Sweet.

Wow, I'm not really a big sports follower but I do usually watch all the Byu games that the mtn. actually shows. By some odd coincidence I ended up watching the last quarter of the game on Saturday in the Wilkinson Center at Byu. Those last four minutes were pretty intense. I really didn't think the cougars would pull it off. Pandemonium would be the best way to describe the reaction to the final play. Oh and just in case you're wondering the bowling lanes at the Wilkinson are a little dry.

Random Thoughts

Looking at my title this could be interesting.

Minor Irritations:

You get in your car and the door closes by itself but not quite all the way so you have to open it and shut it again.

You have an article of clothing you like to wear but it has some minor flaw that bugs you all day. Like the polo shirt with one side of the collar that always curls up. Your favorite shirt with the stain that didn't quite come out but you justify wearing it anyway. For me I have a self induced irritation. My pant length is 34". For some reason, maybe subconsciously I like to tease myself, I end up buying pants that are 32". When I try them on 32 feels right. Later when the shoes come into play and I sit down I realize that I have another pair of highwaters. It would be safe to say at least half of my pants are too short.

The turn signal that keeps turning itself off early, only to the left though.

You have a plan to grab something at a store or a gas station that you frequent. You know exactly where the item you want is, usually an energy drink for me. If you run in and go straight to checkout you can make it to where you need to be in time. When you are in a hurry, it never fails that someone gets in line in front of you with a plethora of crap and writes a check. Now, instead of being frustrated waiting in line I just give up and leave. I find it's easier to just do without and let it go.

Lyric of the Week:

"The past is only the future with the lights on"
-From "Baby Come On" by Plus 44

Boner Candidate today from X96:

Nephite Tennis Shoes, Good For Kicking In Doors

Christopher Heimerdinger, the author of the LDS children's series Tennis Shoes Among The Nephites was charged with a misdemeanor for kicking in the door of his estranged wife's apartment while the kids were inside; how Christlike. He was ordered to pay $300 in fines, sentenced to one year probation and has to attend a 16 week domestic-violence and anger-management course. I had to go into work before I found out whether he won or not. I was intrigued because I read some of these books when I was younger. It's odd that the person who wrote these books would do something like this. I feel sorry for the kids.

Quote of the Week

"The only difference between speculating on stock options and gambling is the free cocktails"
- Booker

Utah, Land of the Lost

If you haven't heard about all the bodies being found in Strawberry Reservoir lately you should go read the articles on kutv or ksl. It's crazy. Two people drown and I think at the last count 3 or 4 different bodies have been found but not the two they originally went looking for. I'm happy for the families that have closure now. I still am awestruck that there are that many people that have disappeared in a specific recreation area and are still unaccounted for. I understand that the technology that's available now is the main reason for all the finds but I hope that the boat and robot setup will be busy all next summer looking for other people. Hopefully they can find the two who recently drowned before the reservoir freezes over. It's just kind of creepy to think that are probably other bodies in other lakes waiting to be found. Reading this afternoon I also saw that someone found the body of a woman by a trail in Ogden that had probably been there for 3 years. Maybe Utahn's need to be more cautious in the great outdoors. The next time I swim in a lake and feel something touch me I'll probably scream like a little girl.

Shiznit!

This is your brain on Series 7

Phew... Well I made it through the first week of training at my new job feeling pretty good about my cognitive abilities but this week I am getting trashed. Maybe turkey and stuffing has a negative effect on short term memory and comprehension. I'm studying to pass the Series 7 licensing exam for my new job and we have to cover all the material in 12 days. After the cram sessions we get two weeks to take practice exams which will be nice breather. Up until this week I at least had a basic understanding of what we were learning. This week is taking more effort and having a head cold is adding to the excitement. I am sure I will pass but I really want to do better than anyone my trainer has taught before. Anyways... Glutton Fest was sweet! It was awesome to get to meet everyone. Thank you so much Derrek for putting forth all the goods and effort. I hope everyone had a good time I know I did, I think my scale is a little upset with me though.

