The RM

A friend of mine's kid came home from his mission recently, and I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with him while we painted his dad's kitchen. It occurred to me, as he insisted on listening to MoTab and praying over the $.99 Wendy's burgers, that I could never go back to being a missionary.

Let me back up: I came home after 10 months serving in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission for health reasons, meaning I suffered a nervous breakdown. I came home and had to go into therapy for the things I ha
d experienced. Despite that, the window was always open to return and finish serving my mission. It's weird that it didn't occur to me until about six years and a marriage later that the window could ever be closed, and due to the residual effects my breakdown has had on my psyche even to this day I've never been tempted to go back, but now that the window is officially closed to serve as an Elder with a little name badge in a crummy apartment with another Elder, it makes me wonder what might've been. It also makes me question my motives into why I went in the first place, as well as why I left.

I don't regret serving. Not in the slightest. I met some dear friends there, including my adopted grandmother Sam, and my once roommate now dear friend and fellow Game of Thrones enthusiast Nate, and I can't not mention my buddies who I rarely see Elder Abraham and Elder Bracken. My first question is who else would I have met? Would I have found other families in need of a geeky Mormon kid to show up? Maybe I would've met some companion and formed some sort of eternal bond of brotherly love Scrubs style. Of course there's a flip side to the coin. I may've met more companions with whom I would want to wring their scrawny necks, or more families that made me want to run to the nearest clinic to get tested because I was foolish enough to sit on their couch. So I guess that's just a moot point.

I guess the biggest question I can ask is: Who would I have become? After I got home from my mission I met several people who have made some major impacts to my life, and taken other relationships to whole new levels of intimacy, including with my wife Katie. From going to college after my mission I met Neil and Tyler, who helped make my wedding actually work, and help me to this day with the trials in my life. Would I have them if I had stayed or gone back? Would they have become friends with that Joe? In the here and now I can't imagine my life without them, or without Spencer, or TJ, or Stephen, or Stu, or Bryan. or Sholom or a hundred other people I consider dear to me.

With that I have to wonder about the reason why I came home: My then deteriorating mental state. I had the option of staying but decided to go home and get treatment there, but if I had stayed, would I have been able to recover or would it have become worse? It's taken years to reach the level of stability I'm at now, which some days admittedly isn't much. I wonder if the stress of still being there would've been too much, and how far things would have progressed. Did I save my own life or did I ruin it?

Unfortunately without a Flux Capacitor, or as my more up-to-date friends would say, a TARDIS, these questions will never be answered until the next life when all truth will be freed. Despite it's flaws I love my life now. My wife and I are very happy to come to our oddly shaped home to the smell of the Crock Pot making Swedish Meatballs, sitting in our spots and watching Criminal Minds. I'm just curious what could've happened.

-JOE

ADHD and No Laptop Makes Joe something something...

Two weeks into my latest semester at the U and I seem to be running into a bit of a problem: Only two of my classes are actually in classrooms and neither of them will let me use my computer.

I know this is petty but let me explain:

I suffer from a condition called ADHD-Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. It's basically ADD on steroids. Short of it is that it's hard for me to pay attention to one thing at a time for a long period of time. It drove me nuts when I worked at Toys R Us and nobody was in the store. I would pace the aisles until I wore down the linoleum.

It's only a total of 7 hours a week, but that can be a lot to ask sometimes. My Media Effects class especially. Three hours completely unplugged has me crawling up the walls. I don't even go that long at church!

Is this a sign of the times? I was diagnosed when

This was last week's attempt to stave off boredom...

I was pretty young but back then I didn't have the wonders of the internet to keep my focus prisimed like I do now. I have to wonder: Does my constant connection to the internet help my condition or does it make it worse?

A few weeks ago I spent a week camping out of state. For most of it my cell service was spotty at best and what I could get I used to text my wife, but honestly I didn't miss it at all. I spent the entire time surrounded by my buddies laughing, talking and enjoying each other's company.

