Rathers and Druthers

Here’s a great way to get to know a group or person and keep an interesting conversation going.

In mine and Yessi’s case, it’s a humorous way to spend time together in the car after we get tired of listening to Miley Cyrus sing every other song on the radio.

It’s called: Would you rather… Answering the questions are easy, but the fun part is to get the reason why. You can make any situation up, but here are a few examples:

  • Be 4′1″ or 7′5″
  • Lose your sight or lose your hearing
  • Save a sibling or a stranger from a fire
  • Meet an alien visitor or travel to outer space
  • Eat Sushi or Liver
  • Spend the day at the computer or at the beach
  • End Hunger or Hatred
  • Always lose or never play
  • Read everyone’s mind or know their future
  • Be forced to tell your friend a lie or tell your parents the truth
  • Have the power to fly or be invisible
  • Overthrow a dictator or be one
  • Be an actor or actress in big movie or be the director
  • Be remembered for doing good or being rich
  • Have a missing finger or an extra toe
  • Be forgotten or hatefully remembered
  • Talk to a friend or read a book
  • Get the last laugh or get first dibs
  • Be the sand castle or the wave
  • Find True love or 10 Million Dollars
  • Kiss a jellyfish or step on a crab
  • Give bad advice or take bad advice
  • Publish your diary or make a movie of your most embarrassing moment
  • Live without music or tv
  • Be gossiped about or never talked about at all

Very Direct Advertising?

mormon.org ad

For as much as I like to pretend that I’m not influenced by advertising and that I only pay attention to media hype that I’m truly looking for, this was one of those subtle reminders that our subconscious is ever-present.

I was typing an e-mail to a friend in El Salvador and there was a word that I didn’t know how to spell. So I jumped onto a free-translation site and did a quick translation from English to Spanish so that I could get the correct spelling.

Then just as I was exiting the tab, my mind was like: “Whoa, hold on! Did you see that? I think there was a customized ad that knows I am Mormon.“ That’s incredible.

Unfortunately I had already closed the page.

But I was curious to know what was being promoted and wanted to investigate how they knew my name and religion. I went back to check and sure enough, the ad was there again. A scripted chat about “faith” from mormon.org has a conversation with a guy named Zack. (See the screen shot on the above.)

So it wasn’t a customized ad for me afterall but it still gave me two things to think about:

  1. Props to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for being proactive with non-traditional media advertising for a church. Public awareness generates interest and a great chance to answer questions.
  2. I saw that ad and comprehended part of its message without even “looking” at it. I wonder what other influences and impressions we receive without being aware that they are captured?

Halloween Stuff

At work the cool kids dressed up. For kicks and giggles yours truly decided to ride an ostrich around the office.
Work Party
Work Festives

Yessidey and I had our friends Matt, Elisabeth and Miranda over to carve pumpkins after setting up for the ward party.

* Crazy sidenote: It was Yessi’s first time carving!pumpkin carving

Three Wolf Moon Shirt

3 wolf moon shirtIt wasn’t until Dwight decided to sport it on The Office that I decided to fall into the trap of this AMAZING story.

Now I want the shirt.

I mean seriously… Have you read some of the Amazon Reviews for this thing? It sounds pretty magical doesn’t it?!

The first review gave the shirt five stars, saying it “Fits my girthy frame, has wolves on it, attracts women but cannot see wolves with arms crossed”.

That prompted hundreds of others to post frivolous reviews, turning the page into an internet phenomenon.

“When I put this T-shirt on for the first time, my wife left me! Thank you, Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt,” wrote one guy. Another said that “the Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt gave me a +10 resistance to energy attacks, +8 Strength… and I have successfully solved 7 crimes in my city”.

The T-shirt has become one of the most popular items sold by online retailer Amazon in the past few months – shooting up 2,300% after a couple funny reviews went viral.

Call me a sucker, but count me in!

Persistence Pays Off

The other day, Yessidey made a subtle hint to me: “Hey papi, U2 is coming to Dallas.”

I am ignorant and didn’t catch on: “That’s great babe.”

Subtle changed to poignant: “Well honey, did you know, one of my dreams has always been to see U2 in concert?”

I brushed it off. She conveniently has a million items on her always-wanted-to-do-or-see list.

Then I got a call while she was at work mentioning that a co-worker was selling a pair of tickets for only $75 each. That was immediately followed with the suggestion/challenge to find better seats cheaper. She is persistent.

So here we go. I guess we can check off another item from her list.

Monday night at 7:00 pm.

U2 concert - 10/12/2009

U2 concert - 10/12/2009

Keeping Your Chin Up

Tough times.

I remember parts of my mission to Honduras like they were yesterday. Other times, certain things happen that trigger a clear and vivid memory of an experience I had during my mission. Right now, I’ve got a jumbled mess floating around in my crazy head.

The second area that I served in was called “Popular”. It is in the Toncontin Zone and I spent 3 months there with Elder Ryan Bennett. We met and began teaching a young couple who was progressing towards the decision to be married and baptized. One Saturday night in May, we were teaching about the importance of not procrastinating. During the lesson I tried to explain that because we are unaware of what will happen down the road – let alone tomorrow, we need to make correct decisions and act on them today.  Minutes later, their phone rang and Rosaura was told that her father had been jumped and killed on his way home. She ran off devastated, while her husband Alex, Elder Bennett and I sat in quiet shock.

My mind drifted as I reflected on what had just happened. As awful of an experience as it was, could there be a more powerful object lesson? Before we left, I looked at Alex and told him that this is why we shouldn’t wait. God has a plan for us, and we need to act when opportunities present themselves.

That night I laid in bed and reflected. What a horrible experience. What a bad thing to happen to such good people. It just didn’t seem fair to me. Then I remembered a talk by John Bytheway called “Five Scriptures That Will Help You Get through Almost Anything.” During our next visit, we took the principles from that talk and applied them directly to Rosaura and Alex. It didn’t take away the pain of their loss, but I know that they felt the spirit of comfort and love from their Father. There are times when those feelings are all you have to hang onto.

