The Life of Brad

BRAD'S FIRST RESTAURANT REVIEW

2012-01-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Is it pathetic that, after not posting anything in the past several months, THIS is what I choose to post?

Probably.

But this is a milestone - my first Yelp review.

And I want you to share in it.

FYI...this is for the Firebox Grille in Vienna, Virginia.

***START***

I'll submit that the burger was good.

But the service left an awful impression upon me. In spite of the fact that the restaurant is a week old, a few things happened that were bizarre:

1. On a Friday night, they were out of stock on a lot of items. One of my friends ordered a chicken sandwich and was given a hamburger instead. When she told the server that she had ordered chicken, the server challenged her, asking if she was sure that she'd ordered chicken (I'll address this further in another point...I guess I had more to say here than I thought). My friend said that she was indeed sure, to which the server responded: "We're out of chicken." My friend asked for a wrap; the server said they weren't able to make it, so my friend finally ordered a salad. When I ordered, I was looking for 3 sliders on wheat bread - the cashier informed me that they had neither sliders or wheat bread. Again, the burger I ordered was good, but what happened next leads to my next point:

2. BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I'm going to break this one down:

a. The water button on the soda machine had a an out of order sign on it, which made me presume that I shouldn't push it. I asked the person at the counter where I should get water, and she (the manager) pointed somewhat condescendingly to the soda machine and told me that the water button on the soda machine (from where I came) had a water button on it. I pointed out the "Out of Order" sign, to which she responded (and by the look on her face, one would think that I had just asked what her gender was): "That's just for the soda." On the bright side, I did get a nice big cup for my water (score) and my water tasted like water.

b. When the server brought my burger, a friend indicated that he'd ordered sweet potato fries. The server's reply: "No you didn't." My friend was a bit taken aback by the curt response and, after trying to discuss it with the server further, ended up buying more sweet potato fries. Regardless of who's right, this was pretty pathetic on the server's part.

c. The cook came out to ask how our food was, which was a nice gesture. The girl sitting by me indicated that she would have liked her burger more well done. The chef responded by saying that he'd been cooking the burgers at 90% in the previous days, and the customers indicated that they preferred their burgers to be at 70-80%. Two issues here: 1) The girl who responded to the chef's question didn't chase him down and demand to know why her burger was cooked rare, she was simply responding to his question, so I'm not sure why he responded in the quasi-apologetic, hint-of-defensive manner, and 2) NO ONE USES PERCENTAGES WHEN TALKING ABOUT BURGERS. An offer to recook her burger would have been awesome. Instead, he went to another table and asked the customers to CUT OPEN THE BURGERS THAT THEY WERE CURRENTLY EATING SO THAT HE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THEM. Weirdness.

d. After the meal it was time for a toothpick. I went to the register, waited for the cashier to finish his side conversation, and asked for said toothpick. This guy was probably the friendliest of the bunch, but that doesn't help the fact that he handed me two unwrapped toothpicks with his bare hands that have been handling who knows what. At the same moment, the manager, who had been less than kind with me in shepherding me to the water, puts her hand in her shirt, pulls out her phone, and starts texting; she was facing me, and thus, the rest of the restaurant, while this happened. Blerg.

I will say that this night provided a lot of laughs, but I can't recommend this restaurant to anyone. Hopefully the staff can pull their act together...they aren't exactly the only burger joint in town.

***END***

uhh...

2011-10-23T18:32:00.000-06:00

Wow 2011. You've just been slipping on by.

And here I am, with a few moments of spare time. Thinking. A lot has happened over the past several months, and when I think about what a task it would be to delve into all that has happened...well...it's that kind of thinking that gets me to procrastinate updating this blog in the first place.

So this entry will be basic. No photos, just a quick rundown of what has been happening since my last entry (May 1st...time has flown).

Friends and family have stopped by to visit. Hannah and her brother Elijah trekked all over the city with me in May. My cousin Alli stayed with us over the weekend of July 4th. Kristen, Tommy & Alyse came by to say hello and were there to witness a metro preacher in action - the first time I'd ever actually seen/heard one. The reverse has happened too - I dropped by Joe and Whitney's to say hi to their daughter Ellie and to eat their food. I've been thinking lately about the college days and the great roommates and times that I had, and I miss it.
Work. The adventures that have taken place! I took a group from Algeria around DC - they were great, but since this group (for the most part) didn't speak any English and had to communicate via an interpreter, connecting with them personally was difficult. Nevertheless, I did get to go to Vermont and take a tractor trailer ride. On a 300+ acre orchard. On an island. I rather enjoyed that part.
MORE work. Egyptian students came (and these guys spoke English). The logistics were a nightmare, but the students themselves were brilliant, respectful, fun...whoever's reading this, I wish you could have met them so that you could be blown out of the water with how impressive they were.
Trips that DON'T have to do with work. The Outer Banks of North Carolina over Memorial Day with hundreds of other LDS friends: parasailing, wild horse hunting, singing 80s songs in the hot tub with new and old friends. Oh yeah, and the beach. Take me back. Also, Maine: completely rural, great lobster, pine trees EVERYWHERE, rocks just begging to be climbed, the Milky Way at night...it was cool. I doubt I'll do that drive again, but thankfully our car had XM radio = all the 80s music I want.
Speaking of 80s: Since May 1st, I've seen the Legwarmers twice. This equates to five times in two years. The moral of the story is that if you can play good 80s music, as long as I and others in my generation are alive, you'll probably never go hungry.
Back to work...I've sporadically been shadowing PAs and I recently took on another job (no biggie, I pick the hours and the place is right by my house) as a home health attendant. If I'm going to delve into PA school, it's going to involve a huge investment of time and money, and I'm keen on making sure it's what I want to do before I dive in, which is why I'm taking the "dip-your-toes" approach.
School. Well, kinda. It's just a ten week course called Understanding Congress (HA), but really, it's been alright so far. Sometimes it feels like my brain gets over saturated a bit more quickly than it used to, but I can keep plugging along.

Life is busy. Sometimes I feel the need to scream about how I never asked for adulthood to come to me as I pull down the pants of the nearest passer-by and run to the nearest Chuck E. Cheese, but don't worry; I don't do any of that (although Chuck E. Cheese is apparently only 6 miles away. Good to know). But in spite of the frustration, I feel like I'm progressing and trying to get myself involved in productive things.

There you have it. The past 6 months. I hope life is going well for you, good reader.

Multi-faith lessons

2011-05-01T16:58:00.000-06:00

Something you should probably know about me if you don't already: My level of self-discipline leaves something to be desired. Yes, I'm one of those people that gets pretty easily distracted from a task at hand, typically responding to said distraction by searching for the answers (via Google) to such important questions as "What happened to each of The Sandlot kids?" or "Is Rufio still alive?"

You might be surprised at where they are now. I was.

And you'd better believe that I often let my guard down whenever I pass Coldstone. Ice cream for 3 times its rational price? Yes please.

Only $20? No sweat.

Please don't get me wrong. People should treat themselves every now and again, whether it be to ice cream or some soy-laden treat (for my lactose-intolerant friends). And I have no shame about the fact that I know that the actor who played Yeah Yeah went to prison and appealed to fans of The Sandlot to help pay for his bail. That being said, I figured that it was time to prove to myself that I could go without a few easy indulgences.

The period of time known as Lent, which I've never observed before this year, proved to be an ideal time to experiment going without something that I typically incorporate needlessly into my life out of habit. This year's big experiment: Not logging into Facebook for six weeks.

Now, prior to this, if you'd have known how many times I was checking something on the ol' FB, you would have probably sent me an email saying something to the effect of: "Brad, we can't be friends. You love the internet too much." Having said this, I was shocked at how easy it was for me to give up logging in for six weeks.

A few great things happened. One was that I found that I had more time for other things. You ought to see my left fingers after all the time I've spent practicing on the guitar (not sure if I'm any better, BUT I have devoted more time to the six string).

Even more amazing was the change in the dynamics of my personal relationships. For whatever reason, I found my interactions with others to be, on the whole, so much more personal and meaningful.

Another wonderful benefit was the increased clarity with which I was able to see myself, particularly the things in my life that are lacking that I need to work on.

Perhaps it seems odd that all these things happened in consequence of not logging into Facebook, but it all happened.

I figured since I was on a roll with observing religious practices that weren't my own, I figured that I may as well try Passover, which basically meant going without food that had any yeast (some of my Jewish colleagues added rice and pasta to that list but there wasn't a strong consensus either way) as well as not combining meat and dairy, which means that I could have a piece of cheese or a piece of ham, but not together. There's a scripture about that somewhere in the Old Testament that I can't find, but trust me, it's there.

This experiment was harder for a few reasons. One was that I originally thought that Passover lasted from Monday to Sunday. It did not. It lasted from sundown on Monday (which gave me the opportunity to sneak a cheeseburger from the sports bar before too late) to the following Tuesday: 8 days. That meant two more nights of peanut butter and matzos for dinner and I was not prepared for that.

