Strange Things are Afoot, at the Circle K

I'm not a business man, I'm a business, man...

2010-05-07T21:50:00.002-06:00

Overstock.com Corporate HQ in Cottonwood Heights, UT

Well it's officially official... I'm a business man! As of today, I've finished my first week at Overstock.com and what a week it has been!

While Monday and Tuesday consisted mostly of just paperwork and general orientation, I got more into my specific role during the latter part of the week, and I'm excited to dive right in again next week as well!

As I have mentioned before, my title at Overstock.com is Customer Value Analyst. As a member of the Customer Relationship Management team, I will be working closely with marketing to evaluate promotion proposals, provide customer valuation and liaison on behalf of the analytics team, as well as a gamut of other responsibilities.

The CVA team is a brand-new part of the CRM and Analytics dept at Overstock.com, and I'm the first (and only) one that they've hired, so naturally my training has been a little helter-skelter, but I'm really excited to be a part of something new and have direct input into the function of my position.

My work is quite challenging, with a really steep learning curve... but that's just what I wanted coming out of school. I'm excited about learning as much as I can about CRM and gaining some valuable programming and analytical skills too. The office environment is great and I'm surrounded by a lot of really smart people, who serve as a great resource for me as I gain experience and try to expand my knowledge base. I certainly have a looooooooooooong way to go, but one week into it, Overstock.com seems like the perfect place to start my career... what more could I ask for?

(Oh yeah, did I mention that I graduated two weeks ago? Yeah, that was fun.)

The Big "O"...

2010-04-01T16:44:00.003-06:00

Happy April Fools' Day! I've been trying to think of fun AFD jokes to play all day, but to no avail. Oh well, I've never had much success with 4/1 anyways.

This AFD is an exceptionally special one, again, not because of any fun pranks that I conceived, but rather because this marks the beginning of the end for my schooling! That's right ladies and gents, this man is about to graduate.... from college! (No, that is not an April Fools' Day joke)

I am going to do my best to make the most of this, my final month of academia.

But what about after? Graduate school? Unemployment? Well actually I've been on the job hunt for the last three, four, seven months and as of today, I've got a job!

As of today, I officially accepted an offer sheet from Overstock.com as a Customer Value Analyst. I'll be working at the Overstock.com headquarters in Cottonwood Heights (just south of SLC) starting May 3rd! (And no, this is not an April Fools' Day joke either)

Megs and I are super excited and we can't wait to start this next chapter of our lives, with another chapter soon to come! :)

All Good Things...

2010-02-09T21:01:00.005-07:00

... must come to an end. And with the passing of Super Bowl XLIV in Miami two Sundays ago, that's exactly what has happened to the NFL Season.

Super Bowl Sunday is always a bittersweet day for me. I enjoy getting together with friends and family to watch the game, I enjoy the two weeks of hype building-up to the game, and of course the game itself is a blast to watch as the NFL does a great job of making their championship event into a true American spectacle.

At the same time, the Super Bowl also signals the end of the NFL season, ushering in 8 months of darkness also known as the "offseason".

Ugh, what am I going to do now?... I ask myself after the final whistle.

That same feeling of sadness is actually magnified when the Packers play their final game of the year as well. This season, the Pack made an early exit from the playoffs and afterwards, I found that more than anything, I was upset because that meant I had to wait until next August to watch my favorite team take the field.

How dark the offseason is...

But you see, there are a million reasons why NFL football is the greatest sport in the world. One of those reasons...?

Because the NFL offseason is more exciting than than most other sports' regular seasons.

That's right I said it. I'd rather follow the off-the-field happenings of the NFL than watch the NBA, NHL, college BB or even MLB (although I really do enjoy college hoops and baseball). How can that be? Because even after the games end, there's something exciting happening for at least 4 of those months between the Super Bowl and August. That's something that no other sport can say.

Here's a quick run down of the NFL Offseason:

Feb 11-Feb 25: Teams can designate franchise or transition players.
Feb 24-Mar 2: NFL Scouting Combine held in Indianapolis
March 5th: Start of Free Agency
March 21st-24th: NFL Annual Owners Meetings
April 22nd-24th: 2010 NFL Draft
Late July: Training Camps begin

*If you're confused about what these event are, click on the links to learn more about them from Wikipedia

So while nothing can compare with the actual games being played on the field, at least I will survive through the end of April. The real struggle will come in May, June and the first part of July when players are training on their own and there's not a lot of NFL news.

So if you're planning to send a small consolatory gift -- perhaps a movie, game or fruit basket -- I would that you hold-off until May or June, when I'll really need it.

Here's to hoping for an exciting baseball season! Bring on August already!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2009-10-21T19:22:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to the best Grandma in the WORLD!!

We're in the Money!

2009-09-22T21:09:00.003-06:00

When Megs set up her online craft store I joked that I was going to quit work and school and "stay home with the kiddies". Well, now it's official, cuz Megs made her first sale!

That's right folks! She sold this Packers onesie this past week to some lady in California!

Congrats Megs! Thanks for bringing home the bacon!

Check out the All Things Crafty Store today before everything sells out!

The Pack Is Back! (And so is my high blood pressure)

2009-09-14T12:37:00.010-06:00

The Packers started off the 2009 season last night with a tense 21-15 win over da Bears. The game was close throughout and so intense, I wasn't sure if I was gonna make it to the end, but thankfully, with just over a minute left, our boy A-Rod hit Jennings on a 50-yard TD pass for the win! Needless to say, Megs and I nearly burned the house down as we burst into celebration!

What's really funny though, is that I'm not entirely sure that I was the most nervous or engaged viewer in our home!

Megs was sporting her styling #80 Donald Driver jersey and said numerous times during the game,

"Arg, I can't take this! Please win Green Bay... Please win, I won't be able to sleep if we lose!"

How beautiful, the words of a true Packers fan. I love that little girl.

In case you missed it (and if you did don't tell me because I will dis-own you as a family member, friend, or human being), here are the highlights.

Go Pack Go!

Ps. I am absolutely convinced that the awesome new sign we bought to put up on game days helped the Packers win... Ok maybe not, but it looks SAWEET in our house!

Worth a Thousand Words...

2009-09-06T15:03:00.004-06:00

After getting home from church today, I started up my computer, logged on to the ESPN.com home page and was greeted by this...

Watching BYU beat Oklahoma last night on national television was the most exciting game I've seen in a long time! It was up-and-down, back-and-forth for all four quarters and came down to a late touchdown that clinched the 14-13 upset for the Cougs. Yes, yes, yes!

I usually prefer watching football with family and friends, however because of some extenuating circumstances, all my friends were out of town and Megs had to work, leaving me all by my lonesome in front of the TV. It's said that a person shows their true colors when no one is watching... that same saying rings true for sports fans too!

I was yelling and screaming, jumping around, banging my fists and sprinting (literally sprinting) up-and-down our apartment the entire game. Those who have watched a Packers or Cougars game with me know how animated and "into it" I can get, but I was at my best last night...

Go Cougars!

Next up; The Packers host "da Bears" on Sunday Night Football a week from tonight (8 pm EST, on NBC)... Stand clear folks, I'll be running circles around the couch every time A-Rodge and the boys score! And believe me when I say, there will be a lot of running :)

New Beginnings... and Endings

2009-08-27T13:04:00.002-06:00

I love new beginnings for a myriad of reasons. Like most people, I enjoy the excitement of new opportunities that present themselves and the hope of a better future. At the same time, I also enjoy the endings that must necessarily precedeeach new beginning as well.

The summer is over, and thus for Megs and I, it's time to look life square in the face, and punch it right between the eyes. School is starting up again and while I am not excited about the prospect of doing homework, going to class, readings, etc.... I am pumped up for the opportunity to rock my classes this semester. I really want to get after it; it's me against the man; my own "rage against the machine" if you will.

In addition, Megs and I moved into a new apartment this week, and it is amazing. I liked it before we moved into it, but I am absolutely in love with it now. It's more than double the size of our last place, a lot newer and nicer, and in a better neighborhood (east Orem as opposed to south Provo). I won't go list all our new amenities and give you a virtual tour of the place though... But you can be sure to expect that soon, so keep checking Megs' blog.

These things are all very exciting for me, however in addition to our new future prospects of school and a new apartment, it is at these times in life that I enjoy looking back and relishing the good (and not-so-good) moments of the time that just ended.

I had a marvelous time with GEICO this summer, and will certainly miss it. I enjoyed delving into the corporate world for a few months and staying away from professors and homework in the process. It was quote the learning experience, and was probably the most productive summer I've had in a long while... (minus of course the summer where I roped Megs into marrying me, that was pretty eventful too). I can look back with my head held high and know that I did a really good job there, and no one can take that away from me.

Moving away from Megs' parents' house is bittersweet to a certain degree. We are obviously so grateful to them for letting us stay with them for the summer (mostly Megs since I was gone for 8 weeks) and for taking such great care of us. It was a blast living with Belle Ma, Father Sir and J-Dizzle... especially Belle Ma though because she was always cooking up something fierce.

Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy each new beginning more for the opportunity to look back upon whatever period had just ended... perhaps that's a bad thing, perhaps not. I would suppose that it's a similar feeling to graduating high school, that refreshing relief of having accomplished something and knowing that it's over. Or at least that's what I've been told by people who actually have graduated.

Have you ever heard an athlete talk about winning a championship and they say something to the effect of; "No one can take this away from us!" I think Steve Young said that after he won the Super Bowl with the 49ers back in 1994. I've always understood what they meant, but thought it was more just media-speak, one of the old cliches like, "It it what it is", or "We're taking it one game at a time."

If I were to win a championship though, I think that's exactly what I would say as well. What does that really mean? It means, I did something really great. Something that I worked at for a long time and really tried hard to do my best to succeed. And I did it, and no matter what happens from now on, nothing can change that.

Wow. When broken down, that phrase really holds it own weight.

Now that school is starting and we're "back in the saddle", I guess I should look forward and focus on the things that I'm starting... but gosh, it is nice to think about the things that I've finished.

Endnote: Megs has started an online craft store and it's looking really good! Check it out at allthingscraftystore.etsy.com today! I'm so proud of you wife!

I'm Quitting Work and School...

2009-08-27T10:17:00.003-06:00

It's official. I'm quitting work as of today. I'm also withdrawing from school this semester, never to return.

Instead, I'm devoting myself to the home, and I'm going to be "Kody the House-husband".

Why?

Because Megs just started an online craft store, and she's gonna hit it big!

Check it out here at all things crafty store.

So, since she'll be making millions, I'm planning on staying home with the kids, cooking, cleaning, etc...

I'm off to do the laundry!

The Prodigal Son Has... No, Scratch That...

2009-08-18T21:43:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009. A day that will live in infamy.

Sure, some may argue that Packerland lost Brett last year when he went to New York...

nah.

He was just having one last hurrah on broadway. Shucks, we all knew it would just be one year;

easy to forget, easy to forgive.

Then all this talk of going to Minnesota came up, and I got scared that my boy Brett would be donning the purple and yellow this fall. Thankfully, a few weeks ago he told those Viqueens that he wasn't gonna play for 'em though. It was just a fun idea he was playing around with, nothing serious;

easy to forget, easy to forgive.

And then today happened.

Speechless. Emotionless. I'm numb.

All I can think of is the immortal words of The Godfather:

You broke my heart Brett. You broke my heart.

A Paradigm Shift in the Blogosphere

2009-08-17T22:41:00.008-06:00

In 1962, Thomas Kuhn authored The Structure of Scientific Revolution, and fathered, defined and popularized the concept of "paradigm shift." While widely used today, if you aren't familiar with the term, think of it as a change from one way of thinking to another. It's a revolution, a transformation, a sort of metamorphosis. It does not just happen, but rather it is driven by agents of change.

Perhaps that is why I'm having such a difficult time starting this post. You see, recently I've been struggling to blog on a consistent basis (as I'm sure you're well aware), and after much self-reflection I believe to have discovered why. While suggestions, critiques and feedback from others can be valuable to one who is looking to improve or change for the better, often it is the honest, unabashed self-evaluations that prove to be the most effective proponents of change.

As a result of all the change that's been going on during the last few months (end of school, moving, internship in Tucson, missing the wife, vacation, family reunion, etc.), my blog has become more of a travel log/diary than anything. While that is all fine-and-well, it has ceased being a rewarding outlet of expression, instead turning into a taxing chore. Looking back, I blogged most actively when doing movie reviews, talking about my favorite hobbies, things that drive me crazy or why I love my Megs.

Therefore the travel log must end, and the blogging must start once again! This will not be an easy process, nor a painless one at that, however in order to protect the integrity of this blog and my cyber-sanity, it must be done.

Megs is a stronger blogger than I am, and she does a fantastic job of documenting where we're going, what we're doing, etc... so if you wish to keep up with all that, then keep up with her here. As for me, I can't do it. I won't do it.

Every time I sit down to write to the world, I am met with the same burdensome challenge; one whose consequences shape the very essence of my attempt to project my person to you readers.

I must blog my life, rather than blogging about it.

Paradigm shifted.

bt-dubs: Speaking of the amazing things that Megs is up to. Do you remember that craft giveaway contest she did a while back? Well if you haven't heard, she finished all the prizes and mailed them to the winners. Check out her craft blog, megscraft.blogspot.com, to see what she made!

The Money You Could Be Saving (Me)...

2009-07-10T20:36:00.008-06:00

I've been working at GEICO now for 6 weeks, and finally after getting a closer look at things in "Geckoland", Megs and I have done it...

We've switched to GEICO.

Now you might be wondering; Is it really true? Can 15 minutes really save you 15% or more on car insurance?

Well my friends, Megs and I stand as witnesses... Yes.

We saved over $400 a year by switching from State Farm to GEICO! For us, that's a savings of over 32%!!! Can you believe it?!?! We are SO happy and I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't just "drinking the kool-aid", and that switching really did work!

Now, I've got some homework for all of you to do.... and don't worry, I'm not trying to hawk you insurance.