Dwayne and Zachary Stevens

Dwayne and Zachary Stevens

Today and yesterday have been extremely rough for my family. For the past 8 months my dad has been a courageous fighter as he battled cancer. His stomach was surgically removed, he dealt with chemo and was literally cooked with radiation. He has been both brave and strong. Just two weeks ago we celebrated his victory. Now is supposed to be the time for him to recover and regain strength. Instead, we found out yesterday through a body scan that the cancer has spread into his lungs. Get ready for round two.

I cried. I asked why. Really? Only two weeks later? It just isn’t fair. Then I remembered my experience with Alex and Rosaura and decided to reread the talk which offers scriptural answers to the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Here is a rundown of the list:

  1. We Know That God Loves His Children! (1 Nephi 11:17)
  2. We Know That God Allows Evil to Exist in the World (Moses 7:26–33)
  3. Our Work Is Not Finished! (Alma 14:13)
  4. The Atonement Is Not Just for Sinners (Alma 7:11–12)
  5. One Day, the Lord Will Reveal All Things (D&C 101:32–36)

I offer this as something of solace. I know that not everyone is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, and I know that not everyone is religious. But these words are motivating me to cheer the home team onto another win. They are here for you as well.

We have to make today count.

Chopstick Training Wheels

Training-Wheeled Chopsticks

Training-Wheeled Chopsticks

To say that Yessidey loves to eat sushi would be an understatement.

After we had been married for about 5 months, I got into an argument with her about something miniscule. She said “Zach, you’re not making me happy!” To which I replied “Oh really? Then tell me Yessidey, what exactly does make you happy?”  She stopped for a minute then retorted: “Sushi, sunshine and flowers.”

Ever since that day, I’ve known that when I occasionally blunder, I can quickly remedy my mistake with one of those three things.

These forks rubber-banded together make me think of the first time we ate sushi together in Portland. It was my first time ever trying to master eating rice wrapped around raw fish using drumsticks chopsticks. It was hard, so I decided to stab each roll and eat it shish kabob style. That totally embarrassed her, so she asked the waitress if there were any “trainers” that I could use.

Something similar to this was brought for me.

Very discreet.

New TV

We are excited.

It’s been about 5 months since our TV took a dive. Yessi has missed HGTV and I have been too (select one) busy/cheap/lazy/unconcerned – to have it fixed. vizio

But with fall comes a lot of great reasons to have a TV: college football, Trailblazer basketball, watching movies on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate while it’s cold outside, and of course…  this weekend’s session of General Conference.

So last night we took full advantage of not having class and splurged on a little treat - or as Yessi puts it: investment.

Smart Drugs, Really?

crammingWhen we hear about athletes who use “performance enhancing drugs” we assume that they are cheaters and dopers. We root against them and disregard their accomplishments. Would we do the same for the estimated 25% of college students who use “concentration and memory boosting drugs”?

Looks like my mom’s brain food theory of celery and peanut butter has just been “one-upped” by THIS.

Need I say more?

recession

Christmas Wish

Kindle DX

Kindle DX

In the 3rd grade we joked around at the lunch table and spit milk through the huge gap where we had just made our first fortune from the tooth fairy. Some kids would chime in and say: “All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teef!”

17 years later I have a very different rendition to that age-old song: “All I want for Christmas is the Kindle DX!” Holy rad. It’s an e-book reader that can hold 1,500 books inside a paper-thin sheet. Can you imagine going to church and having your quad, current teachings of the prophets, and any other book or manual all conveniently stored in that thing? It also allows you to take notes and mark up sections that you are reading.

But that’s not all… Toss in a few more good business reads, textbooks, and upload any word doc or PDF and you’ve got a mega-portable briefcase. It makes me want to travel just so that I can pack it.

I say we start a pot and everyone who cares enough to buy me a Christmas gift can contribute $20 so that by December/Januaryish, I can get this nifty little guy.

You can read more about how cool this thing is by clicking here.

A song for the deaf

Please quit singing!

Please quit singing!

For those of you who have ridden with Yessidey and me in our car as we perform “say-what karaoke”, or perhaps have heard us sing in church, it’s probably easy for you to smile and acknowledge that we possess absolutely no musical ability. None whatsoever. Yessi says that she played hookie on the day they handed out musical talents in heaven. If she’s telling the truth, then you all know that my ADHD wouldn’t have allowed me to wait in a long line either. So I probably skipped out with her.

In our defense, we’d like to say that there is worse music out there! Yes, even worse than Jim Carrey’s most annoying sound. For your listening displeasure, I’d like to present: ”The Worlds Most Unwanted Song“. Yes, it’s actually even worse than Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus.

Listen to it here.

Beard trimming in the wild west…

sideburnsOne reason I am glad I live in Texas:

A headline in our local paper screams: “Barbers, Cosmetologists in Turf War Over Shaving.” The question is where sideburns end and beards begin.

In Texas, only barbers are licensed to trim beards, and they are unhappy that cosmetologists are cutting into their market.

This fight illustrates the effects of occupational licensing — legal restrictions on workers’ ability to enter certain markets.

Barbers have benefited over the years from the exclusion of cosmetologists in what was essentially a restriction on supply. Along with the high entry costs (nearly a year of required training), this has raised the equilibrium wage of barbers — and the equilibrium price of a haircut. Licensing of medical doctors, where the consumer lacks information on quality, might be sensible. But barbers and cosmetologists?

As one party to this controversy noted, “Most of the rules are so archaic and pathetic. They’re prehistoric.” True — and it’s amazing that the issue is still of concern.

Eat Mor Chikin

Chick-fil-a

Has anyone else been feeling the love lately?

Chick-fil-a has been giving out free chicken sandwiches like it were their job. First Yessi did a phone survey and BAM! two free sandwiches for us. Then on Labor Day they gave us free chicken sandwiches just for wearing our favorite sports team’s apparel. We walked in with BYU pride after the big game, and BAM! more free sandwiches. And then I heard on the radio that they were giving away free sandwiches to anyone and everyone on Thursday from 6-7 pm. Come and BAM! here’s a free sandwich. 