The second reason is that I ended up eating with friends, on the Thursday in the middle of Passover, at this amazing Asian restaurant which meant that I definitely ate rice. The following day, I wasn't sure if I'd broken the Passover diet or if I'd been okay, due to lack of consensus about rice. To settle the matter I went to Domino's Pizza and bought some cheese bread, so that by Friday night I was definitely off.

So there you have it. I recommend dabbling in other religious practices in an effort to increase your own self control.

Waste Land

2011-02-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna play movie critic for a bit.

It might be hard because I saw this movie last night that was inspirational...and went I get inspired it's hard to find fault.

It's been a while since I've seen a foreign film of any kind, let alone a foreign documentary. My friend Jenny Olson, who served an LDS mission in Brazil, invited me to come with a group and watch one at the National Archives.

I'm so glad she did.

The documentary is called "Waste Land." It follows Brazilian native and artist Vik Muniz, who had been living in New York City for many years, as he leaves his home to try and create positive change in someone's life. Specifically, he travels to Rio de Janeiro. In Rio, he and a colleague go to Jardim Gramacho: the world's largest garbage dump.

While in the dump, he meets a few people that refer to themselves as "pickers." Their job is to sift through load after dump truck load of trash for recyclables; they then take the recyclables to merchants who are in need of cardboard or aluminum or whatever it may be.

Let me tell you how much trash we're talking about. Have you ever walked across a sand dune? If you have, you'll know that when you walk on a steep portion of the dune, the sand gives readily and "avalanches" down the dune. Imagine that sand dune is made of garbage. It's high, and as people walk across it, garbage tumbles and gathers more garbage. You'd see a person jumping from the top of the garbage to a slightly lower area and then they'd jump again, and again, up to 6 times till they were at the bottom, which in and of itself is mostly garbage.

As mentioned, Vik is an artist on a mission. He starts his mission by speaking with a few of the pickers at Jardim Gamacho. These pickers (read about them) amazed me. They were down to earth. They were not ashamed of picking through garbage. They were brilliant. They were incredibly funny. I was most amazed by the women; though they had fallen on hard times, they refused to become another drug trafficker or prostitute, even though the opportunity was abundant. To them, they earned every cent of their pay with dignity.

Humbling.

Vik takes pictures of them and brings them into a local art studio. He makes projections of the pictures so that they show along the floor of the studio. The team takes small, recyclable materials and places them along the shaded portions of the projection. In the empty space they put larger recyclables (tupperware, toys, etc.) so that it appeared to be a colored mosaic. Obviously it takes a lot of time and direction to do this, but each of the pickers who served as subjects of the art project are overjoyed when they see the results.

What is particularly interesting to me is that even being away from the dump for a few hours had an effect on the pickers. Upon simply working in a new location, a few of the workers lose any desire to return to the dump.

Vik and Tiao (the president of the pickers) go to London to present the artwork. Tiao has basically spent his whole life in the dump, so few can imagine the feeling of being in a foreign city for the first time AND going to a high caliber art show AND worrying that the art that you helped produce wasn't going to sell.

Well, it sold. And it sold well.

This documentary made me think upon the privileges I've been given. It strengthened the belief that no matter what cards life deals, I CAN keep my moral standards. It is very interesting that I saw this at a time when I am trying to decide what will fulfill me the most.

What!? Life's NOT cut and dried?!?!

2011-02-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

I know what you're wondering. "I can't possibly mean what title implies. Life is, of course, easy and carefree and predictable. I totally have it figured out."

Not.

And thank heaven.

Before I continue, I should acknowledge that it's been forever since I've posted. My brother Kevin had a really rough patch but he is out of the ICU after almost 2 months. My amazing boss allowed me to stay in Utah for a bit longer after Christmas Break and go back AGAIN the last week of January when things were looking really bleak. I can't express enough gratitude for the support family and friends have shown towards my family and me. And I'm overjoyed that Kevin is recovering from this terrible sepsis.

As far as I go, something incredible has happened...specifically, a series of events has led me to consider an option that I hadn't given much thought to in the past.

Event 1
This took place when I was in Utah, coming home from the hospital with my mom. You've got to understand that my mom and I are very good friends. You've also got to understand that while Kevin was in the ICU, the nurses and doctors that cared for him were some of the finest.

With that, as we were going home, Mom asked: "Have you ever thought about being a nurse or a doctor?"

It didn't seem like a strange question at all. My answer was not, "well Mom, I've sort of gotten a degree already so...ya know...yeah." In my answer, I said that it was amazing work that nurses and doctors perform...I just wasn't sure if I'd have the stamina to do that type of work all the time.

But I never forgot that she asked it. This context leads us into:

Event 2
A week or so later, I attended a singles ward (an LDS congregation for young single adults. Yep, I'm 25 years young) in Ogden. I ran into a good friend of mine, Nicole Carter, who I hadn't seen in over 5 years. She lived a good distance away and happened to be attending this ward because her brother was giving a talk.

She made a comment in Sunday school. When she first started college, she was sure she was going to study music...and soon felt that her service was needed in another department. She graduated from Weber State University and is now a registered nurse. We chatted a bit and I went home.

Event 3
As Kevin was initially getting better, I decided that I would fly back to DC. Back in November, I had booked a flight to Orlando for the weekend of MLK Day to visit Jake & Bethany Deines, Hannah Hopkin & Brock Hostetter...good grief, spell checker does not accept ANY of their last names! Anyhow, I made it back to DC just in time to go to sleep, work for 6 hours and catch the flight. I also got in touch with Daniel Martoma (spell checker doesn't care for that last name either) who was in my program at BYU.

While catching up with Daniel, I found out that he had been working for the past year as a city planner for Port Orange. Though it seems like a good fit for a geography major, he didn't get much of a sense of fulfillment or satisfaction. He felt like it was time to start on a path to find both of those in his career...

So now he's working on pre-reqs for med school.

Event 4
While in Orlando, I went with Brock to the singles ward there. As luck would have it, I ran into an old coworker of mine from the library days, Ben Gardner. Ben is working on his master's degree in vocal performance. And he's good: He sang in the BYU Singers which is no small feat. I should mention that he is studying at Florida State University in Tallahassee which is a good 3 hours or so from Orlando, so he presumably doesn't go there very often.

In catching up with Ben, I found out that while he enjoyed studying vocal performance and fully intended on finishing the degree (he has one semester left), he realized that he wasn't going to feel like he made the world better by singing an opera.

So after he finishes his master's degree, he's going to work towards...you guessed it...med school.

The Final Whopper
The events above happened in three weeks time. I don't know about you, but I am a person who doesn't believe that strings of experiences such as these are merely coincidental. I called my mom to tell her what had transpired since her question a few weeks ago. After the explanation, I asked her to tell me what this all meant.

Depending on your experience with your parents, this may seem like a completely reasonable or absurd question. Not only is my mom a good friend of mine, but she has an eerie habit of being right about certain key things in my life. Thus, her answer struck a chord with me:

"I know exactly what it means. You just have to figure it out."

Fair enough, I thought.

We chatted for a bit longer, after which, I told my Floridamigos (that's Florida + amigos and I can't believe that isn't already a word) about the saga. My friend Jake, who happens to be a pediatrician in residency, asked me if I'd thought about PA school. The truth is, I had, but not for a very long time...as in, not since I'd returned home from serving as a missionary back in 2006.

So here I am. Considering it again. It sounds right. I have no sense of regret about the prospect of going back to school.

Now a bit more prayer and a plan are in order.

Polynesians + Jersey + Seinfeld = T-Day 2010

2010-11-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

Guys...when will I just accept it? I go into a vacation thinking that I'll come out of it "rejuvenated and ready for the week," and as the time comes to face reality, I am wishing that I could turn the time from 10:17pm to 10:17am. As in 10:17am last Friday. An indefinite number of times. That way, I could wake up every day to leftover turkey and pie.

But until one of you brainiacs invents a decent time machine, I guess I'll just have to recount the experience on the ol' blog.

Wednesday, Nov. 24: Our awesome boss let us out at noon. Went to lunch at Pho (Vietnamese noodle joint) with a friend and his cousin who asked REALLY awkward questions. Took a stroll to the National Archives. At 5pm, I decided that I didn't much like the idea of having nothing to do for the whole night, so I sent out a mass text inviting people over for games and cocoa. The night turned out much better than I anticipated: 12 people came, which led to a perfect amount of people for Cranium. But the true victory of the night was in the music: I brought out the 80s joy playlist and it was A HIT. The BEST part was hearing the song "Working for the Weekend" by "Loverboy" and realizing, as a group, that the weekend had officially arrived!!!!!! Euphoric bliss, friends.