But I am trying to make money off you! :)

Here's the deal... For the next 2 weeks only, you can help me and Megs by just calling in and getting a quote, you don't even have to buy anything!

During the next 2 weeks, just call 1-800-947-AUTO (available 24/7), and use the reference number 140396. Then, proceed on to get a free quote over the phone and Megs and I will get $15! Be sure to use the same coverages that you currently have for comparison's sake!

Let me re-emphasize that you do NOT have to buy anything and I really do NOT care if you ever switch or not... Shucks, I'm only here for another 2 weeks anyways!

So if you're feeling giving and would like to contribute to the Meghan-and-Kody-Fund-for-Food-and-Rent, then just call-in using that reference number!

As a "Badge of Honor and Benevolence", I would ask that everyone who does call, please leave a note in the comments letting me know!

NOTE: This only works if you get a quote over the phone. If you go online first and get a quote, then calling-in won't work.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

God Bless America!

2009-07-08T20:18:00.005-06:00

Wow, things are happening so fast, this blog can barely keep up! Let me do my best...

In my last post, I promised to put up a pic from the pool at the D-backs game, so here it is!

The interns in the pool! (Cody, Heidi and me)

The game was really entertaining (Arizona actually won for a change) and the pool was so much fun! We were there with a bunch of other GEICO employees and it was a total blast!

From there, I managed to survive until the 4th of July weekend, where I made my way up to Utah to spend the holiday with the WIFEY!!!! It was a much-needed 3 days of relaxation and spending time with my girl ;)

Chillaxin' at HB's during the Arnett Family Reunion

Candy's family was having a family reunion that weekend as well, so we got to see a lot of Megs' relatives, while I introduced their family to 'Sconsin-style brats and sauerkraut! I must've eaten a dozen of the things...

I had so much fun being with her family and playing with baby Cate. She is so darn cute! I just wish Kayci hadn't taken Ty to Appleturkey so I could've played with him too!

Reunion side note: Candy is a magician. I kid you not. She made an entire village for all the little cousins to play in and around (of massive cardboard boxes that I got her) and cooked and cooked and cooked... not to mention organized and set up a number of very-well-put-together games, readings and slide shows of her family's history. She is absolutely amazing and I am so blessed to have her as my BelleMa. Also, Father Sir and I hung out for a bit too. Apparently we're BFFs now... cool. :D For more info on the weekend, click here.

But when it was all said-and-done, I came for this...

I LOVE MY MEGS!

I'm back to my lonely dregs in Tucson, but stay tuned and don't go far! I've got some GEICO-related news to pass along to all of you and I'll have a little homework for y'all to do too!

Sanity Returns!... And then departs again

2009-06-22T20:43:00.007-06:00

My, my, my... how time flies when you've got a real job. Ok, so it's just an internship, but whatevs... Last time I blogged I was raving about my birfday and how surprisingly good my day was. But let me tell you, things have gotten SO much better since then!

The weekend after my birthday, I drove to Appleturkey and got to spend a couple days with Mum, Dad and Grandma! When I rolled up to the house late Friday night (June 5th), I was greeted with a HUGE birthday cake!

Grandma made me a big yellow birthday cake with chocolate frosting (my favorite!) and even put polka-dots on the sides in Meghan's honor! Is she the best grandma in the world or WHAT?! I got to go to the temple with her and the parentals, out to dinner with Aunt Dianne and Uncle Ken, and even got my car windows tinted! (They look phat...)

After spending my first week in Tucson all alone, it was a much-needed refresher and spending time with the the fam was exactly what I needed.

That said, (Mum, Dad and Grandma, please take no offense at this) but last weekend (June 11-14) was even better! Why?

Because THIS girl came to see me!

Yep, that's right! She came down with Lance, Candy, Kenz and Cate and spent the weekend with me! Megs spent the day at the pool (and got really burned) while I was at work, and then we part-ayed all weekend! We got to go up to Pheonix so I could meet some of Megs' cousins, and so Megs could meet Stacey and the girls! It was great!

Nevermind of course the fact that I forgot a tie and went to church open-collared. Yeah, it was awkward.

We even got to go to the Diamondbacks game Saturday night!

The stadium was awesome and the game was fun, but the best part was just being with the wifey, eventhough I made her mad by getting my Dr. Pepper confiscated upon entering the ballpark... :)

Sunday night was a sad moment however, because Megs had to get back up to Utah and I had work at GEICO Monday morning as well. And so, I'm alone once again.

This last week at work has been crazy. On Thursday, we attended a meeting for newly-hired employees and got to meet the CEO, Tony Nicely!!!!

He is an amazing speaker and it was really neat to talk with him for a few minutes. Later that day, he actually walked-in on one of our meetings! Whodathunkit.... the CEO coming into our meeting! It was a great day.

I went golfing Saturday (and almost died of heat stroke), and then today we gave our first "official" presentation, based on our previous two weeks. It went well, and they gave us Olive Garden for lunch to celebrate!

As you can see, it's full-on here in Tucson and things are heating up, along with the weather! Oh, and one last thing... as a congratulations for our presentation today, the director of claims at the office gave us all tickets to the pool section for the Diamondbacks game up in Phoenix tomorrow! So, I'll apologize in advance if I don't answer my phone tomorrow night; I'll be here...

and here!

Thanks for reading! I'll have updates on the pool temp after the game! :)

I miss you Megs!

Birthdays... So Easy, A Caveman Can Do It.

2009-06-04T22:07:00.010-06:00

Happy Birfday to me! It wasn't the greatest birthday I've ever had... my wife and mom weren't there, so automatically it can't be in the discussion for greatest ever. That said, it was pretty darn good.

I called Megs at midnight last night to sing "Happy Birthday" to her, and she seemed to enjoy it... or at least that's what I translated the snoring to be. Then she called me a few hours later to sing to me as I woke up!

I wasn't sure as to how my day would go, but I knew things were looking up when I got to work and found my cubicle like this!

Birthday Cubicle!

My supervisor got in early this morning and decorated my desk with banners and everything (the green & gold ribbon was on purpose BTW. She knows I'm a Packer fan and needless to say, I was very impressed), and even dropped off a pink box full of DONUTS! They were the perfect way to start my day!

The presentations we were meant to do this morning were rescheduled, so that was a bit frustrating, but we spent the rest of the day going through applications with the hiring team and I really enjoyed learning how GEICO recruits employees, along with the characteristics and experience that they look for in candidates.

My internship has been nothing short of awesome so far. Everyone is very open and helpful, and the projects that we'll be working on look to be exciting, and give me an opportunity to give meaningful feedback and contribute to the office here. We've spent a lot of time in various training situations (workplace policies, benefits, etc.) but we've had opportunities to meet most of the managers and directors of the office here and even the Assistant VP (The Boss).

My fellow interns are really great people as well. My roommate Cody is from the University of Wisconsin and wished me "Happy Birthday" about 100 times today. He's a great guy and we seem to get along just fine.

Cody & Kody

The other two interns are really nice girls from the University of Arizona here in Tucson, and Ashland University in Ohio. All three of the other interns are bright and we seem to work well together.

After coming home tonight, I made myself a true feast: chicken alfredo pasta with a garden salad, topped off with "lots o' pulp" orange juice. I'm no fine cuisinier, but I must say, it was hecka good.

Proof of my amazing cooking exploits

And lastly, I of course can't forget... Megs gave me one present to bring down to Tucson, and made me PROMISE not to open until today.

What is it might you ask?

Well, it's written and directed by my favorite actor ever.

Tom Hanks.

And it's a movie that recently, I have been quoting ever-more frequently.

"Off he goes to write his new hit song, Alone In My Principles."

"What are you crazy?! A man in a really nice camper wants to put our song on the radio! Gimme a pen, I'm signin', you're sig- we're all signing!"

"Oh I'm not wit 'dese fellas. I've got a pig in competition over in the livestock pavilion, and I'm gonna WIN that blue ribbon!"

"Well, I like Wisconsin..."

Yep, you guessed it.

That Thing You Do!

So as the clock approaches midnight and the end of yet another June 4th draws nigh... thanks to all who made my birthday special, even though those who are most special to me are far away.

Happy Birthday Megs! I Love You!

Birthday! Birthday!

2009-06-04T00:00:00.003-06:00

Birthdays are so nice, in our family we do them twice! But first...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGS!

How can you not fall in love with this girl? How do I love thee? Oh let me count the ways...

I hope you have a fantastic birthday sweetheart! I'm SO sorry that I'm not there with you to celebrate our birthday together, I want to be there with you (or you here with me) SO BAD!

Make sure you take lots of pictures, eat lots of cake and ice cream, and...

Check in my sock drawer before you leave for work in the morning! (But you can only open half of it before work and you must save the other half for after you come home, so choose wisely)

Happy Birthday Wife! I Love You!

Make a wish Megs! I love you!

We must also recognize my fabulous Aunt Dianne, who rounds out our "Birthday Trifecta"! She is amazing and I'm looking forward to seeing her soon! *wink *wink

Oh yeah, I heard it's also some kid's birthday down in southern AZ too... whatevs.

PS. To all those who have been waiting on the edge of their seats for the internship blog that never came... it's coming. This week has been NUTS and I've got a big presentation to do tomorrow morning (Happy B-day, right), but tomorrow- I promise.

El Apartment

2009-05-31T13:33:00.009-06:00

As promised, here's a quick overview of my apartment here in Tucson. I made it to church this morning, as there's a chapel just up the road, but boy oh boy, my car was TOASTY when I came out after the meetings. Thank goodness my apartment (and hopefully work as well) has covered parking. Anyways, here's some pics (and a vid) of my new place.

My apartment. The door is under the overhang on the right.

Open the door and climb the stairs to get to my pad.

At the top of the stairs you're met by the kitchen...

...and the living room. The door on the left goes out to a small balcony. BTW, that couch on the right just may be the least-comfortable couch ever conceived by man.

Continuing on into the bedroom (I'm not fully un-packed yet)

Here's a video to show you how it all fits together.

Overall, it's a pretty nice place. The a/c works really well, and it's nice to have my own bedroom and bathroom. I enjoy the 9-foot ceilings and all the kitchen appliances, as well as our own washer and dryer. Another added plus is that internet and cable (YES! YES! YES! ESPN, OH BABY!) are included as well. There are only a couple things that are really missing here...

This lady being Numero Uno...

If you have any tips, pointers, or books entitled How to Survive Living Away from Your Wife, please leave them in the comments.

Tomorrow is my first day at work and needless to say, I'm a little nervous. I'll post another write-up tomorrow evening describing my first day at GEICO. As always, your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated.

Sweating It in Tucson

2009-05-30T20:52:00.009-06:00

So, that's it. I'm here. I left Megs in Orem yesterday and began the trek to southern Arizona for my internship with GEICO.

Megs gave me new shades for the roadtrip!

I had some really big butterflies before leaving yesterday morning, and I just wanted to go and get it over with. The goodbyes were tearful and really sad, but we toughed it out and managed to go our separate ways (which mightve been the hardest part of the entire thing). It took me almost 10 hours to cover the 610 miles from Orem to Kurt and Stacey's place in Phoenix, but the scenery was really pretty. I crossed the Grand Canyon at Navajo Bridge, which made the first half of the drive much more enjoyable. After that however, things were pretty grim until I made it to the Staples' in Peoria.

Kodison's knees shaking on the Navajo Bridge

Kurt and Stacey were kind enough to let me crash their place last night and it was SO much fun. First off, lemme say that their 5 little girls are ridiculously adorable. I needed introductions just to recognize them all! I loved getting mobbed by them and playing around! Also, it must be said that Kurt and Stacey's house is gorgeous. It's a sweet crib, ferreal. And one more thing about staying in Phoenix; Stacey made lemon and rosemary chicken... oh my lanta, it was so good.

Cheesing with the girls!

The cutest baby this side of the Grand Canyon

I took off from Peoria this morning and drove 2.5 hours to Tucson, and moved into my apartment!

I passed the University of Phoenix Stadium (home of the Arizona Cardinals) on my way to Tucson. Cool!

It's a small 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment, but the A/C is amazing and I'm actually using a blanket as our place is so cold (I love it). Don't let that fool you though, it is crazy-hot here. The thermometer read over 100 this afternoon and believe me, I felt it. It's really comfortable during the night though, so as long as I can stay inside during the day, I'll hopefully survive.

My roomate is another intern at the GEICO office here in Tucson. Get this. His name is Cody and he goes to the University of Wisconsin in Madison! Can you believe that? What are the odds... I hear the confusion at the office already.

"Hey, go get K(C)ody."

"Which one?"

"The intern."

"Which intern named K(C)ody?"

"The one from Wisconsin."

"Umm..."

I'm prepping myself to being referred to as "the tall one". Shucks.

Anyways, he's a really nice kid and we get seem to get along alright. We went shopping tonight to get groceries and passed by the GEICO office where we'll be working. I'm about done unpacking and ready to go to bed early. I am so tired.

I'll have more pictures up tomorrow when I get back from church so be sure to check-in here on the blog to see my apartment! For now, you can check out the website for my apartment complex here.

I'll finish tonight by saying that I miss my wife. So. Much. I knew I was going to miss her... I was sad to leave and I missed her all day yesterday and today. Tonight however, after getting a little settled into my apartment and everything, I really miss her. I won't lie, I'm feeling a bit depressed being here without her, but I know I'll be seeing her again soon enough and I am really looking forward to it. I miss you Megs.

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T18:03:00.001-06:00

Happy Memorial Day! What originally started as a day to honor Union soldiers who had fallen in battle during the Civil War, Memorial Day here in America is a time for everyone who enjoys the blessings of freedom to honor and remember ALL the men and women who have given their lives in the service of our country.

I can not begin to relate to the dedication and sacrifice of the men and women who have died in battle; nor to their families who's great losses overshadow any hardships that I have endured.

As anything that I might say would likely resound empty or somewhat meaningless, in light of the my own personal experiences, I feel that the words of President Abraham Lincoln, written to a Mrs. Baxby of Boston (as quoted in Saving Private Ryan), better emulate my feelings of gratitude and indebtedness on this day.

