John Meldrum

Dating

2011-06-11T20:17:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh, go visit this website! So funny!

http://www.archive.org/details/DatingDo1949

Student vs Homework

2011-03-03T22:54:00.000-08:00

This is my life sometimes...

Early Christmas with the Meldrums

2010-12-24T11:22:00.000-08:00

It's that time again for Christmas and Family. I am so happy that I got to go to Washington for a couple of days, I had a lot of fun. During our family get together Donnie and Christina came over and Bryce and Emma made cookies. Bryce stirred and Emma rolled the dough and cut the shapes out. Both of them put frosting and sprinkles and on. We had a lot of fun.

Here are some more pictures. Enjoy!

Here's another fun video.

Oh Rexburg...

2010-12-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

Today, it snowed in Rexburg. But what's new? It always snows in Rexburg. Today I discovered a new kind of snow called "slush" were the temperature raises in the middle of a snow storm a makes big fatty flakes of snow, freezing rain on the ground, and melts slowly unless it lands on a previously snowed on area (which isn't to hard to find here). I also developed a new way to get around campus; it's called "shoe skiing". This can only happen right after a "slushing" or if other weather conditions are met. Basically, if you get wet snow you can "ski" or slide your way through campus. The only draw back is your socks get wet and you spray everyone around you with slush. This is good for getting someones attention unless it's the wrong kind of attention.

So anyway, it continues to slush and by tonight we with have an inch or two of ice on the ground. Thanks goodness I don't have to work tonight.

Uzumaki Naruto!

2010-10-12T22:56:00.001-07:00

Well, as you can see, I'm dressed up as Naruto from the show. Naruto is a ninja who was born and soon after was sealed with a demon fox into him by the fourth Hokage (village leader). The fourth Hokage did it to save the village and hoped that the village would look at Naruto with respect and honor. The opposite was true and Naruto grew up being shunned by the village. Instead of turning bitter and evil, Naruto decides to make everyone recognize him by becoming the next Hokage and vows to never let anyone feel the same loneliness as he did.
I went to the clark building and had Ashla help me sew the costume together. I also made some kunais and some shurikens. I can't wait till Halloween!

This is me as the cool Naruto

This supposed to be my angry face. I think someone just ran to find their bunny slippers

Do you like the ninja wraps I have on my feet?

Does this make my butt look big?

Late Pic!

2010-09-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

So, I finally figured out how to transfer photos from my phone to my computer. It only took me a year and a half. Good thing is now I will be taking more pictures with my phone cause I know other people will actually see them. To start off, I decided to show off my beautiful baby nephew Mason. This was him around his baby blessing time. He's so chunky and cute! I can't wait to see him. Hope you're doing well Sis.

Fall Semester 2010!

2010-09-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

This here is Mic (short for McKlin) and his birthday was this past Tuesday. You can imagined the shock when we presented him a birthday cake packed with frosting and fudge.

He was pretty happy to dig in.

This is our apartment minus one. From left to right: Zach, Mic, Joe, Me, and Little John

This will be a good semester for sure!

Trip to Utah

2010-06-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my two best friends, Lauren and Patrick, got married in Utah. I also visited my sister who just had a little baby boy. I tricked my roommate into going with me. I had a lot of fun. Enjoy the pics!!!

Ha ha, I tricked Wyatt into going with me...suckerGroup photo anyone

Maryn is so grown up

Macey is looking as innocent as ever lol...

Here is baby Mason

This is Lauren and Patrick. Congratulations!

What are big sisters for... really cute nieces and nephews!

Please, no pictures!

But if I must!

Yes, I'd like to order to large pizzas with anchovies please...

Awww.....

Well, it seems that every time I go down to Utah, I have a great time. Thanks Deb for your hospitality. Love ya !

Seattle Homesickness

2010-06-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, so, living in Rexburg has a lot of good points:

Lots of single girls your age, fun things to do, college resources like pianos, music tech labs, a library, and a vast genealogical library.

