rAnDoM fragments of my brain...

My New Home

2012-01-21T18:55:00.000-08:00

I MOVED! And this time it's not an apartment! I haven't had time to take new pictures but this gives you a basic idea of the new place. Just imagine it with the lawn mowed, a couple arm-chairs out front and cute curtains in the bedroom window. The whole thing just came together perfectly because I was looking for a new place and my next door neighbor in the apartments found this house so we decided to be roommates! His name is Justin and he's great.

The house has some serious character. It was built in 1945 so it has that old-fashioned charm. For example, the mail box is built into the wall with access from inside the house. Also, there is a little hatch at the back of the house where the milkman would deliver milk and pick up the used, glass bottles. Sometimes I imagine that I'm a 1950's housewife as I'm washing dishes and doing chores...just kidding!

This house is flush with security features including this scary owl atop a post/motion-sensor light protruding from the roof of the detached garage. The owl basically says "don't mess with this house" to passers by (in the alley). It's super classy!

We decided to take some extra precautions with safety because Justin's apartment got burglarized a couple months ago. My brother (Jacob) works for ADT and he hooked us up with a great deal on a security system. It's pretty incredible. I also installed a photo cell on the front porch so the light goes on at dusk and off at dawn. On the side of the house I installed a motion sensor light. All of that PLUS the owl PLUS Justin's Chihuahua and I think we're pretty safe. It is probably overkill because the neighborhood seems really tranquil LOL!

I really like the place so far and feel a little more settled in every day.

Top Ten

2011-12-02T20:37:00.001-08:00

Okay. I'm a baby about being sick...I know this. Here are the top ten reasons I'm mad about getting an awful cold this week:

10 It's way too early in the month to be walking around looking like Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer. I sure as heck don't plan on leading a world-wide (minus the Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and otherwise non-Christian countries) aerial sleigh ride for some fat guy with my "nose so bright."

9 "Plop plop, fizz fizz..." I think I have an Alka-Seltzer Plus hangover (if that's even possible).

8 Watching the Alka-Seltzer tablets "fully dissolve in 4 oz of water" has been among my highlights of the last couple days.

7 Shaving hurts for some reason.

6 I haven't spent this much time on Facebook in a LONG time.

5 When I start laughing I begin to cough! And let me just say...there's some funny stuff on YouTube these days so this whole laughing = coughing scenario isn't helpful!

4 Kleenex cool touchtm tissues are a work in progress...don't waste your money on them. I'm going with those Puffs w/ lotion next time for sure.

3 I miss my MidFirst family when I'm at home sick. I'd much rather be at work than this!

2 I'm missing an Ornament Party with my friends as I type this post. I even have a cool, Jack-in-the-Box elf ornament to place on their tree. Guess I'll have to pay them a visit some other day.

1 I CAN'T GO SEE MY NEW BABY NIECE, Autumn Renae Osborn. Isn't she cute!

It's not all bad news...

I must say that I'm happy to have a lot of wonderful people looking out for me. My roommate made me some nice soup. Jamba Juice (a quick walk across the street from my apartment) whips up this amazing warm drink with all kinds of herbs and vitamins. Also, my work has been really understanding about me having to stay home.

Overall, life is grand and I should be back to my normal self in no time!

Wildcats Like Water

2011-11-12T12:43:00.001-08:00

I've been doing some research to figure out what school I should attend. I have pretty much decided to go into the field of hydrology. Every time I mention this to people I get a lot of questions about what a career as a hydrologist would look like. I think Matthew C. Larsen, associate director for water at the US Geological Survey put it best when he said: “Hydrologist is a fairly broad term, but generally, any research or problems having to do with water, there’s a hydrologist working on it.” For my purposes, I would like to work in the field and assist in providing data regarding water sources such as rivers, lakes and oceans. I would also like to be a force for good in cleaning up water that has been affected by pollution.

Though my research, I have found that there are only three major universities offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in hydrology--University of California (in Davis), University of Nevada (in Reno) and University of Arizona (in Tucson). I had initially considered going to a community college to get a certificate in hydrology but the more I research I am finding that the best educational experience is found at these three universities.

I was thrilled to find out that UofA is the leader when it comes to hydrology programs. First, Tucson is a beautiful city and I would enjoy living there. Next, I am an Arizona resident so the tuition will be much lower than other options. And finally, I won't be too far away from my Phoenix friends and family. I have an interview scheduled with an adviser to find out more about how I can get into their program and become a water-loving UofA Wildcat. I'm getting excited!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a couple pics of our Halloween adventures. Overall, it turned out to be a really fun Halloween with friends and I didn't even have to spend very much time/money on my costume!


The Crew...and, yes, that is a dog dressed as a soccer ball haha!

Veronica & I at Amsterdam

We all hung out at Veronica & Kara's house before we headed out to Amsterdam to see what kind of craziness we could feast our eyes upon. Let me just tell you...people are so creative! I wish I would've snapped a few photos of the costumes I saw but I was too busy dancing and having a good time (plus my iPhone 3G dinosaur doesn't have a flash LOL). I really like to see people dressed up and especially love it when folks think of something unusual or come up with their own interpretation of a popular costume.

One of my best friends, Octavio, got off work at 11 (he produces the nightly news for Univision 33--the Spanish TV station) and he met us out. He did a great job on his costume which he modified from a real sailor uniform he found at a thrift store. We found another guy in the original, unmodified version of Tavo's costume and took a quick pic.

It was a spooktacular night!

Seriously Random Post

2011-10-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

It's almost Halloween and I finally figured out what I wanna "be!" I'm gonna be a glammed out British officer ala Kazaky (www.kazaky.com). I ran into this Ukrainian dance music/fashion group a while back on YouTube (they're pretty popular with over 8 million views) and they're really talented.

<---------- When I saw this outfit something just clicked and I decided it could be a fun Halloween costume! I think it will be something that nobody else will do so I won't look cookie-cutter.

On another TOTALLY random tangent. For some reason I've been paying extra close attention to street names lately. I like to wonder where the names came from and how they make up the character of a neighborhood. I was down in Tucson last weekend and really enjoyed the prevalence of street names in Spanish.

This sign really caught my eye --------------->
"Calle Sin Nombre" translated means street without a name. It made me laugh so I made a quick u-turn and snapped a photo. The other funny thing about this particular street name is that most English speakers would think "sin" is something bad and possibly choose to avoid this little path of sin.

Feeling Loved

2011-10-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

I know it's not Thanksgiving yet but I'm having a moment of gratefulness so please bare with me! I've had a few trials lately (nothing big) and it's been a little taxing on my emotional well-being but these are the times when I really seem to notice all of the wonderful people in my life. These are individuals who probably don't even realize the positive impact they've had on my life recently.

First, my parents. Nobody loves you like your folks and anyone who knows my parents knows what amazing people they are. Just yesterday my dad was nice enough to come visit and bring lunch to me at work (on his way to work). An amazingly simple act of kindness was just what I needed after a restless night. Chicken sandwiches (made with chicken canned by my sister and mom), an apple and a couple York peppermint patties brought a big smile to my face.

Yesterday was doubly good because I got to catch up with by beautiful friend Jessie. We sat and chatted over some great Mexican food out in Ahwatukee. I am so grateful for her!

Another person who's been such a blessing in my life these days is my roommate Shane. Some of the stress I've been experiencing has been related to our housing situation and he's been so supportive and positive about the whole situation. He's such a great friend and we have such a great time whenever we're together!

Speaking of friends, its so fun when people will just text you randomly and make your day a little brighter. Such was the case today with my friend Jorge. We had lost touch and he randomly texted me to see how I was doing and see if I wanted to grab a drink real quick. We got to catch up and talk about life. It made me happy! Oh, and his new puppy is the cutest thing ever...and super mellow (unlike his dad haha)!

Lastly, my work family. I am very lucky to work where I work and with the people I work with. I had a training class today and I got to see some people I don't see on a daily basis. It just reminded me of how many great people there are in this world. One of my dearest friends at work is Adriana. She is a spunky Romanian girl with a big heart. We really enjoyed working together in the Downtown office where we would constantly tease each other and pretend like we were mad at each other just for fun. We have had some amazing times together and I know she would do anything for me and I would do the same for her (and her wonderful husband).

I guess I could keep going and going with this post. So many people help make my life amazing! I'm so grateful...even if it's over a month before Thanksgiving.

9-9-9 plan...not so simple after all:

2011-10-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

I've been keeping a close eye on the group of candidates seeking the GOP nomination and I thought I'd have a little fun and do a facetious, political post.

I have to admit, when I first heard about Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan I thought it sounded pretty smart. I like the idea of making the tax code more fair (although upon further observation I would say 9-9-9 is anything but fair). But, like Michele Bachman recently said, "the devil is in the details." Yes, I did just quote Michele Bachman people...get over it! LOL!

I found this article very informative:

Taxes you'll still pay under Cain's 9-9-9 plan

Also, being a HUGE SimCity buff (back in the day) I thought this article was really funny:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/10/herman-cains-9-9-9-plan-works-well-simcity/43659/

Maxis (the makers of SimCity) Response:

"We encourage politicians to continue to look to innovative games like SimCity for inspiration for social and economic change," said [Maxis senior producer Kip] Katsarelis. "While we at Maxis and Electronic Arts do not endorse any political candidates or their platforms, it's interesting to see GOP candidate Herman Cain propose a simplified tax system like one we designed for the video game SimCity 4."

Let's just hope Michele Bachman's über-intelligent comment about 9-9-9 acutally being flipped to become 6-6-6 doesn't result in some SimCityesque disaster!


Maybe Michele is right???

Life in the Suburbs!

2011-10-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

My "Silver Limo"

Something unusual happened today...I departed from my typical Monday morning light rail commute and actually DROVE TO WORK! And you know what was weird? I really missed the ten-minute, earphones in, zoned out ride to work. It's crazy how you actually have to pay attention while driving down the I-10...no texting for me on this morning's commute!

Anyway, I'm excited to report that I have taken on a new challenge at work and I am now working as a part of what my bank refers to as their "Float Team." It basically means that I'm supporting staff at banking centers as they are short-handed or when new staff is undergoing a training period. It's an exciting new opportunity.

My Temporary Home

Today I had the chance to work at the bank located at 48th Street & Chandler Blvd (in the Ahwatukee neighborhood of Phoenix). This beautiful neighborhood is located at the base of South Mountain and is well known as a haven for raising a family. It was such a change of pace from my usual Downtown Phoenix office. In Downtown the typical clientele are professionals working as attorneys, bankers or city/county/state workers. At the office in Ahwatukee the clientele was mostly small business owners and families. It was fun to watch parents come in with their kids and use the free coin counter to teach their kids about saving money. So, although I missed my friends (coworkers/clients) Downtown, I must say that I really enjoyed my day in "the burbs!" I can tell this is going to be a fun new experience as a "floater."

$4.99 Twenty Piece McNuggets...WHY?

2011-09-24T23:21:00.000-07:00


Half of my 20-piece order.

So, it's hard to believe but I turned 30 this year! Determined to make this a year of smart decisions I made a goal to start eating healthier and preparing more meals at home. As you can see from the photo above I've run into some trouble--$4.99 Twenty-piece McNuggets are ruining my life!

For some reason I've always had a special place in my heart for McNuggets. The tasty, "golden and juicy, all white meat" morsels have an iconic taste that is hard to beat. I have never been totally sure of what I'm eating when I pop one of these nuggets into my mouth and bite down. It has a texture similar to chicken; however, the consistency of the "all white meat" center doesn't break apart like any "real" chicken I've ever encountered. Nevertheless, I can't let a little thing like that ruin my appreciation for a savory staple of American diet.

