Halloween!

In celebration of the month of October, I've changed my header to reflect a more eerie atmosphere. Doesn't it make you want to run to the nearest abandoned house and sit there till you're sure you feel the presence of ghosts? Of course it does.

-Barry

It's BACK!!!!

The Office premieres tomorrow!

Dwight chats it up with a successful midget banker on the "Night Out" episode of season four.
One of the phrases spoken to said banker: "Do you have powers?"

I just thought I'd share that with you all.

It comes on at 8:00pm (Mountain Time) on NBC.

HA HA HA HA HA!!!

I can't believe this. I laughed so hard at it and yet I feel so bad for these people. Their minds are SO warped!



Come on, now. Environmentalists are one thing...

... but tree mourners?

Favorite line of the whole thing is the primal scream the hippie girl lets out at the very end. (he he he...wow)

-Barry

...ooh, glowy....

I recently rediscovered some glow in the dark silly putty that I was given last Christmas, so I decided to charge it up and get creative! Ahh, the benefits of having a camera with the option for long exposures...

Pretty. :) Almost a magma-like quality to it.

-Barry

7 Years Ago, Today.

I'm sure most bloggers today are posting about their experiences on September 11, 2001. And while you may have already read dozens of other personal accounts of what happened on that day, I suggest you read mine for a fresh perspective on the events. I was on my mission when it happened, and thus experienced the entire thing with a sense of disconnected torture. I could call no family or friends, nor did I have the day off. It was just another day of missionary work. Sort of.

I remember waking up that morning, showering in our little concrete bathroom and going through the rounds of personal and companionship study/prayer. It was nice, clear day. My companion headed out of the apartment and over to the local tienda to get some pan dulce for breakfast. We walked in and the little grey-haired lady was watching her humble 13 inch tv. Most mornings were host to the sounds of a telenovela (soap opera) or one of Mexico's gosh awful morning shows, but this morning she was watching the news.

There was a great deal of smoke coming out of the ground. I remember thinking that Popcateptl, Mexico's most active and dangerous volcano, had erupted again, as it had done so a few months before. But then, as the camera zoomed out, I saw the Pentagon. I just stood there on the polished floor of this little tienda in the middle of Mexico, gazing blankly at the Pentagon as it burned. In that fleeting moment my mind couldn't comprehend the entirety of what was happening.

We left the tienda to eat breakfast at the apartment and then headed out to our first appointment. Her name was Marta, I think. Or Maria. Anyway, the first words out of her mouth were, "Your country is under attack." Whoa! What!? "Come see."

We went into her nicely decorated home and watched tv with her. It was CNN. In English. (Thank you, Heavenly Father!) Hearing the news in the sweet, familiar phonetics of English was a blessing, as it connected me, in a way, to those who I loved and thought of that I could not call or communicate with. We watched the first tower smoldering against the baby-blue New York skyline. We saw the second plane smash, full-fury, into the second tower and just sat there in awe at the chaos that was taking place across the border. It was really scary. Was this the beginning of more for the rest of the United States? Was LA going to be hit? Chicago? Denver? Salt Lake?

After an hour or so of watching TV with our investigator, we put the news aside and taught our discussion.

We ate lunch, like usual, with a family in our ward (sidenote: the dad was a candy salesman by day and a professional Mexican wrestler by night!) We watched the towers continue to burn and then gasped as they fell like vanquished titans, into their billowing, ashen graves. It was so awful, knowing that in that instant so many lost their lives. And yet there was a strange disconnect to the whole thing, as if it were all a farce, like some replay of war of the worlds in modern times. Call it shock or divine protection, but I wasn't quite sure if it was all real or not. It's hard to explain.

Life as a missionary went on like usual after that. We'd get the occasional comment from people about how sorry they were for the tragedy, and, on occasion, some ass would tell us why the US deserved what it got. The Mexican people were generally very understanding, though, of the whole thing.

So that's my story.

Where were you when the towers fell? If you've written about it in your blog, please post a URL. Thanks.

-Barry

Our Family Has Nice Teefs!

I think Steve is my favorite. He or Tyler. Ashlyn looks like a vampire. But yeah, Steve looks like he's imploring for your financial help. What does he want? A coonskin cap? A squirrel for eatin? Braces?

We may never know.

-Barry

BYU vs. Washington

Jan Jorgensen blocks the tying PAT. (AP Photo/Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)

I won't go into detail about the game. Suffice it to say that it came down to the wire. I was more than disappointed in the defense, as they allowed a sub-par Washington team to march all over the field on them, although I will admit that Jake Locker is a superb quarterback and probably the best mobile quarterback BYU will face all season.

The game ended with a bit of controversy. If you're interested in the story, you can read it here. Those of you who still think the call was unnecessary should also read the article:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=282500264

Go Cougs!

-Barry

BYU vs University of Northern Iowa

On Saturday, the epic gates of BYU football were once again opened to herald in a new year of hopes, dreams, and visions of perfect conquest. My brother, his wife, Ashlyn, and I arrived at the game a few minutes before kickoff to perfect weather, an almost sold-out stadium, and the near electric crackle of pure college football in the air. Ohhhhh, MAN! That's good stuff!!!!

BYU cruised to a victory over the ... hmm... I don't even know what their mascot is. The purple pirates? It looked like a pirate on their helmets, and they wore purple. Then again, if somebody guessed our team mascot by the same standards, they'd call us the "Navy Y's". Blech.

Ohh! I just looked it up. It's the panthers! Man, I was WAY off! (Guess the movie. Clue: Samsonite.)

(Their website sucks, by the way! Check it out here)

Enjoy the photos.

-Barry

College football is HERE!!!

Steve and Ashlynn (I've spelled it with one n and two n's because I'm not sure which it is. I know, I'm an awful brother in law.)

The band and the "women of the flag."

Team Captains

The team rushes the field! Yeeagghh!!

With a nifty little blur technique (which I'll write a post about if you'd like) I make them look like tiny people rushing a tiny field.

Fans enjoy some cloud cover, while Timp looms in the background.

Dennis Pitta makes one of his many catches. He currently leads the nation in receiving yards.

The guys, at half-time. (Dad, Tyler, Me, Steve)

Fans watch as players exit the locker room for the second half.

The return team prepares for kickoff. The sun had just come out and was casting some really nice light on the field.

Oh, how I envy you Mr. Professional Sports Photography Man.

Max Hall drops back in the pocket.

And Dennis Pitta once again with one of his many receptions. That man is a PLAYMAKER!!