Random Info:

I get to see Julie in 3 months! I'm so excited I can't stand it. The time is really starting to go by fast.

Good to see that we have some more takers on the trade off. Only one month left.

If you haven't looked at the Endurance 50 link lately you should. There is a short preview of the documentary they are making about the challenge and in case you didn't know; it's not really over. Dean decided to run home to California from New York. Endurance is... amazing.

Album of the Month: When Your Heart Stops Beating (+44)

Plus 44's debut album came out today and I really like it so far. Thank you Itunes. It's definitely worth investigating. I have made it through half of the tracks so far and haven't skipped a song yet.

GluttonFest Update!

GluttonFest is on Saturday at my house at 3:00 P.M. There will be two turkeys* and lots of potatoes for sure. Not sure about any other food assignments yet. I hope we have a good turnout. If not, more food for the faithful. If you need directions call Eric, Derek, Nate, Jon, Ryan or me. If you plan on coming and can bring a dish, leave a comment.

*actual turkeys may not resemble photo... well, not the fruit

Endurance is... Done and Done

Amazing. That's all I have to say. Dean Karnazes finished his 50th marathon in 50 days in New York today. I know when I first started telling people about this everyone said that he was crazy and no one can do that. I have to admit that I thought it was awesome that he would try but even I didn't think he would be able to make it. Well he did. Just goes to show that you can't put a limit on what willpower and determination can accomplish. Hopefully some of those who read this will be able to do a triathlon or another race with me next summer. I'm still shooting for a marathon.

Bring on the snow

Here is a little clip from Beaver Mountain that always gets a good laugh. Some of you might remember seeing this before but I thought I'd post it on here for your viewing pleasure.

I Hope I Age Well

What a week. As a lot of you may already know my Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer about a month and a half ago. My Dad has had his fair share of health problems but this was still a little bit of surprise. His doctor performed a biopsy to asses what the best treatment would be and when the results came back it was decided that surgery to remove the prostate quickly was the best option. So the surgery was scheduled for Halloween, which followed a stressful weekend for me. I did get to see what all the people who work at the hospital dress up like for Halloween. There was one lady who had one of those costumes with a fan that keeps the material blown up in a large shape that's supposed to be funny but I'm still not quite sure what she was supposed to be. This reminded me of the ultimate Kool-Aid jug costume that D-Rock and Spew have always dreamed of creating. If you find it I'll gladly dress up as the brick wall. Anyways..

My Dad's surgery went well. The doctors were afraid that he would have complications with all the medicine that he takes; blood thinners, medication for Addison's Disease, low blood pressure etc... Luckily he didn't even need a blood transfusion and the doctors were able to leave a nerve bundle that was originally slated for removal. The biopsy of the lymph glands removed during the surgery came back negative so the chances are good that the cancer hasn't spread. We were able to bring my Dad home on Thursday night and he's doing much better now than in the hospital. Wednesday night and Thursday were really bad days at the hospital. I have to say that it is one of the hardest things in life to watch those you love be in agony and not be able to help them. I definitely don't think I could be a nurse after this week either, not that I've ever even considered it but now I know for sure. Even though I know the statistics show that almost all men get prostate cancer eventually I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can dodge this one.

Another Trade-Off Update

I'm getting slaughtered this week. My winner stock tanked and I shorted Yahoo right before it got a big upswing. My options calls also came due and were worth zero so that was an instant $4000 loss. Oops. Glad to see that D-rock joined in.

Game : indecision101

Rank User Today Week Month Overall Equity 1. crom -0.41% 1.98% 32.75% 32.72% $132,724.80 2. Spew 0.13% -0.49% 6.03% 5.66% $105,655.90 3. Hedgeman10 -0.05% 0.16% 2.52% 2.52% $102,516.20 4. ddrock 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% $100,000.00 5. rman80 -0.36% 0.11% -2.07% -2.07% $97,927.79 6. mrfuzz -2.25% -1.20% -0.32% -4.70% $95,296.84