So, on to my dilemma. My entire adult life I have always been satiated with a ten-piece box of nuggets. I have never even considered buying a twenty-piece. But McDonald's--in their marketing genius--has decided to flex their "we're the best value in town" muscle once again and lower the twenty-piece McNugget price from approximately $7 to the unbelievable, bargain-basement price of $4.99 (25 cents/nugget)! Of course, the ten-piece price remains $3.69 (37 cents/nugget). Being one to appreciate a bargain I can't seem to bring myself to buy the 10 piece! I always start out with the best intentions--rationalizing the logic of buying a twenty-piece meal by reasoning that I can stow one box away in the fridge and make two meals out of my purchase. It sounds like a good plan, but guess what? You guessed it...the second the scent of these golden devils hits my nostrils I just dig in and, before I know what happened, ALL TWENTY NUGGETS HAVE VANISHED!

I could go into a self-loathing rant about my lack of self control but I'm a grown man now and self-loathing is no longer an option. I need a solution to my little problem. I have determined to buck my value-conscious, cheapskate mindset and pay 37 cents/nugget with the ten-piece. McDonald's! Why must you make my life so difficult!?

Looking good...

2009-02-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

I know Crystal already blogged about this on her photography blog (calartistry.blogspot.com) but I just wanted to put in my two cents. I had a great time the other day when I met for lunch at the Riparian Reserve in Gilbert with Mom, Crystal (my sister) and the kids. Eager to practice her photography skills, Crystal had requested that I be her "model" for a few outdoor portraits. I figured that I was blessed with beauty for a reason and it would be a sin to hide my talents from the world so I obliged ;-)
We had a really good time with the photo shoot and I tried to keep my laughter to a minimum while she arranged my poses. I think the best part of it was just being around Crystal. I've always felt a special closeness to her being that she is only about a year 1/2 younger than me. I've always admired her desire to develop her talents whether musical or some other artistic endeavor.

Anyway, here are some of the other pics:

This was decidedly the best of the shoot.This one was just funny. As you can see, it didn't turn out how we had planned but the idea was cool anyway.

My sister is always looking for willing victims...I mean individuals looking to assist her in her continued artistic development. Just let me know if you're interested and I'll get you in touch with her or check out calartistry.blogspot.com sometime.

So done...

2009-02-21T20:37:00.001-08:00

I finally finished!!! I got everything up in the bathroom and it's now functional--not to mention stylin'! I'd like to take this moment to thank my dad for all of his expert advice directly related to this project and all of the skills he's given me throughout my life with or without even knowing it! I also really appreciate Justin's (my roommate) patience as he's been dealing with dust and debris for a solid three months now. Poor guy! I know he's happy to have his own space again. As you can see, I successfully mounted the sink on the wall and it's pretty darn sturdy thanks to some good IKEA mounts, solid backing and liquid nails LOL.
Here are some more pics:

I'm pretty happy with the way the shower turned out. The dark grout really toned down the blue while preserving the great reflective color of the glass mosaic tiles. Also, I got the tub pretty dirty from washing grout sponges and I was worried I wouldn't get the stains out but I had a geneous idea...After scrubbing forever with a brush, I used a 200 grit sanding block and some Comet to gently remove the stains. It worked like a charm and the tub is shiny white porcelain again!
The storage compartment in the wall proved convenient. As you can see, it has lots of room for all of Justins toiletries even if he does have more product than the average American girl ;-)I went with a staggered tile pattern for two reasons: 1. I like the way it looks, and 2. the bathroom is so out of square that a traditional pattern would have made the wacky angles look even more obvious. Oh, and the toilet has one effective, efficient flush...I've tried it on some heavy-duty jobs already! J/K
It's nice to be done with this project. I had a good time and learned a bunch but let's just say I'm not quite ready to move on to the next bathroom...that will have to wait :-)

Wedding Day!

2009-02-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

It's official...Jacob and Joni are now married! It was an amazing sight to see how happy they both were on their special day yesterday. It was so nice to see so much of our family make it out and we had a great time. Joni's family is amazing too...I really enjoyed meeting them!
Congrats Jacob and Joni!!!

Cancún...

2009-01-22T10:18:00.001-08:00

So, I had four days off due to some schedule changes at work. As I contemplated all of the many things I could do with this little break and I decided to go to expedia.com to see if there were any travel deals. I'm soooo glad I did! I found an amazing deal on an all-inclusive hotel package in Cancún and it was AMAZING! It was beautiful weather and the food was fabulous!
I went with my friend Brent because it was his birthday and he had time. It was a really fun trip and I would highly recommend Cancún as a great place to escape the daily grind :-) Here are some pics:

They had a DJ by the pool so we were all dancing to Rihanna "Live Your Life" in the middle of the day! It was really fun! Nobody cared how ridiculous they looked...or maybe I'm speaking for myself!
Brent...stuffing his face...we did a lot of this :-) For some reason they used wine glasses for the water...idk why but it felt classy LOL
I think Cancún is obsessed with limbo...I've never been involved in so many limbo competitions in my life! I hate limbo because I'm so freakin' tall. Brent is a little guy so he's a natural LOLI blend right in :-)

New Year's Day!

2009-01-02T11:26:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009!

So, yesterday I got to go out with Justin and our friend Michael on his quads! We went to a place just west of Lake Pleasant. It was a great time and I even got some air. I love spending New Year's Day outdoors!
Oh, it was cool too because I got to stop by Mom & Dad's house for dinner since they are out in the West Valley now. I have a feeling 2009 is gonna be an amazing year!

Phoenix Light Rail...

2008-12-29T08:27:00.000-08:00

So, Saturday was the grand opening for the first phase of the light rail system which connects Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa! I was so excited! My friend Jason (from Vegas) was here doing some CNN reports about the event so I took him around. We had a great time!

Here are some photos:

This was just part of the line at the Mesa end of the track. It was estimated that 150,000 folks got on the train on opening day!!!

Me and Jason as he was filming a CNN iReport.View of the Mill Ave Bridge as we crossed over Tempe Town Lake.

Bathroom update...

2008-12-26T17:24:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I've been slacking on this remodel!!! So far I have all of the drywall up and most of the backing for the tile surround (around the tub). I decided on blue glass mosaic tile and I'm excited to see how it turns out! I'm gonna put black grout to make a dramatic contrast and I'll go with a light gray/blue wall color. I'm also excited about the sink. It's a wall-mount, porcelain sink from IKEA and it has the faucet coming from the wall. It's hard to explain and I don't have it up yet so I'll take a picture when it's mounted. It should be unique and it's also practical because it has a nice ledge to store soap and stuff. Another nice piece from IKEA is the cabinet that I installed into the wall. It will have a glass mirror and several shelves to store towels and bathroom supplies. So basically I have all of the sheet rock, plumbing, and tile backing ready (almost) so it's time to crack down on the finishing touches.

White Christmas Eve...

2008-12-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

No, It didn't snow in Phoenix but we had a very white Christmas Eve last night. I was on a budget this Christmas but I wanted to give Braden and Jade (my niece and nephew) something they'd enjoy so I found random small gifts and put them in boxes filled with paper from the shredder. We made a mess and had a "snowball" fight! LOL It was good because I saved money and the kids (including us adults) had fun and as an added bonus I shredded my bills ;-)
Here are a few highlights from last night:

Crystal made some yummy piesChelsea whipped up some mean mashed potatos!Braden and Jade love playing a game with dad (Spencer) where he keys a bunch of random numbers in the cell phone and then he recites the number to them (i.e. nine-million, two-hundred and fifty-four thousand, six-hundred and twenty-nine). They LOVE it! Who knows why?
As usual, Jacob and Joni can't stop staring at eachother...LOL!
Braden was excited to help vacuum up the the "snow" at the end of the night.

We also shared a nice time reading Luke 2 and remembering the true meaning of Christmas. My mom had a great idea to include Braden and Jade by using a felt board nativity set as we read the story. We also had music thanks to Chelsea, Darin, Jacob, Joni and the Lilly kids. Braden sang ("A Shepard's Carol") which, for some reason, made my eyes well up with tears. He's growing up sooo fast! We wrapped up the devotional with my dad sharing some of his personal feelings about the Savior and Jade made us all smile when she sang Jingle Bells.
It was a really nice Christmas Eve! I feel grateful to be part of such a loving family!

20/20...NOT!

2008-12-12T11:19:00.001-08:00

So, I always thought I had great vision but apparently I was wrong. My friend Kim works at Lenscrafters and she told me I should stop by and have my eyes checked so I did. I couldn't believe it when the doctor put the charts up on the wall and I couldn't read many of the letters. Anyway, I have an astigmatism and I have glasses now. My friend Truett helped me pick out the frames and I'm really happy with them. Now that my eyes have adjusted to glasses I'm starting to notice things I never even noticed I didn't notice before! It's so exciting!!
I couldn't resist the 70% off sale on the Bvlgari sunglasses LOL! They tried to sell me the Bvlgaris featured in Britney Spear's "Womanizer" music video but I had to pass cuz next thing you know I'll be shaving my head and actin' a fool...oh wait...I already shave my head...hmmm.

Thankful...

2008-12-03T07:46:00.001-08:00

Gratitude is the essence of good mental health and spirituality. -Unknown Author

Thanksgiving is the BEST! Food, family and gratitude are some of my reasons I love this holiday. This year I had more time off than I've had in a long time so I took advantage of it to take the 10 hour trip up to Grandma Priest's house. Boy, am I glad I did! It had been more than five years since I've been to Mt. Pleasant, UT--a quaint little town just north of Ephraim--a quaint little town just north of Manti--a quaint little town just north of Salina...ok, I'll stop :-) Suffice it to say...it's a beautifully quaint LITTLE town pretty much smack dab in the center of UT.

I'M GRATEFUL FOR SMALL TOWNS!

Anyway, we packed up the Jetta and drove up Thursday morning with Uncle Rick and my good friend Katie. We were fortunate to hit good weather and, although there was constant rain and snow on the way, none of it was sticking to the road. We had a lot of nice conversations on the way as I tortured Rick with a fabulous mix from my iPhone playlist (i.e. David Archuleta, Wicked Soundtrack, Britney Spears, Flo Rida, Chris Brown, Rihanna, etc.). He was a really good sport about it and he liked most of my music :-) We munched on snacks which were lovingly arranged in a Thanksgiving theme by my wonderfully witty mother (i.e. turkey jerky, dried cranberries, pumkin cookies, and even some Goldfish snacks [my uncle is a huge fisherman]). It made for a beautiful drive and we arrived just in time for the Thanksgiving Feast!

I'M GRATEFUL FOR A RELIABLE, FUEL-EFFICIENT CAR!

Grandma was smiling ear to ear (as only she can) when we got to the house. It was a very happy reunion! The food was superb and plentiful and I know we all ate to the point of having to losen our belts. It was so nice to sit down and catch up with my Grandma. It's interesting, having conversation with her as an adult I realized how much I really didn't know about her life and our family history. For instance, I had no idea that one of my grandparent's first dates was a Johnny Cash concert at the Bostonian Ballroom...HOW RAD IS THAT?! I guess it was before "The Man in Black" was at the height of his fame. It felt nice to sit down and talk with my grandma, feel her love and learn from her life. I definitely gained a great appreciation and understanding for her role in my life!

I'M THANKFUL FOR A GRANDMA'S LOVE!

Friday afternoon Katie and I headed up to Provo to visit friends/family. I dropped her off with one of her old roommates who is going to BYU and I continued up to Ogden to hook up with my cousins Annie and Jessa, her husband Ben, and their little baby girl Madeline--SO CUTE!!! It was cool too because I got to see my Aunt Debbie. They were all up there to see family. After dinner, we bumped the speakers to Flo Rida "In the Ayer" as we headed down to my cousin Corrie's house and had some gourmet hot chocolate with fresh whipped cream...mmmm! Later that night I met up with my friends Michael and Mark and we went out dancing in Salt Lake City. It was fun!
Saturday morning I got to sit down with Corrie and we had a great chat. I really love her! You can just feel the love bubbling out of that girl! Later that morning Annie and I went to IHOP with Carly and I got to see her BEAUTIFUL new baby girl Kennedy. It was really nice to hang out with them. Annie and Carly never cease to amaze me with their HUGE hearts!

I'M GRATEFUL FOR MY CRAZY COUSINS!