"Dear Madam: I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. Yours very sincerely and respectfully, Abraham Lincoln."

I hope that somewhere, in some way, my heartfelt adulation and love will be felt by all those whom we honor this day. And to all the men and women currently serving in the military around the world today, who will likely never read my words, or the words of millions of other Americans...

We thank you.

We love you.

God bless you.

Slippin' and Slidin'!

2009-05-25T17:30:00.004-06:00

As an early birthday present, Kayci, Jeremy and Ty gave Megs and I a Slip 'N Slide!! (How freaking cool, I know) Now, you have to understand a couple things... Kayci & Jeremy give AWESOME gifts :) For Christmas last year (I think), they gave us a sushi kit and a really cool "whodunit" book, so they are just knocking these gifts out of the park every year.

Anywho, enough about them, onto the Slip 'N Slide! ;) I remember the Crocodile Mile that we had back in Packerland, and thought that thing was the coolest. Mainly because all my older siblings played on it and had fun, therefore, I automatically thought that it was cool.

Aside: Really, I came to the frightening conclusion a few years ago, during a conversation with Kimball, that my persona was simply a mish-mash conglomeration of everything that my older brothers and sisters thought was cool and their preferences. For instance, my favorite color (powder/sky blue) and numbers (2, 11, 12, 17) were already Kimball's when he was younger. My least-favorite foods growing up (mushrooms, bananas)? Already taken. Or what about my favorite hobbies and sports (football, baseball, basketball, tennis, golf)? Well, you can bet that at least one of my siblings played it in high school. And if Megs ever gets mad at me for playing video games? Blame my techie older bros for that. Heck, my whole allergy (and fear of) bees stems from an incident where Kimball locked me out of the house and made me run though an ENTIRE HIVE of like, 400 hornets! Thankfully, I'll finally become my own person and escape the shadows of my older brothers when I graduate from BYU next year... Wait.

Back to the Slip 'N Slide... so Megs and I decided to bust it out this afternoon and her mom was in the back yard with us to film the event!

A few obvious observations from the Slip 'N Slide experience...
- 16 feet is no where NEAR as long as it used to be. Holy smokes, my face was splashing into the "pool" at the end before my feet even hit the tarp!
- The inflatable "boogies" are useless. In the 2000's, they give you little inflatable, wannabe boogie boards to slide on. The things are as big as one of my pectoral muscles and equally as flimsy. Whenever I tried using one it felt as if I has just slid over a small woodland creature... who did NOT want to be there.
- Either my attention span has shortened significantly or my mind has been refined to enjoy more mature activities (please be the latter), but after going down the Slip 'N Slide 3 times, I was ready to call it quits. Not because it wasn't fun, but because I had to do an Army-style "Up-Down" getting off if I didn't want to faceplant into the fence in the backyard.

When it was all said and done, the Slip 'N Slide was a huge success (when accounting for inflation)! We can't wait to get Megs' one year-old neice out there for her first SNS experience!

Thanks to the Dunns who rocked yet another gift! We can't wait to bust out the snocone maker next! :)

Sumo-sized Birthday!

2009-05-24T20:46:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, the Wife and I went up to Syracuse to celebrate the birthday of our good friend, Angee. Happy Birthday Ange! There was some great food (thanks Craig!), trampolining and basketball. The main event however, was of-all-things.... SUMO WRESTLING! Angee's husband Craig rented some sumo suits and so we had a big tournament! I was going to post all the pics here, but wouldn't-ya-know-it, Megs beat me to it, so go here to check out the pics and videos of the action!

Here's a sneak peak to whet your appetite!

Layci and the Ty-man

2009-05-24T12:58:00.003-06:00

Megs and I had the treat of being visited this past Thursday by Kayci and Tyler! We had SO MUCH fun. Ty was asleep when they arrived, so he got a little freaked out when he woke up and saw my ugly mug instead of "Mommy", but he calmed down after a while and got used to his surroundings.

Gnawing away with Aunt Meghan

Tyler is the funniest little guy. He absolutely loves jumping, and if you hold him up, he'll bounce up and down for hours. He's gonna be one heckuva basketball player if he keeps that up. Feet also astound him. Kayci would move her feet around in the air and Tyler's eyes were stuck on them, he wouldn't let her feet out of his sight! It was probably just Kayci's painted toenails, but he was really funny.

Jumping around with Uncle Kod (but he's smiling at Mom!)

To all of you who haven't met Ty (or who have but don't get to see him very often), you are in for a TREAT when the family reunion comes around. He is such a fun, happy baby with the biggest, toothless grin you'll ever see! :)

"Dance"board Confessional

2009-05-20T11:16:00.002-06:00

Gosh darnit.

Ok... I'll admit, I'm kinda excited too.

Movie Review: Angels & Demons

2009-05-17T17:58:00.006-06:00

Megs and I accompanied her family to the movies yesterday to see Angels & Demons, the new Tom Hanks movie based on Dan Brown's latest novel of the same name. Read on for my thoughts.

Plot/Storyline: 5 out of 5 The Pope has just passed away, and at this crucial moment, the Catholic Church is under attack by one of its oldest enemies, the mythical Illuminati. Vatican officials call upon Prof. Robert Langdon to stave off a danger that could bring the entire church to its knees.

Acting: 5 out of 5 It's well documented that Tom Hanks is my favorite actor of all time, so for that reason alone, I couldn't give the acting anything less than a 5. Even without my actor BFF, Ewan McGregor did an amazing job, as did the main actress in the film (I don't remember her name but she played a "bad guy" in the movie Vantage Point).

Kid Friendly: 2 out of 5 Don't let this low rating fool you; there's hardly any profanity, or adult scenes to be found, however there are some pretty gross parts of people getting hurt or killed. It's not as gory as a halloween horror movie, but there are some disturbing images for sure. I'd suggest leaving the kids at home for that reason alone, unless they (and you) don't mind and are at least decently into their teenage years.

Overall: 5 out of 5 The storyline really takes you for a ride in this 2 hr 20 min flick, and keeps you on the edge of your seat with exciting action. Even with some fun action moments, the real star of the film is the intellectual chase depicted. Pay attention to detail and don't let your mind wander too far off, as some things aren't as they seem, while others seem as they are. Minus the few moments of mild graphic injury, this film is a home run. If you can't find anyone to go with you, give me a call... I'd see it again in a heartbeat and will definitely be buying Angels & Demons on Blu-ray.

Becoming a BYU Student...

2009-05-16T22:32:00.005-06:00

To think that I've attended the Y for 3 straight years and completed a total of 98 credits, and yet last night, I finally became a true BYU student. That's right, last night I hiked up the 1.2 mile path to the Y; my first-ever trek up Y Mountain. Why has it taken me so long?

Because I don't like the idea of a big letter on the hill? No. Even though the "letter on the hill" idea is SO overdone in Utah, the Y is the best and biggest of them all.

Because I think it's ugly? Heck no. I love looking up at the Y while on my way to class. I just wish they'd light it up at night more often.

Because it's a friggin' long way up a really steep path that covers 1.2 miles and 1200 feet of elevation? Yep.

Around 9 pm last night, Megs found the bizarre (and extremely disheartening) itch to suddenly climb the Y.

"Kody, you wanna climb the Y with me tonight?"

"No."

"But you've never climbed it before!"

"You're right, and I've been going to BYU for 3 years now. Do you think that's by accident?"

"You're a bum. Let's go."

So off we went into the dark, and climbed the Y. Thank goodness it was night, or otherwise I might have melted right into the mountain. 40 minutes later, we were at the top and looking out over Provo. It was really cool actually, and I must admit, was definitely worth doing once. So thank you Megs. Thanks for dragging my lazy behind all the way up that mountain. :)

You can read Megs' version of the story here.

Please leave your "Climbing the Y" experiences in the comments below!

Moving Right Along...

2009-05-14T22:05:00.009-06:00

In the famed words of Kermit the Frog, things have been "moving right along" for us here in the Valley of Ootah, with emphasis on the moving part. After a blissful 16 months, we finally left our first little slice of heaven in south Provo.

Yes, we were very sad to leave, but all good things must come to an end and thus, we gapped it out of the little brick house that was. We moved out the 28-30th of April, and then went straight to San Jorge with our friends Randria (Randy and Andria) to unwind the winding of finals weeks and moving. We swam, played games, swam, slept, swam, played golf, swam some more, played tennis and then swam one last time. The weather was great, the company was even better, and even though both Megs and I managed each to throw up once during the trip, it ended up being a huge success. :)

Kodison, Megs and Randria

Upon returning north, we've settled into the basement of Megs' gracious parents, who were kind enough to let us barge in on them and bother them day and night. Of course reality then hit us once again as work (and school for the wifey) came calling.

The weather has finally turned mild, bringing yet another summer of golf! I've only gotten out and played three times so far, with my best score on 9 being a decent 45. I'm hoping to get down to 40 this summer (I shot a 39 once last year) so I'll keep errbody updated as to how my golf game is (or isn't) going.

***While you're in the blogging spirit, don't limit yourself to just reading my ramblings here... if you do, you'll be missing out on some BIG PRIZES over on Megs' blogs! You can enter the sweepstakes by going here, which will eventually lead you to the actual prize giveaway here.

Last but not least, the new Dan Brown movie Angels & Demons is coming out tomorrow, starring my actor bff Tom Hanks, and I couldn't be more excited. I'll have a full review of the spectacle up on the blog soon after seeing it, so be sure to check back this weekend!

In Packers News: The NFL Draft was held April 25th & 26th and it could not have gone better for our boys in Green and Gold. The Pack took my top player (BJ Raji) with their first pick, and then surprised us all by moving up into the late first round to take Clay Mattews, a perfect choice for our new defense. Along with our top two picks, I was really pleased with the two o-linemen that we drafted (Lang and Meredith) and the full back we got (Quinn Johnson) is a real bruiser that will likely be starting week one. All in all, well done Ted Thompson. Very well done.

Also, Brett Favre might be coming back to play for the Viqueens. Say it ain't so, Brett.

Kodison the Intern...

2009-04-23T22:27:00.002-06:00

With my graduation date quickly approaching (April 2010, I hope), I decided that it was time I got past the books, quizzes and final exams and finally got into the "meat and potatoes" of kick-starting what I hope will turn into my eventual career. What can I do during my last summer before graduating to improve my stock?...

Take more classes?

Heck no. I just finished nearly 8 straight months of that.

Do summer sales somewhere?

I don't want to be a salesman and did more than my fair-share of tracting on my mission.

Get a paper route?

Not a lot of room for career advancement, and I hate riding a bike.

Get an internship?

Yes.

So I started applying. I sent applications to several companies; ExxonMobil (thanks for nothing Kimball), BP (no offense Kimball), the Packers (apparently they already have a GM, who knew...), Northwestern Mutual, Allstate, Johnson & Johnson, Wal-Mart, Intermountain Healthcare and a few others.

(Let it also be noted that I turned down an unpaid internship offer from Rocky Mountain Power. Something about the "recruiter" who contacted me just seemed a little fishy... love ya Father Sir)

I got a few emails and phone calls back, and even had a couple interviews. Even so, things were looking pretty bleak until a couple months ago when I got an email from a college recruiter with Geico (another one of my applications), asking for my transcripts, resume and a couple writing samples. Next thing I know, I have a phone interview and suddenly, they inform me that I'm in the final selection process for an intern position! Awesome!

I got a call back this past Monday to inform me the good news that of the 35-40ish managment intern positions across the nation, and the 4 intern spots open at the Tucson, AZ office, they are offering one to me! Can you believe it! I couldn't, and still can't!

I officially accepted their offer today and couldn't be happier. I'll be working with senior management in this Summer Managment Internship, which runs from June 1 to July 24. It's only 8 weeks, but it should be very fast-paced and I'm looking forward to learning "en masse" and making the most of every opportunity I get to show what I can do.

Here's the link to the official internship posting: Summer Management Internship

Who knows, maybe you'll soon be seeing my mug in one of these!

Any hot tips or "insider information" about internships that you'd like to share? Please do and leave it in the comments!

Let me say in closing that God really does have a plan for us. While getting this internship is just a small step in the long journey of life, it's a pretty big deal for Megs and I, and along with some of the other blessings that we've been receiving lately, it's obvious evidence of a loving God who is watching over us, and caring for us all the time. All I can say is pray. Pray lots and lots. President Monson said at the last General Conference that "miracles are brought by prayer." I've made a real effort to be more sincere and fervent in my praying and the dividends are innumerable.

Aside: We can't wait for little Andrew to arrive! We're so excited for you Sonja & Kevin... We're all praying for you!

One Month Later... Crap.

2009-03-24T21:26:00.003-06:00

Ok, so it only took a couple months for my New Year's resolution of blogging at least once a week to go down the tubes... But I'm back! And in a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" world, that's all that matters! Thanks to the wifey, I don't have much wiggle-room in terms of explaining what's been going on in "Provost" since I last posted on here.

As you likely already know (thanks to this), Kaycer, Jdawg and Ty-Ty accompanied us to the Draper Temple openhouse. It was awesome. The temple there is gorgeous and we had a blast hanging out with the coolest people in Utah. :)

Megs has also documented here, that we got to babysit little Ty while Jeremy "became a man" ('atta boy dude!), and attended Cate's 1st birthday party. We've had lots of fun playing with the chillins...

Lastly, Megs ran the Rex Lee 5k run the other week and I am SO PROUD. I got to the end of the race in time to see her truckin' around the track to cross the finish line in record time! That's m'girl! She's trying to convince me to start running with her, but as anyone who knows me well enough to be reading this blog knows... that's never gonna happen. But I'll let her dream. :)

Yet eventhough I hang my blogging head in shame, as Megs has quintupled my blogging efforts over the last 4 weeks, I hereby challenge you to a duel!

You beat me to the punch over the past month in blogging about our achievements and cool endeavors. Now it's time to put your money where your mouth is... :) How do you win? You get one (1) point for updating your blog, and an additional bonus point if you blog about something before the other does. First one to ten (10) points wins.