The classes of course are different. The classes are interesting enough, but just sitting still and listening to the lecture is a lot less entertaining than playing in the woods. I know people have told me to just pay really close attention but that doesn't work for me. I live in a world where if I get too bored I start losing focus in everything, and regaining focus becomes almost impossible.

I know it's popular to say that we need to eliminate distractions from the classroom, but for me it's a necessary tool to function. As much as I love complaining about my problems on the internet, I have too much pride to talk to the teachers about this particular need. It's hard for me to go to a professor and say "Hay, you're class isn't stimulating enough so I need permission to cruse Facebook while you're talking so I don't zone out and fall asleep. Is that cool?"

Nobody would buy it.

I write this not just to vent but to draw attention to a problem that doesn't get a lot of attention, or if it does negatively. I have ADHD, a condition which makes it hard for me to focus. This has made working a job an agonizing process and classes without my computer brutal that borderlines on impossible. This isn't a pity party for me, just a part of my story I wanted to tell.

-JOE

The Naked Truth

You wanna know a secret?

Come here get close.

I like getting naked.

TMI? Well how about this-

I like getting naked with my buddies.

And no, it's not gay.

It started a few years ago when I found myself with a Gold's Gym membership and no idea how to exercise in the gym. My friend, who for confidentiality sake we'll call Michelangelo, also had a membership so off we went. The first time was beyond awkward, especially after years of high school locker rooms where the other boys never got past their underwear. Luckily Michelangelo didn't have my same high school experience, he being a practiced runner, so off came our shorts.

Piece I did in my art class a few years ago

The first time was awkward. I'd never been that comfortable with my body, believing that I'm built like Gollum from that old Hobbit cartoon. But standing there in that smelly locker room (bleach and sweat, yay?) I felt something. I felt seen but not judged, and I felt like I was seeing a part of Michelangelo I had never seen before (not just THAT), he was being physically vulnerable with me, and I with him. This experience increased our relationship exponentially, creating a new level of emotional intimacy.

I've since had several opportunities to take my clothes off with other guy friends, many of which were set up by me. Each time I feel the facade I set up every day, the "me" I try to project to the world falls away and my authentic self can show through, and I find that I can authentically be with the people around me.

Naked time hasn't just been confined to moments in the locker room. After taking an intriguing life drawing class my artist friend, whom I shall call Scooby, and I will hold drawing sessions with our friends in which our subjects will disrobe for the sake of art. This allowed me to reach a different level of connection since now I had to actively STARE at my friend's naked body while I try to draw it. The first time I did this with friends was with Michelangelo again, then later Scooby and I arranged one. I found myself enthralled with the human body, it's subtle shapes and lines, how light plays off of human skin...

Sorry that was getting a bit artsy. Back to the matter at hand...

My overall point is that hanging out naked with my buddies is fantastic. I create a safe place of authenticity where I can be myself in every sense of the word, and they can be themselves in turn. It's fun, it's manly, and an overall good time and I would recommend it to anyone who can set up the same.

-JOE

When friends move away

I was spending time with a friend this week (For confidentiality purposes we'll call him Philbert), when he told me about a friend he made at church a few months ago. The man started out attending Philbert's Sunday school class, and moved into bike rides and family get togethers, and  bromance flourished. A couple weeks ago though, Philbert's friend had to move away. He was still in the state but over two hours away, and for a husband and father their friendship sadly had to end. Last week Philbert's friend send him a letter telling hom how much he appreciated the time they had spent together. I read the letter and was touched both by the kindness of the letter and the sadness Philbert had over losing his friend.

After hearing Philbert's story, I couldn't help but think: When I was a child nothing ended a friendship faster than if someone had to move away. I always thought that when I became an adult this would change, but in honesty it still happens.

So in an age where communication can be instantaneous across the world, why is moving still the death of friendship?

While I was getting ready to be married, my friend (For confidentiality purposes we'll call him Megatron) fell in love and got engaged. His fiance had just taken a job in California so Megatron would have to move out there once they were married, but since we live in the digital age and I often frequent Disneyland I figured it wouldn't be that big of a problem.

I was wrong.

