Top 10 Highlights of 2008

OK so it has been two months since I made a post, and here it is the last day of 2008. So here is post #30 for the year. I had hoped to make more when I started this blog just over a year ago, but I averaged almost three post a month. That is a little more than one every other week. Even though the first three months and the last two months have a total of one post (this post) in them. However, I have come up with some of the highlights of 2008 (which is the purpose of this post) as my top 10. So for my two blog readers, enjoy this trip down memory lane.

#10 - The National Convention for Undergraduate Research in Salisbury, Maryland for the research Steve and I did at UVSC looking at correlations between exercise levels and academic performance. This was my first trip to the New England area (I hope to return soon to see more of the area). It was a lot of fun to go with three other guys that I graduated with during our last semester of undergrad. (Steve Namanny, Matt Barney, and Mike Levitt) as well as a professor who I felt more like was a colleague and friend, Jason Slack.

#9 - The Summer Olympics in Beijing and the amazing Michael Phelps. It seemed like every night I was glued to the TV to watch him swim and see if he could make history and win 8 gold medals. Who can forget the 400m freestyle relay in which the French had been talking smack all day and the U.S.'s come from behind win, or his win in the 100m butterfly over Milorad Cavic in the final one hundredth of a second. It was a great Olympics and I look forward to four years from now for another great event, hey even better I look forward to two years for the winter games (which is really only about one year away).

#8 - Our Trip Back to Utah for Christmas. It doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but it was a really good trip. From our boys being next to perfect on the four days of driving to and from. To playing with Connor at the Hotel (or as he called them the "New"tel and "Old"tel) and seeing him play with his best friend, Abby again. Also Christmas morning and his excitement. But most of all just how relaxing it was to have someone (Grandma and Auntie Millie) to take care of the boys and not have to work for over a week.

#7 - Our Country Electing a Black President. I know this should be higher up on the list but these are my personal highlights and I was only one vote and It was a big year for me and my little family. Even if you didn't vote for Barrack Obama, you have to agree that it was a truly historic moment in the history of our country and probably the bigger moment of history was how much it was not an issue. (Incredible how our country has made such strides in equality of races.) I remember being very happy that night while staying up to watch the results come in from the polls, but it was not until the next day or the day after that while driving to work and hearing Marting Luther King Jr.'s I Have A Dream speech that it hit me how monumental a moment in time this was.

#6 - My Job at Mayday. After unsuccessfully trying to find a job in Dallas in my field of Exercise Science that would pay what we were looking for (which is actually hard without a masters degree). I took a job cleaning carpets just so we could get here and establish residency in Texas and I could get ready for applying to Med School. Then my old boss, Mike Reibly, called me up and offered me a job running the daily operations at Mayday. We negotiated with him and he met what we needed and it was such a blessing because it gives me better hours and opportunity to make some really good bonuses.

#5 - Our Move to Texas. This was a big one, because we had only lived in the one little apartment in Provo our entire married life. There were many lessons learned in the process as well. The biggest one for me was that you can never go home. Family dynamics had changed while I was gone and I have had to reestablish where I fit in in the family (no longer as a guest when we come and visit, but as a resident in the area again). Not to mention how much I have changed in my own dynamics. I learned that you cannot expect every thing to be the same, change is inevitable.

#4 - Trip to Disney World with all of the Osmond Family for the Children's Miracle Network Telethon. Last year we got to go be on the Oprah show with the whole family and this year we got to go to Orlando. It just so happened to fall on Connor's second birthday as well. We had so much fun and Connor had a blast being able to meet Mickey Mouse and see all the things of Disney. His (and our) favorite was the Animal Kingdom. We also got to be on Good Morning America.

#3 - Graduating from UVSC. Now you may say wouldn't this be number one or at least number two. Well it was finishing my undergrad that I realized what I really want to do and that I can achieve it.

#2 - My deciding to pursue Medical School and become a doctor. As I really got into the core classes of my major I felt it was something that I could do but it was just something that at this point in my life I was too old to be starting such a long and demanding process with two little boys at home and so forth. When I told Anna about it expecting her to agree with me that it was not feasible, she changed my thinking and encouraged me to reach my potential and that it would be a blessing to our boys to see their dad go through med school and become a doctor and be a part of it.

#1 - James Douglas Poole! Our little sours was born on July 25th of this year and he is such a sweet addition to our little family. We just love him and are so grateful that everything went well with Anna and even though he spent a couple days in the NICU he was healthy and continues to grow and get stronger. You can tell he just wants to do all the things he sees his big brother do.

I Cast My Vote!

