TexanInIdaho

New Blog Site

2009-03-14T23:38:00.002-07:00

For those who follow my blog. I am moving it over to my domain at steveratliff.com. I'm using the wordpress engine. Any new posts I make will be to that site, so if you follow this one, switch over to the other. Some of y'all use google's follow widget, which won't be available on this one. You will still be able to use an RSS reader and pull the RSS feed for it. Thanks for keeping up with my random thoughts.

The New Location

Controversies and the LDS Church

2009-03-10T13:41:00.004-07:00

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I perk up to stories in the media about the church. It upsets me that others may think that we are intolerant.
I have strong beliefs and strive to live by those beliefs. However, I believe we are all brothers and sisters and have a right to pursue happiness in the way we see fit, without infringing on the rights of others.
I appreciated the press release by the church today.

Be wary of killer chairs

2009-02-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

I doubt this is true. I don't think its possible, but it was funny.

Killer chair?

Farewell President Bush

2009-01-24T12:50:00.002-07:00

I've included a link that I think emphasizes the good things that President Bush has done. I don't buy into the media's perception that he was a terrible president. I believe he did an excellent job with the issues he faced. I do believe he could have managed his cabinet members and other decision makers much better than he did. But overall, he was not a bad President.

While the media makes it seem that the majority of Americans are anti-Bush and pro-Obama, from talking to the many people I know, it seems more of a 50/50 split. It worries me that we may be giving the new administration free reign. This is against founding fathers' ideas when they formed this nation. I hope the media will give us a more unbiased view of what is happening and help the American people to keep our government in check.

I pray President Obama will lead our country well and make the right decisions. His message of unity is a good one, I hope he holds true to it. As far as I can see, we are still all very much divided.

Farewell President Bush

An article on Bush hatred

2008-12-30T16:44:00.003-07:00

Thought this was an interesting article:
The Psychopathology of Bush Hatred at americanthinker.com

More Star Wars Humor

2008-11-07T09:42:00.002-07:00

I discovered this song by moosebutter about a year ago and laughed for about 2 hours. I saw this video featured today on YouTube and thought I would share the tribute :D

Visit the moosebutter website!

Speak like a Texan

2008-11-06T23:18:00.002-07:00

And stop makin' fun'a me

If a word has -ing tacked onto the end of it, that last 'g' is always silent. "Fixin' to", "Doin' that", "Goin' there" and similar phrases are not only acceptable, but correct.

Even if you make a conscious effort to avoid this (why?) never say "fixing to". We say "fixin' to". That's just the way it is.
"Fixin' to" is used instead of the phrase "about to". It rolls off the tongue much easier. Here rule 1a becomes very important. It is imperative that "fixin' to" be pronounced correctly (no 'g'), because it is to be be used with great frequency.

"Y'all" is a must. Phrases such as "you guys" or "you all" only increase the amount of syllables in the sentence.

If you are going to write or type "y'all" either put the apostrophe in the correct place (after the y) or just leave it out. If you put the apostrophe in the wrong place, it doesn't make any sense, and you have done an injustice to a great word.
"Y'all" can be used to speak of one person as well as many, making the word alone both singular and plural. If the fact that it can be singular bothers you, you may want to skip ahead a little and read rule 15. "All y'all" is another plural form and it is made possessive, of course, by adding the "'s" to "y'all".

"Ain't" is a word, and a perfectly usable word at that. It should, however, be used in moderation. "Isn't" is an entirely acceptable word, and can be shortened with pronunciations similar to "i'n".
If a sentence can be shortened by dropping a few letters or syllables along the way, by all means do it. As long as fellow Texan speakers are able to understand what you meant, your omission was acceptable.

A sentence can also be shortened by eliminating spaces and other various pauses. Run all the words together, it's faster, and if you're good at it then anyone can understand what you're saying.

"A while ago" = "awollago"
"Used to be able to..." = "Usta could..."
"Have to" = "hafta"
"some of that" = "sum'at"
"alright" = "a'right" or "aight"
"I was" = "I's"
"Who would have thought?" = "Who'da thought?" or (by choice) "Whodathunkit?"
"Probably" = "Prolly"
"Don't know" = "Dunno"
There is no need to rush. What you have to say is important and it is best when those around you understand you without question.
Use as many contractions as humanly possible, even if you have to make some of them up.