Let me back up: Megatron and I met through mutual friends a few years ago. Megatron is the type of guy I've always admired. He's been all around the world, conquering mountains and rivers and exotic places I've always dreamed about. The first time I hitched a ride home with him he found out he was going down the Grand Canyon for the second time. He squeed like a newbie at Comic Con.

Right then and there I bro-fell in love with him.

We spent time together, seeing movies, camping, game nights and getting late night IHOP to discuss life's greatest mysteries. We were close friends and only lived about ten minutes from each other. Life was great.

I remember the night he told me he was going to purpose to the girl in California. I've rarely been so conflicted, as I was both overjoyed that my dear friend had found someone to love forever as I had, but a deep sense of sadness knowing that our friendship would have to change.

Looking back on it now, I know I started to distance myself from Megatron before he moved. Weather it was because I was weeks from my wedding or because I knew he would be going, I'm not sure, but the night we had a going away party for him I couldn't help but cry.

I would miss my friend.

He attended my wedding, and I attended his, but beyond that we haven't talked much. I have his phone number, his Facebook info, email, and we're friends on Steam. I bet with some asking I could get his Skype, Twitter and home address. So why have we only talked once?

I remember this article I read about the different types of friends men have. They're was the "activity" friend, where they share in an activity or hobby together but nothing else, the "convenience" friend, who are friends because they show up at the same place at the same time, like neighbors or coworkers. None of these really fit what Philbert and his friend had or what Megatron and I had, which I would consider bromances, but if they weren't superficial why were they so easy to end?

I think for me the wonders of the digital age just can't replace being in the same physical place at the same time. An IM chat just can't be as deep as looking into a friend's eyes over a meal, and even Skype can only somewhat artificially create it as you're not really looking into someone's eyes, you're looking into a camera.

No matter how advanced it is, it just can't be the same.

In the end, I'm still friends with Megatron as Philbert is still friends with his buddy, but it just isn't the same and I think that's what we want. Men have some sort of social block when it comes to friendship, weather it's part of our culture or just how men are built, either way our close friends are not made easily and they're not made often. So when we have to say goodbye it hurts us.

It hurts just as bad as a nine year old watching their best friend's moving truck pull away.

-JOE

The Great Facebook Outage

Friday I spotted an odd news report as I scrolled through my Facebook: Apparently Facebook had been out for about half an hour (I was busy working and watching Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze and didn't notice) and people had called 911 to report it.

I was stunned.

Admittedly I'm a Facebook addict. I love the stupid thing and even wrote a post on my other blog just a couple weeks ago about how it could be used in the future for genealogy as a source of life experiences, but like I said I hadn't even noticed the supposed outage. The thought that someone would be so distraught that they would call 911 over something so pithy was incredible to me, and I had to get to the bottom of it.

And by that I mean, I had to find someone who had called 911 and watch the monkey show play out on the internet for my amusement.

I'm a simple man...

I hunted all day, through news outlets and media sites for someone who was hearing the story and was defending their actions. Surely if someone was bold (or stupid) enough to call 911 over Facebook they would've posted something about how it's "the only way they have to share their cat" or "the only thing that keeps them connected to their high school crush 20 years later", but what I found was even more surprising:

Nothing.

Not one 911 call of someone trying to get help with Facebook.

Not one post of someone saying how horrible it was.

I started looking at the story from a different angle at this point. All I had really seen reported was a tweet sent out of a California police station from an Officer Brink, telling people to stop calling 911 about Facebook being down, and the rest was just people making fun of people for calling 911. So here's my thought: What if it didn't happen?

Yeah, Facebook went down, but what if instead of droves of people calling 911 complaining it was only like one or two, and maybe it was something quasi-legitimate. I have no idea what that would be, but a benefit of the doubt for a second that someone of reasonable intelligence called 911 and it was related to Facebook being down, and this officer got annoyed and posted a tweet, which then spiraled out of control.

