A new year

Well, it is a new year (even though it is half way through the month).  I have set a few goals for myself this year that I am going to accomplish.  The first one is probably going to be the hardest for me.  That is to lose 20 pounds.  I know that doesn't seem like it would be all that hard but for me losing weight is not easy.  So it is a good challenge that I intend on doing.  My second goal is to run 300 miles this year.  This should be fairly easy if I can get my shin splint to cooperate with me. My third goal is to finish one of the games I am working on.  I just need to stay motivated.  The one I am working on right now is just a simple text based game so it shouldn't be too hard to get it done by the end of the year.  I am already about 1/8 of the way done with it already. My last goal is to be debt free by the end of the year.  This will be difficult especially if this year ends up like last year where any extra money we had went to paying medical bills. So we shall see how it goes this year.  So far it hasn't gone all that well with Star breaking her wrist.  But hopefully that will be all that happens. Only time will tell...

I don't get it

Sometimes I just don't get people.  I don't get why they choose to get all offended about something that really isn't a big deal.  Or they are upset because things aren't the way people think they should be.  Some people just need to get over themselves and deal with what life  throws at them.

Lately I have been hearing people complain about how bad the Branch is.  How it sucks being in a branch and not in a ward, etc.  I just don't get why people feel that way.  For some reason they think they would be better off in a ward than in the branch.  And yes, I know who those people are and I know how much the branch has helped them out.  Help that they most likely wouldn't have gotten in a ward.  Are they upset because they have a calling that they don't want?  Are they upset because they think being in a branch in Utah is shameful?  Seriously, I don't understand what their issues with the branch are.

I have been in the branch since its beginning.  So I speak with full authority when I say that being in the branch is way better than how things were before. Before the branch we were going to a ward in Syracuse.  We would go down to church only to be ignored and criticized because we were one of the "Apartment People". We would purposefully be left out of ward activities and everything.  Now explain to me how that is better than being in the branch where everyone is invited to everything (including all our non-member neighbors) and never shunned because of where they live. When the branch was created I had my doubts.  Heck, for the first several months there were like 25 people TOTAL coming to church every week.  Now our average attendance is over 100 (which is getting close to what a wards attendance is). The branch has grown tremendously.  It is wonderful. I love being in the branch.

I know there were people in the branch that were hoping with the boundaries being redone that we would be dissolved into a ward.  I knew that wouldn't happen. And I am glad it didn't.  I like how Pres. Moulding said that for those that don't like how things were changed they should take it up with Pres. Monson since he approved it.  The branch coming into existence is the same way.  It wasn't created by the stake presidency.  I was created by the prophet himself.  It is quite inspiring to hear the story of how the branch came into being.  It was definitely created by divine inspiration.

When I hear people complain about the branch I take it personally. My family is one of the few families left in the branch that have been here since the beginning.  I have spent countless hours making things function as close to a ward as possible. And the branch does function almost like a ward.  In some areas we function better.  But then we get people that move into the branch and just complain about how they don't like the branch and it really annoys me.  What is so different about the branch that it makes it bad to be in?  What?  NOTHING!!!

I would just like to say one last thing and I am sure some people would take what I am going to say personally and get all offended - but I don't care if they get offended because they chose to be offended.  I say if you have a problem with the branch or you want to be in a ward then feel free to move.  You could try having your records moved to a ward, but not liking a branch isn't really a good enough reason for the stake president to approve something like that.  So your best option is to move. If that isn't an option for you then get over yourself and accept the branch for what it is.  Stop trying to tear it down with your negativity and personal  tirades against everyone in the branch that works so hard to keep it going just because you think it should be done differently. Doing so doesn't just sadden those of us that love the branch but it saddens the Lord because HE is the one that created the branch for our benefit.

Ok.  I am going to step off my soapbox now. And no, I am not sorry if I offended anyone.

Quote on Service

"It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them." - Dalai Lama

A Good Quote

"A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation." - Ronald Reagan

Failure

"If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." - Thomas A. Edison

Smile

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.