Game on.

Day of Days

2009-02-24T23:30:00.004-07:00

I've always been interested in learning about military conflicts (both past and present) and tactics, though I've never really thought of myself as one who would do well in the armed forces, or even survive for that matter. This past weekend a group of friends and I got together to go paintballing, as I figured that this would be the closest I'd ever be willing to get to the "real deal".

I can't remember a time when I didn't want to go paintballing, so naturally I was really excited, and boy oh boy, I wasn't disappointed!

We found a cool forested area in American Fork to play and "went to war" for a few hours on Saturday. It was so much fun, it's practically all that I've been able to think about since! I found this sweet army jacket second-hand so I'd "blend" into my surroundings and look the part. I can hardly wait to get back out there again and would highly recommend paintball to everybody! It can hurt a bit, so don't think that it's a pansy game by any means (not wearing a mask is extremely dangerous) but if you've got a decent pain threshold, you'll be fine.

Meghan had some fun shooting one of the paintball guns in our backyard too... of course she didn't get shot at, so she only got half the experience. :)

After paintballing, the Wife and I went to DéLeon Spa to get a couples massage (Megs' treat!). It was a little weird at first, since I knew that the "girl hands" that were rubbing my back didn't belong to my wife, but the masseuse was really good and soon enough we were both on cloud nine. It was kinda pricey, but we had so much fun, as soon as we can afford it again, we're going!

To round out the day, we drove up to Syracuse for a surprise birthday party for my best friend Craig. We got home SUPER late and were SUPER tired, but a day that starts with paintball, ends with birthday cake and has a massage in between has to be worth it, right?

Calvin & Hobbes for the Soul

2009-02-19T21:06:00.006-07:00

The Wife and I have truly never had a "real" fight. We seem to always get along and rarely even have disagreements of any kind of serious nature. There is one thing however, that threatens the peace and calm in our home on a daily basis.... the thermostat.

You see, since we are not well-off financially, I am more than happy to live in a house that is a tad chilly in order to save some "benjamins" on our gas bill. The wife on the other hand, is more adept for warmer temperatures, thus prompting verbal jousts as the following...

wife- "Did you turn down the heater?"

me- "No."

wife- "Yes you did, it's freezing in here..."

me- "No I didn't. Our house is just old."

wife- "Nuh uh. I turned it up past 70 a couple minutes ago. What's it at now?"

me- (looking at the thermostat) "Just past 70."

wife- "No it's not, you're lying."

me- "I am not lying. It IS just past 70."

wife- (after getting up to come look at the thermostat) "Yes you DID turn it down! It's at 58 degrees you liar!"

me- "I didn't turn it down."

wife- "Oh yeah? Well then who did?"

me- "Well if I had to guess... I'd say our future childrens' college funds must've snuck in and turned down the heat. It was either them or next month's groceries."

wife- "You're such a bum."

And thus goes our daily battle between warmth and utter bankruptcy. I'd been wondering as to what methods we might employ to contend with this crisis, and lo and behold... Calvin never fails me. :)

Happy Love Day!

2009-02-15T21:44:00.005-07:00

Wow... so before Megs came into my life, Valentine's Day used to be a pretty ho-hum event.

Now...

It's one of the best days of the year! Megs woke me up early Saturday morning and brought me into the kitchen where I found this waiting for me...

Hand-made love signs and cards, along with freshly baked herman for breakfast! Oh how I love my wife. Since I had to work Saturday morning and Megs took a test, we used Friday night to eat out at T.G.I. Friday's (overrated, clap-clap-clap-clap-clap) and then saw Pink Panther 2 (Steve Martin rules!). Saturday night, we went to our stake Valentine's Dance where we were in charge of photos, prizes and a few things, and thanks to my rockin' dance moves, we had a great time. ;)

To my beloved wife: I love you! Thanks for being my b-e-a-utiful "Valentime"!

For more details about our awesome day, check this out.

Movie Review: Mall Cop

2009-02-05T12:48:00.006-07:00

Megs and I attended a party put on by my work last week, and despite my low expectations, we had a really good time. We had a great meal at Magelby's restaurant and then went across the street where my company rented out a theater and we all watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Now I can spot a cheesy, stupid, wannabe-funny movie from a mile away, so naturally, my expectations for the movie were exceedingly low. The only hope this movie had, I thought, was that the main character Kevin James was pretty funny in other shows such as Hitch, or I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry... That said, I wasn't expecting to be pleasantly surprised.

But, pleasantly surprised I was indeed! Let's breakdown the movie and see how it fared when critiqued by the great movie-critic duo of.... Emerson & Kody. :)

Premise-Plot 4/5: The film is about a lowly mall security guard who is feared by none and respected by even fewer. During his shift one day, the mall gets held up by a band of crooks, looking to rob the mall, and it's up to Paul Blart, said mall cop, to save the day.

The plot didn't seem to grasp me all that much (although I was taken back a couple of times with unforeseen twists), but the premise of a mall security guard seemed to be inately funny and have widespread possibilities.

Post script: Actually I'm going to change this to a 3 out of 5 instead. This has nothing to do with Kevin James, who was phenomenal as Paul Blart, but rather the bad guys, who stunk. The main bad guy won't win any awards for sure, but really, it was his evil cohorts that really bothered me. Instead of just normal bad dudes with guns and outfitted in black-ops gear, the mall was taken over by a bunch of X-Games criminals who spent half the movie skateboarding, bmx-ing and freestyle walking their way around the mall. They got real annoying, real fast.

Acting: 4/5 Kevin James was straight-up hilarious in this flick and he made me want to re-watch his movies that I've already seen. The supporting cast was ok, some more entertaining than others (the bad guy wasn't very good), but the actors that had to be good were, and that's what matters most.

Kid-friendly: 5/5 I don't remember a single swear word nor inappropriate remark or scene, so the kiddies should enjoy this one too. Although just to cover my bases, if you see it and there are bad words or anything of the like, I disavow all knowledge of said "despicability" (despicable thing) and hereby abslove myself from any responsibility thereof. ... but really, you should be good. :)

Funniness: 4/5 I really, really wanted to give this one a 5, but because a lot of the humor is "stupid humor", I just couldn't bring myself to give it the full score. In its truest form though, funniness according to the dictionary "causes amusment or laughter", and there was plenty of both in that theater.

Overall: 4/5 Again, I'm not going to add this to my list of all-time favorites, but it's a really fun show that's certainly worth seeing once.

Here's a trailer for the movie:

New Year, New Haircut, New Blog

2009-02-03T23:18:00.010-07:00

So I overheard someone saying that it's 2009... Well, with new beginnings come new hairdos!

This means no more of this...

Or even this...

And lots more (or less, depending how you wanna look at it) of this...

I hope your happy Mum ;). Yep, I done-got me a haircut. And actually, I dig the new do'... We'll see how long it lasts. In other news since my last post, Christmas was good, I didn't flunk any classes, Megs and I learned how to make sushi, Obama is President, the Packers are switching to a 3-4 defense AND... I've made a few New Year's resolutions. (Additional details found here)

"Now Kody, it's already February... isn't it a little late for New Year's resolutions?"

Ah ha. Oh the err of your ways.

Sure, maybe it's been over a month since everyone started on this whole "2009" kick, but what is a year really? No my dear friends and family, the "New Year" officially begins after the Super Bowl. Besides, the next 7 months feel like at least 12 without football anyways.

Thus I give you, Kody's Abbreviated-yet-Comprehensive-though-in-no-particular-order-New-Year's-Resolutions-that-will-likely-end-up-as-regrets... List.

Numero Uno- Blog fortnightly. Hence me typing, and you reading this.

Number Deux- Attend the temple monthly. Do I really need to explain this one?

numer trzy- Get an Internship this summer. Real-life punched me in the mouth when I realized that I'm graduating next year.

เลขสี- Exercise by playing sports more often. It's not that I'm getting fat per se... it's just that Meghan has been watching a lot of The Biggest Loser recently.

число п'ять- Don't miss class for any reason. (unless that reason is really good) I would guess that class attendance and good grades are postively related.

anim na numero ng- Attend a Packer game. Megs took me to a pre-season game in San Fran last August and it was pretty much The Funnest Thing Ever. I think The Funnest Thing Ever II would be pretty sweet too.

العدد سبعة- Figure out what we're doing after I graduate. Obviously, this one is related to numer trzy, but involves thinking/planning that's a bit more long-term. Recently I've found an interest studying health economics, and perhaps pursuing an MHA or MHSA degree might be just the thing I'm looking for. That said, I lost one of my slippers about 45 minutes ago... so maybe that's just the thing I'm looking for. Conundrum.

號- Be nice to Meghan you jerk! To be honest, I don't think that I treat Megs all-that-bad. I mean, I get stuff off the top shelf for her and let her drink the Dr. Pepper when there's only a little left. The problem is rather that she treats me so well. Really the only way to equate the situation is for me to sprinkle her path with rose petals where 'ere she goes. Anybody have a gift card to 1-800-flowers?

The-Last-But-Not-Least-Number-Nine- Share the Gospel with someone. This might sound pretty easy, but to you who question the difficulty of this resolution I give you two addendums. 1) There aren't many people in Provo who don't know about the LDS Church... especially on BYU Campus and 2) When I say "Share the Gospel" I don't just mean mentioning something off-the-cuff like "Hey there was this guy Joseph Smith who did something cool... ok bye." No, I'm implying that the act of "sharing" the Gospel would in fact have a non-trivial impact on said person's life and soul. Sounds exciting.

For personal reasons, I left some of my resolutions off this list (mainly because I've forgotten some of them already...). But nevertheless, this menu of goals, acheivements and events are wide-spread enough to give you an idea of what I hope this coming year to be. What are some of your New Year's resolutions?

This is somewhat of a trial-by-fire as I've never been big into New Year's resolutions before, but hey... I got a haircut, and that's a good start. :)

Happy You-Day Father Sir!

2008-10-09T16:29:00.004-06:00

I know it's a couple days late, but I wanted to wait til the "time was right." So Happy Birthday!

Father Sir first made me "shake in my boots" way back in June of 2007, when Megs and I were hanging out at her place. Even though we had only been courting for a couple weeks (well, I was courting her anyways), I had my arm around Megs on the couch when Father Sir came walking into the living room; and I just about smacked myself in the face pulling my arm back in an effort to prevent him from seeing my "suaveness" on his newly returned-missionary daughter.

I quickly learned however, that just like Halloween, as time goes on, Father Sir isn't nearly as scary as he first seemed. ;) Of course, it didn't help that I was hitting on his daughter the first time we met... I was such an idiot.

Well Father Sir, I hope you're free this Saturday afternoon, cuz Megs and I have two BYU tickets with your name on them!

So find a friend, warm up the grill, and we'll head on down to "the LaVell" to cheer on the Cougs to victory over the Lobos! We love you!

Decision 2008; Sort of...

2008-09-25T23:56:00.003-06:00

After getting most of my homework done tonight, my mind was drawn to some semi-serious thought about our current presidential candidates. While perusing around on the web for a few minutes, I came across a "Select A Candidate Quiz", put on by a Quad-Cities news channel. Click here to take the quiz yourself.

The premise of this quiz is that upon answering several multi-choice questions about different issues, and then stating that issue's personal importance to you, the quiz will spit out a score for each candidate (limited to McCain and Obama), thus telling you which candidate's political views are aligned with yours.

Now as to the validity (or lack thereof) of this quiz, as well as any bias or agenda there may be in the computations going on behind the scenes, I have no idea. It may-very-well-be that it's rigged by some right-wing extremist, computer programming news-caster... But either way it was fun for me to do and get one opinion of where my views are situated between this war-of-words otherwise known as, the Presidential Election.

My results gave McCain a landslide victory of 53-11 over Obama. I don't know how the scores are actually tallied so I'm not sure what the total number of points are, but it sure seemed to me like a lop-sided affair. Give it a try yourself, and feel free to post your quiz results in the comments.

In other news, Megs and I keep trucking along. School, work, school, work, see eachother for five minutes, school, work, football on the weekends. And thus go our lives.

Thankfully our teams' successes (Packers 2-1, Cougs 4-0) are keeping our spirits high, along with The Office premiere we watched tonight with some friends. Speaking of friends, Randy, one of my best friends, mission comp and groomsman got married this past Friday (to a girl from Wisconsin no-less) and we really enjoyed the festivities... We're happy that more of our friends are "joining the club".

Mum & Dad are sojourning their way up to the Lovely Deseret this next week to visit Kayci (oh, and us too) so I'm sure I'll be blogging again soon to recap the two minutes we get to spend with them amidst our school, work, school, work routine.

Love you all, and Go Pack Go!

Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood...

2008-09-06T20:43:00.004-06:00

So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye...

And so goes our bittersweet melody as we now bid farewell to the summer that was, and ring-in a new year of football! (oh, and school too...) I apologize to all my ever-so-faithful readers for taking an extended hiatus from my regular blogging schedule, but in my defense, the wife and I have been quite busy in the past couple months traveling there-and-hence, to-and-fro.

At the beginning of August, I meandered my way back east to Nashville, where I met up with Kurt to drive out west with him for his "big move". Luckily for me, he had already made the trip once with all his "big stuff", so all that was left for me was a 12'x6' U-Haul and 22 1/2 sweet hours of road-trippin'. Never before have I had so much fun rocking-out to Neil Diamond's Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show.

Actually, now that I think of it, I don't think I ever have rocked-out to Neil Diamond's Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show. Oh well, no matter. Either way, it was great to again learn "the ways of the Force" from my old master, Big Skywalker.

And see Mum and Dad's new digs... Pretty fly retirement pad, if I say so myself.

In the second week of August, Megs and I went on a weekend trip to 'Frisco and nearly didn't come back. Yeah, we had that much fun. We hit up Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, the crookedest street in the world and of course, went to see our beloved Packers play the Niners in a preseason game at Candlestick. We had so much fun. Megs posted an awesome write-up (including a plethora of pictures) about our trip on her blog.

