"Mind Diet"

During my time as a university student I have spent a great deal of time and effort in strengthening not only my mind but also my body. As some of you may know I spend a good deal of time at the gym, sometimes more than I should when it's basketball season. I am constantly trying to make gains by one-upping myself. One more rep, one more pound, one more set. Over the years I think I have gained a certain knowledge about exercising that only comes with experience. One bit of knowledge I have gained is the grand importance of diet. So many underestimate the importance of healthy eating. The mentality is usually "figure out how much weight will kill me then cut it back a little, then drink this stuff." To make significant gains takes time and consistency, neither of which do a whole lot of people want to commit to.
Something more important that I've come to discover is how much our brians work and grow the same way our muscles do. Have you ever worked out so hard you hurt the next day and LOVED IT! I crave that. That's happened to me several times while studying for finals. My mind hurts and I become addicted to studying. The more we study, the more we understand but without consistency, our recollection weakens. Our brain suffers from knowledge atrophy just as our muscles do when we don't use them. "Bigger, stronger, faster" goes along with athlete and genius alike. Both are constantly training what they want to improve whether it be lap time or understanding.
Now something even more important that I am trying to put more emphasis on is what I'm thinking about. It's actually one of my goals right now. My wife has been such a huge example to me of mental conditioning. I know I am a man of few words and don't contribute much to social gatherings but I do have thoughts and questions going through my mind.... most of the time. Felicia has told me on several occasions that when she's not thinking about what she's learning at school, she's thinking about religion. She's not much of a social butterfly either but if you ever get the chance to get inside her head a little you'll find that she doesn't waist any of her hard drive on unimportant garbage. She's not interested in gossip, who was in what movie, types of cars, or who got voted off American Idol. You'll have to ask me if you have any questions of that sort. She can explain to you how a certain disease works, the order of the rainbow, explain the solution to a math problem she hasn't seen in years, tell you what Dr. Chung taught us about a certain something in Human Anatomy two years ago, or explain to you cell biology, which she first learned while reading in the back seat of her parents car on a family vacation at age 9. Her key to remembering.... she's always thinking about it.
While watching again the movie "A Beautiful Mind", one of her favorites, the star of the show explains how he copes with his schizophrenia. He said he has to block out certain thoughts and images. A diet for the mind. It made me think of my patriarticle blessing which says to "raise my thoughts to high levels of spirituality". It will greatly help me control the all aspects of my life. I waist so much time thinking about pointless garbage. The reason I have a high percentage of being able to identify a car solely based on it's headlights glaring in my rearview mirror at night is because I like to study and think about cars. Now to be able to not only live worthy to have the constant companionship of the spirit but to be able to recognize it and heed it's promptings. I will have to strive to raise my thoughts to new heights, ponder what I study in the scriptures, what I learn at church, what is said in conference, and what I hear my wife, family, and leaders ask of me. Elder Neil A. Maxwell once said while talking on faith, patience, and being in control of our lives, "The Lord twice said: 'And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life' (D&C 101: 38, Luke 21:19) Could it be that only when our self-control has become total do we come into true possession of our own souls?" I believe our minds are the key to unlocking many doors and to gaining understanding and control of our lives. We must first be in control of what goes in and what we spend our time thinking about. So I'm on a mind diet.

Ben Lomond Peak

Chay and I recently went on a fall ride to the top of Ben Lomond Peak. The conditions were perfect! The air was brisk, the ground was moist (which = no dust), and the leaves were turning. We were just about the only ones up there. It was one of those trips I was glad I had a bike (thanks Scottie) and a good friend who also had one. You just cant experience that stuff the same way in a car or on foot. I'm one lucky guy to have the means, a beautiful location, and a life-long best friend to enjoy an afternoon as much as I did. What a place we live in! You can put that on the list of things to do Scott L. It is accessible with four wheel drive.