The smile seemed to make him feel better.

He remembered past kindnesses of a friend

And wrote him a thank-you letter.

The friend was so pleased with the thank-you

That he left a large tip after lunch.

The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,

Bet the whole thing on a hunch.

The next day she picked up her winnings,

And gave part to the man on the street.

The man on the street was grateful;

For two days he’d had nothing to eat.

After he finished his dinner,

He left for his small dingy room.

(He didn’t know at the moment

that he might be facing his doom.)

On the way he picked up a shivering puppy

And took him home to get warm.

The puppy was very grateful

To be in out of the storm.

That night the house caught fire.

The puppy barked the alarm.

He barked ‘til he woke the whole household

And saved everybody from harm.

One of the boys that he rescued

Grew up to be President.

All this because of a simple smile

That hadn’t cost a cent.

            -Barbara Hauck

My Battle with a Stone

If you hadn't heard, I have been dealing with a kidney stone for the past month and a half. It has been one of the worst things I have ever had to deal with. I had no idea how painful they really are. Or how debilitating they are. I never thought that I would miss out on so much because of something so small. The stone I have is 3mm by 5mm. That isn't all that big really. But for a kidney stone that is getting close to the size that becomes a problem because it is too big to pass without help. After a week and a bit dealing with the pain I decided to get it removed. I went in and had the surgery done to take it out. It most certainly wasn't a fun surgery. I think the pain from that was almost as bad as the stone itself. What makes it worse is the fact that they weren't able to find the stone. So I went through a painful and expensive surgery for nothing. I was not happy at all to hear that. I found out that the stone had moved back into my kidney. That is something that isn't supposed to happen. Even nurses at the ER were surprised by it. That is just my luck. Nothing has gone right for me this year. Nothing at all. Or at least it sure feels that way.

What makes it worse is all the things I have missed because of it. We had to postpone Bree's baptism because I was too sick to baptize her. I missed two weeks of work, including a very important meeting (I ended up in the ER that day instead of at the meeting). I was on some heavy duty drugs that made me sick and so weak I couldn't get out of bed. It was horrible. I felt like I was wasting away. I was so tired of laying in bed that I kept getting up but when I did I just made myself worse. So I stopped trying to get up.

Now if you know me then you will know that me laying in bed all day is something I would rather not do. So, with me stuck in bed not able to do much of anything, I was slowly going crazy. After two weeks of this I had had enough. I decided that I was just going to deal with the pain without narcotics so that I could get back to my daily normal life. I still have pain but I have learned the warning signs of when an attack is coming on so I can prepare myself for it.

Someday this stone might pass, but I am not holding my breath. It will probably bug me for a long time still, but I am used to pain so I will just deal with it. No more heavy duty pain meds unless I have more surgery. Then I will take some. But until then I have taken my life back. I have gone back to my normal routine.  I have even gone back to running as often as I can.  Running really hurts but I hope that running will help push the stone out of my kidney so I can get rid of it.

Although I have gone back to my normal daily life, I still have the constant nagging of the stone.  There are times when I don't really feel it, but most of the time I do.  I am not in horrible pain all the time.  It is usually just a dull ache or pressure in my back. But there are times when the pain kicks in.  I think the worst part is that I feel like I am always sick.  Whenever the pain gets above a dull ache I start feeling nauseous. And then I get really cold.  Like the cold you feel when you have a high fever.  Wrapping up in blankets doesn't even warm me up.  After a couple hours of that, the pain really kicks in and I have to load up on pain killer and lay in bed until the pain passes.

I have managed to make it over three weeks without taking any narcotics for pain.  I hope that I don't have to take any more because I can't stand the sick and drugged feeling that I get when I have to take them. So I hope to never have to take them again.  Especially now that I have almost gotten caught up in all the tings that I fell behind in while I was down and out.