A lot of people asked in their reaction to the story what this meant for society, and my question is, what does this story spiraling out of control and everyone, including yours truly, jumping on the bandwagon to call these people idiots mean for society? Has this digital age turned us all into wolves, eagerly waiting for any sign of weakness to exploit? Are we all just waiting with our JPEGs of Captain Picard and Riker facepalming themselves, watching for the perfect time to post them on a story of someone making a mistake for a laugh?

I'll admit, if by the time this post comes out they release 911 tapes or tweets or posts from people saying how panicked they were over Facebook going down, I'll probably grab a bowl of popcorn and watch the show, but what does this mean about us? Is our believed intellectual superiority really grounds to belittle others?

I don't know the answer to these questions, but it did give me something to think about.
-JOE

Licences, tickets ans fireworks

This has been one of the most interesting weeks I've had since long before my wedding.

It started out on Tuesday when I got something I haven't had since I was 15: A learner's permit. When I was a young Joey I ended up not getting my license due to some financial difficulties, and for the last 13 years have been bumming rides and riding busses all over the world. It has it's ups and downs. I've become a connoisseur of passenger seats and I can copilot the Enterprise at this point. But at the request of my beloved wife I spent several hours over two days waiting in lines at the DMV before finally passing the written exam and getting my learner's permit.



Before you make the joke everyone's already been warned to stay off the road, or the sidewalk, or out of the sky or wherever the car may end up. Of course it becomes less funny when I say that the first time I drove in years I accidentally put my bosses front headlight into some guy's trailer hitch. Besides some plastic and a very sorry personal assistant, no harm was done. The headlight even still works. But I've decided it's a good thing to get out of your system, like the chicken pox or getting arrested for streaking.

It happens to everyone.

Wednesday morning I received an email from the Salt Lake Comic Con press desk telling me that my other blog Mormon Geeks has been approved for press passes. I had to call my buddy and co-writer Stephen and screamed for five minutes straight on the phone. My little blog got to be press at Fantasy Con earlier this month and that gave both the blog and my writers and I a boost. Writing about arts and entertainment is my dream job. Fantasy Con was me feeling in my power and fabulous, and the chance to do it all again gets my tiny shriveled heart pumping.

Wrapping up my week was a party I held for my friends and family celebrating Pioneer day. Last year Katie and I had pooled our money plus anyone who was around's money into getting fireworks to light off, unfortunately we did this the day of and only ended up with $30. Throwing matches into the street would've been a better show than what we had, so this year I decided to do it right. We started asking for donations about a month ahead and ended up with over $100. I took the money to Black Cat fireworks, the best fireworks in the state, and went all out on a show worthy of Brigham Young.

We ended up with something new this year: Aerial fireworks. They've only been legal in Utah for a few years, and for good reason. The state in the summer is a tinderbox of weeds and dried plant life. We figured a bucket of water and a handy hose ought to be enough to protect us.

We were almost wrong.

The show was going well, everyone was entertained and fed, and then we let off one of the big ones. The box was huge, not the biggest we had but a bit smaller. I did what anyone with a healthy survival instinct would do: Lit the fuse and ran. The firework went off beautifully at first, going into the sky in a fantastic display of color, then the box tipped over and shot directly into the yard across the street. We had just enough time to gasp before another shot came straight at us. After shooting the neighbor the thing must've been flipped over towards us, and then the screaming began. Sparks were everywhere as everyone looked for cover. When the smoke cleared nobody was hurt and no damage, but we moved the rest of the fireworks away from the sidewalk.

So overall this week I've had a monumental career opportunity, ran into a parked car, and nearly lit my friends and loved ones on fire.

Productive overall.

-JOE

My top ten most embarrassing interests

     Everyone has them. Those movies, TV shows, and just... Things... They like that admitting in public will cause extreme amounts of blushing, or explaining, or just saying "Shut up" a lot.

So this is my list. They are ranked in how embarrassed I am to say that I like these properties.

     

Go ahead and make fun of me in the comments.

