BYU-I 77th Ward Halloween Party

I can't say I didn't try.  This Halloween, Joel and I decided to get the most gnarly pumpkin in the lot.  We went to Broulim's, a local grocery store, and we picked out a 20-25 pounder.  We first started looking for the typical, round, unblemished specimen, but then, something else called out to us.  On the top of the pile was an oddly shaped, nearly off-balance pumpkin.  I looked at it, and I could almost see quasi modo staring right back at me.  So, I let the pumpkin speak to me, and then I liberated the face that lay dormant within.  And to top it off, we won the pumpkin carving contest at the ward party!  (Uh, hem, we were the only entrants, but that doesn't take away any of the glamour.)  The prize: a cup of Heath Bars.  Yum.

General Conference

Lindley, Brad, Jennifer, and Joel all went down to Salt Lake City for the 178th Semiannual General Conference of the church.  We got to see all the crazies prowling around on temple square.  The conference draws a pretty big anti-Mormon group of protesters there on temple square twice a year.  Some wear body-size signs, some hold six-foot tall crosses that say "Jesus is Lord" and "The Bible is God's Word", some wear white robes with devil masks over there faces and wave to the people saying "thank you, thank you for coming", and some stand with bibles held up high over their head saying "come to the true christ."

It was a wonderful experience being in that massive conference center where there's no bad seat and plenty of paintings, statues, and sculptures to look at.  The whole roof of the building is a garden with plants, flowers, trees, waterfalls, and shrubbery.  It truly is a great and marvelous gathering of the saints to hear from the prophets of the Lord.  Unfortunately we did not get any pictures of us at the conference center. 

THE SPRAIN

Hello Folks,

Thursday, October 2 was a rough day for me.  On my way home from class, I passed some people on the concrete walkway by riding my bike onto the grass then back onto the concrete in order to get around them.  Well, I should have been a little more careful as I did not turn my bike back perpendicular with the sidewalk.  My thin front tire got caught in the rut between the grass and the sidewalk launching me forward off the bike onto the concrete.  Naturally I put my hand out to break my fall and protect my head from hitting the ground, and at the very moment that my hand hit the ground, a shock wave went from the bones in my wrist all the way up my arm to my elbow put my arm into an immediate state of swelling and stiffness.  My first thought was my bike.  OH CRAP!  It's going to cost a fortune to fix that.  Reluctantly, I looked at my wrist and realized that I wasn't going to be biking anymore this season.  The first photo doesn't give it justice.  It's way more black and blue following the outline of the bone.  The doctors determined it a sprain.  I got this fancy suede splint for it.  My poor bike got some scratches on the front shifter and rear de-railer.  

Jen's 28th Birthday

Dear Diary,

Well, today I finally have a minute to recoup and regroup.  I have been working an entirely exhausting work week/month.  Yesterday was my birthday, and to celebrate, I pulled a 17-hour work day!  Woo hoo!!  I did not spend it alone, though.  My trusty accomplice, co-worker, and friend was there alongside, Jon Guinn.  His sister-in-law, Rachel, whipped up a gourmet breakfast sandwich in a style that sounds French and I can't remember exactly the name.  All I know is that Jon and I looked it up online because his wife, Sarah wouldn't tell him what it was we were eating and we read about raw pig vesicles, something or other...Yummy stuff, whatever it was.

That morning, I started off the day at the Bonneville County Courthouse, paying a speeding ticket from a week previous (Welcome to Idaho and Happy Birthday).  The woman behind the glass made me wait for at least an hour, even though both her and I were there early, to open the doors and start serving me.  Did I mention I had to walk though a metal detector?  Oh, yes, I did feel like packing that day, but fought the urge.

My life is work these days.  I am working on an elementary school in Afton, Wyoming.  Our 35% drawing set is due really soon.  Well, it was due last month and we're rushing to complete it for the school district.  

Joel and I miss each other, but we're spending some real quality time tonight together side by side, him on his laptop and me on the iMac blogging.  Heh heh.  Gotta love 2008.