It was hard to leave when the time came but I was excited to get back to Grandma's house. I picked up Katie and we had a delicious BBQ waiting for us when we got back to Mt. Pleasant. It was some of the best fillet Mignon I've ever tasted--Rick really knows how to BBQ!

I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE COW AND PIG WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SO I COULD EAT DELICIOUS FILLET MIGNON!

Sunday morning we set out early for AZ. Katie had to be back in Thatcher so we decided to take the 12 hour "scenic route" through Moab and down HWY 191 to pass through Thatcher on the way back to Mesa. It was a long trip but absolutely georgeous! P.S. I wanna move to Moab sooo bad and become a "professional" mountain biker...LOL! Katie took this picture of me in front of a mountain bike shop by the gas station.

I'M THANKFUL FOR RED SANDSTONE!

We even hit some snowy patches in the mountains above Springerville, AZ. The beautiful scenery was just one more thing to be grateful for!
After the 13 1/2 hour drive home I realized one more thing I'm thankful for...

I'M GRATEFUL FOR MY SOFT SPRING AIR MATTRESS!

Sinks and Toilets and Tubs...oh my!

2008-11-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited as I type this because I got to go to one of my favorite stores today...Home Depot!!! There's something magical about those tacky orange aprons and the echo of the fork lifts as they proceed--over cautiously--down the aisles. There's also something magical about NO PAYMENTS/NO INTEREST for 12 MONTHS, but that's a story for another day LOL!
Anyway, I decided to remodel my oobber-outdated bathroom from the drywall in this year. The only thing remaining is the cast iron tub (which will be refinished) because I couldn't find a willing volunteer to haul it out :-) My goal is to have everything done before Christmas. I'm hoping to implement some space-saving designs to make the most of this tiny (5' x 7') bathroom and give it a fresh face. I'll be putting in travertine flooring and I'm thinking about glass mosaic tiles around the tub but I'm having trouble choosing a color. Any ideas?

Unbiased point of view...

2008-11-12T21:07:00.000-08:00

This one speaks for itself:

One more step to "Save the Family"

2008-11-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

I think this makes a really good point. If you think you're gonna get offended don't press the play button but if you want a clear view of what is really going on here take a look:

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Tell me what you think :-)

Yay for Change :-)

2008-11-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

Last night was an historic election! It's been a long time since we've seen so many Americans get so fired up about politics in our country and I'm so excited! As we all know, Barack Obama has been elected (by a landslide) to be the next President of the United States of America!!!
I know many of my friends and family have major doubts about Mr. Obama and the direction he plans to lead our country. I hope we can all come together to extinguish many of the fires that are dividing this country at the moment. At this defining moment in history there is a deafening call for unity and teamwork to get through a tough time. We're Americans and we are up to the challenge...let's not screw it up by focussing on divisive issues. As Obama has said time and time again during the campaign, "let's get to work!"
It is my prayer that we will come together as a nation and learn from a man who knows how to lead us through this hard time. May God bless Barack Obama, the American people, and all of His children to come together in unity and love! "YES WE CAN!"

Boyd K Packer - Prop 102

2008-11-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I have to type fast while I still have everything fresh on my mind and before I lose my notes. So, I went to a special stake conference today at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to hear on of the leading General Authorities speak on pertinent issues facing the church today. Here are some of the notes and quotes I was able to gather. Oh, by the way, the session began with the Stake President requesting that we "use our notes for our own personal use and not share them with anyone" hmmmm. Well, I'm sharing anyway because I found them very interesting. He spent about half of his sermon dicussing the upcoming election and the importance of "following the brethren" when we vote. He made the following points:

1. The church does not get active in political causes unless it is regarding moral issues.
2. Gay marriage is "remarkably dangerous to 'our' way of life.
3. We cannot tolerate patterns of sin which would weaken/destroy society as we know it.
4. We are living in times similar to Sodom and Gamora.
5. Church members should never deface or pull down posters opposing propositions to ban gay marriage.
6. We must "exercise our voting power to protect ourselves."
7. The word 'tolerance' is being used as a 'weapon' against supporters of gay marriage bans.
8. Angels of the devil inspire you to do what is evil and try to 'undo the institution of marriage.'
9. The church does not accept movements of people who have patterns in immorality.
10. "Things are going to change drastically, but in it we can continue to have happy families and live righteously."

I don't agree with everything that was said but of everything that he had to say today I felt good that he ended his talk with point #10. It really is true that things are going to change in many ways but the most important thing is that we do the best we can to live happily with our families and things will be alright. Overall, I'm glad I attended.

Oh, the funny part is that I have a huge NO ON 102 sign on the back window of my car and some guy and his wife stopped me as I was getting into my car and told me he was really happy to see that I wasn't supporting Prop 102. It was surprising but he went on to explain (as I believe) that government should not be the one making moral judgment calls. He was a huge Ron Paul supporter so it makes sense that he would agree with me. It certainly wasn't what I expected walking out of the church building! LOL

Vote NO on Prop 102 and Prop 8...

2008-11-02T00:53:00.001-07:00

With three days remaining before election day I would like to take this opportunity to discuss why I am voting NO on Prop 102--the Gay Marriage Ban. For those of you not familiar with this proposition, Prop 102 seeks to amend the AZ constitution to state that "only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state." There is also a similar measure in CA (Prop 8) which seeks to define marriage in the same way.
So, why would I be against such a measure? Good question. When the Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean they were seeking a land where they could worship the way they pleased and be free from the discrimination in Europe. This whole idea is what eventually evolved into the constitution we currently enjoy in this wonderful country. A place where people are free to believe and worship the way they see fit.
The current definition of marriage is based (mainly) on religious values which have been adapted over the years to exclude acceptance of "alternative" lifestyles. I have no problem with people disagreeing with same-sex marriage; however, writing a religious-based doctrine into the state constitution is more than an attack on same-sex partnerships--it is an attack on the very ideologies that our country was based upon.

Now, I realize there are some serious fears that supporters of Prop 102 have regarding intrusion on their religious freedom. I have spoken to a couple lawyers regarding the fear that churches will be sued over not allowing same-sex marriage and--according to them--this is not a valid argument. Religions are free to worship as they please and would not be required to marry those who do not ascribe to their policies regarding matrimony. For example, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not currently required to marry couples in the temple who do not meet worthiness guidelines and there is no problem with that. Those who try to plant this fear into the hearts of voters should really take a lesson in US government.
Another fear that proponents on Prop 102 are proposing is that same-sex relationships will be taught in schools. Well, I hate to break it to you but educators are--more than likely--going to do their best to inform children of what is going on in the world around them. It is not a teacher's job to teach a child right from wrong, rather a parent should do their best to present the facts to children and help them understand the reasons they believe as they do. Turning a blind eye to the fact that same-sex couples are raising families accomplishes nothing in terms of "protecting" a child from what many consider to be sinful. Of course I do not advocate elementary aged children being taught the ins and outs of what goes on in the bedrooms of homosexuals (or heterosexuals for that matter) but there is nothing wrong with them acknowledging that there are many different family makeups in the world while being guided and directed by their parents in regards to these matters.

The bottom line...same-sex couples will exist in the world and will raise families just like "traditional" couples do. We can either embrace them with love and equality and share in the joy of their families or we can shun them out of fear and ignorance. We can grant them equal treatment to encourage a stable family situation or place a stumbling block to their ability to live the American dream of liberty and justice for ALL. Let's focus on initiatives that truly strengthen families of every kind instead of dividing people into unnecessary subclasses.
Please join me in voting NO on Prop 102 in AZ or (if you live in CA) NO on Prop 8. Thank you!

Valuable lesson from my little sister...

2008-10-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

I love my youngest sister Chelsea! She taught me a valuable lesson this week when I flew off the handle after an email from my Mom. The argument started several months ago involving AZ Proposition 102 (similar to the CA Prop 8). My family and the church is strongly for it and I am against it. I'm not going into every detail of why we disagree on this issue but suffice it to say that it's been a difficult thing for us.
So, several months ago I asked my Mom to stop sending me emails regarding Prop 102 and she stopped for a long time but then, out of nowhere, she sent me the following email on Wednesday:

Even with the opposition defacing & stealing our signs, yelling profanities, vandalizing front yards and broadcasting falsely on their commercials, we will stand true and strong on the side of righteousness! Thankfully there are many who stand with us!
I was more than a little upset that my Mom would send me an email like this so I hit "reply all" and this is what I had to say...

Wow! Thankfully the "Yes! on Prop 102" campaign has plenty of $$$ in its war-chest so I wouldn't worry too much about some defaced signs--just buy up a little more airtime or web banners or scare a few more people into donating by persuading them to think their marriage will be compromised by "the gays." Comparing yourselves to Samuel the Lamanite is such a twisted analogy when you have signs/billboards on every corner of this valley and the support of the majority of this state. Cry me a river! Don't try to play the victim here...I'm holding back the laughter!
-Allen

Anyway, you can probably tell that I was letting my sarcasm run wild without much regard for the consequences. Shortly after firing off my email, my sister Chelsea reminded me that the only thing this response accomplished was to damage relationships in my family. She is certainly right about that. As much as I may disagree with my Mom I can never deny that I love her and shouldn't let issues such as these divide us. It looks like I have some relationships to bandage up!

Playing catch-up...

2008-09-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

I've been bad with this blog so I'm gonna attempt to catch up on my exciting life since being back!
GREAT NEWS! I found a wonderful home f0r Indi (the kitty). Turns out he wasn't able to adjust to my small balcony and he was sad after he got board of the toys I put out there :-( Anyway, I'm happy to report that a very close friend of mine in Phoenix has taken him in and Indi now enjoys a nice, big yard with other cats to play with. It is a great situation and I feel much better that he's happy and my friend is thrilled to have him! He's close too so I can go over and visit every once in a while like a good "trophy dad" would do...lol!
Oh, I've been working as a server at Maizies (Central & Camelback, PHX) and it's been so much fun! I was working there before my trip and wasn't so sure if I would go back. They just opened in April so the place wasn't very busy a while back but it's definitely poppin' now. I've been happily surprised by the great tips. Wednesday night I was so excited because I made $120 in 4 hours of work. I was smiling from ear to ear as I made my way to the basement parking lot to get my car and head home. Only problem was my car was GONE!!! Yeah, I totally got towed because I parked in the spot next to where I was supposed to park. The tow lot was closed so I was stuck but luckily I have a friend who lives in the building above Maizies so I stayed with him until my roommate (Justin) could take me to get my car the next morning (THANKS Justin!). Guess how much the charge at the tow lot was? $117!!! So, my net earnings for the night were $3...lol! Live and learn :-(
Yesterday was a blast! I got to hang out with Crystal (my sister) and we made some modern art. First we experimented on art paper before we played with the big boys and used the canvas. Check it out:

Jade is lucky she didn't get any paint on her face the way we were slinging it around! No joke!!!

Here's how it turned out on canvas. I think Crystal is gonna do more with it later but I was really pleased with it :-)

So, as you can tell it's been a great week! I was really glad that I got to spend some quality time with my little sister (she really is little btw). Oh, and Jade is getting cuter with every passing second! She's a little talker just like her Grandma Beach...love ya Mom!
Oh, and I have a job lined up for the 29th so I'm not living scared anymore :-) I'll be working at Target Financial Services so makes sure you're current on your Target credit card unless you want a call from me!

Jolly Rancher...

