Sabbath Day Bandits

True to tradition, Jon and I kept the Sabbath Day Bandits alive over the break (we started the SBD's in high school with Kevin, giving out cookies to the old, the needy, and the beautiful).

Today we teamed up with Kyler and Austin and finished up a 12 days of Christmas that they have been giving to two families (ladies "of age" were in these families, of course). Tonight was day 10, 11, and 12 of the extravaganza, so we topped the night off with a musical performance. The gifts that we gave and then sang about were:

On the First day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:
One bag of frozen green peas
Two Tootsie Rolls
Three Snow balls
Four paper plates
5 Short bread cookies
6 Can't remember
7 String of licorice
8 String of licorice
9 String of licorice
10 Legs a' dancin
11 home made cookies
12 Hot tamales.

The song was better than it sounds. The gifts...uh...not so much.

Seicho suru kesshin

shinnen no mokuhyo o tateru mae ni, sono mokuhyou o kanarazu hatasu yo to kesshin shite iru.

出来る限り頑張れ。２００８は一番年になるでしょう！

All deer go to heaven...

Mom, now that I know that you check this blog probably daily, I can tell you Happy Birthday! again from here.

Hope you had fun sledding, talking with your friends, and eating part of Bethany's burrito, Ryan's ribs, Dad's Chile Rellano, and my carne asada burrito. Oh...and you did put a slight dent in your tamales, too.

Another cold night. Snowy. We went to paintball some deer again on the Kohler farm (we're trying to scare them from the property...they're eating the cows hay and grain), but this time the deer scared a little earlier than usual, bounded across the road, and a white SUV with 'not from Heber' written on the driver's face, nailed one of the deer. We heard a highway patrol officer come along fifteen minutes later and empty his magazine to send the deer back to Bambi heaven.

A few quotes from a book I read today:
Youk'n hide de fier, but w'at you gwine do wid de smoke?
Watch out w'en youer gittin' all you want. Fattenin' hogs ain't in luck.

The owl, for all its feathers, was a-cold

Where to begin?
Took a lunch break from work and went with my Dad to a small Thai restaurant around 72000 south called MeKong. The green curry chicken and sticky rice with the me kai kong soup is amazing. One of the best meals I've had at a restaurant that I can remember. Reminds me of my half-Thai roommate in Japan.

After work, I went to the Fit Stop and swam. In the pool, I saw Ron, a somewhat crazy guy around 30-35 with blonde hair, surfer speak, and a bit of a twitch. I asked him what he did today. Listen in on the conversation.

Ron: Well, man, just, you know, did my stuff. I came here to go to Yoga class but I ended up at the hot tub because, man, well I don't really know why... but I love Yoga. Yoga is greatness. Yoga is like the temple, only the temple is forever. Yoga can be forever, too, I guess. That reminds me of a story. Man, you want to hear a story?
Me: Uh...
Ron: My friend asked me to go fishing with him, but I said, "Dude, it's yoga night. I can't miss yoga." He kept asking me, but I didn't want to miss yoga. Man, I went fishing anyways, because friendship is golden, you know? Well, the next week at Yoga class someone asked where I'd been. I told them fishing. They said that's too bad, because I missed the meditation of a lifetime. Meditation, man! Of a lifetime! Meditation is forever, you know? Some people go to the temple for meditation, but I go to yoga. On thursdays. But, there are more classes. For meditation greatness, you can't miss it! You wanna come this week?

And, after a few more stories from Ron, I politely excused myself. Tonight reminds me of one of the funniest pick up lines i've heard. Not coincidentally, it's from Ron. He was in the singles ward when I lived in Heber, and he would prey on new girls that came in. Here are a few of the lines I've heard him say:

Hey, do you wanna get together, me and you, you know, like the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve? We could eat some fruit and wear fig leaves and stuff.

Hey, were you in a Colgate commercial? You know, the toothpaste? They need good actresses for those commercials. Pearly white teeth. Beautiful smile.

Walking back from the pool to my car might have been the coldest experience of my life. I think it was 6 degrees and windy. I was wet. And, I always park my car the farthest away I can when I go to the gym, because I figure, why should I park close? I'm exercising anyways?

