Lest you all think I'm a negativist, I decided to create a list of things that I love. Again, they're in no particular order.
1. Hoosiers--I can watch this movie over and over and never get tired of it. The scenery is gorgeous and they got the feeling and emotion of small town Indiana basketball spot on. I'm getting giddy just writing about it.
2. Apple Dumplings--This is one of my favorite desserts and one of the best things about Fall. A warm apple dumpling in a bowl of milk is one special treat. This is one of the reasons I really didn't like Texas. There were no fresh apples which meant no apple dumplings.
3. Grilling--Everything tastes better on the grill. You could grill old sneakers and they'd probably taste good. It's impossible to get that smokey flavor any other way and it's one of the best things about Summer.
4. Seinfeld--This is the best TV show ever, sin duda. Every episode makes me laugh and is a real joy. On a more depressing note, Seinfeld first aired in July 1989 which means that college Freshman this year weren't even alive! Man I feel old.
5. Cold Cereal--As a kid I didn't get a lot of cold cereal and especially the sugary stuff so I think that's why I like it so much now. My favorites are Peanut Butter Captain Crunch and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. As a Sophomore in college cold cereal was the staple of my diet. And as a diet, it's pretty effective. I lost like 20 pounds that year.
6. A Campfire--Sitting around a campfire is one of life's finest pleasures. The smell of the smoke, the warmth, and the crackle of the fire are all intoxicating.
7. Documentaries--Yeah I know it's nerdy but I really love a good documentary. The Science channel, History channel, and Discovery channel usually have the best ones although my favorite documentary was on PBS and dealt with String Theory. It blew my mind.
8. Rhubarb Pie--I really like almost any pie but Rhubarb is my favorite. The tart deliciousness is one of Spring's special treats.
9. Uruguay--I love everything about Uruguay. The asados and chorizos are to die for. The milanesas and empanadas are wonderful. The country abounds with beautiful beaches. The weather is spectacular and the people are incredible.
10. Fall--This is my favorite season. The smell, colors, and feel of Fall are unlike any other time of the year. With Fall comes the beautiful changing leaves, cool mornings and evenings, abundant sunshine, apple cider, sweatshirts, the first snow in the mountains and so much more. I never want to live somewhere again that doesn't have Fall.
11. Peaches--I'd forgotten how good fresh peaches are after living in Texas. I've bought quite a few here in Utah though and they've been delicious. They're so sweet and juicy and make wonderful pies. God truly blessed us when he gave us peaches. In my book no fruit is as good as a peach.
12. Fishing--I'm crazy about fishing. At times it consumes me. I'm constantly dreaming about fishing vacations and all the cool places I could go. I most want to go to Mexico, Alaska, and The Boundary Waters. I'm even willing to put up with another 5 years of school so I can hopefully have more time in the future to go fishing.
13. A Hot Shower after being Cold and Wet--After a long day outdoors in a cold rain, it's the best feeling in the world.
14. Oyster Soup--On the Staller side of the family we have oyster soup every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's definitely the best food that I eat all year. The smell and taste are so unique and it warms my soul every time. I look forward to this more than anything else.
15. College Football--I love spending my Saturdays watching college football. It's been especially great this year because I've been able to go to the BYU football games. The season is the perfect length and always leaves me wanting more. The system for determining a champion is screwed up but it does make every game ultra important which adds to the excitement.
16. Rabbit Hunting--As a kid I spent many days in the woods hunting rabbits with my grandpa and these are some of my fondest memories. I just love going out after a fresh snow and busting through thickets and jumping brushpiles. You never know when a rabbit will take off and the shooting can be a lot of fun. They taste pretty darn good too.
17. A River Runs Through It--Both the movie and the book are classics in my opinion. The themes along with the scenery are intriguing and beautiful. The book is especially good because there are some great short stories included at the end, Logging, Pimping, and my Pal Jim being my favorite.
18. My Grandma's Gravy--I don't know just how she does it but it's my favorite. She makes it from the drippings of whatever she has fried and it is so rich and delicious. I especially like it on her sweet potatoes.
19. Morels--These are wild mushrooms that can be found in many parts of the U.S. I grew up hunting for them in the woods and eating them every Spring. My uncle George is great at finding them and usually found enough to share with the whole family. We would all get together and eat fried mushrooms and stewed rhubarb. It really doesn't get much better. I lucked into some morels this year in Utah while fishing and was delighted. I hadn't eaten any for years so it was a very nice treat.
20. My Wife--She's getting ready to have twins in about a week and a half. She's been a real trooper through the whole thing and I'm amazed at how well she's handled it. I hope these two little boys are appreciative.
