions of grandeur and 18 semester hours registered at the beginning of the semester. Now, a week or so later, I'm back down to 12. With 6 of them being the dreaded internship that I just can't seem to complete. Am I lazy or am I busy? Can you be both?

Either way, working full time and commuting both ways to school/work sucks is all I can say. Who feels like doing all my homework for me?

Hot-lanta!!!

2008-09-11T00:26:00.006-05:00

Work made me fly out to Huntsville on Labor Day, so I told them they had to route me through Atlanta on the way back home. I ended up hitching a ride with a friend from the office and we made it a sports weekend. I took limited pics, but if I can get my hands on the others I will upload them. Friday night I saw the Braves play the Nationals at Turner Field:

Notice the Braves are obviously not going to make the playoffs (attendence was like 20,000 in a stadium that seats 70,000).
Saturday we hit up a place called The Varsity at 11 am and ate some comfort food. The place serves 30,000+ people on days the the GA Tech Yellow Jackets have home games. I felt that the ambiance was pretty cool, but the 3-6,000 calories should have tasted better... After a chili dog/hamburger/onion ring 'brunch' we were on the road again. Let me just say that dry heat is about 100 times better than humidity.
We went to a local hangout in Athens, GA; 70 miles or so NE of Atlanta and witnessed what real tailgaiting is all about. (Sorry BYU/MWC, the SEC has much better 'form'). Without tickets, we bought $40 seats from a scalper for $20 at game time. Unfortunately we sat next to Captain Uptight and we moved from our 21st row seats all the way to the top of the stadium. So much for Southern Hospitality. Here is a view from our 'new' seats:

The Falcons played on Sunday, but we couldn't convince ourselves that that was better than being home, so I took my flight and came back to eat dinner at Fred & Shauna's. I hadn't eaten all day, so for the weekend, the home cookin' was my favorite meal so thx to Steph for having a b-day and letting me tag-along (as always).

Running & Spanish Fork 5k

2008-07-15T15:31:00.003-05:00

The half marathon is less than a month away... so what am I doing for training? Registering for races AFTER the half-marathon!!! Or am I training for the Spanish Fork 5k by running a half marathon?

Anyone have a Nike+ account? I need to set goals and challenges again, otherwise I will never run. So come join the Cannon running crew as we look to run the slowest times of the event. Anyone have any good suggestions for logos/team names/shirt designs so we can look like retards together? This running thing is happening far too often. I need to find something else to take my money. I think I'm going to post my running widget so you can all make fun of how little I run.

Online Registration: Klark Cannon

Event: 09/06/08 - Spanish Fork 1/2 Marathon & 5K
Category: 5K - w/ Technical T-shirt
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008

Google and Apple are Taking Over My Life

2008-06-13T19:06:00.003-05:00

List of items on the web that I check daily: Gmail, Avocent Stock Price (on Google Finance), Blogs (by Google), Red Sox Standings/News/Scores, Bank Account, Social Networking Sites

The newest addtion: GoogleReader, an RSS Feeder.

So, I'm a bit upset no one took the time to explain how RSS works and why I should be using it. I'm going to save so much time from not looking at websites that don't have any updates that I'll be able to spend more time surfing the sites that do!

Today I spent hours watching the WWDC from Apple. I think I need to apply to Apple until they give me a job. Or, does anyone want to quit their job and help me design applications? I officially hate Steve Jobs now. Anyone want to buy an old iPhone?
I'm interested to see what Google Android can do; cause right now they're behind. Seriously, what happened to Snake as the best game on a phone? Every application they show on the iPhone is better than the last. Loopt is the future of tracking down your kids. No more sneaking out at night kiddies! I can't wait until the Terabyte iPhone is released...
MLB.com, amazing, now I can watch the Red Sox win the world series from anywhere in the world (not like having to pay for it in Ireland like last year...)

Ireland/UK Trip

2008-06-12T11:13:00.009-05:00

Work sent me on another trip to Europe. Unfortunately on the trips I don't get to do much sightseeing. I was able to take a jaunt to London for about 3 hours, but that's like trying to see Disneyland in one day.

However, I have a co-worker from Dublin that has been extremely generous with his time and has been kind of a personal travel guide while I have been there. My pictures upon Trim castle was because of him and on the latest trip, he took me to one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Majestic may be a better word, but majestic sounds a bit over the top...

Enough talking, here are the pictures (in reverse chronological order for those keeping score):

The Cliffs of Moher along the West Coast of Ireland (small outpost arch)

Sunset at the Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)

Cliffs (Ireland)

More Cliffs (Ireland)

More Cliffs (Ireland)

Entrance to Hyde Park (London)

Buckingham Palace - The cool guards were gone, they had some foreign military on duty wearing white instead of the traditional red.