Giving them away just because they can? Really? 

Chick-fil-a: This is my proclamation of love to you - If you are not injecting these delicious chicken sandwiches with an addictive substance so that we subconsciously crave them and want them like Tyra Banks wants attention, like Willie Nelson wants tax amnesty, like M.C. Hammer wants 1990 back – then I thank you and love you.

 And I might add that I can’t stop thinking about your delicious sandwiches and amazing buffalo sauce!

GMAT Prep

GMATaholic

So this is how I spend time outside of work until October 31:

  • Monday and Wednesday nights 7-10pm (Veritas Class)
  • Thursday nights 8-9pm (Homework)
  • Saturday mornings: 9:30-noon-thirty (Practice Tests)

If it seems like I don’t have a life anymore, it’s because I have voluntarily traded my soul to the GMAT-Time Investment-God.

3 Parts of the “Cowboy Classic”

For the record: Neither my wife Yessidey nor myself has attended Brigham Young University. Our affiliation to the school hinges on 3 loose ties:
  • We are LDS
  • I am a DFW Chapter member of the BYU Management Society
  • I lived in Provo for 9 weeks while in the MTC
That, and several of our friends have received degrees from the university.
But on Saturday when BYU came to Dallas to play against Oklahoma, there was no way we’d miss the game. I’ll break it down into three over-simplified parts and edit out the 3 hours of screaming, nail-biting, cheering and chanting:Cowboy Classic
Our friends Houston and Cristina.
Our friends Houston and Cristina.
Where's the BYU section?!
Where’s the BYU section?!

zandy

1. Saturday morning (The anticipation): Houston showed up at our place with his dad and brother. We visited for a little bit, then ate Salvadorian food and Glorias. College football is always better when you have a good meal in you.
2. Saturday afternoon (The excitement): It was a little intimidating to count 1,000 Oklahoma fans for every BYU fan. (We made ourselves feel better by saying that the BYU fans were better looking.) Cowboy stadium was a sea of red and it was loud! OU was ranked #3 in the nation and the Y ranked at #20. All indicators pointed to this being a BIG game!
3. Saturday evening (The celebration): As fate would have it, we upset the #3 team with a final score of 14-13! There were only a few people that left happy. We were two of them. Need I say more?

And what about my tip?!

Mirage Hotel RoomMirage HotelSo if paying $200 a night (for a bed and warm shower) for a week straight isn’t bad enough, what about being nickle-and-dimed for everything extra? I have spent the past week in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel and have a bone to pick with them…

Don’t get me wrong.

The bed is one of the softest, most comfortable things I have ever slept on and the location is ideal for walking across the street to the Sands Expo Center.

But the other night I had one of those experiences that make you stop and wonder if what just happened is for real. I met up and had dinner with a really good friend from the mission who moved to the Sin City about 3 months ago. I haven’t seen JD Westphal and his wife Ashley since their wedding day about 3 years ago and we had quite a bit to catch up on. So much in fact, that I barely ate any of my dinner and  instead chose to ramble about all the latest happenings.

When I got back to my hotel I had a box bulging with Caramel-Glazed Chicken and White Rice from the Grand Luxe. After I realized that there was no plastic silverware, I rode the elevator down to the lobby and popped into all 8 restaurants surrounding the casino asking to borrow a fork. None were willing to donate to the cause so I rode the elevator back to the 7th floor and marched down the mile-long hall to my room while debating if I could use my toothbrush as a shovel/chopstick.

Instead, I decided to call room service and have them deliver a fork. They agreed, but told me there is a $3 delivery fee. Really?! $3 dollars to bring me a fork? Whatever. It is almost bed time and I want dinner.

Ten minutes later, I open the door after almost having it beat down by some seriously hard knocking. A little Oriental guy pushes the door open and me out of the way as he barges  in looking around with a plate in his hand and a fork wrapped in a dinner towel.

“Um, excuse me. I didn’t invite you in my room.”

“I know but I  deliva yo foke.”

forkHis little eagle eyes scoured my room as if he were a detective looking for crucial evidence. Without even looking at me, he holds out his hand presenting the  plate and fork. (It annoyed me that he had no shame to investigate my room – let alone march in without an invitation.) I took them, then signed the receipt for $3 while mumbling under my breath how rediculous it is paying to borrow a fork for my leftovers. Then I ushered him out the door thanking him for stopping by.

“And my tip?! What you pay me?!”

“Your tip?” I ask.

“You have to pay me for deliva yo foke.”

“Wow cowboy. You’re definitely not bashful are you?”

“I don’t understand cowboy baseball.”

“What?”

“Nevamind. You pay tip.”

I was a little taken back. Isn’t he paid to walk down this hall and bring me a fork? Don’t I pay the hotel enough money for a week to include something like a ‘rental fork’? And why is this guy inside my room? Whatever. So I asked him how much money he wanted. He instantly got confused and asked me: “How much I want?”

“Yes, you said that I owe you money, so how much do you want?”

Then he got embarrassed and said somehting to the effect of: “Well you choose how much feel like offer fo my service.”

It was pretty clear that I already offered what I felt was necessary and am now simply paying more to amuse him.

“I don’t know… Uh $10, $20, $50? How much do you want?”

“No no no!” He said to me. “Only pay what your heart feel. $1 is good.”

So when I tipped him $2, he got excited and thanked me for thinking of him and compensating for his hard efforts to serve me.

Lion King at Mandalay Bay

The Lion King - Las Vegas Mandalay BayWhen I booked my flight and hotel to Las Vegas for the Off-Price Apparel Show, my co-worker Jana and I received 2 free tickets to the Lion King at Mandalay Bay. So after working a long day in our booth we got to go and see the musical on Saturday.

