Disconcertingly Choppy

Day 43: The New-and-Improved Plowman Clan

2012-02-12T21:00:00.005-07:00

With the official addition of Adi to our family, the Plowman clan now looks like this:

The bride and groom also posed for a picture with our Sanders cousins who attended the Big Day:

Day 42: Japanese Lanterns

2012-02-11T16:39:00.005-07:00

I have many favorite moments from the past two days, but among my very favorites was the Japanese lantern launch toward the end of Ben and Adi's reception Thursday night.

Quite similar to my experience creating and launching "UFOs" (as I called them then in a Disconcertingly Choppy post) a couple of years ago, this is, I understand, a wedding tradition in Japan, where Adi's grandmother is from originally and where Ben served his mission, kind of making doing it a no-brainer for this occasion. It's a bit hard to describe, but as you can see from the photographs, it invovled lighting and sending several of them up into the air.

Great tradition, isn't it?

Almost as enjoyable as watching the lanterns float off was watching everyone's reactions to them. I particularly love this photo of Kira, Dave, and Jessica looking up at the sky, as well as the one that follows and features Luke, Jenna, and Kenna.

Day 41: Mr. and Mrs. Plowman

2012-02-11T16:13:00.003-07:00

I attended a beautiful sealing today at the Salt Lake temple.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Day 40: Lucky Grab

2012-02-09T23:00:00.003-07:00

Ben and Adi's wedding reception was held earlier tonight at Le Jardin in Sandy. It was one of those rare instances in which the reception came the night before the actual wedding (which is tomorrow morning).

I could post several pictures - and I plan on posting several more in the coming days - but this one will have to do for now.

What can I say? It was a lucky grab on my part.

Day 39: Toothless People

2012-02-08T22:01:00.002-07:00

When I saw Luke the other day, he was anxious to show me his smile now that he had lost one of his front teeth.

I assured him it will grow back. In the meantime, he's looking forward to a payday from the tooth fairy.

Day 38: Oysters!

2012-02-07T22:42:00.005-07:00

One of my guilty food pleasures is oysters. I had a few today for lunch.

If you think oysters are disgusting, well, I was once like you. Serving in a small branch on the outskirts of Cusco, Peru, where I was served oyster soup for lunch every day for three months, however, changed my mind; they're actually quite delicious.

Rocky Mountain oysters, however, are completely out of the equation.

Day 37: Jeff Honks Kylee's Nose

2012-02-06T22:01:00.003-07:00

This photo, also taken during yesterday's family gathering, deserves its own post.

Why? I believe it's one of those rare ones in which a picture really does say a thousand words.

Day 36: Super Sunday and Uncle Paco, the Punching Bag

2012-02-05T21:51:00.006-07:00

Earlier today, there was a football game on TV. Perhaps you heard about it, or maybe you even watched it yourself.

Anyhoo, the family gathered for this annual event up at Mike and Jana's home in Layton and also to enjoy a good Sunday dinner together, with Mike serving up hamburgers from the grill.

After taking the following photo, I told Biz that I thought her glasses made her look like Amy Farrah Fowler from "The Big Bang Theory." You be the judge:

If you agree with me on this, and she should happen to find out about it, please be forewarned that she may punch you in the arm.

Speaking of which, at another point during the day, I had my camera out when Jackson randomly came up to me and proceeded to punch me repeatedly in the stomach. Here's more or less what it looked like:

You can see the right hand starting to swing forward and beginning to form a fist.

Later, I took this picture of the two three-year-olds, Jackson and his cousin Kira, as they ate dinner together:

Jackson lifted up his right hand, almost as if to say: "No pictures, please. Remember what happened the last time you messed with me, buddy?"

I couldn't make up this stuff if I tried.

Day 35: Ben's Bachelor Party

2012-02-04T22:28:00.006-07:00

Earlier tonight, a good group of family members and old friends and I gathered to celebrate Ben's bachelor party, and we did so in pretty much the wildest fashion that a bunch of LDS guys can have a bachelor party: by going bowling and eating pizza.

First up was bowling at Bountiful Bowl, where most of the gang bowled a couple of games each.

Included among the group was the youngest bachelor, 12-year-old Dallin.

Steve even set a new personal best with an impressive score of 208.

Gary and I, meanwhile, opted to play a few games of pool. I must say that Gary is a much better pool player than he had led me to believe.

Afterward, we adjourned to Steve's and Ben's place for pizza, which we consumed while watching the Utah Jazz vs. L.A. Lakers game on TV. Fortunately, the good guys (the Jazz, of course) pulled out the victory.

Ben now has less than a week of bachelorhood left. It's going to be an eventful week.

Day 34: Phantoms of the DCPA

2012-02-04T14:34:00.004-07:00

Well, now that post this photo, I thought it looked better when I originally took it. Sigh.

At any rate, what you're supposed to be looking at is my brother-in-law Jeff and our tech people in the rafters up above the black box theater, setting up the lights and otherwise getting things ready for last night's Improvables show at the Davis Center for the Performing Arts. They're really some of the unsung heroes of our troupe, and they do a great job making things happen, week in and week out.

Day 33: Sweet Vermuth on the Rocks, with a Twist

2012-02-02T23:12:00.009-07:00

For many years now, Groundhog Day has been one of our favorite family holidays, and getting together with friends to watch the movie of the same name on or around February 2 each year has become a family tradition. Tonight was no exception.

In addition to watching the film, Ben or Steve or both of them traditionally make their own batch of sweet vermuth on the rocks, with a twist - the same drink that Andie MacDowell's character, Rita, orders in the movie. Their version of the drink is, of course, non-alcoholic. I wouldn't want to spoil the secret recipe, but it contains grape juice and lemon-lime soda.

I don't know what actual sweet vermuth tastes like, and, frankly, I don't want to know. Our recipe is far better anyway.

Day 32: Wednesday Night Slurpees

2012-02-01T22:01:00.003-07:00

My friend Gary and I have a relatively new tradition of sorts in which we stop at 7 Eleven on our way home from Wednesday night Institute to get Slurpees. When Gary offers to buy, as is often the case, it's hard to say no.
It's a pretty good tradition, really.

Day 31: Jackson, Mario, and Luigi: Evolution

2012-01-31T22:03:00.003-07:00

Earlier in the month, I posted here on Disconcertingly Choppy about my nephew Jackson's affinity for the Mario Bros. and friends, as well as posting a photo of him playing with his brother Dallin's Mario and Luigi toys. Well, when Jackson came over the other day, he had taken it to the next level: dressing up as Mario (minus the mustache, which he is still a bit young to grow on his own).

He also had many of the video game sound effects down, such as Mario's jumping, fireball-throwing, and star power noises.

This three-year-old is definitely smarter than the average bear.

P.S. We're now 31-for-31 on Project 366 as January comes to a close. Here's hoping we can keep it up for the other 11 months.

Day 30: We Love Our Xbox 360

2012-01-30T21:48:00.005-07:00

Whenever the nieces and nephews come over to visit, invariably I will hear a quiet voice or two ask me: "Uncle Paco, can we play on your Xbox?" A few moments later, this is usually what is going on:

Day by day, they're getting better than me at it. Before I know it, they'll be beating me at everything. Not that I'm complaining.

Day 29: "I Have My Books and My Poetry to Protect Me"

2012-01-29T21:06:00.003-07:00

The latest book I've finished reading, as of earlier today, is Elder David A. Bednar's Increase in Learning - a very good read which, indeed, helped me to increase in learning.

I didn't know really anything about Elder Bednar when he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles more than seven years ago, but since that time, he has become one of my favorite speakers at conference time. This book offers much of the same keen insight he gives in those addresses. I highly recommend it.

Day 28: Dinner Group at Joy Luck

2012-01-28T22:38:00.007-07:00

Our latest mid-singles Institute-sponsored quarterly dinner group took place earlier tonight. My destination was a personal (and family) favorite, Joy Luck Chinese restaurant, in West Bountiful, where I gathered with some old friends, as well as some new ones, to enjoy a good meal.

There were 27 of us total, and the eight folks at my table included, left to right, Sheena, Pepe, Jenae, Teresa, Tiffany, yours truly, Jeanette, and Eric.

Good Chinese food and good people is always a winning combination.

Day 27: Improvables of Tomorrow

2012-01-28T15:07:00.003-07:00

Following another successful Improvables performance last night, Jana (the night's M.C.) gathered everyone together for our traditional "Notes" post-performance session to discuss what went well and what went not-so-well during the show.

Before that happened, however, my niece Kenna and her cousin, who were in the audience and who had observed our final game of the evening, "Back in My Day," stepped forward to give some zingers of their own.

They may, indeed, be members of the Improvables one day. For now, I hope, our jobs are still safe.

Day 26: Popcorn

2012-01-26T23:34:00.006-07:00

We're a family of popcorn eaters. Whether we're watching a DVD at home or are sitting at the theater, we usually have popcorn to get us through it. Heck, we don't even need a movie as an excuse to eat popcorn.

Ben and Adi stopped by the other night to collect some things, as they are in the process of getting various things moved into their new apartment. Mom greeted them with: "Would you like to make you some popcorn?"

Of course they said yes. And they were eating it out of this bowl when I stopped to chat with them, including about Project 366. So, naturally, I took a picture.

Day 25: Spontaneous Breakdancing Lesson

2012-01-26T00:53:00.003-07:00

After the conclusion of last night's weekly Improv workshop at the theater, Jordan invited us all to his other troupe's (Play Theory) Friday night performance and mentioned in passing that breakdancing would be involved but that he really didn't know that much about it. Guy then suggested he could teach us a few moves, and before I knew it, a bona fide breakdancing lesson had gotten underway in our rehearsal room.

Yeah, we're white and nerdy, but we don't hide that fact.

Day 24: Kenna's New Haircut

2012-01-25T00:03:00.004-07:00

Kenna recently got her hair cut, and when she saw that I was taking pictures, she asked me to take hers so that I could post it for my project.

It would be hard to say no to that face, wouldn't it?

Day 23: Utah Jazz Autograph Party

2012-01-23T21:25:00.007-07:00

Earlier tonight, my brother Mike called me up with a last-minute offer: free tickets to a Utah Jazz autograph party for season ticket holders. Since none of us are season ticket holders, I wasn't about to ask questions (he got them from his employer); and that's exactly the kind of event for which I can drop whatever I'm doing and head directly to EnergySolutions Arena.

The snowstorm farther up north actually kept Mike from coming down to Salt Lake, but Ben and I were able to go and ended up using the tickets, arriving a bit late into the 6 to 7:30 p.m. window. In the 45 minutes or so we had left, we were able to meet and get the autographs of Coach Tyrone Corbin, Al Jefferson, Gordon Hayward, Raja Bell, and Josh Howard.

You may commence being jealous . . . now.

Day 22: Playing "Pass the Parcel"

2012-01-22T22:52:00.005-07:00

One of our family's patented good-time games is "Pass the Parcel," a tradition that Mom learned in England as a girl and then brought with her when she came here to the States nearly 50 years ago.

