Rants of a Fat Kid

Lucy Joy

2012-01-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

Lucy's first picture with her pops!

Can't believe it has been ONE year!

Retrospective blog to come soon ;)

Forever thankful

2011-11-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

On this Thanksgiving I'd just like to say that I am I very thankful for my girls. I am amazed that I made out so lucky in this life to have you. I am truly humbled to have you, Jillian, as my wife. Little Lucy, I couldn't imagine before you arrived the love you'd end up making me feel. I am a blessed man.

I'll love you both forever!

An apology

2011-11-23T23:31:00.000-08:00

Words hurt. The pain they can cause can last much longer than physical pain. Sometimes we say or type, depending on the delivery, things that do damage that was unintended. I use this blog as a forum the to clear my mind. Sometimes I write about video games. Sometimes it's about sports. I even wrote a few detailed blogs about the different hotels I've stayed in while playing in Vegas. However, many of my blogs have been very personal.

I started this blog back when my wife and I were going through a very difficult time. I used this blog to vent, to heal, to establish a connection, and to reach out to her. Similarly, I've used this blog to write about on going issues with other family members. In doing so it has helped me clear my mind and to work through my pain. But in doing so I have continued to hurt those I want to reestablish a connection with. They say there are two sides to every story and I've put out my side for all to see. I realize that it isn't fair to put that stuff out there, especially since the others don't have a voice in the situation.

I'd like to say that I'm going to stop writing about any family trouble, and that is my plan, but I don't want to make a promise and seem like a liar if I end up word vomiting on here. With that said, I really am going to try to stay away from throwing anyone under the bus. Even if I feel a certain way, or I'm hurt by the situation, throwing it out for all to read won't fix anything. I'm going to try to stick to the happy-sappy stuff and the silly frivolous stuff on this blog. I can always start a diary if I need to work out my family dealings.

To all of my family, the ones on good terms, and to the ones on fragile terms, just know I love you. All I want is for you to be happy and to have peace. I want nothing but good things for everyone. I want to be a good father to my sweet baby girl and I'm going to focus my energy into loving her. Life is too short to have any ill will towards anyone. I choose to fill my life with love. I never meant to make the situation worse, I just wanted to work through it the best way I knew how. I do apologize. I love all of you, and I'll always be here.

First Kiss

2011-10-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

The other night my baby was a bit restless. When she gets fussy or wiggly we put her in front of a mirror. She loves talking to her reflection more than anything else. Huge smiles and glowing eyes happen every time she locks eyes with the girl in the mirror. When she is close enough to the mirror she tries to kiss the baby (bey-ba in Lu speak). Mommy was holding her and we were laughing at how cute she was being. I then leaned in and gave them a hug. When I leaned in, little Lu tilted her head and gave me a kiss on the corner of my mouth, just like she does to her reflection. She has never kissed back, let alone gave a kiss herself. I was so shocked and happy at the same time, all I could do was cry. This is one of the happiest moments of my life and I'll never forget it.

Random Sports thoughts...

2011-09-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else feel really bad about Peyton Manning? The guy had the longest active streak of games started by an NFL quarterback, and now after two serious neck surgeries, he's sitting on the sidelines. The last time someone else started at QB in Indy was in 1997. That guy is now the Head Coach of the 49ers, Jim Harbaugh. Peyton seems like a stand up guy and is probably the best QB in football. Just doesn't seem right without him there.

Speaking of football, how 'bout the Giants? Always love watching the Eagles lose, especially to the G-Men.

The NBA canceled the preseason. Yikes. This doesn't look good. I'm afraid the season will be lost and this certainly won't help this league that has been struggling to keep people interested since MJ hung 'em up. I really hope they get this labor dispute figured out!

Floyd Mayweather did not "cheat" and gave Ortiz what he deserved. If you don't know what I am talking about, look it up!

Pro-wrestling (yes, it's scripted, but it's still sporting) has really been good since CM Punk ran his mouth. I haven't been into Raw this much in 10 years.

Lastly, I just have to throw Jimmer Fredette's name out there. My number one read blog was the one where I talked about Jimmer playing in the NBA. I may have also poked a bit of fun at the rap song made about him too... Anyhow, for some reason google search has been throwing that blog out there for people and it has been read 5 times to 1 on any other blog I've wrote. Just wanted to see if I threw his name out there again, if this one would be read that much too. Gotta love BYU COugar fans and their undying love for Jimmermania!

Daddy & Daughter Part 1

2011-09-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

Well these photos were suppose to start with her right after birth and then progress, but blogger loads the photos backwards, so I guess start at the bottom and work your way up? Anyway, here a few pics of me and my little one.

Happy Post

2011-09-21T23:28:00.000-07:00

I realize that I have been posting quite a few sad, angry, or depressing posts lately. I'm actually a fairly happy person, I just use this as a forum to get things off my chest. It's therapeutic. With that said, for every boo-hoo blog I write I need to write a couple happy posts to help counterbalance things. So on with the non-pissy stuff!

Baby Lucille is a riot! She now claps and actually says "yay" when doing so. It's so funny. She gives the best smiles every time I come home from work. What makes these smiles even better is seeing her two front teeth that have come in. Poor thing has been a bit cranky during teething, but overall I think she's handled it great. She's so strong and she lefts herself up all the time. She tries so hard to just get up and run. I really think this girl is going to skip the crawling stage and jump directly into sprinting!

We hit up the state fair last week. It rained all day, but it was still fun. We took Lucy and when she wasn't snoozing, she was having fun. One of the carnival vendors thought she was cute and gave her a Utah Jazz hat he was selling. We ate delicious food and just enjoyed our friends and the atmosphere. The next morning Jill, Lucy, and I went to the Tracy Aviary at Liberty Park. Lucy enjoyed seeing all the birds and we shared the perfect morning as a family!

Last night I sold my scooter. I really wanted it when I bought it, but I just never had the time to really use it. The guy that bought it off me will get much more use out of it then I did. With it being sold I have downsized my toy collection quite a bit. I guess it's just one more step towards being a functioning adult.

In two weeks I am going to be the best-man at Brian A. and Rachel's wedding! It's an honor to be selected to be apart of their day. I hope only the best for these two dear friends. I have another friend who is planning on getting married next year and he also asked if I'd be his best-man. I'm excited to take part in that wedding because this mystery friend has been apart of my life longer than anyone else that isn't actual family. For those of you who know who I am talking about, just know I don't know if he has formally announced it yet, so keep quiet! ;)

Uncontrollable Anxiety

2011-09-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

I'm 31 years old. When in the hell did this happen? I still feel like I act and do the same dumb ass things as I did when I was 21. But somehow I am now closer to 40 than 20. Thinking about that has me really freaking out...

My mother died when she was 38. My Grandma Lucille was in her 50's. My father's mom died in her 30's when my dad was just a child. My buddy Grant died at 23, albeit by his own hand. All of these people left way too early and I can't help but think, every night as I try to fall asleep, that my time is right around the corner. Every single night as I try to sleep I can't help but think that I am one day closer to my death.

But what is a 31 year old man suppose to be anyways? I have a decent paying job, that I do not enjoy. That seems pretty common, right? I have been married for almost 7 years and I have a wonderful baby girl. That seems about right. But is it normal for a 31 year old man to play Xbox or to stay up late on the internet listening to music and writing blogs that only a handful of people notice? Is it normal to wear football jerseys, baseball caps, screen printed tee's, and khaki shorts? I just feel like maybe I look and act much younger than I am. Plus, most of my friends are almost 10 years my junior...

I'm not trying to hold onto my youth, but I just don't feel like I know how to let go. I'm not sure I need to let go either. I guess that's my problem, I just don't know what I am suppose to be.

I know I want to be the best husband to Jill. She's a great lady and she deserves the best. I know that I want to be the best daddy to Lucy. I just don't know how I am suppose to do that. Sometimes I want to quit my job and find work that would actually allow me to be off when Jill is. I'm sure it would pay less, but what is more important; more money for my family and spending more time away from them, or less money and more time spent together? I struggle with this all the time. I am the man and I am suppose to "bring home the bacon" so I feel like I just have to go to work and bring home the money. However, my heart tells me to leave my job, give up many of my luxuries, and spend more time at home with my loved ones.

But above all of these worries, the thing that bothers me the most is not having my dad around. My sweet daughter is almost 10 months old and he has yet to hold her. I wish I understood how to control this pain because I am afraid this above all, will lead me to that early grave I dream about nightly...

Camping 2011

2011-09-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

I love camping. I'm not quite sure camping loves me though. Once again I had a tent commit suicide while I slept in it. I mean it was bad enough that this tent was much smaller than advertised and that I had to sleep in a very small corner on the unforgiving ground. But the tent caved in on itself, smothering me and letting the rain fall on my face! This happened the first night. I slept in there for two more.

The rest of the trip was fun though. We camped near Bear Lake, up by Minnetonka Cave. I love it up in that area. This is where my Mother's family is from. My Aunt Charlotte (Chuck) lives in the house my Poppa (Grandpa) was born in, in a little town called Bloomington. My sister Sarah is currently living up there too. Up the dirt road on the top of a hill overlooking the Bear Lake Valley is my Mothers and Grandparents final resting places. Obviously I am deeply rooted to this area.

We camped with Jill's parents, who I adore. They are such great people. Jill's had extended family there too and they feed us delicious food every night. So much in fact that I gained 5lbs! My brother Brian and his wife (Krystal) and son (Issac) came up with us. Those three shared the lovely tent with me. But what was really cool is that my Aunt Suzie (on my Dad's side) reserved the spot next door to us. She came up along with my brother Keven and his family (Tiff, Tayvia, and Eyslee). It was cool to have so many loved ones up there from all sides of the family! I just hope I did a good job of spending time with everyone and not making anyone feel left out.

We went to Minnetonka Cave and we hiked to Bloomington Lake, which by the way is the prettiest place on Earth. My Poppa once said something along the lines of - "God created the Heavens, the Earth, and then Bloomington". The hike isn't too treacherous, but when you're as out of shape as I am and you are caring your 20lb baby girl, your legs will feel the burn. Plus, it was especially hot this time of year up there. I think we all melted a bit each day!

The best part of the trip though was spending time with my wife and daughter. Lucy has been a bit cranky lately and she let us know when she was unhappy, but for the most part she was an angel. Jill and I had a great time taking her cute little pictures. She's such a ham for the camera. Oh and speaking of Lucy, my Aunt Charlotte has given her her very own horse. That's right, my 8 month old baby has her own horse. She's a cute little pony named Bumper. Lu was a bit confused around the horse, but I am sure, especially since she's from my family, she'll be on that horse in no time!

I'm sure this was our last camping adventure of the year, but I can't wait for next year! I'm going to buy myself an awesome tent, built for a king! Or at least one that isn't all emo and hurts itself and whithers away!

MacBook Pro

2011-08-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

So I did it. I spent way too much money and bought myself a laptop. I couldn't help it. I must have been the only 31 year old man in the U.S. that didn't have one, right? Never mind that I have an awesome desktop and an iPad, this is 2011 and daddy needs his tech stuff.

I did sell a TV to help pay for part of it. I am also selling my scooter and quite possibly my desktop too. So I'm parting with some of my old toys to make way for the new ones. I am also seriously thinking about taking a Mac class because even though I know a fair amount of stuff, I still find new things out all the time.

But anyway, I am pretty happy with my purchase even with the small amount of buyers remorse that comes with spending money on myself :)

In any event here is a some pic of me and my little hommie Issac!

August Update

2011-08-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Lucille has found her voice. She is now growling, yelling, giggling, and I think yodelling too. My super smiley baby is now full of all sorts of unusual sounds. Sounds that makes her sound more like a very spitty monster than a 7 month old baby. It is very cute though.

Her little personality is starting to show. She definitely lets you know if she is happy or not. Plus what has her thoroughly entertained one moment will drive her nuts the next. She has me constantly changing whatever I am doing to keep her entertained.

My brother and his family will be in town in a couple days. I am very excited to see him. I start vacation on Wed and we are going camping in Idaho with Jill's parents. My Aunt Suzie also rented a spot and will be camping there too. My brother Keven and his family will also becoming up. It will be great to see everyone! Plus I haven't been camping in a couple years and I've been itching to go out.

I've been debating with myself (& Jill) about whether or not I should invest in a MacBook Pro. I do have a desktop and an iPad, so it's not like I don't have any computers, but I just really want a laptop. It can do so much more than my iPad ( the iPad is more of an E-reader, mp3 player, and net book), and would be even more powerful than my 2006 iMac. But it is definitely a want not a need. I'm just not sure if I should or could pull the trigger on buying one...

A little word of advice to you shoppers... PART 1

2011-08-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Acting like a jerk in a retail store, or in my case a grocery store, will not help you get better or faster service. Try treating that person behind the counter with some respect and they will do much more to help you out.

Placing your items on the checkout belt before the person in front of you is done putting theirs on is not only rude, but just stupid. Settle your impatient butt down and give that person some time. It takes much more time to sort through the mess on the belt because you couldn't wait a few seconds.

They say perception is reality, but what you perceive to be a 10 minute wait at the checkout is usually under a minute. My store has an average wait time of 28 seconds between orders. Now tell me, whatever you do for work, can you help your customer out in that time?

Cashiers are required to ask how you are. If you're having a pissy day, save that info. My 19 year old cashier doesn't really need to know your life story and why everything sucks. Just be polite and lie if needed.

Don't look down at a retail employee like they must be uneducated because they "stack cans" for a living. Cashiers at my store make damn near $15 an hour (which is pretty good in Utah BTW) to check your order out. I know that in management I make more than the majority of my friends with degrees.

Sometimes items do not ring up right. It's not that cashiers fault, nor is it some conspiracy by the store to make more money. It's also fixable. Don't lose your cool. It's called human error. When you carry 50,000+ different items, one or two signs may get missed along the way. Does your work run flawlessly? Probably not.

Feeling irritated because...

2011-07-26T00:07:00.000-07:00

I have a new boss and my work world has changes completely.

My sole living parental unit has continued to choose to not be around.

The housing market in my neighborhood stinks so bad that it is driving the value of my place down, thus making it hard to sell.

I can't go anywhere far away from home, anytime in the foreseeable future.

I feel like certain people ignore me unless convenient for them to reply.

Music will never be as awesome as it was in the 60's-70's.

I am writing a pointless blog, bitching to nobody ;)

Park City weekend

2011-07-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

Jill and I took a weekend trip to Park City. Of course we brought along little Lucy too. It was nice to get away from work for a few days. My company just restructured managers and my boss, mentor, and friend was shipped off to a new store. We've got a new manager and I'll not listen to the hearsay about her and I'll make my own decision about her once we work together. I just hope she doesn't try to change what we have going on in our store. Needless to say this has left me very stressed.

But back to Park City. It was nice to spend some time with Jill. Our work schedule keeps us apart too much. She really is the love of my life and I cherish our time together. I couldn't ask for a better best friend. Jill also has some health concerns that have come up, nothing too major, but it still worries me so it was great to just play and not worry about that.

Little Lucy, only six months old, is not so little anymore. She grabs everything in sight, including our cups and she drinks out of them with or without the straw. Of course the cups have water only. Jill would kill me if Lu got into my soda, but I sure do tease her about it. Lucy's personality is so cute. She hams it up and smiles when you break out the camera, growls if you growl, and of course types on keyboards if you do. She's helping my type right now...

We finished up our little getaway buy going to the zoo today. We met up with Jill's parents and had a great time. Lu is sure loved by her grandparents! The zoo was fun, if not just hot. Lu came away with a few toys and had as much fun as a six month old can. After the zoo we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory and had some lunch. We, like most parents, wanted to give Lu a lemon wedge to watch her pull faces and squirm. Didn't happen. This little girl loved her lemon and went to town on it. She was too funny.

Overall it was a good weekend and we had a great time. I really cherish my family and time spent together. I can't wait for our next getaway!

7/5/11

2011-07-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Virginia was fun. I spent the first couple days by myself in D.C., which was nice. I got to go to many of the Smithsonian museums and did other site seeing. I then drove to my brothers house and waited for him to come home. Sadly he didn't get home until almost 8pm on Wed night and I had to leave by Thurs afternoon. However, I did get to take part of his reenlistment, so it was all worth while to me. Plus driving up to Baltimore through the Eastern Shore was beautiful.

Lucy is growing like crazy. She is so smart. She is starting to grab things and is really interested in things with buttons. She is always grabbing my xbox controllers or tv remotes. Since she likes these things so much, I went and bought her a little kid laptop. It lights up, makes sounds, and sings songs. She loves it and pounds on the keys while smiling.

Got word that a member of my family has been or once had spread a nasty lie about me. I got angry for about a day, but then laughed it off do to the source. Life is much too short and good to sweat the petty things. Ugly things happen to people who constantly surround themselves in ugly.

My birthday is in a couple weeks. I'm excited because my father-in-law bought me tickets to the Triple-A All-Star game and home run derby. I love baseball and it will be awesome to see these future stars in action.

I'll be ok...

2011-06-12T08:43:00.001-07:00

My brother Keven insisted I come play some golf with him. He had just bought some new clubs. So after I finished working and hanging with Lucy and Jill, I went down to Mulligan's to hit some balls. We played for a few hours and right as we were leaving he called me over to his car. He wanted to talk to me about my last blog. He was concerned. He also said a bunch of family or friends (he wouldn't give up names) were worried about me.

I'm sad. I have been for a long time. Sometimes people medicate with alcohol, sometimes people seek out therapy. I deal with my issues through writing, music, and blowing Nazi heads off in video games. As I had no desire to play Xbox, I put my hurt down in words and even associated it with a song.

I am fine, I really am. Nothing dramatic. No cries for help. I'm just sad, confused and hurt. I put it on "paper" to try to set my mind free for the night. Unfortunately it's a problem that doesn't have a solution, or at least one I want. I don't know how to get over it, but I do appreciate all the concern (even if you were anonymous). Keven is a good man and an even better brother.

