gorgeous day!

woke up.

bought seaweed.

drove to ktown.

making secret dish for tonight’s “Dinner & a Movie” (which you should come to if you’re free (and if you’re not free you should cancel your plans and come))

basically, you bring a movie and a dish that complements the movie.  some ideas from last time:

• Sloppy Joe Vs. the Volcano
• Monta-gooey-buns (Romeo & Juliet)
• Tarts! Made “As You Like It” (Voted Best Dish!)
• Bumble Bee’s Mac & Cheese (Transformers)
• Slumdog Millionaire “brownies”
• Minority Report White Sauce on Brown Pasta (in honor of minorities)
• Sweeney Todd Red Bull Cola (not sure about that one)

i’ve got a good dish/movie for tonight!

the rat race

I’ve got lots of goals and it seems like I’m gathering accomplishments, but I kind of feel like I’m running in a hampster wheel.  Is this life? Running and feeling like with every revolution you’ve accomplished something, but it just results in starting the same path again?

Part of me thinks that it’s Groundhog’s Day and that I’m not going to move forward, onto the next phase of life, until I fix something that I’m doing right now.  But that’s my mind.  I always think that there’s something to fix.

I can visualize my professional future.  I can actually see it and I know I’m making small steps towards that future.  The same goes for my scholastic success (yes, I’m still finishing my online religion classes and yes, I do see further education though further down the line than initially thought).  Regarding my personal (aka marriage) and religious future things are much more unclear and devoid of any concrete form.  That kind of bothers me.  When I set goals I like to know exactly what I’m pursuing and plan accordingly to achieve it.

I find it utterly impossible to define the relationship I hope to have and therefore have been moving along hoping I’ll recognize it when it comes.  Trouble is, I’m just not been feeling a thing for a long while.  My mind tells me love is out there, but my heart’s not really acknowledging anything right now.

The same goes with my religious/spiritual future though I feel this one is easier to resolve.  While I really don’t feel all that supported in my current ward (still no calling, no HTing assignment, no HTeachers, no ward activity) I know that in order to regain that clear spiritual goal I need to focus on my personal study and understanding of God and His plan.  That’s a given and I’m working towards that and we’ll get there.

Life was simple when I had the whole thing planned out.  Trouble is I only planned till age 21.  Here I am at 26 and life’s great goals, the one’s I’m “supposed” to have accomplished by now, are still in the queue.

FYI, not depressed here, just pensive.

death to small business

I was driving home from work today and passed a place where they make tombstones/gravemarkers/whatevertheircalled.  They had a huge tombstone with the name of their business on it.  Clever enough of a marketing ploy.  I mean, if you’ve got the signage you might as well use it.  It got me thinking though.  What would happen if this small business failed like so many do?  Would they add an epitaph to the company tombstone?

“Gravemarkers, Inc.  Passed away August 2009, because you didn’t.”

life is getting in order

I start a new job tomorrow and have been working hard to get my life in order.  Starting a new job is just one step.  With all these changes I decided I should take another step and start exercising again.  Hopefully this will help me get to sleep better each night.  So far I’m two days into it.  The results?

This morning I could hardly raise my arms to brush my teeth, let alone shampoo my hair.

Yay for goals and working towards them.