I voted today. Let me first say that I am a registered republican and voted likewise except for the presidential candidate. When I was 18 I registered as a Republican and have remained a registered member of the Grand Old Party. However, not long after I got married, Anna asked me if I really knew what both republicans and democrats really stood for. I didn't really know, because I had been raised in a family where republicans stood for good and democrats stood for bad. After researching the two parties I found I stand somewhere in the middle of the two, and I don't believe either one is bad. I support the family values of the GOP but am also for progression and the social welfare represented by the democratic party. So my hope for this election is that Obama wins the presidential race and the republicans take control of the house and senate. I strongly feel Obama represents the values I want represented.I also wanted to say, because I have heard it way too much, Obama does not equal socialism, in fact due to following the democratic primaries I found he is very far from it because some of the other candidates' platforms were very socilistic. I think it is very uninteligent to believe every whim. I feel I have tried very hard to get the facts about the candidates, of what their policies are from the sources themselves. (If you want medical advice you don't ask a lawer, you go to a doctor! a.k.a. strait to the source.)

I Can't Wait!

I am so glad that SCRUBS did not end with last years season. Thank you ABC for picking up TVs best show. I hope that it will work out with the transition to a different channel and that the show can continue to be just as good as it has in the past. I look forward to its mid season release. Again, I can't wait!

$2.99

Ok so I know I haven't written very much, but I haven't had much time to blog. I usually don't get on the computer at home any more because I spend almost all day on the computer while at work. Anyway I had to post this because I was very happy about it. Today I filled up my work truck for $2.99 a gallon. If you don't believe me I have included proof in the form of my reciept. How cool is that?

Tanto Tiempo

OK, so I have not blogged in forever. Between packing up, moving, unpacking, starting a new job, starting a different new job I have not had much time to make any posts (believe me there has been alot I could blog about). First of all, thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. I had a great birthday. My favorite thing was geeting my first gift from Connor that he picked out all by himself (a Geo-Trax train). Second, I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity to work at Mayday Pest Control again. I really missed working with Mike the past five years and am enjoying being back. It is interesting how the company has changed and evolved over the last few years. Thirdly, I can't believe how my boys are growing up so fast. Connor just seems to get smarter everyday and little James (at 5 weeks) is rolling over and now is starting to scoot when he is on his tummy. Well there is so musch more I could write nad not enough time. Hopefully I can get some more frequent posts written.

The Little Kitten Inside

Our three year old cat, Bevo, is such a mama's boy. He will only cuddle with Anna. Even if I pick him up he wants to be put down, and when I pet him he will usually start to bat at my hand and try to get it as if I'm playing with him. We have always figured that he looks to Anna for nurturing and to me for play. Which is fine with me, I like to play with him and I can be thankful as well because sometimes he is overwhelming to Anna in how often he just wants to be on her cuddling. However, there is a moment when he reverts back to being a little kitten and that is when there are thunderstorms, even just a light rain will cause him to crouch down and look for his dad for protection. He will curl up under my arm and stay there until the rain has stopped and he feels safe to be on his own again. This is because when we first got him Anna was still working and one night she was at work and I was at home and there was a big thunderstorm and I just held the little guy and every time the lightning stuck he would hide his little head under my arm and I guess he felt secure at that moment. So when the thunder strikes he is just looking for that same security. It makes me feel good that he feels safe in my arms and that I can provide a sense of safety for the little guy.

Connor's New Friend

We have had a mantis living on our window the last couple days. Today Connor discovered him. I was explaining to him that it is a mantis just like in the movie Kung Fu Panda that we went to see a little while ago (that Connor still talks about, even though we just went to see another movie just the other day). Uncle Matt told Connor that he thought it was a male because it was small. So for the rest of the day Connor has been calling the mantis "the male".

Just a little side note, Connor has been watching Disney Pixar's "A Bugs Life" all day today.

My First Medical Procedure... Well Sort Of

So Anna noticed today that the nurse who removed the staples from her c-section had left one of them in. It was starting to irritate her and there was possibility of infection if it was left in until her Dr. visit. She was going to try to pull it out, however that would have caused some problems. So I sterilized some small wire cutters we have and she lifted the staple with some tweezers and I cut it off. We figured I would get alot of oportunites to do this as an intern, but I will always remember the first time I removed a staple. I taped the staple to a piece of paper and gave it to Anna as a keepsake so when I am a famous Doctor it will be worth lots of money (yeah right).

Space Chimps with Uncle Matt (one of the three)

Connor's Uncle Matt (not my older brother who lives in California and not Anna's step brother who lives in Thailand, but Anna's older brother who lives in Orem) had promised Connor that he would take him to a movie when James was born. He also invited me to come along. So Matt got to experience Connor's request for "pop"corn (see post: Kung Fu Connor form June 2008). We had fun, however Connor still wanted to leave just as the movie was coming to an end. I had hoped he would be able to make it all the way through the movie because it was a shorter movie than Kung Fu Panda. Sure enough as soon as we left Connor wanted to go watch it again. The movie was OK, it had some funny parts but it was kind of weird in that the monkeys get sent to another planet with weird alien guys. I'm pretty sure I can figure out how it ended even though we didn't actually see the ending (thank goodness for kids movies with predictable endings).

Connor and his Uncle Matt

Connor loves that "Pop"corn!

After the movie Connor got to play on some of the rides.

