Trucks gone mad!

Ram truck challenge
I would totally win this!

What is in a name?

So my vehicles (there are four of them) are all precious to me. so precious that they are Baptized (given a proper name).

Actually in Chile when you get a new car (or new pair of shoes) its traditional to "baptize" the new item by scuffing the tire or shoe. You are always worried about getting that first scuff so they do that to get it over with!


1st there is Sunny the '73 Cj-5 Super Jeep, My first love and most cherished...she was named by my brother, he did a good job! Sunny is yellow with orange and white stripes... so Sunny was a fitting name...




I recently acquired two new additions, Sasha and Shadow... Sasha is a '92 Toyota Celica, (Picture to be inserted later) she is my POJ, teal green, no power anything, trunk no worky, missing one hubcap, no AC, missing 3rd gear, hunk of junk, beater car, drive 80 miles to work and back baby. I call her Sasha as it is a combination of two words, SA-ckcloth and ASH-es, put them together and you get SASHA! because that is what she is, my sackcloth and ashes.

Shadow was pretty much named from the factory, its a black '84 Honda motorcycle with "custom", "designer", "patriotic" decals. Its great, its name is Shadow.

Then there is the trusty pick-up truck, the '97 GMC, she has been my trusty sidekick through so much, moving probably at least 1000 girls in and out of the branch, driven to Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and Missouri, not to mention the road trip to Iowa and Tennessee. There is also the countless times towing Sunny to jeeping trails and back again!

She is a stout little tug and gets looks and comments wherever she goes. She reads 221,000 miles on the odometer, so she has come a long way through this life...

My problem is this, what do I call her? I need to keep the "s" name thing going on, and it has to fit the persona of the vehicle...

One day I was in the Shower thinking about "s" names...
Samantha, or Sam, Syndi, Sara, scheumauker, shamu, Shelly, Sacajawea, etc... scrunchii, spaghetti, salami... When i started getting to things I knew it was time to stop... so I send this note to all of you pleading for relief, help me name my #2 love ___________. If your suggestion is chosen you will receive the grand prize!

Hints: 1- The "s" names are in.
2- I espeaka espanish.
3- If it plays to the darker side, and the not too girly side it will be a plus.
look at the picture for help.
4- Silvia or the like is NOT a good suggestion

Please submit all entries by mail (or however you want) at the following address no later than March 8, 2009 12:00 pm CST. One entry per household per year. Family members are not discouraged to participate as their input will not be discarded immediately.

The greatest advertising ploys in the world

In the wake of this Christmas season and a record low retail Holiday spending I though that I would share some examples of advertising that I have enjoyed...I am sure there are real names for all these...but I don't know them so i will make them up. Also some of the definitions are interchangeable and intermixed...

#1- Peer pressure-i.e. Keeping up with the Jones'
I have had a love affair with Nike since my best friend Luke Jenkins showed up wearing these awesome Nike Basketball shoes when I was only in 5th grade (before that I didn't see brands, we could never afford it anyway), I figured that was the missing link to my game. I dreamed that if I had Nikes I would have some serious skills. Instead I play like this...

#2-Euphoria- you will be happy IF you have this...
One blessed day I received my first pair of new, bonified Nike Air Jordan Sneakers! I loved these shoes... I wore them until they stopped fitting and way after...I was so excited! My day had finally come! I would be "The Man" on the court, the only one around with skills the coach would rejoice, My teammates would bow and the girls would swoon! ( We all know which of those reactions was the most important).
But unfortunately my skills hadn't improved any from the time spent lacing up those shoes, and I was still a mediocre baller in a world seeking and adoring extraordinary ball skills.
It was all a clever little ploy, an advertising masterpiece if you will. I was caught up in keeping up with the Jones' well the Jenkins was their name, while what really matters is heart and effort, not branding or color scheme! (this last line was unintentionally poetic...hmmm!)

#3- Performance Enhancing properties- that you inherently receive by buying something, it doesn't make sense but we all fall for it...
Soccer sometimes get a bad wrap...in-fact my hometown stake president who is quite tall and talented at basketball teases his 5'-8" son about the height requirements to play soccer...loosely it is that "you just have to be tall enough to touch the ground!" I guess you had to be there. Regardless of your personal feelings for soccer, there is just something about watching the worlds greatest athletes doing some amazing things. Although I am not a great soccer player either...I do remember the coolest FHE activity human foosball! what do you think about this one? oh heck yeah foosball...