Thursday, November 25: Caught a 10:30 train at the jam-packed Union Station to Philly. At Philly, grabbed some lunch and a sweet potato pie (for Thanksgiving dinner). I also went to Subway to grab some cookies, which I tend to love because of their cheapness/doughiness. Instead of paying the typical $1 for 2 cookies, the guy gave me 2 cookies for free! How sweet (when I put this good news on facebook, a few people responded in outrage to the notion of me being at Subway on Thanksgiving, and that I'd better call them if I didn't have plans...which I did...but they didn't know I did...confused yet? Good. Point is, it's nice to know that there are people watching out for me). Caught the train to Cherry Hill, NJ. Got off at Cherry Hill and waited. The rains came down and I did not care for THAT one bit, especially since I had to wait for an hour for my ride. But he came through. Perhaps I should explain who "he" is...Landon Sikahema, one of my mission companions. In case you're curious, his dad IS Vai Sikahema, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and walloped Jose Canseco in a boxing match. I am amazed that some people can be so successful and humble at the same time, and happy for reminders that such people exist. Got to the Sikahema house, walked right in, sat down and started eatin' da ono kine grindz (Hawaiian Pidgin for really good food). Landon's mom Keala and sister Lana were there, and they were so sweet and accommodating. Another family from Landon's ward, the McCounagheys (I'm not even concerned about if I spelled that right, as I'm not sure that's even their last name...) were there along with Vai's long time friend Brian Rowley. Lot of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, laughter, and good times ensued. A great day was capped off by the movie "Heavyweights" and a documentary about the history of Honolulu. I LOVE Thanksgiving.

Friday, November 26: Slept in (duh). Got up, mused about going into Philly, found out that TBS was playing 8 hours of Seinfeld, and all other plans were duly cancelled. Don't worry, we did take a break to walk Charlie, the Sikahema beagle, around the block, which was really cool because I got to see the open spaces (yep, contrary to what you may think, open spaces exist in New Jersey) where Landon lived out his childhood. After the walk and the Seinfeld-a-thon, we played a few rounds of Scattegories and the Sentence Game (write a sentence, draw a picture underneath, repeat. If you need more detail, PLEASE ask me as the Sentence Game could very well fill any voids in your life) with Lana, Keala, Brian, Sage (Brian's daughter) and David (Vai's cousin). Another great night.

Saturday, November 27: Packed up (and in case you hadn't guessed, yes we did sleep in again) and headed to Philly. Although I've been to Philly before, this time I found myself wishing that I had more time to spend there. We got some Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches at Carmen's in Reading Terminal Market and tried to get to the Rocky Steps....but ran out of time and had to get to the station to catch my train. The night was fairly uneventful, and I probably would just be getting home now if it weren't for...

Sunday, November 28: The Legendary Paul Saunders and I sang a duet in church. We sang the first verse of "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" followed by the third verse of "Reverently and Meekly Now" followed by the second verse of the former and wrapped up with the fourth verso of the latter. And if THAT wasn't enough excitement for you, it was sung to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". Yeah. Paul's creativity conjured the amazing arrangement. I just sat there wishing that more Subway employees gave out free cookies. Speaking of singing, our ward choir performance is in a few weeks, and the music committee petitioned people to come to rehearsal so they could participate. We had about 35 people show up to practice, so many that no one could sit down and our chorister had to stand on a chair. It was awesome. Someone even brought cookies!! The Sabbath was wrapped up pleasantly with a sing-along at Rachel Murdock's where we sang all of the Christmas hymns. Great times all weekend long.

I guess I can't complain too much about returning to the grind...I head back to Utah on December 17th to spend time with family and any friends who aren't still embarrassed about "that one time". It's less than 3 weeks away. Cakewalk!

Phriends phrom the phreakin Philippines

2010-11-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Alright, I know...I am as guilty as anyone of finding reasons to complain about work. Well, right now, I don't have much reason to complain, because I just returned from a fantastic trip with a group of elected officials from the Philippines. They came from all over the Philippine Islands and worked in a range of capacities: some were city councilors, some were provincial board members (like a state representative), and we even had a vice governor, whose position is equivalent to that of a lieutenant governor (I think I heard him say that at least a hundred times). After some thought, I realize that they need to be listed by name on my blog. Because they're great. And I'm not putting them down in alphabetical order...the names will be at random, but feel free to look for a pattern if you're bored. I also won't put their last names because Jake Deines or Alyse Leninger will likely try to exploit them, and let me inform them both that the buck stops here.

Conrad
Cheryl
Karen
Marc
Mylene
Kirk
Joseph
Aristotle
Abel

We went to meetings and events in DC; afterward, we visited the great states of Kansas and Washington.

The delegation came to DC at a prime time. In addition to being here during the midterm elections, the Filipinos got to experience the Rally to Restore Sanity and Halloween.

These poor guys flew all night, and for what? 40 degree weather, that's what.

Classic pic behind the White House on the way to the rally.

If you want to vote for this guy, please submit a ballot into the slot in the box. I think he'll like it.

The beginning of the craziness...

Holy crap. People.

Over 200,000 came to this shindig.

Comfy seats.

Pizza with the McGreevy's at "We the Pizza". Brilliant name. I only wish I'd thought of it first.

If you don't live in DC, this will have little significance, but humor me anyway.

A woman sat at this very spot with her protest station to protest against Israel and other sundry issues. For 29 years. I recall seeing her in this spot whenever I passed Lafayette Park, but she was asked to move so that they could clean the spot. She did. I imagine that she has moved right back into this spot...Corazon is her name, by the way.

The tour thang.

Look at them. Acting like absolute children. Sheesh. I wish I was in the picture.

The group and the rock star tour guide who, incidentally, used to work for the very same org that I currently work at (ACYPL).

Witch Karen, Jester Cheryl, Gnome Conrad and Hag Mylene. Happy Halloween!

Congressman Brad Meehan with Chief of Staff Conrad Cejoco. We were such a dynamic team that we didn't NEED to be "elected".

During this trip, we went into several elevators. Not once did we have to ride in separate elevators. As you can see, we're pretty excited about that accomplishment.

In the Capitol. This spot marks the dead center of DC (it's NOT the Washington Monument, like what's-his-name says in whatever-the-conspiracy-book-is).

We take tours and we want to entertain you.

Great night at a Japanese restaurant. Two things to note:
1. Filipinos (especially if they're named Kirk) love rice. Love is almost an understatement.
2. We went here for Aris's birthday, and he was going to pay for it. Before he could wrestle my bill out of my hands, I stole it and took it to a far corner so I could privately pay for my food. Apparently, it's custom in the Philippines for the birthday boy/girl to treat his/her friends instead of be treated. Interesting!

ELECTION DAY!! Cheryl, Karen and Conrad are chatting it up with some volunteers.

The Philippine Embassy. We had just finished a lunch of raw fish, pickled veggies, and rice. Yep, you guessed it...we ate Japanese food again.

The delegates at the Philippine Embassy.

After the Embassy, we headed to the airport and flew to Kansas City (via Detroit, if you MUST know). Kansas was fantastic. Our host, Stephanie Sharp, set up some amazing meetings and opportunities for the group, including a tour of an elementary school (BE WARNED: Many of the following pictures include the delegates helping Kindergarteners. Excessive cooing may occur), a tour of Ft. Leavenworth, a luncheon sponsored by the Kansas City Area Development Council, and some genuine barbecue...we may or may not have sang karaoke after dinner.

For those who think the Midwest is boring, check out this sunrise. And yes, Famous Dave's BBQ can be found to the right, making this picture all the more beautiful.

Principal at Benninghoven Elementary talking about education and commenting on Marc's 3 km scarf.

Abel and the mosaic bull. As for Joseph...he was like this the ENTIRE program.

I've never seen the Cat and the Hat associate with Pooh. I don't know what's going on.

Mylene and the kiddies.

Prepare to coo...

We're now at the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. Conrad and Cheryl are completely at odds over which way is northwest.

The pic doesn't catch it, but this is a pretty cool meeting about education.

Mylene brilliantly joined the choir. Hysterical. The choir director was even amused.

Abel could have given me a concussion with that medicine ball and I would have had no preconception of it. Just look at that face. Completely disarming.

Making Joseph and Cheryl pose like this seemed like a good idea at the time. Now it just looks really random. Oh well.

How cool is this school?!?! Look at the animals they get to tend in their environmental sciences class:

This poor guy unwittingly scared one of the delegates.

Tour of Buffalo Soldier site in Leavenworth. This man is awesome because he almost fell into a pond getting the turtle for the picture below...

If you can't see the turtle, follow Joseph's eyes; Joseph was likely trying to figure out how to turn the shell into a purse he could carry around. What a fem.

Following the Buffalo Soldier's gaze...

...while Mylene decides to look wherever she pleases.

Chapel at Fort Leavenworth

This place is pretty awesome. In addition to being a college for US military personnel, this facility hosts foreign military officials as well.

General Douglas MacArthur is seen as a hero in the Philippines. Right now, however, Joseph just sees him as a backdrop.

One of the foreign military officials I mentioned, Colonel Jun Torres from, you guessed it, the Philippines.

Col. Torres invited us over for dinner at his house. We knew which house was his as soon as we saw it.

Yes.

I interrupt the karaoke pictures for this message: Please youtube "Don't Touch My Birdie", as it was the song Joseph was singing. Hilarious is an understatement.

Awesome night, thanks to the Torres family!

Sunflower House, a child abuse prevention/intervention facility. They have a pretty fantastic setup.

No program is complete without Gilly.

Yup. This road separates Kansas from Missouri.