personal notes from sunday

• You know how you might casually meet someone on a bus or restaurant or somewhere and afterwards you think how nice it would be to run into them again?  Well one of those people is in my new ward.
• Yay for sell-yourself-to-the-opposite-sex Fast Sunday.
• And there’s the testifying death stare from the RM.  I think I was just committed to rebaptism during that testimony.
• It is SO interesting to listen to people bear their testimony and know exactly what kind of a missionary they were.
• I’m picturing a graph where the X-axis is quality of personality and the Y-axis is quality of dress.  Now to plot some points.
• Have you ever noticed that the words in a testimony may be identical, but there is a stark difference in the presentation if you’ve been back from your mission for 5 weeks or 5 years?
• Best quote of the day – “The Spirit was stronger than my shoes.”
• Church on campus kind of drives me nuts.  I feel like it’s the first day of junior high.  There are even lockers here.  Just give me a calling to keep me busy on Sundays.  Please.
• At least it’s a gorgeous day.
• DECIDED: I will not skip out on church meetings.  Hoepfully, I won’t be tempted to do so.
• I wish people wore badges stating their callings for the first few weeks.  Though it might turn into “You Are Special: II.”
• I am so done with questions designed for answers and not thinking.
• 2:52 PM – I decide to have faith in the principle of church by attempting to participate in class despite my lack of confidence in the teacher.  My comments aren’t great, but I’m showing God I’m wiling to try and grow nearer to Him through class.
• 3:01 PM – Finally feel the Spirit.  Long time coming, but this is why I go to church.
• I need to get my suit dry cleaned.
• What?!? No piano in Elders Quorum?  I hate singing along with LDS.org.
• It’s an interesting feeling to look around a room of strangers and wonder how well we’ll know each other in 8 months.
• 51 minutes and counting.
• I’d be better if I could play some prelude music.  As it is, my nerves are a little on edge–not nervous, just on edge and in need of a few jumping jacks.
• Can we start this meeting already?  Thank you.
• I’m older than at least one of the counselors in my Bishopric.  Now I know how people in a family ward feel.
• Again, I HATE singing along to LDS.org.  Hit that tempo button please.
• Is it just me or has the same guy prayed for Sacrament, Sunday School, and Elders Quorum?  My eyes are probably bad.  Affirmative action doesn’t go that far.
• Bishop’s giving a morality speech on the first day?  I haven’t EVER had one of these unless we asked the Bishop to come and speak to our quorum.
• You know, these feelings I’m having are very similar to my first day in the 56th ward.  Things are going to be just fine.
• Maybe I should pray before I leave the house each day.
• Don’t make that first click?  Doesn’t he know that more than 90% of men at BYU have already viewed pornography in their life?  In my last stake, President Brenchley didn’t ask “Have you viewed…” but “When was the last time you viewed pornography?”  Such a bold questioning tactic.  I respect that.
• I respect this bishop though.
• If I can’t sleep maybe I should go running until I’m tired.
• SUGGESTION: Pray for God to reveal himself in my life.
• I think I’m going to pray for a calling.
• Was there a lesson scheduled for today?  I think so….
• Don’t try to teach a lesson with the remaining 15 minutes…just testify and send us home.
• I want to hear stories from this month, not your mission, unless you just got back from your mission this week.
• PONDER: What did I learn as a missionary that I should apply in my life?  I should ask something similar to Cam.
• Overall, good lesson.  Decent meetings.  And now it’s time to go home.

Friday = unemployed

Hey all,

I’m looking for work and sadly nothing concrete has come along.  Any suggestions are welcome.

Dave

another six (6)

There was a comment on my last post asking if all I had was female friends on Facebook.  Doesn’t seem so.  I decided to try the writing prompt again to see what might happen on today’s profile page:

• JG – First time I saw JG he had a full beard and I thought he was 40 or so.  No worries.  On my mission that blessed Argentina thought I was 30-40.  I think I attended a play and he was gathered with some theatre people afterwards and they were having a discussion of what they had seen.  I think I tried saying something clever so that I could enter the conversation, but I don’t think what I said actually turned out being clever.  A year later we worked somewhat on a new play and started I dialogue regarding theatre that I’ve appreciated ever since.  Quite the smart guy, what’s more, he’s a really good writer and I appreciate his blog(s).
• TDV – I remember her being a really tiny girl–as in she was small and seemed young.  I think we were in TMA 112 together and may have worked on the same presentation.  That sounds write.  We had to develop a pitch for a movie based on The Great International Paper Airplane Competition.  Good ideas, has the potential of being the next SeaBiscuit or Zoolander (our pitch, not her).  That’s all I know of TDV.  We worked on one class project together (I think).
• KR – The moment I saw this girl I couldn’t help but smile when I saw her eyes.  Simply beautiful.  We were dance partners in the last play I ever acted in.  Good times.  Anyway, while I started falling for her, she was falling for a good friend of mine.  It was quickly evident I had lost the battle so I gave up on that relationship.  I ran into her once at BYU when she said hello as I walked to school.  Really a sweet and outgoing girl that everyone seemed to love.  She just recently returned from a mission.
• MYM – Was a friend of some girls that lived in my ward not too long ago.  We never really talked much and I’m pretty sure I added her as a friend during the time of Facebook that we were all trying to build up our friend lists.  Cute girl, married now.  Nothing much more to report.
• KAO’D – This guy was once of my favorite district leaders in my last ward.  I really enjoyed sitting down with him each month and talking about his elders and the members of the ward he watched over.  We’d pray together and I could really feel the love he had in his heart for the gospel and our ward.  Good man.
• KG – Oh KG.  First time I saw him he was acting in BYU’s Oklahoma and admittedly, I thought he was talented but was pretty sure he had an ego, even though I never met him.  I don’t believe we’ve ever had a conversation, but we happen to be friends on Facebook.  My favorite memory of him though is as Mark Twain in Big River.  He did wonderfully, but the director’s choice to place Mark Twain in this production (and he was blocked) reminded me of when Senator McCain would wander around during the townhall meetings.  He seems nice though.  I’m certain he’ll have success in the acting world.