This includes adding contractions onto existing contractions. Example: Y'all will = Y'all'll

In Texan speak, "of" is not said as its own word, but instead as an 'a' sound tacked onto the end of the previous word. Examples include "kinda" and "sorta".
There are certain words that, even though they are short, take on different pronunciations:

An interesting one that falls under this rule is the word "well". There are many forms of this word, and almost all of them take on the proper pronunciation. However, when used as an interjection at the beginning of a sentence, the word takes on the pronunciation "wool". This appears to be the only time that happens. You never hear someone say, "I'm doing wool", or "I'm going to the wool to draw some water". Also, this pronunciation leads to the word blending in with the word following it. Example: "Well, I didn't know..." becomes "Wooleye didn't know..."

If the word "are" is present in a sentence, unless it is the first word, you have an automatic contraction. Examples: "there're", "how're", "what're", "you're", etc. Another word this applies to: one or ones - "another'n", "this'n", "that'n".
When the phrase "did you" is in a sentence, it is very rare that both words get fully pronounced. There are various ways to say this (also works with "did y'all"):

The whole phrase gets knocked down to a simple 'j' sound. Example: "Did you eat?" becomes "Jeet?"
"You" is said preceded by either a 'd' or 'j' sound. Example: "D'you eat?", "J'you eat?"
A little of each word is said with "dijya". Example: "Dijya eat?"

The negative form of this phrase, "didn't you", undergoes a similar change when said, turning in to "din'cha", as in "Din'cha see that?"

There are literally thousands of obscure phrases that Texans use to get their point across. These phrases generally involve something that is stereotypically Texan, and, because of the large amount, can be used in any situation that the speaker sees fit.

It should be noted that one does not necessarily have to use these phrases to speak Texan, but you sure as heck better have the sense to figure out what most of them mean. Otherwise, when someone says something like "This ain't my first rodeo" or "It's so dry the trees are bribin' the dogs", you are going to be "confused as a cow on astroturf".

"Good" is a perfectly acceptable reply to the question "How are you doing?" They say that the appropriate response would be "well" instead of "good", but come on...
If something is of significant size, it is "a big ol'" or "a big honkin'" [insert object here]. If there is a really, really large amount of something, there is "aheckuvalotta" that something.
In general, subtle grammar errors are fine. There are so many stupid little rules that only aggravate, so there are a few of them that we can just ignore. Example: How many of us (whose major/job does not have to do with communications) actually use the word "whom" in conversation?

Please notice that the word SUBTLE was used in describing mistakes that are acceptable. If you walk up to someone and say something like "How is you?" you are just a fool who loses at life.

If the word "what", or "what's", is at the beginning of a sentence, it is often said as merely a soft 't' sound, usually as part of the next word. For example: "T're ya doin'?" = "What are you doing?", "T'sup?" = "What's up?", & "T's the plan?" = "What's the plan?"

This also applies to the word "it", or "it's".
"What are you doin'" can also be, and often is, said "'Tch ya doin'". This is the case many times when "what" precedes "you" or "y'all", with the word "what" and the "y" in the following word becoming one sound.
If the word 'I' is at the beginning of a sentence, it is not necessary to actually annunciate it. The 'I' is implied and the intended meaning is conveyed whether or not it's actually said. Example: "I wonder what that was..." becomes "Wonder what that was..."

If you live in Texas you know that our fine neighbors to the south (that's Mexico, for those whose geography needs work) have had great influence on our state and our culture. TexMex is one of God's many gifts to us. However, one other major influence is the use of various Spanish words in our language and also in naming many of our cities and counties. Because a great number of us do not speak Spanish, many of these words/names get pronounced as they are spelled with English, not Spanish, pronunciation. For example, San Jacinto is pronounced exactly how it appears, instead of the Spanish pronunciation, which is (roughly) San Haceento. By no means is this correct, but seeing as this is Texan speak, it is entirely acceptable.
Credit this one to the comedic genius of Mr. Bill Engvall: In Texas, the phrase "I'll tell you what..." is a complete sentence. It's difficult to explain, but we can say this and it conveys meaning without the last half of the statement. For some reason, it's just not needed. It should be noted that it is usually said in response to something. It usually doesn't work if you just say it at random.
The word 'coke' is used to refer to any and all soft drinks. 'Coke' can but does not necessarily have to refer to the Coca Cola brand. When a Texan says something like 'I need a coke', he or she could easily be referring to a Dr. Pepper or a Pepsi. It doesn't have to be Coke to be a coke. The words 'soda' and 'pop' are not used.
'Thank you' has many different pronunciations. It can be said with 'thank' as the only truly intelligible word, such as "thank-eh" or "thank-ee". It can also be said, and is more often heard as "thank-yew" or "thank-yeh". Regardless, the phrase is made into one word, and even if one does use the pronunciation "thank-yew", it is said in a way that combines the two words. One can also just say 'thanks'.
We're pretty nice people. Or, well, most of us...uh...some of us are pretty nice people. Those of us that are have the option of using phrases such as "Bless [someone's] heart...", or "God love [someone]..." in order to soften an otherwise negative statement. For example, "Bless her heart, she's just not very bright." sounds a lot nicer than, say, "Wow, that chick's a freakin' idiot."
A word that gets frequent use in the language of Texans is "'nother". It is used in this way: "That's a whole 'nother story." Now, one would assume that this word is just a shortened version of "another", but "a whole another" doesn't make any sense. "Other" would make sense. From this evidence, we can conclude that, in Texan, the word "another" does not exist, but it is instead divided into "a" and "'nother", "'nother being a replacement of the word "other", because it sounds better and rolls off the tongue easier in the context that it is used in.
Inspired by what some may call the poor wording of the last sentence of the last rule, and to expand on rule 15, it is perfectly acceptable to end a sentence in a preposition.
By popular demand: Use of the word 'reckon' is widespread and accepted by all, generally as part of the phrase "I reckon...", interchangeable with "I suppose..." or "I guess...".