Convention Center in Kansas City, MO. Apparently the 4 towers have no significance.

Performing arts center, KC, MO.

KC, MO

Marc mingling with the Wyandotte County Commissioner and KC (KS...so confusing) Mayor Joe Reardon.

Outside of the Kansas Speedway where Nascar races are held.

View from the VIP area

Once again, this is where Nascar races are held. Please don't forget.

Racetrack from the top.

Having a moment with the horizon

Stephanie, Joseph and me inside the track.

No need for a caption.

"We are the champions..."

But we all know who the real champ is.

This guy doing a fire knife show was somehow involved in a Hare Krishna group. But you probably guessed that, didn't you? I didn't.

Gorbachev, Marilyn Manson, a pig, and....whatever's going on up there. I guess I've never been a lover of the arts, or at least certain types of art.

Kansas City Power & Light District

801 REPRESENT!!!!!

I debated posting this for about a millisecond. Joseph's glasses are just too funny.

Yep. That's a cookie shaped like the ruby slipper from Wizard of Oz.

Speaking of ruby, check these trees out!

Flipping yum and flipping way too much food from Famous Dave's.

Send off...thanks Stephanie!

Let's not forget Amy Slater at the left. Very integral to the program's success in the Sunflower State.

Our last stop was Washington (the state). After a layover in beautiful Salt Lake City we got off to a bit of a rough start in the Evergreen State. Some dude accidentally took my bag, but thankfully it was recovered within 15 minutes. After waiting in the chill for about 20 minutes for the vehicle to pick us up, this little number came. Please note that there were only 10 of us in the group:

A 50-seater. Perfect.

And you know what made it even better? One word: Valinda. She was out bus driver to an event in Seattle that we were expected to attend (our hotel was in Tacoma, so this made for a very long night). After our luggage was loaded, Valinda said that she would need help getting to the destination.

Because it was dark.

And rainy.

And she couldn't see.

Mind you that Valinda is from Tacoma. Now, although I'd been to WA twice before, I'll admit that I'd never had occasion to go to the Filipino Community Center in Seattle either time, so I wasn't sure how much help I was going to be. With a bit of encouragement, we set off from the airport to our destination. Valinda made sure the bus wasn't too void of noise by telling us, at the top of her lungs, all about Seattle. Just a snipit:

"SEATTLE IS A CITY OF MANY FIRSTS. NORDSTROM, STARBUCKS, MICROSOFT, BOEING, STARBUCKS, NIRVANA..."

Yes, she did say Starbucks twice.

We weren't bugged by Valinda, in fact it was the opposite. She provided many fond memories. We will return to Valinda later, but suffice it to say that we made it to the Filipino Community Center which was holding its 75th Anniversary Gala. Dancing ten-year-olds, Miss Asian-American Idol (yep, she exists) and drag queens made the event especially memorable.

Abel, Joseph and Aris decked out in their barongs, a top worn by Filipino men to formal events.

Marc and Conrad in their barongs. No idea who the other two are. To save you from being unnecessarily perplexed, we'll call them Andromeda and Phil.

Karen, Cheryl and Mylene in there Filipiniana dresses; the dress is the female counterpart to the barong, which is worn by Kirk here.

There's the ten year old in action. People threw money at the floor...this was definitely a fundraising event (I guess most galas are) and the hosts were NOT shy about reminding everyone of that.

Yep, that would be a dance party up front.

After about 2 hours here, we called up Valinda who said she'd be at the center in 10 minutes. After about 20 minutes, I called her again. Her paraphrased response:

"Well, after driving all around for 2 hours I saw that the fuel card was low so I figured I should fill the tank up before we go. I'll be there in 10 minutes."

Sublime.

As we boarded the bus, Joseph told Valinda that I was extremely interested in hearing about the history of Tacoma. From the very start. Off she went. I don't remember what she said, I just remember punching Joseph in the arm and returning to my seat. I had definitely fallen asleep when a horrible noise intruded my sleep:

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Thanks V.

We checked into the hotel, blah blah blah, now it's time for more pictures. I should mention that our host in Washington, Amy Ruble, put together a top notch schedule for us as you'll see.

But before we get into the program, I have to showcase Tacoma for a bit. It's one of the most intriguing cities I've seen.

This was on the floor of my hotel. It's made of glass and it's the first thing I saw when I left the elevator, ensuring a promising stay at the hotel. Again, I'm not much of an art guy.

Right outside our hotel. It's a symbol for ________. (Fill in the blank.)

Tacoma on Sunday morning. Don't let the parked cars fool you, I probably saw 3 moving vehicles in 45 minutes.

Now HERE'S art I can appreciate.

Do they mean it's photo enforced or are they asking people to photo enforce?

First meeting with Representative Eric Pettigrew. This guy's awesome. I decided I wanted a picture with him.

And I got one. And here's the proof.

The posse at the Space Needle, Amy included.

View from the top

I can't get enough of this city, and I always seem to go when the sky's clear. I'm probably a lucky charm. You're welcome, Seattle.

Believe it or not, they posed for this. And yet they call it a candid shot. It just doesn't compute.

Aris and I up top.

Guarding the totem. Keep back.

International Fountain

Alright Conrad, nap's over. Get on the bus.

Pike Place Market

Peter Piper's been busy.

Fresh shrimp earrings. They're the new pink.

Kirk, Cheryl, Mylene, Pike and Pike

He was really that tall. 8'11", I believe, and he only lived for 22 years.

Even the apple poops.

On retrospect, I really wish I'd done more than just take a picture of this.

Kirk, Marc, Cheryl, Mylene and Joseph doing the tourist thing in front of the first Starbucks.

Outside of the aquarium on the waterfront

Looks great! (And the sunset's alright too.)

That man is playing the piano. On a street corner outside. Where two people had been playing banjos an hour before.

We thought we were just going to eat, but the delegates were asked to introduce themselves and answer some questions, which was a complete surprise to Amy and me. They took it like champs. Karen is giving her spiel.

The Aris monologue

Vice Governor Marc chatting it up

Conrad answering a question about the postal service in the Philippines

This was fantastic. This group ("Young Once") sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for the delegation.

Representative Bob Hasegawa at the International Drop-In Center

Coolest fountain/THING in downtown Tacoma

Port of Tacoma

This building is a green building, so green that they have a garden on the roof.

Amy graciously opened her home for one of the meetings. We had an awesome Filipino lunch (lots of rice and chicken adobo) and the group got to interact with members of the Washington State Youth Legislature.

We went to Olympia on Jubilation Day, which was the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Washington. Our timing rocks.

Secretary of State Sam Reed dressed up in early 1900s garb.

The Vice Governor in the Lieutenant Governor's seat. All is right with the universe.

Now that he has that mallet he almost looks a bit threatening, but not quite. Nice try buddy.

This would be on the floor of the State House of Reps, and that would be George himself.

Making my case for a bill to ban discrimination against those with curly hair.

The L isn't for loser, but since I can't recall what it stands for, I'm okay if it stands for loser for now.

State Supreme Court

State Capitol

Kirk getting ready to sing "Come On Eileen" in the Supreme Court

Mylene, about to eat a burger as big as her.

They're official ACYPL graduates now. All grown up.

It was a great trip. It was stressful. It was fun. It was hilarious. It was insightful. I can't stress enough the importance of international exchanges like these that allow people from the US to meet people from different parts of the world to share ideas and reshape paradigms. It is one of the most effective ways to open the mind and provide rich experience. And another thing...it's 2am. I think I'm done for tonight.

Very grateful for my experience with the Filipinos. Salamat po!

Top ten list

2010-10-28T21:38:00.001-06:00

Work has been crazy. There seem to be a hundred things going on at as many miles per minute. Today, it almost became overwhelming. I usually tutor on Thursday evenings, and I was thinking of staying late at work tonight because I definitely could have.

But I decided to go.

After tutoring, I walked to the metro with this guy named James. James is LDS, and although we get off at the same stop, he's not in my ward. I've met him twice. He's an impressive person...he works for the State Department and is preparing to go to Iraq on a work tour. In preparation he is taking Arabic classes that are paid for by his work. He is also engaged. Busy guy. Also very kind and self-aware. On the ride home, James posed an interesting challenge/question:

"Top ten list. What are you most thankful for? And they have to be things that have happened today."

Before this, James was reflecting on President Thomas S. Monson's talk on gratitude. Ironically, as James put the challenge out there, the train stopped and we were forced to evacuate. Waiting on the platform gave me a bit of extra time to think.

After a bit of time, I came up with my top ten for October 28, 2010:

My boss, who took the trouble to ask how my brother was doing in spite of her crazy schedule.
The weather. It was sunny and 65 when I left work.
The chance I had to go tutor; it was a good paradigm shift.
Free dinner!!
A good breakfast, which I was able to have because...
I woke up at 7:15! I've never been blamed for being a morning person, by the way.
After a 4 day long game of phone tag, I finally got a hold of my mom and we were able to catch up a bit.
The conversation and company, at the time of the conception of this list, was very uplifting.
Coworkers with an amazing sense of humor. They send really funny pictures/links/whatever can be sent via email. Yep, even funnier than the ones your coworkers send you.
You guessed it: 80s music.

