Bike

I though you all would enjoy this picture I took... it was taken in Piccadilly Circus, London. Love it, made me think of Clint so I had to snap it. Enjoy

My own personal blog from now on.

Remember that time I was teaching priesthood and I said we didn't have to do hometeaching because it didn't say so in the gospel princples manual? The elder's quorum president does.

Oprah's Book Club

I figured some people might want to know that Greg Gaffin's book is out. Maybe for some FHE reading.

http://www.badreligion.com/news/index/id/155/Gregs_Book_Anarchy_Evolution_Out_In_Paperback/

Other Team Names

OK, let's talk team/club names.

I agree that we don't need tusti in the name.

Also, I think some clubs force the word "tri" in the name and it sounds stupid. I don't want to do that.

I've been trying to think of names that could look good on a shirt/tri top and scare the crap out of my competition. I'm no design expert, though, but I did have chili for dinner.

So, I think we need to come up with some new names. Here are some of my proposals:

a) Club T7 (as in Tustison 7)
b) Tustison Triathlon Team (TTT, T3)
c) T.A.T. (Tustison Assault Team)
d) Los Tuss
e) Shit-zu (In honor of Cassie)

If you've got any others, please put them in the comments. As soon as we figure out a name, I'll get to work on setting us up as an official USAT club.

New Music

In case anyone needs a new song to add to their playlist.

For some reason this song reminds Mayka of me. I can't help it that it's true.

Sports Clothing

This may be best on Breaking the Tustisthreshold, but again maybe a larger discussion would be good. We think it would be good to have a family sorts design for jerseys, t shirts etc. Maybe even have them for a family event at tustifiesta. I have heard that some have done research and Sam has artists talent.
How about some reports and discussion about colors, themes, team name if one? Maybe a compilation of thoughts and ideas will come up with a good idea......
Thoughts?

my new leather hobby

It all started when Trevor would come to visit Jenn and I here in San Antonio. Between his out-loud-laughing at gut-splitting phone texts with his girlfriends and surfing youtube, he also would occasionally crack open up a composition book, similar to this:

Soon after seeing Trevor coolly take notes in his composition book, I started writing my seminary lesson outlines in one. I liked them because of the smaller size, the ease of use, and the pages didn't get ripped out as easily. However, there was one problem. The covers for most brands aren't very pleasing to the eye. In fact, I hated the way they looked. I started using these notebooks at work but they didn't come off as very professional-looking. Regardless, others at work started using them and now they are ubiquitous at the office.

Well, I decided to do something about the way their appearance. I jumped online and saw a couple of sites listing them for a crisp $50 to $80. Well, after much experimentation and forum dwelling, I have come up with my own finished product using some leather, stitching, dye, finishing, and elbow grease. I messed up on few things and it's not as cool as henna tattoos but you gotta start somewhere.

For Sanity's Sake

I'm posting this in hopes of knocking the Seinfeld post off the front page. It was a good post by Trevor, don't get me wrong. I just can't handle it anymore. The video auto-play has steadily stripped away my sanity one piece at a time. In his own self-condemning words that we all now so well: "This is not funny."

Yum!!!

You know you are in Anadarko when the lunch menu is: fried okra, fried squash, and crummies.

Fishing

Mike and Oliver. First Fishing Trip.

A Social Activity for the senses

I reached the upper echelons of church heirarchy when I was called to listen in on PEC meetings and Branch Presidency meetings. I made notes and agendas and sent out reminder emails. Well, anytime I'm asked to do something, its up to me to be irreverent about it. Example email reminder:

So, are we ready for coming early to church early for meetings? I know I am!!

Candace- did you still want to keep on the agenda for this Sunday the Relief Society emphasis on asking the elders out on dates?

Scott - Does President Lauritzen know about your side plans for the third hour discussion during Elder's Quorum on dating etiquette? Should we stick that on the agenda?

Russell - Are there any single ladies (between 24-29 years of age, sporty, maybe spanish-speaking, no divorces or children) that are in missionary discussions? David Foulk wanted me to ask.

This might be the first meeting I'm excited to show up to!!! J/k (no, but serious, it would be amazing)

or...

Oh, snap!!! Here I'm busy with my worldly duties by watching the NBA playoffs and I totally forgot to send...THE REMINDERS!!!! I know Scott is controlling his temper and silently thinking that this is just a microcosm for the society we live in, but then he goes back and figures out the speed of electrons in a vacuum and realizes that at least when the reminders fail, his structured atoms won't.

Well, I decided to step it up a notch on what turned out to be my 2nd to last sunday in the calling when I decided to make one little typo in the agenda just to see if anyone noticed. On the agenda, it was supposed to be labeled as "Break-the-fast" but I replaced one letter to make the social activity extremely unappealing. Well, people noticed, giggled, and chuckled under their breath and I was approached later by the branch president asking if I recognized the error I made, to which I feigned ignorance. I was released the next sunday.

A couple days ago, I received this on my facebook page from the RS President.