Whenever we get together to celebrate a family birthday - as was the case today for my sister-in-law Jessica - a crucial portion of the party involves playing this game, in which we pass around a parcel loaded up with treats while music plays. When the music stops, whoever is left holding the parcel is out, though he or she gets to unwrap a layer of the parcel and gets to keep and eat whichever piece of candy falls out. It's a lot like "Musical Chairs," and it's really a win-win situation.

Day 21: Karaoke Party

2012-01-21T23:39:00.006-07:00

A few days ago, Ben and Adi, Steve and Summer, some of Steve's friends, and I got together for an evening of tacos and karaoke. Is there a better combination for a fantastic evening?

I submit that there is not.

Here, Summer and Steve (and friend) sing - go figure - "Summer Night" from Grease.

Day 20: The Improvables, V. 2012

2012-01-21T17:45:00.002-07:00

Following last night's Improv show - which was a great success, I must say, as we had one of our biggest crowds turn out since we moved to the Davis Center for the Performing Arts in October, as well as an all-around great performance by our cast and crew - I took some new pictures of the group. It had been a while since I had taken any, and in addition to working on Projcet 366 in 2012, I'm also trying to keep our Facebook page (The Improvables - Utah, for future reference) updated as best as I can.

We're a good-lookin' bunch, aren't we?

Day 19: Kenna's Goat

2012-01-19T23:52:00.004-07:00

The other day when she was over at the house, Kenna showed me her new present: a goat marionette.

In the past, I've written about my (non-irrational) fear of marionettes here on Disconcertingly Choppy, so this was a tense moment for me. Fortunately, Kenna's marionette is nowhere near as creepy as the ones in The Sound of Music.

Day 18: My New Enemy

2012-01-18T23:54:00.001-07:00

My old enemy: stairs

My new enemy: this thing

Day 17: Jack-Jack Closeup

2012-01-17T20:06:00.003-07:00

I was getting ready to take McKenna's picture the other day when a mischievous, three-year-old face suddenly appeared in front of my camera. I pressed the button regardless.

I think I ended up with a pretty good shot anyway.

Day 16: Awkward Conversation

2012-01-16T21:44:00.006-07:00

Earlier tonight, Bryan, Parker, Ryan, and I performed an Improvables remote show for one of the Centerville YSA ward's FHE events. The last game of the evening was "Awkward Conversation," a game that only our troupe plays - which I had seen before but in which I had not previously participated. In the game, we take turns having a nose-to-nose conversation, trying to get the other person to laugh or to break character. If that happens, that person then has to rotate to the back of the line. The objective is to stay in "the middle" for as long as possible.

Awkward conversations - in a singles ward? That's a stretch.

I was a split-second too late with this photo, which shows Ryan right after getting out against Parker and moving to the back of the line.

Day 15: Dallin's a Deacon

2012-01-15T20:03:00.007-07:00

This afternoon, my 12-year-old nephew Dallin (I may have mentioned him once or twice in the last little while) was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood and to the office of a deacon. His dad, my brother Mike, officiated, with the assistance of Grandpa Plowman and three of his uncles (Ben, Steve, and yours truly). He's looking forward to passing the sacrament and all of the other things that deacons get to do, and we're proud of him.

It was also nice to meet Bishop Bruce Newbold, who presided over things. You may remember him as Parley P. Pratt in How Rare a Possession, as well as a number of other Church films.

In the above photo, the Church's newest deacon poses with Grandpa and Grandma Plowman.

Day 14: Kid in the Freddy Kruger Sweater

2012-01-14T23:53:00.012-07:00

In Davis mid-singles Institute news, I was recently drafted into helping out with the Activities Committee. This is not an official church calling but something I "get" to do, as Mr. Handley, my sixth-grade teacher, might have said. It is also an opportunity to lend a hand and to be a bit more involved with the group.

At any rate, earlier today, I met with the rest of the committee - both of them, Emma and Pyper - for lunch at Chili's to discuss plans for some of these upcoming events. While we were there, I couldn't help but notice that the kid in the booth next to us was wearing the same red-and-green sweater that Freddy Kruger wears in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. I wanted to be as sly as possible about taking his picture for Project 366, so Emma and Pyper were good enough to pose for a shot, with the kid in the background.

Day 13: Jackson, Mario, and Luigi

2012-01-14T17:46:00.006-07:00

When Dallin and I returned from last week's aforementioned birthday lunch and shopping trip, the person most excited to see us was his three-year-old little brother, Jackson. The reason: Among Dallin's new toys were LEGO-ish (I don't know the brand name) Mario and Luigi figures, and Jackson is currently obsessed with all things Mario.

Dallin confided to me that it was all part of his plan. Jackson has, apparently, also been getting into Dallin's LEGO sets and playing with them, so this was a sort of peace offering, as well as a way of keeping Jackson out of his room.

Smart kid, that one.

Day 12: Training Ozzy

2012-01-12T23:56:00.004-07:00

When I visited Mike and Jana's place earlier this week, it was also second time for me meeting their new dog, Ozzy, who has been under their roof for just a short time now. As you can see (hopefully), he's a mix of a few different breeds, and he's a very enthusiastic and friendly puppy.

In today's photo, Dallin attempts to teach to teach Ozzy to "sit."

Day 11: Flat as a Pancake

2012-01-11T15:16:00.004-07:00

Last night, I was rather nonplussed to discover that my car had gone and given itself another flat tire. I had gone quite some time since my last flat - see earlier posts on the topic about my chronic tire issues, if you must - and then, like a bad recurring dream, it happened yet again. Not only was the tire flat; the rim was actually touching the ground, as you can see from this picture:

Yup; can't go too far on that. Fortunately, first thing today, I was able to get the spare put on, and the good folks at Big O, who now know me on a first-name basis because of my frequent visits, got the puncture fixed up.

And there was much rejoicing.

Day 10: 185 Envelopes Walk into a Bar . . .

2012-01-10T22:38:00.006-07:00

Today's photo is of a stack of envelopes, taken from tonight's multi-family gathering to stuff and address wedding invitations for Ben and Adi's upcoming nuptials. I heard someone (Summer, I believe) say that she had counted a total of "185 envelopes" in this stack, and immediately my mind went to the Improv game "185," in which we make up lame jokes about 185 "somethings" walking into a bar, and . . . punchline.

Yeah, good times were had by all.

Day 9: Mad Hatters

2012-01-09T20:01:00.003-07:00

At Friday's Improvables show, Mad Hatters was the theme, and those who showed up wearing their funkiest-looking hat got a $2 discount on the ticket price. We also gave away two free passes to future shows to the winners of our best hat contest.

Those winners were Jen Nance:

and Blake Paget:

Thanks for playing, kids.

Day 8: Dallin's Star Wars Cake

2012-01-08T21:58:00.004-07:00

Today, it was the family's turn to help celebrate Dallin's twelfth birthday, and we gathered for family dinner and a party following our respective church meetings.

My mom made him the above-pictured Star Wars-themed birthday cake, which drew three-year-old Jackson's interest as soon as he saw it. Among the action figures standing on top of it are Darth Vader, Han Solo, a Stormtrooper, Ewoks, and several LEGO figures.

Day 7: My Dinner with Dallin 2012

2012-01-07T22:31:00.006-07:00

Earlier today, I picked up my nephew Dallin for our annual birthday outing, which includes lunch at the establishment of his choice and a shopping trip (i.e. me paying for a present that he gets to pick out for himself at the local toy or video game store). It's really a win-win deal, as he is a great kid to hang out with in general, and as he approaches his twelfth birthday next Tuesday, he talked with excitement of his upcoming ordination to the office of deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood.

Dallin chose Arctic Circle for lunch, and after we enjoyed a good meal there, we were off to the store, where he chose a set of Pokémon cards (displayed in the photo) along with Mario and Luigi LEGO-ish figurines (which, I think, he mainly chose for his little brother Jackson's sake).

Good times were had by all.

Day 6: Jazz Win!

2012-01-07T00:30:00.004-07:00

Earlier tonight, I attended my first Utah Jazz game at EnergySolutions Arena in . . . well, it had been a very long time since the last one. I honestly don't remember when it was, but I do remember that Jerry Sloan was still the Jazz coach, and Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, and Deron Williams, all of who have since departed, were still on the team.

At any rate, the tickets were given to me as a Christmas present, for which I am grateful. It was a very enjoyable game, with the young and somewhat rebuilding Jazz team playing well and pulling out a 94-85 victory over visiting Memphis, bringing their record on the season to 4-3.

Day 5: "Life's Lessons Learned"

2012-01-05T23:42:00.007-07:00

Having now wrapped up my reading of S. Michael Wilcox's Walking on Water, I have moved on to the other book that was given to me for Christmas, Elder Dallin H. Oaks's Life's Lessons Learned. Take a gander:

Trust me; it's better than it looks. I'm enjoying it so far.

Day 4: Possible Wedding Invitation Photo #2?

2012-01-04T23:23:00.004-07:00

The rumor going around right now is that my brother Steve and his fiancée, Summer, will be using this photo for their wedding invitations. I hope it's true.

Yes, our family's planning two weddings right now. 2012 is going to be an epic year for los locos Plowman.

Day 3: Possible Wedding Invitation Photo?

2012-01-03T23:15:00.005-07:00

The rumor going around right now is that my brother Ben and his fiancée, Adi, are going to be using this photo for their wedding invitations, which I should finally get to see sometime later this week.
I hope it's true.

Day 2: Safe-T-Rex

2012-01-02T23:14:00.005-07:00

Earlier tonight, Biz, Jana, Parker, Steve, and I represented the Improvables at what we call a remote show - a performance away from our own theater - for a singles ward up in Farmington. We've been doing a handful of these lately in our efforts to try to promote the troupe when and wherever we can.

At any rate, we were in the Primary room, warming up for the show, when I went out to get a drink of water and to use the, ahem, facilities. When I came back, Parker had drawn the following on the dry erase board:

Safe-T-Rex looks like the kind of series of advertisements or kids' show I could really get behind. It certainly couldn't be any worse than Barney.

The show, incidentally, turned out very well, and we had a great time performing for them.

Day 1: "Walking on Water"

2012-01-01T23:19:00.012-07:00

Today's photograph is of the book Walking on Water, which was written by S. Michael Wilcox. It was given to me for Christmas, and earlier today I finished reading it.

Bro. Wilcox, now retired, was one of my favorite instructors when I attended the University of Utah Institute, and reading this book was almost like being back in his classroom. If you're looking for some good reading, please allow me to recommend it. In it, you'll find unique and insightful commentary on important gospel principles from someone who has dedicated his life to learning and teaching them.

Project 366

2011-12-31T17:18:00.005-07:00

I'm not one to make many New Year's resolutions, let alone keep them. Tomorrow, however, I'm going to attempt one, and I call it: Project 366.

