Sink Plugs

Well, we've made it into our home and I'd say we are 75% unpacked and since no one unpacks everything because you suddenly realize how much junk you keep carrying around, I'd say we are basically done. I like it here, but there are a few bad things about our apartment:

1. We have no couch but I'm sure DI has some nice "clean" couches. And now I'd like to dispel a myth that I've believed--that places like DI clean the items they receive. Today as I looked at some jeans I heard a crinkle. Apparently, I'm greedy because I thought, "Hmmm, maybe, it's money." I checked and only found a Wal-mart receipt from 11-09-05. I replaced the receipt to the pants. Then my sister wondered over to me and as proceeded to dispel the myth for her I thought, "Maybe, I'll just check the other pockets for money." I made $7.00.
2. Since we live in a cinder block home, we are only allowed 4 holes in the wall per room. This limits my decorating skills and prevents the ability to hide the fact that we live in a cinder block home. However, we do have our lovely aerial picture of BYU circa 1976 hanging as our most prominent living room picture. Maybe it should be the proclamation to the family but hey, we're cougars and that's really where our loyalties lie...or is it lay.
3. We have no dishwasher. Unless you count Jordan and I don't because I'm anal and unless I wash something I think that it is contaminated and must be re-washed. However, we do have some lovely kitchen sinks that are quite deep and well, the only thing missing is sink stoppers which they don't provide...I asked. You'd think that was the least they could do since they don't even have a dishwasher.
4. There is no under sink storage in the bathroom which isn't really that bad except things like extra toilet paper, feminine hygiene products aka pads, tampons are either left out in the open or in a hall closet that provides no easy access in case of emergency.
5. We have no microwave. I didn't think this would be too bad. However just last night my sister was over and tried to make instant oatmeal for her son. Didn't happen. Well, it kind of did. She mixed the water and oats, hesitated and said, "You don't have a microwave."
I said, "We could cook it in a pan."
She said, "Well, he's never had it before he won't know the difference."
Then she proceeded to feed him some really liquidy instant oatmeal. And she was right; he didn't care. Now I've started to think about defrosting things and re-heating leftovers and I'm gonna call Melissa and take her up on her offer of a free microwave.

All in all, I like our little abode and I'm excited that Jonah finally has his own room. And despite all the weird things I'm excited to feel like a grown-up again, seperated from parents who feed you, hand you extra cash on you way out and despite your age will always be a kid to them. I'm excited for mountains and running and new jobs and new friends and new wards and playmates for jonah and my sister 5 mins away. Now I gotta go start a microwave-less dinner and feed jonah at the same time.

Fellow bloggers... I got nothing. But, you can read a pretty good story by looking at our pictures.

Half way there...

That title might make you think this is a story about a mishap driving from Texas to Utah, but it's not. Just a quick notice that we are now homeless! Yesterday we got our apartment emptied and the place cleaned and locked by 2pm. Without all the help we had, we probably would have been there twice as long.

My Dad showed up around 11:30-45 with a truck he borrowed from work. He packed that thing so full of stuff and so high that he again looked like He-Man in the eyes of his son. (I know this is Mother's Day, but I just have to tell all this so you know how amazing he is) With the truck he took a load of dead foiliage to the dump, two loads of our stuff from Irving to Lewisville, then he took the couch we used back over to Brant's in Little Elm (north of the Colony), and brought a chair back for my mom. That's at least 250 miles, all from 8am, until about 3:30.

Moving out of that apartment was a real chore with a baby. Another thing we had going was the fact that Amelia has been working on Mother's Day Books when she gets some free time. With this last week as my finals week the only free time she really had was from 9:30-12 or thereabouts. Amelia has really proved with this books that she is the best. There's no other way around it.Jonah has been pretty good through the whole thing, so really... I guess it hasn't been too much of a chore with him.

Well, tangent to what I've been writing about is this paper my little brother wrote for his english class. It's pretty funny, so I'm posting it here:

DMS
Brackeen MWF 9 AM

Definition of My Best Friend

I have the best best friend available. He is incredible in so many different ways. Not only is he sharp, smart, charismatic, caring, talented, kind, witty, good looking, and completely humble, but he is also a faithful friend. My best friend’s most valuable qualities can be grouped into three qualities: how he understands me, is my greatest fan, and has always been there for me.

One of my greatest desires is to be understood. Being misunderstood means looking like an imbecile in public; having my ideas and opinions criticized as immature and unimportant. My best friend has always understood me. First, he knows who I am. He knows my circumstance, my upbringing, my religious beliefs, and respects all of those crucial factors that make up who I am. My best friend can make my wildest dreams sound like feasible realities. He makes my opinions sound brilliant. He can even make my jokes sound funny. My friend’s ability to help me feel understood supplies me with a great sense of self-confidence to share my opinions.

Being an aspiring musician as I am, it is crucial to have a solid fan base. Though many have accepted and later rejected my music and other artistic attempts throughout the years, my best friend has been the most loyal of fans. Whenever I have created a new song, played at a concert, or tried to record an album, he has been right by my side to encourage me. Perhaps his greatest contribution has been his constructive criticism. I do not acquiesce well with those that freely give deconstructive criticism. My friend has always been one to tell me if something I create does not make sense, but always follows up with ideas and suggestions on how to improve. He makes my songs sound like they should be on every radio station in the world, and he makes my live performances into unforgettable events for all who attend. Indeed, my best friend is my biggest fan.