2008-09-02T21:54:00.001-07:00

Labor day weekend at the "Red Roof Ranch" proved to be a great time! After being gone for two months, it was wonderful to see the family again--especially Braden and Jade. They are growing up sooo fast!
One of many moments of excitement was when I was helping Dad pump water from the well to the water tank. We were hooking up the generator when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a rattle snake curled up right by my dad's leg!!! The little guy was pretty cold so he wasn't moving very fast (thank goodness) but it was scary nonetheless. Regretfully, we ended up killing it with a shovel and I skinned, filleted, and cooked it up later. It was an interesting experience. Not a whole lot of meat on a snake but it was tasty.
Another cause of excitement was the torrential downpour we got on Sunday. We got to church looking like wet dogs and the ranch turned into a giant mud bog but it was good to get some moisture in that parched region.
It was a great trip! I love my family :-)

Indi

2008-08-26T08:20:00.001-07:00

Last night I stopped by my parents house for dinner and to pick up Indi. It was so nice to see them again :-) Mom took such great care of the little guy...I'm sure he's gonna miss her and their beautiful yard. I actually missed Indi while I was traveling and it was good to see the little fur ball again.
I was a little concerned about how he would like my condo in Mesa (he's never lived here). The balcony is small and I really don't want him inside so that's his new territory. So far everything seems good. He was good last night and only meowed a little bit when I first put him on the balcony. I gave him a bath and held him for a while to calm him down and let him sleep out there last night with no problems. This morning he seemed happy and he was lying on the slightly damp carpet--I assume to stay cool. I put his bed in the washer so it's nice and clean and fur-free (for a little while) but he seems to really like the damp carpet for some reason.

Fly away home...

2008-08-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it's time for me to go home! I woke up at 6AM to take one last swim in the Caribbean and it was so cool to see the fishermen and all the locals out and about. I guess most tourists don't wake up that early or something!
The water was sparkling clear and warm. I could see fish swimming around my feet in the deeper parts. I will definitely miss this place but I'm happy to see everyone at home (even though it's gonna be 105 degrees today in Phoenix...ahhhh!).

These kids are awesome!!!

2008-08-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

It's really cool to be here in Honduras where Books for a Better World has been donating for several years now. The kids anxiously wait every year for us to come with new books! This little video is after I got done reading a couple stories to the kids and then I let them check out all of the new books...

It's crazy to think that tomorrow is my last chance to deliver books this year. Time has definitely flown by!

Tacos tonight...

2008-08-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Just really quick...I'm having a good time in Honduras. Santa Lucia (near Tegucigalpa) is a really nice little town and I am lucky enough to be staying with Liseth and Chet Thomas who have been nice enough to let me take up shelter in their beautiful home. I've already been to five schools in two days so that is a small demonstration of the pace I'm keeping to finish 15 schools in five days. Local support is what makes it possible. I go to the schools with Hugo--the head of the school district--and he's so helpful!
Tonight the Thomas family is having a little party to celebrate the visit of their daughter (from Florida). We're going to make tacos...mmmm!
My internet connection is too slow to upload photos so we'll just have to wait on that I guess. I'm excited to get back to "The States" to see everyone I love!

On the road again...

2008-08-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

¡Hola amigos! Es un gusto contarles que estoy en Honduras ahora.
I just got to Honduras today and it's nice be be here! On the way I arranged to stay the night in Esquipulas, Guatemala--a town famous for it's ornate cathedral. It's sorta like a gathering place for Catholics from all over Central America. It's also famous for a special wood carving of Christ called "El Cristo Negro" (the black Christ) due to the unusually dark color of the wood. I got to town just in time to enjoy a mass and see some of the interesting traditions. Most of the locals are indigenous people and they hold tightly to their customs. At the end of the mass, many attendees left the building facing the altar and walking backwards as they sang hymns. It was a reverent feeling.
Today I made my way to San Pedro Sula which is about halfway to Tegucigalpa. I learned my lesson about super long bus rides. It's just too hard to enjoy traveling when you arrive super late and super tired. That's why I broke this trip up into smaller chunks (I like that word). I'll get to Tegucigalpa tomorrow and start delivering books on Monday...I'm really stoked about getting back to Books for a Better World business :-)
NOTICE: The town I'll be staying in has limited access to internet so I may not get around to updating this blog much so don't freak out and assume I'm dead if you don't see any online activity. XOXOXOXO!

YAAAWWWWNNNN!

2008-08-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Quick update just so you all know I'm alive :-)
Sunday I headed down to a town in Panama called David with my new friends (Kaytee's friends) Ahna and Carlos. We had some really good ceviche (seafood chemically cooked with lime juice mixed with onions and tomatoes). They are such nice people and a really cute couple. While we were sitting on the patio a guy passed by with flowers for sale and Carlos got Ahna a few. It was a really nice time :-)
Monday morning I caught a bus to San Jose, Costa Rica. It's normally a 9 hour trip but it ended up taking about 11 because there was a landslide in the road. I got to bed at about 10:00 PM and then had to get up at 2:30 AM to catch the 3:00 bus to San Salvador, El Salvador. The bus got a flat tire just outside of San Salvador I arrived at 10:00 PM (instead of 9:00). This morning (Wednesday) I caught the bus at 6:00 AM and arrived here in Guatemala City at about 11:00 AM.
Anyone with a masters degree in math want to figure out how many hours I was on a bus in the last few days? I'm way to exhausted to even start!
Anyway, I'm glad to be back in Guatemala. Sometimes it feels like coming home here. I'm meeting my friend Mandy for dinner in about half an hour so I better get running!

I thought this map at the "Purple House Hostel" in David, Panama was so cool. It has a pin for every city guests have come from. It's fun to meet people from so many places/backgrounds!

One more day in Panama...

2008-08-10T10:52:00.001-07:00

I'm feeling better now!!! Last night I felt just good enough to enjoy a nice dinner (Minestrone soup and bread) with Kaytee and some friends. We ended up going out to dance but I spent most of the time chillin' on the couch and watching the 2008 Olympic Games that they were playing on the muted, closed-captioned TV by the dance floor. It was strange because everyone was dancing and I was kinda just sitting there watching TV but I actually enjoyed myself. So, we got home around 1:30 AM so I ended up sleeping in a little bit today. I think I needed the sleep but I ate breakfast this morning and I feel sooo good :-) We had a couple of friends here with us so we all made delicious omelets and toast. It was fun!
Anyway, I was planning on heading to Bocas del Toro (some beautiful islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama) but there is a minor tropical storm and it looks like it will be nothing but rain so I'm gonna skip it. Some other year perhaps! So that means I have one more day here in Boquete with Kaytee and then I'll head to San Jose, Costa Rica tomorrow on my way back to Guatemala.

The best place to get sick...

2008-08-09T11:51:00.001-07:00

We all know that getting sick is "no bueno" but I got sick last night and I got to thinking. This entire trip I've been pretty darn healthy. Right now I'm staying with Kaytee in a beautiful house and this is, by far, "the best place to get sick!" I know that makes me sound crazy but let's take a look at the alternatives:
1. I could have gotten sick in El Salvador when Alica and Kira were both sick. This would have been really bad because we wouldn't have been able to finish our book deliveries if we were all laying around in bed.
2. It could have happened in Guatemala and put the entire Reyes Family at risk of catching a flu. They have two little kids so that wouldn't have been good either. Plus it would have put us behind, once again, on book deliveries.
3. I could have gotten sick when I was staying with the Gonzalez family (in Guatemala City). Although sparkling clean, their bathroom facilities are about 300 meters away from the house--good for odor control, bad for emergency bathroom runs ;-) Plus the ceiling in the toilet room is about five centimeters too short and I bump me head every time I rise from the throne...yeah, I'm a slow learner.
4. I could have gotten sick when I was making the journey from Guatemala City to Panamá and that would have made for some miserably long bus rides. A shared bathroom at a hostel could have made for some very memorable experiences..."please hurry...I need the toilet...blahhhhahh, never mind." Plus, I wouldn't have enjoyed the beach very much.
But, once again, God has blessed me more than I deserve and I get to be sick here:

If you're gonna vomit it might as well be into a designer, silent-flush toilet right?

Not too shabby right? And just to calm your curiousity...yes, that is a Jonas Brothers special on the TV. Lol! I'm a total closet fan of Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, and High School Musical BTW. DON'T JUDGE ME :-)

I'm starting to feel better by the way. I think it was a 12 hrs. flu or something. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy this Jonas Brothers special and maybe go out dancing with Kaytee tonight if I feel better. ¡Hasta luego!

Some more pics of Costa Rica...

2008-08-08T05:54:00.001-07:00

I just realized that I didn't get very much coverage of Costa Rica so here's some more stuff!

This road was so fun for biking...it was the perfect day!

The beach...walking distance from the hostel.

Kaytee reading my book "Small Business, Big Life" on the beach. Yes, she is wearing a top by the way ;-) This is a really good book for anyone who runs or is interested in running a business. It talks about how to build a business around your life and values. Good stuff!!!

Hope you enjoyed this post! I'm in Panama now so I'll be sure to get another post up soon. God bless!

I love the rain...

2008-08-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

It's been so fun having my friend Kaytee with me here in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica! The weather hasn't been the best because there is a tropical storm passing through but that hasn't stopped us from having a GREAT time here :-)
Yesterday we spent a lot of time just sipping hot chocolate and doing research (on the internet) on our entrepreneurial dreams. Kaytee has a business called "The Gem Project." The Gem Project is a multifaceted, international jewelry-making empowerment program that inspires positive thinking, global giving, and creative power for positive individual and social change (www.thegemproject.com). It is inspiring to chat with her and bounce ideas off of each other.
Today the sun came out in the morning and we were soooo excited! We rented snorkeling gear and bikes to head down to see some fishes and stuff. Before we left we stopped for a quick breakfast--fresh, organic granola and yogurt...mmmm!
It was the perfect day for a bike ride. The clouds came back before we even started our little journey (13 km) but it made for cooler weather. The beaches were gorgeous (even without sun) and we had a nice chance to take a plunge into the waves. Unfortunately, the waves were too big for snorkeling so we didn't get a chance to use the gear. Oh well. We did get a nice lunch in at a Caribbean restaurant on the beach. As we made our way back to Puerto Viejo we could see/hear spider monkeys swinging through the trees in the canopy above. There was a slight, misty rain--just enough to keep us cool--as we approached the city. It was really relaxing.
Tomorrow morning we are going to head down to Boquete, Panama (where Kaytee lives) and I'll be there for a few days. I was in Boquete back in March and really enjoyed myself so I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there. I also hope to help Kaytee with The Gem Project while I'm there.
Here's a little video clip of me cruising the beach...it's kinda boring but I hope you enjoy it!

A three hour tour...a three hour tour...

2008-08-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

So, San Juan Del Sur Nicaragua was one of the most beautiful beaches I've seen since my Mom and two sisters (get it...lol)! It was amazing to see the crystal-clear waters and amazing surfers and swim around/relax in the shade. It was lovely! I had a lot of fun with my friends too. Lincoln (the guy on the right) and I rented bicycles and rode down to a couple of beaches a short distance from our hostel. The bikes we rented had virtually no brakes so it was quite the adventure trying to avoid crashing!

We found some cool spots where the waves crashed over the rocks and decided to snap a few photos. It was a beautiful day!

This was a cool shot that Lincoln got with his waterproof camera!

This morning I had to say goodbye to my friends and head down to Costa Rica. It was actually really hard to say goodbye! I'm going to be meeting my friend Kaytee tomorrow so I had to be in San Jose today. Leaving San Juan there was a girl on the bus who was heading to the exact same hostel as I so we came down together and it worked out really good!
So, the title of my post is "A Three Hour Tour." That's because we managed to catch a bus from the border of Nicaragua to San Jose--an estimated 5 1/2 hr. trip. About two hours into the trip the bus driver was informed that a bridge into town had broken so we had to take a detour. Apparently, the bus driver had never done this detour before because we ended up getting lost and having to turn around twice! Also, we finally got pointed in the right direction only to find that a semi-truck had crashed--blocking the road once again. We had to take a small, winding dirt road to get to San Jose. It was crappy. Anyway, we ended up getting to San Jose in 11 hrs!!!! We were so hungry that we asked the taxi to stop by McDonald's on the way in. Now that is serious hunger, right? We got here so late that all of the rooms were taken up so we're gonna be staying in the TV room on mattresses! Who knows when we'll actually get to sleep but this looks like a fun place so I'm looking forward to meeting a few new friends. Plus, it's Saturday night so no need to rush off to sleep right?
Oh, here's one more random picture of me getting splashed in the eye by the salty hand of the Pacific :-) Take care friends!