New Home Sweet Home

Okay, here I am. As most of you know Felicia and I got to move three times this past summer. That's right, three. Every move was a blessing. You've probably all heard the story so in a nut shell, Felicia and I were on the verge of having very little to no work at all so we had to act fast as our rent was going to eat up all our money. So we moved in with Mom and Dad for six weeks and it was really nice, it was. It's just better to not live with anyone if you're married, I found that out. We were not chosen for an apartment management job we were hoping for and had to make a quick decision on a place to live, including find that place. We did in a matter of two hours on a saturday. Rent was cheap, the place would do, and I borrowed a gun from Dad and kept it under my bed. Okay, so the gun part wasn't so good. The reason for and the item itself made Felicia uneasy. We slept there for one night, went to the Browning's for two, and then slept one last night there. We had finally received the long awaited call from subsidized housing that a place was available immediately. The unit we moved into was the very, former unit of the people who beat us out of the apartment management job. We moved in the weekend before school. Just in time! I will have to brag because I'd feel I wasn't giving credit for our huge blessing that is helping us out so much. Our rent is $68 a month, utilities included. BAM! In the words of Mike Landrum, "you can't rent a gameboy for that cheap". We couldn't be more happy with it and with out neighbors, which mostly consists of fellow ward members. It was nothing short of a miracle to much prayer and fast. Come and visit. We have a spare bedroom. You'll have to bring your own bed though.

This post is simply to promise a real one real soon.  ;)

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

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One Year Later

A year and a month ago I was living at Aunt Janet's home to get away from too much congestion.  Too many peoples thoughts, concerns, and emotions had my head cluttered and my heart confused.  I needed time and I needed space.  Felicia so happened to be staying there also and I'm sure that caused even more concern but a better environment I couldn't find.  There I was, with a quiet house, a beautiful, tranquil yard, relatives who just wanted to listen and feed me, and the one other person on earth I needed by my side.  I spent most of my time pondering my past, present, and where I wanted my life to be.  

 

After a long terrible day of mixed feelings, I got on my knees and pleaded for an answer.  I'd prayed countless times before  in searched for guidance but the Lord knew I was at the end of my rope.  I opened my frustrated and teary eyes and picked up a book I had been reading.  I flipped to a random page and read a highlighted quote that said, "Don't pray so much to have what you'll love, pray to love what you have."           

Felicia and I celebrated our one year anniversary this sunday.  Can you believe that it's been a year already!  Time sure flies by when you're having fun with the one you love.  I remember being asked several times if I was nervous, scared, or anxious.  There's no doubt I had questions before making the decision to ask Felicia to be my wife but after I knew my answer, and I knew it, everything that followed just seemed natural.  I never felt home sick, or out of place in my new apartment and new life.  It was what I was suppose to be doing and my heart nor mind ever questioned again.  I love her so much!  

 

What a better way to celebrate your anniversary than to give a talk in church with your sweetheart.  Funny how things work out.  The Lord has never stopped answering my question.  

I'm going to attempt to attach our talks.  Felicia's is a must read.  Mine is a bit long but the last page or so has a funny story about how I fell in love with Felicia worth reading.  By the way, she did such a great job.  She had many people thank her and even got a hug from a touched lady in the ward.  

      

High on a Mountain Top

There is a trail Felicia and I have enjoyed hiking that has engraven itself upon our memories forever.  The majority of the trips we've made to the top of Lewis Peak have been nothing short of amazing.  The first time we hiked it was during the first month of our new relationship with each other as boyfriend and girlfriend and the first time Felicia admits to having the desire to kiss me.  The second time to the top, after a short lunch and a great conversation, I proposed to her.  The fourth and most grueling hike to the top we were accompanied by our best friends Emily and Shawn.  We all packed our sleeping bags, tents, food, and any other belongings we thought we needed and slept at the top after the most memorable 4 of July experience I've had.  After Felicia lost her hot dog and we all lost our breath, we pitched our tents and found the prime spot to what ever fireworks Ogden, Huntsville, Eden, Farr West, Plain City, countless families and who know who else, had to offer.  We counted at least 12 different major firework shows.  Two of which we think might have been from Park City.  My camera did a poor job of capturing the fireworks but I did get breath taking pictures of both the sunset and sunrise, not to mention those of my best friends.  