       

10. COPS

   Bad boys bad boys... Growing up every Saturday night the TV would be on Fox to watch this proto-reality series. When I visit my mom's and get control of the cable I immediately go to one of those super white trash channels that usually has a marathon of this show running and I will literally sit for hours watching people get arrested for doing stupid stuff and still want more. The reason it's on this list is because I hate admitting to liking anything white trash, the reason it's so low is because it's easy to justify why it's fun.

     

Don't taze me man!

   

9. Moulon Rogue

  I know a lot of people like this movie, but most of the people I know who like this movie are women so it's kind of weird as a man to admit to liking it, but the bombastic colors, the hooker with a heart of gold cheesy love plot, and especially the music makes this one of my favorite films to watch or listen to. In fact a friend of mine moved over the weekend and "Lady Marmalade" and "Tango Des Los Roxanne" was playing in my ear as I wrestled boxes into a car.

   

8. Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series

My mom got me into this one. I just want to say in my hipstery voice that I was way into vampire/werewolf/human love triangles WAY before Twilight, and this book series to me does it right. How? Because the main character Anita actually has a personality! Imagine that! And her love interests are not "Hunky boy #1" or "Hunky boy #2", she has a reason to be in conflict. If you like pulpy adventures with an expertly written female protagonist check out this series, then come back and explain to me why this thing doesn't have a TV series.

  

7. Animal Crossing: New Leaf

For those who don't know, Animal Crossing: New Leaf is a game that came out for Nintendo's 3DS last year to rave reviews from children and teenage girls alike, and while I was suspicious when I first bought it I have now logged in almost as many hours as I have on my Skyrim game. This thing is digital crack. All it is though is that you are the mayor of a small town of animal people and you run around catching up on gossip, fishing, fossil hunting, and building your little house. It is the cutesiest game I own and so help me I know I lose man points for playing it... but I can't wait to play again tomorrow when I can turn my little basement into a sauna with fireplace.

  

6. Kid Histories/Kid Snippets

 These Utah based guys have made a bundle telling their kids stories from their lives, then asking the kids to repeat the stories, then acting out the versions of the stories the kids tell, complete with random ramblings and incorrect facts. It is so highly entertaining and funny though that it's a wonder nobody has yet to copy these guys. I spotted one of the guys at Fantasy Con and almost went to say hi but was embarrassed to admit that I have spent hours listening to his kids tell stories.

5. Sex and the City

Whatever man points I had left just slipped right out of my account, but I don't care. I actually own three seasons and one movie of this franchise. I have agonized as Carey, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte have fallen in and out of love. I have seen nearly every episode, I know all the stupid romances, and I just love that Carey and I are both writers (Although every internet quiz I take tells me I'm Samantha. Go figure). I even to this day, much to my wife's annoyance, yelled at the screen because I still think Carey should go with Aiden and not that giant loser Mr. Big. UGGGH!

   

4. Muppets

I know what you're going to say: "Who doesn't love the Muppets?"

No, you don't understand.

I  have like a dozen Muppet songs floating around my iPod with my Moulin Rogue stuff and Sex and the City songs. Muppet's Christmas Carol is my favorite Christmas movie. Used to be at the drop of a hat I could sing the entire, ENTIRE, soundtrack to Muppets Take Manhattan. Disneyland has a Muppet Theater that we had to go to three times, because it had real Muppets. Somewhere in my junk I own a Tin Weirdo, which is a Gonzo version of the Tin Man from Muppet's Wizard of Oz.

It's a little sick.

   

   3. Showgirls

Note: I could not find an appropriate picture for Showgirls so

for your viewing pleasure here is a cute cow.

 I love this movie, but not for why you think. For the uninitiated, Showgirls is one of the biggest financial flops of all time. Starring Jessie from Saved By the Bell as she struggles up the seedy and wicked Las Vegas exploitative adult entertainment industry, from stripper to topless performer to better paid topless performer to star. The film is NC17 for some extremely racy nude scenes, but that's not why I like it. I like it because the film is so beyond stupid as a student of film it's just entertaining to watch something fail so hard. It spins all the way back to why I like watching people get taken down on COPS. Even the NC17 parts are done so badly that they don't come off as sexy but as one woman, no, one film's desperate struggle for attention and love. The film is literally throwing naked women at the audience in an effort to be likable and is failing so hard it comes back around and somehow becomes likable again. The embarrassment comes from knowing full well that I shouldn't watch this, for not only the sake of taste but for the sake of just being LDS, but holy Hera is it entertaining!