As a kid growing up, I saw the movie quite a few times. It is actually one of my favorite Disney cartoons and I remember the characters and story fairly well. But as I watched on Saturday night, I took hold of a whole new angle which seemed to ring with an even more profound familiarity. As I studied the details, words and plot, it reminded me of the gospel.

I think that it’s pretty interesting and so I’m going to delve just a tad bit deeper. Let me know if I’m off at all.

Lion King Opening - Las Vegas Mandalay BayLion King Rafiki - Las Vegas Mandalay Bay

THE LION KINGGOSPEL PRINCIPLES

 
  • It was pronounced that “One day a new king will rule the land.”

Christ will reign personally upon the earth after the gathering of Israel. In that day, all will bow to the true King.

  • Scar is jealous and hates the new king. He wishes that the glory and power were to be his.

Satan desired power and glory – for that reason he caused the war in Heaven.

Today he despises Jesus and his disciples.

  • Scar lures Simba onto a dangerous and deadly path.

Satan tempts us to follow our pride and make incorrect decisions.

  • Simba tells his dad, the king: “We’ll always be together.”

As we are obedient to commandments and gospel principles, we are promised eternal blessings – including his companionship.

  • King Mufasa dies to save his son.

Jesus gave His life that we might live.

  • Scar incorrectly blames Simba for his father’s death.

Satan distorts truth.

Another tactic is to make us feel discourged and dispaired -worthless.

  • Simba runs away, becomes lost, and is saved by two “outcasts”.

It was a Samaritan “outcast” who helped the victimized Jewish traveler.

Leaving aside the outcast notion, two caring individuals can also be viewed as “missionaries”.

  • Simba grows to maturity while in exile.

Moses developed and grew spiritually in the wilderness.

  • Simba was reluctant to return to responsibility.

At times we are reluctant to leave our sins behind and truly repent.

  • Rafiki’s advice to Simba regarding his father was: “He lives in you… Look inside yourself…”

We are all children of our Heavenly Father and his influence and love can be felt in each of us. Likewise, inside our hearts we experience the Light of Christ as it confirms truth.

There is also the Holy Ghost which can dwell within us and guide towards the good in life.

Gloria’s in Addison

glorias-addisonglorias 01So we found yet another great spot for good food and a fun atmosphere!

Last night we went with with our friends: Cisco and Esther, and Matt and Elizabeth to Gloria’s Restaurant in Addison. El Salvadorian food means: Pupusas and Yuca. Yum!

At 11pm, the place transforms from a restaurant to an all-out club. Live band stints, with breaks of DJ mixes made for an active night.

The place will definitely be getting our repeat business!

Project: Get Fit

Hoo-boy. How many times have I taken my shirt off lately as I’m changing, or getting ready to take a shower or going into a pool and noticed that my physique isn’t nearly where I would like it to be? It’s a rhetorical question, but the answer is: too many.

And every time my mental comment remains the same: “dang boy, you need to workout!” So why haven’t I done it? I don’t know. But this week I decided that enough is enough. Nuff said.

runner

Get Fit

Motivated by my friend Matthew’s recent jogging addiction, I decided to begin my personal project: Get Fit. Basically, I will be running a few miles and doing push-ups and sit-ups every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Coupled with a renewed resolution to eat smaller, healthier portions – I will be in shape by December.

Why December?

The reasoning is simple really: It is a reasonable time frame and will provide momentum for a New Year’s Resolution. The same resolution that I made as this year began. The same committment that lasted a whole 2 days in January. Momentum forms habits which converts a resolution into a reasonable goal.

Staying Committed

So I decided that personal accountability is key to making me stay committed. If you notice the left column of this blog, under the “pages” section, there is a Get Fit link under my name. Weekly I will post pictures of myself and track: Miles ran jogged and numbers of push-ups/sit-ups performed.

Talk about embarrassing! But if I constantly place my gut under your scrutiny, you better believe that I’ll be motivated to become fit.

Restaurant Week!

Holy delicious!

abacus

Yessi was proud of her Tiger Shrimp.

Last night Yessidey and I went to Abacus Restaurant last night for our anniversary dinner. One of my coworkers, Jana recommended it and promised that we would be impressed. Turns out that she offered a pretty good tip. Bar none, it was the best meal I have ever had!

*I’ll be honest: I just had to go to their website and copy our menu selections because it’s a mouthful! In the event that any of you are serious connoisseurs, you’ll appreciate the full description - As for Yessi and myself, we laughed and decided that no matter what it was, we’d describe it as: “DELICIOUS”.

We both chose to begin with the Rice flour crusted Tiger Shrimp, Baby Shiitake Mushroom, Ginger Sweet Potato Puree with grilled Jalapeno Oil.

Then they brought us our Watermelon Icee.

For her main plate, Yessi chose the Wood Grilled Wild King Salmon, Tequila-Lime Sauce with Homestead Mills Yellow Corn Grits. And I had the: Wood Roasted Tri-Tip Steak, Goat Cheese Polenta Cake, Wild Mushrooms with Port Wine Sauce.

Then they brought us the dessert sampler:

  • Candied Citrus Scone-Strawberry-Mint Shortcake
  • Valrhona-Milk Chocolate Pudding-Nutella Crunch
  • Warm Banana Cakes – “Hot” Banana Caramel
  • Double Chocolate-Caramel Brownie Bites
  • Key Lime Cheesecake Napoleon

But wait, just like an infomercial, there’s more!

The stars aligned just right and we also discovered a really neat tradition in Dallas: Restaurant Week. For 1 week a year, several fine-dining locations in the metroplex reduce the price of their plates to $35 and of that, $7 of each meal goes to charity.

Yep, you guessed it… Last night was the kickoff for Restaurant Week; so instead of dropping $200 for our anniversary dinner, our tab was only $70!

3 Year Anniversary

 My Eternal Sweetheart, Yessidey “I want to be happy,

 But I won’t be happy

Till I make you happy, too.”

(Irving Caesar, “I Want to Be Happy” [1924])

It was today, just 25 years ago, that the most amazing person of whom I have had the pleasure of knowing was born in Tepic, MX. Happy Birthday Chiqui!