The idea behind this project is that I will be posting (at least) one photo per day here on Disconcertingly Choppy, along with at least a brief description of each. Ideally, I will be able to look back on this blog in a year - assuming we all survive the end of the Mayan calendar in late December - and will have, well, at lot to look back on to remind me of the year 2012.

So, I will be posting my first photo tomorrow. Happy New Year, gang.

'Twas the Day after Christmas

2011-12-26T23:25:00.011-07:00

Belated Christmas Wishes from all of us (well, me) here at Disconcertingly Choppy! Here's hoping that you enjoyed your holiday.

As for me, I gathered with my siblings, nieces, and nephews at Mom and Dad’s home for a big family dinner on Christmas Eve. While Mom and the girls prepared a delicious meal, the kids created some chalk drawings out on the driveway and sidewalk. The results were, I must say, rather impressive:

When dinner time came, we all sat down together for a scrumptious feast.

Have I got seven of the world's best-looking nieces and nephews, or what? (Answer: Yes, I do.)

Dinner was followed by the annual family Christmas pageant, which Biz once again put together, giving speaking or acting roles to most everybody. The kids arguably enjoyed taking part perhaps more than any of us. Jackson insisted on playing the role of Joseph, which he could pronounce only as Jovis, while Kira played Mary; Jenna and Kenna were angels; while Luke, Dallin, and I were the three wise men.

I gotta say that I love the mischievous looks on Luke's and Dallin's faces in the above picture.

Afterward, everyone opened the gifts given to them by those who pulled their names out of the hat. The best part of this is always watching the kids’ eyes light up when they get something they really like.

Christmas Day itself was great, as we got to spend part of the day at church, which consisted of sacrament meeting only. Mom, Dad, and I were invited over to Dave and Jessica’s for dinner, and following that, Jenna, Luke, and Kira showed off the presents that Santa Claus had brought them.

Today, Boxing Day, we had a sort of second Christmas when Scott, Claudia, and their girls joined us at Steve’s house for a Korean lunch. Korean food is still very much a taste I have yet to acquire, but it was good to get together with our cousins and also to get the latest updates from Eden, who was able to call them from Ecuador on Christmas Eve. Later that afternoon, most of the adults went over to the new Centerville Megaplex to see Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, the next film in that series, and we enjoyed it a great deal.

Happy Boxing Day, Bedford Falls.

The Spirit of Giving . . . and of Receiving

2011-12-19T21:35:00.025-07:00

This week, I've been doing some thinking about both giving and receiving. After all, it is the Christmas season, and it's a topic on most everybody's minds right now.

It was on my mind the other night when Kylee accompanied me to see the Madison Square Garden version of A Christmas Carol at the Davis Center for the Performing Arts (aka our Improvables home). Scrooge's problem, of course, is that he spends most of his life receiving and not giving. Only after the three spirits show him the errors of his ways does he learn that it's all in the giving.

Additionally, Bro. Kjar gave a rather thought-provking lesson on the subject a few days ago at our mid-singles Institute class. His conclusion was, essentially, that gifts not only have to be given but received and, as a result, both the giver is blessed for giving and the receiver blesses the giver for accepting the gift.

I think the same principle applies to dating - something that we single people tend to tussle with more often than we'd like to. At times, you seem to give a lot to someone who either doesn't want to receive the gift or who doesn't want to give anything back - at least, not at the same level you're willing to be at. It's like putting quarters into a slot machine. (Believe it or not, that's actually something I heard in a Michael McLean song.)

At any rate, what's my conclusion? I'm not 100 percent sure that I have one, although I do know this: I'm going to keep on giving. I may be a bit more cautious about whom I choose to give what and to what degree, but I will keep on doing so until there is someone who wishes to receive - and to give back a little now and then, too.

Steve and Summer and the Spring

2011-12-18T22:05:00.006-07:00

We had barely gotten over the pleasant surprise of Ben and Adi's engagement when, earlier tonight, Steve proposed to Summer (she said yes). They both came over to share the good news and to show us a videotape of Summer's reaction to receiving the ring at a party over at her parents' house.

They are planning on a wedding sometime in the spring. I am excited to be receiving not one but two new sisters-in-law in 2012.

Stay tuned for more details.

Chip off of the Old Block

2011-12-12T13:43:00.007-07:00

My parents like to tell a story about my older brother, Mike, when he was just a toddler many years ago. One day, after spending some time playing at a neighbor's house, they asked him, "What did you do today, Mike?" His response: "Push!"

Fast-forward to yesterday's family dinner, when his three-year-old boy Jackson came running up to me and said: "Paco, you're on my team."

"Great," I responded. "What are we doing?"

"Punch!" he said, pounding his fist into his other hand.

"Punch what?" I asked.

"Kenna," he stated, matter of factly. "She's a girl." (He had, apparently, been chasing her around for some reason and wanted my help.)

Yes, the apple doesn't far that far from the tree at all.

My Dinner with Luke 2011

2011-12-03T15:30:00.005-07:00

My nephew Luke turned six years old Tuesday, and to commemorate the occasion, yesterday I took him out for lunch and to the store for his annual birthday excursion.

A kid after my own heart, he chose McDonald's for lunch and, surprisingly, actually helped eat more of my Quarter Pounder with Cheese than I was expecting he would. Not a problem, though; I was happy to share. Luke's a great conversationalist for a six-year-old and, as we ate, he told me how he's been enjoying his kindergarten class.

Following our meal, we went over Target, where Luke picked out a LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean set as his present. It was the one where Captain Jack Sparrow is on the island of the cannibals (from the second film in the series), and I found myself having to answer his "What's a cannibal?" question as delicately as possible.

Luke's a great kid, and I enjoyed spending the afternoon with him. Here's to many more birthdays.

Oh, the Weather Outside Is Frightful . . .

2011-12-02T15:49:00.008-07:00

Perhaps you've heard the news by now, but in case you haven't: On the evening of November 30/morning of December 1, strong canyon winds – some gusts reaching over 100 MPH, or the equivalent of a grade 2 hurricane – swept through several parts of Davis County, including Bountiful. The power was knocked out all over town and is still out in some places (fortunately, mine was restored after about 24 hours).

Additionally, many trees, including ones older than I am, were knocked over. The neighborhood looks quite different than it did a few days ago.

Regardless, I'm grateful - because things could have been a lot worse. Overall, my second hurricane was actually not as inconvenient as that one I weathered in Puerto Rico 22 years ago.

Turkey Day 2011

2011-11-30T16:10:00.006-07:00

In addition to Ben and Adi's engagement, our family also celebrated Thanksgiving last week.

With the rest of the family spending the day at their current (or future) in-laws, including Steve over at Summer’s family's house, my parents and I accepted an invitation from my cousin Scott and his wife, Claudia, to join them and their kids for dinner. Claudia’s parents, two of my favorite people in the world, and brother, Alberto, were among the other attendees.

We were treated to a delicious meal, with an abundance of all of the traditional trimmings included. As you can see, I was rather underdressed for the occasion, being one of the few not getting the memo about dressing up in my favorite Native American costume.

But I definitely had the best beard at the table.

It's About Time!

2011-11-25T16:24:00.006-07:00

He liked it, so he put a ring on it.

I'm excited to be getting a new sister-in-law.

Los Villancicos of Yesteryear

2011-11-21T22:04:00.007-07:00

Over the weekend, I ran into an old friend - one I hadn't seen since we served together in the mission field.

Naty Mendoza, a native Peruvian from Arequipa, was a sister missionary I served with in the Peru Lima Central Mission . . . well, a number of years ago. We didn't know each other that well in those days, but then again, a mission companion is a mission companion. She, now a resident of Utah, invited me to the local Peruvian restaurant in Bountiful, Rico Pollo, where her group, FLAMA, performed a number of native Latin American dances and Christmas songs in Spanish. Naty founded and directs FLAMA (Folklore and Latin American Music Academy) as a means of fellowshipping Latino immigrants to Utah and also to promote cross-cultural understanding and such.

Additionally, I got to meet Naty's husband and three kids, two of who performed in the FLAMA song-and-dance presentation. I heard at least a few Christmas ditties that I recognized and that, as a result, brought back some good memories of my two Christmases spent in my adopted homeland of Peru.

While I watched the kids' performance, I enjoyed a dinner of one of my favorite Peruvian meals: pollo a la brasa (basically roasted chicken, along with French fries and a Peruvian salad). Trust me, it's delicious and much better than it sounds.

Los buenos tiempos los disfrutaron todos.

No "Mere Mortals"

2011-11-08T19:48:00.008-07:00

I attended a mid-singles Institute talent show last night. If you were there, too, then you were one of the few who showed up. It wasn't the greatest showcase of talent I've ever seen - after all, I, too, took part - but I woke up today with this quote of C.S. Lewis on my mind:

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses. . .
. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and
the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with
one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no
'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures,
arts, civilisations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life
of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and
exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that
we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that
kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who
have, from the outset, taken each other seriously -- no flippancy, no
superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love."

Last night, I saw one of my friends, who is confined to a wheelchair, perform what he called the first "sit-down comic" routine. I saw another friend, also confined to a wheelchair, dance - yes, dance - performing several routines in his wheelchair to the tune of Kenny Loggins's "Danger Zone."

Truly, these are no "mere mortals," indeed.

TMBG and JoCo in Concert

2011-11-05T15:28:00.010-06:00

I finally checked a big item off of my “Bucket List” last night as Ben, Pepe, and I went to see They Might Be Giants live in concert at The Depot in Salt Lake City. I have been a big TMBG fan for years and had always missed them when they were in town – but not this time!

The Depot is a rather small venue for this type of show and was uncomfortably crowded at times, but it was nevertheless good to hear some familiar tunes, including "Birdhouse in Your Soul," "Particle Man," "The Lion Sleeps Tonight/The Guitar," and "Fingertips," played live for the first time.

In addition, They Might Be Giants were joined by a talented musician named Jonathan Coulton, who opened the show for them. He played an enjoyable 45-minute set that included the very catchy "Mr. Fancy Pants," which may be stuck in my head for weeks.

The Improvables Strike Back

2011-10-29T15:05:00.007-06:00

After months of negotiations, bargaining, and everything else that goes into getting an Improv troupe settled into a new theater, the Improvables made their triumphant return to the stage and grand debut at the Davis Center for the Performing Arts last night. It also marked our third annual Halloween show, and a near-capacity crowd turned out to help us celebrate the occasion.

Yes, you read that right. Steve was the evening's M.C., with Biz, Guy, and Scott facing off against Ian, Parker, and yours truly; Michael provided the music on guitar. We got to play some of the seasonal favorites, including “Oxygen Deprivation,” “Tombstone,” and “Campfire Tale,” as well as old classics like “Greatest Hits” and “Film Noir.”

If last night's show was any indication of what is to come at our new home at the Connie Leishman Performance Hall/black box theater, we hope to enjoy many, many more performances of the sort in the years to come.