Get them on Oprah

2008-10-29T08:36:00.004-07:00

So I have a crazy group of friends trying to get on Oprah. Their website should be fully operational in a few days. Click here to see their website, make a donation, and sign the petition.

Get us on Oprah

Update

2008-05-08T18:24:00.002-07:00

So this is just an update for those that keep up with my little blog here:)

I am off track and not attending classes this summer. This past semester went very well. I even upped my GPA a little. I'm currently chilling at home in Killeen. Slingin' pies at La Collina to keep money in my pocket.

USAA offered me a Software Engineer Intern position for this summer. So I'll be in San Antone from June 2 til Aug 8. I'm pretty excited about it and anxious to start.

Classes start back up the beginning of September, so I'll probably be back in Killeen for a few weeks before I head back up to Rexburg.

If I'm in your area and you want to hang, give me a ring!

Some more dork humor

2008-04-05T14:48:00.001-07:00

I found this to be quite hilarious:

Mathmaticious

A Coding Limerick!

2008-03-25T08:51:00.001-07:00

There once was a BigInt named Cher
Who converted with her own special flair.
If it's not too much trouble,
I'll Int or I'll Double,
But besides that, I really don't Char.

--Adam Gedeborg

Dorky humor

2008-01-31T09:16:00.000-07:00

My buddy Adam came up with a some nerdy pick up lines. They're funny enough for me to post:

If I were a processor, You'd ALWAYS be true.--Adam Gedeborg

Are you an IF statement? Cuz I don't see anybody ELSE.--Adam Gedeborg

Our love is an infinite loop.--Adam Gedeborg

Christmas Plans

2007-12-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a pretty busy semester for me. I started a little late and had to play catch up for a while. But its all coming to a crashing halt on Friday next week. I believe I'll have A's with one B. :D

I will be flying down to spend the Christmas break in Killeen. I'll be getting into town on the 17th of December and then I'm returning north on January 7th. So anyone who'd like to visit with me while I'm in Texas, give me a call so we can make plans.

I am excited to attend Vanessa's graduation on the 18th! She's really excited, so congratulate her if you have the opportunity, its quite an accomplishment :)

The Pumpkin Patch!

2007-10-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

Check out my Jack-O-Lanterns for this year. I'm so talented :)

Go Cowboys!

2007-10-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

These are pics from the Cowboys Pre-season game I went to with my bro and his fam back in August.

The Roots

2007-10-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

These are pics from a Roots concert I went to in January down in Park City.

Back in Rexburg

2007-09-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

I made it back to Rexburg in one piece! I went to my classes today, and I'm in the process of moving back into my apartment. Now it's just a matter of catching up in class. Hopefully I'm not too behind.

My Father's Passing

2007-09-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

My father, Gary Ratliff, passed away on Friday, August 31, 2007 in Tyler, Texas. It seems to have been a massive heart attack. His obituary can be found in Thursday's edition of the Killeen Daily Herald. For those who knew him, we would love to have you attend his funeral. The service will be held on Saturday, September 8, 2007 at the LDS chapel in Killeen, Texas at 11:00am. I would also appreciate the attendance of friends who would support me at this time. Flowers can be sent to the Heritage Funeral Home in Harker Heights, Texas. He will be buried in the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetary. Any who would like more information are welcome to contact me.