Freezing. I felt like Sanka in Cool Runnings when he breaks off his hair after sitting in the ice cream truck. I'm afraid to ever watch Titanic. I can relate too well. Especially later on tonight, after a crew of us were driving around in the back of a pickup at the Kohler farm shooting deer with paintball guns. Now THAT was cold. But I did beat Whitney in a shooting contest. And, we almost got stuck in a field of snow. I made a wish at 11:11. Reminded me of a girl.

Fun night.

PC wasn't Free

After another basketball game of blisters this morning, I resolved to go to Park City to buy new basketball shoes. Ryan and Buffy wanted to come too, so we made a day out of it.

A lot of money and some new clothes later (there goes my Christmas bonus from TRG), we're a little more stylish.

And, we got to eat at a fun restaurant on Park City main street.

A Quiet Christmas

"But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!'"

Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol

Our Senkyoshi Brother

Christmas Eve Breakdown



7:45-woke up Ryan, got ready, went and played basketball at stake center

10:45-back home, shower, get ready for day

11:20-read book about REIT's for thesis, fall asleep

12:20-wake up, read more about REIT's

1:00-help clean kitchen, go to Smith's to get salt to melt ice

2-4:00-spend time with ryan, bethany, jamie, shane

5;00-family dinner

6:00-talked to Jake in Japan! He is doing really good. His Japanese is sounding great (a few mistakes with nomonalizing verbs here and there, but I was impressed)! He bore his testimony in Japanese. I felt the spirit of christmas as we were gathered around the speaker phone as a family listening to him talk about his dendo no keiken.

7:30-went over to the Grant's to sing Christmas songs with their families. Mostly, Shane and i just listened to the amazing talent of everyone around us.

8:30-now--watched some of Pirates 3, played guitar (made up half a song), read, thought, wrap presents



Snowed again today. Bethany was feeling glum because she wasn't in Arizona with her cousins. She was "bored with just our family."

A word about present wrapping. If the economy of the U.S. collapsed, and the job market shifted to our nation becoming the world's sole skilled provider of gift-wrapping, I would be in desperate trouble. I don't think I could support a family. I'd feel lucky if I made enough to pay for cabbage and water soup (and in most places, water is free!). Origami...gift wrapping...paper airplanes. If it involves paper and folding, put me on the bench, Coach. I'll sit this one out.

yes. no. depends. Scruples 101

Snowed piles and piles in Heber this weekend. Mom tried to make a snowman, but the snow was too dry. She kept at it with shovel, though, and eventually made a Hershey's kiss.

We were excited to be able to talk to Jake today, but Japan called and said his window for calling moved to tomorrow. A package that he sent to us came today, though (on a Sunday...wierd). We got some Hi Chew's, curry, mabodofu, and other misc gifts. Got to see some pictures from an SD card he sent, too. I'll have to post one tomorrow.

After our home teachers left, we had a Christmas spiritual family home evening--Dad read "The Gift of the Magi," Beffy read our traditional "Claude the Dog" children's book about giving, Jamie rocked out on the piano for us while we sang Christmas songs. Then we played Scruples, an older game mom got dad for Christmas. People kept coming over and bringing treats (either Beffy's popular with the jr. high guys, it's because dad's the bishop), but we finally got through Scruples and played another scattegories-type game with facecards. Many jokes and jest throughout the day (did we really name every vegetable known to man at the dinner table?). Hilarious night.

I'm listening to "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul." It's my new favorite song after a ward fireside a few weeks ago about Joseph Smith. Josephine (?) from BYU's Young Ambassadors sang the tune like an angel.

Mom's blonde comment of the night:

She'll be a good model--she's very photographide.

Mom's blonde action through the years:

Spelling her own name wrong on Jamie's wedding announcement.

Love it.

The Surge

Another classic BYU ending. We didn't play great (can you believe our second half offense? Where was the O-Line today? Note to next year's Vegas Bowl activity's planners--skip the pie eating contest until AFTER the game).

But the ending. Ahh, the ending! What a surge by the line, what a block, what a rush! No one in the room thought we had a chance with that Daniel Boone sharpshooter Bruin kicker . Someone even remarked, "Must stink for those fans to drive back from Vegas with a game like this." I bet Ryan's driving back happy tonight.