Sleepyhead

James has been one sleepy little baby. In fact maybe too sleepy. Two nights ago (his third night home) the little guy practically slept through the night only waking up a couple times to be fed and then went straight back to sleep. Well we were ecstatic, however this continued the next day. He just wanted to sleep all day, in fact we had to wake him a lot of the time to eat and then he would just fall asleep in the middle of eating. So that evening we called his doctor and they told us to bring him in. When there James decided to wake up. They looked at him and his weight was good his breathing was good and his color was good. So they sent us to the lab to get some blood work for him (the poor little guy gets poked again). His blood work came back good, and when we returned home he had fallen back to sleep and slept until a little after 11:00 pm at which time he woke up and was wide awake for the next three hours. Normally you might be upset with having to stay up with your little baby, but not this time. Anna choose to stay up with him and then I got up to feed him the second half of the night. Today the little guy has been awake and active and taking just little naps. We are so happy that little J.D. is doing good now.

James Douglas Poole

Well he is here, James Douglas Poole was born at 7:49 yesterday (25th of July) and weighed in at 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 18.5 inches. He had some complications with his lungs (he aspirated some fluid on his way out) so they sent him to the newborn i.c.u. when there they decided they would keep him there to let his lungs get a little stronger. They did get stronger, and he is now down in the well baby nursery next to Anna's room. Anna is doing wonderfully well. I am so glad for the way this delivery went compared to when Connor was born.

I Don't Want To Be That Doctor

Ok, so I'm positive that the three readers of this blog also read my wife, Anna's blog. So she wrote about the episode of Hopkins that we watched last night and how it made her and I emotional to watch a two year old boy nearly die and how it affected his family. Anyway, at one point a doctor was brought in to consult with about the boy's case and his reply was that they should just let the boy die. Both Anna and I were taken back and we had to rewind and watch it again because we couldn't believe he just said that. Fortunately for the little boy and his family, their doctor wouldn't give up and at the end he talked about how these are the times that his job is the most rewarding and it makes the hard times worth it. I feel that a pediatric surgeon is probably the most polarizing type of job for a doctor. You have the lowest of lows when a case doesn't go well and you can't save a child, but when you do save a child I can't think of anything more rewarding in this field than that.

My "Son" Connor

So last night Anna went with her mom and sister to the American Idol concert for a girls night out. So Connor and I had boys night (this is something Anna wants to institute which is funny because we don't have any girls so it really will be dad take the boys while mom has some alone time, which I'm OK with since she will be spending all weekdays with them while I'm at work). So Connor and I went to Chuck E Cheese and Connor had a blast, and then we went and played at our little park by our house and then when we got home he played a little bit with Abby in her sand box. In all reality it was a pretty simple night but when Anna got him up this morning he just had to tell her all about it and how much fun he had, so I guess it was a successful boys night. Connor is alot of fun to go out with I'm going to take him to go see Wall-E soon, I think he will like that.

In another story about Connor, let me tell you what a little trip he is. Anna calls my "Hub" alot of the time (short for husband). the other night I brought dinner to Anna and Connor and Anna said, "thanks hub." Then Connor says right after her, "yeah, thanks hub." We both laughed about that. Then the next day, Connor wanted a treat and asked me to get one for him. Then he proceeded to go into the kitchen and turned around and I guess I was not moving fast enough for him because he said to me, "Come on son!" (Which is something I say to him often.) So this was even more hilarious than the hub quote. So what can I say, other than my son is a crack up.

Patriotism - part 2

OK so I brought up the issue of a lack of patriotism in my last post and how I felt the Dream Team was a part of such a height of America's Patriotism in my lifetime. With the Olympics coming up America tends to show a little more patriotism and have some national pride in our athletes. I have been following the Olympic trials these last couple of weeks especially swimming. One story I find interesting, besides the whole Dara Torres going to her fifth Olympics in her 40s, is about Michael Phelps. It appears that he got some special treatment (let me just preface that it does not bother me because I think the rule is petty, unless someone else did the same thing and did not get the same benefit). For those of you who don't know the story, last week after winning the 200 meter freestyle he pulled off a solid black swim cap only to have another one on underneath (apparently this is common in swimming to wear two caps, because it helps to hold their goggles in place). The one underneath had a large Visa logo on it and the athletes had been instructed not to have any advertising corporate logos and warned that they would be immediately disqualified. Michael Phelps was not disqualified (this is America's biggest athlete going to Beijing; he is going to attempt to win eight gold medals). He said it was an accident that he didn't know he had put that cap on and I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt however I'm skeptical about it (too many coincidences). Phelps has an endorsement with Visa and it just so happens that Visa's Senior VP was in attendance that night (the only night he was there). This sure gave Visa a little more time in the press. Anyway Phelps's special treatment is not the point of this post. My point goes back to my last post how I brought up the fact that I cheered against the USA in basketball four years ago when team USA lost to Argentina. It was mostly because I hated the way team USA represented us. They were a bunch of individuals who seemed to be out to get their own and not what would help the team win. They seemed to represent Nike, Reebok, Adidas or whatever endorsement they had. That seems to be the case for a lot of mainstream athletes it's more important to represent your endorsements and representing the USA can increase the amount you get paid. Then it hit me, I remember in 1992 there was a big deal about some of the Dream Team members who had endorsements with Nike wearing the Team USA uniform that was made by Reebok at the medal ceremony. They solved the problem by draping an American flag over the Reebok logo. So, was this the start of our representing athletes looking out for their endorsement contracts over representing their country? (I really feel the first Dream Team felt very strongly about representing the USA and they realized they had contractual obligations when they saw what they were to wear.) Now it seems a lot of athletes just want to go to the Olympics because if they perform well they can get some lucrative endorsements rather than the honor to represent the USA. Especially this year with the Olympics going to be in China, the corporations want to get their logos in China.

