Next Christmas I want this:

I hope that they have a new one out by then.

I've been told by various friends and family that I am hard to shop for. It is true that I buy everything I want and I am picky and I always have to have nice things (I'm single and in my thirties with a good job - give me a break). So I got this idea from my friend Kim. You can all donate to this gift. Start saving now - I'll let you know where to send the money next December.

This year I got this and I'm really excited about it. I love to sing karaoke - I'm really good too.

Today I did some laundry, played the Wii at Dan's house and then Guitar Hero at Sam's. Then I came home and finished this puzzle.

I bought it a few months ago especially for the holidays. These are some of the movies represented on this puzzle that I really like.

Ode to Ann Dee

This is me and Ann Dee when we were little. We always cuddled like that - we still do in fact.

When this guy,

Luke, saw this picture, he asked, "Whoa, does it have two heads"?

On my 30th birthday Ann Dee made sure I was happy from the beginning of the day until the end of the day. For her 30th birthday, I'm writing this blog about her.

We never used to get along but we do now. The reason we get along now is under debate. I say it is because she became less annoying and she says that I finally realized how cool she was. Sometimes we fight about why we get along. Isn't that ironic? Lets ask Alanis, although I'm not sure she knows what that means. Doncha think?

Ann Dee always did what I did - play the violin, basketball, student government, mission. I'm glad she quit copying me cause then she wouldn't be married and have a baby and probably would not be such a famous author.

Here is Ann Dee and Stacy at their shared birthday party.

Kathy made this cake - you know the creative one who did the grape trick on Christmas trees. We played cards and Ann Dee won the first game of hearts and she shot the moon without even trying and I wasn't paying attention or I would have stopped her (wink wink - it is her birthday).

Here is Ann Dee singing her token karaoke song, "Circle in the Sand":

I've gotten used to the fact that I have to share Ann Dee with Cameron and Van but I don't always like it. I'm glad Cameron lets me talk to Ann Dee whenever and for however long I want or need. I sorta freak out when she doesn't answer her phone and I can't find her.

Happy Birthday little sister.

NOYB - JK

Acronyms - gotta love them. It is fun to use them especially fun when your friends know you well enough to be able to figure them out like when Millie did on this post.

BYU uses them, except you don't just say the letters you sound them out like this:

SWKT = swiket and HFAC. My favorite one is of a building that doesn't even exist any more - SFLC (syphilis)

Others at BYU that you don't have to sound out (hey I just realized that BYU is an acronym - SSS):

JSB

JFSB

JKB

ASB

MLBM

DT

RB

Here are some that I occasionally use in conversation:

BFF

GP

TDF

ETA

BFE

BFD

XYZ

PDQ

Big D

TTFN

NBD

IDK

TCB

TLC (I'll settle for a scrub)

SOL

SOS

I don't usually use these in texting but I've seen it done:

BRB 

TTYL

OMG

LOL

F2F

GTG

When I went to London, I made some friends there and they called me (and still call me) KFC. If you can figure this one out, you're sick.

I am now going to tell you about myself using as many acronyms as possible:

Hi my name is KTB. I live in the WFB in PU. I like to play BB, RB, and watch TV. Some of my favorite places to eat are CR, SS, TT, and the new P712. I am working on a PHD in IP&T at BYU. I work as the ES at the MLBM. I like to coach BB at AFHS. I served a mission in the TSAM. I drive a VW. This year I talked my B&S into not exchanging gifts for Christmas and instead we are doing a SFS. My M&D (L&J) live down the hall from me in the WFB. Every second Sunday of the month I teach RS from the SWK manual - next year it will be the JS manual. I used to watch a lot of ER on Thursdays and I like 24 (do numbers count)?  If I had a BBQ, I'd ask you to BYOM. OK. I'm going to GTB and SMP cause I gotta WITM. LYG. SYS. URAQT

Deseret Towers

I took this photo today with my phone:

But then I found these photos on Flickr:

I never lived in the dorms - why would I when my home was just as close? I do feel sort of sad simply because I'm sure the swimming pool will go too eventually. And the swimming pool was my childhood.