The Killeen Daily Herald Obituary

Car Trouble

2007-08-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

So I was driving northbound on I-35 through Temple at about 70 mph when my car's engine cut off. I was in the middle of a construction zone with the concrete barriers along each side of the highway. It was quite an experience to be the car blocking a lane of traffic while waiting for the wrecker. Anyways, I had the car towed back into Killeen for about $150. I've since checked and charged the battery, which was dead. I tested the starter and the alternator, which are both good, but my car still does not start. It seems that the starter is not engaging when I try to start the car. My best guess is that it is something electrical in the car, so here I sit, still in Killeen, waiting until Monday when I can get it to the dealership to work on it. So if this problem sounds like anything anyone else has dealt with on an '01 VW Jetta, 1.8L Turbo engine, I would love to hear your ideas.

Back to I-dee-ho

2007-08-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm startin' the trip back up to Idaho today. It's been a fun visit to the homeland. Sorry if I couldn't see ya while I was down. Maybe next time. I should be in Rexburg by the 15th for those that are wonderin'. Look forward to comin' back down at Christmas time.

Ellison Class of '97

2007-07-20T13:57:00.001-07:00

This post is for any fellow alumni that look at my blog. There are plans being made for a 15 year reunion and those planning it are looking for suggestions. Suggestions can be made through the myspace page. So go check it out. Hope to see everyone in 5. Ellison Class of '97 reunion

Don't Hate Me Cuz I'm Texan

2007-07-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is a link to a blog entry posted by a mission buddy of mine. He also happens to be Texan.

Don't hate me cuz I'm Texan

Comin' To Texas

2007-06-28T01:48:00.000-07:00

For those who check this periodically, I will be in Texas from July 3 to August 13. I'm pretty excited for the trip down there. I plan on attending my 10 year high school reunion on the 14th. For class of '97 alumni, here's a link to the myspace reunion page: Ellison class of '97 reunion. I look forward to seeing everyone.

Emerald Green?

2007-04-12T19:33:00.001-07:00

You Are Emerald Green

Deep and mysterious, it often seems like no one truly gets you.
Inside, you are very emotional and moody - though you don't let it show.
People usually have a strong reaction to you... profound love or deep hate.
But you can even get those who hate you to come around. There's something naturally harmonious about you.

What Color Green Are You?

My Star Wars Horoscope!

2007-04-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

Star Wars Horoscope for Aquarius

You can be cruel and torment people who disagree with you.

Deep down, there is a peace-loving, friendly side to you.

You have a knack for inflicting pain on people and use your intellect during battle.

Star wars character you are most like: Darth Vader

What Is Your Star Wars Horoscope?

Nerdy Quotes

2007-03-09T01:07:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted anything to this blog for a while, and I doubt that anyone still keeps up with it, but I thought I'd post a list of nerdy quotes that make me laugh :)

The box said Windows 2000 or better. So I installed Linux.

Double your drive space. Delete Windows.

The original point and click interface was a Smith & Wesson.

I'm supposed to back up my hard drive, but how do I put it into reverse?

I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes.

Life would be easier if I had the source code.

Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.

All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

"C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg." - Bjarne Stroustrup

Programming is 10% science, 25% ingenuity and 65% getting the ingenuity to work with the science.

Science is to computer science as hydrodynamics is to plumbing.

"It's 5:50 a.m., Do you know where your stack pointer is?"

There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works.

You never finish a program, you just stop working on it.

I want to be your derivative, so I can lie tangent to your curves.

Another laugh for SW Fans

2006-12-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Funny vid clip

2006-12-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

Comin' to Texas

2006-12-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Figured y'all'd like to know that I'm plannin' on drivin' to Texas for the Christmas break. It'll be a short visit so I may not be able to see everyone. But I'm givin' a little heads up if anyone wants to make the trip to Killeen to say Hi.

My Halloween Costume

2006-11-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

This year I was a rodeo clown, or bullfighter. It was a pretty sweet costume, I won a costume contest!