Since getting back Megs and I have gone golfing, cheered on Cosmo at "The Lavell", and unfortunately, started school.

That's right, it's September and we're hitting the books once again. I made a minor change (literally) this semester in my schooling as I dropped my French minor in lieu of Business. I'm still majoring in Economics and absolutely loving it, but I got real fed-up, real fast with my French minor classes, so this change was a-long-time-coming and a HUGE relief.

Instead of banging my head against the wall while studying the intricacies of 16th century French literature, I'm now learning about GAAP and organizational management in my Accounting and business classes, along with econometrics and price theory in my econ classes this semester. By far one of the best decisions I've made in a while.

But as we all know, when August and September roll around and temperatures begin to cool, there is one thing that trumps all the other happenings of this time of year. Yep, you guessed it...

FOOTBALL IS BACK!

And Megs and I couldn't be more excited about it! Unfortunately, our Beloved Brett is now wearing a different shade of green, but as the world will see on Monday night...

Green Bay is Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood now...

Clear your calendars, cancel your appointments, take your place in front of your TV set this Monday night and join us as fellow Packer fans to root on "A-Rod" and our Green Bay Packers against the hated Viqueens on Monday Night Football!

GO PACK GO!

In the Name of Kit Kats...

2008-07-06T11:57:00.003-06:00

Earlier this morning, an opportunity presented itself to me... an opportunity whereby I might procure myself a handsome reward; one replete with treats, Kit Kats and other delectable edibles. So in order to put myself in the most prodigious position possible, here is my response to Belle Ma's Challenge from earlier today....

10 Years Ago: Dad had just ordained me a deacon and bestowed upon me the Aaronic Priesthood. This occasion launched me into several years of priesthood lessons, home-teaching visits, passing and preparing the Sacrament and carefully watching the examples of my Dad and older brothers who honored the Priesthood. This was the mighty kick-start of my own personal testimony, one I could call my own rather than my parents'.

5 Years Ago: Aotearoa. The Land of the Long White Cloud. Loving life in NZ with Mum and Dad, I had finally grown comfortable living among the Kiwis, to the point of almost not wanting to comeback. (I say almost because no matter how breathtaking the landscape or how many fun things there are to do there, nothing beats the beauty and excitement of Lambeau Field on a Sunday afternoon...)

It was around this time that I really figured out that I wanted to go on a mission. Granted, I always knew that I was going to go, but it took living in the NZWM for me to really begin to grasp what missionary work was all about. These experiences proved invaluable while serving up in the Great White North.

One Year Ago: Megs had just come back from her mish and by happenstance, we started spending time together. It took me all-of-about-five-minutes to fall in love with her the first time I saw her, and only 3 weeks of dating to decide that we should get married!

...and oh yes, I almost forgot. I just about gave everyone in my family a heart attack by sending "The Video" to everyone so they could see my Megs for the first time...

2 Days Ago: Megs and I walked to see the Provo Parade in the morning, then went up the canyon to a park for an Independence Day picnic. I introduced Megs' family to brats and sauerkraut (the Official tailgating food of the Green Bay Packers) and then played around with pyrotechnics.

We were going to watch Saving Private Ryan (my favorite movie of all-time, starring my favorite actor of all-time) but we were pooped from all the festivities and called it a day.

God Bless America.

Yesterday: Megs and I spent the morning lounging around, after which she had to go to work. As I didn't I lounged some more. After Megs got off work, we shot up to the SLC to watch a Bees baseball game with some of our friends (Craig & Angee, Marcus & Liz) and stayed after for a sweet fireworks show...

(which just so happened to rain down hot ambers and ash all over us. I'm thinking about writing a screenplay about it actually, Mount St. Helen's II: Ash in the Outfield)

Today: Woke up early for 8:30 church (can't wait for football season!) and came home to find Belle Ma's Challenge... beckoning me to reply.

I must admit my mistake however, one that I realized only upon writing this short, sporadic memoir. I wrote this initially only for the promised reward to those who replied, and in the course of organizing my experiences, my thoughts turned away from the Kit Kats that I so salivatically anticipated, to the life that I have lived, and all those who have made it so wonderful and worth living. So thanks for the challenge Belle Ma, this was really fun and I enjoyed reminiscing with all of you of just a handful of events from the past few years of my life.

That said... Bring on the Kit Kats.

6 Months Down, Eternity to Go!

2008-06-27T20:54:00.002-06:00

Happy 6 Month Anniversary Wifey! On this day 6 short months ago, Megs and I tied the knot in Holy Matrimony, and since then life has been nothing but bliss! Thanks to my sweety, life has never been so good... and will only continue to get better! I Love You Megs!

Not only is today the 6 month mark of my husbandhood, but today also marks two years since I've been home from my mission. Wow, a whole mission since my mission! My mission was the best two years of my life... until these past two. :) Yeah so maybe the first 6-months-to-a-year was a little shaky, but thanks to Megs and a great 2007 Packers season, I can proudly say that life only gets better as it goes on!

Of course there are plenty of things that aren't right in life, whether they be of my own fault or just by happenstance. But something I've learned from Megs more than almost anything, is that all the negatives, struggles and hardships in life could never shroud the light of the best things I have, my God, my wife, my faith. I am so blessed.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane!... No really, it's a Birdie!

2008-06-19T21:46:00.006-06:00

I went golfing today with B Gomer (my bro-in-law-in-law) and HB (my Uncle-in-law) for the third time in as many weeks. The first two times, Brig and I played pretty equally, both shooting around 49 or 50 on 9 holes, nothing too spectacular, while HB rocked us by shooting in the low 40s, something I had never accomplished.

You see, I have always loved the game of golf, both playing and watching, but have never really caught on. Last summer, I played a bit but could never break 50 on 9 holes (terrible I know...) I've been a lot more dedicated this year, playing at least twice a week, thanks to HB's connections and Belle Ma's generosity (she got me a golf pass), and as you can see in the sidebar to the right, I've been playing considerably better this summer, and have yet to post a 9-hole score of worse than 50.

So 3 weeks ago when we started playing, my lofty goal was to somehow match HB's score before the end of summer, and lo and behold, my prayers have been answered!

As you can plainly see, my 43 tied HB's score and I even beat him on the back 9 today too! That 43 is 3 strokes better than my previous best of 46 I shot a couple weeks ago. Needless to say, I'm extremely pleased! You can also see that B Gomer shot a 39, his personal best as well... Congrats Bro!

Lastly, you might notice the circle around the 3 on my third hole. What does that mean you might ask?

Well Bird's the Word baby, cuz it's a Birdie!

I'm not sure if it's the first birdie of my life, but if it isn't, it's likely the second. It came on a short par 4 where I put my 170-yard approach shot about 4 feet from the cup, and holed-in from there.

And yes, I fist-pumped just like Tiger.

Happy Dad's Day!

2008-06-15T14:54:00.002-06:00

I have only 4 words to say to my Dad on this Fathers' Day...

Thanks, I love you.

Thanks for all the things you gave me and all the times you were there for me. For every basketball game you showed up to and football game you watched with me. For every work meeting you left early and all the personal time you neglected in order to not neglect me. For every bite of food I ate and thread of clothing I wore, for every fun family trip and sports team I wanted to play for... Thanks.

I love you for all the lessons you taught me and the example you set for me. For teaching me about the Gospel and then showing me how to live it. For teaching me the importance of family and then always being there for us... I love you.

You made me feel that there was nothing I couldn't accomplish, and always supported and enabled me in whatever endeavor I was interested in. You never treated Mum as anyone other than the angel she is, and never acted unlike the loving Dad I know you as.

You Dad, are my hero.

Of course, how can I write on Fathers' Day without giving a shout-out to my great Father Sir.

Since the beginning of my courtship with Megs, Father Sir has been nothing but accepting and loving towards me, before AND after getting to know me. Even after learning of my "Macness deficiency", he still tolerates my "blue-screen-of-deathness".

Thanks for taking it easy on me when I asked for Megs' hand, and for what will go down as the greatest wedding of all-time. (Seriously everybody... you know you're jealous) Who knows, maybe someday I'll learn to surf the web more creatively and I'll buy some Alan Parsons albums.

To my Dads, of all the things to say and everything that you mean to me, the only thing that comes to mind remains simply...

Thanks, I love you.

A Birthday to Remember

2008-06-10T21:09:00.003-06:00

It's official, I'm now 22 and no longer a "rookie" adult... No more excuses of being new to this "adulthood thing". I feel like Frederick Fleet, you know the guy who manned the crow's nest of the Titanic, who uttered the fateful words, "Iceberg Ahead!" Only in my direction, the word iceberg is replaced with real life. Just as well. I said this same thing when I left home for college, when I left college for my mission, when I left my mission for home, when I left home for college again and when I left bachelorhood for Meghan. Since "the grass has been greener" every step of the way so far, I'm hoping for that trend to continue...

I won't be giving the play-by-play of our (I'll never be able to just say my ever again) birthday celebration as that's already been done, but since my final birthday present came in the mail today, I figured that I should share it with all of you...

Behold, an authentic Brett Favre jersey!

Isn't it just absolutely gorgeous?!?!

All the numbers and lettering are beautifully stitched on, including the Lambeau Field 50th Anniversary Patch that the Packers wore at home this past season. Lust, love, whatever you want to call it, I absolutely, positively adore this jersey and almost had to call in sick to work today as I didn't want to take it off. And who got this fine piece of authentic NFL equipment for me?... Why only someone even more beautiful and gorgeous than my jersey!!!

My Megs. How I love her...

Now the buck doesn't stop there either... Not only did she get me this jersey-of-all-jerseys, but with it, she included 2 tickets to the Packers-49ers pre-season game in San Fran this August!

Heck Yes!

We are SO excited to go, I've already been coming up with all the things I'm going to yell to my favorite players...

"Hey Donald! Lemme see that First-Down shimmy of yours!"
(video: #80 Donald Driver, dance after catch)

"Hey Greg! Go deep baby!"
(video: #85 Greg Jennings, game-winning catch)

"Yo Al! Lock 'em down boy!"
(video: #31 Al Harris, bottom of screen)

"Hey Brett! Throw a TD pass for me!"... Oh wait. (tears... tears...)

"I mean hey A-Rod! YOU throw one!"
(video: #12 Aaron Rodgers, the future is now!)

Oh boy, I'm already like a little boy in a candy store, even though the game is still 2 months and 800 miles away... We'll be making a weekend of it and can't wait to "leave our hearts" in 'Frisco for a couple days!

In retrospect, the whole double-birthday thing is awesome. Megs is right, it does feel like Christmas, and there's no one else in the world that I'd rather share every, single birthday with for the rest of my life, than my sweet, sweet Megs!

Look out real life, Kodison has arrived! ...Again

Happy Birfday Betty!

2008-06-04T11:29:00.003-06:00

On this, the 4th of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand and eight, we celebrate the birth of my Betty (some of you may know her as Megs), one of the greatest gifts that a loving God has blessed me with. To commemorate this, her 24th (oops, she told me to say 20th... my bad) birthday, here are 24 reasons why I wuv my Megs...

(in no particular order)

24. Because she plays the piano real well and fills our house with pretty music
23. Because she's not afraid to play sports with me; nor kick my butt at most of them either!
22. Because she laughs at my bad jokes... most of the time.
21. Because even while she lets me have my vices (Madden), she's a penny-pincher and helps us save money... except when at the mall ;)
20. Because she loves her family and makes sure to stay close to them.
19. Because she loves my family, even though she'd only met Kayci and the Parentals before the wedding.
18. Because she loves polka-dots and buttons and she's way good at crafty stuff.
17. Because she's an amazing cook. Before we got married, she "warned" me that I shouldn't expect much in that department. Well, 5-plus months of chicken pillows, lasagna, fried pasta, porcupine meatballs, jalapenos rellanos, enchiladas, cheese broccoli and orange chicken later... I am a fat man :)
16. Because she speaks French and totally knows what I'm talking about when I bring up stories about my mission.
15. Because her laugh is the cutest noise in the world. I can't explain through text, but if you've heard it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
14. Because she can make a house/apartment look awesome. Our place rocks, and it's all because she knows how to put a home together.
13. Because she makes me laugh. Betty, you're hilarious... especially when you aren't trying to be <3
12. Because not only does she understand me, she's understanding.
11. Because she loves football and genuinely gets into it with me... (more to come on this later)
10. Because she's accomplishing things in life. School, work, church, hobbies and crafts... She's going somewhere good and taking me with.
9. Because she forgives me of my shortcomings and looks past them towards the few things I do well.
8. Because she loves God, the Savior and the Gospel... and makes sure that I do too ;)
7. Because she shows she really cares about me and always gives me her best.
6. Because she wants to have kids and thanks to her, they should be pretty cute.
5. Because she breaks my heart with her tears, and then melts it back together again with her smiles.
4. Because she loves the Packers and Brett Favre. (This of course is separate and much more important than #11)
3. Because she is the most wonderful person I've ever met. Only Mum and Belle Ma can even compete with her when speaking of someone so kind, loving, sweet, gentile and caring. She is my angel.
2. Because she loves me and lets me know it hundreds of times everyday.
1. Because she's my wife, sent straight from Heaven.

Happy Birthday Megs... I Love You.

Now where's the cake and ice cream?

Church Talks & Time

2008-05-31T19:59:00.005-06:00

Megs and I had the privilege of giving talks in church a couple weeks ago, and while it had been some time since either of us had spoke, we shook off the rust and gave absolutely stellar discourses. What did we speak on? Megs went first and gave one of the best talks I have ever heard on the subject of prayer.

Now we all know that regardless of how she did, good or bad, in order to be politically correct (and to avoid sleeping in the shed**) I would always say that she did great, but believe this time...

She Rocked.

I mean seriously, as far as rocking goes, Celine Dion ain't got nothing on her... wait...

nevermind.

Anyway, she truly did an awesome job and I was really proud of her. She spoke a bit about the praying process that we went through together when deciding to get married and was SO sweet about it. I love my Megs.

Which leaves me and my talk. So if Megs spoke about prayer, what was my talk on? Naturally, the NFL Draft.

