Cowboy

Ok, so I didn’t accomplish hardly anything on my list of things I wanted to get done last year. In fact I only completed 1 thing and that was “Have lots of fun with my family”. I guess if your going to complete anything that would be the one you would want to get done. I did have a great year and plan to repeat the fun next year. And since the list from last year looks good still, maybe I’ll even accomplish a thing or two from that list or maybe I’ll just make that my list for this year since those are all the things I have planned to do this year anyway.

I suppose I could go and explain all the reasons for not accomplishing my goals but when it all boils down to it I just plain changed my priorities for the year. And priority number 1 was my family. This year I plan on having them as my #1 priority again but I think I’ll get some other things accomplished as well. So here it goes for another year of trying . . .

Well last year my blog was pretty lame, 3 posts the whole year, ya. This year I’m gearing up to beat that. It won’t be to hard but I’m going to shoot for at least a post a week. Ambitious I know but certainly doable.

So, that is my first resolution of the year. I resolve not to be a lame blogger.

Resolution lists have long been a small event for me. It may be because I make lists of goals all year long and revise them to try and find the most important things I should be doing. That doesn’t mean I’m getting any thing done but it does help me think I am. So for me the new year is more a time to review and revise my lengthy list of life goals. So with that in mind I’m going to list my currently revised list of things I’d like to accomplish in 2008:

• 52 blog entries or one a week.
• Record the Christmas album I’ve been thinking about for years with my family band.
• Finish fixing up our existing home.
• Sell our home.
• Build a new home.
• Get up every morning @ 5:00am.
• Create a computer application that will benefit the masses.
• Have lots of fun with my family.
• In depth gospel study twice a week.

A lofty list I know, but one that I think I can complete with focus and hard work. Building a new home will be enough to fill up the rest of the year.

It’s not every day you run accross an article that just drives home a belief you’ve held for some time. Today I was doing my morning stint of reading a few articles of interest and ran across this one on caffeine.

As a youth I worked for the city parks department and probably consumed enough caffeinated beverage to fill all the pools in Utah 10 times over. While working me and the guys would get real thirsty working out in the hot sun all day. So, on each break, 3 times a day, we would head to the local 7-11 where I would buy a super big gulp of Mountian Dew. For years no one could out work me on my caffeine enhanced tornado of hard labor furry. Well, as it is with most foolish things of youth I ended my binge of Dew and came clean of the power packed version of the heavenly beverage. Much to my delight, a couple years ago I was very happy they came out with the caffeine free version of Mtn. Dew and have been able to enjoy it again.

The article I reference above by Winston Craig, MPH, PhD, RD is the best compiled effects of caffeine on the body I’ve ever seen. I’ve know for many years that it was not good and I also knew that my previous intake of it would cause strange things to happen in my body. I’m thankful to a prophet of God who revealed to the world that caffeine was not good for the body long before any of the effect studies took place. Ultimately my personal drinking of caffeinate beverages ended when the prophet came out and said we should not be drinking them. I’m thankful I listened not only because of my health benefits received by doing so, but also because I know that listening to the prophet I am following the word of God. That can only lead to good things.

Well what do ya know, I went to Win-Dixie today!

In our house we loved the show “Because of Win-Dixie”.  It is such a cute show about a little girl and her dog.  Well, no little girls or dogs today in the Dixie I stopped in, just lots of food.  After lunch today I had to stop in and get a little something more to eat.  I went to lunch with my fellow classmates again today.  We went to the Bangkok Tai Restaurant and it was very tasty.  I got the hottest curry chicken on the menu and it was just right.  It made my eyes water a little and not because it was so good but because it was so hot.  Don’t get me wrong it was delicious also.  The only problem was that the portion sizes were so small I don’t think I could have fed my 4 year old lunch with what they gave me.  If I’d have known that I would have ordered 2 of the same order or one of another.  You live and learn I guess.  So I got back to class and I was just too hungry.  We had time so I ran down the street to find the closest grocery store and now were back to the beginning of my blog. 

At Win-Dixie I picked up some snacks and Ice Cream.  I got enough to share with the class and they were all glad because they were feeling the same way about lunch as I was.