Well, today I leave for Virginia. I am very excited to see Brian, even if it isn't for as long as planned. I'm excited to be away from work for as long as I am. But I am not looking forward to being away from Lucy and Jill. I even shed a few tears this morning while playing with Lucy. She's such a good baby. She is so happy and smiles all the time. I'm just kind of worried that after four days away (I know that isn't too long, but...) that she'll not recognize me and we'll have to learn how to re bond. I'm sure I am overreacting, but it is a legitimate concern.

Well, I have to finish packing my carry on items and get ready for my flight. Depending on internet connections and time, I may blog about my experience alone in DC. As for now know that I really am ok, except for the part about leaving my baby behind...

I don't like the way I am...

2011-06-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

There is a song written by one of my favorite artists of all time, Martin Sexton. The song is called "The Way I Am". It's a beautiful song and one that has stuck with me for many years. I often find myself singing it randomly. The lyrics are a haunting reminder of how I feel about myself.

I really don't like the way I am. I have a constant desire to have everyone like me. I try to be the funny guy. I try to put on smile on everyones faces. But I need to remember that some people aren't going to like me. I can't blame them either, I'm not really all that neat. But unfortunately I do take it personal when people don't like me.

There is so much I wish I could change about me. I wish I didn't have the urge to try to fix everyones problems. I wish I didn't always dwell on the negative. I wish I would bite my tongue more often. I wish I were different. I wish I could change the way I am...

I wish I didn't care that my family has stopped talking to me. I don't think they understand how much it hurts me. They continue on with their lives like nothing has happened. They didn't skip a beat when they stopped talking to Brian. They didn't skip a beat when they stopped talking to Keven. Why would I be different? I thought I was.

I miss my father so bad. It hurts so bad I can't put it into words. I don't even know how it got to this point? But he refuses to answer my calls or texts. He's never even met his grandchild. That kills me more than the fact he ignores me and my brothers. My daughter has never done anything to not have her grandfather in her life.

This above all is why I hate the way I am. I hate that I care so much. I hate that I cry at night because I don't have a relationship with my dad. I hate that I have to put it in a blog so I don't explode. I hate that I can't just leave it alone. I hate that he won't be my dad. But most of all, I just don't like the way I am...

Change of plans

2011-06-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

I'm suppose to leave Salt Lake for Virginia Beach, through Baltimore, on Sunday. I made plans to spend the week with my brother Brian and to take part of his re-enlistment in the Navy. Unfortunately for Brian and I, the Navy has made other plans. Due to some unforeseen maintenance on his ship, the dates my brother was scheduled to be out to sea has change to the week I'll be out there. Instead of us seeing each other Mon to Thurs, we'll be lucky if we see each other Wed night, until I leave for Baltimore on Thursday morning.

What is really crummy about the whole situation is the fact that I am going alone. Jill and Lucy are staying home while I spent time with Brian. Now I'll be 3,000 miles away from my family and he'll be out to sea. I feel like a bad husband and father leaving them behind, but the chance to take part of Brian's re-enlistment was worth it. Hopefully we'll be able to do his re-enlistment Wed night, but it still feels crappy leaving behind Jill and Lucy for an evening with Brian.

I'm in no way shape or form upset with Brian either. This is out of his hands. I'm not upset with the Navy either, I understand the circumstances. It's just going to be hard being away from my baby girl so long and not having my brother around either. I'll just have to make the best out of the situation. DC is just a short drive from Baltimore and so many cities like Pittsburgh, Manhattan, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City are all about 1 to 4 hours away. Maybe I'll drive around and see some baseball? Either way, this is not the vacation I had in mind...

Golf

2011-06-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

I've never been a golfing kind of guy. I remember going to the driving range a few times with my Dad when I was younger, but I never got into it. I was obsessed with basketball and focused all my time on that game. If you don't count mini-golf, before this year I probably haven't hit a golf ball in 20 years. But this year I was forced to go play in a charity tournament for my work. I went with my boss and I ended up having a great time. Never mind that my first three balls went into a water hazard and by the 2nd hole I had somehow stepped into a swampy area and destroyed my shoes and socks... No matter the shoe damage I ended up enjoying golfing.

However, golf on TV is booorrriiinnnnggg..... If I want a good nap during the springtime or summer, I just flip on some golf. It puts me right to sleep. The things they do are very impressive, but so the ability to turn soy beans into tofurkey. It's impressive, but not interesting.

But since I had a great time at the tourney, I decided to go out to the driving range to practice a little. My buddy Geoff has some clubs so we went to play. Never mind his clubs are the Target junior special, we used them and did pretty great. It was so much fun. Just like on the golf course with my work, people could tell that I used to play baseball due to my ugly hack of a swing. Not pretty. No matter though, we went to have fun.

Since we've gone multiple times now this season I decided to buy my own clubs. I bought a cheap-o set of clubs (Ram Lasers) so I can stop worrying about destroying Geoff's. I'm not used to these clubs however and my already present slice is much, much worse. We played on the top deck of the driving range and I almost hit some people below us on more than one occasion. It was a fun night though as my buddy Brian Armstrong, my brother Keven, and his family (Tiff, Tayvia, and Eslee) joined me out on the range.

I'm definitely not good at this game, but that's not going to stop me from going out and playing this summer. I need a new hobby that doesn't require my Xbox. Plus I hope to get a little better so I can go out and play with my father-in-law and brother-in-law. They are both golfers and I need to up my game quite a bit before I embarrass myself in front of those guys. But if I continue to stink it up I may resort to said Xbox and a copy of Tiger Woods golf. It's gotta be easier to fix the slice on there, right?

Top 5 Reason why I want Jimmer Fredette to be an NBA Star

2011-06-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

There is nobody more polarizing in basketball right now then Jimmer Fredette. You have people all over the world debating his worth in the NBA. In college Jimmer was the National Player of the Year. Many feel he'll be exposed at the next level. You have people like Kevin Durant and Barack Obama singing his praise, but you have many others comparing him to other great white hypes that fizzled (Morrison and Redick). The debate is huge in Utah based first on the Utah/BYU rivalry and secondly because the Jazz have two top picks and may use one on Jimmer. In any event here are my top 5 reasons why I want to see Jimmer kick some butt in the NBA.

5 - If you know anything about Mormon folklore you know that Mormon church ball is a rugged game. It basically allows well rounded young men the chance to act barbaric and become unleashed in God's house. They even made a movie about it starring my good friend Stan Ellsworth and Gary Coleman. But you know what's harder than church ball? Refining your skills playing basketball against prisoners in New York. That's just one place Jimmer learned to ball. Jimmer and his brother used to play pick up games at Mount McGregor Correctional in Saratoga, NY. He attributes this to helping him play through "rough situations".

4 - The last Mormon who did anything worth noting in the NBA was Shawn Bradley. Shawn stands 7'6'' and weighs as much as a toy poodle. If you bought an NBA poster from say 1993-2005, that big white guy getting dunked on was most likely Shawn. I'd like to see a white Mormon due something in the NBA other then getting smashed on.

3 - I am a Utah homer. I love the Jazz, the Salt Lake Bees, the Utes, and then to a smaller extent the Grizzles hockey team, and the BYU Cougars. I never cheer for BYU to beat Utah, but when they are playing anyone else, I want them to do well. It looks good for our small, over looked state. But when I was a child, my Poppa - who by the way is my hero - was a BYU guy. He took me to all the football games starring Ty Detmer at QB. So deep down, somewhere I still have a small amount of affection for the Cougars.

2 - Because Jimmer has a terrible rap song written about him. There is a song out there that is performed by some white rappers and the hook repeats "teach me how to Jimmer" over and over. It's obnoxious and just plain bad. When I was 16 I used to make terrible raps songs with my buddy (who really is a rapper and a damn good one) and I used to make silly basketball puns too. Their song and mine are pretty similar in flow. However I was 16 and didn't aspire to be a rapper and these fellas are, well not 16. The video is priceless however. Enjoy

1 - And my top reason for wanting Jimmer to excel at the next level? Because he gives all slow white guys with excellent range and zero defensive ability a chance to shine. We love him as one of our own. Obviously I am nowhere as good as Jimmer, but our game is similar. When I go to the rec center I have three options on offense. 1 - I can pass and set up my teammate. 2 - I can cross you over with an ugly cross over that shouldn't work. Or 3 - The most likely option. I'll just shoot a 30 foot 3-pointer and drop it! Then on defense you'll make me look terrible. Jimmer gets exposed because, well, defense just isn't his game. My excuse is because I'm old and fat. Either way, I gotta root for the kid!

I hope to see Jimmer Fredette make noise in the NBA. He's worked hard and he deserves it. But most of all, I want him to make it just so I can hear people continue to argue over his ability and I hope for a new rap video from Provo, Utah!

A Pirates life for me Part 2

2011-05-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

So we did go see the latest Pirates movie, and like I knew I would, I loved it. I thought it was the 2nd best flick of the four, following behind the first of course.

I absolutely love the music in the films, so here is one of my favorite tunes from the movies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMsdON76Z_Y&feature=related

Gamefly

2011-05-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

I've just started Gamefly and it's pretty cool. Much cheaper than buying new games and not getting much out of them. Now I can try out different games that I'd never play otherwise. If you play video games at all, I'd recommend that you check them out. Also, if you click this link below you can get a month free!

Buy One Month, Get One FREE!

A Pirates life for me.

2011-05-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

I am a Pirates of the Caribbean junky. I absolutely love this franchise. The rides, the movies, the music, and even the games. I know that outside of the first movie, "The Curse of the Black Pearl", that most movie goers have soured on the films. I, however, didn't. I still got wrapped up in the story and lost in the world of Captain Jack Sparrow.

But my love for the Caribbean didn't start in a megaplex, it started like it did for most children. It started at Disneyland. Those of you who know me, know that I am a Disney person. I love EVERYTHING about the brand. I vacation at Disneyland and Disney World often and one day hope to see one of the Disney Parks outside of the country. I'd spend every vacation in either California or Florida if Jill let me.

Of all the attractions at Disneyland, the one that sticks out the most to me is Pirates of the Caribbean. When my mother took me to the park my very first time (it had to be around 1990) I remember riding it with her. As we waited in the queue she leaned over and whispered to me that this was her favorite ride. I was so eager and a bit nervous to board the boat.

I'll never forget sitting next to my mom and looking in awe at the Blue Bayou lights, the skull and crossbones telling me to keep my arms inside, and the first exhilarating drop into the cold tunnel into the world of Pirates. She pointed out things to me like the skeleton drinking booze, the piano playing itself, and even some "Hidden Mickey's". It is one of my favorite memories of my mother.

That alone is why I am in love with Pirates. To this day I think of my mom every time we ride this ride. Sometimes I am even moved to tears as we ride. Overwhelmed with the thoughts of my mother and how happy we were that day. To me it will always be her and my "little thing", our moment. The same goes for the movies. My mother passed before they ever came out, but I know she'd love them too. It still feels like it's her and my thing.

I've bought books about the movie. I've purchased books about the construction of the attractions at the parks. I've bought CD's with all of the music from the rides, and all of the soundtracks to the films. My very first Disney souvenir was a black Pirates captain hat with my name embroidered on it. I've bought t-shirts, pins, and other trinkets. I can't help it, I'm slightly obsessed.

I'm hoping the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie is excellent. I can't wait to see it. But even if it is so-so, I'll still be loving it. I'll be smiling from ear to ear, laughing at the jokes, and I'll whisper as if my mother was sitting next to me and I'll say, "these are my favorite movies".

Cotton hoarding

2011-05-19T20:55:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid I used to tease my father because he had the same sneakers for what seemed like forever. I used to tell him that it would be ok if he bought new stuff for himself once in awhile. I thought he was cheap and that he didn't spend money on sneakers or jeans because he wanted to save money. Then I grew up and started acting the same.

It's not a money thing. He makes good money and I make ok money. Maybe it's a comfort thing? Whatever the reason may be, I too hold on to clothing for much longer then I should. Right now I am wearing gym shorts I have had (and wear weekly) since I was in high school. I had a brown belt that I wore for 8 or 9 years that my brother Brian made me throw out. Last night Jill made me throw out all my undershirts, socks, and underwear because the whites are now gray and they freak her out. Some of those shirts I've had before we got married. So we went to Target and dropped some cash on some new whites.

I buy new t-shirts often. Problem is I don't really throw out any that I've outgrown, that have shrunk, or are just plain beat up. I almost have a clothing hoarding issue. I still wear the same silvertab jeans I bought when I was in high school, only difference is that the size 38 used to be really baggy (hey that was the style in 95-98) and now they fit snug. I have work shirts that I haven't used in years. And yes, I have sneakers that I can't remember when I wore last.

But like all my undergarments, I am getting rid of my clothes. We packed up 4 heaping bags full of gear and I am going to go drop it off at a charity (minus my undies). It feels nice to get rid of that stuff, but at the same time it's kind of sad. Quite a bit of that stuff I still wore. My Utah Jazz shorts were a staple of my lounging out ever since I lived with Mary, David, and Guy. That was 1998!

I'm afraid that if I didn't get rid of my old threads, Jill was going to call "What Not to Wear" on me. I can't help it, if it's comfortable, I'll wear it. I hate the feel of new clothes, especially jeans. My new clothes are ok for now, but knowing me, I'll probably be really attached to them by 2020., you know just in time for Jill to make me throw them out again :)

Rant about my daily drive

2011-04-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that Utah doesn't have the worst drivers out there (hello Denver), but I have to say that Salt Lake is full of some pretty dumb ones. Nobody here understands speed limits. Here is what I go through everyday.

On 700 e, from 3900 s to Van Winkle, the speed limit is 40, but everyone goes 20.

From Van Winkle to Ft Union the speed limit is 45, everybody goes between 35 & 40.

From Ft Union to 9000 s the speed limit is 40, everyone goes 30.

THEN when I get onto 1300 e from 9000 s there is MAJOR road construction with many men working on the street. The speed limit from 9000 s to 10600 s is 35 and everyone goes 50!!!!

WTF??? Love Utah...

Remember when....

2011-04-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Your handwriting was great because you actually used pens and paper, not computers to write

Going outside to play was the best, having to sit at home was lame

Learning a secret on your video game came from word of mouth on the playground, not the Internet

The NFL was fun because players were allowed to show some emotion

Hulk Hogan was a true American hero

16 bit graphics were unbelievable!

The mall was the place for social interaction

Arcades existed

You'd have to find a payphone to check in with your parents, you couldn't send texts

NBA players had short shorts, no tats, and played with passion

MC Hammer wasn't a punchline

These are just a few things I remember about my childhood that I kind of miss today...

Daycare, babysitting, and long weekends....

2011-04-17T11:05:00.001-07:00

I wish I were wealthy. Who doesn't? It's not like we're broke. Sure we have our bills and debts, but Jill and I make ok money. I just wish I made more. I wish I made enough money that Jill didn't have to work and could stay home with Lucy. It is so hard for Jill to go to work everyday and drop Lu off at her sitters. I wish I could give Jill the lifestyle she deserves, but it's just not possible. Most homes I know have to have two incomes to survive comfortably. And we are comfortable.

But as much as it hurts Jill to take Lucy to her sitter, it makes me sad to be apart from her too. Sure, the first couple of times I was home alone with Lu all day was a bit scary and overwhelming, but I'd rather be with her then not. I miss my baby so much when I am at work that it makes my ulcers burn. I just worry about my daughter. My caveman instincts to protect are in full affect and I stress myself out. I am fairly comfortable when Jill is off work and home with my baby girl, but nonetheless I am full of some sadness and fear.

Right now my awesomely great in-laws watch Lucy on Saturdays when Jill and I both work. They split the Saturdays between my house and theirs. The Saturdays when she stays with them are the hardest. Because they live an hour away from us, Jill has been going up Friday to drop off Lu. Since I work pretty much every weekend, Jill ends up staying the night up there. Then Saturday morning she drives back down to work in Draper. After work she drives right back up to the Roy area to her parents home. She spends the night again, because I work EVERY Sunday and she gets Sundays off. So I don't get to see my wife or baby from the time they leave Friday until Sunday night when I come home.

The situation works and it make complete sense. I usually work until 8 or 9pm so by the time I get home I don't have much time to see my girl anyways. Plus it gives Jill a chance to see her family, who she adores! It also gives Lucille a chance to bond with her grandparents. I know how important that is. Growing up, my grandparents were my world. I love them all so much and they hold a place in my heart as dear to me as my parents. I want Lucy to have that connection with them like I do with mine. But with that said, it still breaks my heart to be apart from her for so long. I actually left work early yesterday and had half a mind to baby snatch my own child :) I know it will get easier, and I know we are making the right choices for her care. But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. Perhaps one day I'll win the big one in Vegas or someone will run me over and I'll win millions in court. But until then I'll continue to work hard to provide my family the best life I can, and miss them in the process...

The choice

2011-04-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most people look back at certain events in their life and wonder if they had handled situations differently that they might have altered the outcome of their life. I can't help but sit back and wonder if my actions have caused my family more hurt than good. I wonder if I had made different choices that perhaps life would have been better? I can trace back everything I wish I could change back to one starting point. The night I left Bear Lake.

My Mother fought many demons in her life. She had medical issues that caused her constant pain. This lead to an addiction to pills. She medicated to take away her pain. She also started to drink heavily too. Mixing drugs and alcohol in a person that was already struggling with depression is a recipe for destruction. My Mother was destroying her life, along with lives of her four children that were watching it happen. She'd stay up late with her "friends" and do what she knew would dull her pain. I'm not mad at her now, but I was then. I was 15 and I resented her for giving into these evil indulgences. I'd have to wake the kids to get them off to school because she was unable to get out of bed. Often I'd ditch school, partly because I was the new kid in town and had no friends, and also because she didn't even notice. I wanted to be caught, but it didn't happen.