And this same day, just 3 years ago, I took the priviledge of being married for time and all it’s eternity to that same girl. Shooting for the stars and swinging for the fence; I most definitely married out of my league as I took Yessidey to be my wife and companion. For that, I will forever consider myself the luckiest boy in world.

During these 3 years we have grown together and meshed our lives into one. I love this girl with my entire heart and constantly try to be a better man for her. So in thinking of Yessidey and how I can be a better husband for her, I found a few examples of the behaviors I should apply. They come from 1 Corinthians 13 and Moroni 7.

Read more

Pentheraphobia

Pentheraphobia: Fear of Mother-in-Law

Of all the phobias in the world, pentheraphobia is one that humors me a lot. It is, as stated above, the fear of one’smother-in-law mother-in-law. I am sure that most married people have, at one time or another, suffered from this terrible fear. It is so common in Western society that it frequently appears in movies and other forms of entertainment…

Without opening a can of worms, I’ll mention that I have a fair share of mildly amusing stories and experiences with my “suegra”. Yet having said that, I’d like to flip the coin and focus on how to overcome this phobia or problem. Afterall, she is the next closest friend to the love of my life.

I had the past 2 weeks to practice as my mother-in-law was visiting from Mexico. I’m glad to report that it was by far the best visit we’ve shared so far and I think I did a good job of behaving myself and going out of my way to be kind and pay attention to her. It may sound a little tongue-in-cheek, but I found that if I pray for her, then the visit is more enjoyable and quicker.

What do you think?

Dupree’s Birthday

Hey everyone, just a quick shout-out for our dog el Senorito Dupree Stevens who just turned 2 years old today.

I’m no expert on these kind of things, but I read here that he is apparently turning 21 in dog years. That’s worth celebrating! So Yessi and I decided to throw a party for little Mr. Dupie-Dupes. That’s right: chew-toys and Purina One dog chow will be the main attractions. 

Please feel free to join us this weekend at our place on Cortez Dr.

Weekend at 6 Flags over Texas

On Saturday Yessi and I took Geovani, Yamileth, Salma and  Marlen to Six Flags Over Texas.

It was a really hot day in the sun and we sweated as if it were our jobs while we waited in line - but the rides were fun and it was great to spend the day with the kids. My random observation is that the face of the park, an old guy (affectionately referred to as: Mr. 6) reminds me of a cross between a turtle and a cartoon character loaded with energy drinks. He kind of creeped me out every time he popped out and said: “More flags. More fun!” But in every sense a memorable mascot and marketing tool.

 Here are some pics from the park:

6 flags 08

Just after the Batman Ride

Just after the Batman Ride

6 flags 10

Batman Ride

6 flags 05

Birds of a feather flock together.

6 flags 06

Until this moment, Yessi blamed me for the bad smell.

6 flags 11

6 flags 01

The brave ones waiting in line.

6 flags 04

Co-Pilot Yessi trying to find her way around.

6 flags 02

The clan: Geo, Yessi, Yami, Salma, Marlen

6 flags 09

The world's best wooden rollercoaster.

6 flags 07

Survivors of the wooden rollercoaster.

Happiness Repetition

Another 2-part entry. The former being prelude to the latter.

Awaken your emotional senses and allow your mind’s eye to envision the sheer happiness of coming home from a long day (either at work, school, a trip, etc…) and being greeted by someone absolutely thrilled to see you. If you have kids - Picture them stopping whatever it is they are doing, and while running up to you screaming your name, they attack you with hugs full of love. Read more

Change

This is it.

I read a post by some creative thinkers that gave me a boost of confidence.

Often times it appears that what gets us to make the biggest changes in life, is some major unexpected event that pushes us over the edge.  For example:

  • You decide to quit smoking, when you find out your uncle has just been diagnosed with cancer.
  • You finally start a business only after you’re layed off by your employer of 20 years.
  • You revamp your entire diet, immediately after your last physical reveals you’re dangerously close to a heart attack.

It seems it was the event that sparked the shift.  But that’s just not true.  These incidents didn’t cause you to change.  YOU caused you to change. 

The event was simply an excuse you used to make the change that you’ve been contemplating making for some time now.  It allowed you to finally give yourself the permission to make changing an urgent priority.

Now, it’s very possible that there’s a change you’ve been thinking about making.  And the problem with waiting for a major unexpected event to happen, is that it simply might NEVER happen. 

You don’t need an excuse to change.

But in case you do need some type of unexpected event…something to use as an excuse to change…this is it.

a home is a home is a home… (with poll)

frontIt is impossible to lick your elbow.

It’s true, I promise.

But actually, the real reason for this post is get your $0.02 (yeah there’s even a poll for you at the end of the post!)… For the past few weeks our hunt for another* place of our own has intensified somewhat. I would describe our current living condition as IDEAL but we believe that by the end of the year, our luck will run out and we’ll need a place of our own.

las brisasAn important piece of information to remember is: We plan on residing in our next home for 2 1/2 years while I attend an MBA Program. Upon graduating from business school, we think that we will probably move again – but this time into a home where we plan to lay roots.

With that said, we are considering a nice condominium (see images to the right) in Las Colinas. I like to weigh out the options and consider everything before I make a move. My rationalization says:

Pros:

  • Exterior maintenance covered
  • Large pool that is maintained
  • Gated community
  • 1,575 sq/ft is good sized for family of 2 (eventually 3 or 4)
  • 3 rooms and 3 baths leaves chance to grow
  • Great location: Las Colinas is central to entire metroplex (especially work/school)
  • Aesthetically pleasing
  • Priced VERY well
  • Can rent out as investment property instead of selling when we upgrade
  • Private fenced yard
  • Personal garage and covered carport

Cons:

  • $330/month HOA fees
  • Close proximity to neighbors
  • Possible foundation problems because of location in the hills
  • Has feel of apartment complex rather than our current established, quiet neighborhood

 So what say ye the masses? Is the condo a good option for us in this stage of the game? Rather should we be aiming for a home, or is renting what you recommend?

