10/06/06

Ehhhhhh Yo!

Whatsupatchu? I finally got your birthday gift from John this week. Mom was going to kill both me and John if I didn’t get with him and pick it up somehow this week. So thanks. It was cool to see that video again and watch it with Suzanne and Brinlee. It looks good on DVD. I didn’t even know Grandpa had a copy of that. John made me 4 copies. So that’s awesome. Thanks for thinking of that.

Speaking of John, we just got home from his house tonight where we doubled with him and this girl that he really likes, Lynn Marie. She’s cute and seems to like John. John is pretty whipped as far as I can tell. Because she likes Lost, he downloaded all of the shows from season one and season two to his iPod to watch and get caught up. They seemed to hit it off pretty well tonight. We had fun. We played a game called IMAGINEiff. Have you heard of that? It was fun. We all had a bunch of laughs and a good time. As we were leaving and saying our goodbyes, she said she had a good time too and I said, yeah, we’ll have to do it again sometime. And the awkward silence was DEAFENING! So we ran out the door and left. It was weird. So I don’t know if she planned to take it any further. I was confused because she seemed to like John, but right then she seemed to want to delete that comment from the record. We’ll see. I might be reading too much into it. I was just trying to hook a brother up. It’s 11:20 and he hasn’t logged in to messenger, despite my TXTs, so I won’t know how it all ended until tomorrow. It’s Amanda Hein’s baptism tomorrow morning at 10:00, so that will be fun. I was supposed to get my new windows installed in my house tomorrow, but they flaked on me. That is a conversation I’ll have to recap for you. I’m just too tired to do it now. I’ll sign off for tonight and pick this up in the morning.

K, I just got back from the festivities of the day. Amanda’s baptism was nice. She was all excited. Grandpa was there, Mom and dad and me and then Ron’s family. Riley baptized her. It was nice. Ron confirmed her. Just after Ron got going in the confirmation, Mom had Dad’s phone and it started ringing with some loud song. She didn’t know how to shut it off and so she fumbled with it forever as it kept chiming away. Ron never broke concentration, he just kept going. Mom finally just jammed it under her rump and sat on it, but you could still here it all muffled. She was so embarrassed. It just kept going and never went to voicemail. People in there were wondering what the freak was going on. She was ready to kill Dad when we came back to our seats. We went over to Ron’s and Marian’s and had a good lunch. Tons of free grub to be had. It was a nice spread. So I noshed all that I could fit in me, we took a few pictures and I went to Ma’s and Pa’s to help them get their phone working again. Their phone has been out for some reason. Then Suzanne and Brinlee got home from Brinlee’s pictures she took and came over. They picked out some free Halloween swag that Beth brought over. Xander was over there being babysat too. So I was playing with Bigs a little bit. While I was over there I read your letter and saw the stuff you sent home in your package. That J-Dub tract sapped the spirit from me and from the room. I hate that crap. Jehova’s Witnesses are so weird.

I’m sure by now Shelli has told you she moved out. I helped move her to her Ghetto unit. Just me, Mom and Dad, Laura, and her friend Derek that is covered in Tats, piercings, spreaders, etc. helped move her. Oh, Johnny came over too to help brutus some of the big stuff with me. The projects she moved in are kind of sketchy. I told her that I planned to get her a can of mace, a collapsible baton or Asp, and a Tazer gun for Christmas. She seemed to appreciate that. Then Mom and Dad offered her a free couch and love seat, but she didn’t want it. Then spent $600 bucks on a new couch. Sorry sister, but that was Stoop! I hope she can afford this. You’ll have to have her send some pics of the projects she lives in. maybe some shots of the inside.

Speaking of Johnny, Suzanne and I went on a double date with him last night. I think I might have mentioned that earlier in the letter, but we liked her. Her name is Lynn Marie. I asked her if she went by Lynn Marie or of that was more of a formal name like saying Oh, Travis Hein could you please pass the crumpets to Johnathan Wesley over there please? It seems like we are at a tea party. She laughed and then told me, no, that’s what I go by. GREAT! So now I have to call her Lynn Marie and can’t shorten it. Marnie at Snowbird’s boyfriend's name is Christopher and he gets mad if I shorten it and call him Chris. I told him I’m going to call him Sue if he doesn’t stop being so Anal about it. I shorten names, that’s just how I roll. I can’t say long names like that. It drive me crazy. And I don’t get all anal about it if someone calls me Trav rather than Travis. Give me a break people. Loosen up. So anyway, She cooked us dinner at John’s house and John made the lemon/lime water and the rice a roni rice. Pretty easy, while she made fajitas and all the fixens. We had a nice dinner. Got to know her a little more, then we played a game called … Ooooops, I just remembered I told you this already. I have to do your letters all in one sitting or this kind of thing happens. So anyway, I finally talked to John today coming home from Ron’s and got the scoop on the rest of the night. I asked him what he did after we left. He said they cleaned up, then went downstairs to watch some episodes of the office that she hadn’t seen. Then they talked for a while and watched another episode and John was feeling it, so he reached over and grabbed her hand. They held hands for a while! They figured the Love sac would be a little more cozy so they retired to the love sac and watched another show. Talked some more, made out, you know, that kind of thing. YEAH, I said made out! He was feeling the vibe and it was just developing naturally, so they started kissing. Made out for about 2 minutes, talked some more about how into him she is (no kidding) and then made out some more. He ended up taking her home at 6:00 AM!!! They were tempted to make breakfast, but she was already nervous about facing the tribunal of her two roommates for getting home so late. Crazy right? They are way into each other it sounds like. She’s super cool too. I liked her a lot last night and so did Suzanne. So who knows? This one could go far for John. He might just be married when you get home. How crazy would that be? She is NOT a risk fan by the way. She said Risk and Monopoly are the two worst games ever made. So those are the only two strikes against her. I hope she knows that we will be having super late night risk nights in her house if she marries Johnny. Whoa! I’m getting the cart way before the horse here talking marriage. All I know is John would marry her next month if she’d have him. He went way into the TMI category and told me about which organs were a shade of BYU still today. (that’s my way of missionary editing this down for you). So we’ll see where this goes. She’s cute enough too. So I’m pulling for John. Minka is sitting here on my tummy as I’m writing this to you and following the cursor. She likes watching me type. She’s cute. Staci is trying to get another wiener dog. Josh is just going to make her give this one away too. Mom is annoyed with this decision.