Funny story. Pres. L is scared to have Ethan make agendas because of the one you made! We haven't had an agenda since you left. Way to go! haha

Question

If you could live any place in the United States, ( cost of living not a problem but you would still have to work) - where would that be? Three choices in order of preferences and why. Just wondering.

Uplifting Church Story

A couple of Sunday's ago, a discussion was held in Elders Quorum. The lesson was Missionary Work, taken directly from the Gospel Principles manual. Unlike many quorums of which I've been a part, our quorum is fairly robust, both in numbers and discussion levels. Sometimes it seems as though the comments stemming from one question, bounce from one person to the next, each one attempting to outdo the other in it's level of spirituality. I was lucky enough to be a witness to one such event. The experience reminded me of what Joseph Smith remarked on his own experience in having his visions-if he hadn't witnessed them, he probably wouldn't have believed it himself (paraphrase).

I looked at my watch and it was a couple of minutes until two o'clock. However, seeing time still available, the teacher asked a question about our responsibility to warn our neighbors, since it is apparently anathema to end class a couple of minutes early. The comments started flowing like the salmon of Capistrano: One person talked about inviting their neighbors over for family home evening. Following that remark, someone talked about overcoming his anxiety (and probably legal implications) in sending gospel-related messages to a particular co-worker. I think a mission story was thrown in there for good measure. I thought, "well, you can't top those comments, they're pretty good." But, alas, I was wrong. Next came the zenith of all comments.

Note that this was immediately following the news that Osama Bin Laden had received a bullet through the head. A guy toward the front raised his hand. Sensing the moment, he looked back to the quorum. With the poise of a professional, he let everyone know that, upon hearing of Bin Laden's demise, the VERY FIRST thing he thought about was how Bin Laden never had the opportunity to hear the gospel. I almost laughed out loud thinking it was a joke, but alas, it was serious business.

That's right, this guy just pulled a Kirk Gibson circa 1988. Bottom of the ninth, this dude dug deep and proceeded to knock it out of the park. Game over. There was no topping that comment. I mean, c'mon, what could you say to that? I was blown away. I looked around the room to see if anyone else realized what just happened. This guy just commented that the second after hearing Bin Laden had died, he was saddened that he hadn't received the discussions. You can't top that level of spirituality. Since the class was already 5 minutes over, no other utterance was spoken, save the closing prayer. Well played, sir... well played...

Aiden's Baptism

Aiden's baptism is officially scheduled for June 11th at 10:00 am. We would love for as many family members to come as possible, particularly any who will be visiting or living on the East Coast at the time. We would also love for any who are coming to participate in any way they wish, and is appropriate, of course. We'll also be having quite a birthday party that day, so let us know who's in.

Class of 2013

I'm leaving. I guess I just haven't shared it out loud, but no longer will I be known as Mr. T but rather my standard name as I take on a different role as a graduate student. I'll be a graduate student at Texas A&M in the Masters Program in International Affairs with a concentration in National Security and Diplomacy. Some might ask "why would I give up such a great gig with so much time off, being surrounded by 80+ 12 year-olds?" Believe it or not, it was a tough decision but then I went back to school the next day and i remembered how it is daily:

Royal Insanity

I need some reassurance that I'm not abnormal. Well, I may be abnormal but hang with me for a second. I try to watch as little TV as possible these days. Maybe one or two shows that pique my interest during a de-winding session. But I have got to say, I'm just not understanding the extreme (over)saturation of the Royal Family-Kate Middleton-Prince William thing. Should I be caring more? Am I not being sufficiently patriotic?

As I was flipping channels the other day, I was lectured about the rigid second-by-second schedule of the stage coach. On another show they were analyzing Kate's laugh and talking about Williams sense of humor. Later on I landed on a channel debating the merits of signing a pre-nup. (Maybe I'm watching more TV then I thought)

Next thing you know, the news is going to start covering hunger strikes for those that can't witness the event in person. Oh wait, nevermind. For fun, I just now googled "Kate Middleton toothpaste" just to see what would come up. Apparently her and Prince William will be squeezing their own, thank you very much. And thank you, CNN, for the riveting commentary.

I gotta tell you, it's almost...almost as bad as all the baseball highlights that have infiltrated ESPN's Top Ten segment - Diving catches and home runs put me to sleep faster than a talk by the Primary General presidency. And don't get me started on a double play highlight.

So, I need a reason to care. Or two. Or three. Why is the royal wedding important to me? It's not like they're brokering any foreign treatises or governing the country. Or are they and I'm just displaying my ignorance? Someone throw me a bone here. To be honest, the first thing I thought of after all the wedding coverage started was how long it's been since I've seen King Ralph. Now that was a good movie. Maybe they'll be throwing spears at huge dart boards with the king of Zambezi.

Maybe it's similar to white guilt where we're supposed to feel bad for the revolutionary war from over couple hundred years ago? Is the news media trying to heal an apparent divided America through a British union? Am I too young to understand the implications of an over-the-top (another good movie) marriage between two people that really don't affect me in any way (so far as I can tell)? Is it to analyze the fashion trends. I heard that Miley Cyrus wants to be a flower girl so she can check out the dresses and shoes. No, seriously (huh?!?).