Friday, September 19, 2008
I'm Not an Addict (Maybe That's a Lie)
Recently one of my old addictions has reared it's ugly head. No it's not drugs. It's Tetris. In college I got addicted to the point that my friend hid Tetris on his computer so I couldn't find it. I guess I was spending just a little too much time hogging his computer. Anyway, I just recently found http://www.freetetris.org/ and the addiction has returned. The attached picture is of my best game yet. Start on level 10 and see if you can beat me. But beware, you may get addicted too.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Things I Hate
Now that the DAT and Organic Chemistry are finally over I can get back to doing some blogging. Lately, or maybe always, a lot of things have been bugging me so I decided to make a list of things I hate in no particular order. I'll probably update it every month or so because I'm certain I'll find more things. So here we go.
1. Chick-Fil-A--I can't stand this rotten place. I really hate everything about it. Their signature sandwich is a stinking piece of chicken with pickles. No lettuce, no cheese, no tomatoes, no onions. Just pickles. Are you kidding me? And if you want it as a combo with soggy waffle fries it's gonna cost you 5 bucks. If I wanted soggy waffle fries I'd go to the high school cafeteria. I have no idea why anyone eats at this place; I'll stick with 99 cent double cheeseburgers and 89 cent cheesy double beef burritos, thank you very much.
2. Dudes Wearing Capri Pants--WTH? I mean the first time I saw this I thought is that guy really wearing capris? What could ever possess a man to put on a pair of capris? You might as well wear a skirt and change your name to Nancy. I guess it's no surprise Ashton Kutcher is wearing them. It's pretty much what you'd expect from him. Let's just hope it doesn't become as popular as the trucker hat. And on a side note, I'm certain that everyone in Iowa where Ashton is from hates him. I know Midwestern people and they don't tolerate men in capris.
3. Myself at Age 13--I can't think of anything worse than having to be 13 all over again. What a miserable time of life. The constant worries of am I gonna get beat up, being humiliated in sports that I sucked at, awkward school dances, getting dumped on my birthday, and on and on and on. The only people who enjoy being 13 are Chinese gymnasts.
4. Stupidity--I find stupidity in all its forms insufferable. There is nothing more obnoxious than a truly stupid person except for someone pretending to be stupid, i.e. Jessica Simpson or Paris Hilton. Although with those two, I'm not sure it's an act. God gave you a brain; use it people!
5. Red Robin--This is another restaurant that I can't stand. They have gourmet in their name which is complete farce. At least they serve burgers but they don't compare to their competition at all. I can go to Outback and get an excellent fresh hamburger with a baked sweet potato and warm bread for 8 bucks or I can go to Red Robin and spend 10 bucks for a factory stamped, assembly line, previously frozen disk of meat passed off as a hamburger. And if that wasn't bad enough, they try to sell you on the idea that you're getting some kind of value because you get all the mushy steak fries you can eat. Thanks but I'll pass.
6. The University of Utah--This was a hatred that developed later in life. I didn't even know the U of U existed until I was a Freshman at BYU. But once I got to BYU, I developed a hatred for everything related to the U of U. As a kid I thought I hated Purdue. I say thought because now that I hate the U of U, I know what it means to hate another school. I disdained Purdue; I vehemently abhor all things U of U.
7. Stuff on My Fingers--Whenever I eat chips or anything with my fingers it drives me crazy to still have stuff on them. I'm constantly trying to flick it off. Cheetos are the worst offenders but I still keep eating them.
8. Uneven Fingernails--This is a fairly recent neurosis that I've developed. If my thumbnails or index finger nails aren't perfectly smooth I need a nail file right away or I go a little nutty.
9. Reading the Paper--I was reading the Daily Universe the other day and thought to myself I hate this. You have to flip between different pages just to read one article and then you have to go back to start another article and then part of the paper falls out and then you try to fold it to make it more manageable but then you can't figure out where you started from. I hate the whole experience. It's all just so cumbersome and inefficient. And it gets ink all over my fingers which goes back my #7 of things I hate.
10. Country Music--I can't stand this inane garbage. It absolutely revels in stupidity and ignorance which goes back to my number #4 of things I hate. I'm convinced that any two bit hillbilly with an ounce of musical talent could be a country singer and if they can't make it as a singer, I'm sure their 3rd grade education and vocabulary would be more than sufficient to be a country music writer.
11. Soft Rock--This subject has already been treated extensively on this blog and suffice it to say my opinions haven't changed.
12. Sean Hannity--I made the mistake of tuning in to KSL the other day and listening to Sean Hannity. In less than five minutes I was ready to reach through the radio to strangle the life out of him. I'm certain that I share some of his views but he's such a smug, arrogant, pompous ass that it literally makes me ill to hear him.
13. Waking Up When It's Dark--When it's dark out, I just feel like I should still be in bed. And I hate that feeling of shock when you turn the lights on and your body revolts and screams GO BACK TO BED!
14. Whoopi Goldberg--How can someone as talentless and obnoxious as Whoopi be on TV? It's mind boggling. At least she's an inspiration. If Whoopi can be on TV, I guess anything really is possible.
15. The Medieval Club--What in the world would possess someone to dress up and re-enact the most wretched time period in all of history. Did they conveniently forget about peasantry, garbage and human waste filling the streets, a complete lack of personal hygiene, and the Black Plague! Come to think of it, the complete lack of personal hygiene, may actually be embraced by most members of the club. Put down your fake swords and goofy outfits and do something productive. Heck, you could even do nothing and that would be better than being in the medieval club.