Unfortunately, the one thing that I hate about Rexburg is how dry it is! My sinus have never been the same and my hands constantly crack and bleed. Geez. Plus, it snowed 2 weeks ago. That would never happen in Seattle. I miss Seattle's moisture.

Spring's Semester's starting!

2010-04-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't blogged in a while but now that I have a new computer that will change. I have been working at wal mart trying to save for the new semester but find myself unable to because of the financial burdens I'm placed in require a large sum of what little money I have. This makes me more determined to be sucessful in life and be able to have a comfortable lifestyle.

My grandfather passed away this week and I drove with a friend to attend the funeral. Grandpa Wickard passed away only 75 days after his wife Doris passed away. The funeral services were well done and my Grandpa received a military burial for his service in the army. I'm proud of who he is and that I have the opportunity to pass on his legacy. Thank you for joining the church and allowing me the opportunity to hear the gospel.
This is craters of the moon in eastern Idaho. It really looks like your on the moon!
Here is some typical mountain scenery found all over the mountain west.
And yes I did go over 100 mph in my little ford focus. It was sweet!

Lifting-Burdens

2010-02-03T23:19:00.000-08:00

I saw this video and liked it a lot. I hope everyone enjoys it : )

Lifting-Burdens

Doing whatever

2010-01-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

Man I tell ya, finding a job is one of the most annoying things in the world, especially in this economy. In Rexburg, I had a job at Wal-Mart, but I were to transfer to another Wal-Mart, it would be impossible to transfer back because Rexburg is a college town any everyone is looking for a job and they would replace me so fast it's not even funny. So, here I m again surfing the web seeing if anything pops up.

I tell you one thing though, Seattle is a really nice place. After living in Idaho and Las Vegas for a little while, I've come to the conclusion that Seattle beats the pants off any other state.

Any way, I have one quick story. Monday, I was helping my sister organize her garage and I ended up spending the night because she need help the next day. So, after we had all climbed into bed, about a half hour later we heard several gunshots right next door. We all jumped out of bed to secure the situation. My sister called 911 and my bro-in-law grabbed his gun in case anything went down. The police were there in literally a minute and they secured the premise and to my knowledge no one was hurt. Tacoma is a scary place to live.

Orchestra Concert

2009-12-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like the semester is coming to an end. Soon I'll be enjoying Christmas dinner with my family and be making new Christmas memories. We just had our fall/winter concert where we playing a variety of different music. My favorite was the selections from Carmen that we played. We did quite well and I'm so glad I was in Orchestra to relive some fun memories. On Monday, we had an Orchestra feast. I ate two giant breakfast burritos, a pile of fruit, a banana nut muffin, and I washed it all down with some minute maid orange juice. This picture has all of the cellists including our conductor, Bro. Call, on the far left. Happy Holidays!

MMMmmmmm...

2009-11-30T15:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I had a good thanksgiving. I went to go visit my sister's, husband's parent's house in Clifton Idaho. We had a big thanksgiving feast. I was the last one to finish eating; I'm such a slow eater. Afterwards we played bingo and I won a hot chocolate mug and some chocolate. I traded the chocolate for a book called Christ and the new covenant by Jeffrey R. Holland. I sure enjoyed seeing Macey face and Maryn. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Blessings from on High

2009-11-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

When I returned home from my mission I immediately began to find ways to fund my education here at BYU-Idaho. My paretns were affected by the economy, so they were unable to assist me for college. Because of the economic down turn, I couldn't find a job in my hometown Renton, Washington, so I decided to find a job down in Las Vegas. I stayed with a family who graciously let me live with them for free so I could save up money for college. For months I worked at a Wal-Mart down in the sizzling heat of Las Vegas.
As my transportation issue arose, it was necessary to buy a modest car in order to travel to college with my cello and all my stuff. As the months drew nearer to school, I didn't have enough money for college to I applied for the FAFSA program. I had a huge headache getting my families tax information put together so I began school hoping that I would at least be able to be eligible for a loan. I prayed everyday that I would be able to find a way to pay for college but still no luck from the financial aid office. As this semester has drawn to a close, I worried I wouldn't be able to register for classes next semester, which means I woulsd have had to defer for a semester and wouldn't graduate till 2014!
Just when I thought I had no chance of receiving any assistance, I checked my email today and found out that I qualified for financial aid! Not only did I get help, but I was able to receive full benefits which would pay for everything for my first year! I was so excited I could hardly think at all. I'm so thankful for people who have come together in my life to help me out. I'm especially thankful for God for giving me the strength and confidence to carry on, even when I don't have the strength to move forward anymore. Thank you.