Yes, this NFL Draft...

That's right, no cheesy punchline, no second part to the joke... I'm dead serious, I really gave a talk in church about the NFL Draft. And what makes it even better?...

It was awesome!

Don't worry, I mixed in some scriptures and a few thoughts that were a bit more gospel-centric as well, but it was definitely my comments about the Draft that put it over the top. Just ask BelleMa... she was there and she loved it. :)

Now as great as our talks were, it was a separate announcement given by the bishopric that made the day truly special...

Megs and I were sitting on the stand, waiting to give our talks when one of the Bishop's counselors got up and said the following:

"We would like to let you all know, that as of the first Sunday in June, our Sunday meetings will start at 8:30 am."

As I sat there in shock, my heart rate picked-up and a smile of disbelief and excitement grew across my face. With so many people in the congregation groaning and complaining about the early start, why was I the only happy, nay, ecstatic one about this new time slot? Because the following was the only thing going through my mind...

SUN, SEP 7
Tampa Bay at New Orleans 1:00 PM
St. Louis at Philadelphia 1:00 PM
NY Jets at Miami 1:00 PM
Kansas City at New England 1:00 PM
Houston at Pittsburgh 1:00 PM
Cincinnati at Baltimore 1:00 PM
Detroit at Atlanta 1:00 PM
Seattle at Buffalo 1:00 PM
Jacksonville at Tennessee 1:00 PM

These are the first games played in the 1st week of the upcoming NFL Season. Note the times of the games in bold. Since these times are Eastern, that means that with our new church time, we'll get home 30 minutes after the first round of games start, just enough time to Tivo the games and be caught up by the end of the first quarter! In Other Words... No more taping and/or missing all the games every week!

Needless to say, my smile was 100 yards wide :)

**Note: Per my reference to sleeping in the shed. One might wonder why I didn't allude to the "proverbial couch" that we're all familiar with. You see, some time ago, Megs discovered that due to the fact that the TV, ESPN and Playstation are directly in front of the "proverbial couch", such a punishment as to banish one's husband to sleep on said couch wouldn't end up being much of a punishment at all, whereas banishing one's husband to sleep out in the cold-dark-damp-shed-with-tons-of-creepy-crawlies-that-freak-out-one's-husband-to-no-end would serve as more appropriate chastisement, thus providing the aforementioned husband greater incentive to treat his wife nicer and buy her more clothes and shoes.

Happy Birth-Givers' Day!

2008-05-11T09:55:00.010-06:00

On this Mothers' Day I wish to shout out thanks and love to all the mothers in my life, starting with my very own Mum!

As you can see from this photo, I get much of my humor, wit and charm from my Mom. Through all the years, I get glimpses of who my Mother truly is and what she's done and still does for me. But even as I try to put all the pieces together, the full picture of my Mum never seems to come totally clear into view. She is all and more of everything that any woman should ever try to be, and I know of at least 7 other first-hand witnesses who would vouch for her.

So to my Angel Mother who gave birth to this boy...

and helped him become who he is today (which is pretty much just a taller version)...

I love you Mum.

Also I mustn't forget my other wonderful Mom, Belle Ma.

Megs' mumsie has been an absolute angel to me since "tying the knot" with my little Megs. Not only does she take me off Megs' hands when I'm driving my wife crazy, but she takes such great care of me and treats me like her own.

Je t'aime Belle Ma.

I have always been cognisant of my insufficient abilities to relate to mothers in any way or through any medium of comparison. However as I grow older, I find that my inadequate understanding of mothers becomes more and more wanting every year. I don't understand all that mothers do, nor do I get how they do it. But everytime I think about it, I realize that's the way it should be.

Because that's how great true Mothers are.

Ps. Mum, don't forget to re-wrap your Mothers' Day present and then act surprised when you open it up again... :)

Favre's on Letterman, and In The Game!

2008-04-30T20:07:00.002-06:00

Last Thursday night, Brett made an appearance on the the Late Show with Dave Letterman on CBS. It was awesome! Here's his interview in case you missed it!

Was that the best Late Show or what?!?! Shucks I sure do love that guy. And in case you missed it, at the end of the clip, Letterman showed the cover for the new Madden NFL 09 video game with Brett Favre as the cover athlete! What an awesome tribute to a true legend of the game.

Here's an interview that IGN.com (a video game website) had with Brett...

And for good measure, the first gameplay video of Madden 09, which ends with Brett throwing a touchdown! (Could it really end any other way? I mean honestly...)

If I can't watch Brett play anymore, I'll at least get to play as him on Madden! The game comes out August 12th, so let the countdown begin!!

Finals or Kodison's Parenting Skills... Which are worse?

2008-04-20T11:09:00.003-06:00

A family-friend of Megs' went out of town for a few days last week, and asked us to house sit for them while they were four-wheeling in Moab. They have four kids, but the only two that we really had to be mindful of was their 12 year-old son and 10 year-old daughter. By the time we came home Saturday night after the parents came back, I was pooped. Props to you Mom and Dad. I don't know how you did it for all those years; and for all the late nights, laundry and who-knows-what-else...

I'm so sorry.

Granted, while sometimes in the heat of the moment I thought to myself "whoa, I'm not ready for parenthood", it was really a piece-of-cake as the kids were all pretty chill and fun, especially when compared to what us eight kids (myself being public enemy no. 1) put Mom and Dad through. Again...

I'm so sorry.

With the end of our house-sitting excursion comes the start of a more-stressful and yes, time-consuming challenge... Finals Week. I took my first final yesterday (Statistics for Economists) and it was rough. I think I did pretty well, but I sure had to earn it. I decided to take a break from my studying today to blog and refresh my mind for my exam today and my three final finals tomorrow. Hopefully I'll "Be Like Mike" and come through in the clutch to rally all of those exams to finish the semester.

As most of you have been through final exams in the past or present and many of you have witnessed my parenting-skills (or lack thereof), I'll let you be the judge...

What are worse, Finals or Kodison's Parenting Skills?

I might call it a draw for now, but check back with me tomorrow night after 9 straight hours of exams and I'm sure I'll have a sharply jaded opinion on the matter.

It's Baseball Season... Without the Baseball Weather!

2008-03-30T15:35:00.005-06:00

While April is only a couple days away, baseball is officially here! In honor of "baseball's New Year", I decided to revamp my blog in hopes of cheering on the Brewers to the playoffs in '08.

While I am a huge baseball fan, along with Megs (she will be, trust me), it appears that Mother Nature isn't so fond of the diamond as we are. As we woke this morning on baseball's opening day, we were greeted by none-other than....

...3 inches of snow!!!!

Yes you read that correctly. After nearly two weeks of highs in the 50s and 60s, Mother Nature has decided that winter isn't over yet. Not to fear though, I'll be out this afternoon clearing the base-paths with my snow shovel and Megs will be at the store buying peanuts and cracker-jacks!

Madness in March!

2008-03-17T20:11:00.004-06:00

Now that mid-March has arrived and the basketball brackets are set, it's finally time to move-on past football (until the draft on April 26th) and enjoy the spectacle that is March Madness! So in honor of the Big Ten Champion Badger Basketball team, I've re-worked my blog to root on Bucky! (It'll be changing again immediately after the tourney, so stay tuned...)

In the process of banging my head against the wall and splitting hairs, trying to figure out how to fill out my bracket of predictions for the tournament, (be sure to fill out your brackets ASAP!) I came across some interesting economic developments in regard to the tourney. FoxNews.com is reporting an estimate, made by the outplacement consultancy firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, that American companies could lose upwards of $4 billion... yes, you read that right, billion. The first thing that came to mind when I read that was simply,...

God Bless America.

Seriously, where else in the world do we have the luxury of neglecting our work to fill out brackets, organize office pools, collect dues, track scores, watch streaming live video of games online, root for upsets and trash-talk your co-workers, all to the tune of several billion dollars?! And do you think the websites and media conglomorates that are peddling this 3 week recession are ashamed of the economic burden that they impose upon unknowning firms across the country??

Heck no.

Both ESPN and cbssports.com have so-called "boss buttons" that you can click to instantly change your screen from the tournament bracket or video, to faux-spreadsheets and reports, thus doping your employer into thinking that you're working, when really, he's paying you to prognosticate the Final Four!

As an economics major, one might wonder how I feel about this. You see, economics isn't expressly about having the most wealth, assets, or even the highest GDP, it's all about human utility. Whatever raises your utility (level of happiness and satisfaction in life) is what we economists really want... (which by-the-way often tends to be based around one's level of wealth or a nation's GDP). So, if the benefits of March Madness (in terms of our own personal utility) outweigh the costs of lost time and wages (I feel that they do), then by all means, let the Madness begin!

Permit me thus to conclude with one simple nugget of insight into this world of Sweet 16s, Elite Eights and Final Fours, Never pick the 16-seeds.

And oh yeah... God Bless America.

A New Era Begins...

2008-03-13T22:23:00.003-06:00

As a final postlude to my Brett Favre tribute, it's now time to recognize that the future is now, and our future lies with Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers, a 3-year backup, to whom all of Packer-Nation now looks to lead us to victory. Rodgers was drafted 24th in the 1st round of the 2005 Draft and now has the heavy responsibility of filling the shoes of one of the game's all-time greats...

Good Luck.

However, Packers fans shouldn't lose all hope, as Rodgers has not-only shown plenty of promise in the limited playing time he's had, but he seems also to have the confidence of his teammates that he's the right man for the job. Here's what Brett Favre himself had to say about the "Young Gun", Aaron Rodgers...

So without further ado, I present to you, the new starting QB of the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers!

While Brett will be sorely missed by us all, I find myself surprisingly excited to see what Rodgers will bring to the table and confident that he can lead us back to the playoffs in '08! Let's all rally behind the guy as we usher in what will be another great era of Packers football!

But as one last farewell, before we officially part ways and move on from this Favre tribute on my blog, I'd like to share two last video clips of the great #4.

First, SportsCenter recap of Brett Favre and the Packers 2007 Season...

And lastly, a tribute to Brett not only from us, but also from several of the greatest athletes of all-time, showing their respect to the man who lined-up under center for the Green-and-Gold for 16 straight years, comprising 275 consecutive games. The one, the only, the timeless, Brett Favre.

Goodbye Brett Favre, Hello Aaron Rodgers...

Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... Part IV

2008-03-08T20:36:00.003-07:00

For the final edition of my critically-acclaimed series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4..., I chose to save the best for last. In today's post, we'll look back at some of Favre's greatest achievements and performances, those that set his career apart as being the greatest quarterback of all time.

~One, Two, Three-Time MVP: From 1995 to 1997, Brett set the standard for all future pros who hoped to be the best, as he was crowned the NFL MVP for three consecutive seasons, becoming the only player ever to win the award three times. As he retires this year, Favre remains the only three-time NFL MVP.

~The Touchdown King, September 30, 2007: Mid-way through the first quarter against the Vikings on the road, Favre lead the Packers down the field, to a 3rd and 7, at the Vikings' 17-yd line. Coming out in a shotgun-spread formation, Favre saw single, man-to-man coverage across the field and used his 17 years of experience to call out an audible to take advantage of the situation. Brett dropped back to pass and hit Greg Jennings on a slant-route over the middle for his 421st career touchdown pass, making him the all-time NFL career touchdown passing leader. Congrats Brett!

~Super Bowl Champions: Lead by NFL MVP Brett Favre, the Packers rolled through the regular season (13-3) and playoffs on the way to Green Bay's first Super Bowl appearance in thirty years. The Packers got on the board first as Favre threw a 54-yd touchdown pass on only the Packers' second offensive play. They never looked back. Though kick-returner Desmond Howard was named the Super Bowl MVP, Brett put together an MVP-worthy performance throwing for 246 and 3 total touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing). Favre had led the Packers back to the top of the NFL, and brought the Lombardi Trophy home to Titletown for the first time since Lombardi himself paced the Packers' sideline. Thus cementing his place in history among the Packer greats.

~Thanks for the Memories: After 17 seasons in the NFL, 3 league MVPs, 1 Super Bowl win, 275 consecutive starts as well as every signifcant career passing record, Brett Favre retired from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL, ending his legendary career. On March 6, 2008, Brett appeared in a news conference in Green Bay, WI to announce and discuss his retirement from the game. He was true to himself to the end, and in what may have been the greatest, most emotional retirement news conference of all-time, no. 4 left the game in true Favre-fashion.

I watched this news conference live, struggling to control my emotions as I watched my favorite athlete of all-time walk away from the game I love. My favorite quote from his news conference was "I hope that every penny that the Green Bay Packers spent on me... that they feel was money well spent." Well Brett, I've got news for you. Your money will never be any good in Wisconsin, because we'll be forever indebted to you.

Bonus Materials

This past year, Sports Illustrated named Brett the 2007 Sportsman of the Year. This illustrious award, which has been given out to other athletes such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong (here's the list), celebrated Favre not only for his amazing accomplishments on the field, but also his exceptional character and selfless contributions to others and the community.

~My favorite play from the 2007 Packers season: Tied 13-13, on the first play of overtime on Monday Night Football against the Broncos, Favre bombed a perfectly thrown 82-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings to cap one of Brett Favre's most memorable MNF performances and a 19-13 Packers' win.

So there you have it, Kodison's tribute to the greatest player of all-time. I hope that you've enjoyed reading Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let us never forget the fun and the memories we have of watching this great man play the game we all love. He played football the way it was meant to be played, and we loved watching him lead our favorite team every weekend. As much as I will miss him, I'm thankful to have witnessed his career, and for all the priceless memories that I'll pass-down to my children.

As I run out of superlatives and ways to describe his Hall-of-Fame career, it becomes difficult to describe my emotions towards my favorite athlete in history. So to finish this tribute, there's really only one thing left to say...

Thank you Brett.

Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... Part III

2008-03-07T16:37:00.013-07:00

For this third installment of my future award-winning series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4..., I felt that it was important to include some of the more fun memories that I have of Brett's career, even those that aren't directly related to throwing touchdowns on the field. Plus, at the end of this post, I included some bonus clips to thank you for reading and to entice you to come back tomorrow for the series finale.