The fam (sans Ryan and Beffy) went to Dairy Keen today. I think I'm starting to like Dairy Keen now more for all the memories I've had than the food. The fries were on the cold side today. Granted, I didn't get a milkshake (trying to cut back), so I missed out on the full DK experience (Side note: I love their mint cookie and banana cream pie shakes). But I was dissappointed.

Then again, tonights sprite zero with one squirt (you only need one) of their cherry and vanilla add-in and that small DK ice? Refreshing. And the ranch burger with fresh tomato and the perfect amount of lettuce? Delicious.

Finally, Jamie remembered a few of Mom's blond moments tonight. Gotta love her.

#1
My mom: So, did you hear that she (some woman who shall remain anonymous) adopted a baby? He's just so cute.

Jamie: Well is he Caucasian?

My mom: No, I think he's just white.

#2

My mom: So, I was thinking yesterday and I figured out that people from India are called Indians. Did you know that?

Jamie: So what are we supposed to call the people who lived on America before we did?

Mom:.............hmm................That's wierd.

Cranes and White Elephant Meatballs

Post-finals, Pre-Christmas Party 2007!

We started with a progressive dinner beginning in S4 (appetizers). C3 had salad, where we all had to do an action when a related action occured (I had to say, "I'm a llama again!" anytime somebody asked, "what?"). Our white elephant gift exchange was a smashing success. I thought I was going to get a santa and pillowcase (see above picture), but I ended up with an amazing "dating" kit--gum, toothpaste, a guiding angel, and advice book. Victory was mine in the gift dept. We moved back to S4 and played the name game that lasted for an eternity. Next, the party migrated to C5, where Nichelle and A Cuppit made amazing Swedish meatballs. The party switched to N3, where we all had desserts-to-die-for and Lauren Inouye taught me, once again, how to make origami cranes. Finally, a few of us watched The Emperor's New Groove (I'd never seen it before) at C3. Whew! Fun night.

The Final Countdown

My family some years ago. I'm excited for Christmas!

One more final tomorrw, and the Fall 2007 Semester comes to a close. We're having a Christmas party with anyone in the ward that's still around. Progressive dinner, white elephant, games--the time of our life!

I still have a few hours of studying ahead (one more late night, and then to bed).

To all, to each, a fair good night
And pleasing dreams, and slumbers light.

Sir Walter Scott

A coquettish nudge...

Ahhhhhh....3-2-1, 1-2-3, what the heck is bothering me...

If Elder Ballard says blog...

One quick find. Sometimes I think my blogs sound sappy (usually I write them at night as I'm thinking about my day). I often wonder, what aspects of my life should I blog about?
Here's what Elder Ballard recently said:

Many misconceptions are held by people throughout the world because of false information they read on the Internet, posted by critics of the Church, Ballard said. He suggested that the tech-savvy generation get involved in "new media," including blogs, Web sites, and social networks to help clear up falsehoods and misunderstandings.

"Every disciple of Christ will be most effective, and do the most good by adopting a demeanor worthy of the follower of the Savior of the world. Your outreach can be international"

Give it the old college try...

Narrow!===============

That's how my outlook is sometimes. I'll lose track of long term goals for the moment. Or, I'll be so focused on productivity and what people think, that I won't be myself; I don't do what I truly want to do.

So, heretofore, I resolve:
ichi) I will not "rush" my life. If my guilt sensors start bleeping, telling me that I'm "wasting time" or that I shouldn't be talking for this person for this long, I'll kindly throw them (the sensors, not the person) into the drink.

ni) "Here's a little song I wrote, might want to sing it note for note..."

san) People are the reason that we're here on earth. Dave, you can be kinder, more selfless, and more interested in the happiness of others.

shi) Catch up with old friends. Don't dwell on things you can't change. Meet new people.

go) Enjoy Life!