After a month or so of watching my Mother give up on herself, I too gave up on her. I decided I couldn't live like this anymore. I called my Aunt Charlotte and begged her to take me back to Salt Lake City to my Fathers. My Aunt Charlotte is my Mothers sister, and as much as she loves her, she knew that us kids were in a bad situation and that my Mom needed some help. She agreed to take me to my Fathers. I ran away. Charlotte took me to Salt Lake, and I never lived with my Mom again.

I felt so bad leaving my younger siblings behind. I am the oldest and I was taking care of them. Who would now? It was such a hard choice. When I arrived to my Fathers, my Aunt explained the situation to him. He took me in. I could write a very long blog on the details of how I stayed there and all the fights with courts, police, and obviously my parents, but I won't. What I will say is that my Dad spent every penny he had ever made to WIN custody of all his kids from my Mother. He won largely due to the testimony of myself and my Aunt. He almost didn't win, however. The Judge was very old school and he didn't care how bad the conditions were at home, he thought children should be raised by a Mom. I very much remember telling him off when he told me that and I was "excused" from his office.

So if the situation was so bad at my Mothers, why would I trace back all the bad in my life to that moment and want to change my choice? Everything that has caused me the most pain in my life has some connection with leaving my Mom to live with my Dad. First and foremost is that my Mother died less then five years later. She passed away at 38 years old. She died living in that same house in Idaho, by herself. My Aunt lived a few towns away from her and was with her all the time. My Mom had some friends along with some boyfriends too, but she was still alone. Her kids were her life and we left her. She even came to terms with us leaving and she understood that she wasn't taking care of us how she needed to. But she still felt alone. She'd call me often crying that she missed me. She wrote me letters often and she'd draw cartoons for me. She'd drive to Salt Lake every other week and stay in a crummy motel, just to visit. Every time she had to leave she'd cry. My Mother died of organ failure after falling into a coma. She went to the hospital because she had a headache. I'm still convinced that my Mom died of a broken heart from being without her kids.

The next tragedy that was caused or related to me leaving my Mothers had to due with meeting a new friend. When I moved in with my Dad, he bought a place in Lehi. Again I was the new kid in school so I was sent to the library with another new kid during some test we weren't ready for. His name was Grant. We started talking about basketball and our friendship begun. We even joined Jr. Jazz together. Grant very quickly became my best friend and a trusted ear during my transition between parents. Grant had some serious parent issues too and we just bonded. He started staying at my Dads house often. When we moved back to West Valley after the school year, Grant spent every weekend and most of the summer with me. When I graduated High School, we moved in together. We were always together. Always together until 2003. Grant, like my mother, struggled with depression. He had started drinking a bit too. I took him to Disneyland in the Spring of '03. He had never been on a plane before. We had a great time, so many laughs and memories. The very next day we were home, he took his own life. He got up early, cleaned his room, and took off to a shooting range. I still haven't recovered from this...

One more aspect of my life that I ruined by leaving my Mother is my Fathers life. He took on his 4 kids unexpectedly. He spent all his money to get us. He soon married Wendy and adopted her kids too. Wendy and my Dad love each other very much, but for some reason Wendy and us kids have had a hard time being on the same page. I used to fight with her when I lived with them. However, I only lived with them for less than two years before I moved out. I thought we had a great relationship after that, but I guess I was wrong. She's had problems with both of my brothers and sister over the years and I always tried to get both sides together. It finally seemed like it was happening and we all spent a Christmas together, I think it was '09, for the first time in years. Then Keven said something about Wendy to her son and she decided she was done trying to work things out with Keven. I tried to get in the middle again and I made things worse. Then for my Birthday, Jill invited Keven to my party that was at Wendy's home. Jill asked Wendy if it was ok, and she thought Wendy said yes. When she heard Keven was coming she packed up her kids and left. So here I am at my party, without my Step-Mom and Step-siblings. Afterwards, Wendy sent a fairly nasty email to Jill about Keven being invited into her home. Jill didn't mean to cause an issue and the way Wendy was talking to my wife made me see red. I wrote Wendy back a nasty email of my own. Since then we haven't been on good terms. When I didn't go over on Mothers day the next year she decided she was done with me, just like Keven. She wrote me a very nasty email making all sorts of accusations about my character. I haven't seen her, or her kids since. They to stopped talking to me too. Because of all this, I haven't really seen or talked to my Dad much. He hasn't even met my daughter, who is now 3 months. His relationship with his wife because of us kids has been shaky, and has come close to ending too.

So the way I see it, true or not, I feel like leaving my Mom has caused her death, the death of Grant, a ruined relationship with my Dad, and a spoiled marriage between him and his wife. I carry this weight on my shoulders everyday and wonder if I should have stayed back in Idaho. Perhaps I could have helped my Mother more? Maybe Grant would have meet other friends and skipped this choice he made? Maybe my Dad and I would still be friends? Maybe Wendy wouldn't hate us kids and her and my Father would be living a very happy life together? Who knows how different life would be? But these were my choices and I have to continue living with the results.

So tired...

2011-03-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

So tired of being sick.

So tired of owning a million video games and not liking any of them.

So tired of 50 hr work weeks.

So tired of not spending all my time with Jill and Lucille.

So tired of drama.

So tired of sports.

So tired of being tired.

So tired of hurting. Rest in Peace Grandma Pearson.

Spelling and Grammar

2011-03-25T23:55:00.001-07:00

I know that I am not the best speller. I know that my grammar leaves much to be desired. I write like we are having a conversation, not like you are reading an article. However should my spelling ever be missed by spellcheck, or I use the incorrect version of "then" or "than", or I use too many commas, or I use "quotes" incorrectly, you can just keep that to yourself. This isn't homework, nor do I care for perfection. This is just an outlet for my thoughts.

Rant over...

3/24/11

2011-03-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

I had a great time in Virginia. Seeing Brian is always great, plus meeting Isaac and Krystal was sweet. Krystal is a good fit for Brian and her family is really nice! Really need to go back soon and visit them all. Plus, we need more then one day to spend in D.C. That place is awesome!

Haven't really done much since I've been home. Just tons of working and dealing with a sick Lucille. Poor little lady caught her very first cold. She's doing ok. She's still smiling and talking to me, but her little cough and red eyes breaks my heart. I hope it goes away fast.

We also bought Lucille a rocking swing. It has a mirror on the mobile and she just loves it. Best baby investment yet. It's safe to say she maybe a tad spoiled.

In sad news Jill and I are looking at giving our cats away. We love our kitties. Jill especially loves her Ruben! But they just get all over Lucy's stuff and get hair, litter, and all sorts of gross cat stuff everywhere. We think Lucy has allergies too, which isn't helping with her cold, so to make our baby more comfortable we are prepared to give our cats to a new loving home. But we're going to be picky on who we choose, if we do at all.

The wasted talent of Jeff Hardy

2011-03-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

I just returned from vacation, so I have plenty to type about my trip. However, since this is a blog about my ranting, I feel the need to write about this topic. For those who don't care about wrestling or anything I write that isn't baby related, I suggest you skip this one...

I'm jumping into this story under the impression you know who Jeff Hardy is. If you don't, you can click HERE for his bio. In any event he is a pro wrestler who is best known for his time in the WWE, but now wrestles for TNA.

Jeff Hardy is sick. He's been battling a drug addiction for years. It got him fired from the WWE in 2003 due to his refusal to enter a rehab program. After working for a couple years in the Indy scene and in TNA, Jeff made his return to WWE tv in 2006. Hardy appeared to have cleaned up his act and was quickly given the role of a top talent.

Hardy returned and very quickly won the WWE's Intercontinental title from Umaga. He then suddenly dropped the title to Chris Jericho. Turns out Hardy already failed a drug test and was suspended for 60 days and had his spot at WrestleMania pulled. After returning from suspension the crowd was behind Jeff Hardy. He would get some of the loudest ovations every night. The WWE saw $$$. Jeff had always been a midcard guy, but was never a main event player in his first run with the company. Then the WWE decided to give him the "push" and made him a WWE Champion 3 times.

Jeff is a rare performer in today's wrestling shows as he is loved by children, women, and male fans. He has never been a good talker, but his in ring skill, look, and death defying moves made him a top face. As Champion he faced the WWE's top guys. But trouble seemed to follow Hardy as did nagging injuries. He was even placed in a story line with CM Punk, who despite all the fakeness of pro wrestling, is a real life Straight Edge member.

The story lines blurred the line between reality and fiction of Hardy's life. Punk mocked Hardy for his choices in life. He brought up the suspensions, his release in 2003, the drug use and called him a bad role model. He said all the parents that allowed their children to wear Hardy t-shirts were poor parents. The battled resulted in a loser gets fired match. Punk won and the WWE let Hardy go, again.

Right after his release Hardy was soon arrested for drug trafficking. This however, did not stop TNA from picking up Jeff Hardy as a performer. They've made him a Champion and have turned him heel since the fans had been souring on him and his routine. Hardy has been dealing with these drug charges and is still going to court over them. He has been putting up videos on his website drugged out of his mind, along with his brother Matt, that has the people around him concerned about his well being. But like the poorly run company TNA is, they've done nothing to intervene. That is, until Victory Road 2011 happened.

Hardy was booked to wrestle Sting in the shows main event. Problem was Hardy was drugged out of his mind. When they finally found him in the bathroom, blacked out on the floor, they rushed him out to perform. He staggered on his way to the ring and you could tell something was wrong. TNA sent out Eric Bischoff to check Hardy's condition in the ring. Bischoff paraded around the ring to give Hardy more time to come around, but he was too far gone. Hardy teased throwing his shirt in the crowd for a long time, trying to give himself time to come around.

Wrestling is fake, we all know that. It's more like a dance, were it needs two performers to pull it off. There was no way a match was going to happen. So after a long introduction they started the match. After one kick, and two punches Sting did his finishing move and then he put all of his weight on Hardy's shoulder to pin him in seconds. You can see a visibly confused Hardy upset that they ended the match like that. It made his character look weak. But you can't blame Sting. Hardy, in his condition, could have hurt Sting being as impaired as he was. If you watch the video of the match you can see a pissed off Sting saying "I agree" as the fans chanted "BULLSHIT". Watch the video and tell me what you think.

Hardy has since been suspended from TNA. He maybe going to prison for his drug charges. It's a sad sight to see a man who is giving away everything because of drugs. Here is hoping that one day Jeff can kick this habit before he dies young like so many other wrestlers have.

Here is an article by former WCW announcer Mark Madden. It sums up how I feel about this situation.

Almost off to DC

2011-03-13T03:37:00.001-07:00

Today we are making the drive from Virginia Beach to Washington DC. It's about a 3 1/2 - 4 hour car ride. I've never been to DC, nor has anyone else in our party, so we're all excited. I think I may just be excited a little more. I woke up today at 5:30am, which thanks to daylight savings starting today and being on eastern time, is more like 2:30am to me. But nevertheless, I feel great. Everyone else, not so much. Let's hope for any easy car ride that the rest can sleep on. As for me, I'm as excited as a fat kid in a cookie shop! MMmmmm.....cookies......

Planes, No Trains, and an Automobile

2011-03-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

Here I sit in Virginia Beach at my brother's home. Jill is feeding Lucy on the couch, and Brian is teaching Isaac how to play baseball. It's been a fun day hanging out with my brother. But today's blog is about how I got to this moment, so let me start the story at 2pm mountain time yesterday, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Brian Armstrong and Rachel Creed were very nice and took Jill an I to the airport. Well, actually I drove, but they came with to take my car back home. They are also watching my pets while I am out. I owe them. They get stuck with my smelly pets often. Anyhow, they dropped us off at the airport and our travel day had just started.

I wasn't nervous about the idea of traveling with a two month old. That is, until I walked into the airport. Then it all hit me. Will she behave? Will people get pissy if she is crying? Will she get sick? Will her ears hurt? My head was spinning. But checking in was fairly easy and we got to go through a family line through security and bypassed about 200 people. Waiting for the plane was easy too. Lucy just hung out while Jill and I ate some lunch.

We flew Southwest and if you've flown with them before, you know that its open seating. The thought of getting on the plane and not having a seat next to Jill and my baby got me worried too. But luckily they have family boarding halfway through the boarding process, so we got on easily.

Jill had Lucy drinking from her bottle or using her binky during takeoff and landings to make sure Lucy's ears would pop. In doing so Lu didn't make a sound on either take off or landing (we had a quick layover in Chicago). She did however look very frightened at takeoff, her eyes were opened as wide as possible. But on both flights Lucy didn't act up, at all. Not once. She was so calm. Many passengers and flight attendants mentioned how cute and well behaved she is. I was a proud poppa!

When we arrived to the common area of the airport Uncle Brian was waiting. He saw us walking towards him and he was beaming. He looked at Lucy and said "you know what's wrong with this picture? I'm not holding her". He grabbed Lucy and his smile was a mile wide.

By this time it was midnight, eastern time. Jill and I were tired, especially Jill since she held the baby 90% of the day. We had Brian stop at Wendy's, since Jill and I hadn't eaten since that sandwich at 2pm back in Salt Lake. We ate our grub and visited with Brian until about 2am. When we tried to put Lucy to bed she had her first breakdown. She freaked out and screamed the loudest I have heard her. For about 3 minutes. Then she was out cold. Poor baby was worn out.

And here we are today. Just hanging out. We've played some fast pitch baseball and did some shopping on the Naval base. Today has been calm and relaxing. Little Lucy has been so happy. Life couldn't get any better! I am so glad to be out here in Virginia with Lucy and Jillian. I've finally met Crystal, Brian's fiance, and her son, Isaac. This is pretty sweet indeed. We have whole lot of plans of doing nothing, that is until we go to D.C. Sunday morning! But for now, I'm just enjoying my family.

Should I grow it back?

2011-03-06T08:16:00.000-08:00

Check out these photos from a blog I wrote in 2009. Should I grow the mullet again (it's not a true mullet), or keep it short?

http://rantsofafatkid.blogspot.com/2009/02/as-mullet-grows.html

Happiness is...

2011-03-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

...waking up in the morning to your little girl smiling at you.

3/4/11 Daily Update

2011-03-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

I made it the entire month of February without any fast food. My goal was for one month only and I did it. To celebrate doing somethings so healthy for myself, I naturally decided to do something unhealthy. I ate fast food. Jill and I went out to dinner at Five Guys. If you've never had Five Guys, I suggest you try it. Probably the best burger out there. The plan was for a one night celebration and then back to a healthier diet. I'm not going to keep a timetable on when I'll eat fast food again, it just won't be too frequent. Gotta keep things in moderation.

My dear baby Lucille is now two months old. She is such a good baby, even though I tease her and Jill that she's a little booger. I only tease that because when you try to feed her she covers her face with her hands and blocks the bottle. She then cries because she's starving, but fights you and the bottle. It's actually quite funny.

Bad part about being two months old is the immunizations. As a 30 year old man, I fear needles. I can't imagine what an innocent little baby must think as she is staring lovingly into her mothers eyes, only to have a huge needle stabbed (3 times) into her cute, chunky thighs. Jill said other then the tears (both of them) that it went well. Baby is at a healthy weight and length. Only thing she needs to work on is her neck muscles on one side. She always turns her head one direction, so on side is stronger than the other. Other then that, our baby is perfect!

I went to the Utah Jazz VS Denver Nuggets game last night. My friend Andrew took me on a man date. Actually, Andrews brother, Brandon, took us. He has access to a suite and we watched the game from there. It was actually a very close game, and the Jazz lost on some shenanigans on the last play of the night. Worst part was of it was that Brandon and Andrew are Denver fans and I had to watch them enjoy the win!

Only a few more days until we head off for Virginia for our little vacation. Uncle Brian is very excited to meet his niece. I'm very excited to get away from Smith's and to have sometime away. Maybe I'll bump into Obama and I can tell him to keep his head up. What he's doing now, or not doing now, is still better then what George W. was up to...

Family Matters

2011-03-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

My baby is almost 2 months old. Pretty crazy how much time flies. In a week I'll be going to Virginia so baby Lu can meet her Uncle Brian in person. Family is such an important part of growing up, I want her to feel as much love as possible from all her relatives.

Growing up my Mom and her parents were my world. They made my childhood one that was full of love, happiness, and great memories. It hurts so bad that she'll never know any of them as they all have passed on. I want her to grow up and feel the love that I did and I know she will with Jill's family, but I worry about her relationship with mine.

Now she does get lots of love from my brothers and sister, along with her great aunts and uncles. My Grandpa John and Grandma Kathy made the trip out to the hospital to see her right after she was born. But she has never met my father, his wife, or her kids. My dad did come visit Jill and I right after Lucy was born at the hospital, but he was sick and couldn't meet Lucy. Since then he has had some surgeries and whatnot, but he still hasn't met her. His wife and her kids have made no attempt. They have decided to not have anything to do with me or my family because they THINK I hate her.

I lived with my dad and his wife for 2 years. That is all. I moved out before I was 18. We bumped heads quite a bit when I lived with them, but we actually had a pretty great relationship after I moved out, or so I thought. She's made it pretty clear that she's always had a problem with me and she thinks I'm a bad person. I could go in to some detail on our conflicts and why this is so absurd, but I won't. I don't want to throw her or my family under the bus, I still have hope to fix things.

I just can't understand why they would choose not to have anything to do with Lucy. She is such a wonderful little person, and I really want her to have them in her life. She will need her grandparents and I don't want her to grow up without them. I just hope time will heal all wounds, real or made up. I hope that one day they will understand that I love all of them, and I truly believe that family is the most important part of life.

To all of those out there that do show us love, I am so thankful for you. My Aunt Charlotte has been great to us and has taken on a grandparent role since my mother is gone. My Aunt Ruth has been so loving and I'm glad we've reconnected through facebook, of all things. I have nothing but great things to say about my Uncle Jeff, Aunt Jennifer, and my dear Aunt Suzie. They have shown me so much love over the past few years that I didn't know Mabey's were capable off. I love all of you dearly. Brian, Keven, and Sarah... I couldn't ask for better siblings. Thank you for everything!