Here's a front view:

Here's a side view:

Get Happy Tour '06

2006-09-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

I posted this a while back on my myspace blog, thought I should post it here as well(the concert was on Aug 24):
I went to see Bowling for Soup in the Idaho Falls show of the Get Happy Tour last night! It was a great concert, aside from the little kids that were ther(wtf)! Other bands that played were Army of Freshman, Punchline, and Luckyboys Confusion. I really enjoyed AoF and LC. They both rocked! I was able to meet and talk with some members of AoF and get some stuff autographed! The lead singer pushed by a couple of people to come talk to me. (I had my face painted up as a Texas Flag w/the letters BFS across my forehead as a tribute to Bowling for Soup). He told me to wait out by the busses after the concert cuz the BFS band members would want to meet me. He said that they saw me in line from the bus and were taking pictures!! I was stoked! Anyways, I did get to meet the Bowling for Soup guys and get all their autographs as well!!! It was awesome!
Here's a little pic of what my face looked like:

And Here's a little montage of the Get Happy Tour I found on YouTube(If you look closely you can see me at the 30 second point; my backside, I'm in a burnt orange shirt):

Update

2006-05-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted an update. The semesters have been busy. I currently have a cumulative GPA of 3.23. Anyways, I'm off track this summer, and so far I've been puttin' in a lot of hours at work. I've moved into a new apartment that is tons nicer than the last place I was livin' in. If you don't have the new address, contact me for it. I recently bought a new car. She's an '01 VW Jetta, 1.8L Turbo. I've named her Leyna. I will also be flying home to visit for about a month. So if you'd like to visit, let's make plans. Anyways, hopefully I can update this more often now with my usual useless info and poor attempts at being funny.

Tip the Pizza Man!!! Geez!

2006-02-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

Come on, what's the deal? I hate getting stiffed at the door when delivering pizzas. If you don't want to compensate the driver for bring your lazy bum a pizza, get off your ace and go pick it up. If I don't get at least $1 for each delivery, I'm not comin' out ahead. And then, its unbelieveably cold, so I'm freezing and killing my car cuz it doesn't get to warm up. Is it so hard to tip the delivery guy!?

2006-02-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know what's up with the previous post, something wrong with the html code or maybe the editor cuz there were no new lines before the table in the code. Whatever

Ran across this on the web, thought it was interesting.

2006-02-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

STEVEN
S	is for	Sappy
T	is for	Tough
E	is for	Exquisite
V	is for	Vivid
E	is for	Earthy
N	is for	Natural

2006-01-15T23:28:00.000-07:00

Rise, Lord Tater!

The Cowboys won!

2005-12-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

What? Julius Jones CAN run the ball!? This was a great game for the Cowboys. I was very worried about it as they were bludgeoned by the Skins last weekend and NC is a lot better than the Skins. Luckily Cundiff did miss that last field goal b/c if the game went into overtime, Cowboys only had a 50/50 chance to pull off the W. But I am thrilled. It was a great game to watch! It'll be a very merry Christmas for me!

I'm in Texas!

2005-12-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

It was a fun trip down to Texas. I had a blowout between IF and Blackfoot on my way to SLC for my flight. My hand was numb by the time I finished putting the doughnut on my car. I drove on the highway about 15 miles until I got to Blackfoot. While at the tire shop we discovered that I had another tire that looked about ready to blow also. So I ended up havin' to fork over about 120 bucks on new tires. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. The flights on the next day were fine and I was with my fam on Saturday evening. We promptly stopped at Whataburger to eat for dinner. Yay!

It's Cooooolllllld!!!!

2005-12-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

10 degrees below 0 is far to cold for a texan. Especially when I think that 60 is stinkin' cold. It is insane up here.

Slinkies

2005-12-03T03:20:00.000-07:00

Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

Just smile and wave… You didn’t see anything (penguins from Madagascar)

2005-11-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Killer Mutant Pecan Pie

Pecan Soup

2005-11-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

So today I tried to make Pecan Pie. My mom said she uses the recipe on the Karo syrup bottles. So that’s what I tried to use. I started preheating the oven at 350 like the instructions said and then I mixed the ingredients together and poured it into the crust. Everything was going beautifully. I was excited. I really like pecan pie and I was about to enjoy one in about an hour or so. Well, I put the pie in the oven and went online for about 20 minutes. I had to check on the Cowboys’ schedule. I check on the pie and the edges of the crust were burnt and the top of the pie was also blackening. So I took the pie out, placed it on a rack and let it cool. When I came home from church, I tried to cut into it, and it was still soupy inside. It hadn’t hardened at all. I was very disappointed. Especially since I had to pay ten bucks for the pecans, when at home, you can just pick them up off the ground in the backyard. So when I talked to my momma tonight she told me that I should have covered the edges with aluminum foil and placed the pie pan on a cookie sheet to deflect the heat. Things the recipe probably should have instructed me to do. So when I do this again on Thursday morning, I’ll do that. And I’ll probably set the oven at 300 as it seems to have cooked a little hot, even if it didn’t have the cookie sheet. Needless to say I was very disappointed with my pecan soup.