Finally, my best friend is qualified to be termed as such because he has always been a constant companion. As far back as I can remember he has been by my side. He has been with me for my childhood, my first dates and break-ups, during my two-year mission, and, most recently, throughout the beginning of my college career. He has been such a valuable constant in my life, always willing to listen to my ranting and to offer his crucial, all-knowing wisdom when I have needed it most.

I wish that everyone could have a best friend as incredible as mine. The guy is absolutely the best person I have ever met. Just as well as he knows me, I know everything about him. To some it might sound egotistical, to others it might just sound crazy, but the reason my friend and I know so much about each other is because we are literally inseparable. After all, my best friend is me.

Early Morning T.V

In the past month or so, I've taken up the early morning feeds with Jonah. I usually don't hold him very close so that I can read my scriptures or turn on the tv. On Saturday around 6am, I turned the tv on to PBS (Channel 13 in the DFW Metroplex). This is what I saw on "Farmers Almanac TV"...

COMBINE DERBY DEMOLITION!

Free Chicken

Have you ever been approached by girl scouts, or D.A.R.E, or some other organization trying to sell you something on your way out of a store? Every now and then I get a targeted for something like that, and I never spend my time on it. If I had a 10 foot pole, it would be between me and them on my to my car.

Yesterday we went to Sam's. Jonah and Amelia were in the car so I headed in on my own. I picked up our pictures and on my way out saw an employee from the deli with a tray full of rotissere cooked chickens. I thought, "Man... this guy's going to try and sell a chicken to me on my way out of the store. I have to come up with something to bat him off." As I approaced the lady who checks receipts, the guy looks at me and says, "Do you want a chicken? They're free." I immediately started rubbing my stomach and and in a true cop-out voice said, "Ohhh... No man, I'm so full! Thanks anyway." Then I realized he said it was free... My contenance changed, I stopped faking it and said, "Wait! Did you say that was free?" He replied kind shocked that I was trying to be so fake, "Yea, it's free!" "Ok," I said, "I'll take one!". After the lady finished with my receipt I said, "I was going to have some fun but it was free!"

Oh yea, we waited in line behind this guy at wal-mart that price matched almost everything he bought. We got in line just after 7, and didn't get out until 7:40. One good thing about it was watching his crazy kids. I feel proud that I got them singing 'No More Monkeys Jumping On The Bed'.

House, M.D.

So last night, I woke up around 5:30 from a nightmare. I usually don't have nightmares; especially nightmares with Freddy Krueger, one of my childhood nemeses. I got out of bed, went into the living room and read my scriptures. It helped me to block out any forces trying to keep me up. So I finished Alma 55, and went back to bed. Needless to say that even after I had read my scriptures and gone back to bed, I still didn't get a very good nights rest.

Last night, after Amelia squirted contact solution on my hand, I impersonated House M.D. (Why did she do that? I don't know, sometimes Amelia gets out of control.) I thought it was so funny that I tried to do something similar in my lab this morning with Chelsie and Luke. As I started to go into a hypothesis like House would, I started to realize that their interest was fading fast. I tried to keep up my enthusiasm, but it got quiet. I just stopped half way through, and stared at the chalkboard. "I'm done. I'm not going to say anything else," I said. They both looked at my kind of stunned, probably wondering if they had offended me... but no, It was a direct result of my mental functions being too inept without breakfast.

Moving Boxes

I love moving. I love packing. I love organizing. I love throwing things away. I love remembering. I love new places. I love new people. I can't wait to get to Utah. My only worry is a 20hr drive with a 2.5 month old cute little boy. I still can't wait though. I can't wait to go on a roadtrip to Idaho and see Grandma Sheen...err...Great Grandma Sheen and Great Uncle Max and my sister Ruthanne and Larry and Alex and Ella. Plus all the peeps in Utah. 15 days till the road trip starts.

A Size 2 or 1/4 of an inch.

There's something nice about not having to go to a barber shop to get my hair cut. It's probably the fact that it's cheap, and that if it gets messed up, you get what you paid for. I've had the luxury of cutting (the majority of) my own hair since I've been married. Amelia can help spot check it and make sure I didn't miss anything. However, I know not everyone has the ability to move their arms clear around their head and have someone help witht he process.

I've only seen a few haircuts in my life that I thought were really bad. On Sunday, I think I saw the one that tops them all off. We got to church just a few minutes before Sacrament meeting started and had to sit in the overflow. A couple in electric wheel chairs came over and asked us to move back. "No problem!" The gentlemen passed out the programs, and they situated themselves right in front of us.

I got a nice long look at the back of his head. It had recently been shaved on a size 2 with hairclippers. There was a long piece of hair right near his crown, and a big bush of hair just to the front of his ear, almost like a miniature side burn. The more I stared, the more imperfections I saw (kind of ironic... I think we all do that). I just wanted to reach over and say, "Hey, I'll come over and cut your hair for free!", but I didn't... probably because I don't know how cool 'in-home hair cutting' is with the male population.

Right now I'm formatting Amelia's laptop... SHHHHH! Don't tell her!