~Up Top Ref!: With the Packers winning 14-3 over Detroit in week 17 this past December, Favre rolled right and threw a strike to Bubba Franks in the front of the endzone for his second touchdown pass of the day. Running off the field after the play, Favre had some fun with the referee in front of the Packers' bench before joining the rest of his teammates on the sideline.

~Brett the Business Man: Recently Brett was ranked as the 10th most marketable figure in sports (2nd in the NFL behind Peyton Manning), and he's got the commercials to prove it. Here's one of my favorites...

~Trash Talkin': Favre was always known for his smiles and light-minded trash talk with opposing players as well as his teammates. While this entry doesn't specify one distinct moment, I felt it appropriate to include this video, as so many of our favorite Favre moments have to do with his fun-loving, entertaining style of football. :)

~Favre Magic: The Packers dismantled the Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Playoffs this past January in what was a typical Wisconsin snowstorm. As the field turned white and snow filled the air, Favre led the Packers back from an early 14-0 deficit to rout Seattle 42-20. Known for his magical plays and circus throws, late in the 1st half, Favre pulled another trick out from his sleeve to convert a crucial third-down, which led to a Green Bay touchdown, one that would propel the Packers to the NFC Championship Game.

After watching these clips, it's hard to imagine anyone having more fun playing the game of football, nor anyone that's more fun to watch playing it, than our own Brett Favre.

Bonus Materials

I included Favre's first real playing time as a Packer in yesterday's post, and I found a couple post-game interviews the Brett gave immediately after the game. Knowing what we know now, they're pretty fun to watch.

Favre Interview #1

Favre Interview #2

Do you know how Brett did the very next game in his first career start? Here's the game recap from that match-up against the Steelers. What a performance he gave in his first start, which began his record-setting streak of 275 straight games.

Game Recap

And last but not least, as another example of Favre's fun-loving demeanor, here's a video clip taken from Halloween in 1995, when Brett, along with teammates Don Beebe and Frank Winters, disguised themselves and went Trick-or-Treating to Coach Mike Holmgren's house. (I think there ended up being more tricks than treats...)

Trick-or-Treating

Be sure to log on again tomorrow for the final installment of my Brett Favre tribute series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4...

Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... Part II

2008-03-06T22:32:00.002-07:00

In my second installment of Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4..., I'll continue to examine four more of my favorite memories from Brett Favre's career. Again, these come in no particular order, so just enjoy them as they come! Also, feel free to leave comments at the end of this post, sharing some of your thoughts on these memories, or go ahead and share some of your favorite Favre moments too!

~He Did What?!?!: On November 6, 2000, the Packers played host to the rival Vikings on Monday Night Football. The hard-fought game went back-and-forth, and at the end of regulation was tied 20-20. With the Packers driving in overtime, Favre lofted up a pass to favorite wideout Antonio Freeman on a deep fade route to the sideline. After the defender tipped the ball in the air, Freeman fell down and tipped the ball several times while on the ground. Once he had the ball in his grasp, Freeman got up and sprinted past the confused Vikings defenders into the endzone for a miraculous 26-20 Packers' win.

~The Winning Tradition: Trailing the Lions 24-21 with less than a minute to play in the 1994 NFC Wild Card playoffs, Favre connected on one of his classic deep-bombs to Sterling Sharpe to lift the Packers to their first playoff win in 11 years. Favre had returned a winning tradition to Green Bay.

~Brett Goes the Distance: Playing in Chicago against the Bears on September 11, 1995, with the Green Bay offense backed-up to their own one yard-line midway through the second quarter, Brett launched a perfectly placed pass to Robert Brooks who tip-toed down the sideline for a 99 yard touchdown, only the 8th 99 yard pass in NFL history. The Packers would go on to win 27-24 and Favre finished with 312 passing yards and 3 touchdowns to notch yet another spectacular primetime performance on Monday Night Football. (Sorry, I couldn't find any good clips of this...)

~Playing for Dad: The day after his father Irv died of a tragic heart-attack, Brett put together one of the most memorable Monday Night Football performances in history. With his wife Deanna, along with the entire nation looking on, Favre threw for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns. His near perfect game was not only one of his best statistically, but this emotionally-charged feat would define him for the rest of his career as he overcame trial after trial in his life.

As shown in this post, as well as the final two installations to come, Brett Favre was consistently one of the best clutch players in football. Whether it was on the national stage of Monday Night Football, or late in the fourth quarter or overtime, Packers fans always felt that if only we could give Brett the ball, he would come through when it matters most and Brett delivered, almost every time. Be sure to tune in tomorrow to see what four Favre moments made the list next!

Favorite Favre Moments : Four Days of #4... Part I

2008-03-05T23:55:00.005-07:00

The first installation of a four-part series, documenting 16 of my favorite moments from Brett Favre's legendary career. Note that these moments do not come in any specific order.

~Favre's First Pass: Where else to start this list but at the beginning of Brett's illustrious career? His first pass attempt in the National Football League came during his rookie season in 1991 while playing for the Atlanta Falcons. His first pass in the NFL was tipped and intercepted, then promptly returned for a touchdown by the other team. A fitting beginning to his gunslinger career.

~Favre's First Completion: After spending only a year with the Falcons, and attempting 4 passes (resulting in two interceptions and zero completions), Favre threw his first complete pass in the NFL as a Green Bay Packer. Who was on the receiving end of this historic throw?... Himself.

~Head-first into the Playoffs: On Dec 18, with the 1994 season coming to a close, the Packers desperately needed a win to keep their hopes alive to make the playoffs. Favre orchestrated one of his signature, late fourth-quarter drives and scored while diving into the endzone from nine yards out, with only 14 seconds remaining on the clock. The Packers would go on to win 21-17 and not only would Green Bay make the playoffs that year, but Favre cemented his status as one of the toughest players in the NFL.

~The Legend is Born, September 20, 1992: Coming off the bench for the injured Don "Majik Man" Majkowski, Favre saw his first meaningful minutes as a Packer, and he would make the most of them. Entering the game midway through the fourth quarter with the Packers down 20-10, Favre directed an 88 yard TD drive, including a perfectly thrown 35 yd TD pass to Kintrick Taylor with 13 seconds left to cap off a game-winning drive and propel the Packers to an unprobable 24-23 comeback victory. Brett started the following week... and every game since.

Log on tomorrow to see the next four moments in the 2nd installment of my series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4...

A Day That Will Live in Infamy...

2008-03-04T23:42:00.005-07:00

On this day, March 4th, 2008, the greatest quarterback in the history of the Green Bay Packers organization and possibly the National Football League, Brett Favre, at age 38 is finally walking away from the game of football, ending his streak of 253 consecutive starts.

After 17 seasons, 160 regular season wins as a starter, 442 passing TDs, 61,655 passing yards, 5 league MVPs and one Super Bowl win, Brett is taking his all-time record-breaking career and riding off into the sunset.

I grew up watching this man play the game I love in a way that displayed his undying love for the game as well. His fun-loving demeanor attracted friend and foe alike, his charisma and down-to-earth attitude was familiar to thousands of fans across the country, and his winner-take-all, gunslinger mentality produced the better part of two decades of winning football in Green Bay, WI.

Forever known as the NFL's Ironman, Favre will go down in history as one of the toughest and fiercest competitors professional football has ever known. His talent, humor, personality, leadership, desire and unique style and flair made him one of the most beloved players in NFL history.

While many across America were shocked upon hearing the news of Favre's retirement, I was simply heartbroken. The man to whom I owe my fanhood was retiring from the game I love, and walking away from the team I . So, as a tribute to my favorite athlete of all-time, and in honor of the Great #4, I'll be posting four of my favorite Favre memories everyday for the next 4 days.

Upon reading the news early this morning and hopelessly attempting to come-to-grips with a world without Favre, I did the only thing that made sense, the only thing that a tough guy or real ironman could do... I cried.

Please come back Brett, we love you.

Loving the Playoffs!

2008-01-19T14:30:00.001-07:00

*Disclaimer: This post is written in strictly football terms. The following comments are not to be confused or compared with other life experiences regarding familial or religious events (ie. wedding, family reunions, baptism, mission, etc.) If any offense is taken by the reader in response to the content of this post, the responsibility and liability of such offense lies strictly with said reader and the author is in noway held accountable.

The past couple weeks have been the most exciting of what has turned out to be the best year* in recent memory. After two years of missing the playoffs, not only have the young Packers team made the post-season with an impressive 13-3 record, but after beating Seattle last Saturday, will be hosting the Giants in the NFC Championship Game with a trip to Glendale, AZ for Super Bowl XLII on the line. Other than the obvious significance of this contest, why am I writing about this you ask? Well simply because for the past several weeks, our house has been a non-stop Packers Playoff Party! (3Ps= Packer Playoff Parties)

For last Saturday's game, we invited over several of our friends and we all piled down in front of the TV with chips & dip, jalepeno poppers, pizza and soda to watch the Packers come back from an early 14-0 deficit to dismantle the Seahawks 42-20. Watching the Packers roll in the blizzard that covered Lambeau Field was the most fun I think I've ever had watching a football game. (Qualification: Super Bowl XXXI was not just a football game, therefore the previous statement still holds true)

So in preparation for the game and our friends coming over, we lightly decorated the house in Packers paraphernalia. Here are several pictures to illustrate just a few examples...

Upon coming up the steps to the house, at the front door you're warmly greeted in the window by an original Super Bowl XXXI Title Towel. The Packers were crowned World Champions a short 11 years ago, and this Title Towel inspires those who enter as they watch the Packers' return to glory.

You'll also notice the little Packers football on the door handle. Cheeseheads Enter! Bears Fans Beware! (and this week, Giants Fans Go Home!)

Upon entering our humble abode, first off you'll see our stuffed Packers helmet hanging from the ceiling fan...

Followed by the 12 miniature plastic Packers helmets lined up in front of the TV. (Gotta love that guy on the screen... We love you Brett!)

You'll also see our replica Packers helmet and miniature '05 Packers Corvette (thanks Mum!) in the bookshelves on your way into the kitchen...

Where you'll find the Packers Kleenex box (that Dad found in an Albuquerque Walgreens of-all-places)...

The Packers magnets that Megs made all over the fridge...

The Packers chip & dip bowl from our fabulous Wisconsin sisters... (Thank you Kristi and Ali!)

And our Packers nite-lite, in case someone needs a midnight snack. (Thanks again Mum!)

Moving back into the living room, found on the couch is the grand-daddy of them all. The cream-of-the-crop, made by the apple-of-my-eye...

Go ahead and curl up in the sweetest* Christmas present I've ever had. That's right, for Christmas this past year, Megs made me (yeah, made) a Packers blanket. She bought the materials and over the course of several months, made it square-by-square. Here's a closer look...

Isn't that the coolest?!?! Isn't she the best?!?! I just about cried when she gave it to me...

So as you can see, when we sport our Favre jerseys and Packers apparel on gameday, our little house makes for quite the Packers Playoffs Party! We've decided to keep the decorations up everyday, in hopes that the good vibes felt here in our home can somehow permeate the sacred confines of Lambeau Field and help our boys in the Green and Gold punch their tickets to the Super Bowl! Go Packers! Beat those Giants!

A more complete collection of photos of our home can be seen here.

The One Thing Beer is Good For

2007-12-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

This has to be top-ten best commercials ever. I don't condone the consumption of alcohol and never will, but Heineken definitely deserves some props for this one...

My First Holy War

2007-12-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

I attended my first BYU-Utah football game last month, and beheld the Cougars' magical 17-10 win over the rival Utes. I wasn't sure what to expect from the game, but was certainly impressed with the emotion and competition both on and off the field.

Craig, Angee, Megs and I arrived at Lavell Edwards Stadium about two hours before kickoff. The air was cold and crisp but the bright sun livened up the day. Before the game started, I was worried that there would be an unpleasantly large contingent of Ewte fans there, but by the time kickoff arrived, the only red section large enough worth noting was the very top and extreme west portions of the north endzone. Other than that, Lavell Edwards was a sea of screamin' blue. A downpour of boos rained down on the Utes when they ran out on the field, I was surprised at how loud us Cougar fans really were... It was impressive. Right before kickoff, a few Utah players got in a small altercation with some Cougar fans in the front row of the north endzone. Mormon cuss-words abounded. I admit, I must've called atleast 200 Ute fans and players fetchers.

The game itself was a defensive battle, with BYU outplaying their Salt Lake counterparts, but unable to put many points on the board to open up a large lead. With the score 3-0 at half time and 9-3 in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, the Cougar faithful screamed at every snap, and yet an uneasy tension hung heavy in the air, knowing that our failing to get in the endzone might very well come back to bite us as the game progressed.

Sure enough in the final 4 minutes, Utah put together a long drive, converting on third-down time and time again (4 times) and scoring off right tackle from 3 yards out with only 1:34 to play to put Ewtah up 10-9. After the ensuing kickoff sailed out of the endzone, QB Max Hall fumbled on first down, but luckily didn't lose it. 2nd and 3rd downs ended with incompletions and we found ourselves with 4th and 18 on our own 12 yard line with barely a minute to play... Slowly, rising from the Cougar Student Section, first barely audible among the Utes fans' cheers, then suddenly deafening the chant...

B-Y-U!... B-Y-U!... B-Y-U!... B-Y-U!... B-Y-U!... B-Y-U!... B-Y-U!... B-Y-U!...

4th & 18, our own 12 yard line. Down 10-9 with a minute left to play... just watch the video.
(the 4th & 18 play is at 3:50)

Final, 17-10. Go Cougars!

A Dream Come True...

2007-11-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted a son (or several for that matter) to play football and be drafted in the NFL...

Megs and I can dream....
Credits to Belle-Maman for finding the video.

Ol' Man Winter's Still Got It

2007-11-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

The NFL just released the current Pro Bowl voting results for the 2008 Pro Bowl and guess who's in first place?... That's right, our own Brett Favre!