Blogger Stats Part 2

2011-02-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

I wasn't going to write anything tonight, but after checking my blogger stats I just couldn't help it. For some reason my page had a huge spike in traffic in the past couple days. Turns out for the week of Feb 21 -28, I have had 67 page views from South Korea. Wonder what I am writing that has people over there reading my blog? Perhaps it has to do with the NBA or Xbox? Maybe they just think fat Americans are interesting? In any event I appreciate the views!

2/25/11 Daily Update

2011-02-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

This is me as I write this. Listening to the Beatles, in a Beatles T-shirt.

Almost one month down on my "no fast food" kick. We did order a pizza tonight, so you can say I cheated all you want, but I don't count it as such. I have lost 9 lbs this month with some exercise, but it's mostly been by my food choices. At work I'm not eating more than 400 calories so no matter what we cook for dinner my caloric intake is below 2,000.

I haven't been to the gym in almost a week. I was playing basketball with a group of guys and messed up my fingers in a fluke accident. Someone fouled me and hit my arm as I was catching a pass. It ran my fingers directly into the basketball. It felt like I broke them. Instead of yelling or hitting the dumb kid who ran into me, I punted the ball into the rafters. The next day my fingers were swollen at least twice their normal size. My right pointer finger was completely purple. I still cant bend it completely and it throbs.

The Jazz got their first win under Tyrone Corbin tonight. It was also the debut of Devin Harris and Derrick Favors. Both guys came off the bench and helped the Jazz win a hard played game in Indiana. Ex-Butler player Gordan Hayward made his return to Indiana tonight too. He was also born and raised in the area. He threw down a monster dunk on an Indiana player and the crowd went nuts for him. Very cool moment. In related news, the New Jersey Nets lost in Deron Williams first game with the team. He also hurt his wrist early on. You know what they say about Karma????

I've been playing the video game Prototype for the Xbox. It's been pretty fun. The game is a "sandbox" style game (think Grand Theft Auto) and you have the whole island of Manhattan to run around. You play as Alex Mercer, a young man who is trying to figure out why a plague known as "Blacklight" has been unleashed on New York. Alex has been infected with Blacklight and has superhuman abilities like super strength, shape-shifting, and the ability to run up buildings. Anyone who likes open word games or likes the idea of being able to run all over New York, then run up the Chrysler building just to dive off onto a helicopter, will have a blast with this game.

Being a father is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Lucille is getting smarter each day and her personality continues to develop. She keeps smiling and sticking her tongue out at Jill and I. It's so adorable. Being a husband to Jill is amazing too. She is such a wonderful person, I am truly honored that she chose to live life with me. Life is pretty freaking swell indeed.

Bye Bye D-Will

2011-02-24T17:54:00.001-08:00

If you read my blog about the sudden retirement of Jerry Sloan you'd know that like many of the media outlets, I placed most, if not all of the blame on the shoulders of Deron Williams. I was very angry with what had been reported by the media. Plus, I have made my own observations of Williams and his leadership. The way he handles himself with coaching and teammates has rubbed me the wrong way. I stated that I couldn't cheer for the Jazz as long as he was on the team. I felt very comfortable with the idea of him leaving in free agency. He's made snide comments about being here and when you add that with the way modern players ditch their teams for greener pastures (Lebron, Melo, etc...) I just felt in my heart that his time in Utah would end soon. I just didn't realize how soon.

Deron Williams played in 3 more regular season games and one more NBA All-Star game as a member of the Jazz. In a very bold move, the Jazz sent Williams to the New Jersey Nets. The Jazz received a package of Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, a 2011 draft pick, a 2012 draft pick, and $3 million. Shipping away a franchise player is always a scary idea, but the package the Jazz received is more than fair. Harris is a former NBA All-Star and is only a year older then Williams. Favors is the youngest player in the NBA at 19. He was the 3rd overall pick in the 2010 draft and has HUGE potential. The Nets stink and the 2011 draft pick will be a top ten pick, if not top five. The move also saves the Jazz money, which is very helpful when you're a small market team.

As much as I was mad at Deron and I made threats of not cheering for him again, it still kind of hurts. I liken it to a bad break up. You've all been in love with someone who broke your heart. Deron broke my heart, in sporting terms of course. I loved his play, cheered for him like crazy, and then he pissed me off and my love turned to hate. Now, he's gone. No chance of making up. From here on out he will always be an enemy. My favorite player has become my most hated. Seeing him holding up his Nets jersey felt like a punch to the gut. But something deep inside of me still wants to love him.

In the end all Deron wanted was to win basketball games. He'll have a hard time doing so surrounded by those scrubs in Dirty Jersey. But that's ok for him. He's a free agent after next season and he'll leave. Just like he was going to do in Utah. He'll end up in New York or Los Angeles. Wherever he chooses. Then we'll see what he brings to the table. In the meantime, the Jazz will be ok. They brought in some decent players and hopefully the two draft picks will yield the next Deron Williams, Lebron James, or Chris Bosh. And if it does, Utah will only be renting them for a few years before they too leave the City of Salt, for some big city lights. Makes you miss and respect Stockton and Malone, even more.

Big Mac Attack

2011-02-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

It's now been 22 days since I have eaten fast food. I'm on the fast track to hitting my one month goal. I'm sure I'll go longer then a month without fast food, but not by much. I leave for Virginia on the 9th and I'll have to eat at the airport at some point.

But as I was coming into work today, I saw a coworker eating a Big Mac and my stomach growled. It smelled so good in it's processed glory and yes, at that moment of time I craved one. But I'm pushing on, Big Mac free, for now.

I've been counted calories a little more and I gotta say it's pretty lame that my Risotto lunch only had 220 calories in it and the RC Cola I "treated" myself to later that night had 160! Lame indeed!

2/18/11

2011-02-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

Only 10 more days in the month of February. I haven't had any fast food at all during this time, and it's been just fine by me. I lost 7 pounds right off the bat, but my weight has plateaued. It's time to ramp up the exercise and diet better.

Being a father is amazing. Lucy is growing so fast and is getting smarter by the day. We have a little game we play where I get right in her face and talk or make a random sound. Right after I do, she makes the sound right back. Sometimes when I say "hello" the sound she makes sounds just like the word. It's so freaking cute. I did this over skype with my brother Brian watching and it brought him to tears. Tender stuff indeed.

Speaking of Brian, my family and I will soon be going out there to see him. We leave in March. We'll be spending some time at his place in Virginia Beach, and then a couple days in D.C. I've never been to D.C. before, and I am excited to be the tourist I am. I am also looking forward to how well Jill and I do with a baby in the airport, on a plane, and 3,000 miles away from home. Wish us luck, or send us any tips you'd like to share!

Valentines Post

2011-02-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

I wrote the following on my facebook today due to all the people who were being so negative about the holiday. After I posted it I had friends asking if they could re-post it, and then their friends were commenting and re-posting, so I thought I'd throw it up here in case you want to read it too. It's nothing mind blowing or anything, but I guess it struck a nerve with a few people.

"it's true, you shouldn't need a holiday to tell your loved ones you love them. But you don't need Christmas to love Jesus, the 4th of July to feel patriotic, Thanksgiving to be thankful, etc... But none of you are bitching about opening presents, doing fireworks, or having turkey dinner. So stop crying over Valentines day! Love your loved ones today!"

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T18:17:00.000-08:00

I bought you a card. I bought you some jewels. As cool as those things are, they aren't your "real" gift. This is. From the heart.

Jillian,

Thank you for being you. Not a day passes that I don't think about how lucky I am to have found you. We weren't suppose to be together, I dated your friend in high school and you dated (kind of) my friend. But our paths have crossed in weird ways. We've live in the same neighborhoods in Sandy and in the Roy area. Our families both have roots in the same Idaho area. We didn't see much of each other after high school, but we bumped into each other a few times. Maybe fate was trying to put us together? Then tragedy struck and we lost a good friend.

This pain united us and a love grew. They say you need shit for a flower to grow, and something really bad brought us something very great. There is no doubt in my mind that we were meant for each other and you crossed paths with me one more time when I really needed it.

The love I have for you is like nothing I've known. It's beyond physical, mental, and emotional. You are a part of me and I can't imagine life without you. I am so happy to share this next phase of my life with you, as parents. Now I could ramble about your looks, your humor, your smarts, the cute way you do the things you do, but I would just keep typing forever. So I'll sum it up the best way I can... Jillian, I love you more!

Hope you have a great Valentines Day!

No fast food, this month

2011-02-12T17:22:00.000-08:00

As I previously posted, Jill and I are staying away from fast food for the month of February. Now that doesn't mean we won't be going out for dinner at all on our dates. We just won't be grabbing any food product from any fast food joints. We have had dinner at Cheesecake Factory and Famous Daves, I know, not really diet food there. But we have kept the portions low and have made better choices. Heck, I've even taken leftovers home instead of finishing off my plate!

By staying away from all fast food and being aware of what I have been eating, I have lost almost seven pounds without really dieting. It's a pretty good feeling. Plus it's been two weeks since I've had anything from one of those places and I really don't miss it. The dinners Jill and I have made at home have been much better. Jill makes an amazing ham fried rice dish and awesome pulled pork! She's planning on making her vegetable lasagna on our next meatless day.

Now I just need to get my energy levels up so I am more active after work. I get so tired after working ten hour days that I really don't feel up to running around and lifting weights. Plus, being home with Lucy is valuable time, so it's hard to leave her to drive back to the gym. Hey, I'll get better at it all. Baby steps....

Feeling the blues, thanks to the Jazz

2011-02-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

I got a text this morning from a friend. It said that Jerry Sloan had quit the Jazz. I didn't believe it, but I still ran to a computer. I fired up yahoo and typed "jerry sloan quit". Multiple articles popped up. They all spoke of a press conference that was going to happen at 3pm where Jerry would address the media. It didn't seem real.

Jerry Sloan started with the Jazz back in 1984 as a scout. He was later promoted to an assistant coach by Frank Layden thanks to some encouragement from Phil Johnson. I very much remember going to Jazz games with my father in the 80's and seeing Frank Layden on the sideline running the show. He was a very round man with huge black rimmed glasses. He was a larger than life character and he brought some national attention to the Jazz. He even won the NBA coach of the year honor, something that Sloan never achieved. But during the 1988-89 season Layden decided to step away from the court and took team president. His first job was promoting Jerry Sloan.

Now I could type endlessly about everything Jerry has done for the Jazz, but if you are a product of the state, or an NBA fan in general, you already know. But I'll hit on a few notes. Jerry was the longest tenured coach in any of the four major sports in America. He won 1,221 games making him the 3rd in all time wins. He lead the Jazz to two NBA Finals. He is the only coach to win 1,000 games with one team.

But those are just numbers. If you know Jerry, he's not a numbers guy. He is an oldschool hard nosed coach. He demanded a lot from his players, and usually he got it. He took a couple of kids NBA scouts thought very little of and turned them into Hall of Famers. You might be familiar with John Stockton and Karl Malone, right? After those two left he took a team led by NBA castoffs like Carlos Arroyo, Tom Gugliotta, and Michael Ruffin, and finished with a winning record. He made players stars and when they left him they were exposed as nothings (see Shandon Anderson). He was loved and admired by his peers and was respected around the world.

But the game has changed. Today's players call the shots, not the coaches. Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Chris Paul, and more, have gotten their coaches fired with their "my way or the highway" stance. They are the stars, the ones who sell tickets and jerseys. If they don't like the coach, they can complain to upper management and *poof* bye bye coach. This has happened everywhere in all the major sports. Everywhere but Salt Lake. Until today.

Yahoo sports, ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and many more are attributing to Jerry stepping down directly to the Utah Jazz primadonna himself, Deron Williams. Sloan and Williams have butted heads ever since the Jazz drafted Williams. But unlike other players Sloan has had beef with (Ostertag, Giricek, etc...), Williams has called the shots. He's made jabs in the papers that if things aren't changed that he'll leave. He likes to run the offense himself, but Sloan has always called the plays. Even when John Stockton was here. Turns out the straw that broke the camels back was Deron blowing off a play Sloan called last night against the Bulls. Jerry got after him at halftime and the two had it out. Jerry decided after that, it was time to go home.

It breaks my heart. He was the last piece of my childhood that I could hold onto. All my favorite althetes are gone. MC Hammer isn't cool anymore. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles don't do it for this 30 year old. But Jerry, he was still there. Like a family member. I feel sad. I believe the franchise did him wrong by letting things get to this point. He is a Hall of Fame coach and he deserves better.

As for the new look Jazz, I just cant support them now. Not as long as Williams is there. I'll always love my Jazz. The teams lead by Malone, Stockton, Eaton, Bailey, an so on. But as long as Williams suits up for this team, I will not cheer for them. Jerry Sloan is Utah, not D-Will. This is just a stop for him. He'll leave in free agency, just like all stars do now. He's not Utah.

Thank you very much coach for all you did for this state. You made a positive impact on many people, including us fans. You will be missed by all, including the new Shandon Anderson, Mr. Deron Williams...

References:http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-sloanretiring021011

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6109031

Blogger Stats

2011-02-09T22:54:00.000-08:00

I was messing around with my blog today. I was looking for a new backdrop. In doing so I ran across some pretty cool stats. Turns out blogger tracks users who read your blog. You don't get any personal information about these people like names or addresses. What you do get is info on what country they are from, how many times your blog is looked at, when the heaviest traffic is, what type of web browser was used, and what operating system was used. This is so cool.

Today my blog was read by 29 different people. Not huge or anything. But one of those readers was from Russia, and another was from South Korea! But when you dig deeper my blog has been read over 400 times this past month with readers from not only South Korea and Russia, but also the United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, and Latvia. Isn't Doom from Latvia? When looking at the all time stats of my blog, i found out it has been read by people from France to Iraq. I find this so awesome!

Growing up I had no idea what the kids in the next school were up to, but now with the Internet some (awesome) guy in Iraq knows how I feel about Lucy, Nintendo, and my dog. Instant information. It's also cool to see that 49% of my readers use Windows and 45% use Mac. The majority of readers use Internet Explorer or Firefox, but some use OneRiot or Jakarta Commons (whatever they are).

I always thought that outside of a couple of friends, nobody cared or knew about this little blog. The stats prove otherwise. It kind of makes me want to step up my game and write better posts. I guess I'll get back to my hotel reviews or video game rankings, whatever it is that brought these readers my way. If any of you foreign readers like something I write, drop a line sometime. I'd like to know what it is that brought you to this fat kids postings!

Theaters VS Netflix

2011-02-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

My wife has a movie addiction. If it were up to her we'd be at a movie theater every single night. Salty, buttery popcorn in hand and a large soda in the other. During our dating years and the first few years of our marriage we'd hit the theater weekly. Sometimes we went multiple times a week. But then Jill got pregnant.

It just became too uncomfortable for Jill to sit in the theater when she started to get bigger. We haven't been to a movie since November 19th to see the new Harry Potter flick. She wasn't comfortable sitting through that movie, but it would take much more then a prego belly and swollen feet to keep her from Hogwarts.

Outside of the Potter movie it seems like it had been awhile since we went to a show. I went to a few late night flicks with Andrew or Brian, but that was only because my ability to kill Nazi's on Call of Duty stinks and I needed to get out of the house.

Even though we haven't been to the theater in a long time (sorry True Grit) we've seen quite a few movies. This is due to our Netflix membership and the Redbox located in my store. I think Jill has seen more movies in the past month at home with Lucy then at any other time in her life. Netflix is so nice because we can order the disc of any new release and we'll have it in days. The other great thing about it is the ability to streamline shows over our Mac, Macbook, iPad, Xbox, PS3, and Nintendo Wii. It's loaded with great movies and tv shows. It was very useful for me late at night at the hospital. Bill F'n Murray in Groundhog Day kept me sane.

We turn on the Netflix almost daily, but now that Lucy is getting bigger, we are itching to go to a movie. We tried to go a few weeks ago, but Jill couldn't leave Lucy with her parents for very long. She needed her baby. But just today she told me that she was ready to try again. I'm down. Hopefully there is something good showing. If not, I know there is back home on my Netflix.

2/8/11

2011-02-08T20:08:00.001-08:00

It's been over a week since I last ate fast food. I haven't really watched portions or even worked out much, but just by eating at home I have lost 5lbs. It's crazy to think that just by cooking myself instead of Ronald McDonald doing it, I can lose some weight. I need to just do better at portion control and working out and I'll be heading in the right direction.

If you read about my goals you'd know about my plan for Meatless Mondays. Well I failed at my second attempt at it. I went to work and when it was time for lunch I made a roast beef sandwich! Oops! I called Jill and explained my folly, and we ended up with a Meatless Tuesday. It's hard breaking old habits and meat is everywhere. Hats off to my vegan friends!

Baby Lucy is growing so fast and changes daily. She is so beautiful and she makes me smile constantly. She is smiling more and is getting more animated. I adore her.

Well, just wanted to check in real quick, I'm off to the gym. If I don't step away from my computer now, I may never leave.

2010 Goals Version 1

2011-02-01T18:42:00.000-08:00

So I have a few goals I am aiming for and I want to "put them in writing" so I can see them. Also, having some people know my goals will also help keep me motivated, so I am putting them out here on the interwebathingymabob. I'm not afraid of who I am nor am I ashamed, I just want to better myself for my future, and my daughter's (isn't she cute) future. So he we go.

1. I would like to lose 30 lbs. I am currently at my largest weight ever of 256 lbs. That number is shocking to me because I never thought I could get that high. Karl Malone weighs 256 lbs and he's 6 foot 9 inches and looks like a body builder. How can my 5'11" handle that? Yikes!

2. I want to play basketball more. It was my life before Grant passed. It brought me more pleasure than Xbox has and I'd like to spend more time with the former and less with the latter.