Getting ready for the hike

  

         Watching the sunrise over Eden
        Sunrise over our campsite

The hike down

Disneyland 2008

All 16 of us in one whole boat on Pirates of the Caribbean 
Electric Parade
Paradise Pier Hotel (sideways)
Katie and Aidan on Buzz Lightyear 
Dad and Asher on Maliboomer 

As you all know I Felicia and I had the opportunity to spend a week with the Brownings and Mom and Dad in Disneyland.  The Rowleys even showed up to for a couple of days to increase the excitement of it all.  I know much of it has to do with the fact that I grew up vacationing in Disneyland but it really is, at least one of, the happiest places on earth.  It doesn't matter if you are in a bad mood, once you sit down in one of the rides or some sort of entertainment begins you can't help but smile.  That very thing happened to Felicia and I on our last day.  We were in a bit of a disagreement of what we should be doing next and so we sat down to apologize to one-another  and one of the employees there came up to us and asked if we'd like to ride the Toy Story ride that wasn't opened to the public yet.  We had actually headed to that part of the park just to ride it but were turned away.  We were so excited we couldn't help but smile and forget about what was bothering us.  It was a really fun ride ride presented in  4D (meaning we were able to interact with the ride).  We were followed by that luck the rest of that night.  We got a pineapple float for nearly half the price because of a mess up on their part, were able to see the Electric Parade, fireworks show, and Fantasmic water show.  Then while waiting in line to get an ice cream sundae an older couple behind us gave us 6, yes 6, fastpasses to any ride in the park!  The got them from a Disney tour they were on but weren't going to use them.  So we were able to ride Indiana Jones, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain, our three favorites, all within about an hour before the park closed.  It was a great farewell to our last night there.  Being there with Mom and Dad and the Brownings, being able to experience the excitement with first time kids, having the benefit of short waits with Scottie's wheelchair, and the added life to the party the Rowelys brought, made this trip the best one yet!  I wished so much to be able to go back to when we were kids and experience it all as a happy Anderson vacation that we had so many times.  What do you remember about our Disney trips?

    

T.V. Favorites

I was going to leave a comment on Jen and Em's blog to update them already but then Emily did and I noticed mine was growing gray hair and had sweaters on it's teeth.  So I'm here to freshen up my bad breath blog.  If you get the chance to read One Eyed Sleye's blog do so.  This post follows his.  Before I was a big kid I was a little one, who spent most of his time over at his friends or getting bruised up by his little sister (might have deserved it).  I never spent too much time in front of the television but there were a few shows I tried to catch growing up.  The first show I remember watching but don't remember too many details about was Fraggle Rock.  I do remember the intro with the little fraggle man trying to sneak past a dog and getting snatched up by a giant, who was really just normal sized but the Fraggles were tiny, like mice.  

A couple of cartoons that haven 't faded from my memory quite as much were Tale Spin and especially Duck Tales.  I use to get pretty excited about Duck Tales and even sing along with the song.  I thought it would be cool to have a neighbor who was really adventurous and maybe a little off the wall like Launch Pad McDuck or Doc from Back To The Future.  

When I grew a little older and cartoons weren't so "cool" I took  a real liking to Home Improvement.  Tim was the coolest dad!  Once in a blue moon I'll run across an old rerun and think of Jared Holyoak.  That was about the only show I can remember being able to sit down and watch during the middle of the day, right around the time another t.v. great was on the air.  Saved By the Bell was almost like Seinfeld for kids.  You could talk about it to just about anyone and they also knew what happened in the last episode.  Screech, A.C. Slater, Zack "Preppy", Kelly, Jessie, and Mr. Belding were the role models for us kids on how to deal with real issues.  Drugs, first love, lost love, financial issues, being bullied,  cheating, just to name a few. 