Hello mudda, hello fadda, here I am in Granada Nicaragua...

2008-07-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

I'm thoroughly enjoying being in Granada! This place is lovely and my new friends are a lot of fun to be around. Since I basically had been on a bus from Sunday morning to Tuesday night from Guatemala City to Granada, Nicaragua I felt like I'd been hit by a southbound train! I was sore from head to toe so I took it easy on Wednesday--mostly relaxing in a hammock and walking around town a bit. I also got my laundry done so I feel fresh and clean! It was funny because Lincoln (from New Zealand) has a thick accent and we were getting our clothes ready to take to laundry. He asked me a question and I couldn't figure out if he was asking me if my clothes were white, wet, or if he was asking about their weight. Come to find out he was asking if they were wet because the laundry service charges by weight. It was pretty funny! He and Laura (from Scotland) also use the word "fortnight" defined as a two week period of time (i.e. I receive my direct deposit fortnightly). It's interesting :-)

Today is Thursday and it turns out that my new friends are heading to the exact same place as I am so we're going to continue traveling together! It works out well because we all save money and enjoy being together. The place we have been staying in Granada is $6/night and it's actually really nice. So, we're going to head down to the border of Costa Rica today to a place called San Juan. It's not too long of a trip so I'm definitely glad about that. It's a real wear on your body traveling on the rickety buses and bad roads down here. I should be able to get to Puerto Viejo Costa Rica in plenty of time to meet my friend Kaytee there. I can't wait to see her!

Here are some pics from beautiful, historic Granada, Nicaragua:Municipal building near the park

The church in the central park of Granada...I love the color!

I got to climb the clock tower...it was a cool view!

Laura (Scotland) and Lincoln (New Zealand) borrowing my laptop to burn their photos to a DVD.

Laurie (Canada) resting on the hammock

So, I'm excited to get to Costa Rica and see what's cool there! It should be a great experience!

YMCA

2008-07-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you're probably wondering why I named this post YMCA...that was the song I heard on the bus into Nicaragua! Yes, that's right, I'm in Nicaragua for the first time in my life!
A funny thing happened when I was in Managua (the capital city). I had been traveling from Honduras so I was pretty tired when I finally got to Managua. I thought about staying the night there and heading down to Granada (a colonial town popular among tourists) tomorrow. But when I got to the bus terminal I met a taxi driver who convinced me that I still had time to make it down to Granada so I decided to have him take me to the bus station. He was an interesting fellow who insisted that I should have him take me straight to Granada for $30 instead of taking the bus. I told him that I was a poor gringo and that I didn't have the money. He then ripped me a new one about how I was from "the world superpower" and how it was impossible that I couldn't pay $30 to have him take me. I told him that I preferred to pay the $1 to have the bus take me but he seemed angry and so I just dropped the conversation. He dropped me off at the bus station after all and immediately popped open the trunk to get my luggage out. I was so relieved to get out of that taxi! He was SSSOOOOO bitter!
Anyway, with the trunk open I went to get my luggage out only to realize that I was in the middle of another fight. Only this time it was a fight between two buses who wanted me to board their bus--both insisting that they were the first one to leave. The bad part was that one bus had my black suitcase and the other bus had my hiking pack. I have no idea how they moved so fast to get the bags into the buses but it was CRAZY! I decided which bus I would take but the bus driver of the "losing" party refused to release my black suitcase insisting that I would get there faster in his bus. I demanded (a bit forcefully) that he return my suitcase (the one with my laptop, digital camera, and pretty much everything valuable) immediately. He told me I could open the back door and get it myself because he refused to help me--RUDE! So, that's exactly what I did. I've never had anything like that happen to me so it was insane!
Anyway, I'm here in Granada and I met three nice travelers from New Zealand, Scotland, and Canada who offered to share a hostel room with me to save money. They're really nice folks and I'm glad I got to meet them!
I can't wait to see this city in the daylight. It looks really pretty. It's colonial (kind of like Antigua Guatemala) and it's by a huge lake with volcanoes all around. If the weather is good I'm going to try to hike one of them!

Oh, it's been a while since I've uploaded some pics so here are some more for you:Hanging out with Ulises and Gilda GonzalezJaqueline Gonzalez' new baby Limhi...I helped babysit him while Jaqueline worked.

Anyways, that's all for now. TTYL!

I've only got 4 minutes...

2008-07-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not quoting Madonna and Justin Timberlake in my title...I seriously only have four minutes to blog at this internet cafe.
So, real quick...
I had an amazing weekend. Went dancing in Guatemala City Sat night. It was so much fun and everyone at the "disoteca" was so friendly. I hung out with my friend (Daniel) in San Salvador Sun evening (we went to a restaurant on the beach and it was beautiful!). Anyway, it was a good weekend.
I left Guatemala City on Sunday morning and got to San Salvador in the afternoon. Stayed there for the night and made my way to Honduras today (Monday). I'm just here for the night and then I'll head down to Nicaragua tomorrow morning. It will be my first time in Nicaragua so I'm kinda excited to see what it's like! I'll probably spend a couple days there before I head down the Costa Rica.
Anyway, so I'm here in a small town in Honduras and there's only one ATM and I don't have very much money. I just went to the ATM and it says it's "temporarily out of service." I hope it starts working soon because otherwise I might be sleeping on the streets! YIKES! Wish me luck!

Thanks, but no thanks...

2008-07-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

So, I decided not to buy the land after all. I thought about it and I really need to conserve my money to go into the new business that I'm going to start. Also, I'm not down here enough to make it worth my while (although I wouldn't mind changing that).
Anyway, I'm in Barcenas with the Gonzalez family again--enjoying their company and working on a few things before I leave for Panama (via El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica). My friend Kaytee is house-sitting down there and there is plenty of room for me so I'm gonna go down there and relax a little. For now, I'm doing some research on different business ideas that have come to me and trying to decide the best route to take. I feel like my mind is flooded with possibilities and I have to make a choice. It's really cool to be in a situation like this where I am not distracted by "regular life" and I can really think clearly about what I want to do. I'm also going to contract my friend Ulises Gonzalez to do some drawing work on possible logos. He's a great artist and he seems excited to help me! I'll probably stay here until Saturday and then start heading south.
I miss you all in the States by the way! I hope you're all doing great!

I'm the "Donald Trump" of Guatemala...

2008-07-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you all know how much I love Guatemala--sometimes a little too much! Anyway, I have a chance to get a little piece of property (about 1/4 acre) in a really sweet spot and I think I'm gonna do it! Check out this video and tell me what you think...

Don't forget to comment!

I can't get photos to upload!

2008-07-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys, I can't seem to get photos to upload today. Real quick update:
I returned the rental car Thursday night (around 8:30 PM) and the cool guy at Thrifty charged me as if I had returned the car at noon instead of charging me an extra day. He said he wanted to help as much as he could since we're down here helping the kids in his country.
I stayed with the Gonzalez Rosales family Thurs night and got up early to catch a bus to the coast. A big group of teachers from the schools around Salamá went on an excursion and they invited me to come along. I managed to catch the bus at a bus stop on the way and we headed to a place called Xetulul (Shetoolool)--an amusement park. We had a great time and then we headed up to Panajachel/Lake Atitlán for the night and the next day. It was a blast! We even crossed Lake Atitlán to go to a beautiful little town called Santiago. Funny story: on our way back the boat driver stopped in the middle of the lake to explain to us that one of our travel companions forgot to pay him for the way there and he demanded payment. After a quick call to our friend, we confirmed that she forgot to pay and made sure he got his money. It was funny because he had us trapped in the middle of the lake to make sure he got his $3 and he wasn't about to let us off easy. We all had a good laugh about it when it was all over!
Anyway, we got back to Salama really late so I'm pretty tired today. It was a fun trip!

San Jose Espinero...aka "Middle of NOWHERE"

2008-07-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry to leave you hanging for a while there! You've probably all moved on to bigger and better blogs by now ;-)
So, Thursday was amazing because I got to go to a little village (I don't know if it even qualifies for the title of village) called San Jose Espinero. When Mily told me about the school she tried to explain that it was far, far away but I had no idea! Since I still had the rental car I gave all the teachers a ride on the way. It was about 6:30 AM when we left so I made sure to have some good WAKE-UP music thumping in the car and we made our way up the hill.
I dropped all the teachers off along the way until we got to the last school which marked the entrance/trailhead to San Jose Espinero. The principal of the school quickly gathered 7 little rascals to help me carry the 45 lbs of books down the hill.
They were excited to help and even more excited to get out of school for the day! We started down the steep, muddy trail and I could immediately tell that these little guys had me beat on all levels. First, they all had rubber boots (like the kind you use to pour concrete) and second, they were well accustomed to these trails. I somehow managed to keep up with them without falling on my butt. One of the kids insisted that he was strong enough to carry an entire set of encyclopedias (about 20 lbs) in his backpack. I tried to convince him to divide the books between the kids but he seemed to be doing fine with the strap looped around his forehead.
After about an hour of hiking we got to the school and surprised the teacher. He rarely receives visitors due to the location of his school. It was thrilling to see his excitement when I announced the reason for our visit. This school was in serious need of books. It was a one-room school house with grades K-6 all in one room. There was no electricity or running water but there they were nonetheless. They were in the middle of a simple English lesson when we arrived so they took advantage of my presence to work on their pronunciation. All of the kids (and the teacher) are fluent in Spanish and a local dialect so when they learn English they'll be tri-lingual. The kids who know dialect usually have an easier time pronouncing English words because they have a wider range of sounds in their language.
We read a few stories and then let the kids have a recess to play a game of soccer. The two schools are basically rivals and they play each other every chance they can. The funny part is that the traveling team always loses because they have to hike an hour to get to the soccer field...lol! It was fun to watch them have so much fun! We had to head back right after the soccer game so I stopped by a little store and got the kids some "gasoline" (aka CocaCola and Doritos) for the trip back up the hill. The hike back was even harder because it was like climbing stairs nearly the entire hike (kinda like Camelback Mtn.). The kids were tired from playing soccer but we managed to make it back to the school with very few rests. It was an amazing hike! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there were tons of little rivers and waterfalls all along the pathway and, in the distance, we could even see the largest waterfall in Central America (Chilascó). It was beautiful!

Quick update...

2008-07-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

So, I took the long trip to Cubulco today to deliver to three schools. It was a great time! I got there and had no idea where any of the schools were to I decided to ask for help at a local store. One of the guys at the store (Chente) started giving me Guatemalan directions to all of the schools. Quick explanation...from my experience, most Guatemalan's have a hard time explaining to an "outta towner" how to get places because they've never been in the shoes of an "outta towner." Instead of words like "left, right, north, south, etc." they may say something like this: "take this street straight until you come to a bunch of pick-up trucks then go up that road and there's the school." And they always say it with extreme confidence. What usually happens after that is you find the road (by asking people in the street) then you go "up" the road (which you would assume means "up" but it could really mean down so you have no idea whether to go left or right) continue on for a while until you think you've gone too far, ask another person where the school is only to find out it's down some little trail--untraceable by military satellites--and behind a grove of trees. I have yet to have a Guatemalan just admit that they don't really know how to get to the destination. It really stems from their natural desire to help people so I can't be mad :-)
Anyway, I think Chente could see my head spinning while he was giving me directions so he offered to go along with me. I always hesitate to take strangers in my rental car (for safety reasons) but I had a good vibe from this guy so I took the chance. He was great! He helped me find all of the schools and we were able to make it to all three. It was funny because while we were chatting he happened to mention a guy he knew from the Peace Corps who had helped him when he was 13 or 14 yrs old. The guy happened to be Kevin Koordt who was responsible for the Books for a Better World presence in Cubulco and is a current board member! What a small world! Chente was so happy that he was able to help me and felt it was like returning a favor that Kevin had done for him almost 10 yrs ago.
Things went really well at the schools. I was particularly impressed by Escuela Santiago where they had constructed a wooden box with wheels to cart the books from classroom to classroom for reading time. It was a really cool idea!
Another cool thing about today is that it was Doña Carmen's birthday. She is Mily's mom and has always been a wonderful support by making our lunches every year when we come. She's an amazing cook by the way!
Anyway, I was having trouble thinking of something to get her so when I got back to the house I asked Mily. Apparently nobody had eaten lunch (it was 2:00 PM) and Carmen loves PIZZA so I decided to order some pizzas for everyone. They were so excited! The pizza place in town is Telepizza which is actually inside Pollo Campero. It was interesting pizza...not too bad for a fried chicken joint!
Another reason why today was extra busy for the Reyes family was because it is the one year anniversary of Carmen's brother's death. The Reyes are very Catholic and they set up a beautiful altar with candles and picture frames and had a special prayer session with all of their friends and relatives. I felt happy to be a part of something so special. After the meeting, we all enjoyed delicious "chuchitos." I'll let Lorenzo (Mily's brother) explain what "chuchitos" are in this little video clip:

Anyway, it was a great day and I'm looking forward to another great day tomorrow. I was gonna go back to Guatemala City in the morning but I decided to make one last delivery to a little village before I leave. I'm excited because it will be quite the hike and the local teachers might even let me borrow a horse to pack the books in! If they can't get a horse they said they would send six school kids up to help me...isn't that funny :-) I'll let you know how it goes!