#4- Elitism
Here is another example of some sweet advertising...Diet pepsi truck...don't be ashamed if you went out and got one after hearing that P-Diddy had one.

#5- Red herring
Here is another one, its a classic advertisement, Jordan, His shoes, running, Gatorade; all shameless plugs, "Life is a sport, Drink it up!" All in the name of increasing the exposure of a product type and exploiting a niche in the market. Surprisingly this comes from a supposed holy, wise monk in the middle of no where.
Question #1 is this really in an Indian mountain village?
Q#2 Is Jordan really sweating?
Q#3 Is that Gatorade located in a remote area past the expiration date?
Q#4 Do monks speak English?
Q#5 How does this all correlate? how does gatorade fulfill the ever burning questions that only a monk who has dedicated himself to years of meditation?
Or was this all blue screened witty advertising? I will let you make that call!

#6- Fulfill a need
This one is an advertisement you probably saw either flipping the channels at 3 am, Saturday @ 11 am after the good cartoons were over or on everyone's favorite; the Cooking channel... We can all relate to the never ending problems presented by leftovers, tupperware is unorganized, ziplocks get messy in the fridge, foil isn't airtight, and who can really use plastic wrap anyways? The answer? No you don't just throw it out... It's Chef Tony's SMARTLIDZ! Don't knock it till you try it...is that even the saying?
Anyway products like these sell themselves because they actually solve a common problem.

#7- Paradigm Shift
The superbowl commercials have always been historic...take this Apple Commercial...
Here is one too... Mac has always has been interesting..."On January 24^th, Apple Computer will introduce the Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like "1984."
My question is why did they air this commercial for the superbowl? besides the obviously attractive (big question there) woman, do you think that most of those watching the commercial even understood what the commercial was about? not to mention that the punchline was very vague. Maybe the US open would have been a better choice to spend millions on a witty commercial...but what do I know...

#8-Scare tactics
Mostly used by pesticides/security salesmen one of the lowest forms of advertising...
And how about Terry Tate Office Linebacker! This doesn't even have to advertise anything worthwhile, because it is just a cool commercial! It just makes me laugh!

#9- Funny
I think one of the greatest commercials I have ever seen was this one featured in the 2000 SuperBowl ads.. Herding Cats... no one even knows who or what this is advertising for...again it almost doesn't even matter...

#10-
Well i don't have a tenth example...i am open for suggestions...

Christmas Letter entry

My mom asked us to write our own paragraph for the family Christmas letter...Here is mine-


I am still living in St. Louis, MO, and as you can tell by the pictures, am enjoying life! I am dating a wonderful girl, Elizabeth Erekson who is from St Louis, we have been "officially together" for a few months and enjoy our time together. This is us at the Balloon Glow, it was absolutely splendid! We actually helped a couple take their balloon down when they were ready to pack it up, it was so much fun! The other picture is us at the Branch Halloween Party, I am a Rodeo Clown and she is a Red Hat Lady, (the other red hatters, mad hatters, if you ask me) were not there yet. As a side note I was nominated one of the costumes most likely to scare small children.

This year has been a busy one, I has been able to attend multiple weddings, none of them mine, almost every single month this year! Its been a great opportunity to see all you family and friends! This picture shows me busting a groove with my cousin Ellie at Willie Harnish's Wedding. I seriously have had a wedding every month...
January- Okay no wedding, but I was home for Lethe's return from Spain.
February- Crissy Palmer- I didn't get to go...
March- Tim & Alisa (Harnish) Cook 8th, Dustin & Elizabeth Dews 15th
April- Derek and Alyx Cleaver
May- Willie and Liz Harnish
June- Tim and Crystal
July- Spencer & Kaylee Straub, Bryan and Laura
August- Robert and Jaime Marshall
September- Kelli
October- Cory & Jessica Gumm (cousin)
November- Lethe and Tristan 28th (Bart's birthday)
December-Jessi and Cody


I participates in many activities that keep me super busy, as expected! I am active in Church services as Branch Clerk, as a Temple worker, and Institute President just to name a few. There is a Spanish branch that I also regularly attend to keep the Espanol up to par.

I like to work on the jeep, who has been affectionately named Sunny, I have a motorcycle and a truck that I tinker on and play with a lot. I also have two bicycles and used to commute on one almost everyday.

I love to serve wherever I can, I have a friend named Heather who was paralyzed in an accident, a few years ago, that I see frequently. I love spending time with her and her family; playing games, eating and just having fun. I also am able to help with "manly" chores around their home.