Another lasting favorite that I'll still watch if I run across it is The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air.  Will and his relatives the Banks (Uncle Phil, Carlton, Ashley and some others) along with Geoffrey the butler and Jazz got plenty of my attention.  Chad Clark reminded me of Fresh Prince quite a bit.  I just got the same feeling around him as I did watching Will.  Both pretty cool dudes older than me I guess.  

Thanks for the idea Scott.  I'd like to hear about your favorites.         

Murse for me

  I got an evaluation in the mail last week from Weber State on my school experience and a request for me to set up an exit interview.  Nobody knows better than me how long I've been in school and that little reminder didn't help much.  I wish I had known since I was in high school what it is I wanted to do when I grew up.  It would have saved me some time.  "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."  I've gotten a lot of experience from my school.  I feel I've become well rounded from the classes I've taken and I've gotten to know a lot of neat people. If I had to list just one thing that I've learned during my years at Weber State I would say that I've learned how to learn.  That is an invaluable quality that can only be gained through experience and, well, we now all know I've got that.  Professors have presented me with the task to learn a subject time and time again.  Nutrition, science, english, spanish, latin, math, communication, law, swimming, religion, video productions, billiards, volcanoes, economics, accounting, stress management, telecommunications, ................... and on and on.  I've got a little bit of everything under my belt.  "Jack of all trades and master of none" comes to mind.  I'm glad I married my better half to get me on track.  With a lot of patience and just a little pressure she has helped me decide what it is I need to focus on.  So I'm here today (mostly for myself) to announce (hold myself to) that I am going to follow in my wife's footsteps and work towards becoming a CRNA (nurse anesthetist).  I have a couple other friends doing the same thing that have been cheering me towards that direction.  My good friend Aaron (phantom friend) says that we'll be murses together.  A murse in a male nurse.  So here I go!  Thanks to all my friends who have helped me make the decision and especially my lovely wife Felicia.           

Look What I've Done!

Now I don't have to write another blog for a MONTH!  Just kiddin Jen.  I don't even think I like my new template.

A very special birthday girl

This blog is written a little late, like 4 days or so, but I'm finally done with school and have been feeling a little guilty for not updated the blog.  As most of you know it was Felicia's birthday on monday.  She turned 22........22!!!!!  Sometimes I forget how young she is.  She took work off and I planned a good time for us.  I made her a booklet of coupons.  Back rubs, movie night with treats, dinner to anywhere she wants, and one for enough money for a nice shopping spree.  I know she gets a lot of joy out of splurging on fun clothes so I figured we could just make a day of it.  I'll have to say she's got spendy taste but she doesn't every buy anything besides her favorite fruit and a Red Bull once in a while.  So to the Gateway we go.  Her favorite places are Banana Republic, Anthropologie, and Bastile.  If you know those stores you know your "shopping spree" funds can be exhausted quickly but at least in good taste.  We had a great time and the day, if you remember, couldn't have been more perfect for outdoor shopping.  We even ate outside that evening by a nice fire pit that kept us warm from the cool night's air at Typhoon.  

Bragging Time:  You probably already know this but Felicia was recently accepted into the Accelerated Nursing Program at Weber State.  To elaborate on how awesome that is, Weber gets around 1,000 to 1,200 applicants from all over.  They accept just 90 a year and of that 90 only 10 to 15 of those are accepted into the Accelerated program and of the 10-15, a handful have already done a semester or two of the regular nursing program.  That program finishes the degree in half the time.  The average person applies twice and some 3 times.  This was Felicia's first time applying.  I'm actually not that surprised, with her being in the Pinnacle Honor Society and constantly setting the curve in her classes. 

This is just one of the fields of life that she excels in.  She is an AWESOME person and a great wife.  I love her so much and am so thankful for having her in my life.         

SHOUT OUT TO THE COLLEGE KIDS IN THE FAM.

Finals are quite stressful to say the least!  Please excuse me in advance if this blog just seems like I'm blowing of some steam, because I am.