Attempting to blog half asleep...

2008-07-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

It will be a miracle if this post makes any sense because I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open!
Let's see, Sunday afternoon I dropped Kira off at the airport. I was sad to see her go :-( She does such a great job with reading to the kids and we were having a lot of fun working together. Oh, wait...back up...Saturday I had to go to a doctor because I had this bizarre rash on the back of my head. It was really gross...EWWW! Anyway, the doctor said it was some kind of fungus so he told me to go to the pharmacy and get some anti fungal cream and three pills to be taken every five days. By the way. I showed up at the doctor's office at 4PM on a Sat., waited 5 mins to be seen (by an actual Dr.) and paid $6 for the consultation. The total cost of the drugs at the pharmacy was about $15. And that was without ANY insurance. Well, I took the first pill Sat. evening and by that night I started feeling a little sick. By Sun. morning I was feeling worse with a headache and stuff. To make a long story short I finally feel better today and the fungal infection is completely gone! Tomorrow I'm gonna ask the Dr. if it's necessary to take the two remaining pills.
So, back to Sunday...is this blog making ANY sense? After I dropped Kira off at the airport I rented a car to transport some encyclopedias for the libraries in Salamá. The Rotary Club was cool enough to offer Books for a Better World some space on their shipping container so we shipped the heaviest boxes we could find which resulted in a savings of about $800 in shipping! I had originally planned on hiring a driver to deliver the books to Salamá from Guatemala City (actually Amatitlán) but after I got a couple quotes it seemed like a better idea to just rent a car and do it myself. So I rented a little Toyota Yaris for $38/day instead of paying a driver about $400. Plus I'll have the car to make deliveries. It works out.
So, back to Sunday...I got the rental car and headed to Barcenás to see my friends from la Família Gonzalez Rosales. It was so nice to see them again! For a second I forgot that I was feeling sick but soon I had to give in and go straight to bed. I had a horrible fever all night.
Monday I called my friend (Mandy Vasquez) and we went to lunch along with my friend Ulises Gonzalez. We dined in style at McDonald's. It was really fun to hang out. We dropped Mandy off at work (Telgua...the phone company) and then Ulises and I went to see Hancock at the movie theater. We timed it so I could pick Gilda (Ulises' sister) from work and get back to their house.
Oh, by the way, I wasn't even supposed to be in Guatemala City on Monday (yesterday) because the Rotary Club container was going to arrive for me to take the encyclopedias but it didn't arrive until today (Tuesday). So, today I met up with the Rotary people and we unloaded a huge container of dental equipment. As luck would have it, the boxes with the encyclopedias were the last to come off the truck so I didn't get out of Guatemala City until 4PM. I wish I could have been more help with the unloading but I am so weak from being sick. The good news is that I got the encyclopedias and I'm so thankful to the Rotary Club for all of their help!
I made the trip back to Salamá and tomorrow I'm going to deliver to three schools in a rural area called Cubulco.
Oh, when I got to Salamá I showed Mily (school teacher/local volunteer) the encyclopedias and she was really excited about them. They are really nice with color pictures and plenty of information about a lot of topics. I think they will come in really handy here because a lot of kids don't have access to the internet or other information sources. I was happy to see Mily so excited. She helps us a ton and it's good to see her enthusiasm!

A day in the country...

2008-07-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

So, this motorcycle is coming in really handy for our work here! We had an extra box of books this year so we decided to add a new school to the program. Mily recommended Aldea Dolores--a rural school near a small town called San Miguel (where we went yesterday). Kira and I left around 7AM and made our way to the school. It was a beautiful trip on a curvy, bumpy, hilly road. It was actually pretty fun on the dirt bike!
We had to leave the motorcycle at a little store to walk across a suspension bridge to the school. It was really cool! We ended up getting to the school at the same time as a group of students from the high school in Salamá. Part of their program was to interview the director at this rural school to investigate the major causes of drop-outs in their town. They were neat kids and it's always good to see the youth working to make their own country a better place!
The director of the school was enthusiastic about starting with Books for a Better World. He gathered the kids together so we could read to them and present the books. It was great to see how excited they were. The school had a lot of indigenous kids from very poor families so it was a perfect candidate for our program. Toward the end of our visit we gave the older kids a chance to read to everyone. I was impressed when one of the guys from sixth grade got up, in front of everyone, and read a few pages from a book. Not only was he a good reader but he seemed confident for his age. I told him he could be a good teacher someday :-)
We got back to Salamá and ate lunch--chicken, rice and veggies. We still had plenty of daylight so we decided to take a trip to San Jeronimo just to check it out. We found another bumpy road (I guess our butts weren't sore enough yet...lol) and started down the path. We ended up at a river with a dam where they divert water into a canal to water crops. It was a beautiful place surrounded by mountains and streams. I love discovering new places! On our way home we stopped by a restaurant/fish farm where they serve fresh fish and ostrich meat. It was really good! I felt like I was in Chandler, AZ...eating ostrich...lol! Kira and I decided that we were reducing our "carbon footprint" by eating at this restaurant. The fish were right there and the ostrich farm is a few miles away. Fresh food is the best!!!

Schools, libraries, clay, cross and bubble wrap...

2008-07-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hello my faithful reader(s)...lol! Today went by really fast. We delivered to two schools and a library. The schools were in a nearby town called Rabinal and the library was in a little pueblo called San Miguel. Kira and I got up early (once again) to catch the bus to Rabinal and then we got a taxi so we could get both of the schools in one day. Normally we walk to these schools but we never would have been able to get them both that way. I was happy that we got two schools done but the downside was that we couldn't spend much time with the kids because our taxi was waiting for us. On our way back home we found a cool place where they make clay pottery.
We got done a lot faster than expected so when we got back to the house we decided to make a trip to a library in San Miguel. We decided to go on the motorcycle that a friend was letting us use and it worked out really good! We must have looked pretty funny--two big gringos with a big backpack (full of books) on a dirt bike. There were a couple of hills that we struggled to climb but we managed to sputter up somehow. The librarian was stoked to get some new books! They had a very small collection but I could tell they were well used.
We returned to the house and ate lunch--macaroni and cheese--and then I decided to take the dirt bike on an adventure! There is a cross on the mountain above Salamá and I've been wanting to go up there ever since I saw it. It was a steep, curvy road but I was able to make it up pretty quickly. I managed to snap a few aerial shots before the battery in my camera died and then I went back down. Going down was the hard part! The rocks on the trail were pretty loose so braking was tricky but I made it down without a scratch :-)
When I got back to the house I walked in to find the kids (Estefani and Roberto) playing with some of the bubble wrap from the packaging for the books. I couldn't help but snap a photo...they're such cute kids!

Another day in paradise...

2008-07-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here's another quick update! This morning we got up super early (like around 5AM) to head up to a school called Niño Perdido (translated: Lost Child...great name for a school right?). Anyway, this is the school where Mily teaches (Mily is the lady who helps us coordinate everything down here). It was really fun to visit this school because they have a very positive energy about learning and you can just tell the teachers are enthusiastic about being there. Most of the kids come from very poor families but they have a desire to learn! It's a great feeling!
Mily's class was a lot of fun because we got to sing some songs in English with the kids. They were so excited to hear our "real" English accents and they did a very good job of trying to copy us! It was kind of funny too because Mily had to run an errand and she asked Kira and I to run the classroom. At first I was like..."huh? u want us to run your 4th grade class?" Can you imagine a teacher doing that? Anyway, Kira read them a story and then I grabbed a book about snakes and had the kids take turns reading all about snakes. They were pretty interested in the topic so it went really well. I even quizzed them with questions about the reading and they seemed to be learning. It was pretty fun!
After we got done at the school we went to a little national park that was really close to the school. It was a beautiful place! It was set up as a special preserve for Guatemala's national bird--the Quetzal. It was a simple, 2km hike with trees, ferns, and water falls all over the place. I felt like I was walking through heaven! The only thing that would have made it perfect would be if they could replace the mosquitoes with Quetzals. They are extremely rare but I hope to see one someday before I die. Here are some more pics of the beautiful surroundings:P.S. This cool guy in town wanted to help out with the project so he's letting me use his motorcycle! I'm going to try to make a couple deliveries with it over the next little while. It's been fun learning how to drive a motorcycle--it's really a dirt bike. It's a small one...a good starter bike. I thought it was way nice of this guy to let me use his bike :-)

The books have arrived!

2008-07-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

Yay! The books finally arrived at the post office so we can start delivering books tomorrow morning! I'm so excited :-)

Feels so good to be back...

2008-07-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

Hola amigos! It's been a couple days and I know you've been dying to know what I've been up to...lol!
So, in a nutshell, I didn't get to surf because it rained too much and the ocean water was too dirty (leaves and dirt that got washed in). My instructor advised me not to surf because he said you always end up swallowing water and with all the debris people get sick so I decided to pass. We had a good time nonetheless and enjoyed a lot of good seafood...mmmm!
So, we headed back to San Salvador on Friday morning so we could get ready for Alice to head back to AZ and Kira and I to Guatemala. We decided to check out a museum and take a look at the tourist markets before we left. The museum was really interesting because it showcased Sorpresas--miniature clay figurines enclosed in an egg-shaped enclosure. It's hard to explain but here's a pic:
Anyway, it was pretty interesting and I learned a lot about the culture of El Salvador. I ended up buying a set of "Sorpresas" which depicts the illegal immigration of El Salvadorians to the USA. The miniature details are astonishing and the set wasn't even expensive ($12)! Gotta love Central America prices!
So, after we went to the museum and checked out a tourist market I made my way back to the mall where I had gone with Joaquín last week. I met up with a new friend (Daniel) who I had met earlier in the week. I wanted to see a little more of the city and he and I have a lot of similar interests so we decided to hang out. We had a good time eating "Mexican" food and just chatting. He and his mom run a little business and we had a good time discussing how he runs his business and how I'm planning on starting a business and stuff. His best friend (Marvin) met us later (after he got off work) so we all hung out at the mall. We all had to be up really early so I got back to the hotel early. I love making new friends and I had a great time! By the way, as angelic as I may be that blue "halo" above my head is actually a sign for Nine West ;-)
Saturday morning @ 5AM Kira and I were ready to head to the bus station. There was just one problem...the taxi we had arranged for was not at the hotel! We were pretty worried because the bus to Guatemala City supposedly left at 5:30AM and it was about 15 mins drive to the stop. After a few stern (but friendly) calls to the taxi company our half-awake taxi driver arrived (at 5:20) and took us to the bus stop for TICA Bus. Luckily, the bus didn't leave until 6:15AM so we got on with no problem and our freak-out session was in vain, WHEW!
We're in Salamá Guatemala now and it feels so good to be back. For those of you who don't know, I stayed here two years ago when I worked with Books for a Better World. I really love the family that supports us here. They are wonderful people and we have a great time every time I'm here. It almost feels like I never left. Oh, and did I mention that the food at their house is SABROSÍSIMA (yeah, that's a really good thing for you English speakers)! Today Doña Carmen (the mother of the family) taught me how to make green beans fried with eggs. It was really cool because she whipped the eggs first which made a type of batter around the green beans. It was delicious and pretty easy too! I'll try to get some pics of the family because they are the coolest people!
Our books aren't quite here yet (thanks to Guatemalan Customs) so we'll either get them tomorrow or Tuesday so we can start the deliveries. This is a blessing in disguise because Kira is getting over her cold and she needs a little extra rest. I just hope they put a rush on getting the books here. I'm not holding my breath because I don't believe the word "rush" is in the Guatemalan dictionary...lol!