Class was good today just learned more exciting Java stuff.  I’ll leave out the details for the non-technical in the audience.  After class I hurried back to the hotel to change clothes and head off to the temple.  While I was in the parking lot I realized I never took a picture of the car I’ve been driving.  It’s a beauty and plenty fast.

So after quickly changing I headed off to find the temple.  I studied the maps carefully before I left so I could get there without any trouble.  Well, all was good and I was making good time.  I was even on all the right roads.  As I approached the place I thought the turn off should be much to my disappointment the turn off went left, an unusual thing indeed.  So I missed the turn, no big deal I thought I ketch the next one.  The next one never came?  There were two turn offs for major highways but no regular exits for turning around at.  To make things worse there were toll booths everywhere.  On after another I think it took me $5 just to get to a point where I could get off the high way and turn around.  So, finally after about 10 miles down the road there was a normal exit where one could turn off and get back on going the other way.  So I raced along at about 80 miles an hour to make it back to the 5:00 session.  They only start every hour so I had incentive to get there on time.  at 10 minutes to 5 I could not find the exit and headed out along some other highway.  Knowing I could see it and the back roads would surely take me there I took the next exit on this other highway that was taking me off again into Timbuktu, I tried my luck using the force.  Well it worked.  I was able to race down the side streets and was at the temple at 5 minutes to the hour.  I hurried in and was able to get clothing, change, get through the new name booth, and was sitting in the waiting room at 4:59pm.  I’m not sure how that happened but there was a digital temple clock on the wall in the waiting room and it said 4:59 clear as my hands are typing before me.  Amazingly enough I even had time to snap a few shots of the temple on my way in.

The temple was very peaceful and I enjoyed two sessions and some quiet time in the Celestial room.

After I finished in the temple I walked around the grounds of the temple and it was beautiful and peaceful tonight.  It’s not muggy out yet and the high today was around 75 so it was a perfect weather day.

Unfortunately my camera is not all that great on my phone, but you get the idea.

All good things must come to an end.  I left the temple grounds at 9:00pm and headed back to the hotel.  I was much more refreshed in spirit and ready for another try at life after tonight’s sessions.  On the way home I stopped and got a Patty Melt and Onion Rings.  I was trying to keep it as healthy as possible.  I watched Myth Busters as I ate my delicious sandwich, the Onion Rings didn’t really make it back to the hotel.  I ate them on the way.  

After I ate I exercised for about an hour and watched a special on Walt Disney and how he dreamed of Disney Land and Disney World but only lived to see Disney Land created.  It is very fascinating what people with money can do.  I know if I had money I would do all I could to help those who didn’t have much hope for a better life.  I would like to give people hope and teach them how to become something in their life.  And most of all I would like to teach people about the marvelous gift of our Savior.  That’s what I would do if had endless supplies of money.

Florida is so beautiful I can see why so many people live down here despite the fact they’ll be bombarded with hurricanes each fall.  I love the greenery everywhere and the unique foliage like Spanish Moss, delicate shrubbery, and lots of pretty flowers.  I’m not used to seeing all this in the brown state of Utah.

They also have lots of critters not found in Utah as well.  Last night while I was returning home from picking up some Ice Cream I was passing through a beautiful river area.  It was dark and as I came around the bend in the road I saw a very large creature going across the road.  No it wasn’t big foot, and it wasn’t the creature from the black Lagoon, it looked more like an R.O.U.S. or rodent of unusual size.  At first I thought it was a dog, but as I looked closer and got closer I could see it was a creature I’d never seen up close and personal in the city.  It was truly one of those creatures strait from the movie Princess Bride when they are going through the swamp.  I wanted to stop and chase it through the woods so I could have proof of my unusual find but there was nowhere to stop and there were cars behind me.  Not to mention the rodent was extremely quick.

 Well, rodents aren’t the only things that are large and strange.  I hear there are lots of Gators down here.  I haven’t seen one yet but I’m sure when I do I’ll be ready to wrestle it like ole crocodile Dundee in the movies.  I hope I do get to see one up close and personal.  I’ve only seen them in the Zoo and they just don’t have the sense of adventure and don’t put the fear in you like a real one would.

 To go along with thier extreme foliage and extreme animal kingdom they also have bugs that would frighten with screams of terror any bug fearing human.  The Palmetto bugs, that are basically a large flying Cockroach, are everywhere.  Going up the stairs to our training facility I encountered about a 2 inch one, just a baby.