3. I want to help Jill clean and cook more. She doesn't really ever ask, but I know she'd like some help now and then.

4. Meatless Mondays. I want to go one day of the week where my diet has no meat intake. Oprah and Paul McCartney asked me to, so I was like "okay".

5. No fast food for the month of February. I will detail this challenge in future blogs.

So there we goal. My goals for the next little while. They shouldn't be too hard, but I'm sure I'll need a push here or there. I'll keep everyone posted on my progress!

Oprah, vegans, and double cheeseburgers, oh my!

2011-02-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

I watched a bit of Oprah today with my wife. I've maybe seen a total of 30 minutes of her show in my life. Today her topic sparked my interest. It was about the American diet. It talked about vegan choices, the over consumption of fast food, and how animals are killed for our food. It made me think about the choices I make. I eat fast food multiple times a week. It's cheap, mostly tastes good, but most importantly it is addictive. So Jill and I are going to give up fast food for one months straight. We didn't eat fast food yesterday, so today is really day two. Let's see if I can break the addiction. Pair this with the fact I just got my gym membership yesterday and I am going tonight, and hey, I just might start to make some progress.

I am a Fat Kid

2011-01-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm not really a kid. I turned the big 3-0 in July. But, I very much act like a kid at heart so it works for me. The fat part? Well that is spot on. I'm fat. Hell, my Nintendo Wii told me I was obese. Asshole Wii. It's always been the most smug videogame system. "We don't need flashy graphics, we're Nintendo, just play with our cool Wiimote". Nintendo 1, Matt 0. No matter how crude my Wii wants to be, it has a point, I am obese.

The problem with it is I haven't really cared much about it. Do I like being fat? Nope. But I don't remember being happy about being skinny either. It's never mattered much. I am so confident in myself and I have a personality that no body size can contain anyhow. I have dieted a few times, but not necessarily because of my size. I've done it just to make sure I am healthier and to keep from putting too many toxins in my system. But like most people, after awhile I just kind of slip away from the diet.

My weight fluctuates, alot. I'll have 20 lbs swings in one year. That does kind of scare me. I know it's not good for your body to have that kind of stress on it. Pick up a 20 lb bag of dog food, it's no joke. I'm not one of those people who blames it all on genetics, but I wasn't blessed in that department. My mom was adopted and I met her biological parents and they weren't small people. My mothers weight jumped up and down her whole life too. My father has had so many belt sizes in his life, it is hard to keep track. My dad is not fat by any means. He actually does a damn good job in watching what he eats and he works out too. But if he ate garbage and didn't work out, he has the frame to pack it on.

I have a large frame. My shoulders are wide. Wider then any of my other friends. Many friends and family tell me I am built like a football player. Yeah, a football player that hasn't seen a gym in 8 years. Speaking of 8 years ago, that's when I kind of gave up. I used to play rec basketball multiple times a week. Very hard nosed competitive ball. I was still kind of puffy then, but no where close to where I am now. But my basketball partner/roommate/best friend committed suicide in 2003. When he died, so did my love for the game. I just stopped playing. I was really good at it too. But that's another story for another time.

So if I'm ok with being a fat kid, what is the point of this blog? Well, I was far from skinny when Jill and I got together, but I have grown quite I bit since then. I feel bad for her that she's with the Incredible Bulk. Plus, she put on weight over the years that she's spent with me and I know it's bothered her. Some friends and family are nice enough to point it out to her too. Jill wants to do better and she has goals set to get back to a certain size. She's doing very well too. She's actually under her pre-pregnancy weight right now!

I also don't want to embarrass Lucy. Kids are mean. I don't want her teased because her dad is a fatty fat fatterson. It's not her fault I am the way I am. Plus child obesity is a huge problem today and I don't want to be a hypocrite and manage her weight while letting mine do the roller coaster routine. I just want to be a good dad and husband to my family. I don't want to be a little guy at all, nor do I want to be a muscle dude like my brothers. I just need to find that middle ground. I need to do this for my girls, and for me. I just have to figure out how, and when. Plus it has to be on my terms. Who knows when I'll start, or if I start even. All I know is that I want to be the best version of Matt I can be.

Work and love

2011-01-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

Lucille Joy Mabey has now been home for 18 days. I've been off work for 6 of them. That means I have been at work two thirds of the time my baby girl has been home. I am, in my own little way, growing a bit jealous that my wife gets to watch Lucy's evolution so closely while I'm stuck at work. Everyday it seems my little "pumpkin seed" is awake a little longer, smiles a little more, and her personality gets a little deeper. And I miss out. Now I'm not upset that Jill gets to experience it over me, I'm just jealous that I'm not there to share in it all. But I want to provide for my sweet girl, so off to work I go, yet I leave my heart at home.

The longest day Part 3

2011-01-24T19:01:00.000-08:00

When I walked into recovery my heart was pounding. I didn't know what to expect. I've heard horror stories about C-sections and how difficult they can be. But I also knew that I, along with Brian, Keven, and Sarah, were all C-section babies and our mother survived each one. I peeked around the curtain and asked if I could come in. Jill was in bed, eyes closed. She had a nurse with her and the anaesthesiologist. I said "hello" to Jill and she opened her eyes and said "hi" to me. She was shaking quite violently and I was nervous. The nurse told me it was normal, but I was worried. I sat by while they both worked on her, making sure she was stapled (ew) right and that she wasn't feeling too ill. By this point Jill was so tired from this long day that she struggled to keep her eyes open. I sat by her and did my best to just show some support for her. It's almost a blur to me now, and I'm sure it's all a blur to her, so I don't remember if we talked much. I did run back out after a few minutes to tell everyone that she was doing ok. When I came back in they brought Lucille in too.

It was now time for Jill to try breast feeding. Jill was half awake, torn in two, but she sure did a damn good job of feeding our baby. Lucy, being the stubborn one she was, didn't take right away. The had to do some tricks with shields and formula, and I'll spare the details of the process. In any event, they got Lucy fed. Ken wanted to see Jill so I left for a bit so they could visit. Recovery only likes one person in at a time, and he deserved some time with his daughter.

After awhile they took Jill into our room. They set up her bed and brought in different monitors to check her vitals. We were both so tired we kept falling asleep in between visits from nurses. Jill's oxygen was low and the needed to hook her up to an oxygen machine. Problem was the one in this room was broken. They did wheel in a portable device to watch her oxygen levels, but anytime it had a low reading it would beep. Sure enough, anytime Jill fell asleep the machine would beep because her breathing would slow down and it would wake us both. Between 5am and 8am when they brought Lucille to us, we may have slept for 30 minutes total. Very rough night indeed.

But when they brought Lucy to us, we both got our 2nd winds (maybe it was our 5th wind by now). The nurse was bathing Lucy in the sink and she taught me what to do. Again, I couldn't believe how "rough" they were with Lucy. I know that they are professionals, but it's my baby and you need to treat her like she's made of glass damn it! Anyhow, the nurse got our clean baby into her first shirt ever, and she barfed all over it. The nurse laughed, passed her off to daddy and said you get to put on the next shirt. She also told us that because of Jill's oxygen levels we needed to pack up again and move into our new room down the hall. I very carefully changed our little girl. Jill and I took turns holding her. We smiled, we cried, we laughed, and we both realized this is just the start of our story....

The longest day Part 2

2011-01-13T11:41:00.001-08:00

Jill seemed almost relieved at the thought of a C-section after all she'd been through. She had been feeling her labor pains for quite some time, we went to the hospital right before Christmas thinking it was time. She gave the Doctor the ok and I broke down crying. I felt like this was my fault somehow. Here was my beautiful wife broken and beat from the long day and now she was being rushed off to be sawed in half, or at least that's the way it felt to me. I grabbed her hand and said "I'm sorry". I walked into the hallway and called Keven. He kept saying things to keep me positive and was pointing out all the good. But all I could think about was Jill and that she was going to go have major surgery. I was scared. Keven told me he was coming back to the hospital. I jumped off the phone and hugged Pennie. I heard Jill ask someone in the room where I had run off to. I went back in the room and I told her I just couldn't go in the operating room. I would just pass out and be a bigger problem. She was very understanding and Kathy jumped in and took my place.

Keven was there in a matter of minutes. Right as he was walking in we were wheeling Jill down the hall. He walked with us right up to the operating room. I gave Kathy a hug goodbye. She reassured me that everything would be fine. Jill and I told each other "I love you", and then she was gone. I felt so helpless, but then again Keven put a positive spin on it all. We met back up with Ken and Pennie and starting moving all of our stuff from the labor room we had just spent 20 hours in, into our new recovery room. It only took a few minutes and we had everything transferred down the hall. We sat down and I jokingly asked if I was suppose to check on the baby first or my wife. What would a good husband/dad do? And before we decided where I was suppose to go a nurse came in the room and said "I need the Dad and a camera".

Walking down the hall was so weird. They only took Jill away a few minutes ago, but I knew I was finally going to see my baby girl. What would she look like? How big was she? Is Jill ok? My mind was racing. The nurse took me to the nursery and told me to wait here. She said it might take a while and to be patient. I was so nervous. Another nurse made small talk about being a first time father. Finally they brought in this blood covered, cone headed, swollen, little girl. They put her on a scale to weigh her. They stretched her legs to measure her. I remember thinking, "stop being so rough with my girl". Then I saw the scale. 9 lbs 3 oz. Wow, no wonder Jill couldn't get her to come naturally. She's a little tank! Then they said she was 20 1/2 inches. I couldn't believe she was such a big girl. She wasn't fat either. She did have huge cheeks, but she didn't have fat arms, legs, or belly. She was just big.

I can't describe the way I was feeling. I was so happy to see her. I was in love. The connection was instant. It was amazing. The nurse came back and told me that they had to "jump start" her and that she wasn't breathing at first. They told me they had to keep her for a while to monitor her as C-Section babies who were unresponsive can fade away fast after they get going. I was so nervous, but I knew in my heart that she was going to be fine. I stood over her, gazing at my new girl when I noticed Keven, Pennie, and Ken standing behind the glass door snapping pictures. The nurse asked if I'd like to hold Lucille. She told me that I'd probably ruin my white shirt, but I didn't care. I picked up my baby and it was so wonderful. The nurses opened the door to the nursery and the family came in. By this time Kathy was in the room and everyone was taking photos. The nurses joked that they looked like paparazzi. I was so tired, relieved, and happy. I look like I'm drunk in all the photos. The nurse came back and ran some more tests on Lucy's oxygen and blood, and told me she was going to be just fine. I was so happy, but then my mind went back to Jill and how she must be doing. I asked the nurse if I could go to my wife and she lead the way.

The longest day Part 1

2011-01-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

January 3rd was the date. After advisement from Jillian's Doctor due to some potential health concerns, we scheduled to have Jill induced at 7:30am. We arrived at the hospital a few minutes late and I joked "Wow, we're late for our own baby's birth". I was very wrong on that statement. Doctor Larsen broke Jill's water and we, along with some family, waited. And waited. And we waited. Hey look, it's 5pm, it has got to be soon, right? We waited some more. Jill held out as long as she could, but then chose to have an epidural. I stayed in the room and held her hand while they did it. I hate needles. It was like torture for me, so I knew it had to be terrible for Jill. But she was awesome. She handled it like a pro. I learned a lot about the kind of person she is that day. Such a strong woman. Epidural is now done, Jill is an 8, and 90% effaced. It's time, right?

Nope. Not even close. We were all getting so tired. Jill and I didn't sleep the night before. We were so excited about the idea of having a baby that we couldn't sleep. It was like waiting for Christmas, or going to Disneyland for the first time. "We're too excited to sleep!", if you remember that cute Disney commercial... Anyways, the day just kept going on. It felt like it was never going to happen. Jill turned to me and joked, "Lucy will be an only child". Jill's Dad and Step-Mom, Mother, and my Brother Keven, all waited together. It was nice to have everyone there for the support. It made things so much better. Late that night, my Aunt Charlotte, her husband Jeff, son Parker, and my Aunt Ruth came down. Charlotte and her family traveled from Bear Lake, Idaho. By 11pm the baby had to have come right, I mean her water broke at 7:30am and with all the medicine we would surely have our girl here in 15 hours? Negative.

I don't remember the time, I was running on fumes and Lorna Doone cookies, but it was after midnight and I came out and told Charlotte that she better head back to Idaho. She had work in the morning and a three hour drive a head of her. I also sent Keven home. He had taken a personal day from work and spent all day and night with us. I told them all to home and get some sleep and that they would be notified when things changed. Then we waited some more. Then around 3am, the nurse came and checked Jill again. She said that even after all the oxytocin (medicine to help induce the labor), the water being broken, and 19 hours of labor, that Jill's body was still not ready for baby. She said she was going to call the Doctor. About 15 minutes later the Doctor, bed hair and all, came into check on Jill. He had her push a few times to see if they baby could break through. After a few pushes he had my exhausted wife stop. He told her that she gave it the "good old fashion college try" (whatever that means) and that it was time for a C-section....

Lucille Joy Mabey

2011-01-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

My sweet baby girl finally decided to join us on January 4th 2011

Brian, Keven, Sarah, Zach, and Katie

2011-01-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

Those are my siblings. Brian, Keven, and Sarah are the spawn of my mother and father. Zach and Katie are my stepbrother and stepsister. I love all of them dearly. I haven't seen Zach or Katie in a very long time. Because of my deteriorating relationship with my father and stepmother, those two have chosen to stop talking to me. It breaks my heart, but I understand their reasoning. No matter the reason for the family dysfunction, that is their mother and I am just the stepbrother. I can't say I blame them. I just wish they knew that I love them like they were my blood too. Maybe one day?

As for Brian, Keven, and Sarah, well those kids are in my life, and outside of Jill (and Lucy), they are my heart. Brian and I are only two years apart in age, so naturally we were more like enemies then buddies growing up. Actually when he was first born, I was so in love with him. I thought having a baby brother was so neat. But a few years later he got really good at finding ways to get me in trouble, so then I'd pummel him. It was a viscous cycle. As we grew up, we got better at getting along and as adults we've become best friends. He serves in the Navy now and has become a very great man. I look up to him in many ways and I am very proud of him. Even though he doesn't have children, he dated a lady who had a son. Brian was the BEST damn example on being a father. Seeing him with that child only made my desire to be a father grow. It was funny seeing the family rebel turn into Mr. Navy and into a stand up father. You are a great man Brian!

Keven was my mothers sensitive little man. Thing is he grew up to be a very tall, strong, keep the emotions on the inside man. But that's not saying he still isn't sensitive, he just doesn't share with many people. Keven has been dealt such a bad hand in life, but he keeps fighting and pushing forward. He is the hardest working of the bunch, and even though it drives him nuts when I say it, he acts like our father in many ways. He is also the "pretty" one out of the Mabey boys. He doesn't buy clothes, he buys "outfits". Keven and I have grown very close in the past 10 years and I love him dearly. I hope that one day the drama that seems to follow him will let him be and he will be liberated from the emotional damage. Keven, you are a great person. I wish I had half of the know-how and motivation to succeed as you do. The way you carry on day to day to be the best is an inspiration to me.

Sarah, my dear sister. Mom was so happy that she finally got her girl. She was born on April Fool's day and the doctor told my mom, "Congratulations, you have a boy". She wasn't pleased with the joke. I moved out of my dad's home in 1998 and sis, was only 10. I missed so much time with her when she was growing up, and it makes me sad. I did get to live with her during her last year of high school, but she kind of followed in Brian's shoes and was a handful. I did my best to try to be a good big brother and to be sort of a father figure to her. Not sure if I helped at all, but I tried. Since then, Sarah has moved to Park City and lives the life of a ski bum, and I mean that in the best way possible. She gets paid to work at the ski resort and then gets to ski on her free time. Sounds like a sweet deal to me! She's pretty darn good at it too! I am really proud of my sister and the young woman she's become. She looks just like mom and many of her mannerisms are the same. Keep doing what makes you happy in life sis, you have to enjoy the journey. Just know that I love you very much and I'll always be around for you.

The reason I wrote this is because all of you have been on my mind. I just want you to know that we are family and my love for you is never ending. I will always be around no matter what, for all of you. I will never back down when life gets hard. I will never leave your side and you can always count on me. You will always have your big brother here for you. You are MY FAMILY. Us against the world!

Due Date

2011-01-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

So this is it. This is my last night being just Matt the husband. Tomorrow morning Jill and I check into the hospital and I'll soon become Matt the dad! I can't believe I am just hours away from my life changing forever. It's a very weird feeling after 30 years to know that life will be so much more than what it is now. Every single choice I make from here on out will be different because of the different ramifications. No longer can I just run off with my wife to Vegas for the weekend. I can't randomly spend money and stupid new tech toys. Am I sad I can't do that anymore? Not really. I've wanted to be a dad for so long, that giving up those things are more than worth it. But it will be different. I've lived a selfish adult life, and now it's time to be selfless.

2010

2010-12-31T18:31:00.000-08:00

Finally, this year is coming to end. I've stayed off my blog most of the year, due mostly to some turmoil between myself and my parents. I didn't want to pop off and say something to damage the relationship even more. I'm not really sure where that relationship is going, but I've been urged by a few to write, so I'm coming back here to write about this fat kids world. If I feel like writing about that situation and it ends up making things worse, I'll just have to deal with it when it does. It's been a long, trying year and I've been through and seen very much. Some very important people in my life passed away, my wife and I finally got pregnant, and some other trials and tribulations happened along the journey. I'll be on to recap some of the highlights and some of the lowlights, either way I am back. I have so much hope for 2011 and I promise I'll be on here much more to keep all three of you updated. Stay tuned, Lucille Joy Mabey is scheduled to join my world on 1/3/11. Those of you who know me, understand why that date is pretty cool. Perhaps I'll have to change the blog title to Rants of a Fat Dad?