I just lost half my work on a final online project due to my computer freezing and no, I didn't save anything so i'll just start over I guess.  

I'm sure all of you have either experienced or are about to experience "dead week", the week just before finals.  I say what in the world ever happened to "dead week"!!!!!????   It says right in my official Weber Planner that there are no classes during that week, HOWEVER, every since I can remember (because I have gone to school for much longer than needed) my teachers have thought "dead week" to be a good week to throw in one more exam before the final.  How on EARTH am I supposed to do a good comprehensive review when I'm busy studying for last minute exams in all my classes!?  HUH!?  Not like I have a job, need sleep, have to eat, or even need to change my underwear.  

I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the science stuff.  My lab partner was gone for the week so I had to prepare a quiz and a comprehensive practice final for my anatomy class all on my own.  Luckily for me my wife is a science genius and was able to help me a bit set things up in the lab today.  

Needless to say I have many hoops to yet jump through for the semester to finally be over.  I probably have it easiest out of the current college kids in the family right now so this is a shout out to them.  GOOD LUCK! 

Well now that I've vented for a minute I feel better and can get back to my studies.  Every semester is like this so I've done it before, I'm sure I can do it again.  I recommend just writing you feelings down if you feel stressed or frustrated.  It seems to have eased my fury.  I could just erase all of this and pretend like I never wrote it and I'd still feel better BUT... now I have an updated blog so I guess it'll stay due to a lack of time to write another one.       

New thing

Amy asked what was new in our lives in her last blog and I said I'd do my next blog on it.  So here are a couple of new things in Felicia's and my life.

 

New thing #1:  Gollum visited our apartment and almost made Felicia wet herself

New thing #2:  My church basketball team made it to the final two.  We play for the championship next tuesday

New thing #3:  Felicia tried the California Roll 

New thing #4:  Felicia then tried a new dish (stuffed shrimp)

New thing #5:  We bought a good sized Jade Tree for the casa

New thing #6:  Felicia made me cocoa and toast for the 1st time and I REALY enjoy it

I'll end on that great note.      

   

Blueprint

My life has been busy and boring, and that is why there has been no updated blog here.  It's been clear that that has been the trend in the family this week however.  Amy of course has done pretty well but even she hasn't been completely on it, so I don't feel too bad.  At least I'm no "Ter Not There".  I get the feeling that she started (and ended) with a gun (amy) to her head (ear).  No forensics needed.  

 

Have you ever known anyone who seems to have a lot of their prayers answered al tiro (spanish for right away)?  Felicia is someone I know.  Honestly, I can think of a handful of times that she's prayed for something, opened her eyes, and voila....there ya go.  Literally just last night that happened to her.  As we were getting ready for bed she got something in her eye.  You could see it right on her pupil, like a piece of tiny sand embedded there.  It wouldn't budge.  She rinsed, flushed, blinked, rubbed and finally called the O.R. to talk to a nurse friend of hers.  She hung up the phone, went into the bedroom, came back and said, "it's gone" with a grin on her face.  Knowing her past I said almost sarcastically, "did you pray?", "ya" with a nod was her simple reply.  That's one of several similar stories.  

 

I once got a fortune in a fortune cookie that reads: God will give you everything that you want.  I kept it and still have it in a frame.  I sometimes think that that was not intended for me but Felicia.  She has more than once said to me, "I always get what want", and not in a stuck-up kind of way but more like she was slightly worried about the consequences.

 

God is so willing to help those who are willing to help themselves when they put their faith in him.  Wasn't that experience that Felicia had like so many others we've read, heard, or experienced ourselves.  Remember when Dad did all he could to find Amy's wedding ring out by the pond and then prayed for help.  Well the rest is history.  If you haven't heard that story, ask Dad about it.  Isn't that the blueprint for life?  We put our faith in God and do all that we possibly can and he'll take care of the rest.     

 

    

Happy Birthday!