Of course, the day didn't seem so bad after all this. And the list can go on. I am currently typing this in a room with a bed in a safe neighborhood. It's coming from a computer I have access to. I know that God allows us to be refined because He wants us to improve.

What's in your top ten list?

Personal reflections at 4:30am

2010-10-19T03:07:00.000-06:00

Six hours ago I lay down in an effort to go to sleep early. I need to do whatever I can to have as much energy as possible during the day. Since about 2:15am, I've been unable to go back to sleep. Perhaps it's due to the Canadian Thanksgiving dinner I had last night, or perhaps it's due to general worry about things completely outside my control.

Whatever the reason, here's an update on life:

My older brother, Kevin, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer a month ago. He starts radiation and chemotherapy later this morning. I am not sure how either of those feel, but the word "dandy" doesn't come to mind. I hope he does alright. Since we were (were...HA! Still are) big fans of the Muppets, I decided I would get him a Miss Piggy wig for the time when his hair gets thinner. He undergoes surgery in late December.

Perhaps it's against my better judgment to have posted that information or to post what I say now. If you are looking for something lighthearted, I'll kindly redirect you to awkwardfamilyphotos.com, where I'm sure you'll get a chuckle.

If you're still here, these are my thoughts.

I don't share this to somehow imply that my struggles are somehow heavier than anyone else's, and again, I'm not sure what posting these will do other than allowing a forum for me to acknowledge where I struggle...which may be a futile endeavor in itself. What I have come to realize, over the past few years, is that I have a difficult time being good to the ones I am closest to. I don't think I was ever cruel when I was living at home with my family, but I certainly was distant from my brothers. I have often heard that there could not be a more different group of people being raised by a mother and a father (or a stepfather, if you want to get technical) than my brothers and me. I have often had somewhat of a sense of pride in that sentiment, and I'm not sure if that was the right way to feel about not being unified as siblings.

Even now I struggle with being close to people I see most often. During my first few months as an intern I met someone who I felt I'd known for a very long time...a kindred spirit, if you will. I moved back to DC into a house where this same person lived, and though I can not be grateful enough that he saved me a spot in the house he found, I have to wonder what on earth I was thinking. I shouldn't be surprised since I've heard numerous times that it isn't always wise to move in with who you feel are your best friends, but...I was surprised and have since found myself inclined to distance myself yet again. Between this and my behavior growing up, it makes me wonder how on earth a guy like me would get married; then again, I'm of the opinion that most marriages, if done in the proper place at the proper time, are directed by God. But I digress...

The connection between this and Kevin: Heaven forbid that his time on earth be shortened. Quick tangent: Many reading this don't know Kevin, but he has had an uphill battle for much of his life. He was born premature, is legally blind, and has the mental/social abilities of a 13 year old. But he has an amazing long term memory and loves simple things; my family is fortunate to live in a neighborhood where people are kind to Kevin and concerned about his health. Now back to the point...if these are some of Kevin's last moments, I need to figure out what the heck I can do as a brother. I love him. It was difficult for me, several years ago, to understand that my older brother was in some sense limited (I chose that word carefully and it still makes me shudder in the risk of it sounding too cruel) in his capacity to be an older brother. I look back and wish I would have been more patient.

Really, my prayers are with Kevin at this point. It will be good to see him and everyone at Christmas.

For those who took the time to read this post, thank you. I rarely post personal reflections like this online, and I hope this doesn't translate into me "airing out dirty laundry" or "seeking pity." Rather, I hope that you, as a person who is likely struggling with something, realize that there's at least one other person who's trying to combat the impure things about himself and become the kind of person he wants to be...a long process indeed.

Catching up on the past: Part 3 (I think I'll go to Boston...)

2010-10-17T19:38:00.023-06:00

Ever have a really busy day at work, when you leave with the heavy thought that what you have to accomplish will not only be there, but magically MULTIPLY five-fold by the time you return the next day? Such are my thoughts right now. Add to that the mysterious sense of lethargy (probably has nothing to do with me staying up till 1am this morning. Not a thing) and you get one long day. The one highlight was making dinner from one of the girls I home teach who just had surgery. MJ and her sister KA really seemed appreciative and it made my night.

But enough about today! This post is about dwelling upon the past. (Good times, don't worry.)

The most recent personal venture I made outside of the District was to Boston. For almost 8 years, I have had a strong, almost random desire to visit Boston, and thanks to a wonderful girl who tipped me off to a great airline deal (thanks Becca), I made the trip. The round trip ticket ended up costing less than $100.

I woke up early in the morning (4am, to be exact) and joined Kari, Kim, Ashley and Audrey as we set out to BWI. After arriving in Boston and taking this picture:

Kari, Kim, myself, Audrey & Ashley after the grueling plane trip (not really...it was pretty uneventful).

We took a bus to a T station (Boston public transportation system: the T), where I noticed the green line train I was supposed to catch to meet my friend; with a wave to the others, I ran and caught the train. The friend I met: Calvin Olsen, who I met last year at sports camps and is working towards a master's degree at Boston University. He let me crash at his place and joined me for many adventures.

In a way, it was as much of a weekend to catch up with friends as it was to explore the city. The first person I met up with was Mike Moran, a state representative representing Brighton and part of Brookline. I met Mike through work when I coordinated the Australia trip for him and a few other people. Mike was incredible: He took me on a driving tour of the city, making several stops (I'm not sure a single stop he made was legal) to take pictures like this:

Fenway Park: Just remember that baseball = religion in Boston.

I enjoyed pitching for the Red Sox. It was a great gig , and I even got this picture of me for free.

Who needs to send a postcard when you can take picture of yourself standing by a display full of postcards? You tell me.

Oldest public library in the country.

Common, or plaza. These are all over the city, and there's always something cool going on.

The Old State House

For those who doubted that I was at the Old State House, chew on this.

Customs Tower (now a hotel). Possibly my favorite building in the city.

Can you guess what this is? I guess you could just cheat and look at my facebook album.

The man, the myth, the Mike himself.

Mike was an awesome tour guide. He loves the city and has the thick Boston accent to prove it. He also set up tours of Harvard and the (new? modern? current...yes, current) State House. Many thanks Mistah Moran.

Another friend I caught up with was a former coworker, Chris Spangler. Chris was my unofficial mentor during my internship days and was incredibly helpful during my first few months as a program officer. Really a great guy. He is working on his master's degree in diplomacy and law. In spite of his busy schedule, he made time to chat with me over lunch.

Chris, me, and the very burger place we ate at minutes before this photo was taken. Feel free to admire my flip-flops.

Following lunch, I took the T back to the Boston Commons and began my trek along the Freedom Trail. After posting a WHOLE lot of pictures on Facebook, and realizing that .085% of all people who look at my Boston album will have the patience (let alone the desire) to look at ALL the pictures I took along the Freedom Trail (easily more than 100), I have decided to go with a few favorites.

Yes, I DID know that you were wondering what the inside of a T station looked like. You're welcome.

The beginning of the Freedom Trail

The State House

Okay, I realize that some of these "Freedom Trail" pictures I've posted don't have a ton to do with the actual historical sites of Boston. Spoiler alert: These (and the historical pics) can also be found on my Facebook album if you feel robbed of your virtual Freedom Trail tour.

Yes, I do...as does everyone else.

According to a good source, this is part of the most expensive transportation project in U.S. history. Apparently, this area used to be a jam-packed road, and it was turned into this really nice plaza. There are more details, but if I told you EVERYTHING then you'd never grow.

Here's Paul Revere's house for all you whiny history buffs.

Charles River

Wait for it...

I only paid $2.50 for this edible joy.

Dinner at Mother Anna's

Can I build a city or what?

Simply awesome. And everybody knew my name.

Why, yes, we WERE the bouncers.

Because Calvin and I did such a good job as bouncers, Cheers rewarded us with this jewel of a piece of Boston Creme Pie!.........Well, after a donation of $7, they gave me the pie. They gave Calvin a burger after he donated a bit. But they still appreciated us.

Fenway Park, the oldest public library in the U.S., a girl soliciting my help to donate to Children International (not pictured), the Freedom Trail, great pastry/pie/Italian food, thick salty accents that endear many and repel some (I like the accent, personally), and the Cheers Bar all in one day. Not bad for day one!

Yes, yes...that was just day one folks. An abbreviated version. But hold your exasperated sighs, I'm condensing the rest of the weekend.

Sunday we rode the T to church, off the Lechmere stop. It was a great time. Afterwards, we dashed to (well...rode to...whatever) the USS Constitution (world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel, and you can thank Wikipedia for that) and the Bunker Hill Memorial, which somewhat resembles the Washington Monument with one exception: you get no elevator ride to the top, you get to climb all 294 steps. Since I make a point of climbing at least 295 steps a day, I knew this wouldn't be an issue.

View from the ship

Bunker Hill Bridge

Thar she blows!!

On the USS Constitution, I was privileged to help out the crew with a few duties.

Then we got kicked off the boat. Oh well. Off to Bunker Hill...