Wow, just as I have been writing this (for those of you who know, I write my posts at work) I have been listening to the Dan Patrick Show and he is talking right now about the Team USA basketball picture. All of the athletes on the team have endorsements with Nike except for Dwight Howard (D. Wade is with Converse which has been bought by Nike and C. Paul and C. Anthony are with Air Jordan an entity of Nike, Howard is with Adidas). All the players are standing going from shortest to tallest with Howard on the end even though it appears that Chris Bosh is taller (because of his hair). All the players have their hands behind their back and Howard is the only one holding a ball (so that his hand is covering up the Nike logo) and Coach K is sitting down (which looks weird) and positioned in a way that his foot covers Howard's Adidas logo on his shoe. For real, are we that petty that we have to cover a small logo on a team uniform to maintain an endorsement? I guess the almighty dollar is more important.

In all reality, I wish the IOC would not allow professional athletes to compete in the Olympics. It is supposed to be for amateurs only. Although that may take away the world's best athletes that are professional it would be more about representing your country and the honor that that entails. Although I did hear one reporter say that a solution would be to go back to the original Olympics where all the athletes compete in the nude.

Patriotism

Over the Holiday weekend Anna and I were talking about how it seems that America is less patriotic then when we were younger. There just is not the same type of patriotism. Perhaps it is because the world is more global than it used to be, or maybe because the US is going through hard times financially and does not seem to be as great as it once was. Speaking as a person who lived two years outside of the country, I can tell you that there is a difference that you notice when you return to your home land. Now granted there was a surge of patriotism after 9-11 however it died off pretty fast. Both Anna and I reflected on when we felt America was at its highest in patriotism during our lives. We both agreed that when we think of patriotism we think of post WWII and during the fifties (ala Sandlot or Wonder Years). However in my lifetime I think America was at its most patriotic in 1991-92. American had not been at war for quite some time and when Operation Desert Shield turned into Operation Desert Storm, America united. Yellow ribbons were everywhere; people were glued to news coverage of the war. One of the greatest moments came at Superbowl XXV when Whitney Houston sang the national anthem and everyone in the stadium was waving American flags, it was a powerful moment. I remember vividly (almost as vivid as my memory of 9-11) the day the war ended on the 28^th of February 1991. We had gone out to dinner to Tia's Tex-Mex restaurant and there was someone there who had their personal television (that is how much attention was given to the coverage) and they stood up and announced the war was over. The whole restaurant cheered. That next year the Olympics were in Barcelona and many may remember that was the Olympiad of the Dream Team. We sent our best basketball players to take back the gold medal in basketball. There just seemed to be much more pride in being an American then. I loved watching the original Dream Team beating teams by 40 and 50 points on their way to showing the USA's dominance. The difference now is in 2004 I was cheering for our basketball team to lose when they played Argentina. Perhaps we became so prideful in how great America was that we just expected to be the best and didn't put forth the effort to keep ourselves at the top (pride comes before the fall). I hope America can regain that patriotism again.

It’s Official

It's 12:01 am on July 1^st, 2008 and it's official, 1 minute ago Utah Valley State College became Utah Valley University. There were a bunch of activities today on campus, we were going to go but then decided to let Connor go play with his second cousin Ty. Then after he was too tired to go, so we went home. Now I can finally receive my diploma (they were waiting to send them out until after the change because the diplomas say Utah Valley University on them).

Hopkins

Tonight Anna and I watched a new show on ABC. It is a 6 part documentary about the lives of a few of the doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I don't know exactly what it is about Johns Hopkins (perhaps because it is one of the top medical schools), but I have been fascinated with Johns Hopkins for quite a while. Unfortunately it is not a D.O. school or else I would be applying there (it would be my long shot dream school). However, if I have a chance for a fellowship there after my residency, I think I would go for it. While I was presenting at the NCUR in Salisbury, MD there were representatives from Johns Hopkins University recruiting for their graduate programs. I talked to a rep for a little bit (knowing that I could never afford to go there for grad school) and they had some free stuff with their name on it. I got Connor a little stress giraffe, since he loves giraffes and maybe (if he decides he wants to be a doctor) he will look at it one day and be inspired and want to go there.

Reunion Arena

This article was in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Sunday.

Reunion Arena says goodbye after 28 years

By Mitch Mitchell

It opened to much fanfare and awe back in 1980, fast becoming an icon -- along with its accompanying tower -- on the downtown Dallas skyline.

But a new, spiffier building, with more suites and expensive seats, replaced it in our hearts a long time ago.

