Loopin' Louie

This post is about a magical game.  The driver of the plane flies through the air never expecting a thing, just his usual circle around the barn, but then there’s a thwack on the bottom of his biplane and he’s flying higher than ever imagined.  From up above, he can see the smaller barns down below. What’s this? There’s a chicken on the roof of each barn? Louie can’t help himself; the plane isn’t in his control anymore.  The poor fowl ends up knocked silly off the barn and into a rut nearby as Louie continues flying, dive-bombing barn after barn.  The HORROR!!!
Really though…the age range listed for this game is something like 5 and older…and I fit a little bit into the older category.  A couple of friends of mine asked Dallin and I on a date to play some games. We saw the regular few and ended up showing Carrie how to play Pit.  Enjoyable, but not quite the sugar rush of fun that Louie brought into our lives. We played it for the rest of the evening except for the campfire afterwards. We all left the night craving another round of the game.

It was only later that we learned independently that this new fix would cost $80 or so for a single set due to its being a collector’s item of a game.  I totally understood why!  So began a quest to find this game for $30 or less. I scoured the internet at work, getting stopped often by those pesky firewalls. In a stroke of genius I checked Craigslist.  Lo and behold, there was a copy on Craigslist Pittsburgh (across the country) for only $25. Negotiations over price and how to get it here have started, but I hope we can get together to play soon, I’ve been having this strange craving ever since I found that miraculous set.
When/If it comes…there shall be tournaments on BYU campus to see who can manipulate poor Louie with the greatest skill.  This is going to be WICKED!!!

Mother's Day...in July

Take a moment to consider the influence a mother can have.  Who would you be as an individual without your mother to ground and protect you?  She is an anchor, a nurturer.  My mom read to me, the same book, probably every night for over a year.  It’s short so I’ll include the text and you can imagine the movements that went along with it: 
GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU
by Sam McBratney

Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening.
"Guess how much I love you," he said.
"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," said Big Nutbrown Hare.
"This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.
Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. "But I love YOU this much," he said.
Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.
"I love you as high as I can reach." said Little Nutbrown Hare.
"I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare.
That is quite high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that.
Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet.
"I love you all the way up to my toes!" he said.
"And I love you all the way up to your toes," said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head.
"I love you as high as I can HOP!" laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.
"But I love you as high as I can hop," smiled Big Nutbrown Hare - and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above.
That's good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that.
"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river," cried Little Nutbrown Hare.
"I love you across the river and over the hills," said Big Nutbrown Hare.
That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think any more. Then he looked beyond the thorn bushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be further than the sky.
"I love you right up to the MOON," he said, and closed his eyes.
"Oh, that's far," said Big Nutbrown Hare. "That is very, very far."
Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him good night.
Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, "I love you right up to the moon - AND BACK."

I knew my mom loved me since I was little, and there’s nothing quite hanging out with your mom, knowing she loves you unconditionally.  You laugh about the crazy things each of you has done and shudder at where you would be without her.  My mom is Diet Coke and dark chocolate covered raisins.  She’s an inventor of Scrabble words, a late night conversation.  She’s a weekly letter and an inspiration.  The world’s greatest cook in denial and a home decorator.  A political buff and sad movie avoider.  She’s everything to me and I don’t know how I could be without her.

Bloggin at Work

Sometimes I sit and think about
what would happen if I just dropped out
if a hopped on a train
and rode far away
or if I simply walked far
much farther than train or plane or car
would I end up in a place
where everyone wore capes
or get caught by the edge of my coat
on the mountainside where I loped
could I travel away to someplace new
where the skies and flowers are contrasting too
I wonder how far I might go
If my imagination took my spirit
out for a row...