I remember the first time I met Chay Porter Clark.  He was riding his little bike around the semi trailer parked in front of his house while somebody was moving their belongings back into the house his dad had built.  I walked down to their house from the Tuft's with Susan and I think Paul, to say welcome.  I was probably only 5 or 6 I guess and on the verge of meeting the only non-blood related life long friend I still have close ties with since I could remember.  He turns 27 tomorrow, or today, depending on when you read this, or even yesterday I guess. It's on the 20.  I'd bet it's safe to say that about 80% of all my childhood memories fit Chay in there somewhere.  Sleeping on the tramp, night games, riding bikes to King's for candy, Christmas morning present comparisons, birthday parties, 4th of July, swimming in the canal, motorbike riding, walking the dogs, hiding behind a giant pillow on the go-cart while he drove so Mom wouldn't see, picking raspberries, walking home from school, rollerblades, trick-or-treating, scout camps and on and on and on.  I was the one riding bikes with him to Casey Swisher's when he got hit by a car, he was there with me during the river rafting accident, he shot the first hoop in my new basketball hoop, Tory and Brutus trusted no other neighbors to not only feed them but walk them when I wasn't there, he taught me how to drive a stick shift in the Jr. High parking lot, him and I were the only ones to stay up ALL night at the all-nighter nintendo parties playing Mario Kart, he always called me to come with him to Dan Armstrong's for sleep overs, we outran the cops once, he was the only person I ever sent a postcard to faithfully while on family vacations, I was at his farewell and he was at my homecoming, I'd cry some nights at the MTC wishing I was with him because I didn't want to go home but I felt overwhelmed, he helped Felicia and I move in EVERYTHING at our apartment including several different trips to RCWilley, home from SLC with a bed frame, and helped move up our large tv.  Chay took me to Burley for one of the most memorable weekends down memory lane I've ever had last summer and he still calls me once in a while to play basketball and we talk at least 2 or 3 times a month.  He's as much a brother as I could have ever had.  Love ya man, happy birthday.    

10 yrs. ago:

That would make me 16 and put me in Burley Idaho.  I was interested in Nintendo 64 with Ross Mitchell (he was also my lawn mowing partner), motorcycle riding with Chay, sneaking around the neighborhood with a laser pointer with Paul, watching David program his computer,  and wondering where I fit in at school.  By the way, girls weren't on my mind much at all but my seminary class wondered who I would go on my first date with.  Little did they know they'd be waiting for a LONG time.  

5 Things on the to do list:

1. Go buy food storage (we already made our list and emergency plan)

2. keep up with homework during spring break

3. get 5 hrs. every night at work

4. do home teaching

5.  make a bus schedule (time to cut back on gas)

5 snacks I enjoy:

1. Edamame (I love 'em, can't get enough. Great alternative to popcorn)

2. Felicia's homemade fruit health shakes

3. Farr Better Ice Cream (mostly the get away from homework to walk across the street and see Felicia's eyes light up with delight)

4. Rice Pudding

5. Cereal of course 

What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire?

I would help out a few select somebodies close to me, let Mom build her ultimate dream home now that her backyard is going to be developed, let Felicia go hog wild on her dream home out in the country (like on Fried Green Tomatoes) or in a neighborhood like on Home Alone, buy Felicia and Emily a Dog, buy Jared a Dodge something and Dad a truck, trailer and horses, go on an awesome, adventurous trip with Shawn and Emily, prepay graduate school, and so much more.    

5 places I've lived:

1. Burley

2. Farr West

3. Ogden

4. Chile

5. Weber State Library

5 jobs I've had:

1. lawn mowing

2. janitor at Whalquist

3. several construction jobs

4. UPS

5. AOL, Home Depot, office manager for Mike

5 Things you don't know about me:

1. I thought and still kinda think I have testicular cancer (Mike even had a dream about it)

2. I can bench press twice my weight

3. My car is the only debt I have

4. I am very good a singing parts of real songs to much of what Felicia has to say. (just ask her. She call's me the Human iPod.)