Book of Mormon Class

2009-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

One of the girls in my Book of Mormon class came up to me and told me that some people had commented about me in their class feedback. They mentioned how my comments helped them understand concepts better and so forth. I never realized that people were not only listening to others in class but remembered comments I had made. I realized then that I have a bigger responsibility to be a good example than I had previously had thought. I hope I can be a good example to all I come in contact with.

Giong to BYU-Idaho Baby!

2009-10-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Lots of thing have happened to me these past few months. I went from Las Vegas to Carson City, to Seattle, to Idaho Falls, and eventually BYU-Idaho! I'll let my pictures do the talking. I hope you enjoy them!

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

2009-10-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today, for Devotional Elder Oaks came to the BYU-Idaho Hart auditorium to speak. I was very impressed on what he spoke about. He admonished us to defend the principles found in the American constitution and not to let anti-religious/anti-government groups threaten or intimidate us. He mentioned Proposition 8, which if passed, would maintain traditional marriage in the State of California. Elder Oaks said it wasn't so much an attack on any religion, but more of an attack on Democracy itself. Think about it, this was a social concern, politically handled, voted on and passed with a majority of people in favor of passing prop. 8. A group of people didn't like how our government handled this democratic process so they turned to violent and hostile means to get their way. This is our democratic system and if we want to maintain the tranquility we enjoy, we need to elect wise officials, uphold virtue and integrity in our people, and honorably defend the principles of life, liberty, and property.
In the Book of Mormon, just before the Savior appeared to people in the western hemisphere, the government among the Nephites was over thrown and the people broke up into tribes. It would be like going from the constitution back to the Articles of Confederations which afforded no strong central government and rendering them powerless to tax and expand the nations commerce.
Let us stand for what we know is right: freedom of religion, free speech and press, Congress shall not pass any laws establishing religion or the antithesis, right to representation, right of due process, no illegal search or seizures, right to assemble. Let us not let our forefathers blood be spilled in vain.

Bottomless Black Eyes

2009-10-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone, I wrote a short story for my English 101. You're welcome to read it and give any constructive criticism. Hope you enjoy it.

Bottomless Black Eyes

My wife Sarah’s bloody body laid there motionless with our little angel Abigail next to her on the Missouri prairie grass. They tried to out run the maniac stampede of cattle careening off our property, but the bovine’s hooves instinctively burst forward due to an unexpected set of villainous yells. A handful of soul-less, black-eyed Indians infiltrated my property, left me half-dead with their merciless tomahawks, and stole almost all of our livestock and all who were precious to me. I limped slowly toward my trampled family as the tidal wave of dust cleared and all I could see were their two lifeless, mangled bodies which I had always pressed against my chest for comfort. Half-standing with blood trailing down my face, I could do nothing but gaze down at the pathetic position my family was left in. I painfully knelt down and drew my broken family to my bosom. Tears transformed to scarlet as they rolled down my open-scarred face. I started rocking back and forth so as to miraculously cradle them back to consciousness. My tears were interrupted by the sporadic chest heaves. How long I was there, I do not know. The summer sun could have vanished or the winter snow sprinkle down, and I would not have noticed.