View from the top...the journey up wasn't eventful, so I took no pictures of the climb.

Calvin and I after the climb. No small task, thank goodness we're not small men.

We also ate dinner at the bishop's home with half the ward (local church congregation) at his home, which was WAY out of the city. The drive was incredible...at least I think it was as I was asleep for most of it. Dinner was great and so was the company. My friend Andrea Bassett (transplant from DC to Boston) took us home and we crashed!

The next day (also the final day) in Boston started off with breakfast with another former coworker, Sophia Burton. I am very fortunate to have worked around some great people, and Sophia is no exception. Always kind, always reassuring, she worked hard (and still is, I'm sure) and had every confidence that I would somehow find my niche while at ACYPL. Sophia is working on her master's degree in international education at Harvard; it was great to share a few moments at Crema Cafe.

Sophia, me, and our uninvited friend, the rain

The day also consisted of tours of Harvard University and the State House. Now, call it laziness or call it exhaustion...I sure as heck am going with the latter...but due to the crazy time I've had posting pictures, I'm gonna wrap up the picture portion with three more pictures. Most of these are on Facebook anyway, so there's no need to cry.

Main library at Harvard

This is how they eat pizza in Massachusetts...when in Rome...

Back row, L-R: Andrea, me, Audrey, Ashley
Front row, L-R: Kim, Calvin
Post State House tour

After zipping to Calvin's place and grabbing my gear, I zipped back to the airport hoping I'd be there in time to grab a meal. I was. I definitely was, since our flight departure was delayed by 3 hours. On the bright side, our dinner wasn't rushed and I've never gone through security so quickly (which doesn't have anything to do with the delay, but is worth noting. There was no line at security, which NEVER happens).

On the whole, I must say...thanks for the great time, Boston.

Catching up on the past: Part 2 (Orlando...Florida, not Bloom)

2010-10-10T22:41:00.000-06:00

More stuff you want? More stuff you'll get.

In the entry before, I mentioned that I went to Jake and Bethany's wedding. Well, at the end of said wedding (specifically, the end of the reception), I was chatting with a few people about their Labor Day plans (this was 2 weeks before Labor Day). One of the groomsmen (indeed, the Best Man himself), Brock, said that he'd be in Florida if anyone wanted to come visit. I said I'd think about it...2 days later I'd purchased my ticket.

Not shown in the pictures, though definitely worth mentioning since I considered is a highlight of the trip, was church in Orlando. Two things happened worth noting. One was during testimony meeting, where members of the ward (or congregation) have the chance to share their belief in the Savior and His gospel on the first Sunday of the month (Fast Sunday...just ask if you'd like to know more). Now, in the past, I've had the feeling that I should go and say something, but I never have had it quite as strong as I did this particular Sunday...I felt like I had been given a message by someone that needed to be conveyed, as if it was my responsibility to relay the message because the one who wanted to give the message wasn't there in person, and they needed me to say it for them. I felt that I needed to share my thoughts on the importance of missionary work. I know the impression I had to express those thoughts came from my Father in Heaven, and each person reading this has the potential to receive direct guidance from God.

The second thing that happened was that I met two incredible people: Jacob and Elijah. These gentlemen were members of a Catholic ministry at the University of Central Florida and had been invited to come to church by the missionaries. I had a fantastic conversation with both of them and felt edified by the chance I had to meet them.

It was a great time. Brock was an awesome host (if you're reading this, Brock Star, DC still awaits), and Jake and Bethany (who now live in Orlando) were NOT too cool to hang out with us. These three introduced me to the joyous glory that IS Steak n' Shake, which unfortunately isn't pictured.

But these moments ARE pictured:

Just a beautiful lake behind the house we were staying at, that's all.

The A-Team: Jake, Bethany and Brock

In spite of the busy day, Brock and I managed to put down a mad elephant AND mount the head. Efficient? I say yes.

Hannah, funky fresh friend and Fossil employee. She should probably visit the Fossil outlets in DC, she'd like them a lot more.

I don't know...why SHOULDN'T I have jumped?!

There was a party at Universal, at least 4 people made it. Don't be jealous...okay, envy away.

Just holding it made me feel like Homer.

We had to shoot aliens on the ride, and we rocked it. Well...three people rocked it. One tanked, and don't you worry about who the weakest link is. It's in the past. NEXT PICTURE...

No,we weren't overreacting. Notice that no one is around us...we barely survived. Universal, you're lucky we don't sue for emotional infliction.

The part that you really care about: Hogwarts. L-R: Me, Brock, Hannah, Kari, Bethany, Jake...Eric? Someone help me. He was hilarious.

Chocolate frog

Honeydukes, you are lucky. Lucky I didn't purchase everything in the store and put you out of business...which honestly is impossible because of the resident candy wizard who turns mosquito poop into sugarplums.

Butterbeer and peace, my two favorite things.

See how they're so happy? They just bought the house behind them.

Orlando Temple

No Florida visit is complete without some homage to the citrus.

They made dinner for us. Flipping yum!

Eric (?...again, need confirmation),Hannah, Kari, Brock, Bethany, Jake...what's wrong here...

AH HA! There's my head.

Frog legs are tasty.

If you weren't interested in Hogwarts, you're probably a lady wanting to see a picture of Brock. Enjoy!

And if you enjoy this even more, it's okay.

If you enjoy these feet the most, they need to be rubbed. Please leave your contact info in the comments section and you will receive a call in the next 24 hours.

Baby Gator

B-Rock and Baby Gator

Cocoa Beach...what a wonderful 3 minutes it was.

Brock trying to figure out what to name the ocean when he conquers it

Me doing the same thing with the clouds

Catching up on the past: Part 1

2010-10-03T10:57:00.001-06:00

Okay...I'm back. Those who follow this blog probably realize that I'm not one of the most faithful bloggers. But hey, I'm trying.

Many many many great things have happened over this past summer. Work has provided me with some great learning experiences, and life is good in that regard. I also have the privilege of meeting fantastic people here...it seems like no matter where I live or go, I have the opportunity to mingle with some of the most top caliber people to grace the earth.

Take, for instance, Jake and Bethany Deines. Since I have known him, I have always described Jake as being 5'something" with glasses, curly hair, and impossible to dislike. If you haven't met him, and you ever get the chance to meet him, I challenge you to try and dislike him. You'll find it difficult, at best, as he is one of the most endearing, funny, loving people I know.

Bethany, his wife, isn't terribly different from Jake (sans the curly hair and glasses). Like Jake, she is very approachable, easy to talk to, always up for an adventure, and very willing to include new and old friends in the fun events of her life. I will always remember when she, at her own goodbye party, talked to my new-to-the-area friend Kamie and gave her a Washington, DC guide to have.

I tell you, these people are incredible. Imagine how honored I felt to be asked if I'd participate in their wedding in Salt Lake, which took place on August 21.

The temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.

Jake Deines and Bethany Poulter Deines: The newlyweds (you may have been able to tell from the clothes).

At the luncheon in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

The weather was ridiculously perfect. I do miss Utah.

I grew up and got my undergraduate degree in Utah, so I also got to spend some time visiting family and a few friends in Utah...3 days is a short time to visit, but at least I was able to visit a few people. One thing that was awesome to see was that my dad, after suffering from a stroke and high blood pressure, is now healthier and practically symptom-free. I'm proud of the hard work he's put in to getting better!

Part of the family: Dad and Mom standing by me, Denali (Rohn's girlfriend) and Rohn sitting down

My former roommate at the left, Merrill Madsen,and his wife, Karen, just had a baby girl, Maya Kae. We are at the house of the Maglebys: Chad, Callie, Crystal (Merrill's sister), Cameron, and Chase.

Steven (former roommate) and his brother Scott Besendorfer. Don't let the conservative outfits fool you: these are the type of men who ride their bikes off ramps and light their hair on fire, which adds to their awesomeness (AND...they're single. Take note, ladies).

Me with Grandma Frances and Step-Grandpa Reed Newbold. These two are Energizer batteries...they never wear out! I hope I'm like that when I reach the golden years.

My good friend Tai Anderson. We were in the same ward and are now g-chat pals.

My former roommate Landon is at the right. He has wrestled cattle, rocked us at British Bulldog, and has basically wowed Utah Valley with his amazing man-skills. His awesome wife, Natalie, has been to Africa and studied sociology at BYU; since sociology was my minor, I can't help but approve of this couple.

Utah is great. For those of you living in Utah reading this, thinking "GET ME OUT OF HERE," please take time to look at the mountains, breathe in the nice dry air (I've come to appreciate dry air since surviving a Virginia summer), and appreciate your relationships with others close by. In fact, no matter where you are, cherish your friendships.

The freaking love of my life...

2010-09-01T14:17:00.001-06:00

The love my life has been a constant.

She has been there from my youth.

As I have grown older, I have heard her sweet lilting voice reminding me of days gone by.

Whenever I am down, I hear her song and it brings sweet thoughts into this foolish mind of mine.

She has given me so much even though I feel that I could never repay her.

Her name is Eighties Music, and this post is dedicated to her.