1. Chick-Fil-A--I can't stand this rotten place. I really hate everything about it. Their signature sandwich is a stinking piece of chicken with pickles. No lettuce, no cheese, no tomatoes, no onions. Just pickles. Are you kidding me? And if you want it as a combo with soggy waffle fries it's gonna cost you 5 bucks. If I wanted soggy waffle fries I'd go to the high school cafeteria. I have no idea why anyone eats at this place; I'll stick with 99 cent double cheeseburgers and 89 cent cheesy double beef burritos, thank you very much.
2. Dudes Wearing Capri Pants--WTH? I mean the first time I saw this I thought is that guy really wearing capris? What could ever possess a man to put on a pair of capris? You might as well wear a skirt and change your name to Nancy. I guess it's no surprise Ashton Kutcher is wearing them. It's pretty much what you'd expect from him. Let's just hope it doesn't become as popular as the trucker hat. And on a side note, I'm certain that everyone in Iowa where Ashton is from hates him. I know Midwestern people and they don't tolerate men in capris. 
3. Myself at Age 13--I can't think of anything worse than having to be 13 all over again. What a miserable time of life. The constant worries of am I gonna get beat up, being humiliated in sports that I sucked at, awkward school dances, getting dumped on my birthday, and on and on and on. The only people who enjoy being 13 are Chinese gymnasts.
4. Stupidity--I find stupidity in all its forms insufferable. There is nothing more obnoxious than a truly stupid person except for someone pretending to be stupid, i.e. Jessica Simpson or Paris Hilton. Although with those two, I'm not sure it's an act. God gave you a brain; use it people!
5. Red Robin--This is another restaurant that I can't stand. They have gourmet in their name which is complete farce. At least they serve burgers but they don't compare to their competition at all. I can go to Outback and get an excellent fresh hamburger with a baked sweet potato and warm bread for 8 bucks or I can go to Red Robin and spend 10 bucks for a factory stamped, assembly line, previously frozen disk of meat passed off as a hamburger. And if that wasn't bad enough, they try to sell you on the idea that you're getting some kind of value because you get all the mushy steak fries you can eat. Thanks but I'll pass.
6. The University of Utah--This was a hatred that developed later in life. I didn't even know the U of U existed until I was a Freshman at BYU. But once I got to BYU, I developed a hatred for everything related to the U of U. As a kid I thought I hated Purdue. I say thought because now that I hate the U of U, I know what it means to hate another school. I disdained Purdue; I vehemently abhor all things U of U.7. Stuff on My Fingers--Whenever I eat chips or anything with my fingers it drives me crazy to still have stuff on them. I'm constantly trying to flick it off. Cheetos are the worst offenders but I still keep eating them.
8. Uneven Fingernails--This is a fairly recent neurosis that I've developed. If my thumbnails or index finger nails aren't perfectly smooth I need a nail file right away or I go a little nutty.
9. Reading the Paper--I was reading the Daily Universe the other day and thought to myself I hate this. You have to flip between different pages just to read one article and then you have to go back to start another article and then part of the paper falls out and then you try to fold it to make it more manageable but then you can't figure out where you started from. I hate the whole experience. It's all just so cumbersome and inefficient. And it gets ink all over my fingers which goes back my #7 of things I hate.
10. Country Music--I can't stand this inane garbage. It absolutely revels in stupidity and ignorance which goes back to my number #4 of things I hate. I'm convinced that any two bit hillbilly with an ounce of musical talent could be a country singer and if they can't make it as a singer, I'm sure their 3rd grade education and vocabulary would be more than sufficient to be a country music writer.
11. Soft Rock--This subject has already been treated extensively on this blog and suffice it to say my opinions haven't changed.
12. Sean Hannity--I made the mistake of tuning in to KSL the other day and listening to Sean Hannity. In less than five minutes I was ready to reach through the radio to strangle the life out of him. I'm certain that I share some of his views but he's such a smug, arrogant, pompous ass that it literally makes me ill to hear him.
13. Waking Up When It's Dark--When it's dark out, I just feel like I should still be in bed. And I hate that feeling of shock when you turn the lights on and your body revolts and screams GO BACK TO BED!
14. Whoopi Goldberg--How can someone as talentless and obnoxious as Whoopi be on TV? It's mind boggling. At least she's an inspiration. If Whoopi can be on TV, I guess anything really is possible.
15. The Medieval Club--What in the world would possess someone to dress up and re-enact the most wretched time period in all of history. Did they conveniently forget about peasantry, garbage and human waste filling the streets, a complete lack of personal hygiene, and the Black Plague! Come to think of it, the complete lack of personal hygiene, may actually be embraced by most members of the club. Put down your fake swords and goofy outfits and do something productive. Heck, you could even do nothing and that would be better than being in the medieval club.
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