National Gallery (London) - I got to see some original Picasso (link), Van Gogh (link) (link 2) , Cezanne (link), Seurat (link)

Tower of London

Tower Bridge (London) taken from the London Bridge

House Pics - As Promised

2008-05-15T18:42:00.003-05:00

Entry
Overlook of 'family room' from stair landing
2nd of 3 bedrooms
Kitchen Island

3 More Semesters?!?

2008-04-15T22:59:00.002-05:00

So my statistics class is going fairly well, expensive, but better than sitting through some crappy UVU(SC)(HS) teacher and failing miserably. That means I get to look forward to 16 weeks of Calculus from May to August!!!
But Stats is credits 75-77, Calc is 78-81, Summer Internship (provided I do the work this time...) is 82-87. So August is potentially the last August I have until I get my BS in ACC. UVU class of '09? Who knows, but that would be nice. 13 hours in Aug - Dec; 12 hours Jan - Apr; 8 hours here and there = 120 hours and hopefully a nice piece of paper that I can print money with.
So I'm keeping Mondays open for softball, and then work and school will continue to govern my life as it has for the past 25 years of my life.

The Danger of Scissors

2008-04-09T15:25:00.005-05:00

So my boss called my desk and I thought it would be a good idea to pick up a pair of scissors while talking on the phone. One snip later...

Steve, looks like I need to help you reach your sales goal now.

Drug Wars - On Facebook

2008-03-27T22:43:00.004-05:00

This game was the greatest thing to hit Pre-Calculus class... now its back!

Drug Wars

You can even be in my Cartel!

End of Quarter = No Time

2008-03-24T20:42:00.002-05:00

Short update as I am pressed for time.

Last Tuesday I had LASIK, now I can see more than 10 feet in front of me without everything being a big blur. Yay!

Last Thursday, I put earnest money down on a townhome/condo in Orem which should be completed Aug/Sept.

This week, Fri the 28th, I get to work until all hours of the night. Good ol'e quarter end.

I'll post pics of the house later, and if I can figure out how to rip my surgery from the DVD, I'll upload the procedure. Its really quite interesting.

Officially Entered - Almost

2008-03-12T21:01:00.003-05:00

Click to read: 2 entries for races.
1) Provo 10-mile
2) Provo Half-Marathon

I guess I better start running again.

Step 1 - Revisited

2008-03-12T12:19:00.003-05:00

Cake one's ganache didn't turn out as expected. Cake two on the other hand looked much better! What is step 2 on the diet? After step 1, and 1a, I don't feel like moving on to another step.

C'est Magnifique!

2008-02-28T00:56:00.004-06:00

After hours of hard work, step one of the diet has begun!

If You Can't Beat 'Em...

2008-02-25T20:23:00.006-06:00

...join 'em. So I'm making this dessert. It's part of my 12-step diet.

Rock Band...For When Guitar Hero Doesn't Cut It

2008-02-11T12:46:00.001-06:00

In anticipation of being blown away (and a feeble attempt to attract friends) I bought Rock Band. The jury is still out, but I don't think it blows away Guitar Hero. (PS the guitars are not compatible between games...lame). I do have to say I got 95% singing and 95% on the guitar at the same time (STP's Vasoline). And I've been getting some ink done on my character, I have to say he's looking good. So Steve get ready for Wednesday; but I bet we'll have more fun designing characters than actually playing.

How Does One Get Tagged Reading Another's Blog?

2008-02-08T19:25:00.001-06:00

A) Four jobs I have had in my life
1. US Army
2. LANDesk Software Inc.
3. PowerQuest Corp (now Symantec)
4. Pizza Factory

B) Four movies I could watch over and over
1. Fight Club
2. Bed of Roses
3. Equilibrium
4. The Matrix

C) Four Places I have lived
1. Salem
2. Orem
3. Pleasant Grove
4. Lehi

D) Four shows that I watch
1. 24
2. Alias
3. Jeopardy
4. Heroes

E) Four places I have been
1. Ireland
2. Egypt
3. New York
4. Boston

F) People who email me regularly
1. Co-workers
2. Kraig
3. Papa John's
4. TurboTax

G) Four of my favorite foods
1. Fettuccine Alfredo
2. Ruth's Chris
3. Mexican food
4. Creme Brulee

H) Four places I would rather be right now
1. Fenway Park
2. Yankee Stadium
3. On a Cruise
4. In bed

I) Four folks that I think will respond
1. Ally Mac
2.
3.
4.