There are plenty of outdoorsy activities to participate in, biking, hiking, jeepin' and plenty of parks, museums and venues to see in the area.

I am currently looking for a new job and hoping to stay in St Louis but I know that only time and the Lord can tell what will happen.

Snowy days are coming!

I just want to go play in the snow somewhere! just watching this makes me laugh like crazy...I think that high-5 is my favorite.
I am so glad that there are creative people in the world who come up with this good stuff! thanks Laura for forwarding this to me!

I got the tagged fever

So Bart my loving brother lovingly tagged me, all that means I think, (please correct me, because Google didn't help) I pick the 4th photo in the 4th folder? whatever that means, I will try it and if I don't like it, I will just pick one that I like and write about it...ha I will rebel against this system, just like I refuse to forward ANY email, unless I make it my own first.

This is probably the worst picture in the album, I should delete and recount...
1) This was a little over a year ago... Raymond, Eric, Ben, David Guptle and I gathered as many Osage oranges we could find and played Home Run derby with them! it was awesome!
2) Ben's bat got all sticky from all the hedge apples (I just learned this from the web page) we smashed!
3) We honestly didn't get quite enough because we ran out in a few minutes. But it was a hoot! it was the classic boys being boys ploy.
4) Another tale that should be told...We also got golf clubs out and smashed the smaller pieces. It was awesome until I swung soo hard that the club left my hands and flew a good 30 feet into a bush. We couldn't even find it and to this day it remains unclaimed. I think that it was just the 3 iron anyway...who uses that?

I tag Chantal, Kristen (my cuz), Karen, and Emily(EJE's sister)

Steel kisses

I love singing too...
This is a video of a guy playing two instruments simultaneously, the flute, not sure what metal they make them out of, but they are metal, and it looks like he is kissing it...and the other instrument is the most versatile of all, his vocal chords, I was impressed...



So at the tender young age of 12 or 13 I decided to subject myself to the rigors of Junior high choir. I felt it was a noble cause, a talent that should not remain hidden or undiscovered. I felt it my civic duty to express myself in this new musical medium.

Honestly though, at first I think it was because I thought "all the cute girls are in choir, if you want to get one of them, you gots to sing too!" SO I joined in the singing frenzy. Believe you me, some of those kids in the Junior High Choir were, how shall I say it, well I can't think of anyway to say it mildly, they stunk! Although I didn't have a lot of experience I knew it! So I stayed with it and lasted longer than my other hard rockin' amigos, but I never did land me a cute singing babe...

Let me tell you the sad tale of one of those cute singing babes, Jessica Spears. She was definately my closest catch, I almost completed this conquest. She has since been very aloof for many many moons in Idaho. I was always totally lost in her voice, and her curly blond hair, she had a great smile too...ah err ah... (sorry EJE) her voice, yeah her singing... she sang like an angel, and I could never do enough to convince her that I was cool... or maybe there were other reasons... Nope I am pretty sure that was it, I just wasn't cool like that. well life goes on...

Anyway I have included a few samplings of songs I love, they have all the right ingredients, good vocals, nice harmonies, vocal percussion, high energy, its an award winning combination! There is some Ben Harper the guy that taught me that vocal percussion was cool, M-Pact the awe inspiring harmonies, and some Rockapella the standard of Excellence if you will in the A capella scene, I once drove all the way to Idaho from Cheyenne just to see these guys in concert! That my friends is some real love...you can't tell me that you don't know who these guys are...

Here is one song I am sure you'll recognize, Folger's theme song.
The following song brings back some "good ol' days" I sure have fond memories of that show. The theme song for that show has got to be their most famous... Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.

My buddy Brandon and I would watch it, as they were rich ranchers and had a satellite dish, and we would play the game on their Mac PC for hours, I really liked it and have known what Speulunking was since the 3rd grade, even though I can't spell it...It was a great resource for when I went spelunking er a caving in the ice cave, I could impress the ladies with my advance vocabulary...okay maybe not, but the ride there in my truck was a plus, unless it died on the way home...hmmm.

I have also included Shambala, its a personal favorite...I can't say that I love the video per se, I don't understand the profile dancing but its still a great song.

I was once in a group, PopRox, we sang this song and had a great time with it.

I absolutely love M-Pact, Willie may jab and tease but I have always been a fan. They were responsible for inspiring me to continue pursuing singing and to make it a goal to be in an a capella group. This is another lives song from m-pact, not bad for a live outdoor venue, eh?

Okay so that is it, I am a fanatic, I'll admit it... its okay, to each their own...right?