Feeling odd

2010-10-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

2010 has been a roller coaster year. Many down moments filled with incredible highs mixed in. It's left me feeling rather odd. We've found out we are pregnant (major high) and most of my thoughts have been on this. I'm sure most of them are the normal "oh my god, I'm going to be a parent" thoughts that first time parents have. I've also been thinking about getting a bigger home to raise my daughter, wife, and many pets. I've been thinking about my job and wondering if the pay is worth the time lost at home. I've been thinking about my family, wondering why things are they way they are (major low).

My work schedule has left me feeling tired and alone. I work 11-9 five days a week. It's pretty much a day killer. It doesn't leave me much time to visit friends, spend time with the wife, actually be productive around the house, or enjoy my down time. By the time Jill and I have dinner, it's usually time for her to go to bed, and then I have to occupy my time with Netflix, the Internet, or my Xbox.

Oh Xbox. Where has the love gone? Sure I still play it, too much I'm sure. However, I'm just not having much fun doing it. Maybe the quality of games are lacking, or perhaps I'm growing out of it? Who knows? What I do know is that I seem to be having less fun not only on my Xbox, but with life in general.

Now let me clarify that before my three readers think I'm depressed. I'm actually very happy and am looking forward to Lucy being born. But the little things that used to bring me joy, just aren't cutting it lately. I haven't really been listening to music, I've mentioned my Xbox, and the Internet is kind of boring me. Maybe I'm just really focused on Lucy, or maybe I am in need of a new adventure.

I don't quite feel blah, or sad. I'm not really myself though. The only way I can think of describing it it so say I feel odd. Hopefully a quick little trip to San Francisco to visit friends will help me feel refreshed. Either way, January 2010 can't come fast enough.

I'm Still Here

2010-09-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten about my blog. In fact I have plenty of things I want to write about. However, it has been a very crazy, confusing summer. I've had a very difficult time with some members of my family and I knew that if I wrote on my blog while the emotions were raw, I'd write somethings that shouldn't be aired or would hurt feelings. So I've to let myself cool off and I've reflected on all of it. I've decided that you can't change peoples hearts or minds and that I come from a loving, yet stubborn and confused group of well meaning people. No longer am I going to try to make all sides of my family happy. If they want to continue harboring ill will and false ideas about me, and others, so be it. I am a happy person and I will not let them hold me back. I am going to be a father soon and I have too much love inside for Jill and our family to let the other stuff get in the way. I'll always love them all and I will be here, like always when they want to be too. But from here on out, Matt Mabey is back to write his stupid blog for all three of you that look at it!

It's a baby!

2010-05-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

So we went to the "girly doctor" as I like to call it, and we had an ultrasound done on Jill. We are only 8 weeks along so we didn't go to find out the babies sex. No, we went to count babies. Since it was taking us a long time to get pregnant, we decided to take fertility pills. One "side-effect" of fertility drugs is that the chances of multiple births take place. I kept telling Jill that if we have more than one kid TLC better give us a reality show because I can't afford that, plus I'd be funner to watch then that crazy Kate lady! Anyhow, thankfully for us there was the only one little heartbeat. I was so happy! The ultrasound helped me get through a bunch of my worries (multiple kids, zero kids, etc...) and I feel much more confident. The dr. said our little "lima bean" had a good, healthy heartbeat. January 9th is the expected due date.

The Fight

2010-05-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

So Andrew, Brian, and myself went to Vegas last weekend for the fight. We only got two tickets from the hotel, so Brian and Andrew went to fight and I was on my own. After playing in the casino for a few hours (thanks B & Drew) I ended up buying a ticket for the PPV at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. I had a great time and got to watch my boy Floyd Mayweather defeat Shane Mosley. It was a great time and it was a great experience!

Who's your Daddy?

2010-05-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

ME!

After two years of trying, Jill and I are FINALLY pregnant! I am so excited. I've really wanted this for a long time. I'm just trying not to get my hopes up too much until we get further along, since it's taken so long for this to happen. We'll see a doctor around May 24th to check up on things and see if the fertility medicine caused our one baby to be many babies!!! Keep us in your thoughts and send all your good vibes and karma my way!!!! Yay, I'm going to be a DAD! :)

Fight Night

2010-04-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

I might be heading back to Vegas sooner than expected. My friend Andrew, might have scored us some tickets to the Floyd Mayweather VS Shane Mosley fight on May 1st.

South Parked myself....

2010-04-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Nightmare!!!

2010-04-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

Is it bad that I am excited?

http://nightmareonelmstreet.com/

Baseball

2010-04-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

When we were in Phoenix a couple weeks ago we did more then just WrestleMania. We went to some Cactus League baseball games. The Cactus League is a collection of teams from the MLB whom make Phoenix their winter home. They get together and play preseason games to prepare for the regular season. Between Phoenix and Tucson, there are 12 stadiums for the different teams. The Phoenix metro area has 10 alone. This town is definitely a baseball town.

We had a couple friends come down with us on this trip. Brian and Rachel are some good friends and they both are, unfortunately, Cubs fans. But luckily for them, the Cubs call Mesa, Arizona their winter home. So logically we had to go see the Cubs play. We went to Hohokam Stadium to see the Cubs take on the Padres. The game was fun and ended in the 10th inning in a tie. We learned that day that they don't keep playing to win in just a practice game. The stadium was nice, but a bit older as our seats were just bleachers. The best part of the game was that there were MLB legends there signing autographs for charity. Among the ball players was Bill Buckner. For those who don't follow baseball, Mr. Buckner is a hero to all of us Mets fans, and was a villain in Boston, whom he played for, for quite sometime. But instead of me describing it, just watch this clip. So anyhow, I walked right up to Bill Buckner, I was dressed in my David Wright Mets jersey and asked for his autograph. The look on his face was worth the $20 alone.

The next game we made it to was a clash between the Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jill selected this game as she grew up rooting for the Dodgers as her father is a die hard fan. The stadium was in a newer area of Phoenix called Goodyear. The stadium, Goodyear Park, is only a year old and is the joint home of the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds. The stadium was much smaller then Hohokam, but was so much nicer. Every employee was beyond nice and really made you feel welcome there. One gentleman at the hotdog stand of all places asked if he could hear about how Jill and I found each other. He said he could really tell we loved each other. The weather was perfect that evening and made for a special night. There is just something about the smell of cut grass, warm evening weather, the sounds of the crowd, the crack of the baseball bat, and being with friends that is hard to describe. There is just something about baseball that makes me relaxed and happy. People who get baseball know what I mean.

Luckily for us, this summer we are going to LA to see my father in laws Los Angeles Dodgers take the field against my New York Mets. In the meantime you will probably find me on my nights off from work at Spring Mobil Ballpark, to watch my Salt Lake Bees, and to enjoy everything that makes baseball, baseball.

WrestleMania and my love for fake fights

2010-04-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I took a 5 day weekend and drove to Phoenix, Arizona. The purpose? WrestleMania. For those who know me, they know that ever since I was a child I have been hooked on the pageantry of the WWF/WWE. I still remember being a 8 year old boy and arguing with my best friend David, that Wrestling was real. He would tell me how it was fake and stupid, and I would argue that it was real and that Hulk Hogan's fights were legit because he would often bleed. It would be at a house show at the Old Salt Palace that would forever change the way I looked at Wrestling. Brutus the Barber Beefcake would be facing The Honky Tonk Man for the Intercontinental Title. I remember being extra excited for this match as Beefcake was my mothers favorite wrestler. I'm sure it was because of his see-through spandex. Anyhow, during this match Beefcake went to kick Honky right in the chest. Problem was he missed by a good two feet, yet Honky just acted like his chest just caved in. He rolled around in pain and the crowd ate it up. I thought to myself, "Damn it!!! David was right!".

It wasn't long after that match that I stopped watching wrestling. The characters became too cartoon like and other interests came in my life. I played baseball, basketball, and other rec sports. I also fell in love with music and was once again burned by someone pretending to be something they weren't, Milli Vanilli, but that's another blog. It took about another 10 years for me to fall for wrestling, but I did in the summer of 2000.

I became friends with a nice kid named Adam, who worked at Smiths with me. Adam is a very eccentric person and one of his favorite things is Pro Wrestling. He likes it a little too much maybe. If you don't belive me, just look at his High School photos. He liked to lug around a 20 pound replica Heavyweight Championship belt with him. I like wrestling, but not like Adam does! :) But anyhow, Adam asked me to go to a show with him and I agreed. We scored front row tickets and the show was very fun. We saw The Rock, Triple H, and many more attitude era stars. I was hooked again. Which brings me to the present day. I am stuck on this phony fighting. It's my guilty pleasure. I am intrigued by the "art" of pulling off a match. The production of the show, and how two fake fighters can tell a story through choreographed risk. One of my favorite performers is a man named Michael Hickenbottom. Of course he doesn't go by that name, he wrestles as Shawn Michaels, or HBK as some call him. It's short for his nickname, The Heart Break Kid. HBK will go down in this fake sport as one of the top five performers of all-time. Other wrestlers say his matches are so good, he could go out with a mop and make it look like a fight. At this years WrestleMania, he was booked in match he couldn't "win" and placed his career on the line if he lost.

In the world of fake wrestling, Shawn Michaels had booked his retirement match. He was scheduled to fight a man called The Undertaker in a rematch from last years Wrestlemania classic. The twist this year was that if Shawn lost, he would retire. The Undertaker is undefeated at Wrestlemania, and the WWE is going to keep pushing his streak as the ultimate accomplishment in the business. So any "mark" (lingo for wrestling geek that is in the know) knew that Michaels was going to lose and move on. I had to go to the show. I had to see the "Show-Stopper" one more time. I asked Jill if we could go. She laughed at me, but said ok, probably thinking I was just being silly. But then I did it. Booked a hotel and bought two tickets online. Phoenix, here we come.

We invited some friends to come down, who agreed but politly declined to watch the phony fights with us. We had a good time in Phoenix as we went to the Zoo, and to two sping training baseball games, but the highlight for me, and even Jill, was WrestleMania. Over 72,000 fans packed The University of Phoenix Stadium to watch the event. The production value of the show was amazing. Many of the matches were well told, but there were a few stinkers (McMahon VS Hart). But in the main event for the night, HBK would take on the "Dead Man" in another instant classic. The match went back and forth and for 20 minutes it had 72,000 people in attendance and millions around the world on the edge of their seats. We all were caught in the moment and suspended disbelief. Finally, after the Undertaker delivered another devastating tombstone piledriver, Michaels was pinned for his final three count. Fire works shot off, and an 18-0 logo appeared on the jumbo tron. Undertaker did his trademark pose, and then did something out of character. He picked up Shawn Micahels, shook his hand and then they hugged. Shawn Michaels received a huge ovation from the live crowd and thanked everyone. Tears filled his eyes, as it did many in the arena. Jill herself, who thinks wrestling is foolish was moved to tears. In the world of fake wrestling, this moment was very real.

Not very bloggy

2010-03-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

So we are growing close to the end of March, and I have a whopping total of one blog posted for the year (minus this one) and it was mainly a recap I wrote ages ago. I haven't felt very inspired to write. It's not that nothing good is happening, because my life is pretty darn sweet right now. I just haven't felt like taking the time to share with you. Not that it's a big deal. I have zero regular readers and maybe a few friends that occasionaly glance in this direction. Perhaps soon I will feel inclined to finish my blog about greatest video games. Maybe I'll write about baseball and the two stadiums I will be visiting soon. Or perhaps about the fact I am going to WrestleMania Sunday. But for now, the spoilers are all I have. Goodnight!

Las Vegas Hotel Review Part 2

2010-02-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

View from TI

Back in December of '08 I made a list of my favorite Las Vegas hotels that I have stayed in. Since that post I have stayed in a few more rooms that I hadn't before. So I will repost my original blog but I will add in the reviews of the following hotels, The MGM Grand, New York New York, and Treasure Island.

17. La Concha. I stayed at the La Concha during my many retreats after high school graduation. It would always be a spur of the moment decision to run off to Vegas with a group of friends. We were all minors and this was a rare place on the strip that let you rent a room under 21 and without a credit card. It was a major dive and I swear one room we had was once a murder scene. The trips were well worth it though. The motel has since been demolished for condos.

16. Westward Ho. The reason this room is listed so low is because I don't remember much other then it looked like a brown Motel 6 room. I was only around 9 or 10 when I stayed here so I don't remember it so well, other then I wasn't into the Cowboy theme. This was around the time MC Hammer was rocking my world. Sheesh... This motel has been torn down and is a future site for a McDonalds.

15. The New Frontier. On my honeymoon Jill and I traveled to Disneyland and had bookend stops in Vegas. On the way out we stopped at the Stratosphere, and on the way home we stayed at the New Frontier. The Casino was dingy and dark. It smelt of Cigars from years past. The room had a nice view of the strip, but the bed was hard, the room smelled, and it felt dirty. It did have some old Vegas charm and we laughed at the beer bottle opener built into the marble sink tops. The New Frontier has recently been imploded and a Swiss themed hotel is scheduled to take its place.

14. The Sahara. The ONLY reason I place the Sahara this high is because of the great times we've had watching The Amazing Jonathan performances. He no longer plays here, but he still performs in Vegas and I highly recommend his show! The Casino is ok if you like to gamble. The food is edible, but the rooms here are hands down the worst rooms I have stayed in, in Vegas. The beds are full size, not queen. The doors do not reach the ground so the hall lights shine in. The walls must be made from cardboard as you can hear your neighbors every move. The rooms do not feel clean, and even though they can be the cheapest room on the strip I suggest you pony up the extra couple dollars and stay at the other cheap hotels like The Stratosphere or Circus Circus.

13. Harrah's. I stayed here as a kid and they used to shine green lights at the building at night to make it glow green. I remember these lights being intrusive and interrupting my slumber. They no longer shine these lights however, and the room was clean and nice.

12. Stardust. As a kid, the Stardust was my favorite place. Back when Vegas was about the lights and not the huge buildings and crazy architecture. The Stardust seemed futuristic and the pink and purple lights lit up the night. The rooms were simple, but clean. The Echelon resort is being build on the site the Stardust once stood.

11. Imperial Palace. This hotel/casino has the worst car access from the strip. If you are driving south on the strip it takes forever to turn in. The Casino is small, but fun. The rooms are ok, but have nothing to do with the Asian theme of the resort. The only reason to stay here is the low room prices and the excellent strip location.

10. The Tropicana. The room we had here was a corner room, which are much larger then the standard room. It had a really nice view of the strip. But this room was located in the back tower which took forever to walk to from the hotel lobby. The rooms felt too warm even with the ac on. They also had tacky mirrors on the ceiling. Nothing about this room was really great, but nothing was really wrong either.

9. MGM Grand. As far as a casino and resort, the MGM Grand has it all. It is one of my favorite places to play, dine, and hang out in. They have a lion habitat in the casino with very large lions roaming around. Alright, they mostly just lay around, but it is still awesome nonetheless. But as far as the rooms go, they are clean and comfortable but the walls are paper thin. To make matter worse it seems like the "I'm only in Vegas to get drunk and act like a retard crowd" choose this hotel.

8. NY NY. Like the MGM Grand, I love the casino and theme of this hotel. The restaurants here are all great. There is a little cake shop that Jill and I like to stop by and visit. Every time I go to Vegas I spend a good amount of time in this place. When I got the chance to stay here last May I was very excited. My friend Andrew got free tickets to the Pacquio VS Hatton boxing match and two rooms at the NY NY for free! That trip was so much fun, my brother Keven came down too, and we all had a great time. The room itself was fairly large, but the beds and amenities seemed sub par far the resort and its price class. The pool is probably the worst on the strip.

7. Excalibur. I have a love hate relationship with this casino/hotel. I love the location, the theme, the casino, the restaurants, and I always park here when we go walking the strip. I do not like the rooms or the tiny pool though. The price here has come down in the past few years to make it a good choice, but the rooms are dingy and boring. But the good outweighs the bad here and I'll stay again.

6. Circus Circus. The casino here makes you feel lost. The old folks flock here. Kids run ramped here as their parents take them to the free circus shows and for the midway games. The buffet is weak and forgettable. But surprisingly the rooms in this old casino are nice. They have an old motel like building in the back, but I have never stayed there. I have stayed in the standard and upgraded rooms here and have not been disappointed. They have been remodeling the rooms too and though I haven't stayed in the new ones, I look forward to it as they look really nice. The theme park here can be fun. The Steakhouse is excellent and it is where Jill and I had our first dinner as husband and wife.

5. El Cortez. This place is located in old Las Vegas, just off Fremont Street. The Casino is small, but fun. It has the old Mafia feel too it. The main hotel is one of the oldest still standing in Vegas. They also have a tower that was built in the 70's. Jill and I stay in the tower rooms when we go. They are very large and clean. They have antique furniture and good views of Vegas. My brother stayed in the old portion and swears it was haunted and didn't sleep much. I love the old school charm of this place and want to stay again.

4. The Stratosphere. This place is my safe bet. I've stayed here many times because of the cheap prices, clean yet simple rooms, fun casino, good shows, and of course the Tower. Nothing about this place is mind blowing, but it has never let me down. I love the Tower and seeing the Vegas lights from 1,149 ft in the sky. The rides at the top are excellent, if not down right scary. The shows we've seen here are fun and between the mall and casino, there is always somewhere to go. If you want to do Vegas for cheap, yet still fun, I highly recommend this place.

3. The Luxor. My favorite themed casino/hotel. The Egyptian motif is fun, and staying in the pyramid hotel is so fun. We stayed 20-something stories up and the view from inside is just amazing. I suggest that everyone stay in the pyramid once. The casino is great, the food is awesome as Fusha is one of my favorite restaurants. The show here are great. The Imax theater and arcade are fun. Nothing bad to say about this place at all. PS- Chris Angel... UPDATE - Since I first wrote my review of the Luxor, Jill and I stayed here again. After we booked a pyramid room, they told us at check in that they only had tower rooms, and that they would give us the "free" upgrade for their error. The upgrade, was anything but an upgrade. They Luxor doesn't have the best amenities or beds, so this room as just a standard hotel room. Being in the pyramid is really what makes this place fun. Also, Fusha is closed now and sits vacant....