J) Four things I am looking forward to in the next 12 months
1. Red Sox Baseball
2. Going to MLB games
3. Going to an NFL game?
4. Running a half marathon

K) Four goals for the New Year
1. Half Marathon
2. 10 mile race
3. Stop biting my nails
4. Be a college Sr.

L) Four gifts I got for Christmas
1. Money
2. Clothes
3. PS3
4. Guitar Hero III

M) Four places I want to visit
1. Hawaii
2. Bora Bora
3. Camden Yard
4. Australia

N) Four things you didn't know about me
1. All my shirts have to hang on hangers so the hook makes a 'question mark'
2. I spend WAY too much time reading Wikipedia articles
3. I owned a house before I owned a car
4. I get out of the Army April 30th, 2008

O) Four things I wish I was better at
1. Not being mean
2. Prioritizing
3. Not procrastinating
4. Liking the gym

P) Four things I can cook without a recipe
1. Choc Chip Cookies
2. Fajitas
3. Rice Krispy Treats
4. Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Q) Four musicians I really love
1. Maynard James Keenan
2. Eddie Vedder
3. My Chemical Romance
4. U2

R) Four of the best books I have ever read
1. A Brave New World
2. Crime & Punishment
3. Black Hawk Down
4. Accounting 101

I tag... Ally Mac

Gay-Rod

2008-01-17T14:22:00.000-06:00

I felt it was my duty to post this:

Music for the Week

2008-01-15T00:17:00.001-06:00

Working until the wee hours of the night, I plugged my hard drive in to enjoy a few hours of iTunes bliss. I let the shuffle option work its magic until I came across the debut release of Adema. In its day (1999 I think), I overplayed two or three songs (Giving In, The Way You Like It). I took shuffle off and let the album play. 45 mins or so later, the album was done and I decided I needed to write a blog about it. Since the days of OHS, Adema has had a few lineup changes. I don't know how well I like the new music, but here's a myspace link to check them out: http://www.myspace.com/adema

Also, I heard "Down and Out" by The Academy Is... and quickly gave it a 4-star rating. Adema will be too loud for the casual listener, but this band is along the same lines of Boys Like Girls and Relient K. Checkmarks is the song that made me a fan if you can find it. Anyone that covers Mayonnaise (the most neglected song on Siamese Dream) by the Smashing Pumpkins deserves recognition. I haven't heard their new music either (stupid media filters at work...), but here's the link to their myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/theacademyis

Because it deserves to be said, Trent Reznor, while no arguing the freak that he is, made some amazing music. Did you know he plays all the music on his albums except the drums? If you are opposed to listening to him, give the Johnny Cash version of Hurt a listen.

Yay!

2008-01-07T20:38:00.001-06:00

Small bit of news: I got a promotion and a raise today. Super excited, I hadn't received a significant increase in compensation for close to 2 years. Now if I could just find a way to stop working 12 hour days...

2008

2008-01-03T19:02:00.001-06:00

Goals for the new year:

See 3 baseball stadiums I haven't seen
(Coors, the BOB [now Chase], ?)
Run a ten-mile race
Run another half-marathon
Finish Calculus and Statistics
Be a College Senior (90+ Credits)
Enunciate
Stop Carrying Revolving Debt ($0 at the end of every month)

Where I've Been in 2007

2007-12-11T16:31:00.001-06:00

2007 has been a very busy year for me. Instead of writing a long blog, I thought I'd share a few pictures of where I have been this year.

Boston - Fenway Park 01 May 2007

Huntsville, AL - May & November 2007

Times Square - August 2007

Yankee Stadium - August 2007

Ireland - October 2007

Don't Shoot Until You See...

2007-08-07T00:47:00.000-05:00

"He Thinks He Grew Up To Be Boring
And So He Goes to Change His Life..."
Kiss The Flag - Evans Blue

One time in life I would like to do the right thing. Do the right thing for the right reason and know with a surety that my actions were the right actions. What is doubt? Is it weakness? Should every decision be made with absolute confidence, or is that what risk is? The ability to make decisions and have faith that you'll come through your trials unscathed? And if not unscathed no worse for the wear.

In the past few months I have taken more risks in my life than I probably ever had. Not necessarily risks of great magnitude such as when I joined the army, but personal risks. I've trusted the untrustable, loved the unloveable, and through these risks I've become a better person.

I prayed for the Lord to teach me patience. Not only have I been given my biggest trial in patience, but in failing miserably I've noticed my weaknesses. And that's something I couldn't say before.