On Saturday night, Reunion Arena said farewell.

After 28 years of hosting entertainment events, including Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars games, Reunion hosted its last event -- Una Voz Profectica, a Spanish-language Christian rally.

Officials expect the building to be razed to make way for future development.

"I've been here for 23 of its 28 years, so it's a little sad for us," said Wil Caudell, Reunion Arena general manager. "Millions of people came through these doors, and we have a lot of good memories about the things we were able to do here."

Goodbye, old friend.

It makes me a little sad; however, at the same time it was time for it to go. I have a lot of memories in that building. The first NBA game I attended was there when the Mavs took on the Utah Jazz. I witnessed many more games as well as some of the NBA's best players, the likes of Jordan, Stockton, Malone, Barkley, and Shaq just to name a few. I was a ball-boy for the Mavs back in the 1995-96 season. As a ball-boy, I spent a lot of time down in the bowels of the arena (all the areas people normally don't go). At the end of the season, all the ball-boys got together and we played a tournament on the court. I had a lot of fun at Reunion Arena. Just before I left on my mission, Bryon and I went early, early, early one morning and waited in line to get WCW Monday Nitro tickets. When I returned from my mission in 2001 the Mavs were relevant again and in the playoffs. We (Matt, Bryon and I) went to what would end up being the last game ever played by the Mavs at Reunion Arena. The American Airlines Center was being finished and the Mavs would start playing there the next year. The Mavs were playing the Spurs in the second round and we went to game four (the Mavs were down 3 games to none.) The Mavs won that game but then went on to lose game five in San Antonio. That final game at Reunion was probably the loudest most exciting game I have ever been to. I also went to my first Hockey game there when the Stars moved from Minnesota (which was funny because it happened while Matt was serving his mission in Minnesota) I went to a game against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (now they are just the Ducks). That was a blast and I have loved hockey ever since. While I was on my mission, the Stars won the Stanley Cup there. Like I said it will make me sad to see that arena get torn down, but it was old and out dated compared to the AAC. The memories, however, will never be torn down.

20 Years

20 Years Ago (1988)

I was 10 years old with a dream of being an Olympic Athlete. I didn't quite understand that you could compete in just one event. So, I started practicing all the events that I saw while watching the Summer Games. I even found some scrap wood in our garage that I cut and nailed together to make a hurdle to practice jumping over. Even though I never achieved my dreams of being an Olympian, I developed a deep love for the Summer Games that remains even today. There is a part of me that feels like I'm 10 years old again watching the Seoul Olympics.
10 Years Ago (1998)
It was very critical year for me. I was at a crossroads, and the decisions I made changed my life and the direction it has gone. I was 20 years old and on the fast track to becoming a very successful head basketball coach. I was the Head Coach for the 7^th grade boys basketball team at the Episcopal School of Dallas, as well as Head Coach and General Manager of the Plano Power (a 16 and under girls A.A.U. traveling team), and an Assistant Coach at Collin County Community College for their women's basketball team (The Head Coach at CCCC went on to coach at Baylor, who went on to win a National Championship). This was the year I decided to find out if the Church is true. Obviously, once you start asking the questions to find out if the church is true, you will find out the answer to that. I submitted my mission papers that year and left for Argentina the next. I left coaching basketball to serve the Lord and the people of Argentina. Even though I never went back to coaching, I don't regret my decision at all.
5 Years Ago (2003)
I was teaching Early Morning Seminary for the Denton 4^th Ward. I had just moved out of my parents' house and moved in with my friend Samuel "Babe" Bigley. I was working at Mayday Pest Control as the lead technician. I had started to take BYU independent study classes in hopes to get into BYU and their marriage and family program (but more so to go through the seminary pre-service program). I was the regional building counselor for the EFY program as they piloted the concept to have a B.C. in different areas that could help recruit counselors and work with the locations where the camps would be held (the next year I would go on to be a coordinator and meet Anna at a training and work with her at the BYU sessions that year). That summer I decided to move to Provo that fall. And so I did.
3 Years Ago (2005)
I married Anna that year, and we moved into our little apartment that we have since lived in. I was teaching Seminary at Provo High School and the prospect of getting hired full time was looking very optimistic. I decided to get back into school and finish my degree. After succeeding and getting into BYU, I went and talked to Jason Slack at Utah Valley State College about their Exercise Science program. Then I decided to transfer and start classes at UVSC (I took that semester off of teaching Seminary to focus on my classes and I haven't looked back, I loved the experience but I love where I am going much more). I started working at Provo Canyon School doing nightwatch, which was a good job to allow me to do my homework while at work. We got pregnant with Connor who was born the next year.
1 Year Ago (2007)
This was a fun year. We had a lot of fun with Connor. He went to school with Anna and I, as we switched off going to class and watching C. I had a lot of fun with him as we would go to the Science Building and he loved the animals that are there. Connor went on his 1^st vacation to Las Vegas for the Osmond 50^th Anniversary Concert during the summer. Also, that fall we went on a trip to Chicago to go on the Opera Show with all the other Osmonds. The Mavs went out in the first round of the playoffs to the eight seeded Golden State Warriors (a year after losing in the NBA finals) after winning over 60 games in regular season and having the best record in the NBA. I really improved my golf game, hitting straighter and longer drives and more accurate shots. I mostly played at the executive course at East Bay Golf Club. My best score was a 4 over par 33.
So Far This Year (2008)
I graduated with a bachelor's degree from Utah Valley University. I decided I want to go on to Medical School and become a D.O. We found out we are pregnant and James will be born in July. Connor turned 2 and it just so happened that on his birthday we were at Disney World for the Miracle Children's Network Telethon with the rest of the Osmond family (a totally awesome vacation by the way, it was legen… wait for it… dary!) Also, I went to Maryland with a group from UVSC for the National Convention for Undergraduate Research which I presented about correlations between physical activity levels and academic performance. We will be moving to Texas in about a month and a half.
Yesterday
I stopped at Wal-Mart and bought two Elmo DVDs for Connor on my way home from work. After waking up I hung out with Anna and Connor, we had dinner and watched Celebrity Family Feud (such great summer television lineups). Then we went and played at a mound of dirt and a playground and then came home and Connor went to bed. Then Anna and I watched some of America's Got Talent (again those great summer lineups). I got ready and went to work.
Today
I'm at work and it is 3 am in the a.m., what can I say.
Tomorrow I will…
Go to sleep when I get home from work. Wake up and play with Anna and Connor. Eat dinner and go play at the playground with Connor. Put Connor to bed and get ready and go to work again.
In The Next Year I Will…
Be in Texas, working at Zerorez and getting ready to apply to Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (taking classes and preparing for the MCAT). I will also be enjoying my two sons as they grow up. And spending whatever time I can with them and my wonderful wife, Anna.

