I just got back from the annual Beckstead Family Christmas Party. To be honest, it's close to a miracle that the family and I got back in one piece at all. About half of the roads were nearly completely covered by snow and, more often, ice. Every once in a while, you'd see a car that had spun out and was now stuck in a snowbank. I fell asleep on the way back, but my dad tallied it at six cars.
Isn't a known law of the Universe that, if there's ice on the road, you slow down? I guess some people had missed the memo. Drive slow and safe, peeps. Your car and your insurance premium will thank you.
On a happier note, I'm going back up to Utah State on the 5th. I love it up in Logan, so I'm looking forward to getting another semester in. This should be a good one.
Christmas Party in Preston
I Love History Class.
My favorite school subject is easily History, and it has been for a long time. That explains why I enjoy my American History class so much. It was about two weeks ago when we were covering the Civil War (the class only covers the first half of the Nation's history), and Prof. Kimball played a song for us. It's a tune sometimes sung by the Irish volunteers in the Union Army.
See, back when the war first started, there was speculation that Britain would favor, or even send troops to help, the Confederate States of America (South). Because of the famines in Ireland years before, many Irishmen left the isle and went to America, and often saw it as a saving grace, as there was work and food here.
So when Britain, whom the Irish had never really been big fans of, threatened to interfere with the war, the immigrants were... unhappy. I've posted a link of the song that I mentioned earlier, "Opinions of Paddy Magee." It's the Irish soldiers in the Union army singing a warning of sorts to England to leave "Columbia" (USA) alone, or they'll get what's coming to them (which is interesting, considering that England had whipped America's trash in the War of 1812).
I like the song because it shows how much the Irish immigrants loved their new home. Listen to the words, and you'll get a kick out of it; if you can understand it, anyway.
And remember, "The American Nation can wail all creation."
(Copy and paste the link into your browser)
http://www.imeem.com/trump1tx/music/G4YPEAca/david_kincaid_opinions_of_paddy_magee/
Lists... Everybody loves lists...
Hey, I've been mooching off lists, so here's one that you guys can all steal from me. Edit it for yourself and slap it on your blog. You'll actually find out a few things when you do...
10 things you wish you could say to ten different people right now:
1. Dude, calm down.
2. I've had a crush on you for a while...
3. How can you still stand to talk to me? Thanks.
4. You're always there. [high five]
5. Get your priorities straight, now.
6. I lied...
7. Please just leave me alone...
8. You're the reason I'm here. Thanks, guys.
9. Prozac can do wonders.
10. Hygiene. Heard of it much?
9 Things people might not know about you:
1. I'm a business major.
2. I'm 100%, completely addicted to Chocolate Oranges (Terry's only. Florida Tropic brand=narsty.)
3. History is my favorite school subject.
4. I have mild Arnold-Chiari Brain Malformation (I'll live)
5. I worked at the Centerville Deseret Industries last summer.
6. I've gotten mono twice (you usually get it once, like chicken pox), and I didn't kiss anyone to get it either times.
7. I'm a True Dart, and Morgan's not! HAH!
8. My business/trench coat is my favorite piece of clothing ever.
9. Alfredo Sauce is like Crack to me.
8 ways to win your heart:
1. Have a good sense of humor.
2. Have a mature outlook on life.
3. Be able to have an intelligent conversation.
4. Despise Edward Cullen (major points there, ladies).
5. Be kind
6. Let me be a gentleman.
7. Be okay with my weirdness.
8. Love yourself.
7 awesome movies:
1. Lord of the Rings
2. Dark Knight
3. Court Jester.
4. Support Your Local Sheriff.
5. Titan A.E.
6. Star Wars.
7. A Christmas Story
6 things you do before you fall asleep:
1. Check Facebook
2. Probably eat something I shouldn't...
3. Brush Teeth.
4. Scriptures
5. Pray
6. Read a little something else if I want to.
5 people who mean a lot, no order:
1. Mom and Dad.
2. Grandma and Grandpa.
3. Derek.
4. Friends (won't fit on list.)
5. The wonderful women in my life.
4 things you don't like:
1. Seafood.
2. When technology doesn't work.
3. When guys disrespect women.
4. Snobby people.
3 things you like:
1. Rain. Lots of rain.
2. Kind words.
3. Music.
2 things you want to do before you die:
1. Teach (church, professor, whatever).
2. Find her.
1 confession:
1. I've lived my whole life in Utah, and I've never been skiing or snowboarding. Not once.
My (not Christmas) List
I visited Dave and Dawn's blog, and they have this list of things, and if you've done them, you bold 'em. "That looks might interesting," says I, and so I reverted to my pirate-y ways and stole it (well, they said to try it, so I guess it's not technically stealing... but a pirate won't tell ye that).
So here's my list. Yes, I'm being honest here, so don't start calling me out.
Unless you're looking for a fight, matey.
Argh...
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (freaked me out. Me no likey bugs-folk)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (cartoons)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (4th grade on Lagoon Day...)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (McDonald's is a restaurant, right?)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (knock on wood)
47. Had your portrait painted (drawn, actually)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (kinda…)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold (eating counts for guys)Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (uh… I think this a permanent failure for me)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
'Tis the Time for Christmas
It's finally here! Man, I love it. I've been waiting all year for December to come rolling around. Like I said before, Christmas before Thanksgiving was a no-no, but now... you'll get to know just how Yule-crazy I really am. Make sure to wear a nog-resistant shirt.
First, horror story. On Black Friday, my family went to the mall sometime close to noon, as we didn't care for the insane rush of sale-mad people. But just because it was past 9 in the morning doesn't mean that all the crazies had left yet. It was like watching a barn full of cow catch fire: people scattering in all directions, looking to buy stuff they don't need with money they probably didn't have.
Anywho, sounds crowded, right? That's nothin'. You have to remember that I'm about 6'6" and not lacking in "broadness." Add size 15 feet to that, and you've got yourself a recipe for disaster. I can handle it when people step on my toes (their sheer size distributes the pressure, I guess), but I must have stepped on about two-dozen people's feet. I haven't said "excuse me" so often since either back in crowded London or the Great Allergen Summer of '05.
Apparently, I'm Mark the Foot Smasher.
Fear my iron feet.