Seven Peaks didn't exist and the "Tube" was too far away back then. My sister Sandy worked there as a life guard and so me and Ann Dee would ride our bikes, cross 9th East very carefully and swim all day, every day. We both could swim the full length of the pool and tread water for 60 seconds so we easily earned our VIP passes. I don't remember too many details about those days but I know Kim came with us a lot and we often had ice cream after from the Dairy (now called the Creamery). Sometimes we'd walk down to Carson's Market (Kents, now another Creamery) and get a treat. That was before Minute Man (now Subway). Oh - how the falling of DT has triggered the childhood memories.

I remember Sandy telling me this story about working at the DT pool. Some of the boys that lived in the dorms would play Bart Simpson-like tricks and try to get her to say funny things over the intercom. One time they called her and asked her to page Mrs. Laye, first name Anita. So Sandy called her name over the intercom, "Anita Laye, you have a telephone call". I'm sure the good little Mormon boys, with their binoculars and open windows got a big kick out of it.

Christmas Tree

Three years ago I bought this 2 foot Christmas tree. I bought these cool basketball lights at a yard sale. This year a very wise person informed me that my little tree was tacky and I should take it to work and put it in my office. I usually do whatever this wise person says so I followed her instructions and got this tree.
It is fancy with gold and sliver ornaments and really cool lights. Kathy taught me this cool trick to make the lights look like this but I think the trick might be a secret so I'm not going to tell you. You'll have to come over and get a closer look and then you can figure it out.

Is it weird that I was not concerned about my tacky two foot basketball light tree in my new condo but then insisted that my new tree matched the furniture?

"Finger Licking Good" in a bowl

I just discovered this and I'm glad. Intuitive Eating is great!

Come back tomorrow - I'm going to post pictures of my before and after Christmas tree. I want to know if you all approve.

I don't want to know if you approve of my KFC dinner - I don't care what you think. SSR

I love snow and here is why ...

Some recent thoughts ...

Yesterday I heard some elderly people talking about how great it is when you get old and forget things because you will laugh at the same jokes over and over. Then one of them said, "yeah but the problem comes when you start telling the same jokes over and over". I thought that was funny. Maybe I'll tell that story again.

I think it is weird that boys and girls go jogging together. I see it all the time around BYU - like they are on a jogging date. That would be the worst date in the whole world for me. I would rather pick his zits or something. However these guys seem to be enjoying their run but keep in mind they are probably posing for this picture.

Today my personal trainer found out I was working on my doctorate degree and he said "whoa, excuse me folks - we gotta doctor in the house." I told him that he better start respecting me and quit telling me what to do all the time - even though that is what I pay him to do. Read one of my earlier posts about this guy here.

By the way, today I lifted a record weight for a girl (of all of my trainer's clients) on one of my exercises and I'm pretty proud of myself. It was this one:

Yesterday I heard some elderly people talking about how great it is when you get old and forget things because you will laugh at the same jokes over and over. Then one of them said, "yeah but the problem comes when you start telling the same jokes over and over". I thought that was funny. 

Moist Towelettes

Is it strange that I have moist towelettes in my pantry? Does anyone else have these in their homes?

These girls sure thought it was SOOOOO weird that I had some on hand when we needed them - we had ribs for dinner made by their mother who is THE best cook ever (sorry I do not have a picture of THE best cook ever). Even though they thought it was weird, they were sure glad I had them!

This niece,
Mandy, was mean to these her little sisters, Courtney and Samantha so they are sad.
This is their dad, my brother, Sam.

PS Karen don't freak out because I posted something about one of my brothers and not you.

So I like to watch volleyball ... get over it

I drove down to Las Vegas with this guy
over the Thanksgiving break to watch the MWC volleyball tournament. The first game was against UNM (the lobos) and this lady was really obnoxious and kept yelling mean things at our players. She made me mad - cheer for your team, don't heckle mine - you loco lobo.

BYU lost their second game to UNLV - in a very close match. Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Oh wait, better to have played volleyball and lost than to have never played volleyball. See it works!