Tag, You’re It! (I Didn’t Even Know I Was Playing)

I really don't like blog tags. Not so much that I don't like sharing stuff about me in my blog, but that I feel like I'm supposed to tag someone else. And it is supposed to continue on and on until it has reached out and around and come back to you. I'm not sure why I don't like them for certain. I just think they remind me of those emails I would get about Bill Gates giving everyone who sends this email on to someone else will get one million dollars. However, at the same time it's not like those emails at all. Perhaps it's because it seems more like a girl thing to do. Maybe it has to do with feeling obligated to make a post dictated on what someone else has said to make it on and then turning it on to someone else and telling them what to put on their blog. Oh well, maybe I should just leave it at I don't like them, for whatever reason, I just don't like them. On the other hand, I have no problem if Anna wants me to make a post about something, especially since we want to put our posts in a family history book at the end of each year. So the accompanying post is for you Anna.

Kung Fu Connor

On Saturday morning, I took Connor to the movies to go see Kung Fu Panda. We have taken Connor to the movies before. Once when he was really little to see Over the Hedge (so he doesn't remember that). Also, not too long ago we took him to see the Bee Movie. However, that was at the dollar movie and the place is kind of run down. He did think it was cool to watch a movie on such a big "T.V." though. I took him, to the Provo Towne Centre Mall to go to the movie this time, so it was kind of like his first real movie experience (big theater with stadium seating). We went to the mall and walked around until it was almost time for the movie and then we went to the theater. He was in awe when we walked in and he saw all the movie promo cut outs and stuff. Then we went to the arcade where he got to drive an auto, or at least he thought he was (It's so great he is still young enough that just playing with the steering wheel and pedals are enough for him). Then we went to the concession stand to get some popcorn and a drink. This was a highlight, because as soon as I told him we were getting popcorn and a drink, he proceeded to tell me (really loudly too) that he wanted, as he put it "porn". I was quick to correct him and tell him it is pop-corn. It was no use; at least my correcting him was useful in letting the people around me know that my son does not want to watch porn but to eat popcorn. Crazy! Anyway, we went into our theater and he loved the previews and watching the movie and he almost made it through the whole thing. At the end as the final battle scene is beginning he leans over to me and says, "I want to go." I ask if he wants to watch the rest of the movie and then go and he replies, "No, I want to go, bye Roar!" turning toward the screen and continues to tell the "Roar" (the bad guy who was a leopard) bye. So I gather up our stuff and we go to the ramp at the side of the theater that leads to the exit and ask him again if he wants to watch the rest of the movie and then go and he turns and runs for the door. I do know that he did have a good time though because as soon as we left he was talking nonstop about going to see the bear. Also, today as we went out to do some shopping he asked if we were going to watch the bear. I have to be thankful that he is not old enough that when he sees a kung fu movie he wants to pretend he knows kung fu (He is still leaving all that to his dad right now).

