The real demise of Libby

I had first thought that my car, Libby, was finished in June, '07. It was sad, but such is life. Then, my friend, Tseegii, said that her husband, Jack (Battstengel) could fix my car for at least $1000 less than if I took it to a shop. So I went for it and got my car back at the very end of November, as reported in December.
A few Friday's ago Emily and I were going to GASP party and I rear-ended the car in front of us, beating up Libby's front end. I was going 7 mph and hit black ice when I tried to stop because someone way ahead of us had stopped at a green light. This is going to cost me $112. Harumph.
But all of this means that I just got a check for $2002.02 from the insurance company for turning over my car to them.
But there is a silver lining to all of this: because I fixed my car in November, paying $800, instead of selling it for about $400 salvage. This means that I just got $1200 net on Libby, which is pretty hefty over the $400, eh?
Libby and I traveled about 20,000 miles together in about 3 1/2 years. It was a great time...
Here's a slideshow of her last day with me.

Now it's time to start looking for another car, perhaps a 6-gear transmission.

****Oh, funny story. When I was going out to Libby after signing her over to St. Farm, there was this girl, 8 or 9 year old, in the front seat of a Suburban a couple spots away from me who had smashed her face to the window of the car and was mas this hysterical funny face at me. I died. That girl wins the trophy of the day.
And this is what she reminded me of, from Father of the Bride, part II

thought i should share this

I saw this on the 100 Hour Board, and thought that it was a very important to share with my blogosphere friends.

And just in case you missed out on my childhood music:



*oh, before i forget again, i added a label, video, just in case you ever wanted to wander thru the multitudinous goofy things i've posted.
**also, just for emily ann, i've made a very specific label: pinkpanther.

President Hinckley

What can you say? I can think of so many things but some how I can't really come up with anything either. I'm happy that he's with his wife again, because I know he missed her so much. But he's going to be so greatly missed. He was wonderful, absolutely amazing.

I remember the October conference from 1997. The only conference session I've ever been to was the one where he challenged Elder Nelson to a duel. Elder Nelson had just given a talk about how President Hinckley was an wonderful example of our Saviour. After he was done, President, who was conducting, got up and said, "We don't tell the speakers what to talk about; we let the Spirit guide them. But, Elder Nelson, you have taken a grave liberty. I challenge you to a duel in the basement of the Tabernacle after this session of conference." We laughed so hard! Then Elder Monson got up and said, before entering into his talk, "President Hinckley: I'll be your second."
After President Monson was finished talking, President Hinckley rose to end the session. He looked very contrite and said, "Elder Nelson, since I last spoke I want you to know that I have repented."

Then there's this.

Just before the Campinas temple dedication on 17 May, 2002, President Hinckley traveled to Brazil with a couple of members of the Twelve. President Packer was talking with a few leaders and the former president of the Campinas mission, who had been released the year before. Chuckling, and just loud enough for President Hinckley to hear from behind him, President Packer said, "President Hinckley is so excited for the Nauvoo Temple dedication that he's like a boy on Christmas Eve." At that, President Hinckley turned toward him and said, "Boyd, you know it's just because Joseph promised to be there."

And you know how he'd wave his hand when he was making a point? Kathy does the same thing, and for a long time when she would do it, I'd be reminded of the Prophet. But she did it so much that when I saw President Hinckley do it, I would think of Kathy. She thought that was a little bit misguided.

There are so many stories that we could tell. And I think that we should because I love hearing them. So friends...tell me your stories.

This post secret could be my own

Not that I've ever sent anything to Post Secret, but this one is true of my 6th-grade self. A hypnotist came to our school and I was one of the random kids that he picked out. I still remember what I was wearing and everything (Black Air Jordan T-shirt with a reverse dunk and white jeans...oh the early 90s). But I had to fake it all because I was too embarrassed to sit down. He wanted me and a couple classmates to be Frankenstein's Monster, which I barely pulled off without breaking into nervous laughter.
Ahhh...the memories...because I wasn't hypnotized.

From my blog polls to the electorate's ears

Thank you, thank you to those of you who voted for Senator Obama in my poll. Thank you to any of you who voted twice to make sure that he'd win. I was expecting a Romney landslide.

And to celebrate Barack's latest victory, I'm posting a mirror-image picture with very poor resolution of my newest buy. I wore it today and I wanna wear it again for the SC primary on Saturday. Then maybe again on Monday to celebrate again.

Oh, and I think Romney whooped up tonight in the G.O.P. Florida debate. He's at his best when he doesn't muckraking and swapping mud with the other candidates and when he talks the economy. I've thought that this is how he should've been running the whole time. Republicans like a strong, straight-forward give-'em-heck type of guy. He's tall. He can pull it off.
But any democrat can wipe the board with Huckabee, so go Huck!

scandalous questions

On Thursday night we had an activity with our ward where some "life experts" came and answered questions that we had, like normal dating stuff and how to prepare ourselves for our lives and stuff. It was a fun night, but in preparation Emily and I came up with some possible questions to grandiose problems. I thought I'd give you a sampling:

I shower daily, but I still have an unpleasant body odor. I think this is why I'm not married. What can I do?

How can I reconcile my belief in Kabbalah and its mystical control of my destiny with my belief in the LDS faith?