Apparently you can install an app for your desktop that will give you the countdown until the wedding. Maybe I should install it. Is it April 30th yet? Can't wait :)

Thinking Out Loud

Well, I think the wounds have finally healed from the BYU loss to Florida. I guess we should be surprised that the team took Florida to OT even in the team’s worst game of the year. I think it shows how good the team really was. I haven’t had that much fun watching basketball since the ’97 NBA finals. The hardest part of it all was that I was prepared to sacrifice attending Priesthood session and instead support the bball team (in front of the TV). If BYU sports is a missionary tool of the church, I need to be able to discuss the games with co-workers and acquaintances. Also, General Conference = every six months. BYU Final Four = once in a lifetime. Alas, it was not to be.

Am I being overly sensitive when people say Jackson Emery is “deceptively” quick or when Fredette isn’t very athletic? Can we just say that Emery is flat-out quick and/or that Fredette has a nice vertical and can get any shot he wants, thereby making him athletic. (see Sports Illustrated Cover)?!? What is deceptive supposed to mean? It’s not like the dude doesn’t lead BYU and MWC in steals. If either were non-white, would “deceptive” even be used? Yeah, I’m probably being too sensitive about it.

A couple of “soapbox-type” thoughts on the honor code: The BYU/HC situation made me go back in time a little. My experience with the code (and BU Police, for that matter) my freshman year probably hinders my ability to discuss their role in an unbiased manner. Lest I give any of you the impression of grievous wrongdoings, it was merely an unfortunate peer-pressure situation involving the roof of the Cannon Center and someone's lame date idea. Joseph Smith probably sums it up best in his own history (JSH 1:28).

From what I’ve heard and read, Davies was/is still attending classes. This is similar to my experience as a bishopric member in a BYU ward. I just don’t understand how you can be suspended from the team but not classes. Regardless, I think the university got the publicity it wanted, for better or worse.

On a separate note, I read an article (in Dialogue, I believe) summarizing the evolution of the Honor Code. Apparently the facial hair ban came about due to War protestors/communist sympathizers who sported long, scraggly hair. I thought this was interesting. Not sure how that equates with today? Can you not be presentable with facial hair or well-kept hair?

A quick story if I may: During my second year at the Budget Office I grew a nice beard of sorts. It was well kept and very clean. I even received a few compliments on it. One day I decided to shave everything but the hair above the lips. That’s right, I had a mustache. Obviously it paled in comparison to the mustache mastery of Uncles Mark, Floyd and Boyd, but who's does, right? For a couple of days, I sported the mustache – both because I wanted to and because I could. It wasn’t until a couple of days later that my direct supervisor brought me into her office and asked/told me to shave it off because it was distracting. Not sure why mustaches are allowed at BYU but no goatee, decent sideburns or well-kept beard.

I think I’m going to hang up the high-tops. About a month ago I was dragged into a church basketball game. I couldn’t remember the last time I shot a basketball. Long story short, I busted up my elbow pretty bad and played about 15 minutes total. When I was in the game, a couple of ball hogs, who I had never seen before, monopolized the offense. Besides the slammed elbow and sore hip, it was simply a waste of time – an hour and a half to play 12 to 15 minutes just isn’t worth it. I still don’t mind juking Nick out of his shorts or skying over Clint for the easy lay-in, or giving Trevor an “Everlasting Face”, but I think competitive team-basketball is out.

Because I didn’t have classes, I took off Spring Break for the first time ever. It was great. I was trying to remember why BYU didn’t have Spring Break and I vaguely recall the reason having something to do with graduates getting an early start on the job hunt. This may be true but probably not. I can tell you that in all of the hiring we’ve done in the Budget Office no one cares about a week difference. As a company, you hire when you need to – not on a schedule of a school. It’s not like a company has 5 applicants and gives a job over someone not as qualified just because you’re graduating a week later than the other guy. It’s just funny to me now. It’s probably to indirectly control student behavior, i.e. keep students out of trouble. Lame.

Congrats to Mom for March madness victory. Can’t wait to see what picture you choose. If you need ideas, I have plenty of you in spandex, a few in running races, and a couple of trampoline shots. Actually, the last two involve spandex as well so you might not have a choice.

March Madness

(to the tune of "It's Howdy Doody Time")

It.....is..........March Madness time.
It's worth many a dime.
Do not become sublime
If so, 'twould be a crime!!

Your picture on the wall
As you go down the hall.
Just who will win it all -
In college basketball??


So get those forms in. Games start on Thursday!!!

Enjoy

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Slogan

Do we have a Tustison motto or slogan or phrase that "defines" us to a certain degree? Isn't the Nicholas or White one something like "out of everything, one." I realize I butchered that, but I'm curious. If not, is this the proper forum to get ideas?

RS meetings

I know this is blogger specific but I have a question for the female gender of the Tustizone. I am having brain fluffs as to RS meetings, formerly known as Enrichment. I need some ideas as to what to do, any activities or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If the male community feels the need to comment, I would welcome the input.