We went to a buffet for Thanksgiving at a Casino and had a great meal. The next day we went shopping at the outlet malls and it finally donned on me that the reason so many people were shopping and that there were so many deals was because it was black Friday. I've never shopped on black Friday before. I bought myself a lot of cool things. Sorry, did you want a Christmas gift?

The Annual Family Calendar

I am the president of my family and so ... every year around this time, I put together a family calendar with pictures of everyone from the last year. I think I've done this now for 8 years. Anyway, it is big project and the hardest part is gathering the pictures. Some of my siblings are not as easy to collect images from as they should be.

So this summer when we were all in Alaska, I came up with the idea to have a sexy family calendar and it could be like Katy is Miss October etc. I don't think it'll happen but a few of my siblings posed for the photo shoot.

Joe - Mr. January

Sandy - Miss August

Dan - Mr. November

This is my Dad laughing at the whole idea.

This is my parents - I think they should be Mr. and Mrs. March

My Sisters

Me, Sandy, Karen

Leslie, Ann Dee, Sandy

Let me introduce you.

Karen ...

is a grandmother. She is also a great kindergarten teacher but now she works at BYU as a student teacher supervisor. Let me know if you want her business card, I can get you one. She is the mother of a missionary in Guatemala. She laughs really hard at funny things and makes good chimichangas and gyosa. She and I are in competition for the favorite aunt. Tyson and Luke think it is funny so they play it up.

Leslie ...

is a mother of a missionary in Arkansas and a freshman at BYU. She is RSP in her ward and owns a sweet cabin in Island Park, ID. She likes to have fun and works really hard to be sure her kids are happy. Her two little boys (not so little anymore) are big sports guys and they are pretty good if I do say so myself. Leslie will do anything for anyone. She went to Switzerland on a mission.

Sandy ...

'

is the mother of four and works as a resource teacher at an elementary school. She likes art and went to Italy on her mission. She makes really good lasagna and pizza. She hosts family BBQs and the annual Easter egg hunt in her back yard. She is very sensitive and kind. She also has a red headed daughter Lucy who recently had a brain tumor removed. She loves to sing and dance to movies like Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Ann Dee ...

is the mother to a kid named Van who is wild and has no fear of getting hurt (he's only 10 months). She is the author of this book and teaches English classes at BYU. She is also very sensitive and just wants people to get along. She remains calm when talking to me about boys on the phone because she is trying to be an example to me about how I should react to certain situations. If it is good - no big deal. If it is bad - no big deal. She will read and edit my papers for school even late at night. She went on a mission to Hong Kong. She wishes she could be more organized like me.

Actually all of my sisters wish they could be more organized like me. I wish I could be more like all of them.

This post is dedicated to Karen who thinks I love my brothers more than my sisters because I buy them T-shirts and cry when they tell me they love me.

The search began ...

a few years ago with my trip to Hawaii.

My brother Sam wanted me to bring him 5 really cool T-shirts from my trip. Since then it has become my quest. Every time I travel, especially if it is to a place with a big university, I try and find Sam a cool T-shirt. He likes Nike T-shirts (XXL) from university bookstores but sometimes I can't deliver so he has to have a T-shirt with a professional team logo. In the last year, I've brought him T-shirts from :

• UT - Austin
• OU - Oklahoma
  
• San Francisco - Giants (I didn't have time to get to Berkeley or Stanford)
• Chicago - Cubs (I didn't have time to get to North Western)

He's wearing the blue Cubs T-shirt I got him in this picture. This was a risky pick - long sleeved!

So because I am in Baton Rouge, LA I thought I'd try again. I got him this T-shirt:


Do you think he'll like it? Will it be cool enough?

I've never been to Louisiana before. I'm here for a workshop to learn how to use the collections database software, SPECIFY. The guy from SPECIFY gave us free T-shirts. Because this shirt is TOO cool for Sam, I'll keep it for myself.

By the way, it is humid in Louisiana - good for lichens but not for my hair (picture is purposefully not provided).