Cannibalism. Why not?

What if it didn't stay in Vegas?

How can I overcome my addiction to streaking in crowded places?

I have nightmares about Jupiter. How can I overcome them? I've had them for 20 years!

My roommate chases me around with fish and shrimp, throwing them at me. What can I do for retribution?

How do you deal with a crush on a made-up personality like Danny Concannon, I mean it's not like I can break up with him or anything.

Squirrels

I noticed that no one's cast their vote for Mike Huckabee. Could this (blech) possibly (nasty) be the reason (ugh) why?


...and speaking of nasty: what were they thinking?

The good and bad of facial hair.

I really like facial hair, when it's worn well, you know trimmed and stuff.
But today at UVSC I realized what a good thing the no-beard rule at BYU can be. So many terrible things can happen when facial hair goes awry. The allowance for mustaches in the honor code is risky, too, very few people can pull of a good mustache (see blog entry tribute here for rare proof of a good mustache). But every once in a while, facial hair can be nice. Or not, not, not, not, not and not.


Also, go to this 100 hour board link and search for "beard." Read about how things have done a 180º in the last century or so. Facial foliage! Hah!

I want a dog. Bad.

Hodge Podge #3

In a continuing tradition, I present a random accounting of events and thoughts of the last little bit.

I almost died today. Okay, not really. It snowed a lot over night, and the snowfall is dissipating right now, but we've got something like 6 or 7 or 8 inches. My car was buried under snow and it was a little hard to get out of the parking spot. (For an example, watch here, notice the plate is from Maryland, and you might want to watch it with the volume down, as there's some language...) As I was driving back from UVSC, I had to stop at a red light on State Street, but there was too much slush, so I started to skid sideways into the stop. I corrected myself and then started to skid the other sideways into the stop. Then I straightened out and stopped just fine, right before the double white lines: perfect.

Speaking of skidding, Becky used to be a driving instructor. She does this funny keep-your-car-straight-while-you-skid thing. I wish I had a video of it.

Speaking of Becky, we went bowling Monday night. It was me, Emily, Becky and her friend Shaunae. The first round was exciting and filled with very creative gutter shots, the most exciting of the night being Becky's last one that's rather inexplicable. But as soon as Becky and Shaunae had to leave, Em and I got serious. I'm not the world's best bowler, but I like throwing things--a lot. So I hurtled that blue ball down the lane and got 3 strikes in a row. It was like a baseball game.

Speaking of Em, last night we had sharing time, sorta, while we watched the New Hampshire primary. We like to come up with exciting things to do to celebrate the caucuses and primaries.

So, although I'm quite the democrat, I find myself rooting for Mitt Romney. I want people to vote or not vote for him based on what he says and what his platform is. I think his loss in Iowa was a lot of Huckabee playing the Mormons-aren't-Christians card. We're not voting for a Pastor in Chief, although I think that's what Huckabee's running for. But my rooting for Mitt is sorta funny, and I don't get it. I know who I'm voting for. Mitt could do a lot better, though, if he'd just stick to what he's good at, and not try to be other people.

Senator Obama is an amazing public speaker. I was telling Em how I don't know of any speaker since 1968 to have this kind of ability. 1968 was the year that Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. The night of King's assassination was a terrible one in our country. Senator Kennedy was in Indianapolis campaigning when he got the news and then had to tell the crowd about the death of Dr. King. There are a couple of videos online of this speech. One is just a short clip of the beginning of the speech; the other is a large section of it, but then has clips of RFK's assassination at the end. But I want to post the whole speech because it is amazingly powerful and shows the hopeful vision of RFK.

Not one for resolutions, however...

I feel inspired by Larissa's impressive goals for this year. And, although I never make New Year's resolutions and if I ever make goals I keep them secret lest I don't achieve them, I am going to share some ideas that I have for the upcoming year and beyond. Consider this a video montage of those areas of my life that I'd like to make better.

1-Exercise more. Perhaps run a little bit. I've never been much for running if there isn't a base or a hoop at the end of the trail, but maybe things will change this year.


2-Overcome my ichthyophobia. Fish give me the heebie jeebies. But what sane human is afraid of fish??!! And when I say afraid I'm talking incapacitated, fetal position, whimpering.


3-Continue learning and perfecting new languages.


4-Well, after that very scary experience from earlier in the year, I'm going to try to avoid any foreign invasions.

*Who knew that typing in "romanian attack" would bring anything up on YouTube?

5-Work on my yoga.


6-Not marry this kinda guy.


7-Work on my poker face.


8-Hone my elocutionary skills


9-Eat more pie.


10-Make more people cry.

Happy Birthday to Utah

Today Utah turns 112, as it received statehood on Jan 4, 1896. To commemorate the day, there was a rededication of the Capitol Building following the restoration work.

I love Iowa. WAHOOOOO!!!!!

Yay!!!
We had a caucus party tonight (me, Emily, Anna-Lisa, JC, Andy, David, and Lilia) and it was great. Obama won with 38%, 8% more than Edwards and 9% more than Clinton. Tonight was a very happy night. Man, I'm tired from all of this excitement. I'm gonna go to bed.
You guys have a great night. I'm gonna be having some good dreams tonight.