I think now the hardest thing for me to get back to normal is my sleeping pattern.  I used to get up and 4:45 in the morning and go running.  After sleeping so much I am having a heck of a time getting out of bed at all in the mornings.  My body just wants to sleep.  So I am working on getting myself back into the routine of getting up early.  So far I haven't succeeded but I am getting close.  But mornings are always the worst for me.  I don't know if it is because I have been laying down for the night and when I get up the stone moves into a position that makes me sick, or if it is just a mental thing at this point.  Either way, it is my biggest challenge that I still need to overcome. One day at a time I guess. I will get there.

A Day of Reckoning

     One day a young lawyer was riding on his horse to his office.  He was enjoying the quiet of the summer morning when he heard a loud noise approaching from behind.  He turned and saw a runaway carriage with no one in it as it rushed past.  He spurred his horse and in a short time was racing along side.  He reached over to the handrail and pulled himself into the drivers seat.  After much difficulty, he reached down, grasped  the fallen reins, and pulled  the frightened horses to a halt.  It was only then that he heard the crying of a baby.  He jumped down, opened the door, and saw a newborn baby lying on the floor.  He thought he was only stopping a runaway coach.  Instead, he saved the life of a little boy.

     Twenty years passed and this young lawyer was now a respected judge.  One day an accused murderer was brought before him.  When the man's name was announced, the judge recognized it as that of the baby whose life he had saved many years before.  The young man also recognized the judge.

     Through the course of the trial, it became clear that the young man was guilty.  On the final day, the judge gave his decision and sentenced the young man to death.  The young man was asked if he had anything he wished to say.  The young man acknowledged his crime and then lamented of the inconsistency of how the judge had once saved his life and now he was taking it away.

     The judge thought for a moment and then said in a solemn, kindly tone, "Young man, twenty years ago I saved your life.  I remember it as though it was yesterday.  Yesterday I was your savior.  But today I am your judge!"

              -- Author Unknown

Wow

It has been a while since I posted anything. I'm slacking off again I guess.

Milestones

I hit a big milestone this weekend. I passed 175 miles of running on a treadmill so far this year. I am not counting soccer or the 5k's I have run this year. That is pretty good. My goal is to run 250 miles by the end of the year. I am really hoping I make it. Part of why this is such a big thing for me is because of my knee injury this spring. I missed 2 1/2 months of running time. Plus, when I run now it can get pretty painful. Even after 6 months my knee still hurts a lot. Like today, my knee has felt like I had a knife lodged under my knee cap. I have more good days than bad days but the bad days can really hurt. But I push through the pain. It is the only way I can make it to where I want to be. Besides, my knee will never fully heal so I might as well get used to the pain.

I am thinking that next year I am going to shoot for 300 miles. That is unless I hurt myself again. But I don't forsee that happening...

Scan me

Playing with QR Codes

I have been playing with QR codes lately.  I figure I can use them for all kinds of things.  I even created one that links you to this post!  Pretty cool.  I might just have to post a few of them here once I actually find some useful stuff to link them to.

San Diego here I come!

I am on a plane right now on my way to San Diego. It is my companies annual meeting and we are having it in San Diego this year to celebrate 20 years of business. Pretty dang cool. Heck, I might even post some pictures...but probably not. I will leave that to Leona. It should be fun, with a little bit of work in between.

P.s. It is really turbulent right now so I am sure there are typos

Ads on My Blog

Have you ever wondered why I have ads on my blog?  I have them there to make a little extra money.  It isn't much but hey, everything helps, right? So if you see something that interests you feel free to click the ad and check it out.  You will be doing me a favor in doing so :)

Also, you might see me post an advertisement every once in a while.  This is because I have signed up to post sponsored ads.  As of yet I haven't had any but I am hoping to have some soon.  I could use a little extra money right before the Holidays.

I have tried to make it so the ads don't make my blog look too ugly. The nice thing about the ads that are shown kinda go along with what I have been blogging about so they are somewhat relevant to me. Kinda cool how Google does that.

Grading Papers

Can you imagine a nun sitting at her desk grading these papers, all the while trying to keep a straight face and maintain her composure!

PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE WORDING AND SPELLING. IF YOU KNOW THE BIBLE EVEN A LITTLE, YOU'LL FIND THIS HILARIOUS! IT COMES FROM A CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEST. KIDS WERE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ABOUT THE BIBLE WERE WRITTEN BY CHILDREN. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN RETOUCHED OR CORRECTED. INCORRECT SPELLING HAS BEEN LEFT IN.



1. IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, GUINESSIS. GOD GOT TIRED OF CREATING THE WORLD SO HE TOOK THE SABBATH OFF.

2. ADAM AND EVE WERE CREATED FROM AN APPLE TREE . NOAH'S WIFE WAS JOAN OF ARK. NOAH BUILT AND ARK AND THE ANIMALS CAME ON IN PEARS.

3. LOTS WIFE WAS A PILLAR OF SALT DURING THE DAY, BUT A BALL OF FIRE DURING THE NIGHT.

4. THE JEWS WERE A PROUD PEOPLE AND THROUGHOUT HISTORY THEY HAD TROUBLE WITH UNSYMPATHETIC GENITALS.
5. SAMPSON WAS A STRONGMAN WHO LET HIMSELF BE LED ASTRAY BY A JEZEBEL LIKE DELILAH.


6. SAMSON SLAYED THE PHILISTINES WITH THE AXE OF THE APOSTLES.

7. MOSES LED THE JEWS TO THE RED SEA WHERE THEY MADE UNLEAVENED BREAD WHICH IS BREAD WITHOUT ANY INGREDIENTS ..

8. THE EGYPTIANS WERE ALL DROWNED IN THE DESSERT. AFTERWARDS, MOSES WENT UP TO MOUNTCYANIDE TO GET THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

9. THE FIRST COMMANDMENTS WAS WHEN EVE TOLD ADAM TO EAT THE APPLE.

10. THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT IS THOU SHALT NOT ADMIT ADULTERY.

11. MOSES DIED BEFORE HE EVER REACHED CANADA THEN JOSHUA LED THE HEBREWS IN THE BATTLEOF GERITOL .

12. THE GREATEST MIRICLE IN THE BIBLE IS WHEN JOSHUA TOLD HIS SON TO STAND STILL AND HE OBEYED HIM.

13. DAVID WAS A HEBREW KING WHO WAS SKILLED AT PLAYING THE LIAR. HE FOUGHT THE FINKELSTEINS, A RACE OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN BIBLICAL TIMES.

14. SOLOMON, ONE OF DAVIDS SONS, HAD 300 WIVES AND
700 PORCUPINES.

15. WHEN MARY HEARD SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF JESUS, SHE SANG THE MAGNA CARTA.

16. WHEN THE THREE WISE GUYS FROM THE EAST SIDE ARRIVED THEY FOUND JESUS IN THE MANAGER.

17. JESUS WAS BORN BECAUSE MARY HAD AN IMMACULATE CONTRAPTION.

18. ST. JOHN THE BLACKSMITH DUMPED WATER ON HIS HEAD.

19. JESUS ENUNCIATED THE GOLDEN RULE, WHICH SAYS TO DO UNTO OTHERS BEFORE THEY DO ONE TO YOU. HE ALSO EXPLAINED A MAN DOTH NOT LIVE BY SWEAT ALONE.

20. IT WAS A MIRICLE WHEN JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND MANAGED TO GET THE TOMBSTONE OFF THE ENTRANCE.

21. THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED THE LORD WERE CALLED THE 12 DECIBELS.

22. THE EPISTELS WERE THE WIVES OF THE APOSTLES.

23.ONE OF THE OPPOSSUMS WAS ST. MATTHEW WHO WAS ALSO A TAXIMAN.

24. ST.. PAUL CAVORTED TO CHRISTIANITY, HE PREACHED HOLY ACRIMONY WHICH IS ANOTHER NAME FOR MARRAIGE.

25. CHRISTIANS HAVE ONLY ONE SPOUSE. THIS IS CALLED MONOTONY.