Five years have passed since that dark day, but I have somehow managed to bear this grim these past few agonizing years. Although my cattle ranch was almost completely depleted, I’ve supported myself with the meager provisions of food I had meticulously stored over the years. I was forced to sell the rest of my scanty herd of cattle in order to support myself. Many settlers journeyed from Missouri to the mysterious west, which made us lose many important settlers and businesses; this could not carry my financial future.

I was in St. Louis on a busy Monday morning to pick up a new saddle for my obstinate horse Bucky, when I overheard some excitement coming from the shady pub at the corner of main street. I ventured to the alley way where I hunkered down by the window in between the pub and the post office and perked up my ear to hear what all the commotion was about. There were many deep voices all conspiring in a loud whisper. They sounded like a bunch of wild, frontier men who had recently returned from the treacherous, wild west. Euphoria swelled as they spoke of a monumental discovery. I heard the muffled words of “rivers of gold” and “in the California territory”. My heart began to quicken as I listened with my ear pressed firmly on the cured wood just inches away from the dirty window. I heard other phrases such as “word is spreading fast” or “a team is assembling in the morning”. I slowly rose from my post and crept back to the dusty, crowed main street where I pondered this enlightening new discovery. Neglecting my search for the horse saddle, I strode off toward my horse Bucky, mounted his mountain like stature, and gave an assertive “yaw” as I sped fiercely home.

A feeling of warmth engulfed my body as the wind whipped past my scruffy beard. I impatiently arrived at my decade old cabin about mid-day. I tied up Bucky inside the barn at his usual hay-filled stall. I steadily walked towards the house analyzing every provision that would be useful in accompanying me in my inevitable journey towards the California territory. I took some old pieces of barn wood and forged them together with some semi-rusted nails to make some travel crates. I gathered bags of flour, wheat, potatoes, smoked meats, a few barrels of water, deer skins, ammunition, two rifles, some cooking utensils, and above all, my wife Sarah’s wedding ring and my little Abby’s favorite doll. By night fall I had gathered most of the provisions I needed into the well-built handcart I had in order to make this last journey.

When morning came there was a hint of unfamiliarity in the air; almost as if I was a stranger in my own cabin. I quickly threw on my patchy, blue overalls and hat and inhaled the last bit of rock-hard bread I had baked a few days ago. I scouted the cabin one more time to affirm I had not forgotten any important provision or memory. With everything tied down I was ready to depart. I mounted Bucky and thoughtfully turned my head one last time to the cabin filled with bitter-sweet memories. I took a deep breath making sure I filled every pocket of my lungs with air, and gradually released years of pain and loneliness. I gave Bucky a half-hearted “yaw” and he abruptly began trotting down our over-grown cabin road, tugging the handcart behind us.

Travel along the Missouri trials has proven to be unexpectedly easy. Many fearless pioneers who have already traveled this rugged land have paved away most of the troublesome rocks and debris. I traveled alongside Bucky’s sweaty body while swatting away the little enigmas buzzing around my drenched face. Camping became a ritualistic task. I would travel between the chilly dawns to the scorching noon-day sun. I would usual rest near some patch of shrubbery enabling the blessing of shade for both me and Bucky. Travel would resume after about an hour and I would convince my legs to keep struggling through their fatigued state.

The Missouri river had many fast-flowing streams and rivers that I could draw fresh water from. Every three to four days, I would replace the water in my barrels for fresher water. At the end of the day, I would camp near a life-giving source of water and use the opportunity to bathe my sun burnt body in the tranquility of the sun set. I would carefully remove each article of clothing to expose my fragile, naked body and make my way down to the heavily vegetated stream. I would dip my sore and swollen toes into the fast-paced current—eagerly absorbing the coldness—and prepare my nervously-excited body for a refreshing dip. After I jumped in, it seemed that my whole body shriveled up and my breath crawled out of my lungs. My body eventually evened out with the water’s temperature. I steadily floated there, gazing upon the coming dusk and began to count the little sparkles in the twilight sky.