Getting Spooky

2011-10-22T22:00:00.016-06:00

Halloween will soon be upon us, as you're probably already aware, and I enjoyed getting into the spirit of the season tonight by taking part in the South Davis Recreation Center’s annual “Spooktacular” event. This year’s shindig was, apparently, the fifth straight year that it has taken place; who knew that it would be so well attended or so much fun?

Members of the Improvables, in anticipation of our upcoming return to the stage at the Davis Center for the Performing Arts, were asked to volunteer at this event, and Ryan I ended up representing the troupe and helping to pass out candy to the many trick-or-treaters who visited Trick-or-Treat Lane.

We were there for three hours, and it was busy the entire time – far busier than any of the Trunk-or-Treats with which I have assisted. By the end of the evening, we were pretty pooped.

I dressed up - or intended to dress up - as Stoick the Vast from How to Train Your Dragon. Many of the people who came by told me they thought I was Thor, which is someone I'm more than okay with being misidentified as.

As an added bonus, Ryan reprised his Hello Kitty Darth Vader costume from a few years ago. The picture says it all:

Good times were had by all.

Steve's 30th

2011-10-19T22:41:00.006-06:00

October is a great month for birthdays in our family, and earlier tonight, it was Steve's turn for a birthday party. Summer organized a surprise gathering for him at the Foxboro clubhouse, just a few blocks from his house, and a good number of his family and friends showed up to participate.

There was a good deal of delicious food as we waited . . . and waited . . . for Steve and Summer's arrival. But with my seven nieces and nephews around, there's never a dull moment.

Fortunately, the birthday boy eventually showed up, and he seemed genuinely surprised.

. . . and there was much rejoicing.

Party Down!

2011-10-04T19:07:00.012-06:00

I had another birthday yesterday. Try as I might, I have been unsuccessful at finding a way to stop them from happening since I turned, oh, probably 21.

At any rate, I arranged for a party of sorts at the Karaoke Café, my new favorite hangout, last night, and Ben and Adi, Steve and Summer, Biz, and Pepe were good enough to join me to celebrate the occasion. This night also marked Steve and Summer's first time returning to the spot of their first date six months earlier.

Some of the highlights from the evening included my getting to sing "Weird Al" Yankovic's "One More Minute," an old family favorite, with my three siblings on backup:

The girls collaborating together on the Dixie Chicks' "Wide Open Spaces":

Singing N*SYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" along with the other boys (actions included):

As well as the Soggy Bottom Boys' "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow":

Good times were had by all.

Sorry you missed out on things? Join us for the next birthday party, won't ya?

2011: An Improv Travesty

2011-09-29T16:22:00.014-06:00

Saturday night, the Improvables sent a team to compete at the Third Annual Utah Battle of the Improvs. Brittney, Bryan, and Steve represented the troupe and, I must say, made me proud, really giving it their all. They played “Replay at Bernie’s” in the first round, getting the first perfect 10 score of the evening and collecting the highest composite score of the first half.

We were also well represented in the audience, with several troupe members and loyal fans in attendance.

Colten and Brittney helped collect votes for us at halftime.

Advancing to the top four in the second half of the show, they played “Accents” and were rated even higher, getting two 10s from two of the three judges and a 9 from the third, resulting in a 29 out of a possible 30 points – higher than any other troupe who took part – as well as a strong audience reaction and applause.

However, we were all flabbergasted when the two finalists were announced, and our troupe wasn’t one of them. In addition, we were also somewhat collectively offended by Toy Soup, the troupe that ended up winning the competition as well as the Audience Favorite Award, who put on what I thought were a very vulgar set of games that broke many of the basic rules of Improv. Not that we are bitter. Or in the least bit biased. It was rather frustrating.

On the bright side, Brittney did take home the Miss Congeniality Award.

"Alpocalypse" Comes to Salt Lake City

2011-09-12T22:44:00.007-06:00

My next birthday is still a few weeks away, but earlier tonight, I was given an early birthday present by my good friend Pepe: tickets to the "Weird Al" Yankovic concert at the Utah State Fair.

If you know me - I'm assuming that you do if you're reading this, but you never know - you know that I'm a huge "Weird Al" fan and that I had already been to the last four of his previous concerts in Utah, as well as one in southern Georgia in 2003 (another birthday present; thanks, Clayton). They've all been hugely entertaining, and tonight's show was no exception.

Al is currently on a cross-country tour to promote his latest album, "Alpocalypse," and he performed six or seven songs from that record, including his Lady Gaga parody "Perform This Way," for which he dressed up as a peacock.

I guess the picture speaks for itself; I couldn't make this stuff up. Of course, it's really pretty tame when you think about some of Lady Gaga's outlandish wardrobe choices.

Additionally, "Weird Al" sang several of his older favorites, such as "Amish Paradise," "Canadian Idiot," "Fat," and "Smells like Nirvana." The evening's encore performance was a medley of his two Star Wars-themed songs, "Yoda" and "The Saga Begins."

Good times were had by all.

Ten Years Ago Today

2011-09-11T22:15:00.010-06:00

We're all very familiar with all that went down on that infamous day, ten years ago today. I don't need to go over the details.

I was not in New York City; western Pennsylvania; or Washington, D.C., on that day, but like most Americans, I remember exactly where I was when I found out about it. I had a doctor's appointment that morning to have my wrist checked out, and while I sat in the waiting room, I watched speechlessly along with a handful of other patients as the events unfolded on the TV set in the corner.

Something that few people know about me is that while I was not a witness to the events on 9-11, I have been a witness - an earwitness, anyway - to a terrorist attack. On a warm December night in 1996, my companion and I were in the San Isidro borough of Lima, Peru, trying to hail a taxi on the side of the road, when we heard an extremely loud explosion. The taxi driver who pulled up shortly afterward said that it had come from less than a mile away. How grateful we were that we were not any closer.

Through the news and such, we learned that the explosion had taken place at the Japanese embassy and that it was caused by a terrorist group that went on to hold most of the people inside, who were attending a Christmas party that night, as hostages for the next several months.

Well, that's another story. But it will suffice me to say that I'm glad I live in a country where we don't have to worry about those kinds of things happening. I'm grateful for those who are abroad defending those freedoms and for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

One of These Things Is Not like the Other . . .

2011-09-07T16:01:00.009-06:00

After a few months of ward hopping and wandering like a stranger in a strange land, I have finally come to a decision. I'm going back to the home ward. At least for now.

During the aforementioned time period, I spent several Sundays visiting two of Salt Lake's mid-singles wards. Joining one of these wards is one of two options I faced upon forcibly "graduating" from the Millstream Ward in May. I met some good people in both of these wards and enjoyed visiting them. However, in the end, I could not justify the 45-mile round-trip commute just to attend church, not to mention the additional commutes for going to FHEs, temple nights, firesides, etc. If I were to join a ward like that, I would want to be as involved as I could be. In addition, both of these wards are currently being overrun - think of ants at a picnic - by hundreds of other people who find themselves in the same boat as myself. It's just too many people, in my humble opinion. I have friends who have joined both of these wards, and I wish them the best; it's just not for me.

The other option left to my disposal, of course, was going to the home (family) ward where I reside. It was an option that became, for me, the lesser of two awkward choices. Sure, I'm an orange among a room full of apples - including some "apples" I went to school with who are, for example, now married and have four kids. But it's the best option. For now.

Anyway, as I prepare to climb down off of my soapbox, let me add one last thing: If there are any other mid-singles out there who happen to read this and who are not currently involved in the mid-singles Institute in Centerville, may I politely urge you to get involved? For me, it has been an excellent social supplement - providing FHEs, activities, firesides, etc. in addition to the Institute classes - with people in my own age range that I no longer get for three hours on Sundays. If you're worried about feeling out of place if you show up to any of the activities, please don't worry; the people I've met have been welcoming and friendly. If you're worried about not knowing anybody, well, you know me.

Just come one time, and if you have a horrible experience, then you can go back to staying home Wednesday nights, staring out the window and wishing Edward from Twilight would appear at your door and command you to elope with him. Because we all know that's gonna happen.

But you won't have a horrible time, because it's been great. Who knows? You might even meet some real people of the opposite gender. It's my personal guarantee.

Peter and Pals in the Park

2011-08-24T16:07:00.008-06:00

The Davis County mid-singles' latest extracurricular adventure took place this past Saturday night, when we were treated to a free concert at North Canyon Park. The featured musician was none other than Peter Breinholt, who is also one of the instructors of our Wednesday night Institute class.

Previously, I had seen Bro. Breinholt perform live once before, plus he often sings or shares some sort of music when he teaches, so I was looking forward to this night's shindig. The weather almost didn't cooperate for an outdoor concert, with an overcast sky threatening rain for the early part of the evening. Fortunately, it never did rain on the Big Parade.

We were treated to favorite songs such as "Jerusalem" and "You Wear Flowers," and during the latter song, Peter told us that his lyric "That's when it occurred to me; I like spontaneity" is often misheard as "That's when it occurred to me; I like Frosted Mini-Wheats." Well, that's good to know.
One of the other highlights was the medley of '80s songs, including "Sweet Child o' Mine" and A-ha's "Take On Me" (yes, he did reach the very high notes).

Good times were had by all.

Experiencing "RiffTrax Live!"

2011-08-19T14:46:00.006-06:00

On the evening of the 17th, I got to experience something new: "RiffTrax Live!"

For those not "in the know," the "RiffTrax" series is the successor to one of my favorite all-time TV shows, "Mystery Science Theater 3000." Featuring the same cast - Bill Corbett, Kevin Murphy, and Mike Nelson - as the last three seasons of the program, the RiffTrax guys now "riff" on, or make sarcastic and humorous comments, about popular movies of today. The Twilight "Saga is an excellent example of ridiculous films that watching with RiffTrax has made a lot more bearable.

At any rate, on Wednesday night, there was a live "RiffTrax" broadcast - 6 p.m. in our time zone - to movie theaters across the nation, and Bountiful's Gateway Theater was one of the places that participated. A good group of friends and I helped fill the theater for this event, which was every bit as funny as we hoped. The "RiffTrax" guys first tackled a short, "What Is Nothing?", that was correctly described as coming from the writers of "the last two seasons of 'Lost.'" That was followed by a riff of Jack the Giant Killer, a hokey, full-length adventure movie from the '60s cut from the same cloth as the Sinbad movies or Jason and the Argonauts.

Good times were had by all! I hope that they do another one soon.

I'll Be Papa, Paparazzi

2011-08-16T22:43:00.013-06:00

Last night's mid-singles FHE activity was a photo scavenger hunt - suggested by *ahem* yours truly - that sent our mini-groups of four or five each all over Centerville to do embarrassing things.

My group, consisting of Jake, Pyper, Vaughn, and myself, got most of the items crossed off our list, and we managed to have a fun time while doing so.