There we go.  Another six.  Good times.

today’s six (6)

I wanted to write on my blog, but I needed a prompt–something to get the words started.  OF COURSE I turn to Facebook for that inspiration.  If I click on my profile, Facebook displays six (6) of my friends.  I’m going to write about them.  I’m not sure how to deal with privacy issues.  We’ll see.

• TCW – I’m not sure how long ago I met TCW.  I think it was junior high school, and it was probably in band.  Trouble is I haven’t the faintest idea what she played.  If you placed a gun to my head I would say it was a “clarinet.”  Not certain though.  TCW was a really good friend of my friends.  I think we were good friends back in the day, but I remember our relationship through my relationship with JPA.  EXCEPT! – TCW went with me to my very first (and only) concert on my 16th birthday (with my parents).  It was Journey at the Delta Center.  I think I had fun.  Peter Frampton played too.  Anyway, I’m pretty sure my parents wanted to go to the concert and when they found out it was on my birthday figured an easy way to go would be to offer me two tickets.  Good times.  TCW married the only guy I ever remember her being in love with and she has a beautiful little boy.  Also, she takes pictures, and is quite good.  Oh talented people.
• MES – Honestly, I think I would name our friendship as more of an acquaintanceship.  We were in the same ward for a while.  One night I visited her apartment and had a long (and very interesting) conversation with her and her roommates regarding the state of education, parenting, pornography, and other stuff I’m sure.  Yep, that conversation consisted of me and six girls.  Good times.  MES teaches I think.  I heard she’s dating an awesome guy in our current ward and I’m pretty excited for that.  I have a tendency of judging people, especially those who teach on Sunday, and he seems like a sincerely honest guy with a whole lot to offer.  Good for her.  I never took her out on a date though I think I may have been tempted at one time.  Yay for good acquaintanceships!
• BI – I first met BI during an audition.  She was really good, but not what we were looking for.  Sad, I know!  I joke about loving the process of casting a show because I get to reject people…wait, there honestly is a little truth in that but not in a heartless sort of way.  Anyway, BI dated MG which I thought was odd.  Not because it WAS odd, but because I never really observed MG in a good relationship.  Plus, I was probably jealous not being in a equally healthy relationship at the time.  BI seems to be really talented and I look forward to seeing her branch out as an actress.  Right now I’d say we’re still at acquaintanceship but also nearing colleagues.  We’ll be friends soon enough I’m sure.  I don’t believe I’ve wanted to take her out on a date.
• JM – She happens to have my last name!  No relation.  Seriously.  Danish names are mixed up that way.  JM is such a talented artist and I always envied her paint pants.  What can I say?  That’s what I think of when I see her name.  I think she’s living in Seattle now and working, probably making loads of money.  Oh money, where are you?  JM and I got along well I think.  I think we were friends at one time.  We don’t keep in touch, but I’m pretty sure a reunion at dinner would be full of great stories and laughter.  JM dated a few friends of mine, but I’ve never had any interest, primarily because we shared the same last name.  Too weird.
• JL – She is a very talented actress who was a joy to work with despite the fact that I’m pretty sure I stressed her out as a director.  I was intimidated by her because of her smile.  It happens to me frequently with some girls.  I don’t think our personalities would mesh in a relationship so I never thought about taking her out.  Though we aren’t really buddies, I am eternally grateful to her for being in one of the best projects I’ve worked on.
• MG (different than above) – I had quite the crush on this girl, but for some reason I was like a 14 year old around her.  It was far easier maintaining a non-committal, safe relationship via digital mediums than to actually become close friends in person.  I’m so odd.  Anyway, she’s a talented director/actor/writer and I’m very excited to see how she affects the world.  It’s gonna happen.  There’s no doubt.  I never really was certain what went on in her head, but I know she has a good heart.  One of the best I’m sure.

Six Facebook friends of mine and you learned a little about them, and probably something about me.  Looking at this very short list I’m a little disappointed that I haven’t established more meaningful friendships with these individuals.  I suspect that’s the case for the majority of my Facebook friends.  How easy it is to grow apart from great friends and settle for acquaintanceships instead of friendships.

I can change that, right?  I think so.  People are worth getting to know.

It’s funny, I’ve received the same fortune in my past two fortune cookies: “The best way to make a friend is to be one.”

RFAD (Random Facts About Dave)

I’ve been with Google a good long time.  By “been with” I mean I’ve used their products, not that I work or have a personal relationship with them.  Anyway, I update my GTalk contacts to list everyone’s first and last name so that I don’t have some random email address I don’t remember popping up.  That is, I’ve updated all but two contacts:

Art is Art.

Yellow is Yellow.

I NEVER chat with these individuals, but I keep their names like that.  Odd.

wise words from asia

too many shiitake mushrooms makes for one sick dave on the sabbath