*Remember that we already own a condo in Portland, Oregon that is being rented out. It has been a lot of work to maintain and keep good renters in, but it also has been a nice tangible asset/investment.

VOTE AWAY!

PS… before finishing this post, 75% of you have tried to lick your elbow.

My Goose Lays Golden Eggs?

A wise man named Aesop used to share fables. They are wonderfully entertaining stories which always include a moral lesson. This past week while walking my dog, I couldn’t help but remember one about the “Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs”. The story is rather short and basically goes as told:

A man and his wife had the good fortune to possess a goose which laid a golden egg every day. Lucky though they were, they soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough, and, imagining the bird must be made of gold inside, they decided to kill it. Then, they thought, they could obtain the whole store of precious metal at once; however, upon cutting the goose open, they found its innards to be like that of any other goose.

The morals are obvious:

  • Greed destroys the source of good.
  • Think before you act.
  • Those who want too much lose everything.Dupree resting after burying treasure

I’m not sure how I can really tie this in (maybe you can help me in the “comments”) but I want to share why my dog made me think of this fable.

Let’s take a second and introduce my little creature Dupree.

He truly is an amazing dog. As calm as a python digesting a valium addict, he spends almost every day sleeping on our couch waiting for us to come home. He currently has been courting 2 lady friends (Honey and Kelly) who live across the street and he has survived being completely ran over by a car. Up until recently, I didn’t think that he could get any cooler, but then it happened…

Last week we were making our typical round through the neighborhood and everything seemed pretty normal. He ran ahead of me, did his usual puckered-up panic search, then clenched his paws and did his duty. If you have a dog, you probably can picture the exact situation. Anyway, being a responsible pet owner (and considerate neighbor) I went to scoop it up in a bag – but when I did, I could hardly believe what I saw. Dupree had laid a golden egg!

Absolutely astonishing.

Naturally, I had to pull out my blackberry and snap a quick picture for evidence. Otherwise, this story would hold no credibility. After further investigation, we determined that the “thing” is indeed a pearl. The thoughts have not stopped racing through my  mind: Pedigree dog chow + Dupie’s amazing enzymes = geological phenomenon!

Oh my lucky stars, we could be rich!

The closest thing to a golden egg!

On a complete side note, Yessi mentioned that she is missing a pearl necklace. If we accidently left it at any of your houses, will you please let us know? She’s been looking for it for about a week now. Thanks.

Wade Switches Converse Shoes for Jordans

I love shoes. I love basketball. I love business. Naturally, this story hit me on every possible tangent.

#3 Jumps from Converse to Jordan

Let’s make it simple: Nike is the head-honcho of the footwear world and they own a few other brands, two of which being: Converse and Jordan. In our mind’s eye we can easily dichotomize the two: Converse = casual classics like the canvas Chuck Taylors we have all owned at one period in our life. Jordan = athletic performance, mainly basketball.

Enter Dwyane Wade, basketball mega-star. He has been endorsed by Converse since 2003. Because of him, Converse has captured 1.5% of the basketball shoe market, while Jordan has commanded 76% of the same market. 

Yesterday, Nike announced its decision to shuffle Wade from Converse to Jordan in order to: “reduce redundancies among its different business units.”

Sounds a lot like Hedgehog Concept from Jim Collins book Good to Great.

The book defines the simple concept as a stem of three questions:

  1. What can we be the best at in the world?
  2. What drives our economic engine?
  3. Where is our passion?

All three point to Dwyane being Jordan’s next Jumpman. Looking ahead, the possibilities are endless for Wade and Jordan. They both have Chicago ties, the similarities that Wade has to MJ’s game and Wade’s marketability (T-Mobile and Gatorade) all add up to a bright future for the newly-formed duo.

First Annual Camp Stevens

1st Annual Camp Stevens

1st Annual Camp Stevens

Wow what a fun week! Props to Dad and Julie for the idea and for initiative to make this happen. During the week up on Stevens Hill we enjoyed:

Cook-outs, Bike Rides, Smores with REESES PEANUT BUTTER CUPS, Dirt-Biking, dog sitting, Floating the river, Aerobics (sort of… or was it supposed to be yoga?)TIE-DYE Adventures, SWIMMING, Almost Scary Stories, birthday party after birthday party after birthday party AND a wedding anniversary, a paintball war, FIREWORKS, Lounging, camp songs, EATING til’ we popped, movies, shopping sprees in the big city, a Mexican FIESTA, some really great chats, LOTS of LAUGHING, car shopping, a visit from Adam and his adorable family, NAPS, dad’s new gazebo and fire pit, Nicole and Joey’s wedding and even 1 scary roller-coaster ride (Yessi and Mom know what I’m talking about).

Thanks everyone for taking the time off and spending time with us. We are already prepping next year’s! Until then, enjoy some of the pics below:

Summer Cooking

summer bbq

My super-good carne asada!

My favorite part of summer is definitely the food! What’s not to love about barbecues and homemade icecream?!

Yessi has insisted that we buy a grill ever since we moved to Dallas. Buying some time, I tried amusing her with stories about how we used to do things “Hondo-Crondo style” in the mission (refer to image of chicken on the fan cover). To be candid, she wasn’t impressed.

A much more effective way of keeping her at bay was spending time with the Hibbards. They are among our most favorite people and before they took off to Charlotte, we’d always be at their place cooking off the patio of their second-floor apartment. In my books, Mitch will always be the original grill-master. But then they moved and we inherited their little charcoal burning grill. I won’t lie, it’s probably the best gift I’ve received in the past 3 years.

Hit me up and let’s get together to visit and grill!

Grillin' in Honduras

Grillin' in Honduras. Yes, there is an iguana on his lap.

House Hunting Gone Wild

standing deer

Standing deer

My most vivid memory hunting with my dad is from the 5th grade.  That year he decided to diversify his approach and become a bow-hunter. So we traded our orange construction jackets for new camouflage gear, learned how to make high-pitched squeals with a reed, and even had to bathe ourselves in pee-lotion to cover our “man” scent. Specifically my new responsibility was to walk around the hills  and through the tree groves and shew the herd into my dad’s direction as he lay hidden by a bush or something.