The search for charity

2010-05-27T08:12:00.001-06:00

Religion is an important aspect of my life. For the readers that don't know, I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My scriptures include the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon. Recently, a passage from the Book of Mormon has occupied my thoughts:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail--

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

Moroni 7:46-48

It is worthwhile to note that although "brethren" and "sons" are referred to here, the promise applies to women and men alike.

I have realized, lately, that I've carried around too much negativity. I felt a need to be freed from it. I realize that there will be people who read this that have a belief in the power of prayer and those who do not. No matter who you are, I want to share something with you.

I have recently followed the counsel and sincerely prayed to God (also referred to as the Father in the passage above) to help me find this pure love. I can't emphasize the word "sincerely" enough; we are all deeply connected to this Father and He wants to communicate with all of us. As I have made a focused effort to ask Him to grant me charity, the results have been as follows: I have woken up in the morning feeling compassion for those who I had resented the day before. I feel a greater sense of peace and motivation. In spite of this, I have found myself making mistakes throughout the day which have made me confront myself to look at what I need to dismiss out of my life. But, improving is a process, and I have a much more real perspective of this.

Again, whoever reads this, I invite you to find out if this is true. It doesn't take money to find out whether the words in the Book of Mormon are honest or misled. It just takes faith.

Ahem...

2010-05-26T21:51:00.000-06:00

...yeah, I'm still around. MANY things have happened since my lost blog post (which was just over a year ago). But since I was the negligent one who didn't keep this updated, I figure you deserve to know what happened in the past year.

In summary...

Right after I returned to Utah from my internship, I took my friend's vehicle up to Seattle (okay, there was a day's rest after I got home. Soon after seems more appropriate). My brother Kevin came along, Emilie and Michael got hitched, I saw Seattle with my friends Drew and Jamie, and then we saw "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Not a bad few days.

Seattle LDS Temple...looks like a gift box to me.

Snoqualmie Falls: Kevin, Drew, me and Jamie. You gotta go.

Dash Point

The 5th month of the 2009th year included many things, including a short stint as a house painter (thanks Mom for hooking me up with employment) and a random trip to Zion National Park with a few friends.

For much of the rest of the summer, I "worked" for BYU Sports Camps. It was pretty challenging, but the perks were ridiculous: 2 hours of frisbee/soccer/kickball (whatever I preferred) on Mondays, a trip to the water park on Wednesdays, at least one dance a week, all meals paid for, and the greatest coworkers on the Wasatch Front.

Eating at Chadder's, again.

Because it had been three years since I'd been released as a missionary, I decided it was time to go back to Hawaii. If I can figure out how to add pictures, I'll add them and let them speak for themselves.

PEEPS

Jessica and Craig Tom

The Perez's

The Lau family (and then some)

Ralph and To Lang Criste

The Grahams

Tamashiros

The elders and Romayne

David Nagaishi

Elaine and Michelle (not sure on the second name). I'm currently roommates with Elaine's brother Spencer.

SCENERY

Laie LDS Temple

Laie Beach

Rabbit Island

Chili omelette & rice

Valley of the Temples

View from Koko Crater

Lanikai Beach

Not sure why I didn't just pay the $100 and cancel the ticket to return to the mainland...but I didn't (just kidding Mom, you would have missed me too much).

In the Septemberish part of the year, I worked at a special education school (thanks again Mom) and decided I was going to buy a one-way ticket to DC. In October, ACYPL called and offered me a position, which was a blessing and a relief. Feast your eyes on the home that I call Crystal City:

My throne at Arlington Cemetery

I live a few miles away from DC. I like.

Amazing sites everywhere.

Washington, DC LDS Temple at Christmas

So it's not home, but it's close: Baltimore Harbor

Fast forward to October: I made it to Arlington (Crystal City is a neighborhood within Arlington). My roommates have been best friends for 5 years and are rarely apart outside of work and sleep. They're also social folk, and since I've moved in there have been very few weekends where I've stayed home.

At a work event. The Capitol is right behind us.

The male modeling world has nothing on us. Zoolander? Who dat?

My job has proven to be crazy, fun and everything in between. I'm working for the American Council of Young Political Leaders (http://www.acypl.org/) as a program officer. The perks: helpful coworkers, the chance to see the amazing United States with some amazing people from different parts of the world, and Subway is close by (mmm...cookies...). There is a lot to learn, and learning is rarely simple, but I'm happy I'm here. Again, presuming I can figure out how to put photos into this puppy, I'll insert some moments from work here.

Japanese Embassy

African group at Elephant & Castle. The group members were from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

Egyptian Embassy

Reedy River in Greenville, South Carolina

State House in Columbia, South Carolina

Kyrgyz delegation at Clemson, South Carolina

The Aussies (yep, those ARE segways) in DC

Mt. Rushmore

On the Salt River Indian Nation territory

Sunset in Arizona

Life has been a roller coaster in the last few months...I guess it always is a roller coaster though, so no surprises here. Family, friends and unbelievably cool moments have made the journey bearable and enjoyable.

My folks. Couldn't have done it without 'em.

The bros.

NOW...here's to hoping I can keep this thing updated a bit more often!

The wrap-up

2009-04-16T10:25:00.002-06:00

At what point does time decide to speed up? Here I am at my last day at work, assignments done, pretty much sitting here to answer any phone calls...so I decided I ought to update this baby.

It has been a wonderful experience. If you could only know how good it has been...and if I could only find the words to describe it! Working at ACYPL has been an enriching and somewhat laid-back (yes, both) experience. I like the casual, small office feel. Along with that, I have a few options of places to stay if I ever visit Egypt. It was a pleasure to be involved in the Model American Congress and I miss my friends from Cairo, Alexandria, and Asiut.

I have developed so many genuine friendships over the past semester with coworkers, Barlowites, and people from my ward. Whatever it is I've done to earn the friendship and confidence of so many people, I don't know, but I am truly grateful.

I've seen many great places here: New York City, Gettysburg, Harper's Ferry, Valley Forge, Philadelphia, Shenandoah National Park...I've seen a lot in a few months! I love the diverse atmosphere that exists back here. However, after looking at some of my friend's pictures of Moab, playing Capture the Flag for the first time in several months, and doing some good hiking, I think it will be nice to be back in Utah for a while (not only to do all that, but to see family and friends again of course).

It's also been a great spiritual venture for me. I've had opportunities to reflect upon my priorities, shortcomings, strengths, my relationship with God and the Savior; I have a lot of room to grow, but I am hopeful for the future.

I am going to miss it out here!!! Hopefully I'll be able to return in the fall, but who knows what will happen!

FRANTIC February and MAD March

2009-03-17T16:23:00.003-06:00

WHOA!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! St. Patty's Day certainly seems to be a bigger deal out here in the east than in Utah. Why, you ask, is that so? I have surmised that it is due to a deep Irish tradition that is not necessarily shared by most Utahans...beer. As I was leaving work today, walking past a few of the bars, I noticed droves of people in green clothes waiting to party. Last Saturday, when many of the St. Patrick's Day parties were occurring, the metro train stunk of beer. It's a big deal out here, but (as I've been told by a NYC-born coworker) it's nothing compared to St. Patty's Day in NYC or Boston...some people take off four days of work in order to celebrate the holiday properly.

What can I say? It's good to be Irish!

Speaking of holidays, I spent one of them (Valentine's Day) in New York. No, I didn't go up with a valentine (I quite despise Valentine's Day, truth be told), but I did go with an awesome group of friends, and I got to stay at the home of a high school friend while she and her hubby enjoyed the weekend in Philly. The city is amazing. The subway system is huge and incredibly filthy, but efficient. And it turns out that Harlem isn't as bad as I thought, since that's where we stayed. Sure, we got yelled at once, but it's really entertaining to see so many random people walking the streets (especially around or after midnight), singing or laughing or doing whatever they care to do. It has been said that you have to go to New York with a plan, or else your time will run out before you can kick a pigeon (and shame on those who do). It's true...there is a ton to do, and I imagine myself visiting at least once more to have more New York experiences.

Well, I'm pooped!! Suffice it to say, all in all, I've had an excellent time out here. And the good times are gonna keep rollin.

The mystery of the coat

2009-02-07T09:33:00.002-07:00

This mystery is about a week in the making.

Here's how it goes...

On Friday, January 30, I came back to the Barlow Center to get something from my room. I went out to the lobby, forgot that I left something in my room (surprise), and returned to my room. Before I opened the door, I found a Burlington Coat Factory bag on my doorknob. In said bag was a coat...a brand, new coat. There was also a 1/2 index card that had the words "To Brad-ley" written upon it. The coat fits fine, and it looks nice. However...

I have no idea who sent me the coat. Family, friends, and other possible culprits have all responded with a perplexed "no" when I related this story.
I already own a jacket, sweater, rain coat, and overcoat; in other words, I wasn't hurting for a coat.

Suspicions lead me to believe that someone in my complex provided the coat. Why else would it be in a bag and not a box? Anywho, if I figure out this conundrum, I'll let you know.

The most exciting day at work so far!