Playa El Tunco

2008-07-01T17:26:00.001-07:00

We said "goodbye" to Ahuchapan this morning and set off for a new adventure--Playa El Tunco! We got a nice bus to San Salvador and then Alice decided to hire a taxi to the coast so we could travel in comfort. Poor thing has been sick with a cough the entire vacation and the last thing she needed was diesel fumes from an old "chicken bus."
Anyway, we got here around 3PM and found a really fun lodge where a lot of surfers seem to hang out. It should be fun.
I'm going to take surfing lessons tomorrow morning and I'm so excited!!! I've always wanted to learn how to surf and it's really cheap for lessons down here. I'll let you guys know how it goes!

A day trip to Apaneca...

2008-06-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot about another weekend adventure that I had. Alice and Kira were both sick so I decided that I could either wallow in the gloomy hotel room or go for a little day trip. I hopped on a bus to a cute little village called Apaneca. It turned out to be a beautiful place with a tranquil garden restaurant called "La Cocina de Mi Abuela." Their Criollo Chicken was some of the best food I've had in a long time! While I was enjoying my food, Alice called me to tell me she was feeling better so she hopped on the bus and met me there. I enjoyed a chocolate cake while she savored the Criollo Chicken. It was a nice rest from our hard work this last week.
Oh, and there were these random monkeys in the garden and one of them grabbed my camera through the chain link fence. I managed to wrangle it away from him but it was funny. He laughed at me and I almost cried :-( I hate it when I'm outsmarted by a monkey...it happens a lot you know!
On the way back to Ahuachapan Alice and I stopped by a couple souvenir shops and got a couple little things. It was a fun day :-)

Ol' Mission Buddy...

2008-06-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend was really fun! I got to hang out with my old friend from the mission (Joaquín Molina). We had a really fun time and I got to meet his girlfriend too!
He wanted to show me around El Salvador but the weather was a little rainy so we decided to go to San Salvador and check out the mall. I was astonished by how nice the mall was. It was up to par with some of the nicer malls in the U.S. with GUCCI and everything. Unfortunately there was no Neiman Marcus to make me feel at home...lol (see previous blog).
Anyway, it was really nice to catch up with him and meet his family (I went to church with them). They are really amazing, hardworking people. Joaquín is working for US Aid--a U.S. government agency that helps subsistent farmers become more productive. He seems to be doing really well and I'm happy for him. He's thinking about continuing his studies at BYU so he can get a master's degree. It would be cool if he does move up to UT because I could visit him more often (although I'm in Central America more than I'm in UT...hmmmm). Anyway, we had a great time!
Today we finished up the last school. It was Kira's turn to be sick this time so Alice and I went to the school. It was a new school for Books for a Better World and they had contacted me to be added to the library sites. They seemed excited to receive the books so I think things will go well. It was a long, bumpy ride there through some of the most beautiful ranch country I've seen in all my long years of life! We saw a lot of cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and grass...how exciting!
Anyway, it was a fun weekend/day! We're probably going to head to the beach for a few days now that we're done with our work in this area. Then Kira and I will head to Guatemala and Alice back to AZ.

Short & Sweet...

2008-06-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Pollo Campero--home of the free wireless internet but no plugs in the wall. I better hurry before my battery runs out. I won't give the details that I usually do (I hear sighs of relief all the way down here)!
Anyway, we visited two schools today. Suntecumat and Tacubita. They were close to Ahuchapan (where we are staying) but they were in the mountains so it was a rough road to get there. Once again we were grateful for 4 Wheel Drive! On the way there we got to see a bunch of geysers which power a giant geothermal power plant. El Salvador generates 15% of it's electricity through geothermal means. It's pretty cool but it smells horrible (like sulfur).
As usual, the kids were excited to see us and we were excited to see them. Something ironic...at the Tacubita school they had no electricity. It's not too "out there" to find schools here with no electricity, but it was ironic because the power plant was in view of the school. CRAZY!
Anyway, things are going good. We're actually done with our designated schools so we're going to be visiting a few schools to see if there are more we can add next year. We already have a couple of leads to schools in poor rural towns so we just need to stop by and see if they are interested in starting a library. It should be really enjoyable.
Oh, I got a hold of my old mission buddy (Juaquín Molina) who served with me in the mission office (AP) and we're going to meet up tomorrow evening to catch up! I'm excited!

Another bumpy road...another great day!

2008-06-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hola amigos! Today was a great day! Alice wasn't feeling well again :-( so Kira and I set out at 7AM to visit a couple of schools. Don Pabel (our faithful driver) rumbled up to our hotel in his noisy Isuzu diesel to take us on our journey. After an hour of driving, we stopped for a little snack--pupusas in the park in San Antonio never tasted so good! I took the rest stop as a chance to meander through the beautiful, white Catholic church in the town square. I noticed a guy sitting in front of the church and I approached him to see if he could take my picture. As I got closer I noticed he was more than a little intoxicated to I decided to just get the church without my beautiful face...sorry guys ;-)
The visits to the schools went well. The first school was rather large and the library is well on its way to looking like a "real" library. Books for a Better World has been contributing to their library for about five years now and the books are being put to good use. We were impressed to find that the school principal had designated a school librarian (from amongst the students) and he does an excellent job of organizing and keeping inventory of the books. The kids were excited to let us read a couple stories to them and we left with about fifty--or so--new friends :-)
The next school was a first-time BBW school recommended by Don Pabel. Texispulco is a small, three-room school in a rural agricultural village. Getting to the school requires 4x4 so we were happy to have our trusty (well maybe not so trusty) truck to get us there. Don Pabel grew up in the area so he told us about the challenges that face kids in the rural areas of El Salvador. It almost seems like the government forgets about these kids because they don't have even close to the resources that kids in bigger schools have.
When we pulled up to the school all the boys were playing soccer while the girls swept and mopped the classrooms. Kira and I found this a little sad (for the girls) but nothing out of the ordinary for this culture. They all stopped what they were doing when they saw two gringos roll up in that rickety old truck. We introduced our program to the principal and she was happy to accept the books into her tiny start to a library. I wished we had more books to give. The kids were so excited! This may have been the first time they had ever seen an illustrated storybook! I made instant friends with the Kindergarten class (who ever said I don't have any friends...lol) and I was sad to leave when the time came for us to return to Ahuachapan.
On our way home we stopped by to see Don Pabel's family. They were some of the humblest people I have ever met. They were kind enough to share their meager lunch with us--tortillas, rice, and cheese (from their own cow) with a little bit of Tang to drink. I was nearly brought to tears as I ate with them...no joke! These people never cease to amaze me!
I enjoyed chatting with Don Pabel on the 1 1/2 hr ride back to Ahuachapan. At one point it started raining so hard that we could hardly see the road but it was ok.
We got back safely and met up with Alice at the hotel to make one last stop at El Hogar de los Niños--an orphanage in town. Although it was sad to think that anyone could ever give up these beautiful children, it was amazing to see the loving care that the nuns provide them 24/7. I enjoyed playing Legos with the little boys...it brought back memories. I nearly lost an eye at one point when the "tallest tower in the world" came crashing down due to a "bus accident." It was fun!
We finished up the day with a nice meal at the world-famous Guatemalan restaurant chain "Pollo Campero." It's almost like comfort food to me with all the time I've spent in Central America lately :-)
Despite all of the wonderful times I'm having I have to admit that I'm missing family and friends right now. I love the comments that you've been leaving...keep 'em coming! I love you guys!

A Near Miss...

2008-06-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another blog post my friends! Today was a miraculous day. Alice has been feeling down with a bad cough since we got here and last night was horrible for her. When she woke up this morning she really wanted to go do the book delivery but she was feeling really tired. So, Kira and I set off to find a school in Texistepeque.
We caught a bus to Santa Ana and easily found the connecting bus to Texistepeque. It was a long trip (2 hrs) but everything was going great. During the bus ride I started chatting with a lady next to us and we started talking about the schools in the area. I told her we were going to visit the school in Texistepeque and explained about the libraries and everything. She thought it was wonderful but wondered why we had chosen to go to the school in Texistepeque because it was considered one of the richer schools in the area. She knew of some more rural schools in the area that may be in greater need. I told her to have the principals contact Books for a Better World so we can get them connected—I hope they do. As we got off the bus the lady kindly showed us the location of the school.
As we walked up to the school we could hear a marching band playing. Kira and I were astonished because we had never seen a school with that kind of a music program in Central America. We were beginning to see what our friend had told us about it being a richer school. We found the principal and he knew nothing of Books for a Better World. We then looked through their decent-sized library and couldn’t find any of our books from years past. Scratching our heads, Kira and I began to realize that we were in the wrong school! Luckily, Kira had been to El Salvador three years ago and remembered having visited the school in Texistepeque before. She remembered that she had taken a photo in front of the school so we went to an Internet café to look through her pictures for clues. She found the photo she was thinking of and it had a beautiful sign, which read: “Centro Escolar Canton Costa Rica.” It was just the clue we needed!
Time was running short so we hopped on a mototaxi (a small, three-wheel motorcycle) and he took us down a bunch of winding dirt trails to where the school was located. I don’t think we would have ever found it on our own!
Just as we arrived, a woman was getting ready to lock up the front gate. All of the children had gone home for the day and she was the last one there. When we introduced ourselves she was so excited! She told us that they were worried we weren’t coming because volunteers usually come earlier in the year. She let us in to the little two-room school and we sat down with her. She told us how much they enjoy using the books and that they have set aside reading hours on Mondays and Wednesdays of every week. One look at the books was all we needed to see that they were being put to good use. As she glanced at the shiny new covers of the books in our collection you could sense the anticipation she had to share them with the students. She almost jumped out of her seat when she saw “Harry Potter.” It was so much fun to see her enthusiasm and we felt lucky to have found her there just in time! We left that school with a great feeling that what we are doing is making a difference in that tiny, two-room school.

I love this place!