2. Treasure Island. We always visit the casino when we are here. We have even seen Mystere here a few times. But until a couple weeks ago, Jill and I had never stayed in the hotel. When we first got there I thought this place was going to be a nightmare. When we checked in there were about three employees checking in about sixty people in line. After the wait to check in, which was faster then expected, I was hit with a $20 a day resort fee that they tack on top of your room rate. I was SO MAD. But then as soon as Jill and I made it to the room, everything got better. We were 27 floors up, with a strip view. This view also gave us a perfect look at the Siren Pirate show they do 3 or 4 times a night. The fireworks they shoot off would pass by our floor to ceiling windows nightly. It was so cool. The bed in this hotel was probably the nicest bed I have slept in, in Vegas. It was so relaxing. The air conditioning unit was perfect. The walls were solid and the hotel was rather quiet. It was too cold to visit the pool, but everything else about this hotel was almost perfect. I would recommend this place to all, but warn of the resort charge!

1. Trump International. This place is soooo nice. There is no casino here, just a top of the line hotel. Everything here is over the top fancy. The beds are so comfortable. The bathroom is as large as most Vegas hotel rooms. The mirror in the bathroom has a TV behind the glass. The tub is a huge jacuzzi. They give you slippers and robes. Plasma TVs here. Books to read. Amazing views. Excellent furniture. Everything is mind blowing. The only drawback is you have to pay for parking everyday. If you can afford to go stay here. The only reason I got to stay here is because of a sweet deal on hotwire.com and splitting the cost with a friend.

Christmas

2009-12-30T00:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas was pretty good this year. Jill and I had our own little Christmas a few nights early. We lit the tree and turned out all the house lights. We set up each others stockings and exchanged gifts. We each got a bunch of great gifts this year and the moment itself was so special. It was a great night!

I didn't get to see my brother Brian, as he is home in Virginia, getting ready to go back out to sea. I didn't get to see my brother Keven, as he was with his friends. His two best friends were getting married and my brother actually got ordained a Reverend and got to perform the wedding on the 26th. I also didn't get to see my sister Sarah. She works at a ski resort in Park City and had to be to work at six in the morning. It was really weird not to see them, but I'm sure it will only get worse as we all get older.

I spent the night at my in laws house. They are great people and always make me feel welcome. I was surprised that they got up at six in the morning to open presents. All the kids are grown up, but the excitement was there and we all tore into our gifts. They were very sweet to Jill and I and gave us too much.

Later on we went and saw my Father, Wendy, my brother Zach and my sister Katie. It has been a tough year with my family and I. I love my family dearly, but I always seem to put my foot in my mouth and get myself into trouble. I was nervous to go over there, but as soon as I walked in, it all went away. Wendy and my Dad made me feel very welcome and they spoiled Jill and I too. It was very special for me to be there. I miss not seeing them as much as I'd like too. It was nice to try to put this summer behind us to move forward.

After that Jill and I found ourselves eating some Chinese food at a local restaurant. I thought about the movie A Christmas Story and sang "Fa ra ra ra ra" in my head the whole time. After we ate we unpacked all of our goodies at home and just sat and rested for a few hours. After that I took Jill to Anniversary Inn for her Birthday. Her B-Day is the day after Christmas, so I always try to spoil her on that day since she "only" gets goodies once a year. The Inn was nice as always and it was special to spend the night alone with my favorite person.

Christmas was pretty good to me.

Charlie

2009-12-29T23:57:00.000-08:00

This is our Puppy Charlie.

We have had him for about two months now. He is such a good boy. He has done very well at potty training, yet gives you a silly look if you ask him to "come here". He is a sweet boy and loves to cuddle under the blankets at night. It is very curious and playful. He is perfect for Jill and I.

Fantasy Sports Update

2009-12-29T23:54:00.000-08:00

So I just finished my first season of Fantasy Football. My team, Team Voltron, won the League Championship!!! I am the number one geek!

Jason Bay made my day!

2009-12-29T23:45:00.000-08:00

The New York Giants controlled their own destiny to make the post season. All they needed to do was beat the Panthers in their final game at Giants Stadium, and then try to knock of the Vikings in Minnesota. The Panther game was suppose to be the easy one, and the Vikings game was suppose to be the struggle. Well, the Giants stunk it up in one of the worst played games I have ever seen. It was horrible. They got destroyed. No post season. Bye bye Eli. Have a nice summer.

I had to give up my Jazz season tickets this year. My new work schedule made it impossible to go to any games. However, I try to catch some games on TV and I always check the box scores. And just like always the Jazz are hanging around in mediocrity. They win games they probably shouldn't and lose games they should easily win.

But for now I have a lone bright spot in my sporting world. The New York Met's just signed the former Boston Redsox All Star, Jason Bay. This is a huge move as Bay is probably the best position player available this off season! This will give me plenty to cheer for. That is until the Met's take the field and lose like always! :)

Sport Fans

2009-12-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Sport fans are crazy people.

We grew up watching sports with our fathers and friends. We played them outside with other kids from the neighborhood. As we tossed the baseball to each other we would imagine we were Wade Boggs or Kirk Gibson. When we'd shoot hoops we'd pretend to be Magic Johnson or Karl Malone. When we'd play football we'd claim to be Lawrence Taylor or Joe Montana. We looked up to these men. We wanted to be like these men. They were our hero's!

Then we grew up. Well, I say grew up in its loosest sense. All of us "grown up" fans are just a little bit crazy. You'd have to be a little bit crazy when cheering for a team (that plays 2,000 miles away) and when they lose a playoff game you slap a bowl of Doritos up in the air, spilling them everywhere, while dropping curse words that would make George Carlin blush. Yeah, that was me. Damn Met's.

You have to be a little crazy to be almost 30 years old and you still wear jerseys of famous players around outside anywhere that is not the arena. It is also a bit crazy to be so emotionally involved in a team that you get sad or angry when they lose and you are brought to tears when they win a Championship. It's crazy to care more if a team wins or loses then the multimillionaire player does of said team. I am guilty of all of this craziness.

But there are a few things sport fans do that are absolutely crazy, that I even find too crazy to take part in. Here are just a few of them:

First off there is "Conspiracy Theory Fan". He's the guy that thinks that the "League" wants HIS team to lose because they want another team to win. This fan also thinks that the refs only make bad calls on his team and that they are out to get him. He thinks his team gets the short end of the stick every time and that the opponent never gets a bad call.

There is "Drunk in Public Fan". He's the guy who shows up to the game early, pounds the booze, and then ends up arrested before or during this game. I see this yahoo almost every game I go to, especially football games. Nothing like paying $75 on a ticket, only to spend the night in jail.

Let us not forget "Wanna Fight? Fan". Sometimes he is also "Drunk in Public Fan", but surprisingly he is also known to be sober. This fun fellow wants to throw down with any other guy that doesn't support his team. You probably know this guy. He could be your brother, or a coworker. You get along with him well. But if you were ever at a sporting event and, God forbid, you cheered for the Red Sox instead of the Yankees, dude is freaking out and now wants to challenge your manhood with fists. Quite the pleasant fellow.

One of my least favorite has to be "Bandwagon Fan". Ugh, this guy really drives me crazy. This guy grew up wearing Cowboys stuff. Then he started wearing Green Bay. Next Broncos, then Patriots, and now he wears Colts stuff. He lives in every single town across the country. He has never left his home town, but is somehow a Yankees and Lakers fan. Salt Lake is full of these dolts. He has never ventured outside of his "ward" but he hates the local teams with a passion, all the while claiming to have always loved the Lakers and all of their Championships. He can't tell you the staring rotation of the Yankees, let alone the difference between the Bronx and Brooklyn, but he knows he bleeds Yankee blue. Local college football programs are a joke to him, and even though in Utah this guy is usually Mormon, he rocks his Notre Dame shirt with pride. These fans are the reason All-Star games are filled with big name, under-performing guys, and it bores the hell out of the rest of us.

These are just a few of the different crazy fans out there. There are so many types, and many guys cross over into a few types. As for me, I'd be "Always wears Jerseys" and "Too Emotionally Invested Fan". It's funny that all this nonsense started because when we played the game with our friends, we wanted to be just like our hero's. I guess the next generations won't have the same problem as mine. They are too busy playing Madden on the Xbox, then playing football in the streets...

San Francisco, through Jill's eyes

2009-11-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write a blog about my trip to San Francisco tonight, but I'm tired and recovering from a cold I got out there. So for now, go check Jill's blog out. She's put up some pictures and has some notes about them. I also put up a bunch of photos on my facebook that you can check too.

Here I sit...

2009-11-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

Just watched the Pacquiao/Cotto fight tonight. Pacman dominated the entire fight on his way to a record seventh title win in seven different weight classes. He's a beast. I hope they can hammer out the details and get him in the ring with Money Maywether.

Still battling a slight cold. I feel bad for Jill as she has it really bad, but in the same breath I am happy mine is minimal. Though it would be nice to spend a few days at home with Jill.

So just for the sake of it, I shaved my face. All the way. Gotta say it is a scary sight. My chicken gizzard is getting out of control. I really to to focus on staying in better shape. My under chin is so big, it may require it's own zip code for my face... Yikes!

Anyhow, I hope the three of you that actually look at this blog liked my Top Ten Video Game post. I plan on doing the 1990's post relatively soon.

Top Ten Games of the 1980's

2009-11-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

I was born in 1980. The video game explosion happened during my childhood and I was hooked instantly. My Grandfather had a Commodore 64 computer system, and this is the first system I remember playing. It was fun. It had the basic games of the time (Pac-Man, Load-Runner, and my favorite at the time, BC Quest For Tires), and it was fun to play for a bit. I played arcade games back then too. My daycare center had a tank simulator and a Kangaroo game where you punched out naughty monkeys. All this was ok fun, but I didn't fall in love with games until 1985 when a babysitter I had named Roxanne bought her kids a Nintendo Entertainment System. I played it once at her house, and I was hooked! So with that, let me start my list with a few Honorable mentions.

Honorable mentions: Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Bubble Bobble, Excite Bike, Castlevania, Mega-Man, Metroid, and Frogger.

Now let the TOP TEN begin!:
10. Double Dragon II - The Revenge
NES 1989

Double Dragon for the NES was a good game, but it lost much of what the arcade game had going for it, including co-op play. Double Dragon II fixed this problem by adding back the co-op play and had an impressive level up system that added new moves including the famous cyclone spin kick. This was 8-bit, side scrolling, button mashing at its best. The levels were fun and challenging. Billy and Jimmy Lee kicked ass and took names. Watch out Abobo, you're next!

9. Super Mario Bros 2
NES 1988

If you have followed the Super Mario Brothers franchise at all, you've noticed that the game play of SMB 2 is completely different from the rest of the side scrolling platforms. The level design is different. You can play as characters other then Mario and Luigi. Plus all the baddies are different, as King Koopa is nowhere to be found. The reason for this is that it really isn't a Super Mario Bros game at all. The game was released in Japan as Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic. It had a completely different cast off hero's, but other then that it was the same game. Here in America they gave the game a face lift by replacing the original stars with Mario, Luigi, Toad, and the Princess. This game worked so well with the great level designs and because each of the hero's had special abilities to beat these levels. Mario was the all around guy who was good at everything, but great at none. Luigi could jump very high and long. Toad was very fast and could pick up things fast as well. The Princess could float for short periods of time, but took a long time to pick things up. In Japan they released a true Super Mario Bros sequel that looked very much like the first game. It was later released in the US for the Super Nintendo and was titled "The Lost Levels".

8. Shinobi
Arcade and Sega Master System 1987

My first favorite arcade game. I used to sneak quarters from my Mothers "hidden coin box" to go play this at the Circle K gas station. Yes, I stole money to play Shinobi. This game is based around a Ninja named Joe. Yep, Joe. He was saving kidnapped children from the evil organization called the Zeed. With Ninja stars for long ranged attacks and swords for close ranged attacks, you make your way across five levels and a roll of quarters. Luckily I got a Sega Master System and this game, so I no longer had to borrow quarters from Mom. Do not play this game on the NES, as it is a sluggish port that doesn't do it justice. You can buy the Sega Genesis Hits game for the XBOX and this is included as a bonus game.

7. Contra
NES 1988

Contra is the 80's in game form. Think of all the crappy 80's Stallone and Schwarzenegger movies and package them together with our GI Joe like hatred for other countries and you have Contra. This game was first an arcade game that was solid, but the NES version eclipsed its big brother. When you think of NES co-op game play, you think of this game. You controlled either the red dude, or the blue dude, and ran across levels spraying gun fire at any and everything. Nothing like letting off the spray gun at enemies running straight at you. The music was fun and amped you up the whole time. Oh, let's not forget to mention the CODE. Yep, if you played Nintendo, you know the CODE. UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, B, A. This code gave you so many lives that you could run through the game not worrying about dying and just cause havoc. Classic game.

6. Ninja Gaiden
NES 1989

Man, was this game hard. I'm not just talking 1989 hard. It's still 2009 hard. You take the roll as Ryu Hayabusa, the hero of this game on his journey to fight an evil cult leader bent on reviving the ancient demon called "Jashin" and the one responsible for the attack on Ryu's father. This game is credited as the first to have cinematic cut sceens, which is now a video game staple. This series is so popular that they still make games for the XBOX 360 and PS3 today.

5. Tecmo Bowl
NES 1987

Sports games weren't always good for systems. Matter of fact, before Tecmo Bowl and Baseball Stars (1989), sports games were very primitive. Team A VS. Team B. Poor mechanics, and bad graphics. Tecmo Bowl helped change all of this. The game featured 12 teams that represented real life teams. The game lacked an NFL license, so the New York Giants were just New York. However, the NFL players association licensed the game and it featured real players for the first time. Joe Montana, John Elway, Lawrence Taylor, and Bo Jackson, to name a few. The game only featured four plays, and was more arcade then simulation style. A perfect example was how unstoppable Lawrence Taylor was on kicks, as he could block everyone if you ran right at the long snapper. Bo Jackson and Walter Payton were damn near unstoppable! A few years later, Super Tecmo Bowl was released and topped everything about this game, including having every NFL teams and a full NFL license! I'm sure you'll see it in my 1990's list.

4. Mike Tyson's Punchout!!
NES 1987

I feel kind of dirty having this game so "low" on my list. This game was played so much, I have every detail memorized and I can still play it today and kick ass! Matter of fact, I still do play this one on my Wii download. This game maybe a boxing title, but it is more of a time based, memorization and reflex game, then a sports title. You'd have to memorize the punches and moves of your opponent and time your counter just right. The game follows Little Mac on his journey to be a World Champion. It takes you through many memorable fighters including; Glass Joe, Piston Honda, Bald Bull, King Hippo, and of course the Champ, Iron Mike Tyson. Well, that is if you nabbed a copy before he went to prison. If not you get a white guy version named Mr. Dream to battle. I still have the code memorized that lets you skip ahead and battle Tyson; 007 373 5963.

3. Tetris
NES 1987

"Mom, will you please stop playing Tetris, so I can have my Nintendo back?", is an actual phrase I said a lot as a kid. This is the puzzle game that trumped all before it, and is the measuring stick for all that followed. Instead of explaining Tetris, since I assume everyone has played it at some point in their life, I'll touch base on the controversy around the Nintendo versions. Nintendo had a lockout device in all of their systems that only played official Nintendo games. In 1988 an Atari publisher named Tengen developed an override to the lockout system and released their version of Tetris. You may have seen a Tengen cartridge, they were the sleek, black ones. Well, Nintendo quickly sued Tengen as Nintendo had the exclusive rights to the game in America. The game was quickly pulled, but there are still many out there, Most people like the Tengen better because it had multi player that Nintendo lacked. I owned both at one point, and I liked the Nintendo version better for the music. Hey, I was 7.

2. The Legend Of Zelda
NES 1987

The Legend Of Zelda starring Link? Yep, you're not even Zelda. She's the princess you are out to save. You take the roll of the protagonist Link, a young man from Hyrule. You set off in a massive world full of enemies, dungeons, fairies, and weapon upgrades. Games back then were played in one sitting. Some had codes you could enter to skip to different levels. Zelda was the first game to use a battery backup to save your game, so you could pick it up later, right where you left off. Back then there wasn't the Internet to help you out. You had to know a kid who knew where to go. I knew Tony. He was a little Hispanic kid from West Valley. He was two years my junior, but he knew how to get through the graveyard, so he was a valuable asset. This game has spawned many sequels that are all classics in their own right, except the Panasonic 3DO titles Nintendo sub-let, but that is another story. Zelda's RPG/action adventure title was mind blowing at the time, and a true video game classic. The music is still hummed by fat, 30 year old's around the world.

1. Super Mario Brothers
NES 1985

Duh. Like it could be anything else. The first game I played at Roxanne's home was this title. Wow, was it mind blowing. This game is the quintessential platformer. Mario is now a cultural icon. You start off in the Mushroom Kingdom as one of the Mario Bro's. First player is Mario Mario, and player two is Luigi Mario. Yep, that's their names. Anyhow, you make your way across the Mushroom kingdom to save Princess Toadstool from the evil Koopa King, later known as Bowser. You collect coins for extra lives, mushrooms to turn you into "Super" Mario, flowers to turn into "fire" Mario, and stars to turn invincible. You battle goombas, koopas, and other baddies across what is known around the world as the perfect side scrolling adventure. I have played this game so many times I can beat the whole game in under 5 minutes without dying. True story. Ask David!

PS, did you know that Mario's fist name in Japan was Jumpman, but was changed to Mario in America because he looked the Nintendo of Americas landlord named Mario Segale.

Thanks for reading what I consider the best games of the 80's. In due time I'll make a list for the 90's.