Move like a jellyfish, rhythm is nothin'

While I wait for my space heater to warm up before going to bed, a few random thoughts from today:

1) Why are there not more hours!! So many things I want to do.
2) There is not much in the world that can warm the heart more than a large group of people with genuine love Christmas caroling in the cold.
3)I want to emulate the guys that I work for.
4)My little sister is on a cruise--she's been to China, Hawaii, five different colleges, road trips galore. Maybe I need to prioritize "fun."
5) And finally, well did Lord Byron say:

Maid of Athenes, ere we part
Give, oh give me back my heart!

nippon ni kurisumasu uta

Wrote a letter to Jake in Japan today. It made me think of my one Christmas in Japan. Probably the best Christmas ever.

One quick memory. We convinced our small branch to go out and sing Christmas carols to less active members of people that couldn't usually come to church. At most complexes and apartments we went, people told us to go away after we would start singing--even strong members didn't want us to sing at their danchi because, come on, nobody sings Christmas carols in Japan. After place after place of rejection, we ended up going to a giant apartment complex where we knew an older sister in the ward lived. We went into the middle of the complex, where the playground equipment and bike racks were, and sang under her window (she probably lived in the fifth floor) for 15 minutes. A few teenagers returning home from juku stopped for a minute and listened, then took their bags and walked away to the elevator. Everything else was quiet.As we were leaving, we saw the ward member look out of her window and smile. The moon was bright that night--it truly felt like O Holy Night.

Me and companions dressed as shepards for an activity the branch did at a giant shopping center.

Is it slimy? Sure! I'll try it...

I made guacamole for the first time ever today. I usually hate the stuff. Green and slimy taste good? nuh uh.
Not too bad though. I guess I've eaten worse...

Annus Mirabilis

Only a few weeks left of 2007. Dave, carpe diem!

Another poem from four years ago.

I found another poem from the MTC, although I think it is actually two poems that I'm merging into one. I don't even remember writing it.

AND THERE GOES ANOTHER DAY

Sounds of silence, clouds of thought

Works of action, knowledge sought

What is the song of life?

Morning comes, and evenings fast--

Hold the night! Make it last!

We lost the melody.

We lost the song of life today

The drums, the flutes, they went away.

Sleep, Sound of Death, lives on.

Sunshine of the afternoon

The voices, laughter, happy tune

All bow to evenings turn.

Circle, sleep, then back again

Look around, another sin--

Regrets of midday notes.

Measuring love and measuring me

The world alone, this world I see;

The measures run their course.

The melody is dying now
Tell me why, don't tell me how;

But future sounds remain.

Somehow the tune is never out

The trumpets play, the tubas shout

Life's songs keep playing on.

This life is short, slow years leap by

The mind will look, the time will die

Only tomorrow lives on.

Then life is done, the memories

Are faint. And yet, within the breeze,

Of light--yesteryears live on.

Yestermonths and yesterdays--

Plastic forks, silver trays;

Sorrow and success.

Spring to fall, Fall fell away

June, July, August, May

The clock ticks tock, ticks tock.

What's important what is right

The fun is gone, we fought the fight

Only tomorrow lives on.

Fast friends have long past slipped away

The ice of time, the call of play

Never takes survivors.

The summer wind, the winter chill

Sinful pleasures, righteous will

Gone and gone again.

Heart beats fluttered, seasons ran

Across the land and back again

Take a breath and think

Reflect on life--Your heart may sink

Your spirit fail, your mind will shrink--

Was it enough? Was it enough?

Not enough, as enough may be

But hurry, hurry is the plea--

Tomorrow DOES live on!

Today is now, and now is past

Then was now, but now is fast

So take on tomorrow.

Now use your time; use it well.

Joy must come, for Adam fell,

This life is not your own.

This life is hers, and his, and mine

Give love to all, and you'll be fine.

But, pray, remember God!

Remember Past--the Past of all

Where'n heavn dwelt, and God did call

To all, "Return to me."

Brother Christ, he led the way

For us he lived, our sins did pay--

His Eternal Sacrifice.

So take tomorrow, with all your might

Use today, and fight the fight

Your actions witness truth.

Truth is light, Light of God

Let light increase and spread abroad.

Your actions witness him.

Your actions, your tomorrows,

Bearing pains and holding sorrows:

A testament of God.

David B. Heywood

wow---that one was a little long. I'm tired now. Might shorten and revise in the forthcoming weeks.

