Dino Bite Eating Contest

Year number two in the eating contest world didn't go as well as year one.  For those that have been keeping up with this blog know I entered a Corn Dog eating contest last year and placed second with 11 dogs. This year, we ate Dino bites and it was one of the worst experiences in my life.  I never knew little chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs would be so difficult to eat, but I was only able to consume 37 in 10 minutes.  I was annihilated.  The winner downed 65.  I think I am officially retiring from the sport.  My body can't take this anymore. Anywho, here are some pictures from the event.  Enjoy!

Long Time No Talk

A month is too long to take a break in between posts, so I apologize. I am sure all 6 of you who read this blog are disappointed in me. It won't happen again. So the question becomes, how to catch everyone up on everything that's been going on? Well, there is a long way and a short way to answer that question, but I would rather keep it short, so here is the short version. 

I have been out of town 3 of the last 4 weeks on business, seeing new places and having a lot of fun doing it. I am exhausted, but it was all a lot of fun. I did get to mix a little bit of fun into the traveling, like hitting a Boyz II Men concert a couple weeks back in Orem. (Yes, they are still performing) I always wanted to see them in concert, and they didn't disappoint. I am including a pic and a short video from the concert. (Hard to see much in the picture)

So after all of the traveling, it's nice to be home.  Work won't slow down for a while, but it is nice to be home and sleep in my own bed.  

Also, coming up next week, I will be competing in the our company's second United Way eating contest. Last year I took second in corn dogs with 11 dogs in 10 minutes.  This year, we are pounding Dino Bites.  I know I am going to be sick, but it's all for a good cause!  I'll let you know how I do.

I think that catches you up.  I promise, no more of these lame "catch up" posts.  Again, to the half-a-dozen reading this, I apologize.

"Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"

Heck yes I do! I just recently returned from a little trip to Ebay's headquarters in San Jose, CA and it was very interesting to say the least. The purpose of going out there was to learn from top tier companies what they are doing in social media to better understand how we can put those things into effect at work. My boss went with me and it was nice to see her realize how far behind we are and how much work there is for us to do to catch up.

But more than that, it was nice to get out of Utah for a couple of days and see Cali. I didn't have much time to get out and see the sights, but I did get to see a few places in downtown San Jose, including a city park across the street from our hotel, as well as do some fine dining at a couple high end restaurants. (High end for me at least!) Call me old school, but at one of the restaurants, I ordered a Chicken Pot Pie. Yeah, seriously, it was on the menu. $23 for a pot pie, but it was the most amazing pot pie I have ever had. No joke! Anywho...enjoy the pics.

Living Alone Rocks!...Sometimes

Just over a year ago, I made the “adult” decision to buy a place. I had always wanted to find a home of my own and have free reign to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Run around the house naked (not a pretty sight), watch TV (Walker, Texas Ranger anyone?) until three in the morning, eat crappy, leave dishes in the sink, crap on the floor, and come home from work to silence, a big key to not going crazy. Don't get me wrong, I love people, but sometimes you just want to come home and not hear the whining of another person.

Like for one, when in my life am I going to be able to go work out for a couple hours right after work, come home and eat dinner late, and then decide I am in the mood for a little Guitar Hero, play for a couple of hours and then go to bed only after watching three episodes of SportsCenter? (I swear the shows are different, though no woman I have ever spoken to believes me!) Never! I have seen how marriage works, and the aforementioned option is not in the cards. Not to say I don't want marriage, but there is a lot to give up, A LOT!

There is a flip side to all of this that we are all familiar with. It's called loneliness. It reaches the best of us. Human companionship is a key to so much happiness that you can't get as a single person. Sound like anyone? If you answered "my parents," you are correct! I am reminded of the "happiness through companionship" thought everyday by parents and siblings who are happily married with children. I have no doubt that I will be happy when that day comes, but happiness comes in many different forms. Right now it's watching the Olympics until the wee hours of the morning, eating burgers off the George Foreman grill at 11 p.m. and throwing down Rice Krispies Treats until I feel sick. (What can I say, it's my drug of choice)

I realize I don’t fit the LDS norm. I am freakin’ 29 and single. As a Priesthood holder in the church, I am looked at as having a problem. Screw that! Do I have issues with commitment? Yeah, I am single and 29, I would be lying if I said any differently, but the world has become more about temporary happiness than eternal joy, and many in the church, including me, sometimes gets caught up in it. One specific thing is divorce. Being 29, I have a lot of friends who have gone through, or are currently going through divorce. It scares the CRAP out of me. I think of that as normal.

Living alone is amazing! Does is suck sometimes? Yes. But I can only control myself, not others. A wise person once said, “Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” As long as those three things are a part of my daily thoughts, I can’t be afraid of tomorrow. Whatever it brings.

Archuleta Mania

OK, so a bad admission on my part might be that I watch a little too much reality TV. I can't explain why I enjoy it so much, but I do. American Idol is at the top of the list of reality TV shows I watch and I happened to be perusing YouTube (my favorite new site) for some idol highlights and I was reminded at how freakin' good David Archuleta was. I am including a couple of clips that I found randomly online for you all. Enjoy, or don't, but here they are.


Archuleta singing "A Thousand Miles" at home


Singing "Heaven" by Bryan Adams during Hollywood week


He quickly became famous for his rendition of "Imagine" by John Lennon


His performance of "Apologize" with OneRepublic at the American Idol Finale