 

2. IM5 and other boy bands

Why on Earth are we seeing a resurgance of boy bands? That's like seeing a resurgence of traveling minstrels, though with what the internet has given us with regards to social commentary and music... But I digress. Even at their peak they're were one or two songs I liked from boy bands. I'm still fond of "Backstreet's Back" by you know who, and the LDS Sons of Provo back in the day had a few good ones, but hearing some of the newest stuff, mainly from working at Toys R Us, I have to say that some of these guys aren't half bad. "Best Song Ever" is fun and light hearted without being too cheesy, but the top of my list is this band that's starting to pick up some momentum called IM5. Honestly the stuff they themselves make is hit-or-miss for me, but it's when they work with Tordick Hall on his website that I get excited. These boys will occasionally drop the thug life stuff and call themselves the Disney Dudez and do cover/remixes of Disney songs. These boys are not afraid to look like fools for the sake of having fun, including dressing up not only as Disney princes, but as their corresponding princesses. You have to check them out.

   

Before I get to #1 a couple honorable mentions:

   

Rocky Horror Picture Show: Come on, it's Rocky, what can I say?

Zero Punctuation: A foul mouthed British/Austrailian video game critic who makes weekly cartoons insulting everyone on Earth? I'm in. Favorite quote: "It's like watching someone beat their hands against a wall then run to the hospital to get bandaged up before doing it some more. And they used my medical insurance. and it's my wall!"

   

  The Sims: I have played and owned nearly every incarnation of the Sims at one time. Not Sim City. Not sim games. The Sims. The game where you manipulate people's lives like some sick being with a God complex. I love love LOVE this game, and probably always will.

 

1: Monster High

 In my Mormon Geek's blog I posted a video showing support to a kid who was teased for being a Brony by showing off my doll collection.

My Monster High doll collection.

My Monster High doll collection that features over two dozen dolls.

Due to lack of space and the fact that they scare my wife, my Monster High dolls

   are sadly in a box in my closet, sleeping. Now for the record, the only things I follow are the dolls and the web series, I'm not into the movies or any weird little girl dress up thing. I think the series plays out like a modern Bugs Bunny with gags for kids but plenty of subtle tributes for adults, and I think the overall design of the characters and dolls is interesting, and since they're based on Universal Monsters (Unofficially) and I'm a huge Universal Monsters fan (Officially), it was a natural fit to get into these. The reason that despite making a web videoshowing off my dolls I"m still embarrassed is because unlike Bronies they're isn't a strong male demographic into Monster High, at least none that I've found at time of writing, so it's still a huge taboo, especially since these things are based mostly on the fashions of teenage monster girls.

Do you share any of my guilty pleasures? Wanna make fun of me? You know what to do...

-JOE

New Calling

I was lead into the Primary room after sacrament, which is a room I was barely aware was in the church. I had the same problem the first day I worked at Toys R Us and had to be told that we had a baby section. Having never had kids it was just a part of the building I had never had use for. We walk in and meet our new little wards. Being in charge of the 3-4 year olds the biggest challenge for the first hour of this new ritual I also didn't know existed called "sharing time" is keeping everyone facing forward and paying attention.

Well they told me it was going to happen. I thought they were lying, prayed they were lying, but no, it happened.

We got called to the Primary.

I am now teaching Sunbeams.

When the guy from the bishopric told my wife and I we were being called to the Primary I was so stunned I didn't say anything for a full five minutes. This has honestly been my nightmare for years. I have never thought anyone would think it was a good idea to have me work with children.

Some background: There was a rule growing up that no child was allowed in my house that was younger than my brother, so I never encountered children growing up. My cousins didn't start having babies till I was well out of the house, and my brother was only a couple years younger than me. The only child in my immediate family is my niece Bella, who turned 6 last week, but I've only ever seen her once every few weeks.