What a Degree Means to Me

Over the last two months, Anna and I have talked a lot about what it means and the importance of getting a bachelor's degree. Then tonight we were discussing along the lines the same topic and it really hit me, just how important the experience was in shaping the direction I want to go with my life. Anna was feeling a little bad because, she had finished so much of her BSW (Bachelor's in Social Work) in Hawaii and then UVU didn't offer a BSW so she really doesn't feel like she is at a point where she can just stop because she wants to get her license and get her MSW. However, James is going to be born in a few weeks and she wants to stay at home and take care of our two boys. So she is torn between finishing her education and taking care of the boys, also she feels like maybe she wasted her time at UVU. I on the other hand look at it differently, yes she didn't get the degree she wanted but she got a degree and she had to work hard to get that degree. True, now she has other classes she will need to take in order to license in Texas. That is when it hit me, it took me until after I had walked across that stage and received that paper that I realized what I really want to do and that I can achieve much more than this.

I don't exactly remember when the idea got in my head, but at some point I thought, "With a degree in Exercise Science I could go on to Medical School." I quickly thought to myself, "Yeah, right! Me a doctor, I can't even stand to get a shot let alone see someone else get stuck with a needle." So I dismissed it, noting to myself that it was something I can't do. (Hmm, I wonder how many things we put in that category).

Now this is what I really realized tonight, I then proceeded with a self-destructive behavior that would prove that I can't do it. In my Anatomy, Physiology, and Chemistry classes I told myself I can't become a doctor and so I don't want to be a doctor and therefore I don't care about these classes and I just needed to pass them ("D" is for degree). So I did just what I had to in order to pass the class. (Now, some of you may think "Marcus, I saw you studying all night long at work for your Anatomy class, you worked really hard on that class. That is true, I did work hard. However, I know I didn't work as hard as I could.) I proceeded to tell myself that I was going to be an Exercise Physiologist. I had an easy route into grad school at UNT and it would not really require that much from me that I haven't already given. Then, in one of my conversations with my friend Steve (who was also my undergraduate research partner), I mentioned to him that if I were younger (I think that might have been on or around my 30^th birthday) and didn't have a family that I need to support, then I would like to retake some of my classes and go on to med school. He reassured me in that he has had the same thoughts but with a family and being thirty it's not feasible to make that kind of commitment time wise or financially. So, I continued in my thinking however it was changing. No longer did I feel I can't become a doctor, but that I could have become a doctor, I just can't now.

A few months later (near the end of my last semester) I mentioned the notion to Anna, totally expecting her to dismiss the idea just as Steve had and reassure me in my thinking. However, she did not. She told me that she thinks I could become a doctor and that it is not too late and if that is what I want to do then do it. Since that conversation, my thought process has completely changed. I believe not just that I can become a doctor, but that I will be a doctor. Thank you, Anna for believing in me, even when I don't even realize I don't believe in myself. (Oh, and by the way for those who are wondering, as far as needles go, they don't bother me anymore. I have been watching the girls at my work get blood draws for the last year. So to prove to anyone who doesn't believe me, I will give blood at the next blood drive.)

So Anna, I challenge you to find what you learned from your experience at UVU that has prepared you or shaped you for the future and share it with your readers.

Bean Town Baby!

OK, I had picked Boston to win in six games. So going into tonight's game I expected the Celtics to win, but not like this. "Holy hole in a donut, Batman!" That is annihilation, 131-92. They just flat out dismantleled the Lakers and made them look silly. Its funny how just a year ago everyone was making fun of Danny Ainge and the Celtics. I mean they were at their lowest, some even speculated that they were throwing games at teh end of the season to try and get the number one draft pick to get Greg Oden. Just think had they drafted Oden (who didn't play this year because of injury) they would be right back in the lottery again. Instead, Ainge makes two incredible trades bringing Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to Boston to play along side Paul Pierce. Congratulations, Boston you are having quite a year and after years of having bad teams. Now the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics are all among the elite sports teams.

Thanks for a great Father's Day!

I just want to say thank you to Anna and Connor for a great Father's day. It was nice to be able to relax at home a little (especially after all the work we have been doing in our home to get ready for our move). I got some wonderful gifts that I just love. They got me a round of golf at my favorite course, Hobble Creek GC in Springville. As well as the new Gillette Fusion razor (let's face it the main reason I wanted it was because Tiger Woods endorses it). They also got me a combo of two of my favorite things, Dr. Pepper Bar-B-Q sauce and marinade. How great is that?

On top of that I got to watch the U.S. Open and game 5 of the Celtics and Lakers in the NBA Finals. Then just as the day is ending I find out that one of my good friends that I worked with for three years at efy, Spanky, was on Deal or No Deal. I was so excited for him. It was a great Father's Day. Thank you again to Anna and Connor and to the rest of you that made it a great day.

Calvin and Hobbes

I have recently rediscovered one of my favorite comics from my childhood and I see it in a whole new light. I always loved reading Calvin and Hobbes, and the other day I was online and there was a picture of the two and Calvin reminded me of Connor, so I decided to search for any pdf files of comic strips. I found a few and have been reading them at work and I can see Connor in Calvin and the way his little imagination works. Granted, Connor is only 2 and Calvin is 6, so Connor has some time to develop more elaborate imaginations. Until then I can help prepare myself by reading up on Calvin and Hobbes.