I know there are lots more exciting bugs and animals to explore but time hasn’t permitted my exploration today.

Today was Indian cuisine day for lunch.  I drove all the others in the training to an Indian restaurant called Kohinoor.  It was very good but not as spicey as I’ve had, it was toned down for the Americans who were flocking to it.  The food was delicious and as always the Indian artwork around the place was unique and interesting.

As many of the Indian restaurants I’ve been to it was a buffet and that makes it fun to try out all the dishes.  I went back for 3 plates full of delicious and tasty food.  The girl in our training class from India was with all of us and she said it was not as spicy as she is used to but it was very good.  During lunch we were taught about Indian culture from her and talked about religion.  She mentioned that she is not used to people talking about their religion.  The funny part about the class is that myself and the two other gentlemen in the class are LDS.  When they heard I worked for the church on the first day of class they both said, hey I’m LDS as well.  It was very unusual but neat.  So that has made for some interesting discussions at lunch with our new Hindu friend.

Today during class I suggested we all go to do some sight seeing one of the evenings after class so we could go to the visitors center at the Orlando Temple.  The other two LDS men in the class quickly informed me that there was not a visitor’s center in Florida.  Dang, that would have been a great way to introduce our instructor who said he really wanted to visit Temple Square in Utah when he was out there but just was not able to and also our female classmate.  I guess I’ll just have to come up with another way to share the faith. 

Well, I’ve been able to get in my exercise tonight and I picked up some Chick-fil-A after wards.  Now it’s just about bed time and I’m getting to bed early.  After staying up watching “Future Weapons” (which was very cool), “Stunt Junkies” ( which I think brings out the kid in most men wishing it was them doing all the dangerous stunts ), and “Myth Busters” ( which again most men would love to do all the fun and crazy things they get to do ).  So tonight it was hard to turn off the TV after I ate my dinner.  They have such great programs on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel.  But there is also so little time.  If I’m not careful I’d be sucked into another night of entranced stupor staring at the TV.  I cannot help but think of all the good that could be done in the world if everyone would just turn off their Television and do something good for humanity.  That’s what I hope to do.

Well, I’m off to training in Altamonte Springs, Florida which is just north of Orlando.  Coming into town I passed through all of the places I dream of going when I go to Florida, like Sea World ( my favorite ), Disney World, and tons of other fun places.  Instead of running around getting sunburned and enjoying the beautiful weather I was stuck inside a smelly training room learning the programming language Java today.  Don’t get me wrong I love to program and I like what I’m learning, it just pales in comparison to Sea World. 

 I’ve endured the first day of class and managed to keep my eyes open most of the class period after getting into bed last night at 3:00am.  The flight, getting a rental car, and finding this place took far longer than I thought it should.  Oh well, I’ll just go to bed early tonight. 

My hotel is alright, even though there is no hot tub.  What use is a hotel if you cannot go and relax in a nice warm hot tub, makes no sense to me.  They do have a nice cold pool, tempting but I’m not sure if I’ll succumb to that.  The view from my hotel window is pretty although not quite a tropical sunset.

Inside the hotel accomidations are adequate although a little musty smelling, this is the south you know.

I will say this for the room, the entire hotel just got new beds.  I was the first to sleep on my queensize pillow top and it is very comfortable.  I’d really like to stuff it in my luggage and bring it home with me.  Do you think it will fit?  I hope so.

Lunch today was very good.  I drove 3 others from our training group to lunch.  Actually it was the entire class minus the instructor.  We were supposed to have 3 others in the class but they never showed up for one reason or another.  We went to a Chinese restaurant and they servered Sushi.  So I got a Bento box with Chicken teriyaki and 2 pieces of Salmon Sushi.  Needless to say it was quite yummy.  Noone else dared.  I’ll need to make sure and take pictures of my meals as well so I can put them on this blog.  Tomorrow we are going to an Indian restaurant for lunch because the only girl in the group is from India the other two guys have never eaten food from India before!?  They may like it they may hate it.  I sure hope they like spicey food.

Fortunately, since this is my site I can have the first word and the last word.  Something that is rare for a guy like myself that doesn’t say too much.  So I’ve spent most of my night getting my blog put together and modifying the theme to look just right.  As the days go by I hope to write some things worth reading.