Can love be created? Or is it experienced? What influence does a mortal man have in the grand scheme of our creator's plan? My futile attempts at giving myself to someone again go unfulfilled. In my eagerness to love I forget to be loved fully in return. I desire to make someone so happy. I come with flaws and imperfections. But part of my attractive quality is that I don't hide these things. I know I'm stubborn, I know I am passionate to a fault, yes, I get jealous and desire reassurance. I have a short fuse, and am quick to turn to my temper and retalliation. I'll never be the greatest at interaction with other people. I know these things. But what I pray will carry me into the arms of my companion is my ability to trust. My depth of emotion to love someone. I long for equality in a relationship. Where I lack, I look for strength. Where I excel, I desire to serve, desire to share, desire to love. I know I want to spend my life with one person for eternity. The Lord's plan of salvation and eternal marriage to me is such a correct principal. My limited faith and understand has almost cost me my chance at this great blessing. But life is a lesson. I learned recently God wants me to be happy. God wants me to turn the butterflies in my stomach into undescribable moments of satisfaction.

My shell is beginning to crumble. No longer do I stand behind fear; fear is another motivator.
Here's to tooting my own horn...
In the last two months I have:

Lost 15+ lbs...

...and have kept it ALL off

Committed to training for 2 half-marathons. I conclude preparations this week and will compete on Saturday in my first 13.1 mile distance. I am confident I will complete the race.

Lived worthily and accepted the Lord's hand in my life. I have been ordained an Elder in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I made a new best friend

I lost an old friend

I have fallen in love

I have broken my heart

I have faith my Lord has a hand in all things; he will prepare me for my wife, and her for me. Nothing will stand between his goal and mine.

I have read 3 novels

I have committed to 15 credit hours at school...

...while working 50+ hours a week

I have gone to lunch with a dear friend

I have deeply, deeply offended someone

I have made someone laugh

I have made someone cry

I have cried

I have laughed

I have welcomed a new child into the world

I have longed for answers

I have been given answers

I have raised my hand

I have volunteered

But above all, I have lived.

People are Beautiful

2007-01-15T10:14:00.000-06:00

I was going through my pictures today. That's usually a dangerous thing for me cause it makes me think about people. This past time was a bit different. I found myself thinking about how the world views beauty as opposed to my interpretation. In my life I haven't dated the drop dead gorgeous, 105 lbs on a bad day, fashion model girls. But that's not what is beautiful to me. I have dated some of the most selfless, most caring people in the world. More than one girlfriend has driven over 500 miles one way to see me, pick me up, take me somewhere. I bet they would do it again if I asked - considering the circumstances of a few, that speaks volumes about the type of people that they are.
I tend to fall in love with people for the way they love me. But I think that is my flaw, or weakness in relationships. Maybe I don't fall in love with them? Maybe indirectly I'm falling in love with myself? I don't think that fits really, more that I'm falling in love with their actions rather than their person.

I view my girlfriend/future wife as my partner. I have so many shortcomings its embarrassing, but where I lack, I hope she can either teach me, or fill the void/complement me. Wow I love the definition of the word "complement" as it pertains to a wife/gf:
com-ple-ment (kmpl-mnt)
n. 1. a. Something that completes, makes up a whole, or brings to perfection.
b. Either of two parts that complete the whole or mutually complete each other.

Sorry, kind of got off on a tangent... In more than one case, I've broken up/caused a break up because I didn't feel like I would complement the other person. In our/my religion we believe that marriage is for eternity. While I truely believe that a dedication to work on the relationship is key to making the relationship last, I think work and a job are completely different things. I don't want to be in a relationship that I treat as a job/chore, just going through the motions. Sadly, I have been through that. To anyone that applies to, I'm sorry.

About 2 years ago, I set a goal to be married before the end of 2005. Seemed like a reasonable goal. But then I lived life. You can't set a goal to be married by a specific date. That just means you're willing to settle; unless fatefully you meet and marry someone that complements you. I guess I was convinced that I knew enough and that I could make anything work. But through trial and error, I know really nothing more than I did before I started, other than a few character traits that I am/may be incompatible with.

What is dating? Is it trial and error? Or by attempting that model it shows you give up often; to sample what's someone else has to offer? I truly, truly think that everyone is beautiful in their own way. Not to be brutal or insensitive, but many overweight girls have the most beautiful voices. I would love for a girl to sing to me; I'd feel dumb, but what a cool way to express your feelings to someone. Especially since everyone seems to be so into music in this generation of iPod's. My weakness is a girl that know how to flirt intelligently. That's attractive. I'm sick of Utah girls that always want you to chase and play the game. Dating isn't a game; its not a tryout (contrary to how this blog may make me sound...); its someone inviting you to get to know them better and in return take the time to get to know you. Can someone explain that to _________ <----- (insert stereotype) girls?

In conclusion, I agree, I may not have dated the best looking women out there. But I think I have dated the most beautiful.