I have no experience with children.

Okay maybe that's an extreme. I do have my niece, plus I have plenty of friends who have kids of their own that I've interacted with. I even once watched 4 of my friend's little ones for an entire hour once, but that doesn't really give me street cred to be Mary Poppins. On top of that, I think I attended Primary twice in my childhood, and neither experience left pleasant memories.

For me there's more.

After getting the call I threw up on Facebook that we got the call to Primary, and I received several messages congratulating us and saying how perfect I would be teaching the little kids, their biggest reason being that I'm "A big kid" or "a kid at heart".

What does that mean?

Some even went so far as to say that because I collect toys I can relate to the kids. That one I want to counter point right now. Yes I collect toys, but I don't collect them for the same reason kids do. I do not spend hours creating melodramas with my action figures where the Green Power Ranger joins the Justice League, or have tea parties with my Disney dolls. I collect them, display them, use them in photography, but that doesn't help me relate to kids.

Back to the big kid thing, I know it was said in love and kindness. Nobody suggested that I was emotionally or mentally stunted or that I was immature, at least I hope not. I had to have my wife explain that in her mind it meant that I like having fun, that fun was a core need of mine, which is true. I guess that's something we have in common, yet I can't just sit around and play with the kids all day. They're are boundaries to enforce, lessons to teach, rules to make. As much as I am or am not a big kid, in this situation I have to be the grown up.

Okay, that was last week, now onto the actual meat and potatoes: What's it like to be in Primary? Is it my worst nightmare come true? Well kinda not actually.

After sharing time we moved into our little classroom with our four new students. After some singing, coloring, and a discussion on how we should treat our families, the panic of not knowing what to do with children started to settle down. As the kids went off with their parents, drawings of their families/drawings of their favorite toys/ a drawing I did on one little girl's sheet of a dinosaur eating a train which sent the entire class into hysterical giggles in hand, I realized that I was looking forward to next week and preparing another lesson for these little people. These are people who aren't yet jaded to the world, who talk about princesses and dinosaurs without a sense of irony but as things they truly enjoy, and who see the gospel and the church as a place of safety and comfort, and have yet to been hurt by our cynical
world. I bet good money that these kids probably won't remember me in a few years, I may even have to reintroduce myself next week, but maybe they'll have a feeling that the church is somewhere safe and fun.

Of course this is just the first week...

-JOE

One year later...

Wow.
Somehow I let this blog slide for an entire year...
That's sad.
So what have I been doing instead of writing you ask?
Well let me tell you:

1: Writing for my other blog
Nearly two years ago three friends and I started a blog together, Mormongeeks.com, which is beyond awesome and which I have made a weekly commitment to. It's harder to let something slide when I have three friends keeping me on my toes so that one stayed active while this one fell by the wayside. Definately check it out though, they'res tons of good stuff over there and we update every week.

2: Finding, losing and finding another job
In the course of the last year I picked up a job at Toys R Us (Which I can now say comfortably because I no longer work for them) and lost it. By lost I mean recently I put in my two weeks notice because the other job I now have, which since I work there I do not feel comfortable discussing just yet, offered me better pay, more autonomy, better working conditions, and an overall better step to my career. One day I want to write a full blog about my experiences there, but let's just say I learned a lot about retail and the public.

3: I GOT MARRIED!!!
When last we left I was engaged to my lifelong friend Katie Ecker and two months ago we were married in the Bountiful temple. Here's a link to our wedding pics from my other blog. Between the engagement, wedding and honeymoon, much of my life fell by the wayside and I'm still trying to catch up.

4: The winter of Hell
I'll definitely talk about this later, but do the words "Toys R Us at Christmas" mean anything to you?

Anyway, so now I am married, work as a personal assistant to someone in a very interesting profession, live in Bountiful Utah, and have time to once again use the internet to spew the random nonsense that enters my head.

Be prepared folks, this may get weird.

-JOE