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/hashmarks/0-3-830/Favre-Leads-Pro-Bowl-Voting.html

How cool is that? At 38, he's still got what it takes to lead a winning team and make it to the Pro Bowl! The only question that remains is, How many times have YOU voted for him?

Click here to cast your vote to send Favre to the Pro Bowl one last time! And don't be bashful, you can vote as many times as you like! Go Packers!

Like Mother Like Daughter

2007-11-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

Megs and I were chatting online earlier today and had little talk that reminded me of a conversation that FFIL had with FMIL. And I quote from FFIL's "Phonetically Speaking" post (July 27, 2007)...

[Quote]
I received a phone call at work today.

So, I was thinking.

Yes.

Since, I'm about to turn 50 and my name has 5 letters in it, we can start to celebrate early. We can go out to eat each night at a restaurant that starts with the letters of my name. We'll start with "C" and we can go to Chili's. Then tomorrow we can go to Applebee's for "A", next would be Kneader's for "N"…

Excuse me. I hate to burst your bubble of excitement, but doesn't Kneader's start with a "K"?

Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong silence — like the "K".

I go on. You could change the spelling of your name. C-A-Kn-D-Y. The "K" could be silent.

Okay, forget it.
[End Quote]

So alas, here's the conversation that I had with Megs online today...

[Quote]

Meghan: hey what u.s state starts with an H?

me: hawaii, why?

Meghan: oh duh! I couldn't think of one

me: OH. MY. GOODNESS.

Meghan: LOL, all I could think of was new hampshire

me: ok then, name a state that starts with an r

Meghan: rhode island, YOU BUM. I promise you i'm not as dumb as you think i am

me: hehehehe just checking... ok now a state that starts with a p.

Meghan: philadelphia

me: yeah, philadelphia is a great state huh? that's where pittsburgh is isn't it? pittsburgh, philadelphia, right?

Meghan: me hate you

[End Quote]

Wow... the striking similarities :)

Flickin' with my Chick...

2007-10-27T17:17:00.000-06:00

Let me preface this post by saying that I'm in love with a certain female by the name of Megs and after her and The Truth, my true love is the manly game of football... I love action movies and sports movies and smart-action thrillers with twists and war movies.... So, with all that out of the way...

Meghan and I stopped by Hollywood Video last night on our way to Albertson's to buy our Pack-o-Lantern (refer to Megs' last post) and we rented 3 movies... One chick-flick for Meghan and then a couple movies that fall more into the category of action movies and sports movies and smart-action thrillers with twists and war movies. Through all my woeful past experiences with chick-flicks, involving, but not limited to, The Wedding Planner, My Best Friend's Wedding, Pretty in Pink, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton (which I was straight-up conned into watching in the theater... twice) as well as pretty much anything with Matthew McConaughey or Jennifer Lopez... or both, I have found only two that I even remotely enjoyed.

First, Notting Hill with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts was fairly entertaining... There was enough smart humor (uncommon for most chick-flicks) to watch occasionally... really occasionally...

And secondly of course is the only Staples Family Officially Approved Chick-Flick (SFOACF), French Kiss, with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. That movie is down-right hilarious and while Meg Ryan brings her own unique style and humor, Kevin Kline is absolutely hilarious while doing a spot-on impression of a Frenchman (Kary can attest to that).

Alas, back to last night. Meghan chose the Certified Chick-Flick (CCF) Music & Lyrics with Drew Barrymore and again, Hugh Grant. Hugh Grant plays a washed-up, 40-something recording artist who used to be a part of an 80's pop group. To make a long story short, Drew Barrymore comes into his life and they find ways to make each other's lives better, all-the-while falling in love. At the surface, it sounds like your typical don't-want-to-watch-it chick-flick, but... I can not tell a lie... I really liked it. Even with my unbridled dislike of Drew Barrymore, this movie still somehow "rocked the house" in my opinion. Now let's not get carried away, I wouldn't watch this movie every week, but I'd definitely watch it again because it was so funny.

Now that I think about it, I seem to have a slight affinity to the comedic style of Hugh Grant, as most chick-flicks I watch with him seem significantly funnier than most other "girly movies". This movie, Music & Lyrics, definitely gets off on the right foot, opening with a two and-a-half minute music video of Hugh's 80's band, Pop. I just about died laughing right from the get-go.

Here's the music video...

So there you have it, while Music & Lyrics doesn't join the ranks of French Kiss as a SFOACF, it might be in the ballpark, as I'd watch it again... just gimme a few weeks of football in between showings.

Tagged by the Blog

2007-09-29T17:46:00.000-06:00

In my relentless pursuit to humor my Belle Maman (FMIL), and in the everlasting, all-permeating spirit of 'tag', here I am, a tagged man.

Alas, on to my five-things-that-no-one-else-knows-and-there's-a-reason-for-that-
but-oh-well-here-goes-all-my-secrets-that-I-wanted-to-keep-secret.

1. I came home 'early' from my mission. This one always seems to heighten not-only the curiosity of those around, but often the tension that accompanies the conversation. When I was 16, my dad was called to serve as a mission president in the New Zealand Wellington Mission. Because he was still serving when I turned 18, I was able to enter the MTC a year early (a little-known church policy), just 19 days after my birthday. After serving the full two years, I came home, just 23 days after turning 20 years-old. For the next 12 months, I endured many blank stares and awkward pauses from many-a-person who asked me my age. Most of the conversations went like this:

them: Have you served a mission?
me: Yep.
them: So you're 21 then?
me: Nope. Just turned 20.
them: (pause)... oh, so are you sick?
me: Nope, healthy as a horse.
them: Are you going to go back out?
me: Nope.
them: uh... well, how about that weather recently? Mighty cold huh?

Now just because I didn't explain in detail the situation, doesn't mean that I was lying or misleading them... besides, anyone who'd judge someone else based on how much of their mission they served might deserve an emotional roller-coaster of their own. :)

2a. I have a Green Bay Packer tattoo on my upper-right shoulder. False. But if I got one, that's what it'd be.

2b. The Packers will win the Super Bowl this year. That's right, it's a secret no longer. Consider yourselves warned.

3. I thought Meghan was cute on the mission. I realize that there are certainly some parental-figures that likely would have preferred to not read that, but while it is true, let me explain myself. When she came into my district in Ottawa as a greenie, the first time I met her I thought to myself, "Whoa, Sister Walker is kinda cute." And that was it. Promise. I ended that whole train-of-thought right there and didn't let it go any further, until of course I saw her again here in Utah, when my thoughts quickly changed to "Wow, ok Sister (Meghan) Walker is a babe. I'm going for it." And wouldn't-ya-know... a few months later, she's gonna be Sister Staples... boo-yah.

4. I reached a decent age before I realized that Jefferson Starship sang "Marconi plays the mamba" and not "While Kody plays the mamba." So yeah, when I was but a lad, my older bro Kurt told me that he was friends with the lead singer and that he wrote "We Built This City on Rock and Roll" with them for me... I expect free, life-time medical attention for me and my entire progeny as recompense.

5. The best basketball game I ever played... was on Sunday. I was on my high school basketball team (I played shooting guard) and our school did a 'sports exchange' with another school in the region. (A sports exchange is basically where all the sports teams from one school travel to another school and play in every sport over the course of the weekend.) The sports exchange culminated in the last game, basketball, Sunday night. The entire student body of each school was in the gym to watch the game and the atmosphere was electric. My coach asked me to play and the temptation to play in front of such a huge crowd was too much for me... seven 3's and 31 points later, I won sports exchange MVP honors and was mobbed by hundreds of my peers... and felt absolutely terrible about it.

So there you go Belle Maman, you tagged me and here's my shout-out to you... And of course, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, so Megs, I now tag you! :)

The Return of the Prodigal Son

2007-09-18T16:39:00.000-06:00

That's right ladies and gents... your favorite blogger is back from his 45-day hiatus. What have I learned from my time out of the spotlight? My priorities.

What has happened in these past 45 days? Let us reflect; The summer school term ended, Megs and I traveled on down to the 505 so my parents and grandma could fall in love with her too, I moved, the NFL regular season started, as did the school fall semester. Now with all these things going on, not including church and work responsibilities, I've had to really juggle my time and energy with everything that's been happening. Now I'm not really a fan of quantifying such things, but I figure I'd objectively look at what I've been up to recently and try to put some things in order...

1a. Religion/Spirituality

1b. Megs/Family (One might wonder, why 1a and 1b? Well, I figure that it's impossible to serve one without serving the other. Notice however that Heavenly Father gets the edge here as 1a because well, he's God.) Note: All wedding preparations and such fall under this category, let's not get too specific.

2. Football I*. More specifically the NFL, but I'm down with all genres of God's Game. Go Pack Go. (*) refer to priority 7.

3a. School.

3b. School. (I have so much of it I thought it appropriate to put it twice.)

4. Fantasy Football, yeah it's that important.

5. ESPN.com

6. Work, blah.

7. Football II. *There are two types, (I) the kind that you MUST watch (i.e. The Super Bowl, all playoffs and Packers games, games that have playoff implications or affect the Packers, as well as all marquee-matchups) and (II) the kind that you'd watch if you didn't have other priorities that prevent you from watching (i.e. all other football games).

8. Sleep

9. Madden... my thumbs are exceptionally strong and nimble.

These of course are neither complete nor final, (nos. 4 and 5 could be interchangeable) but I feel that they are a decent representation of how and where I've been spending the majority of my time and energy. So if someone asks about me, you can just tell them that God and Megs are my life, God's Game is my favorite pastime and I work hard to be a good economist.

Oh and I almost forgot...

10. Blogging. :)

Wikipedia...The Bane of My Existence

2007-08-04T16:16:00.000-06:00

Wikipedia.org.... the source of 21st Century light and knowledge. Hundreds of millions of people contribute to what may become the single most complete database of information ever known to man. And I'm never going back. Thanks to Wikipedia.org, as well as Megs who started this downward spiraling cycle of low self-esteem, I have discovered that many parts of my life have been in-reality, a lie.

It all started with a simple claim on my part, that humans are physically inferior to almost every other God-made creature on earth. Even a squirrel. I claimed (and still do) that if one of us were to get in a fight with a squirrel, we'd have our eyes gouged out before we could say 'acorn'. Megs told me that I was crazy to think that a human could get beat up by a guinea pig's cousin, which started me thinking, "I bet that guinea pigs could be pretty nasty out in the wild before they're domesticated and put in their little cage of wood shavings and newspaper..." Megs told me that there are no such things as wild guinea pigs and after bantering back-and-forth for a moment she uttered the ultimately dooming words "Well let's check Wikipedia then..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pigs

In the fourth line we read "while they are no longer extant in the wild, they..." Kiboshed.

Once we got on this Wikipedia adventure, Megs decided to keep it going, referring back to discussions that we had had previously. The day before, we were sitting on Megs' front step and saw a daddy long-legs spider crawl across the sidewalk. While the little lanky bug was creeping his way along, I commented on the well-known fact that daddy long-legs spiders are the most poisonous spiders in the world, but their mouths are so small that they can't bite us, so they're of no threat to us. So in an effort to sucker-punch my self-esteem, I again heard the words "Well let's check Wikipedia then..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvestman

Scroll down to the first paragraph in the Physical Description section, 11th and 12th lines, "Harvestmen do not have silk glands and do not possess poison glands, posing absolutely no danger to humans." Again, kiboshed.

Lastly, as a continuation of our "Animals-can-beat-the-tar-out-of-humans" discussion, I raised the point that even some plants are man-eating; further illustrating my point that humans are poorly equipped physically to survive, and that without our brains, we wouldn't stand a chance in H-E-Double-Hockeysticks of surviving. Meghan quipped that such plants don't even exist, to which I hastily replied "Well why do they call them man-eating plants then?" Alas for one last time to my final demise I heard the words "Well let's check Wikipedia then..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-eating_tree

As we read in the second line, "No such plant is known to exist." Third time's the charm?... Kiboshed.

In conclusion, why would I ever return to Wikipedia? I guess the next time I have a dream or a wish or think of anything good in this life, I can always turn to that menacing site to have my dreams crushed, wishes shattered and all the goodness of this life strangled to death by all that is wrong in this cruel world.

The Ring of Fire

2007-07-26T17:19:00.000-06:00

Ok, so in the past week, I've learned how important a ring is when claiming one is 'engaged'... and I've learned it the hard way. A couple weeks ago, Megs and I decided to get married... super, grand, fantastic... crazy happy. And after I tell Mum and Dad, I decide to wait until talking to Megs' dad about it before spilling the beans to the rest of the family... Not a bad idea. Now what was a bad idea?... not getting the friggin' ring first!

Since sending the "Who's-That-with-Kody-Oh-My-Goodness-He's- Engaged-Video", as it will be hitherto known, all I have heard as reaction from relatives of both sides are questions like "So how did he propose?" or "Can you send a picture of the ring?" These questions only to be followed by others such as "So wait, are you really getting married?" and "Well what's taking him so long? You know you don't have to marry him until that ring is on your finger..."

I have not proposed. Correct. She does not have a ring yet. Double Correct. Not my fault... Triple Correct. Just to 'clear the air', we have picked out a ring, and I will be purchasing it very soon, and I will be proposing to Megs with it soon after... The ring has to be custom made, and they won't do it until I actually spend some cheese, hence the "we're-engaged-but-she-doesn't-have-a-ring-yet" situation that we find ourselves in. So in an effort to dispose of the nay-sayers and their squabblings... the temple is booked, the JSMB is reserved and I am officially spoken for.... mmm, feels good.

I Blog, therefore I Am

2007-07-16T00:15:00.001-06:00

Memories... Experiences... Relationships... The essence of what this life really is. A very wise woman once said "You'll regret it if you don't write down the things that happen in your life. Mark my words, I'm always right." So Mother, in case you ever read this, You were right... again. Will this be a personal diary? No. My life isn't nearly interesting or eventful enough for that. Rather than keeping a record of my existence day-to-day, I'll share the essence of my life with you; the memories, experiences and relationships. Please share back... comments welcome. Game on.