Top Ten Lists Cometh

2009-11-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

At the urging of a friend I am going to put together a top ten list of what I consider the best video games off all time. But to do this, I really need to rack my brain. I do not want to leave off a worthy title, just because it isn't on my mind at the moment. So to make sure I give proper consideration to the 2D titles of yesteryear to go along with the massive 3D games of today, I am going to make a few lists. First off I am going to make a list of the best games of the 1980's since that is when I fell in love with them. Then I will make a list of the best games of the 1990's and then the 2000's. After I make those I will compile the top ten all-time list based off of what theses games have done for gaming, the cultural impact, and based off just how I feel about cause this is my list! So keep your eyes open and the list will follow very soon...

Fantasy Sports

2009-10-22T00:10:00.001-07:00

I've always thought fantasy sports were silly. I never understood them and never gave it a try. But after playing Mafia Wars on facebook for a little bit, the thought of another "game" I could play for just a few minutes at a time might be fun. So I joined a football league on NFL.com. I am having some fun with it so I thought I'd start and basketball league for some friends and family at ESPN.com. Should be pretty interesting and fun. Let's just hope my wife doesn't kick my butt too much!

Is this real life?

2009-10-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like you are still a kid and the world is full of grown ups who understand what the world is all about? Do you feel like you are lost, and just kind of making it up as you go? If so, then you think as I do.

Sometime I feel like there is suppose to be some big eye opening "AH HAH" moment when everything comes together and makes sense, yet it never comes.

I am very happy in my personal life. My "professional life" leaves something to be desired, but all-in-all I am very happy.

However, I look at my Dad and I see a guy who has it figured out. He understands the world. He knows how to fix everything. He is big and strong. He can grow a beard with more than six hairs. He is a man.

Then there is me. I do not look "manly", I just look like a fat kid. I can't fix anything. I'm rather average and not very imposing. I feel like a 29 year old kid.

When will I feel like an adult? When will everyday life feel "normal" and when do I stop feeling lost? When will this silly world and my purpose in it make any sense? I thought by 29 I'd feel like an adult and I'd have things figured out, but inside I feel like the same kid that went to Hunter High 11 years ago, just 60 lbs heavier.

In My Life

2009-10-16T00:11:00.000-07:00

A Beatles Song for Jill ;)

There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed,
Some forever, not for better,
Some have gone and some remain.
All these places had their moments,
With lovers and friends I still can recall,
Some are dead and some are living,
In my life I've loved them all.
But of all these friends and lovers,
There is no one compared with you,
And these mem'ries lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new.
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more.
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more.
In my life I love you more.

Beatlemaina

2009-10-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with the Beatles. I can't get enough. No matter how hard I try to listen to other music, my ipod finds its way back to John, Paul, George, and Ringo. I'm reading books on the Fab Four, watching documentaries, and youtubing videos like mad. I don't think I have been captivated by something other then my love for my wife like I have for the Beatles. Their genius is unparalleled and the music ages so well. Right now I cannot get enough of "Blackbird", "No Reply", "Two of Us", and "Dig a Pony". If you haven't listened to them in awhile, or you've never given them a chance, I suggest you do! I've converted a few friends, maybe you will become a fanatic too?

XboxLive? More like Xboxdied!

2009-10-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

I play Xbox. I play it more then a married 29 year old man should. I also own a PS3 and a Wii. I like video games, it's who I am and I'm not ashamed of it (like I am of my love for pro wrestling, but that's another post). My PS3 and Wii have both given me moments of fun. The Wii is interactive and is good when entertaining. The PS3 has a few great games and offers Blu-Ray movies, which is nice on my 1080p tv. But, by the dust collecting on both those machines, you can tell that I am an Xbox guy all the way. Problem with Xbox 360 systems is the fact that they self destruct. They are the most problematic console in history. Every single person I know has had one die on them. I've had two die now. Xbox knows they make crappy machines and luckily fix a majority of them for free. So, it's cool that they will once again fix my machine for free, but it sucks that I have to go about three weeks without my favorite toy. Even worse is that my wife leaves for a vacation in Denver to see her mother Thursday, and I won't have her warmth and love at home, nor will I have it from my Xbox. Guess I'll have to dust off the PS3...

Vacation Time

2009-09-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

So my work finally approved my time off, and even thought it is after my Anniversary which I'll have to work now, it will still be fun. At first a bunch of my friends were going to come with me, but due to different life circumstances they have all dropped out one by one. Right now it's just Jill and I going.

So where are we going? San Francisco to see my best friend David and his family. It will be so good to see them again. I love San Francisco and can't wait to be there with my wife. We are going to go to the 49ers Vs Titans football game while we are there too. I can't wait until then. Also, since I have been dieting it will be nice to be in San Fran so I can cut loose and eat some great Asian dishes! Is it Nov 6th yet?

Dieting is easy, but is sucks

2009-09-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

I've lost 12 lbs now in a week just by eating smart. It's not really hard to eat healthy choices because I work in a grocery store and I have many options, it's just that all the yummy stuff is what I can't eat. I haven't had soda in 8 days, which has to be the longest time in my life. All I want right now are some Doritos and a Coke Zero, but no, I must be good....

End of Summer

2009-09-19T19:55:00.001-07:00

Well, Summer is coming to a close fast, but I am not to worried. My favorite time of the year is the fall. There is nothing like a crisp, cool fall evening in Salt Lake City. The leaves are orange, the air is clean, and the rain leaves a wonderful smell in the air. I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday and I'm not big on candy. Death is a huge fear of mine and I think I like Halloween so much because I get to taunt death and make light of it. Kind of silly, I know. I also celebrate my anniversary in the fall. I am married to a wonderful person who completes me. We have a good time together and we make the most if it come fall time. We go to Haunted Houses, do the anniversary thing, usually go on a vacation, etc...

Speaking of vacations, I am trying to get some time off this November to go visit my best friend David and his family in San Francisco. I went last year to see him and he helped me out through a patch in my life that I didn't know how to get through. I may only see him a few times a year now, but we share a life long bond and he will forever mean the world to me. Our family lives have mirrored each other for years and I think God made him my best friend for a reason!

I have just completed week three of my new job. It's hard work and the hours stink, but I feel more accomplished then I did before. Let's just hope I continue to move up so I can get better hours to see my wife lady more often. As much as I complain about working, I am just happy that I have a job that pays the bills. Now, if they'd just approve that vacation time!

9/11 thoughts...

2009-09-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

Just watched some documentaries about 9/11 on the History Channel. I don't want to write a long blog and try to do myself proper representation on how I feel right now. I also don't want to be dramatic or too heavy either. I just want to say that my heart is still very hurt and I still feel pain and anger when I think of or see video of 9/11/2001. There will always be two parts of my life. The time before this event and the time after. My brother joined the Navy in 2001 and has spent a good amount of time over seas the past few years and I just want him to know that I love him and am proud of the man he has become. I love my country and I love New York. Life is fragile. Love those around you. Like my homeboy John Lennon said "Give Peace a Chance".

Time is on my side?

2009-08-30T17:17:00.001-07:00

It's kind of funny. The song that is playing in the background right now is "Time is on my side". It's funny since this post has to do with the fact that time seems to be anything but on my side. On July 15th I turned 29. This is my last year of my 20's. Good thing Jay-Z says that 30 is the new 20... MY mortality has always bothered me as my mother died when she was 38. My fathers mother died in her 30's. Scary stuff. Speaking of my Grandma...

She died in her 30's of heart disease. I really don't know too much of her as my father has never really spoken of her. Hell, I was a pre-teen or a teenager before I knew that my Grandma Kathy was my Step-Grandma and that I had another Grandma who had passed away. So where am I going with this? My Father has been diagnosed with heart disease. He isn't getting proper blood flow to a portion of his heart, and his heart is "leaking" too. When they were looking into his heart, they caused a blood clot that is in his thigh. The blood thinners he is on are maxed out and is having little effect. It makes me so sad to see that my Superman is in such a weak state. I am terrified too because this is what has killed his mother, along with other Mabeys, and he is above the age of thirty... I have a hard time thinking of anything but this right now.

My job title has changed at work. They have removed all Front End Managers and have created the Night/Service Manager job. Basically this job requires everything I did already, along with all the Assistant Managers job duties, and has me work night shifts. This job is also salaried so hours do not apply. I have to work a minimum of 50, but will almost always be more. So much for my Jazz games this year.

So this has been the summer of stress and no time to stress about it. I will probably use my blog more often now to update my status, and to vent to keep myself from exploding.

Update

2009-07-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

So I had my East Coast vacation about a month ago. It was so much fun. We spent our time between Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York City. We did so many cool things from going to a RedSox game at Fenway, Six Flags New England, The Basketball Hall of Fame, Met's game at Citi Field, walking in Central Park, museums, etc... The food was fun, the people were cool, the only thing that sucked is that the weather was kind of sad and gloomy the whole time. But overall, the trip was excellent and I can't wait to go back.

We've been doing a bunch of stuff to turn our house into a home. Jill does a lot of cute things. She does a good job of making things nice!

I am not going on the Tiger Cruise I have been ranting about. The plane tickets were outrageous, and I also have a gut feeling that I should stay close to home for awhile. Luckily my brother Brian is going to try to come back home soon to see us!

I haven't written very much lately as I have been working nonstop. I'll try to be better and write longer, more focused blogs. But for now, this is all I have.

It's been awhile...

2009-06-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted on here forever. Blame facebook. Anyhow, I am home early from work today as I feel pretty icky. Working with food and being icky, doesn't mix well. I will be posting on here sometime soon about my vacation, I just don't have the mental strength to do so now.

Tiger Cruise

2009-05-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

So I got approval from my work to take the dates off needed to go on the Tiger Cruise. Keven is coming with me, so it will be nice to have him around on this once in a lifetime experience. I just sent back my paper work to the ship and now the search for affordable flights begin!

Vacation, Raw, Mums, and More!

2009-05-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

In two weeks I'll be on the East Coast! We start the trip in Connecticut, travel to Boston for a few days, then we go down to New York City! This trip will be amazing!

Just saw WWE Raw Live yesterday. Yes I am white trash. Anyhow, the show was fun and I had a great time.

Somehow Andrew and I managed to play another video game (Gears of War 2) for about 7 hours last night. I haven't played that many hours in the past month total, yet I managed to get lost in it last night. Good thing I bought Jill Netflix!

I'm pretty sure Keven and I are going to go see my brother Brian at the end of July. His ship will becoming back to the US for the first time since Feb. They'll port in Jacksonville, Florida and then Kev and I will be able to do the "Tiger Cruise" which will let us go out on the ship with Brian for a few more days until we dock in Norfolk, VA. This should be an amazing experience so hopefully I can pull enough strings to make it work.

Pepsi Max is a yummy diet soda. It has twice the caffeine as regular Pepsi. Take the good with the bad.

Jill is a sweat girl and she is making me a yummy dinner tonight, since I spent my day having people ask "Why are YOU out of Mums?".... This brings me to my next topic....

Why do Utahan's put flowers on EVERYONE'S grave on Memorial Day? Memorial Day is to pay tribute to those who have fallen while service. Yet, every headstone I pass has a billion flowers on it, so either EVERYONE in Utah has served in the Military, or we just can't get enough of those 3 for $12 Mums!

Netflix

2009-05-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

NETFLIX IS SUPER SWEET!

Just thought you should know!

E Center and Ticketmaster

2009-05-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

All I want to do is go see the WWE show with a couple friends. Pretty simple. However, the E Center sells their tickets through ticketmaster which is the worst ran ticket site ever! I need six tickets to the show. The website will only choose floor seats 25 rows back. These seats suck! The website won't even let you choose another section. It has a "release these tickets" function and that way you can try to grab other seats. Problem is, it only grabs the same damn seats every time!

So I went to the E Center to by the tickets in person. The show has a deal right now that you can get 4 tickets for $99 IF YOU BUY A MINIMUM OF 4! Each seat afterwards is still $25. Pretty simple. However the old wildebeest of a woman at the E Center insists that the promo is for 4 tickets only, even though the website allows you to grab more, the fliers say you can have more, and when I went to PURCHASE them online, I was given the six at the discounted price. She told me that I was wrong and that she knows what she is doing! So she wouldn't sell me tickets. I am so angry I refuse to EVER use ticketmaster or to buy tickets from the stupid old bags that work at the E Center! I am so mad at that old ladies stupidity that I could drop kick a granny.... :)

New York New York & Manny Pacquiao

2009-05-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

My last trip to Vegas was such a fun experience. It was so much fun and could have been the best Vegas Trip I've had in a long time if only my wife lady could have made the trip out.

Keven and I made the journey Thursday night after work as the rest of the group (Andrew, his kick ass father - Matt, and Dylan) were planning on coming out Friday evening. We got to town fairly late, especially since I had worked an 11 hour day starting at 4am, so we didn't do much but sleep. We stayed at my fall back hotel, The Stratosphere. This room was actually much nicer then the last room I stayed at, even though the last time I paid more for the "upgraded" room. So day one ended after the long car ride and sleep.

On Friday we got up and went down to the Luxor for some brunch. We then spend the next six hours sight seeing and gambling between the MGM Grand, Hooters, Planet Hollywood, NY NY, and Excalibur. Keven and I got a call from Andrew about 6pm saying they just checked in to the NY NY Hotel. Keven and I grabbed our recently won cash (BLACK 13) and headed back to the NY NY. Andrew's father Matt must be some Vegas high roller. They placed us in a pretty nice room (for free) right next to Matt's suite (free) and gave us a free "VIP" card that let us in the guest lounge and gave us free snacks and such. They also gave us 4 tickets to the Manny Pacquiao VS Ricky Hatton fight for Saturday night, which if you read my last blog is the reason we made this trip! For dinner Matt took us out dinner at Gallagher's, which is a pretty pricey Steak House in the NY NY. We ate like Kings and the rest of them drank like it too. Our tab came back just under $600 w/ tip! Matt covered us all. He was so generous on this trip, and it was real nice to talk to him and to get to know him! The rest of the night was spent on roulette, watching the boys get drunk, and walking miles.

Saturday was fight day! We slept in a little this morning, except Keven, who was up by 6am everyday regardless of how much he drank, or how late he stayed out. He's a machine. We ate lunch at the food court across from the NY NY. I watched my skinny brother put down a Bacon Burger, two Chili Dogs, a small fry, a soda, a slice of pizza, and most of Andrew's Panda Express meal. Yet after I ate my one Bacon Burger and fry, my ass again grew an inch... So after lunch we got our tickets! They were good seats valued at $300 and yet again because of Matt, we went FREE! The boxing event actually started around 2:30pm even though the PPV doesn't air until 6. Andrew and I went as soon as the doors opened and watched all the fights! Keven arrived a few hours later, and Dylan made it for the two important fights.

The Fights. Wow. I'm not a boxing fan by any stretch, but this was so much fun! I had a great time with Andrew watching something that is so important to who he is. During the first under card fight the arena was pretty empty, but slowly the seats were filling. By the end of the night the stadium was rocking! I'd say 80% of the 17,000+ fans were from England. The Champion, Ricky Hatton had the arena packed with crazy fans. They sang all night, even during the other fights. Singing songs to the tune of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland", the Brit's would express their favor of Hatton. They brought instruments and played along. We were surrounded by soccer hooligans. Bad part was that we are all Manny Pacquiao fans and we thought we may get cracked in the head because of the stuff we were screaming! Hundreds of celebrities came to the fight, including names like: Christian Bale, Mike Tyson, Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Michael Strahan (which is another story I'll tell later), and Tony Gonzales to name just a small few. Anyhow, the fights were all cool, but the main event was nuts. Little Manny Pacquiao came out and knocked Hatton on his butt twice in the first round before knocking him cold in the second round. Game over. Good night. We jumped in our seats hurling praise to Manny and jokes and laughs at Hatton and his army of Brits. We all became adopted by the Filipinos as we were like the only 4 white dudes jeering Hatton. This experience was amazing!

The next morning Andrew, Matt, and Dylan headed straight home. I took Keven to Toby Keith's bar. We ate a monster burger, Keven got hit on by the hostess (whom I gave Keven's number too) and made the trip home for ourselves. Keven wanted to speed home without breaking any laws, so he refused to stop. By the time we made it to Salt Lake, he made me promise not to laugh if he pee'd his pants. He made it to my house in time to avoid the embarrassment...Damn! Keven had so much fun, he's going back tomorrow. For me, I count down the days to Boston and to New York City!

Vegas for FREE

2009-04-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago my buddy Andrew came running in to my store. He was jumping up and down and doing a dance that looked a lot like a stick figure caught in a mosh pit. He keep saying "You need to get next weekend off! Tell me you can get next weekend off"! After calming him down some he let me know that his father scored 4 FREE tickets to see the Manny Pacquiao VS Ricky Hatton Championship Boxing Fight at the MGM Grand on May 2nd. Also included were two FREE rooms at the New York New York Hotel (which if you've read my reviews of Vegas hotels, is one that I have yet to stay at). I had to pull some major strings to go as I had already planned to take a few days off to get away with Jill in Logan. Trust me, no matter how excited I am to go to Vegas, I would not have given up the trip with Jill to make Vegas happen! So, just to get an idea of what we were getting for FREE, we looked up the tickets to the fight (which is sold out) and found that tickets run from $3,000 to $150. I'm not sure where we are sitting but as you can see the tickets aren't cheap. I also looked up rooms for that weekend and the cheapest room at NYNY is $250 a night. So take two rooms at two nights and there is another $1,000 in free FUN! I am so excited to see this Championship fight in person! I'm not much of a boxing fan, but Andrew is and he has had me watch a few events with him. Manny Pacquiao is the pound-for-pound number 1 fighter in the world, so I know this is going to be real fun! Thanks Andrew! Oh yeah, my brother Keven gets to come too! The only drawback is that my Jillybean has to work that weekend. She gave me the ok to go, just as long as I don't eat at Mario Batali's without her :)