The next morning, I realized I was running low on my much-needed water supply, so I ventured forth with my rifle in my right arm and my water barrel in the other. I followed the stream to a nearby pond of clear water I had found the day before, where there was no significant current. I carefully examined a spot where I could secure my water barrel and let the current fill it while I searched around for any wild game. After scouting for a couple of minutes my ears caught hold of a splashing sound coming from just the other side of some thick, green trees. I stealthily, hopped from rock to rock making sure I did not produce any sound that could potentially scare off supper. I found a clearing in the thick of trees which granted me access to the unknown splash. I aimed my rifle in front of me with my slightly damp finger steadily on the cold, trigger. I quietly exhaled all of my breath and prepared my body to spring through the remaining foliage and conquer the beast waiting on the other side. Leaping through the trees I landed ankle deep in a puddle of murky water to behold the last thing I wanted in the whole world; Indians.

There was a scruffy looking woman with a water gourd clutched in her hands with a misty eyed little girl standing closely by the woman’s left side. They both gazed upon me as my rifle was aimed directly at their red faces. Neither of them made a move and seemed to mesmerize me with their bottomless black eyes. The sun partially blinded me as I stood there for what seemed like a lifetime, waiting for something to happen. The little girl looked puzzled, innocent to the situation she had unintentionally nominated herself into. The woman slowly reached for the little girl’s shoulder and gently forced the little girl behind her own body. I thought of Sarah and Abigail when suddenly my mind was transported into their bodies at the moment they were gazing into the eyes of the red-skinned braves passing by them preparing to unleash those fateful cattle. I could see the cattle charging toward me and my body refused to move; stricken with fear and no hope of ever escaping my inevitable doom. My mind shot back into my body and there I was, still firmly pointing my rifle at the woman and the little girl. The only sound I could hear was the water mechanically flowing by. Their bottomless black eyes were still indifferently fixed upon me. I slowly lowered my rifle till it rested at angle from my legs. I faintly smiled at them and deeply bowed the upper portion of my body and carefully raised it back up again. I adjourned my rifle to rest on my slightly weightless shoulder and purposefully turned away from my audience, and exited through the thick, green trees back up to where my camp site was located.

I took my time gathering my things and prepared for tomorrow’s journey. Even though I knew Indians were near, the woman and her daughter’s bottomless black eyes told me everything I needed to know. Morning came quickly and I secured everything on to the handcart and strapped in Bucky for the journey ahead. I looked carefully onto the sunrise and felt the gentleness of the morning breeze on my face while I recounted the events that had taken place the day before. For some reason, my legs felt as light as air and the next nine-hundred miles didn’t seem as endless as the day before.

Road Trip

2009-08-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while. Busy as always. But any who, I've moved out of las vegas, up to Seattle, stayed there a little bit, then moved over to Idaho Falls where I'm job hunting right now.

I'm trying to continue on with wal-mart but the have to do paperwork so we'll see what happens. I'm really excited to start school at BYU-I this fall. I'll be studying music education and probably go back to western WA to teach. Pretty good plan huh?

I'm not married yet but I feel that will change after a couple semesters here in Idaho.

The weather is awesome. The water here tastes great and I challenge any who hasn't been to eastern Idaho to come, it's truly a remarkable place.

Lots of exciting things coming up!

2009-06-08T14:18:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been so busy that I haven't had time to write but now I do so here goes.

The most exciting thing happening is I'm heading up to Seattle at the end of the month. I'll be going for two reasons: one, to see my family and two, to get my car. That's right, I'm going mobile! It's a Ford Fusion, 34,000 miles, 2004. Yipee! I'll be going at the end of the month and I'll have a LOOOONG drive back but It'll be totally worth it. Like Elliot off of "Scrubs", "WORTH IT!".

Also, on June 17th I'll be registering for classes at BYU-I. I'll take about 15 credits with a good mix of generals and music. I'll majoring Music education. Wahoo!

I'm hoping the weather here in Vegas will stay below 100 degree until June 25th. After that I don't care how hot it gets because I'll have my car.

Other than that, things are pretty much the same. Have good week.

Mmmm...