2008-06-24T16:40:00.001-07:00

So, today starts our work delivering books to our sites in El Salvador! We left at 7AM to get started early at a couple of the furthest schools. At the first school (Santa Clara), we were immediately greeted by the principal smiling from ear to ear. He was one of the most positive people I've met in a long time. His excitement for the new donation of books was incredible! He immediately let the teachers know that we were there so they could gather their classes for "reading time." It was so much fun! We went into the first classroom (see above) and started reading with the kids. You could tell they were accustomed to having reading time because they interacted very well with us. This is a sure sign of a school using our book donations to their fullest! It's a great feeling to see the schools taking advantage of a gift that we work so hard to bring them. It also makes me happy for the kids because I can see a bright future in their eyes (in know that's so cliché but it's true).
One of the biggest surprises was when the principal showed us their new COMPUTER ROOM--with internet! I couldn't believe I was in a rural school in El Salvador. I know we take it for granted in the U.S. but this is a huge step forward for this country. We were informed that about 100 of the 5000 schools in El Salvador have computer rooms with internet access but they are working hard to get it in all of the schools. It was exciting to share this accomplishment with the principal!
By the time we got to the second school we were pretty tired but still excited to be there. Did I mention that Kira and I were in the back of a pick-up for about three hours!!! Alice got to sit in the front...lucky thing!
Anyway, the second school (Sisimitepec...try saying that one) was almost completely empty by the time we made our way down the bumpy road and arrived at the front gate. There were a couple guys doing some clean-up so they helped us get to the principal's house to deliver the books. He was a really neat guy and also seemed enthusiastic about the reading program. He must have seen that Kira and I were parched (from being in the sun) so he cut a few coconuts for us and we drank some thirst-quenching coconut water :-) This is one of my favorite things about Central America btw...the fresh, tropical fruits.
So, we sat and talked with Mr. Ortiz (that was his name) and he told us how much it meant to him that we were willing to deliver the books to his house. He was so grateful!
As we were getting ready to leave we notice that our driver (Pabel) was doing something under the hood of his luxurious 1980 Isuzu truck. I just figured it needed more water or oil or something but there was actually a leak in one of the cylinders of the four-cylinder diesel engine. Now, I'm no mechanic but I figured this wasn't good...lol! He seemed to have a handle on everything so I wasn't too concerned. He had a good amount of tools but he was missing the one wrench that he needed so we tried capping it off with bailing wire, electrical tape, a plastic bag, and even considered chewing gum. After several noble but failed attempts, some guy driving by was cool enough to help us out and we got the cylinder sealed off so diesel (which is $5.15/gallon btw) would stop shooting out with every sputter of that poor little engine. We crept our way back over the mountainous terrain on three cylinders but we made it back--tired yet content! It was quite the adventure.
I can tell this was a good day by how tired I am right now! Time to shove off to bed soon!
Good night everyone!

Welcome to El Salvador!

2008-06-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful place! Alice, Kira, and I got to El Salvador last night and were welcomed into a wonderful little bed & breakfast type of place in San Salvador. We got a great night sleep in a simple little three-bed room (WITH A/C) and, after a scrumptious breakfast, headed to Ahuachapan where we will be doing our book deliveries. The bus ride was quicker than I expected (about 1.5 hrs) and our hotel is right next to the bus stop so it was easy to get all of our stuff in with no problems.
I´m actually really impressed by a lot of things here but one thing is technology. They seem to be much more advanced than most of the other places I´ve been in Central America. For instance, we decided to get a cell phone and it was extremely easy to set up a prepaid cell phone account. If anyone feels like calling me here is my number: 011-503-7155-0185. I´ll have this number until July 5th when I switch a the Guatemala network. There are also quite a few places here with wireless internet so keeping in touch should be easy!
Tonight we went to a local ¨pupuseria¨ where they serve the famous pupusa--a cheese-stuffed tortilla with cabbage and tomato sauce on top. They are so good! The best part is that Alice, Kira and I all ate to our hearts´ content for $3 TOTAL!!!! And we were stuffed! No joke!
Tomorrow morning we are meeting with Don Pabel who will be driving us around to the schools in the area to deliver books to all the kids. I can hardly wait to get started! It´s so much fun and there is so much to see and observe! We have a lot to accomplish so wish me luck! I´ll try to get some photos on here for the next post.

I'm bored...

2008-06-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

So, I'm bored at the Houston Airport and these crazy people are walking in place on the "walking sidewalk." I think they are confused...they think this is LA Fitness or something. Lol! I guess it's a good idea. They're reaping the health benefits of a treadmill, enjoying CNN on a large plasma screen and they aren't even paying $24.99/mo. What a deal!

Last Day in HOU...

2008-06-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to fly to El Salvador today! I had a great time here. Yesterday we went to this aquarium that was in the middle of Downtown Houston and ate at a restaurant that was surrounded by fish tanks. Brent's sister went with us and we had a really good time.
Now I'm off to meet up with Alice and Kira at the airport! I'm so stoked! I think I'm gonna miss family and friends. Keep me posted :-)

A few days in Houston TX

2008-06-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

So, everything is off to a good start. I'm in Houston right now with my friend Brent. Brent lived in Houston for a while and, a few months ago we decided to do a fun little trip since I always fly through the HOU airport when I go to Central America. I've always been curious about the city so it's been fun seeing what Houston has to offer. Today we went to the mall and I FINALLY got the Oakley shades I've been looking at for the last year. It was fun to browse all of the fancy stores--apparently there's a lot of money in this town.
Here's a funny story. So, I love walking through Neiman Marcus to see all of the newest trends and they always have the coolest displays. I get a lot of ideas from them. Anyways, I know that Neiman's is way out of my league so I'm not trying to fool anyone but I actually found some really cute shirts on the clearance rack so I decided to try them on. The lady that checked me in to the dressing room took one look at me (in my American Eagle shorts) and I could tell she had her doubts about my ability to pay for the merchandise I was going to try on. Like I said, I'm not trying to fool anyone so I didn't care but this stuff was too good to pass up and it was actually reasonably priced so I stepped into the dressing room. The fit was perfect...I proceeded to the cash register. I pulled out my prestigious WaMu Gold Debit Mastercard and attempted to pay for the shirts. The lady gave me the weirdest look. She then informed me that Neiman's only accepts American Express or Neiman Marcus card! I was so disappointed! I carry my Costco AMX about 90% of the time but since I'm headed to Central America--the land of VISA and Mastercard--I didn't have it on me. She, of course, asked me if I would like to apply for a Neiman Marcus card (which I can't imagine using more than once every ten years). I couldn't believe it! I felt so stupid but then I thought about how silly I must have looked in that store in my American Eagle shorts and no-name t-shirt. I should really stick to the real world...the world where people use WaMu Gold Debit Mastercards at Target, Ross, and Old Navy with smiles on their faces :-)

Uncle Roger...

2008-06-13T22:18:00.001-07:00

I love you Uncle Roger and will miss you.
It's weird how I can feel so close to someone I only saw on rare occasions but I always felt so close to Uncle Roger (my Dad's Uncle). He called me "Big Al" (which I never liked much when other people called me that) and I always knew it was with love that he called me that. He drove Chevy Camaros--which is just cool to begin with--and he had a thing for fancy video cameras. He loved visiting our family and I remember a time when he made it down to St. George to see us. He loved the natural beauty of the desert there. One summer my family and I had the chance to go to Michigan and it was amazing to see that beautiful place and the history that the Beach family has there. My email inbox never saw it coming when Roger discovered the wonders of the internet! I could always count on some kind of joke or late-breaking news from Uncle Roger ;-) I feel like I only had a chance to scratch the surface of an amazing man but what a great opportunity it was to get to know him here on Earth.
I hope to see you again someday, Uncle Roger. God bless you!

Moving Day...

2008-06-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Yay! I'm done moving! So, if you can't tell from the picture I have a lot of stuff so I'm so sore right now. This move was quite the adventure. My friends (Justin, Brent, and Dominic) arrived at my condo in Phoenix in the morning and we started loading my dad's truck and trailer. Everyone had their doubts that we could make it in one trip but I was bound and determined. As you can see from the picture I stood everything up on end to make it fit. I think the trailer had more wind resistance than a parachute by the time we had it all loaded!
It was a great time and we only suffered one casualty...my favorite lounge chair wasn't as heavy as I thought and it decided to jump ship on Indian School Rd. It was crazy because it almost hit the car behind me! Luckily, nobody was injured in the process :-)
Anyway, I'm happy to say that everything (except the chair) is now at my place in Mesa. I'm excited to be back at Circle Tree Condominiums living the good life with my roomy Justin (see pic). Now I have one more week before I leave for Central America. Let's see if I can get this place orgainized before then!

Ugh!!!

2008-06-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm moving on Thursday so that means I get to do the lovely job of packing up all of my belongings and moving them to Mesa. I would like to take this moment to thank my parents for doing such a great job of teaching us kids how to orchestrate a successful move. By the time I was 18 yrs old our family had relocated to twenty different residences so I have plenty of experience!
Anyone who would like to share in the joy of moving is more than welcome to join me on Thursday @ 10:00 am at the condo in Phoenix. I'd hate to keep this all to myself ;-)

Mesa, here I come...

2008-06-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

So, I got a bit of pity from people about my "lemonade" blog but I want to make sure everyone knows that I'm actually excited about moving back to Mesa (the home of one million check cashing stores...lol). I was just over chillin' with my future roommate/friend (Justin) and I really enjoy being around him so I think it's gonna be cool :-)
Best of all, it will be wonderful to be closer to all of my "East Valley" dwelling family. Sometimes it seems so far to drive from PHX so it will be great to see a little more of them!

Summer of Travel...

2008-06-06T07:37:00.001-07:00

I'll be in Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) from June 19 to August 22! Whoo hoo! I'll be updating this blog every chance I get while I'm down there so keep coming back. I'm in a competition with my sister (Crystal) for site visits...j/k!
Hasta luego amigos :-)

Making lemonade :-)

2008-06-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have always loved lemonade! I don't know if it's the contrasting taste of sour and sweet or the refreshing cool it injects into my body on a hot day. There's just something so wonderful about lemonade!
I'm sure everyone has heard that cheezy cliché about "making lemonade out of lemons." Apparently this saying is meant to inspire all of us to take a bad situation, add a little sugar and turn it into a wonderfully refreshing experience. Well, I know this sounds cheezy but that's what I'm doing...
It all started a little over a year ago when I decided to purchase a beautiful condo in a high-rise building in Central Phoenix. It seemed like a great idea...close to work, in the middle of all the action, and a view to die for. The special incentives were great and a new light-rail project was sure to be a boon to property values in the area. The financing went smoothly (thanks to stated-income) and everything seemed perfect!
Well, to make a long story short, the decision to buy this property has led to my most challenging financial dilemma since I was welcomed to the world by that friendly doctor at Utah Valley Hospital! The building (which was supposedly completely remodeled by a developer) has a lot of very expensive problems which have been passed on to the homeowners. My HOA dues are now in excess of $500/month!!!! And that is not taking into account "special assessments" for broken pipes and deteriorating infrastructure. Yikes! Anyone who knows me well realizes that I am not a millionaire who can afford to fork over thousands of dollars to a home owners association.
So, after a lot of thinking (and about three months on prozak...j/k) I have decided to graciously gift this property to it's rightful owner--the bank. That's right, I will be foreclosing on this condo and it breaks my heart but the purpose of this blog is to show how I plan on making lemonade out of these lemons in life.
Many of you may know that I have always dreamed of owning my own furniture business. Something about interior design and furnishings intrigues me. I'm sure I got it from my Mom! Anyway, with the HUGE expense of this condo out of the way I will finally have the freedom to follow my dream. I am going to design and manufacture chic, eco-friendly home furnishings and interior decor items! I will attempt to use items that we normally throw away and make them look like something other than trash. I'm so excited to get started!
So, I quit my job at WaMu and I'm off to start a new adventure! To start off I am going to spend a couple of months in Central America to volunteer with Books for a Better World and draw inspiration from the local craftsmen down there. When I come back (in Aug.) I will work my brains off to get this new business off the ground. Wish me luck!
I cannot express how blessed I feel to have the ability to see past the bleak experience of loosing my condo to a bright, hopeful future. So next time you sip on a glass of lemonade remember that Allen is somewhere on the Western Hemisphere making the best of a bad situation.

What's this blogging thing all about anyway?

2006-11-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I've been infected by this new age trend referred to as "blogging." It almost seems like nobody wants to sit down and talk face to face anymore. Is it getting to the point where we pass someone in the street, exchange cordial greetings and then refer them to our blogs for more detailed information? Well, maybe not that bad, but I just find this whole blogging thing very interesting. What will be the long-term social consequences of such a practice? Will my future kids--in a spurt of teenage rebellion--declare that I am "so 1900's" in my insistence on using verbal communication? Will, through the process of natural selection, our vocal chords become smaller and smaller while our fingers develop specialized muscles for typing? Is this the future we want for our children?
I guess I'm being just a little bit dramatic but I must say that this blogging thing is really great. It's a chance for me to unload some of the random (sometimes meaningless) thoughts on unsuspecting friends and curious internet surfers.
I hope you enjoy all this random clutter that I call my blog!