Among my favorite pictures:

The group stands on top of a manhole:

A shot of the whole group hitchhiking:

The group in Vaughn's car:

The guys make "manly poses in front of a "manly" business (that's the Heisman Trophy pose I'm attempting):

The group makes ninja poses as a stranger joins in on the fun:

The only downside to our enjoyable evening was that only 16 people (out of more than 1,000 who are registered with the group on Facebook) showed up. That's a batting average of . . . carry the one . . . well, it's not that good. The upside to that, however, was that there were five Costco cheesecakes awaiting us upon our return and not that many people with whom to share them.

"Disconcertingly Choppy"

2011-08-11T16:44:00.006-06:00

You may or may not have noticed, but The Epistle has had a bit of a makeover. It's good to shake things up every now and then, right?

I'm no expert in design - my visual design course in college proved that. But I did the best that I could and picked a template that I liked.

Though the Web address is the same, the Epistle will also now be known as Disconcertingly Choppy. The name change was inspired by a co-worker of mine who, a few years back, read through something I had written and referred to it as "disconcertingly choppy." (No, he didn't mean it as a compliment.)

My blog may not be the most entertaining thing on the Net, and whatever you might feel inclined to call my writing, you're certainly welcome to do so. Imperfect as it may be, though, it's mine.

The Mother of All Snow Cones

2011-08-04T23:17:00.013-06:00

Earlier today, I had a little adventure that I can really only compare to a "Mr. Bean" episode, or at least the type of predicament he might get himself into.

It being a warm summer day, I happened to be driving past one of the many snow cone shacks that dot our fair city. On a whim, I stopped to (you guessed it) buy one. As I had not previously been to this particular snow cone shack, and there were no pictures to indicate the size of the snow cones (small, medium, and large) that you could get, I ordered a large cherry snow cone. After all, when I try something for the first time, I most often like to get the maximum value out of it so that I can judge whether I want to try it a second time.

The girl working the snow cone machine said to me, "I'm warning you; the large size is . . . like, really big."

I was pretty thirsty, and I thought I could easily handle a large, and I told her so. However, the monstrous, globe-sized thing she placed into my hands a few minutes later was . . . well, to quote her, it was "like, really big" - I'm talking literally akin to basketball-sized in circumference.

For the next 20 minutes or so, I feverishly tried to eat this snow cone as I melted all over my hands and all over me. Alas, it melted faster than I could eat it, and I left a sticky mess on the picnic table next to the snow cone shack. I grabbed a handful of napkins to try to clean myself and the table up as best as I could, but I'm afraid I still left a bit of a mess. I apologized to the girl working the snow cone machine.

"I warned you, didn't I?" were her final words. Admittedly, she had warned me. With no comeback immediately at my disposal, I left.

I don't know. What do you think Mr. Bean would have done?

The Lava Lamp

2011-07-27T23:54:00.022-06:00

Tonight's mid-singles Institute class was once again taught by Bro. Peter Breinholt, and our topic was Elder Dallin H. Oaks's message "Desire" from the April 2011 general conference of the Church.

Bro. Breinholt shared many interesting points from this talk, but one in particular stood out with me. He quoted Pres. Henry B. Eyring, who said (I'm paraphrasing here, as I neglected to copy down the quote; if anyone has a link to it, I would appreciate it greatly):

"You will eventually get what you want, and that is what scares me."

Why would us getting what we want scare him? I daresay it's because we oftentimes have no clue what we really want. We might think that we do in the moment, but in the long run, we really don't.

As an example of this having occurred in my own life, I submit: the lava lamp.

To give a bit of background on this, I will state for the record that I am a child of the '70s. I was born in the '70s, though I don't really remember them at all. However, I have long been a nerd of such '70s things as disco music, and I have a disco ball. In the same ballpark, I have wanted to own a lava lamp for some time - or once thought I did. Earlier this year, in fact, I finally purchased one.

It was nice to look at - I daresay "groovy" - for a day or two. But I soon got tired of it. Plus, it was a pain in the behind to assemble, it took up more space than I was comfortable with, and it was also heavier than I imagined. In short, I was not too happy with it. I recently packaged it back up and dropped it off at the local D.I. after going through another one of my spring (summer?) cleanings.

My point is that there are things in our lives like that lava lamp. We just need to be sure that we really want them sitting up there on our shelves.

Baby, You're a Firework!

2011-07-25T18:10:00.021-06:00

Over the weekend, the family, including Dave, Jessica, and their kids, now safely back from their trip to San Diego, gathered to celebrate Pioneer Day. At the same time, we met to mourn the unofficial end of the fireworks season with one final fireworks show (though I'm sure the pyromaniac neighbors will continue to launch them off through - and beyond - the July 26 deadline imposed by the state).

At any rate, we first enjoyed a good meal of barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs. Afterward, Mike and Jeff took charge of putting on the fireworks show at dusk as the rest of us gathered on the front lawn to watch.

Any fireworks show we're involved in also has to have the obligatory Lord of the Flies tribute, which involves kids of all ages dancing around the pretty, flashing firework, the name of which I don't know. The only thing that is missing is the "Kill the pig! Bash it in!" chant. And, of course, I'd be lying if I said I didn't join in on the fun.

With the loosening of Utah's fireworks laws this year, we were able to conclude the show by shooting off several Roman candles and other very loud things high into the air, and they were pretty neat to look at.

And so, as Jeff noted, we bid a fond farewell to fireworks for the next 345 days.

One Hundred Years of Machu Picchu

2011-07-24T22:55:00.013-06:00

When Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish conquistadors invaded Peru in the 16th century, they got their hands on all of the gold and treasures they could - except for the those at the mighty citadel of Machu Picchu. The Spaniards, in fact, never did find Machu Picchu, a fact that is somewhat of a source of pride to Peruvians today.

Flash forward to July 24, 1911 - 100 years ago today - when a Yale University professor named Hiram Bingham discovered the lost fortress and began to spread its fame to the rest of the world.

Well, there you have it - your useless trivia of the day. Or your history lesson. Take it any way you want to.

It's a big deal to me because, well, Machu Picchu was part of our mission boundaries in Peru, located just a short train ride from the city of Cusco, where I spent five months. It's a holy place to many Peruvians, to the religious and non-religious alike, but most especially to the Latter-day Saints, some of who believe it is the setting of some important Book of Mormon events.

Whether or not that's the case is really anyone's guess, but if you've been to Machu Picchu, then you can state unequivocally that you've stood in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Morons on the Loose

2011-07-19T23:29:00.012-06:00

Earlier tonight, Dave and Jessica and their three kids, who are in the middle of a visit to Jessica's parents (who are serving a mission at the Mormon Battalion Visitors Center) in San Diego, were stopped at a traffic light when an 18-year-old drunk driver, traveling (according to Dave's estimate) somewhere between 40 and 50 MPH, plowed into the back of their van, sending them 50 yards forward and totaling the vehicle.

When police arrived on the scene, they administered a breathalyzer test, which registered a blood alcohol level of .22, to the drunk driver. That's twice the legal limit - even in California.

Dave further tells me that it was the girl's second DUI offense - let alone the fact that she hasn't legally reached the drinking age - and she was driving a stolen car, to boot.

Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. Two-year-old Kira was taken to a local hospital to be checked out, and she's fine, but everyone suffered bumps and bruises. I can only imagine that the worst part of this ordeal is the psychological effect it has taken on the three kids.

After I spoke with Dave on the phone and was assured that everyone was okay, he sent me these pictures of the totaled vehicle:

We are extremely grateful and are counting our blessings this evening that nothing worse occurred, and we hope that Dave and Jessica and their clan will soon return home safely.

I also sincerely hope that the drunk driver is not allowed behind a steering wheel, if ever again, for a very long time. Holding a driver's license, unfortunately, is too often treated as a right rather than a privilege in our country, and it is one that is far too often abused.

The Fringe Benefits of Performing Improv

2011-07-17T17:37:00.009-06:00

If you've known me and/or have followed this blog for any length of time, then you know by now that performing Improv is one of my cherished hobbies. It's always unpredictable, though last night at ComedySportz in Provo was also unforgettable - for myriad reasons.

When I arrived at the club at call time (approximately an hour before the first show), I found that I had pulled into a parking spot next to my colleague Garr Van Orden. It had been a while since I had seen or performed with Garr, though this is not the unusual part of the story. The unusual part is that I have a personalized license plate that reads "LDSJEDI," while his is "STRWARS" - and here we were, parked side by side. People passing by must have thought there was a geek convention going on.

Halfway through the evening's first show, the next unusual event occurred when singer Harry Connick Jr. walked into the club. We are used to seeing Utah celebrities at ComedySportz but never anyone of HCJ's fame.

Semi-disguised in a baseball cap, he was nevertheless quickly recognized by several members of the audience, and politely he agreed to pose for pictures with a handful of them during our halftime intermission. Apparently, our club owner Tonia, who was present for all this, told me that HCJ's daughter lives in Provo, and he was there to take her to the show.

The third unusual event of the evening occurred during the night's second show, when one of our players accidentally dropped the F-bomb in his dialogue on stage. I say "accidentally" because (1) he's a rather recently returned missionary, (2) he's not the kind of person who would use this kind of language at anytime, and (3) we don't use swear words in our shows - ever. (At least, not on purpose.) Rather needless to say, he was brown bagged for this infraction.

I'm keeping his identity secret because he's a friend and also because he was somewhat embarrassed by this and apologized profusely both to the other players and to the audience. Still, in more than six years of performing Improv semi-professionally, it was definitely a first and an unusual occurrence.

Driving home, I couldn't help but think, "This is why I do Improv." Like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

Elder Sanders Goes to Provo

2011-07-14T19:56:00.008-06:00

My 19-year-old cousin Eden was set apart as a missionary Tuesday night, entered the Provo MTC yesterday, and has now begun his missionary service.

I am looking forward to following his mission and blog and e-mails and to learning about all of the great experiences he's going to have during these two years.

I'm also quite a bit jealous because, after three weeks at the Provo MTC, he's going to fly down to Peru to spend the remaining six weeks of his MTC experience at the Lima MTC before then heading out into the field and Ecuador.

His mom especially is a bit nervous about all this, and it's okay to feel that way. But the time will pass quickly, and after two years, we'll all look back and wonder where the time went.

LDSJEDI Strikes Back!

2011-07-12T15:00:00.008-06:00

When I returned to my car after church had ended Sunday, I found the following note scrawled on a piece of paper that was on my windshield:

"Solid license plate! Good goin'!

"P.S. If you're a chick . . . here's my number."

He then, as you may have guessed, left his name and cell phone number, which I won't post here for privacy's sake. The little devil on my shoulder suggested texting him and pretending that I'm a "chick" just to mess with his head, while the little angel on my shoulder convinced me otherwise.

Sigh. Only other guys - never any females - ever comment favorably on the license plate. That's just the way it is.

My other reaction to this experience is that I can't blame the guy for trying. And I wonder if he has a sister who likes Star Wars.