You never told me, can you get pictures in your e-mail or do we need to develop and send via snail mail?

The Yankees are down in the ALCS to the Detroit Tigers 2-1. They lost last night. I was catching some of it at Johnny’s house.

I’m in the Book of Alma in my book of Mormon reading. I’m about chapter 3 right now. Loving it as usual. Speaking of Alma, your scripture is Alma 26:12. I actually turned it into a fun competition on your Blog. Check it…

Winner

Nice job John. You got it right. However, sorry to disappoint you, but Dave Alexander edged you by nearly an hour via e-mail with the correct scripture. Good work Dave!
We'll have to have more of these contests and make them worth a little something more than bragging rights.

Scripture Speak

I'm going to quote most of a letter Mike wrote home to Shelli which shows his grasp on the language of scripture. Pretty funny...

And behold, it came to pass that Elder Alexander was exceedingly hungry. Yeah, after having been an exceedingly long day, bringing the Southernites to a knowledge of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers, Elder Alexander was exceedingly hungry, yea, even starving.

And now behold, having been to church on Sunday, the wards did sign to bring the Elderites home for dinner. And it came to pass that Elder Alexander did eat exceedingly thereof, insomuch that his hunger did subside greatly.

For behold, Elder Alexander did see the great mercy of the Lord, for he was delivered out of the hands of the Southernites. And he did see the Greatness of God, for his hunger was provided for. Therefore, I say unto you, *(I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things)

* Just for fun, if anyone knows the scripture he quotes at the end, put it in the comments of this posting. First one to get it right wins… ummmm… bragging rights!

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Nostalgia Days

Since the last post was celebrating my 13 year anniversary of beginning my mission, I thought it would be fun to do a series of nostalgic pictures and spotlights for everyone who is reading Mike's Blog that has served a mission. So when you read this, dig up some pictures from your mission, scan them into a digital format like a JPEG or or GIF or TIFF or whatever. Send those to my e-mail TravsBox@gmail.com. If you don't have a scanner or any mission pictures in a digital format, mail photos to me at

Travis Alexander
4890 W. Diamond Leaf Way
West Jordan, UT 84084

with a return address where I can send them back. Give me some specifics like name of mission, years served (ie. 93-95), areas you served in, leadership callings (if any), and some fun memories. I will spotlight one person a week as long as I have someone to spotlight. I'll start pestering you if you are on the mailing list and I know you have served a mission if I have not received some pictures and information in the next week or so.
I think everyone will have a good time seeing pictures and stories from everyone else that reads this, especially Mike. Start sending them to me now.

So Dave got it, even though he sparked controversy by not posting it in the comment section, he just e-mailed it and John put it on the site. But dave beat him out by an hour. So Dave is all into it. I’m having some response to the nostalgia days too. People are starting to send me some stories and pics. That will be fun to spotlight friends and family on where they went on their missions and see some pics.

Anyway, back to my reading updates… I’m still reading the Incomparable Christ by Vaughn J. Featherstone and this weekend I’m going to have to put everything down to read about 10-12 chapters in Good to Great by Jim Collins and Execution by Ram Charran. Those are for a manager training I’m doing all week starting Monday. So that will take me a while and might cut into some football watching time. Not too happy about that.

Ahhhhhight, well it’s late Sunday night. I have to get up at 3:00 AM tomorrow to get payroll done and in before I go to my all day manager training at 8:30 to 5:00. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow. I should win my game pretty easily. It’s almost 4^th quarter and his D guy has to make up ten points and that shouldn’t be happening. He only has 1 pt. so far. The problem is, the two guys ahead of me should be winning too, so I’ll still be in 3^rd more than likely. I’ll let you know next week. At least I’m distancing myself from some other teams.

I don’t think I had anything else. I actually had a spiritual thought, but it’s upstairs and I need to go to bed, so I won’t do it this week. Maybe next week.

Keep ripping it up in Rock Hill. Don’t forget you are not only my investment, you are some other people’s investment, and you are on the front lines in a holy Black Hawk Down. You are on a significant rescue mission. You are getting shot at with the fiery darts of the adversary, you may even lose a few good missionaries to them on occasion. But be bold, be faithful, and live up to your potential as a missionary. Your time is going faster than you know.

I love you.

Trav