Now, this leads me to another small rant more so from my teenage years. As I started to drive there started to appear more stickers on the back of peples cars and trucks thet were of Calvin and he was peeing on something. I think it started with him peeing on the Ford Truck logo. Now you can get them with almost anything under the sun being peed on. I have seen every car company logo to an ex spouse to Osama Bin Ladden. Now I agree that Calvin was a rambunctious kid, but I don't like the fact thet he is now known more for peeing on things then for his love of his stuffed tiger, Hobbes.

Scape-Goat!!! and I don't like it!

Well the Dallas Mavericks just made the biggest mistake since they decided not to sign Steve Nash. The day after another disapointing peformance and first round ousting from his players, Avery Johnson was fired by Mark Cuban. Its not Avery's fault they traded all their depth for a washed up point guard who is just a turn over waiting to happen. The Mavs need to make changes but not at coach, they need players who will listen to the coach. As their record shows when they listened to him and drove the ball to the basket and played defense they won. They even made it to within two wins from an NBA championship then decided to not do what he asked for the next four games and were made into choke artists only to have his philosophy win 67 games the next season until they got to the playoffs and once again stopped doing what he asked and were embaresed by the eighth seeded Golden State Warriors. I am embaressed by a team I love so much and Cuban has given me another reason to be embaressed. Good Luck next year (or actually the year after that).

My Final Final

So yesterday I turned in my final final. It was for a Senior Seminar class, which in all reality was kind of a waste of time. We had to write a subjective paper about how we have changed since starting college. I was taking my time considering this assignement but then I discussed with a majority of people in the class and found out no one had written more than a page and since there was no amount assigned that we should write I wrote down some thoughts in about 15 minutes. It was one of the easiest finals I have ever had, even easier than my basketball final.

So, here it is...

My Final Final

Considering it was almost 13 years ago that I first took a college course there have been a lot of changes to my life. From a spirited and almost brash 18 year old who was seeking just for people to notice him to a quiet spoken loving husband and father. I can look at many experiences that have brought me to who I am today. Some have to do directly with my higher educational experience while others have more to do with other opportunities taken. Some of these opportunities include being a head basketball coach by the age of 20 and discovering how my competitive drive would lead me to be an undesirable person. At the age of 21 leaving everything I had worked for behind to give of myself for two years in another country and learning what quiet dignity was. Returning home and making decisions to become that quietly dignified person and seek to help others improve themselves and be the best person they could be. Leading myself to opportunities to teach and work with youth trying to find out who they are and being able to help them. I was able to teach High School seminary classes and also was a coordinator for BYU’s Especially for Youth program. Most of all and what I feel the most important thing I have learned in the past 13 years was how to trust the Lord and follow where He leads you. I eventually found myself at Utah Valley State College and realized it was just where I needed to be. The experience here has been wonderful and I think the best for me in providing me the opportunity to learn but also to expand myself and seek more opportunities. It was here that I came to realize why I was so interested in athletics and found a passion for understanding the human body and realizing I really can do whatever I so desire regardless the obstacles that stand in the way.

So Connor loves to take a bath, however, recently he has decided it is more fun to get out of the tub and run around the house naked and soaking wet. So tonite at bath time I loaded my Maverick Nerf gun and sat down on the couch. When he got out I shot him on the belly (the gun shoots little suction cup darts) and the dart stuck to him. He then got back into the tub. This went on for a little while, which he thought was funny. At least it contaied him to just the bathroom and kept him from runing all over the house.

My last undergrad class ever (as a student at least)

Today I went to my last class as an undergrad student. It was my Senior Seminar class and everyone in there is graduating with me. We were all excited and were not very focused on what was being discussed. We have been giving presentations about what we felt our program lacked and everyone was having fun with that. Someone was taking pictures during class and by the end of class had put together a little slideshow (it was funny).

Its hard to believe that the day I have been looking forward to for the last 12 years has finally come. There have been alot of hard work and sacrifice to achieve this goal of graduation and I am grateful for the support of my family in helping me achieve it. As Anna and I have reflected on the past three years since I decided to go back to school, I am so grateful I didn't give up when I thought it would be too hard, too long, and too expensive. In retrospect, I don't feel it was too hard, in fact I felt it was actually fun. The time has gone by quite fast, the memories made during that time are priceless though and the experiences have been wonderful. And the price is well worth it.

NCUR

I just got back from the National Conference for Undergraduate Research that was held at Salisbury University in Maryland. I, along with my research partner Steve Namanny presented on the research we had done looking at comparisons between Exercise and Grade Point Averages at UVSC. We had a good trip, however we stayed out in Ocean City which is about a half hour from Salisbury on the coast and about 20 degrees colder this time of year. So we would be in mid 70s while at the conference and then get back to the hotel and it would be in the 50s and foggy. We still had fun though. A couple of other guys from our department (Matt Barny and Michael Leavitt) went swimming in the ocean every day. I only went in one day and only up to my knees (it was too cold to go any further). Over all the conference was good. UVSC was the second most represented school there (next to only Salisbury University, the host school). Also, the research and presentations done by the UVSC students was superior to those done by the other students from the other schools. So it was definitely a chance to have some school pride. I am glad to be home and back to my family now, and the exciting thing is we are less then two weeks from graduation.