"Eanimation's Final Animation"

2011-07-08T17:06:00.005-06:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, Eden is headed off on a mission to Ecuador. But before doing so, he has posted one final film online.

Celebrating the Fourth on the Second

2011-07-04T23:56:00.021-06:00

The Plowman family party that began Saturday afternoon with McKenna's baptism continued on into the evening, when most of us, including Scott and Claudia and their kids, assembled at Mike and Jana's home in Layton for barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs and pizza and to celebrate Independence Day together - albeit a couple of days early.

At the onset of the evening, Dallin, McKenna and friends put on a show for us in the basement theater, presenting three short skits that they titled “The Three Little Hamsters,” “Leech Forest,” and “Li’l Rapping Riding Hood.”

Summer was pulled up on stage to join the girls in an impromptu musical number, but she rolled right along with it.

Jackson also sang some sort of song for us on his microphone. It was tough to make out exactly what song it was, but then again, he's only three years old, and we can cut him some slack.

Following dinner, most everyone gathered on the front lawn for several rounds of "Cuub," our favorite family summertime game.

If you haven't played "Cuub" with us, well, you'll just have to witness it in person and/or join in with us the next time we play.

Jackson, in the meantime, continued to entertain the masses, this time with his tennis racket-handling abilities.
By this time, the sun began to set, and that brought out the fireworks, complete with the nutty pyromaniac in both young and old.

This family event also marks the last time we'll see our cousin Eden for two years. On the 13th, he'll enter the MTC and will begin to prepare for his mission to Quito, Ecuador. As Mike observed, he's about as prepared as a missionary can get, and we look forward to hearing about his experiences through his e-mail/letters.

Happy birthday, America.

McKenna's Baptism

2011-07-04T16:53:00.012-06:00

On Saturday afternoon, my eight-year-old niece McKenna was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by her dad, my brother Mike.

All of the Plowmans were in attendance for this fun family event. The service also included a short talk by Biz on the subject of baptism, and Dave, Ben, Steve, and Jeff sang an arrangement of "Our Savior’s Love."

Afterward, our motley crew, including several members of the Jackson clan and assorted friends, gathered for lunch at the bowery adjacent to the chapel in Kaysville.

Here's the girl of honor, McKenna Kathleen, wearing her white baptism dress and standing alongside her grandmother and namesake:

Some the kids, such as Jenna (pictured here), enjoyed feeding the nearby horses:

Good times were had by all.

"Trafalga Story Tournament - Phase 1"

2011-06-28T22:57:00.008-06:00

Here is the link to my cousin Eden's latest project:

The Night the Lights Went Out in Bountiful

2011-06-26T21:07:00.015-06:00

At 1:00 a.m. this morning, the city of Bountiful went completely dark and stayed that way for about three hours.

The city's power company, apparently, needed those three hours to switch over to a new system. The technical jargon behind it all is completely lost on me, but suffice me to say that when Biz, Jeff, and I returned from performing at ComedySportz in Provo at about 1:30 a.m., it was somewhat eerie looking down 500 South and seeing nothing but total blackness.

My car was parked over at Biz and Jeff's place, so upon arriving there with them, I made the careful-but-slow trek home in the blackness, treating every traffic light like a four-way stop. When I made it home, I couldn't get to sleep right away, so I planned on reading a book by flashlight for a while. That's what my plan was. But instead I found myself sitting alone in the darkness with my thoughts.

For one thing, I was reminded again how much we all depend on electricity and light and how prevalent it is in our everyday lives. For another, I remembered how scared of the dark I was when I was a kid and how that fear no longer affects me anymore. I also tried to pay a lot more attention to the things I could hear, my sight being temporarily limited.

If you slept through or otherwise missed the blackout, I recommend trying it out (spending a little bit of time in the darkness) sometime. I bet you'll have an educational experience.

I'll be the one in the corner, wearing the infrared goggles.

Love Poetry for Dummies: "Other Fish"

2011-06-19T23:39:00.012-06:00

It's been quite some time since I last published any of my poetry here on the Epistle, and I'm sure you've all been dying to read more (yes, both of you). So, here's my latest offering, composed semi-recently on a slow day at work.

When it comes to "Love Poetry for Dummies," I make no excuses except to remind you that it's not at all meant to be Emily Dickinson or Shakespeare.

"Other Fish"

There’s other fish in the sea,
My brain was quick to remind me,
When she told me she wanted only my friendship.
But no one else has those gills,
Those fins, or those scales;
I’m afraid that’s one ship that will sink.

I’ve lost all my patience;
Maybe you did me a favor.
And I’m out of flies and worms;
I’ve pulled up anchor,
And I’m sailing away;
And I’m also out of fishing terms.

I’ll admit that I got hooked on you.
Like a barnacle, I held on for dear life.
Now the taste in my mouth
Is like cod liver oil;
And that’s just plain gross.

President Nuñez

2011-06-17T17:59:00.006-06:00

I received word from Venezuela this week that my good friend Juan Carlos Nuñez, a missionary with whom I served in the Peru Lima Central Mission, has been called as the Church's newest stake president.

Yes, that's right: A contemporary of mine is now a stake president, which must mean that I'm getting old.

Elder Nuñez (second from the left on the back row in the above photo) was never my companion, but nevertheless he taught me a valuable lesson early on in my days in the field. I arrived in my third area, Antares, also one of the poorest parts of Lima I've been to, to replace him and also got to work with him for a couple of days before he took off to his new area.

Antares was my third area in the mission in only three months in the country. My experience in my first two areas had been less than ideal, with a trainer who basically had taught me nothing useful and very little success in my second area. To make matters worse, within 24 hours of my arrival in this new area, I had an allergic reaction to all of the dust in the air and came down with a bad case of conjunctivitis, which is an eye infection you never want to get.

I was sulking over my past and present difficulties one evening when Elder Nuñez sat down to talk with me. I don't remember everything he said, but I do remember this sentence: "You have got to start believing that you were not sent here to fail."

Some of that is lost in translation, but those words stayed with me. And as soon as I really began to work and shrugged off my initial failures and challenges, I indeed saw success as time went on.

So thanks, President Nuñez, for your good advice and for your example. The people in your stake in Venezuela are lucky to have you.

Shameless Plug: The Civil War

2011-06-12T22:31:00.013-06:00

A shameless plug goes out today for The Civil War musical at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre in Centerville (which is hopefully also the soon-to-be home of the Improvables).

Opening Monday night, The Civil War is a Davis County fan favorite, having broken all sorts of sales records in its two (or three?) previous runs at CPLT's former home, Rodgers Memorial Theatre. It's a well-written and sometimes very touching musical, telling the stories of both the Union and Confederate sides of the conflict, the slaves, President Abraham Lincoln, the nurses, and others.

Thanks to a free ticket from a certain sister of mine who is a CPLT employee, I was able to attend last night's dress rehearsal. It was my first time setting foot inside CenterPoint, and I was very impressed with the new facility. The show is another fantastic production that will not disappoint.

One other thing: my brothers Ben and Steve are in the Monday-Wednesday-Friday cast, playing Confederate and Union soldiers, respectively.

For more information on this production, please visit http://www.centerpointtheatre.org/. The Civil War runs through July 11.

Mom and Dad's Excellent 40th Anniversary

2011-06-11T15:55:00.016-06:00

Forty years ago today, my parents were sealed for time and all eternity in the Logan, Utah, temple of the Church.

To commemorate the big anniversary, their kids (let's be honest - Biz did all of the hard work) organized a surprise luncheon for them at one of our favorite family restaurants: the Joy Luck Chinese restaurant in West Bountiful.

Most of the Plowmans were present, minus grandson Luke, who was home sick with along his mom, Jessica, who was taking care of him. Our cousin Scott and his family also came up from Lehi to join us for the occasion.

My favorite picture of the afternoon was this shot, featuring a hilarious pose from three-year-old Jackson:
Yup, the kid is definitely a Plowman.

Also attending were "adopted" Plowman, Ryan; some of Mom's former college roommates; Elder John K. Carmack, emeritus member of the Seventy and Dad's associate with the Perpetual Education Fund, along with his wife, Shirley; Dad's tennis buddies; and good friends and neighbors from the Bountiful 18th Ward.

Toward the end of dinner, Mike represented the siblings and gave a short speech to honor the folks, using the acronym SLOF (Sacrifice, Love, Obedience, and Faith) to represent the important lessons they've taught us over the years.

When it was over, Ashlyne and Chantel had a little bit too much fun cleaning up, inhaling a little helium from the balloons:

We also gathered for a group shot:

Mom and Dad, you've been excellent to us. Party on, dudes!

My Dinner with Kenna, 2011

2011-06-04T22:09:00.009-06:00

Tomorrow is my niece McKenna's eighth birthday, so today we met up for her annual birthday lunch and shopping trip.

Kenna chose to eat at McDonald's, which is probably what I, too, would have chosen at age eight, and she wound up with a Master Shifu toy, from the Kung Fu Panda movies, in her Happy Meal. She had me time her while she carried out some of the ninja challenges on the box, such as how long she could stand on one leg and how long she could hold her breath.

She may have cheated a little bit, but hey - it's her birthday. I wasn't about to rake her over the coals about it.

After lunch, we checked out both Toys R Us and Target in search of a birthday gift for her. She was very thorough in her search.

Here, Kenna tries her hand at the hula hoop:

You know, for kids?

She found that she was actually quite good at hula hooping, but instead she chose her own Webkins clownfish (aka the same type of fish as Nemo from Finding Nemo) and decided to name him, well, Nemo. She also walked away with a white stuffed tiger to keep Nemo company.

Upon our return to Mike and Jana's home, a rather humorous moment occurred when I sat by Kenna's three-year-old little brother Jackson, who was in the middle of eating his own lunch. He offered me one of his Doritos, and as soon as I took it from him, he held out his hand, palm upward, and demanded, "Five dollars!"

I couldn't make up this stuff if I tried.

Music vs. Muzak

2011-06-01T22:07:00.019-06:00

For the last couple of months, I have been attending a Wednesday night Institute class for single adults age 27 and older. We meet at a chapel in Centerville, and attendees come from as far north as Ogden and as far south as the the Salt Lake valley. It's been a great way to meet several interesting new people, as well as to be instructed together in the good word of the gospel.

A handful of instructors take turns teaching these lessons, and one of them is, in fact, local musician Peter Breinholt. It was Bro. Breinholt's turn at the helm tonight, and it's something he shared with us upon which I now wish to expound.

Bro. Breinholt spent a portion of the evening discussing Elder Dallin H. Oaks's recent conference talk about the "good, better, and best" choices we often face. He compared the "best" to good music - this is, after all, a skilled musician who knows what he's talking about - whereas the "good" and "better," in comparison, sometimes seems like Muzak. For example, Beatles music, as performed by John, Paul, George, and Ringo, would qualify as "best," whereas a Beatles song heard in an elevator may be only good or (arguably) better.