Geology, Who cares?

2005-11-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

I spent an hour and a half today coloring a geologic map so that I can answer questions on the geology of it. Ugh! I'm up late tonight studying for an exam that I must take tomorrow in it even though I have homework in other classes due also. What compounds the problem is the mandatory monthly clean check tomorrow. Which means I'll be spending at least an hour cleaning the apartment instead of using the time on other assignments that are due. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't such a thorough check. I wish they were more flexible in making the appointments. I didn't know a week ago that I would have an exam tomorrow and three assignments due. Frustrating. Now, back to studying geology, I'll probably never use this information again after this semester.

#1 in the NFC East!

2005-11-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

It was a nail biter. I thought the Cowboys were going to do much better against the Eagles last night, especially with Philly’s past performance this season. You’d think that they had been to the Super Bowl last year! But the Cowboys pulled ahead with 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter. Roy Williams took an interception to the end zone to put the Cowboys ahead by 1 point and the Eagles just didn’t have time to score again, darn;) Anyways that puts Dallas at No 1 in the very competitive NFC East division. Go Cowboys!

2005-11-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

My Halloween Costume!(I'm a Rubik's Cube)

Vegas!

2005-11-06T23:59:00.000-07:00

So I went to Vegas for the first time this weekend. A buddy of mine and I kinda decided to do this at the end of last week, so it wasn't totally planned out.
We had an interesting time trying to find a hotel on Fri night. We got gouged on the price, but it turned out OK. We had a hot tub in the room, of course we didn't have time to take the opportunity to use it. They did have an internet hookup. When I asked if they provided wifi access the lady at the desk said. "yes, its free." All I could think was that no it was not free, it was included in this outrageous price you've made us pay. Anyways, with the internet access, I was able to book us a different room at a much better rate for Sat night. Next time I go to Vegas, I'll have to do that in advance.
We also met up with a friend of ours there that had come with friends for the BYU, UNLV football game on Sat. So we were able to score some cheap tickets from them and go with them to the game and watch BYU kill UNLV 55-14. Needless to say the game wasn't all that interesting after the 1st quarter, but its still fun to watch a live football game.
Later on we went to the strip again. We were only able to walk about a quarter of it. Its soo big! I was amazed. You don't realize how big those buildings are until you're trying to walk by them and through them. Lots of good shops and food. We did see the water ballet at the Bellagio. That was amazing. We saw it like 4 times, and loved it. I should have ridden the New York New York roller coaster. I also wanted to go up the stratosphere, but didn't get a chance to. It was still a fun time. Next time I go to Vegas, I'll have a better idea of what to expect and be able to decide what to do.

Rubik's Cube

2005-11-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

I was a Rubik's cube for Halloween! It was great. I won the costume contest at the party I went to. Brilliant idea, thanks Mom! I spray painted a cube shaped box, with holes for my head and arms, with glossy spray paint. I then cut out colored squares from construction paper and pasted them on. It was a little awkward maneuvering with a box, but it was tons of fun and it evoked great reactions.

Go Cowboys!

2005-10-31T16:12:00.000-07:00

The Cowboys stomped all over the Cardinals yesterday! Woo hoo! I was listening to an ESPN show today, the discussion topic was who was the best in the NFC East. One argued the Cowboys, others argued the Giants, and others just talked smack about the Eagles. I don't see why the Cowboys don't get enough cred. First off, they've beaten the Giants. Second, they haven't allowed more than one touchdown in the last 5 games. Third, Bledsoe is the No. 1 quarterback in the East right now. Fourth, and this isn't a very good defense cuz a W's a W and an L an L, but.. the 3 games the Cowboys have lost have all been from fluke plays at the very end of the game. They seriously outplayed every team. Of course that last is very opinionated, but its a point. I think if the Cowboys step up their offense a little more, they can very well be the NFC East Champs.

2005-10-30T03:48:00.001-07:00

Watch out for this guy

2005-10-30T03:48:00.000-07:00

Sweet Jack-O-Bat

Halloween!

2005-10-26T23:19:00.000-07:00

Carving pumpkins is the funnest thing ever! I love Halloween! Just thought everyone should know.

2005-10-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Another The Cheat siting on a Punkin!

2005-10-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

StrongBad, Jack-O-Lantern style!