Boring.

So I walked. And I made up parodies to songs. And I walked. And I played imaginary basketball games as I walked. And I walked and looked for deer.

Boring.

As I was leaving a grove a trees, I decided to actually look up and see where I was going. Whoa – Holy HUGE.  There they were no more than 15 feet in front of me! A  whole herd.  And stretched tippy-toed on his hind two legs was this monster double my height eating the lower level leaves off of a branch that I couldn’t even reach with a running start. I immediately froze in my tracks. In awe and startled I said out loud to anyone within an earshot: “Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!” As they noticed me and looked in my direction, I grabbed a stick, threw it at them and took off running.

Fortunately, my antics worked and they herd took off in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, as I raced towards safety with my dad they headed away from where he lay waiting.

That blooper was my last experience bow-hunting. I felt embarrassed and worthless for the task that was required of  me. In retrospect, had I actually paid attention to what I was doing, I may have been able to sneak up on the herd, position myself with the proper angle and drive them to my dad who was waiting for the right shot. Hindsight is 20/20 and I since gave up hunting and have devoted my time to other hobbies and endeavors.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Recently, I have begun another kind of hunting; yes House Hunting… Yessi and I have begun searching for a house to make a home. It’s a lot bigger task than what I had anticipated. Aside from determining how much we can afford and if it has nice curb appeal, we find ourselves considering and debating a wide arrange of other topics: school districts, taxes, foundation conditions, cities, neighborhoods, traffic commute,  ward boundaries, and one of the biggest concerns: trying to agree with a woman on the interior features. It’s sorta a big deal and can become a complicated mess if you’re not careful.

A quote that helps me keep everything in perspective says:

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.” 

So true, so true… I hope this hunt ends better than my previous experience!

 

The next 30 years?

The next 30 years?

Indoor Soccer League Champs!

League Champs!
A quick shout-out to the Dallas 9th Ward for winning the Inwood Soccer League Championship.
 
 What an improvement from last season! All of the guys who played gave a lot of heart, sweat, and in Alvaro’s case: blood.
 
 Good season guys!
  

 

Saving vs. Spending

Somebody else is on my team!

Somebody else is on my team!

I am definitely a stickler when it comes to finances – I always have been a saver. It really embarrassed me one time when my parents told Yessi that I am so tight that I can hold change between my cheeks. While theoretically it may be true, I am confident saying that we will not be examining the literal possibilities of that experiment anytime soon.

It frustrates my poor wife that before I commit to any activity, I consult my friend, Mr. Budget, for his monetary opinion. We’ll look things over on his spreadsheet, crunch some numbers together and consider opportunity costs. He has been good to us, and his counseling has allowed us the financial power to buy anything that we really want and live free from stress of debt.

Today I read a good article that got me thinking about compound interest and it’s power. If you do not spend less than you earn, and if you do not save the difference, you cannot build the wealth you desire. The rich are not rich because they earn a lot of money; the rich are rich because they save a lot of money.

You may not believe that principle — I was once skeptical, too. I thought that I’d have to make $200,000 + for several years to support my family the way that I would like to. But during the past few years I’ve read a good amount of literature on the subject of wealth-building. Books like Stanley and Danko’s The Millionaire Next Door make it pretty clear that it’s not a high income that leads to wealth, but the ability to save. Those who become wealthy do so by spending less than they earn.

If saving is the key to wealth, then time is the hand that turns the key to unlock the door. There is no reliable method to quick riches. There are, however, proven methods to get rich slowly. If you are patient, and if you are disciplined, you can produce a golden nest egg that will hatch later in life.

Bite your tongue!

Bite your tongue and it will heal fast - Scout's honor!Here’s a good fact to know: Your tongue is the fastest healing part of the body.

The mouth and digestive tract are made up of tissues, which heal rapidly, and are described as “euplastic” which is one of the most obscure words I know.

 

How does this apply to me?

Last night Yessi and I got into an argument about me entering business school this fall. It’s been two years since I graduated from PSU and began working in the footwear industry. Yessi is adament that I get my MBA right now while I prefer to continue saving money and enjoy a great position with a promising company. My idea is to prepare this year and begin a program next fall in 2010. She had many good reasons, as well as did I – but we expressed them in a heated, angry and antagonistic way. Both of us ended discussion offended and hurt and I spent the evening on the couch.

There is a line from the Apocrypha which puts the seriousness of this issue better than I can. It reads, “The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh: but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones.” Having that image in mind, let’s consider the words of James in the New Testament:

“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

Well, that is pretty straightforward!  I take it as meaning that the voice that gives compliments, expresses love, encourages moral and motivates can be the same voice that berates and criticizes, embarrasses and demeans, inflicts pain and destroys the spirit of oneself and of others in the process. That should NOT happen!

So let today’s random fact be your motivator. Just bite your tongue. It will heal much more quickly than the damage it can cause to others.

Fading Fish and Light in our Lives

A goldfish will turn white if kept in a black room.

A goldfish will turn white if kept in a black room.

A common theory today is that a goldfish will turn white if kept in a black room. Indeed it is possible simply because goldfish produce a pigment called melanin which is activated by sunlight. Without direct light, the pigment can fade and in rare occasions, the fish will actually turn white.

 What a pity that when kept in the dark, its beauty and individuality can fade and disappear!

 Similarly, we each have special characteristics and individual qualities that will fade if we keep them hidden or stashed away in the dark. James E. Faust spoke about the importance of putting light in our lives when he said: “Many of you are struggling with your identity. Some of you may wonder what the future holds for you. The world presents alluring enticements. It is bewildering. Some of you may not only be unsure about where you are going; you may also be questioning your real worth. Let me assure you, I believe with all my heart that you are a chosen generation.”