5. I have a stupid nack for being able to identify actors at any stage in their life and what other moves they've played in, whether they are very famous or not.  Felicia will say that EVERYBODY looks familiar to me. 

I tag Em and Scott L. if he read my blog 

 

That is a picture of little Wayne when he and Felicia's parents came over for dinner during the  Thanksgiving break.  He had never played before so it was quite amusing to see the awe and wonder in him as he realized he could make Mario do whatever he wanted him to.  It reminded me of when Molly would play and lean one way or the other or swing her arms up and over to help Mario jump.  LOL!!!!  Pretty funny!  

These might be the zombies that Em was talking about!!!!!  I saw them too and  noticed that they had been possessed to walk naked, so I took a picture!  

Accomplishment

I thought you guys would like to see a picture of us scuba diving in Cancun.  Well I don't have one.  But I can't wait to go again!  It was one of those experiences that brought a smile to my face that wouldn't go away.  I know it sounds a little scary or even risky, but you don't even think about that once you're down there....well, I guess Felicia was a little nervous.  How many times do you think of something you'd like to do but never move toward that vision, like it was meant to just be a dream.  Something Felicia and I have made a saying of is, "if you don't do it, you'll never do it".  I'm sure there is something you've been wanting to do that has been floating around in you head.  Well if it's realistic, go do it!  Start by making it a goal with a plan.  I've always believed that God wants more than anything for us to be happy.  "Men are, that they might have joy"  Why not enjoy the good  he has to offer.   

TICKLE PAIN (the worst kind)

Hello blog and fellow bloggers.  I am okay.  The picture you see above is a head injury caused in Sam's club.  I didn't sue.  I didn't even show them what happened.  A matter of fact, I didn't want to show anyone but heads were turning and eyes were watching, my head, bleeding head.  I LOVE the smell of coffee!  I was disappointed that I couldn't smell it as I walk by, so I turned around and got a little closer....too close.  "Serves you right", shouts Felicia as I run past her down the isle. It wasn't so much in my head, but my toes, my bellybutton, behind my knees (popliteal fossa), and my bum cheeks clinched to dull the tickle behind them, that tickle pain.  That's because, as you can see, it wasn't a blunt hit but a sharp one.  

Tell me of your tickle pain experiences.   

Do you have a Palmaris Longus mucle?

While teaching my anatomy lab I like to through in a few interesting facts to keep the class listening.  An interesting fact I brought up while teaching about the flexors in the antibrachium (forearm) is that the Palmaris Longus muscle is absent in about 16% of Caucasians, usually females, and 4% of males are missing it in their left arm.  I found out that I am one of the 4%.  I wondered about the rest of my family so I want you to test yourself and take the poll.  You'll need a needle (a sewing needle works just fine), some alcohol (for disinfection), ice (to numb) and someone you trust to assist.  Just before you start take a deep breath and hold, touch the palms of  your thumb and you pinky finger together and flex your wrist slightly.  You will see the tendon of the palmaris longus stick up on your wrist very visibly, if you have one.  Now check you other hand.  It wont be hard to tell if you have one or not.  Let me know!  

"Stand a Little Taller"

I think that we aspire to the standard we hold ourselves to. If you don't expect much from your efforts, you probably won't get much in return. Example: Felicia is always right on when it comes to what she'll score on a test. This last weekend she didn't study as much as she had planned [I hold her back with my impatients toward studying when I think we could do it later and just relax now (refer to blog below) ]. She's taken enough tests that she now knows how prepared she really is. There isn't any question in her own mind. She figured that she'd studied enough to do decent but not ace the test. She got an 86%. Granted it was pathophysiology and she did better than 90% of the class, she's never satisfied with anything less than an "A". Thats her standard. (bragging time: She has 16 A's and two B's on her transcript and she's finished chemistry and math up to Calculis) When it comes to the things in life that we've done time and time again, just like Felicia and tests, I believe we know what to expect and how we'll do, even if we don't want to admit to it. With a different kind of test, I've got this idea that I can sleep in just a few more minutes past the alarm and be just fine. I've done this for as long as I can remember. IT NEVER WORKS OUT and I know that! Thats a standard for me. That standard will never raise until I convince myself that my standard is too low. I know we all have standards in our life big or small that could be raised. If we are not perfecting ourselves now, when will we? "Line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little."