Lame Dance

2005-10-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

So I went to a dance tonight, boy was it lame. It's always difficult when you don't know anyone there and the people that you do know that are there don't really know how to make a dance fun. And then you ask girls to dance and they can't dance to the beat. Its frustrating. Anyways, I was hopin' to meet a new pretty girl, but no such luck. Still in search of that special someone. I wish people in Idaho could figure out the real way to dance to the cotton-eyed joe. Maybe when I'm back home for Christmas I'll be able to hit up a dance where people can actually dance. My roomie did the worm. That was the highlight of the night.

Thought this was funny; Only Smart People can Read This

2005-10-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

Olnysrmat poelpe can raed tihs.

Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.
The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Cowboys are 4 and 3, :(

2005-10-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

Cowboys, they gave away the game in the last minute! What the crap!? The defense continues to do a great job, but the offense is sloppy. They were within 10 yards with 1st and goal at least twice and couldn’t get in the end zone. They even missed a flippin’ field goal that was that close. I’m highly disappointed. I can’t believe they didn’t do better. They’d better shape up. I want to watch a decent game on Thanksgiving.

Fat Guy Playing Soccer

2005-10-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

So I got together with some buddies and played soccer today. Guess who was the goalie? That's right, me, the fat guy. Go figure. I gave 'em all a good laugh though. I was getting pretty sweaty, cuz you know that fat guys playing sports kinda do that. So I took my shirt off. Their reaction was priceless. I did get a little frustrated. I started using some football techniques, I'm just not a good soccer player. I suggested we play football next time. Just imagine a fat guy running after a soccer ball with no shirt on. I probably wouldn't have done it if girls were around.

Note on the previous post

2005-10-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

This is a post I found on the web. Looks like one of those chain e-mails, but I like it, so here it is for everyone to see…. Everyone that never sees this website.

True Texan

2005-10-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

When you're from Texas, people that you meet ask you questions like, Do you have any cows?" "Do you have horses?" "Bet you got a bunch of guns, eh?" They all want to know if you've been to Southfork. They watched Dallas. Have you ever looked at a map of the world? Look at Texas with me just for a second. That picture, with the Panhandle and the Gulf Coast, and the Red River and the Rio Grande is as much a part of you as anything ever will be.As soon as anyone anywhere in the world looks at it they know what it is. It's Texas. Pick any kid off the street in Japan and draw him a picture of Texas in the dirt and he'll know what it is. What happens if I show you a picture of any other state? You might get it maybe after a second or two, but who else would? And even if you do, does it ever stir any feelings in you? In every man, woman and child on this planet, there is a person who wishes just once he could be a real live Texan and get up on a horse or ride off in a pickup. There is some little bit of Texas in everyone. Did you ever hear anyone in a bar go, "Wow...so you're from _____? Cool, tell me about it?" Do you know why? Because nobody gives a crap about _____. Texas is the Alamo. Texas is 183 men standing in a church, facing thousands of Mexican nationals, fighting for freedom, who had the chance to walk out and save themselves, but stayed instead to fight and die for the cause of freedom. We send our kids to schools named William B. Travis and James Bowie and Crockett and do you know why? Because those men saw a line in the sand and they decided to cross it and be heroes. John Wayne paid to do the movie himself. That is the Spirit of Texas. Texas is Sam Houston capturing Santa Ana at San Jacinto. Texas is "Juneteenth" and Texas Independence Day. Texas is huge forests of Piney Woods like the Davy Crockett National Forest. Texas is breathtaking mountains in the Big Bend. Texas is the unparalleled beauty of bluebonnet fields in the Texas Hill Country. Texas is the beautiful, warm beaches of the Gulf Coast of South Texas. Texas is the shiny skyscrapers in Houston and Dallas. Texas is world record bass from places like Lake Fork. Texas is Mexican food like nowhere else, not even Mexico. Texas is the Fort Worth Stockyards, Bass Hall, the Ballpark in Arlington and the Astrodome. Texas is larger-than-life legends like Michael DeBakey, Denton Cooley, Willie Nelson, Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings, Janis Joplin, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Landry, Darrell Royal, Rick Husband, Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell, Nolan Ryan, Sam Rayburn, George Bush, Lyndon B.Johnson, and George W. Bush. Texas is great companies like Dell Computer, Texas Instruments and Compaq,and LOCKHEED MARTIN AEROSPACE, Home of the F-16 Jet Fighter and the JSF Fighter. Texas is NASA. Texas is huge herds of cattle and miles of crops. Texas is skies blackened with doves, and fields full of deer. Texas is a place where towns and cities shut down to watch the local High School Football game on Friday nights and for the Cowboys on Monday NightFootball, and for the Night In Old San Antonio River Parade in San Antonio. Texas is ocean beaches, deserts, lakes and rivers, mountains and prairies, and modern cities. If it isn't in Texas, you probably don't need it. NO ONE DOES ANYTHING BIGGER OR BETTER THAN IT'S DONE IN TEXAS. By federal law, Texas is the only state in the U.S. that can fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. flag. Think about that for a second. You fly the Stars and Stripes at 20 feet in Maryland, California, or Maine and your state flag, whatever it is, goes at 17 feet. You fly the Stars and Stripes in front of Pine Tree High in Longview or anyplace else at 20 feet, the Lone Star flies at the same height - 20 feet. Do you know why? Because it is the only state that was a republic before it became a state. Also, being a Texan is as high as being an American down here. Our capitol is the only one in the country that is taller than the capitol building in Washington, D.C. and we can divide our state into five states at any time if we wanted to! We included these things as part of the deal when we came on. That's the best part, right there. Texas even has its own power grid!! If you are a REAL TEXAN you won't even need to be told to pass this on...