2009-06-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I found my look-alike. It's Lucas from super smash bros brawl!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

Even Blonder...

2009-04-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

I went back to finish my transformation into a bright blond. Now my hair matches my personality.
And it's true... blonds really do have more fun : )

My New Look

2009-04-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Just trying something new. Trying a new summer look. Hope I get more dates!

April 16th

2009-04-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here's an update for ya'll, hope you enjoy it!

If you have trouble playing it, just drag the cursor around to get it to play.

Time to visit my Sister!

2009-04-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

I went to visit my sister Debbie in Utah. It was so much fun. The first day I was there we went to Temple Square in Salt Lake
This is the conference center where they broadcast General Conference. It's a very beautiful building and very spacious and state of the art.

This is a painting depicting Jesus Christ coming to visit the people of Nephi after His resurrection. I like this picture because it shows the whole picture whereas most copies cut off the majority of the right hand side.

This is the sacred Salt Lake City Temple. It took the early Mormon pioneers 40 to build this sacred edifice.

This is my niece Maryn. She is so cute.

I believe this is the Joseph Smith Building.

This is the reflecting pond.

This is the Cristus. There truly is a spirit felt when you see that sculpture. It's a remake of an original made by a European man.

This is Macey.

Aww...

I also went to a mission reunion. I served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This is President Andrus and his wife. There are amazing people amd I love them.

Sandyman! This is Elder Sanderson. I served with him in Carson City

Sister Wilkerson! We were in the MTC together. 30C Forever!

Good ol' Las Vegas

This is my brother-in-laws parents in Clifton Idaho. Such wonderful people.

I had an amazing time with my sister! It's all about the family.

Thursday 26th, 2009

2009-03-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

Busy...

2009-03-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone, I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy just like most of you have. My job sucks up all my time. I'm doing well, I've just been saving up my money for college. I'm so excited to study music education in the fall. I'll probably go back to Washington to get a teaching job, we'll see... Take care!

New FREE Music Blogspot!!

2009-02-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm writing to let you know my sister Anne Corey has set up a new blogsite to allow access to her music. YES, FREE MUSIC PEOPLE!!! My sister is very talented and has some other projects in the works as we speak. I'm excited to see where her talents will take her but I need your help! In order to get her music out upon reading this blog will you please send her blogspot address to your fellow bloggersor email to your friends. She has an audio clip of the music and the sheet music is there to download FREE on the blogsite. This particular song follows the LDS Youth Theme for 2009 by "being an example of the believers". Her music is inspirational. She will be updating and adding music to this blog as time passes. I've been privileged to have majority of her work from the past 10 years plus and I'm so excited that she's ready to share this with everyone!!

http://annemariesmusiccorner.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much!

The Strip for Valentines Day

2009-02-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

Let me tell ya about the most awesome Valentines Day I have ever had! Leanne and I went down to the Strip and got to be tourists and enjoy taking pictures. We parked at the Wynn casino (nice bathrooms) and started walking south on the east sidewalk We arrived at the Bellagio which had the best outside show on the Strip

"Luck Be A Lady Tonight"
Aww... After we saw the first part of the Bellagio water show, we finished off with a dance
The Bellagio was definitely the best outside show
Then we decided to visit Paris

We went to the M&M store and saw every kind of M&M you could possibly imagine. We're actually trying to eat this M&M but Leanne was laughing so hard that it looks like she is Eskimo kissing it.

A salute to our Lady Liberty. They had a memorial there for many of the victims and people that helped for September 11Th.

Here we are at the Excalibur. Known for its medieval appeal and more especially for it's naughty knaves. If you go see a joust you can expect to see that armor come off during the halftime show.

The MGM Grand has a lion as there mascot. They have a couple lions that you can go see in a habitat. You would probably get more exciting visuals by watching lions on the discovery channel.

It kind of looks like his body was cut because of the way he had been sleeping.

Now the Luxor was really cool. When you go inside the ceiling comes to a point like a pyramid. Way cool!