Make sense?

I've been pondering on this idea throughout the evening, particularly how it relates to the idea of Ersatz relationships.

I first became familiar with the term Ersatz while watching an episode of "The Big Bang Theory" not too long ago. In this particular episode, Leonard's mother, who is a psychologist, remarks that Howard and Raj's friendship with one another is a sort of "Ersatz marriage relationship"; in other words, due to their lack of success with women, it has become a substitute or replacement for the real thing.

Many of us have these kinds of relationships, I suppose, in one form or another. And they're not necessarily relationships with friends. Some people have Ersatz relationships with their jobs or with their hobbies, be they TV or movies, reading, travel, video games, or almost anything else, rather than seeking for more-important (i.e. "best") relationships with those of the opposite sex.

Earlier this week, I read a rather troubling article in the Deseret News about marriages that have failed because one of the partners has become obsessed with online video gaming to the point of neglecting family, work, sleep, and even basic hygiene and nutritional needs for hours or days at a time.

Of course, none of the aforementioned hobbies are bad; but they're no substitute for the real thing, either.

A Night at the Karaoke Cafe

2011-05-28T23:52:00.024-06:00

Tonight, I visited my new favorite hangout, the Karaoke Cafe in Murray, for the second time, and I must admit that I enjoyed myself a great deal.

In the first place, my date and I had the place all to ourselves for the first hour or so that we were there, and, as a result, we had free reign over the microphones with our choice of songs.

Secondly, by the time other customers finally began to roll in, I found myself making some new friends. The Karaoke Cafe is great in that sense; there's no competition or showing off involved, as on, say, "American Idol," but everyone takes turns singing their favorite songs, and everybody cheers whoever's turn it currently is. It's great if you love people watching, and overall it's just a win-win situation.

Among the new friends we made were Otis and Eunice, who have been married for 27 years and who, apparently, visit the café once a week on a regular basis. (I hope that after I've been married for 27 years that I can still enjoy the same hobbies with my wife as I saw exemplified by these two good people.)

My favorite moment of the night occurred toward the latter part of the evening, when Otis took another turn singing and mentioned to the crowd of us gathered there that, just this morning, his sister had passed away after a long battle with cancer. He then dedicated his next song, the Beatles' "Let It Be," to her, and when he was finished, there weren't many dry eyes.

I suppose that's the power of music and why certain songs appeal to us; they say what we're feeling better than we can much of the time.

If any you out there reading this ever want someone to karaoke with, just hit me up, and we'll go - especially if you're treating. I will drop (almost) anything to join you.

Ten Chick Flicks That Don't Stink

2011-05-24T21:33:00.043-06:00

After further consideration, I may have spoken somewhat out of turn in my previous post. That's the first time that's ever happened, right?

Anybody? (sound of crickets chirping)

For one thing, I didn't take into account a few fine adaptations of Jane Austen works. I also took a gander at the DVDs on my shelf, and I realized that I own more than one of what may certainly be termed a "chick flick."

So, I now present to you my top ten list of Chick Flicks That Don't Stink:

10. Sabrina I don't care what she did to her hair! Julia Ormond is great in the title role.

9. Enchanted An instant classic.

8. The Shop around the Corner This 1940 Jimmy Stewart film is the source material for You've Got Mail.

7. Pride & Prejudice I'll go with the 2005 version, which is worth watching not for Keira Knightley but for Rosamund Pike (Jane). If I had left this one off of the list, my credibility would have been forever lost with a few dozen females I know.

6. Anna and the King This surprisingly good Jodie Foster/Chow-Yun Fat version of the Anna Leonowens story is my favorite.

5. Charly

Admit it; you cried at the end. So did I.

4. Sense & Sensibility The Oscar-winning 1995 version gets my vote for best Jane Austen adaptation on this list.

3. The Young Victoria It's a still-relatively new favorite, but I will probably watch this one a few more times in years to come.

2. Shall We Dance? Forget the far-inferior Jennifer Lopez remake; the 1996 Japanese original is an infinitely better film.

1. The Princess Bride This choice is a no-brainer.

Honorable mention: Bright Star; Disney's Cinderella; Emma (the 2009 mini-series edges out the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow version); His Girl Friday; Return to Me; Steel Magnolias; Tangled; A Walk to Remember; You've Got Mail

I H8 Chick Flix

2011-05-19T20:43:00.031-06:00

Chick flicks, like French fries, are the devil.

Okay, well, not all chick flicks are evil, but I get indigestion just thinking about some of them.

Why? For one thing, they promote, ahem, rather unrealistic expectations about love for those who watch them. Take, for example, Serendipity, in which one of the main characters writes her name and contact info. inside a copy of Gabriel García Márquez's novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. Then, if she and her male love interest are "supposed" to be together, fate willing, he will someday find this book with this information, they will meet once again, and then they'll live happily ever after. Or at least until the end of the closing credits.

In real life, it just doesn't happen that way. (Does it?) Besides, I read more than one Gabriel García Márquez book in the original Spanish while in college, and his stuff tain't nothin' to write home about.

For another thing, many chick flicks tend to feature "actresses" such as Jennifer Lopez, Drew Barrymore, and Renee Zellweger, to name a few.

Speaking of whom, the latest offender in this category is the 1999 flick The Bachelor, which I finally watched the other day. The Bachelor stars Chris O'Donnell and the aforementioned Miss Zellweger, who seems pleasant enough but whose face, for one reason or another, looks like it has just been attacked and stung by a hive full of bees.

In this movie, Renee's character is deeply offended when her longtime boyfriend, played by O'Donnell, totally botches his marriage proposal due to nervousness and to not really knowing how to put his feelings for her into words. She reacts with contempt because it's not "romantic" enough or the way a proposal is "supposed" to be; you know, the kind of proposal that might be done "right" in say, a chick flick.

From there, the film just goes straight downhill.

At any rate, that's just one point-of-view. If The Bachelor happens to be a favorite film of yours - or, heaven forbid, the TV show of the same name, to mention another offender - and you can cite examples for me of why it doesn't stink to high heaven, then I'm all ears. Prove me wrong, children; prove me wrong.

"Keep Moving Forward"

2011-05-17T08:19:00.033-06:00

As I watched a new favorite, Disney's Meet the Robinsons, last night, something stood out to me that I I hadn't necessarily noticed before: the phrase "Keep Moving Forward."

In the film, "Keep Moving Forward" is the main character Cornelius's/Lewis's personal motto. In real life, however, it was first uttered by Walt Disney himself. He said: "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

When he said this, Mr. Disney was talking about the creative process. I feel that the "keep moving forward" part can be applied to our personal lives, as well.

We are a people who believe in eternal progression, with the ultimate goal that if we are faithful and strive earnestly to attain it, someday, somewhere down the line - definitely not in this lifetime - we can become like our Creator. Nevertheless, even though that ultimate goal is still a long way off, one of the reasons we're here on Earth is to progress as much as we can and to overcome our challenges.

I bring this up because I know more than a few people who have suffered terrible things such as the death of a loved one; a prolonged illness, be it mental, physical, or spiritual; the end of a romantic relationship; money problems; and other challenges and, as a result, have just stopped living. I can understand having difficulty with these things when it's been a few weeks or months, but when those months turn into years, it can be a real hindrance to our progression. And I honestly believe that one of the tests in this life is how we will respond to those blows and then choosing to move on with our lives, in spite of our sorrow. The Atonement was provided for us, in part, to help us do so.

As a wise person once said, "He who is obsessed with the past will wake up one day and find that he has a thousand yesterdays and no tomorrow."

Lehi also taught that we are here "to act for (ourselves) and not to be acted upon" (2 Nephi 2:26).

To my friends and acquaintances who are struggling, I say, don't give up! Keep moving forward. If you take two steps forward and one step backward today, you're still moving forward.

Also, I have a big head but small hands.

Fourteen Things I've Learned in 14 Years

2011-05-15T18:36:00.035-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, just prior to the dissolving of the Millstream Ward, I attended my final Ward Prayer meeting. I had signed up to give the thought for the evening, not knowing when I did so that it was going to be one of my last meetings with that good group of people.

At any rate, in preparing my thought, I did a lot of reflecting upon the many ward activities I had attended over the years and the things I had both observed and learned personally from those experiences. These 14 items are what I came up with, and I'm reposting them here after a few people requested copies. (No, I wasn't in the Millstream Ward for 14 years, but I have been home from my mission for that long; so there ya go.)

1. Moses 7:18: "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." I share this scripture because it pretty well reflects what my experience has been like in this ward. Fortunately, it's an environment we can help to create any and/or everywhere we go.

2. Be of the ward as well as in the ward. In other words, go to as many activities as you can. Why? Because even what appears to be the dullest activity can turn into something great; because there is something to be gained and there are friendships to be made. It's never ceased to amaze when I've witnessed a guy and a girl who have known each other for some time, perhaps years, and then they hit it off at a particular activity, and the rest of their story, as they say, is history. There are some who, for whatever reason, come to church every week but exit the building as soon as "amen" is said on the closing prayer, and they are never to be seen at the other activities during the week. As a result, they get nowhere near the same benefit from the ward and from the relationships to be gained as those who do attend everything they can.

3. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. This is a lesson that, fortunately, I learned early on. I cite the example of Bishop Lake, whom I first knew as Bro. Lake, a counselor in the bishopric, when I joined the ward. He was part of my first bishopric, and I remember the looks on his and Bro. Ohlson's faces when that bishopric was released and a new one called - how they could not hold back the tears and really feeling the love that they had for each of us. I have tried to serve others with the same spirit over the years through all of the callings and assignments I've been given. My experience in the ward came full circle, in fact, when last year, Bro. Lake was called to be Bishop Lake.

4. You never know who’s watching you, so be the best you can be. When I was still in college, I took an Institute class at the U., and it wasn't until the semester was half over that I learned one of my classmates was not a member of the Church. Fortunately, the other members of the class and I had been pretty good examples to her, and at the end of the semester, she ended up getting baptized.

5. Make your goal the temple, or bust. One of my U. of U. Institute teachers, Bro. Forsyth, once taught a lesson on this subject, and he spoke of the differences between having goals of "getting married by age 30" or of "being worthy to be married in the temple by age 30." Over the years, I've seen people get married out of spite toward someone who has wronged them, out of desperation, or for other reasons, and I've seen others who have given up on waiting for a temple marriage and have settled for much less than that. But I've also seen those who have made marriage in the temple their goal, no matter what, be rewarded with that blessing, even when they've had to wait for the right person until age 28, 29, or 30 - or beyond.

6. Be kind to everyone, no matter what. You don't know what demons they’re fighting. This point was reemphasized to me twice, following the suicide of two friends over the course of three years' time. That's two times too many. Everyone out there is having a hard time, in one way or another.