2009-02-02T15:48:00.002-07:00

Really. It has rocked.

It started off with me consuming an amazing smoothie. This was no ordinary smoothie...this was mixed berries, strawberries, OJ, Honey Bunches of Oats, and honey. AND, a guy and a girl made it for me. It's lovely to feel loved.

Then, I went to Capitol Hill Suites to meet the new group of delegates. I also met ACYPL's third intern, Jay. Jay just flew in from South Florida, and he seems like a pretty chill guy. Yanelly, the other intern, is also pretty chill, so I think we're gonna have a great semester. I am amazed at how dedicated they are. Yanelly has to do group projects and attend four classes while she's down here. Due to issues with Jay's university-internship relations, he may have to postpone his graduation date due to conflicting schedules. It kind of makes me feel like I have things pretty easy.

Oh, and the delegation...they are amazing. They are from Cairo, Alexandria, and Asiut in Egypt and they are such friendly people. They have all told me that I need to come visit Egypt. I was so impressed to see how much they knew about the US (one woman brought up the Patriot Act during a meeting with a lobbyist...I haven't thought of the Patriot Act since high school), these guys really know their stuff. This description does not do them justice; they are wonderful people. And I get to spend the week with them.

That, my friends, is why work today has been exciting.

January wrap-up

2009-02-01T16:48:00.003-07:00

HAPPY FEBRUARY TO ALL!!!

January's been a great month here in the district. To sum it up...

Inauguration Day was fun and occurred without anything bad happening. While hundreds of thousands of people enjoyed a chilly inaugural speech, I enjoyed the day inside the Hart Senate Building with several peers...why didn't I just go out and watch it, you ask? Reason #1: The crowds were so large, I probably would have been watching a jumbo-tron anyway. Yes, I could have spent the night outside on the lawn, but I respond to that with reason #2: It was FREEZING. Given a choice between dragging all of my bedding onto the Washington Mall with every bit of clothing on in the hopes that maybe I would see Obama's face versus waking up at 10 am to mosey on over to the Senate Building to view the inauguration on TV with food, cocoa and warmth...yeah. NO-brainer. But kudos to those who persevered through the cold.
I'm enjoying work now a lot more than I was. I got to be with the Argentine and Uruguayan delegates while they attended various meetings in DC. Speakers included (sorry for forgetting the names) a McCain campaign worker, a liberal lobbyist, a State Department employee, and a EMILY's (Early Money Is Like Yeast) List employee. Tomorrow, a group of students from Egypt are coming in, and I'm pretty excited.
Last night there was a dance party, which was awesome (if you know how much I like dancing).

There's a quick and dirty summary. I hope all is well!

a little too much sightseeing, perhaps?

2009-01-12T11:28:00.003-07:00

Don't be fooled by the title of this post; I really have enjoyed DC so far. My ward is really cool, the coworkers are great, Georgetown is really close...it rocks. But I found out this weekend that there can be too much of a good thing.

Lest you think that something dramatic happened on Saturday that altered my state of mind indefinitely, know that the weekend wasn't quite that dramatic and you should consult your nearest YouTube browser to find such a story. Mine, however, goes like this:

So we got a group together with the desire to visit the Jefferson Memorial and the Museum of American Art. We got off the Metro not quite sure how to get to the memorial; frankly, if it weren't for Valerie's spidey-senses, we all would have gotten hopelessly lost, probably ending up in Ohio. Or something. Anyway, we saw the Jefferson Memorial and started walking toward it, only to find our way blocked by the freeway. Shucks. So, we walked back around the other way and decided to take a detour to the Washington Monument; we actually got to ride the elevator to the top, which was SO cool! Please do it if you're ever here.

So...it turns out that my typing is just as slow as ever and my lunch break is over, so it's peace out for now. I will be back, so worry not.

HERE I AM!!!

So, cool elevator ride...then we were divided on whether to go ahead with our original plan or to meet another friend in Chinatown. After much discussion, we opted for the latter. Chinatown looks pretty cool, but guess where our friend was eating? California Tortilla!!! Now if this dear friend ever reads this blog, she should feel beloved, because she is...but c'mon!!! It's Chinatown! So we left her and her friends to their tortillas and found an authentic Chinese restaurant. In the front, a chef makes noodles for everyone to see, and the newly cooked animals hang by the window at his side. We went in and were seated by a guy who was likely the only person half-fluent in English; every other server didn't talk too much to us (Andy must have offended them. He would...not really). We had some duck with shards of bone, and my seafood noodles had some purple squid inside, which I didn't mind. At the end our bill was brought out to us, and the price looked something like this: |\\|}. Somehow, Jamie deciphered the exact price out of THAT; miraculous. Our own Urim and Thummum!

So it probably doesn't seem like it from this blog, but we walked A LOT. We got to the Portrait Gallery where I slowly slumped around the corner before falling into one of those round couches into a 40 minute slumber. It was a long day and poor Brad was pooped.

So I learned my lesson. I came to DC wanting to see everything possible as soon as possible...but it's just not possible. I can walk around only so much and my brain can only take in a similar amount. I am hereby limiting myself to one full excursion a day when Friday and Saturday roll around. Again, know that I am LOVING it here...I just thought you may find a bit of humor in this.

First day at the grind...

2009-01-06T20:09:00.002-07:00

Hey!

Well, today was my first day as an intern. I think I'm going to like it, if I can find a way to avoid the post-lunch-hour-drowsiness that set itself in quite comfortably today. So, here are just a few perks about ACYPL...

1. LOCATION! I timed myself, and it took me 7 minutes to walk home from work. Many of the other interns need to use the Metro (which is actually really cool, though somewhat pricey), while I could probably go home for lunch if I so desired.

2. ATMOSPHERE!! ACYPL is a small office (there will probably be ten or eleven people, including employees and interns, within the next few weeks), and everyone is super chill. When I asked my supervisor what I need to bring to work, she said "a pen, some paper, a sense of humor, and a brain." Good to go on the first three. The coworkers are hilarious which I like...I think today would have been really tough if the staff was staunch and uptight. In my little "get to know you" session I had with them, most of them seemed curious about how I got to go to Hawaii on my mission, so I got to share just a bit about that.

3. FREE WATER IN THE COOLER!!!...okay, so that's not such a novelty...I just didn't feel right putting up only two things.

So life is good. I'm about to hit the hay, goodnight to all.

I am such a tourist...

2009-01-02T19:26:00.002-07:00

At long last, I'm here. The day started out great with the Stephens treating me to lunch at Ruby Tuesdays (the fact that lunch was one of the first things I did that day should give you a clue as to how long I slept in), then it was off to DC. After an exciting, windy drive, Eric and I got to DC. If you haven't been here before, you should come; the buildings here are amazing. If I weren't so tired, I would go into explicit detail on why I think so much of these buildings...

K maybe fatigue has nothing to do with it...

ANYWAY, Elder and Sister Blanchard take care of the building right now. They're pretty nice. Elder Blanchard even gave me a tour of the building. After getting settled in, eight of us went for a walk around the city. We saw the Lincoln, WWII, and Washington Memorials. We are honestly a ten minute walk from these places...my life is too good. On the way back, we stopped off at this place called Johnny Rockets for some grub; it was awesome. Red leather seats, black and white tile floor, and mini juke boxes at every table (they play a song for a nickel)...just like the good ol' days.

Peace out guys, I'm beat.

Day 1

2009-01-01T15:39:00.004-07:00

Well...guess what, amigos? I made it. For all the yahoos out there that thought I wouldn't last three minutes on the plane without wetting myself in pure frustration, I say poo-poo to you. If there actually were any readers of this blog who actually felt that way, then you need to spend your time thinking of other things.

After a not-so-restful two-and-a-half-hour night's rest, it was off to the SLC airport. The first flight was uneventful, minus the wailing child at the other side of the plane. After a short layover in Cincinnati, I got onto the small jet and sat in the very back row. Did I mention that I had window seats on both flights? YES!!!! On said second flight, I sat by a chap named Fu. Fu is a 29-year-old Vietnamese Ph.D who was going to work for the government back in Washington (I guess I can now say "here in Washington," since I'm here now). It was awesome sitting by him, I got some great advice regarding grad school. Do you want to know what he said?...well if you do, you should have been on the plane. I'm not going to reward you for your absence. Sorry.

I flew into Baltimore, grabbed my luggage, and met up with some good friends out here, the Stephens'. Our family has known them since before I was born, since she was my mom's best friend growing up. They took me to their home, and I got to see their now-grown-up children: Eric, Gina, and Lynsey. After a little chit-chat, we went out to eat at a burger joint in Westminster called Five Guys. And holy moly...it was good. John (aka Papa Stephens) bought some fries, and by some, I mean two-soda-cups-and-a-half-a-paper-bag-full of French fries. And I felt NO shame at all. It turns out that people in the East (or at least in this portion of the East) like to dip their fries in vinegar. What are your thoughts? <----I'll leave that as the thought question for this entry; feel free to respond to it. Or don't. Or make a comment on my great blog. Or don't. I'll try to keep this updated on a regular basis.

Love to all,
Brad