And finally, here's a shot of the Strip from an overpass. You have to see it at least once in your lifetime. Oh... and remember, don't look at the ground.

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-15T21:38:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone! This flower is an amarillas flower. It is one of my Mom's favorites. Hope you like it Mom. All four buds bloomed beautifully.

Deep Thoughts: By John Meldrum

2009-02-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

I was riding my bike to my new work place to finalize some new employee paperwork when I stumbled upon this spectacular scene. I saw the corridor of trees and thought two things; "wow... I'm lucky to have a job" and "wow... this picture would look cool on my blog". For anyone not familiar with Las Vegas, palm trees are a plenty here. Sometimes we need to stop and smell the roses of life. Or on this case, take a picture of the palm trees. Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Smores baby!

2009-02-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

Leanne had the wonderful idea of making smores, so she went to the store with Charlotte and got a fire log to put in a grill and started a fire. The fire log worked just as well as any coal would
I can't tell what I'm enjoying more; smores on my face or posing with Leanne
Looks like Charlotte can only handle so much love from her Sister-in-law

You know Leanna's up to something with that look on her face

Geoffrey's still got itI just love spending time with people doing fun, random things like making smores!

Death Note Dog

2009-02-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

Well, for those of you who love anime, there is a very good anime called "Death Note". I won't get into details about the plot but the first 26 episodes are worth your time. I'll post the first episode here so you can watch it for yourself. Anyway, the people that I'm staying with; they are babysitting their daughter's dog and I couldn't help the fact that Harley (the dog) looks like Ryuk from Death Note. Hope you enjoy the comparision.

In and Out

2009-02-07T15:20:00.001-08:00

In and out, in and out, in and out. That's all it's been the last couple of weeks. I walk "in" to a potential job and ask "Are you guys hiring right now?" only to find the likely response of "no" and then I walk "out". So, to humor myself, I took some highly applicable pictures of my current circumstances. Oh, and yes, I did apply for In and Out in case you were wondering

Good old In and Out. These fast food joints are popular in California, Nevada, and are catching on in Utah. Poor Washington.

I went later in the day so that's why there aren't a lot of cars here. Usually during lunch, it's packed.

In and Out is best known for their simple tasty menu and speedy service. Only three main combos to choose from. Hence the reason your in, and then out.

L. Tom Perry

2009-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

On Sunday this past week, I went to a fireside with L. Tom Perry, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He spoke to all the young single adults in the Las Vegas valley as well as other church leaders the day before. He taught the young single adults how to manage their money, setting goals, and practical relationship do's and don't's. The thing that stood out to me the most is when he was talking about people who enter college not knowing what they're going to study. He said "what a waste". Ouch! He didn't give much more sympathy for those who change their major's several times. All in all it was a good talk and I sure enjoyed listening to our church's leadership and their concerns for the rising generation. On a side note, I couldn't believe how tall Elder Perry is. I went to shake his hand afterwards and he was taller than me and I'm 6'2"! Not bad for an 87 year old man.

Later that day...

2009-02-01T21:39:00.001-08:00

Later on Saturday, I went with my friend to Caesar's Palace. It was cool seeing all the different architecture there. Here are a bunch of pictures and videos I took.

Here is the outside wall of Caesar's Palace at the parking Garage.

You can also see the Mirage from the Caesar's Palace parking garage

This is probably Zeus or Jupiter, the god of gods in Roman mythology

Here's that wine god. Reminds me of the one from Fantasia

Let's watch the show!

Here are his buddies

This looks cool. I liked the spiral staircase.

Cool ceiling paintings!

I hope this goddess can handle the pressure.

Don't open it!

Saturday!!

2009-02-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

Saturday, I had the opportunity to do some fun stuff. First off, I finished taking care of applying for one of my jobs so now, all I have to do is wait (the suspense is killing me). Then, I went with a friend to go visit some stores down on the strip. I was such a tourist because I had never really been on the strip before so I busted out my camera and went to town taking some pictures.