7. You can talk to the bishop about anything. I've never had a burden or problem, be it spiritual, mental, emotional, or social, that hasn't been relieved a good deal by going to talk to him. I have a testimony of the mantle that the bishop carries to lead us at this time. The same goes for his counselors and the others who have been called as advisors to the ward.

8. Everyone is nervous about dating and forming relationships; the ones who get over it are the ones who do something about it. If feel that you're too shy to talk to members of the opposite sex, then learn the art of conversation; practice with family members or close friends, and learn to listen. Or simply learn how to smile and say hello. It's all downhill from there.

9. If you don't want to go out with someone, it's okay to say no. Making up lame excuses and ignoring/avoiding that person wastes the time of both of you and is far more hurtful to that person. 'Nuff said.

10. You can't make friends with everyone. There will always be people who, for whatever reason, refuse to get along with you, no matter what you do. Even so, smile when you pass them in the hallway and say hi.

11. There are two types of regret: chances not taken and failure. Of the two, the former is far worse. Any basketball player knows that you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take.

12. Try new things. If there's a hobby you've always wanted to learn, take a class. If there's someone you've known for years and are dying to ask her out, then do it. If there's a place you've always wanted to visit, then pick up the phone and call your travel agent.

13. Wear sunscreen.

14. The time goes by pretty fast; remember this: “Come what may, and love it.” –Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin I have enjoyed most every minute of it, and my only regret is that it couldn't last longer.

You Can't Spell Sprain without Pain!

2011-05-11T22:45:00.012-06:00

When we last left off here on the Epistle, yours truly was going out in search of mid-singles wards. Or that was my intention, at any rate.

This past Sunday afternoon, Gary, John, Jon, and I (we John/Jons have to stick together, you know?) agreed to carpool out to Salt Lake to visit one of these wards. When we pulled up to Gary's house, he didn't come outside when we honked - as he usually does. So, I went to the door to retrieve him, and on our way back out to John's car, yours truly slipped and tumbled while leaving the curb, and I ended up spraining my right ankle.

I've sprained an ankle, my left one, only once before, and I suppose that in the years since then I'd forgotten how painful a sprained ankle can be. John then took me back home to rest, to elevate it, and to ice it, and over the past few days I've watched it balloon into strange shapes and turn purple and all of that good stuff. If anyone wishes to bring me cookies, brownies, or the like as I recuperate, you're more than welcome to do so (wink, wink).

So, I'm 0-for-1 at this point. Perhaps I'll have better luck next week.

Moving On

2011-05-01T22:35:00.010-06:00

Well, the “skinny” on the changes to the Millstream Ward, as well as to the other singles wards in Davis County, was delivered to us at a meeting at the Conference Center Thursday night and again today at a reorganization meeting in the Viewmont High School assembly hall. Major changes included: (1) dissolving of all student wards; (2) the formation of new singles ward boundaries, as well as the formation of singles stakes; (3) and the aforementioned reinforcing of the rules, including the age and boundary factors. A Bountiful YSA stake was created, consisting of 12 YSA wards from North Salt Lake to Farmington.

The old Millstream Ward was split two ways: the Central and South stakes became the new Bountiful YSA Ward, and the Heights stake portion of the ward was combined with the YSA of the Bountiful and North stakes to become the new (and improved?) Millstream YSA Ward. Bishop Lake was retained and assigned as bishop of the Bountiful YSA Ward, which will meet at a chapel across the street from the Bountiful cemetery; and the Millstream YSA Ward will meet at a chapel just off of Pages Lane and 400 East.

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided at Thursday night's meeting and also spoke to us about the reasons for these changes. It's regarding his comments that I now wish to focus. I gleaned three important concepts from his message (which aren't necessarily the words he spoke but the impressions I had):

1) Our Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, and singles wards have been designed to help assist us in achieving our part of the plan by providing us opportunities to make lasting friendships, to serve others, and - most importantly - to find someone to take to the temple to be sealed to.

2) We are a people who believe in eternal progression, and these changes allow us yet another opportunity to progress and to move ahead into the next stage of our lives.

3) Elder Ballard issued each of us an assignment to reach out to and to invite at least one of our peers back into the fold of activity in the Church, according to our age group and/or situations. As my group is no longer the singles ward bracket, I'm going to invite as many of those 31 and older as I can to take part in the Davis County-based mid-singles Institute group that I've recently joined. It's been a great way to stay active socially with those in relatively the same situation and a good way to meet many new people so far.

So, that's it, Mouseketeers; out with the old, and in with the new.

"Adventure Time"

2011-04-29T15:31:00.006-06:00

Here's Eden's latest filmmaking post to YouTube, this time featuring a sample of some of his hand-drawn animation.

Coincidentally, it's also soon-to-be Elder Sanders's 19th birthday today. Happy birthday, cousin.

Going Out with a Bang

2011-04-26T22:14:00.017-06:00

Last night's "Big Event" family home evening marked our final activity together in the Millstream Ward. As "last hurrah"s go with groups I've been a part of, it was a very good one and a fitting farewell for a place I've been connected to for . . . well, for a very long time.

The dress code for the evening was formal, as in the most formal (black tie and all) we wished to adhere to. I was impressed with the number of people who showed up in tuxedos and fancy dresses, including the members of our bishopric.

We started off the night with a delicious Dutch oven dinner provided by Zak and Kirk Davis, who worked very hard to feed our motley crew. Ryan also slaved for an untold number of hours to make us a tasty cake, which was the highlight of the dessert table. Here he is, posing with his creation and with Adria in what I can only assume is a mock wedding photo (unless those two know something I don't know):

After dinner, each member of the bishopric took a few minutes to address us and to share some final counsel and thoughts as we prepare to go our separate ways.

That was followed by about three hours of dancing, and most of the die-hards stayed and participated in everything until the very end.

Yours truly was among that group, dancing the cha-cha with Stephanie and, after that, joining with Bishop Lake and others in an old favorite, "Y.MC.A.":

We were plumb tuckered out by the end of the night, but it was a good kind of tired; we enjoyed every minute of it.

And, for many of us, "enjoying every minute of it" pretty much sums up our whole experience with the Millstream Ward.

Easter Rolls Around Again

2011-04-24T22:29:00.015-06:00

Today marked my final Sunday as a member of the old Millstream Ward, and it was a memorable day for myself and for the 25-or-so others who will, likewise, be looking for a new place to hang our hats come next week. Bishop Lake delivered a fond farewell address to us in sacrament meeting, and I got to join with the ward choir for one final time in putting on the Easter program, singing “O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown” and “He Is Not Here.”

Afterward, the Plowman clan also enjoyed another good family dinner together, following which the kids took part in the annual Easter egg hunt in the backyard.

Dallin, at age 11, has apparently now outgrown the tradition and is "too school for cool," though he did roam through the yard, joining 13-year-old Kylee in keeping tabs on all of the goings-on.

Those still young enough to take part in the fun, namely Jenna, McKenna, Luke, Jackson, and Kira, ran ragged collecting their spoils.

At the end of the hunt, some of the parents joined in to help assess the damage and to (presumably) help eat the candy.

Good times were had by all.

It's the End of the Ward as We Know It

2011-04-21T22:38:00.026-06:00

Earlier this week, the Bishop sat down with me in his office and let me know, in the gentlest way possible, that the time had officially come for me to leave the ward.

Previously, we'd been informed that a big shakeup was coming to the Millstream Ward and to the other singles wards in Salt Lake and Davis counties, but we'd not been told any specifics as to how it was all going to go down. The Bishop passed along the news that our ward is going to be moved into a new stake with other YSA wards. The new boundaries will be strictly enforced, as will the 18-to-30-year old guideline.

For those of you who have been keeping score at home, that's an age group that I no longer fit into, effective a couple of years ago - and "couple of years" is being polite. In the meantime, I've been flying under the radar, more or less waiting for the kind of conversation that the Bishop had with me Sunday night to take place.

However you look at things, the upcoming reorganization fireside at the Conference Center - scheduled for April 28 - signals the end of the ward as we know it. Do I feel fine?

Strangely enough, I do. Sure, I'm going to miss seeing all of the good friends I've made on a regular basis (though, hopefully, I will still see them semi-regularly), and I'm going to have to start all over in a new ward, be it my home ward or another place. But I am at peace with it. I know that the time is right to be moving on.

It's kind of the way I felt when we had to put our golden retriever to sleep a few years ago: I didn't want to do it, but the time was right, and it was the best decision to make.

And so, very soon, I'll be moving out of my comfort zone and into . . . who knows where? I'm making this up as I go along. Whatever happens, I feel optimistic about the future.

Jenna's Baptism

2011-04-16T22:16:00.008-06:00

Earlier today, my eight-year-old niece Jenna was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a service that all of the Plowmans, most of the Woodburys (minus Jessica’s parents, who are serving a mission in San Diego), and our cousins Scott, Claudia, and Madison attended in Woods Cross. Her dad, Dave, performed the baptism and confirmed her a member of the Church.

Here, Jenna (left) and her "identical" (and also soon-to-be-eight-year-old) cousin McKenna (right) pose for a picture at the conclusion of the service:

Jessica, Dave, and all three of their kids also posed together for a photo to commemorate the occasion:

Afterward, we collectively adjourned to Dave and Jessica's nearby home to enjoy a nice potluck lunch. Fortunately, the weather cooperated throughout the afternoon and gave us a beautiful spring day.

It was an unforgettable day, and I am proud of Jenna for making the decision to join the Church.

"Argh! Preview"

2011-04-11T23:23:00.005-06:00

Here's my cousin Eden's latest filmmaking effort. He just got his mission call to serve in Quito, Ecuador, so unfortunately relatively soon there won't be too many more of these new films posted on YouTube.

My Dinner with Jenna

2011-04-05T23:27:00.011-06:00

Last Friday, it was my niece Jenna's eighth birthday, and, ergo, it was her turn for the latest birthday dinner and shopping trip outing with Uncle Paco.

Earlier tonight, I took Jenna out for a lavish dinner at McDonald’s. Lest you think me a cheapskate - and it wouldn't be the first time someone has had that thought - keep in mind that the kids get to pick where they want to eat.

Jenna's meal included chocolate milk (I didn't know you could get that at McDonald's, but it is apparently now a Happy Meal option) and Chicken McNuggets. I hadn't come into that close of contact with McNuggets since last year's failed attempt at winning the "McNuggets Challenge" (downing 50 McNuggets in one sitting), and it appears that I still have no desire whatsoever to eat another McNugget ever again.

At any rate, after dinner, we headed over to Target so that Jenna could pick out her own birthday gift, and she ended up choosing a couple of Zoobles - whatever those are. (Her mother assures me that they are the "in" thing right now.)

She didn’t say much throughout the evening, but then again, I don't know too many eight-year-olds who will necessarily talk your ears off. Plus, I'm betting Jenna's mind was on her family's impending trip to San Diego, for which they will be leaving early in the morning.

I enjoyed my evening out with the birthday girl, and we're looking forward to big events for her in the near future, such as her upcoming baptism into the Church.