A poem for Christmas

When I was in the MTC, I wrote a poem around Christmastime. I remembered that I had wrote it tonight, and so now I want to revise and improve it.

To Her Carpenter

Joseph, Joseph, have I lost you?
Joseph, Joseph, dearest love--
Know ye now my heart is still true
Yet--One I carry--Precious Dove

I have never known another
I have only wished for thee
But the Son of God must enter
Through a vessel, such as me.

How I watched and how I waited
For the Perfect Lamb to come.
No Jew hoped and prayed as I did
For the Babe of Jeruselum.

Public sorrow, death tomorrow--
Of such I will not ever fear!
Perfect love will two hearts borrow
Returned with but a saddened tear?

Thou may hate and scorn my features
"Put away" my heart this day;
But for a Savior of all creatures
Scorn must not be too much to pay.

Only till my heart stops beating
Will I ever cease my prayers
Angel's voice and love repeating
Cradles now my sorr'ws and cares.

Ok...that's where I ended in my MTC journal. What could be a good ending for the poem?

A Farewell to Omsk

I love to read humor columns, funny stories, jokes--things that make me laugh.

One of my favorite humorists is S.J. Perelman. He wrote for The New Yorker and Hollywood movies from the 1930's (he died in 1979). I love his clever wit, unparalleled vocabulary, and literary playfulness. His writing can be a little cynical, caustic, and arrogant at times, but reading his work makes me go out of my way to look up words because I want to understand his humor. Here are a few phrases that I think are stand-alone funny that I collected from books I've read.

Give me an underground laboratory, half a dozen atom smashers, and a beautiful girl in a diaphanous veil waiting to be turned into a chimpanzee, and I care not who writes the nations laws.

(Girls) eat a spoonful of yogurt when they're alone, but when your buying, man it's like Thanksgiving.

Kalbfus laughed uproariously, less at the witticism than because this was the first time anyone had addressed him in three days.

A: Then why are you staring at those clouds so pensively?
B: Perhaps I am more cirrus-minded than the other girls.

I noticed that she was eating a small umbrella-shaped object and asked her what it was. "An umbrella," she replied shortly.

It is a confessional in which dentists take down their back hair and stammer out the secrets of their craft.

I wouldn't duplicate that experience for all of the rubies in the Shwe Dagon Pagoda. Just in a matter of speaking, that is. If anybody wants to talk a deal, I can be in Rangoon in two days.

For all I knew, they might be the most odious of companions--Texas oil tycoons or social butterflies from Pasadena or football enthusiasts: crashing bores of the kind who range the world solely in search of victims

In search of passion

Recent events have slapped me in the face and forced me to wake up. As hard as it is, life changes; the road your driving on gets icy and snowy and the windshield suddenly fogs up. With your vision dimmed, driving forward on the hope that you're going the right way and you're still in your lane and, the minor details of what song is playing on the radio or how cold your feet are don't seem to matter.

Or do they? With knuckles white and eyes focused, wouldn't it help to have your favorite song blasting and your feet warm?

I was talking to a girl named Whitney a week or two ago. She said she was dating a guy who didn't seem to have a passion for anything. My accounting ears perked and the "too close to home" radar started beeping. Was I the same way? What are my passions in life? How can I be a more passionate person?

The philosopher Hegel once said:
"We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion."

And so my search in the next few days is to reexamine myself, find my passions, create new goals, and enjoy every minute I'm out on the road, be it in a blizzard or a Wal*Mart parking lot.

I laugh because I must not cry

Netsui means "enthusiasm" in Japanese. Enthusiasm, optimism, positivity--these are traits that I want to develop. To me, optimism is often a mark of faith. Of course there are going to be troubles, of course life will be hard, of course at times it will seem that the weather, your alarm clock, the cracks in the sidewalk, and even that funny sound that comes when the dryer has been on for ten minutes are all against you. But things will work out. Answers will come. Light will prevail.

It's up to me to make the best of all the opportunities that I'm given, but, more importantly, to help others find joy. So that's netsui. Enthusiasm towards life, the pursuit of joy, and the task to spread the joy and good news to others.

The first post. A Monday night, late. Too early for deep thinking, but too late to write. Someday, I'll be dedicated to writing down my thoughts.