America's Team is 4 and 2

2005-10-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

The Cowboys won 16-13 in overtime today! I’m always so happy when they win. The Giants offense couldn’t get much going against the Big D’s big D. The Boys held ‘em to only 2 field goals until the last 19 seconds in regulation time. That is when NY tied it up and sent the game into overtime. Luckily the Cowboys won the toss and drove for a field goal. While the defense was lookin’ sharp, I was disappointed in the sloppiness of the offense. 4 turnovers is ridiculous, luckily the Giants didn’t capitalize on them. Hopefully next week the offense can get it together. It looks like the NFC East is a tough division this season. All the teams have winning records. Come on Dallas, you can come out on top, I just know it.

Fat Guys Are Funnier

2005-10-16T00:49:00.000-07:00

So I had everyone rolling at work tonight. I showed off some of my sweet dance moves and got some great laughs. There's nothing funnier than a fat guy doing stupid stuff. It's so great to hear people laugh, it's intoxicating. I relish it!

Gimme some freakin' ketchup!

2005-10-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

What's the deal with fry sauce? Everyone asks if I want fry sauce with my fries here. I've tried it. Don't like it. Its a mixture of mayo and ketchup. Today I went to Sonic. I forgot to ask for ketchup, usually they'll ask if I want ketchup. Anyways when I open the bag, there's fry sauce and no ketchup. Now I like fries, but I really like them with ketchup. I'd rather not have them plain. So I tried to use the fry sauce, gag! So that's still irking me, so I decided to write about it. Give me some freakin' ketchup!

2005-10-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

wishes

Geology

2005-10-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

I just took a Geology test. I think I did just as horribly as I did on my previous exam in that class. I do not like geology. I don't see why a CS major is required to take the course. They're rocks and they're old. How much more do I really need to know?

This is my new blog

2005-10-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

My thoughts for the world to see. Idaho is cold. I miss Texas. But I enjoy school. Its nice to be away from home. Maybe in the future I'll have more interesting things to say.

TexanInIdaho

New Blog Site

Controversies and the LDS Church

Be wary of killer chairs

Farewell President Bush

An article on Bush hatred

More Star Wars Humor

Speak like a Texan

Get them on Oprah

Update

Some more dork humor

Mathmaticious

A Coding Limerick!

Dorky humor

Christmas Plans

The Pumpkin Patch!

Go Cowboys!

The Roots

Back in Rexburg

My Father's Passing

Car Trouble

Back to I-dee-ho

Ellison Class of '97

Don't Hate Me Cuz I'm Texan

Comin' To Texas

Emerald Green?

My Star Wars Horoscope!

Nerdy Quotes

Another laugh for SW Fans

Funny vid clip

Comin' to Texas

My Halloween Costume

Get Happy Tour '06

Update

Tip the Pizza Man!!! Geez!

Previous post

Ran across this on the web, thought it was interesting.

The Cowboys won!

I'm in Texas!

It's Cooooolllllld!!!!

Slinkies

Pecan Soup

Geology, Who cares?

#1 in the NFC East!

Vegas!

Rubik's Cube

Go Cowboys!

Halloween!

Lame Dance

Thought this was funny; Only Smart People can Read This

Cowboys are 4 and 3, :(

Fat Guy Playing Soccer

Note on the previous post

True Texan

America's Team is 4 and 2

Fat Guys Are Funnier

Gimme some freakin' ketchup!

Geology

This is my new blog