Paradoxes

Or is that paradoxi? Who knows. What I do know is I make or made quite a few promises on this blog and approximately none of them have been fulfilled. This here post is in essence just to tell you that I doubt they will ever be fulfilled in the usual way.
Prime example number 1:
The lovely Ms. Rachael is someone who will likely be mentioned several hundred times in this blog, but there won't be a post to explain who she is, at least not in the near future. You will get to know her the same way anyone would at first in this crazy world we live in, and I don't mean relentless Facebook stalking. You'll hear bits and pieces about her, and eventually I may or may not post a link to her blog, where you will learn more than you ever wanted to know about a stellar friend o' mine
Prime example number 2:
I don't even post pictures on Facebook in a timely manner, so don't expect any on this here blog. I received a camera for Christmas...yep didn't blog about that either, oh well. Anyway, I'm learning to be more of a photobug, or at least trying, but it's terribly difficult.
Lastly, just letting y'all know that I don't want you to trust promises made about the blog, other promises I can be golden on, like a sunrise date and a paint jeans date this summer-those are for sure happening-but blog posts that say things like "pictures to follow" yeah don't count on them. And if that promise doesn't clue you in to the title again, then I don't know what to tell you. Have a great one!

You Didn’t Even Know

Okay, so I realize that this is a little bit like cheating on my own self imposed self-restraint test, but I had to blog about it. I call this a letter to the girl that made my day when everything seemed to be going wrong.

I pulled into the parking lot knowing you were inside, but also about to rip the head off the next person to require my participation. You didn't know it but I had lost my hearing and couldn't hardly perceive the music you made when I walked in the door. I told my buddy how frustrated I was and the end of the rope drew closer, but there you were with a grin and a hug. You didn't know how you made my day, when you took my paper and started writing. How I took the break feeling like I needed to just let out a scream, then I walked back in and you were waiting. You gave me a note that absolutely made my day and you didn't even know. You didn't even know how far gone I was but now I'm writing this down so someone will. You didn't even know when you walked with me to my car how pent up inside my anger had melted. When I looked into your face you didn't even know the change that came over me, or how everything else seemed to disappear from my mind. You may never know what a difference you made, but thank you.

I Work at the Cloud Factory

So basically I work at a cloud factory, a huge building that let's out huge wafting clouds a thousand particulates at a time. The billowing white mass surges skyward on a hot updraft of air. But really, this process actually happens where I work. Sometimes I wish the engineers could press a button and make thunderclouds or turn a crank to make wispy cirrus clouds, but all they make is the same billowy cumulus clouds. Not even that technically, it's steam put off by the giant condenser buildings, but I prefer to call them the cloud generators. Come winter, they'll shower mine and Rachael's cars with nuclear snow.

Yep, I work at a nuclear power plant. It puts off exactly zero radiation into the atmosphere, just lots and lots of steam. When I think about the lyrical possibilities of my workplace I can't help but think that it could inspire the next Owl City song or at least give way to a line or two.

I'm feeling just a touch random, but I'll transition here with the fact that the clouds and the stars are both atmospheric beings relatively speaking. I asked Rachael to homecoming last night. Basically it was one of the coolest ways that I've ever asked someone to a dance, right up there alongside covering Megs'room in stickynotes. I love leaving people surprises. It's seriously got to be one of my favorite things in the whole wide world, and when I get married (I know slow down Cameron, you've still got a mission to serve and a girl woman to meet) but when I do really I'm going to leave her fun little surprises on a regular basis...but not so regularly that she starts to expect them :D Anyhow with that said just know that I will likely edit this post to add in the pictures of me asking Rachael soon, because I've got to catch some shuteye before I drop dead! Also forthcoming is a post explaining the wonderful Ms. Rachael hahaha.

My Love Obsession with Books

So basically it all started when I was in the womb.  Well okay maybe not but I've basically loved books all my life, and when i find an especially delicious read, I can sit motionless in my room for hours just perusing pages.  Other times I feel like I can't even get through a couple of pages without an interruption of some sort.  Then I start to act not a little like this...


  But now I get to the point of this post:  I've sworn off reading recreationally until i finish my online history course from BYU.  UGH!!! It drives me insane, especially since I just found an author that has quite a few great books out and just waiting for me to read.  Basically, I'm venting to my blog because I can't stand how dry the history textbook is.  For example, it's so dry that I can't stand to even sit down and read it, even when I know there's a reward on the other side:  free reading privileges!!

Well that's basically it for now, just thought I'd let you know.

Cameron