 There are specific ways that we can receive light in our lives:

  • We receive light from the Lord. This can happen to us when we study the scriptures and “our eyes [are] opened and our understandings [are] enlightened” (D&C 76:12). Daily scripture study turns on the light of our spiritual perception and opens our understandings to further knowledge
  • We receive spiritual light when we attend sacrament meeting. Partaking of the sacrament and the inspiration of the worship service weekly charges our spiritual batteries.
  • We receive spiritual light when we respond to calls. Serving in a calling in the Church blesses us more than it blesses others.
  • We receive spiritual light when we pay our tithing, as the windows of heaven can then open up (see Malachi 3:10).
  • We receive spiritual light when we sing the hymns. Singing the hymns strengthens us and brings us together spiritually.
  • We receive spiritual light when we pray. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5). 

While it may be impossible for a domestic goldfish to avoid darkness to keep its color, we all have the agency to decide the amount of light which we absorb in our lives.

My promise to keep a promise

“It is the part of wisdom to keep your word and the part of folly to count on other people keeping theirs.”

-  Richard Needham

I hate to consider myself a hypocrite but two recent events have forced me to come to grasp with a simple conclusion: I aim to be a “pleaser” and a ”yes” man. It doesn’t matter what I am already doing, what has been planned or how extreme the favor is. If something is asked of me, I will try to fit it in and ”gitter dun” (like we say in my hometown Roseburg). The upside is that I truly like to help and my heart really is set on completing what I say I’ll do. However, at times it compromises previous activities or leaves me strung out to where I can’t fully give the time and attention to either commitment.

Event 1: A few weeks back, some friends asked us to help MC a wedding. Since they were going to be busy performing as the DJ, we would help them run the show more smoothly. Yessi and I were intimidated since we had never done anything like that before, but because our good friends asked, we accepted… Fast-forward to the day before the wedding – We  couldn’t do it. Well I guess that we could have, but we chickened out and forced our friends to DJ and MC the wedding alone.

Event 2: Yessi’s brother, Geovanni has been visiting from Mexico for a few months. He rotates between staying at our house and the homes of his cousins in Euless. Almost every week Yessi makes plans to either take Geovanni out to eat, or to have him accompany us to some event. And almost every week we get caught up with other plans or obligations. Not that we try to blow her brother off, but it seems like he has gotten the short end of the stick a few times. I doubt if he even believes us now when we make plans.

Aside from me feeling awful, the downsides are obvious:

  • #1: It annoys my wife and wears her out.
  • #2: It’s impossible to be everything to everyone.
  • #3: Others lose trust in my ability to keep my word.
  • #4: People can be offended.

My resolution today is to analyze priorities and only commit to those which I know I can keep. Along with that, I will not try to pack more into my schedule than what I can fully attend to. Being candid and saying “no” is way less likely to disappoint someone than agreeing and not fulfilling.

Neither bunnies nor colored eggs

Erica and Zach

Erica and Zach

Forget coloring eggs and eating Cadbury chocolates. I am thankful that this Easter was different.

Erica Rojas is an adorable little girl in my ward who just recently turned 8 years old. (A neat side-note is that her mom is from Tegucigalpa, Honduras – Where I served my mission.) A few weeks ago she and her mother asked me to perform her baptism and confirmation into the church. Probably because they asked me on a Friday afternoon, I failed to recognize that April 12 also happened to be Easter Sunday. 

However, all day during church, I contemplated the significance of entering the waters of baptism on Easter. I feel that it merits a write-up:

  • Baptism allows us to enter the path which will reunite us with our Father. Similarly, Easter marks the resurrection and reunion of our Savior Jesus Christ with the Father. Can you imagine what their reunion must have been like? What that embrace must have been like? We can only wonder and admire. And we can, on an Easter weekend, yearn to live worthily of some portion of that relationship ourselves. Baptism places us in that path to return home.
  • On Easter Sunday, 3 April 1836, the Savior, Moses, Elias, and Elijah appeared in succession in the Kirtland Temple and restored priesthood keys required for the dispensation of the fulness of times. (See D&C 110.) This Easter Sunday marked the 173rd anniversary of that imperative event. Because of that Easter and that restoration so many years ago, we have been able to continue our spiritual progression. The baptismal ordinance and confirmation of the Holy Ghost to Erica have been done through proper priesthood authority that was restored to Earth.    

The morning of the Savior’s resurrection could be considered the most important moment in earthly history. The announcement “He is risen” signaled that death had been conquered and the Atonement accomplished. Up until now, I am certain that Erica’s baptism is the most important moment in her life as she has become a member of the Lord’s Church and able to call apon the At-one-ment to draw closer to her Eternal Father.

Certainly it is an event worthy of the celebration and great rejoicing which we accord it each year at Easter.

Extranar

 toque

 

Yessidey – I miss you so much, I want to just rip you out of my dreams and hug you!

Te mando unos besos de concuspicencia!!!

Losing a wife, but gaining an attorney

It’s official – Yessi has left me to go to Mexico. Yes I am sad. Yes I am lonely. Our dog Dupree tries to cheer me up by licking my toes, but that just tickles too much and is sort of gross.Now before you jump to conclusions and assume the worse, it’s important for me to mention that she has left to take a study course, and then eventually the BAR exam to become an attorney. As far as I know she will be back.

Before we were married, she graduated from law school in her home state of Nayarit, Mexico. Obviously anxious to be with me forever (can you blame her?) she concluded that since she wouldn’t be living in Mexico, it wasn’t completely necessary for her to take the exam and become a licensed attorney.

Hindsight is always 20/20. We since have learned that she can transfer her studies here and receive a bachelors degree in pre-law, with only one reservation: that she present her “titulo” or proof of not only finishing school, but being a full-fledged attorney. HMMMPHH… So back to Mexico two years later to take the prep-course and exam.

We have been talking daily, and she seems to be doing well. Mexico is not at all how she “remembered it”, but she loves spending time with the fam and catching up with friends. Her course is pretty challenging, but she’s never failed at anything. (I know how to pick a winner!) ;)