Some people don't approve of certain activities on the strip and make their opinion public

For lunch, we went to a sushi restaurant. It was absolutely amazing! I loved the California rolls which had Salmon in it (being from Washington, I love Salmon!) and I also had shrimp and vegetables dipped in tasty batter. Mmmm... Hmmm...

This is the "RA" sushi restaurant. I recommend it to any sushi lovers out there going to Vegas

Temple Trip

2009-02-01T11:37:00.000-08:00

On Friday, me and some friends from the singles ward got together and went to the Las Vegas temple to do baptisms for the dead. For anyone not familiar with this practice, what we do is we search out our ancestors through genealogical resources and we bring their name to the temple and we baptize living people in behalf of those who are dead, so if they except the gospel after they die, those ordinances have been completed for them. For more information check out http://www.lds.org/. It was a really fulfilling evening. I love the temple and I love the beautiful ordinances that are performed there. The thought of being with our families forever brings me so much joy.

Afterwards, the whole group decided to go to the Olive garden. They were a little over whelmed that a group of 30 or so suddenly showed up. But the waiters did just fine.
Overall it was a great day and I can't think of a better way I could have spent that Friday night.

Doesn't the temple just sparkle in the night?

Here's Leanne and I at the Olive Garden

A "Hearty" Breakfast

2009-01-30T15:12:00.000-08:00

Today, when I was cooking breakfast, I suddenly realized that my egg looked like a giant egg heart and I thought to myself, "Hey, I got to get a picture of that". I officially think my life has reached a new level of boredom. But atleast my breakfast loves me as much as I love to eat it. I wonder what my pancakes will look like tomorrow...

My leg is finally feeling better

2009-01-27T23:20:00.000-08:00

Well as you can see, my leg has been in a little bit of pain the past couple of days. It all started last Tuesday when I got the bright idea to walk to institute. I checked it out on mapquest and it was only a couple of blocks away, but I should know better that "a couple blocks" in Vegas is a huge distance away. I left the house 2 hours early thinking it would be enough time but boy was I wrong. By the time I hit Rainbow street, I started running and did not stop until I reached the institute building. I was about 5 to 10 minutes late but just in time to hear the important stuff since it was the first day. I went online to see how far I had walked and it turns out that I walked 5.1 miles and ran 2.5 miles. I could not believe that I did that. Thank you cross country training. But the story continues. 2 days later I decided to walk to Wal-Mart to get my special lactose free milk. On the way back home my leg started cramping up and it was unbearable to walk. I had to stop and sit down a few times and I wondered if would ever make it home. I just had to dig my heels deep and push through the pain. The next few days I took it easy and limped around everywhere I went. I felt a little embarrassed going to church at singles ward for the first time with a limp, but I just told myself that maybe I would get pity points or something. I've been icing it, massaging it, and putting icy hot on it. I've been smelling icy hot for three days now. In short my leg is feeling better and I don't limp so hard anymore. Whew!

Another job hunting day

2009-01-23T21:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of a little midnight stroll.

Oooo... looks like the weather in Vegas is cooling down. In fact, it was cool enough, that it rained a little bit. Still, the rain here is nothing compared to Washington's rain. Vegas has 9 months of great weather and 3 months of heat endurance.

Darn you Vegas transit!

2009-01-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

So, being car-less is no fun at all. Especially in Vegas. Walking takes forever, biking is dangerous, and you can't keep mouching rides off of people. So, that leaves transit. I spent a grant total of 6 hours traveling between busing, biking, and transfers. I didn't help that I missed the bus three times and that I had never rode on Vegas transit before. Luckily I wasn't going to a job interview, but only going to visit a friend. But, on the positive side, I met some pretty awesome people on the bus and asked about job openings and got a few referrals. There always something good you can pull from tough situations. Finally, the best thing about Vegas in January is 60 degree weather, wahoo!

Time to blog

2009-01-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like I've entered the world of blogging! I'll write a more interesting blog soon, but for now I'm just testing it out. Thanks!