Smell The Roses

Has your life been so busy that by the end of the week you're just burnt out and really not that happy with your week?  Have you planned out your days carefully and followed through but still not satisfied with the result?  Try planning some down time!  Felicia and I have been so busy this week with our normal schedules plus it being a test week that we both actually said to each other today "I've missed you this week", and we go to the same school!  What we haven't had is time to relax and unwind.  We normally eat dinner and watch an episode of Seinfeld or something funny.  We usually get home around 10 and are dead tired by 10:30 or 11 but that 30 mins. or so makes a big difference for the following day.  For those of you who've seen our TV let me tell you that it was as much an investment as a good mattress.  I need that down time with my wife to laugh and think about nothing!  I just work better that way.  "I'm in a hurry to get things done... oh I... rush and rush until life's no fun.  All I really gotta do is live and die and I'm in a hurry and don't know why."  -lyrics to a country song        

How often do you feel like you've been the best you?  Do you think that when you're at your best during a particularly difficult trial in your life that you are better in other, not as important to your growth, situations.  If my question seems confusing let me give you an example.  My MTC mission president once told me that if you start your day off with a prayer and making your bed that you are more so on your way to having a successful and productive day.  Or my health teacher said that depending on what you first eat each day, whether it be fruit or a piece of candy,  will be a determinant in what the rest of your food for the day will be like. Like it puts you in a rhythm.  I ask this because I feel like I was put up against the wall in a very intense situation the other day and because I had already decided what kind of day I was going to have I felt I handled myself very well, things were settled without getting ugly and even ended on a positive note.  Pondering on that situation and others like it that I have had I came to realize, better now than before, that I am in charge of MY life and I have been put here on earth to succeed.  We were never set up for failure in the Great Plan.  That isn't to say that we wont have trials and ups and downs, but that we are deciders of our own outcome.  We cannot control what others say and do to us but we can decide how it is going to effect us.  Will we walk away hurt...or will we walk away stronger.

Thinking about that gave me a boost of self confidence that set the momentum for the rest of the day and even the week.  It may sound like I just had a good day but things haven't been better in my somewhat new life.  I will have to give my AWSOME wife the majority of the credit because she is the one that pointed that out to me and inspires me to do my best at what ever it is I do.  Emily has always been an example of that but she never expected me to do the same.  Mom and Dad have always tried to explain that to us but coming to the realization of that yourself is very powerful.  

         

I am now blogging to anyone that wants to read a blog.  Also because it seems like the new way to communicate with my family.  If you read my profile you would see that I am a student and that that is pretty much my life anymore.  I'm sure you other full time students out there know what I'm talking about.  There is more to my life than just that but it seems to fit in the cracks of the student part.  

Example:

Mon. Jan. 29 (yesterday)

8:30 Gym w/ Felicia and Aarron

10:00 Shower at gym

10:30 Math (cursed, cursed math)

11:30 Surprise request for cadaver dissection presentation for Advanced Anatomy 

11:45 Talk to dissecting partner about how we should do a presentation

12:00 Anatomy open lab (I'm an instructor so I have to do an open lab once a week)

2:00 Advanced Anatomy class

3:00 Cadaver presentation (put together while tutoring in open lab) in front of all other lab aids, Dr. Chung and Dr. Meyers

4:00 Anatomy Instructor meeting

4:15 Start cramming some more for Physiology Exam

8:00 Take Physiology Exam 

8:58 dry off arm pits (testing center closes at 9:00)

9:00 Start Homework thats due in 12 hrs.  

12:45 Finish howework, and go to bed!!!!