Missionary Work

I forgot to include this in my discussion of manliness. This Monday I sent a Book of Mormon to a friend I made over the summer. It took me long enough but I finally got it done. The lady's name is Christina Calleros. She is a Mexican lady who worked with me this last summer as I was working for my dad. She speaks better Spanish and English than I do and was good enough to let me practice my Spanish with her. While talking we frequented her belief in Jesus Christ as well as her activity in her church and what her children/grandchildren do in church as well. I talked a little about my beliefs as well but not as much and felt that I should do so as well.

I bought the Book of Mormon back in September as well as a Finding Faith in Christ DVD. I wrote a letter explaining what the book and movie are and why they are important to me. I even went to the post office to send them but realized that I didn't have her address on me.
So it only took me about seven months to get the address, write a more current letter and send the package. I am excited to see what she thinks of the Book of Mormon and the movie. Whatever her reaction, I am glad that I finally followed through on a prompting to share what I know to be true.

I also am excited about another aspect of missinary work in my family. My little sister is now done with her mission papers and is only waiting to get her call. She is a great example of a member missionary and will be one fantastic full time missionary. I'm predicting she goes somewhere that she can use her sign language abilities.

Man Night

One of the first things that my roommates told me when I was moving in was that periodically there was a "Man Night" that would occur. This typically includes a guy movie and discussion on which action hero is cooler.
While that's nice and fun, I'd like to think that I've added to the manliness of the apartment in the recent history of Man Night. I taught my roommates the trick to ripping phone books in half. Yes, it's so easy a girl might be able to do it. But please...leave this to the men. It's one of the few things that we can do to help ourselves feel more manly.

While I was increasing the testosterone output of Man Night, one of my roommates took away from it once. He chose a less than 100% guy movie. Also he broke one of the cardinal rules. He let his girlfriend stay. She ended up baking us an apple pie. Consequently it wasn't a complete loss for man night. Another one of my roommates ended up making another pie out of the leftover material. While Man Night wasn't what it was intended to be, it still turned out pretty tasty.

...dishonor on your cow!

So I went horseback riding for the first time in a long long time on Saturday. I thought it was a blast. I have no idea on how to control the horse. Connor (the horse) had a bit and I would pull on it one way or the the other but unlike what the scriptures say about how large things can control small things (example: the rudder of a ship) it's not true. It's good advice to watch what you say and hope that your tongue doesn't get you into trouble but the horse has absolutely no reason to turn from side to side or go straight unless he wants to.

Oh and you can definitely tell that Connor has no intention of listening to the cold guy wearing the pink helmet. Just look at his embarrassingly sissy shaved chest. He's so disappointed that he looks goofy that there is no way that he is going to gallop and help me to feel good about myself as a man.

Joking aside, I loved the experience. Also it's a good thing that I couldn't get him to do anything more than a trot. I was holding on for dear life as it was and landing on the horse like I was doing was not feeling good. It was most likely worse for Connor.

Other big news for me isn't really big at all. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow to have the expert look at my ankle. Last September or October I was playing soccer and sprained and/or twisted my left ankle but good. It feels fine but it is still slightly swollen and feels just under 100%. It's probably nothing but I am paranoid that the doctor is going to find that I broke or tore something vitally important to my long term ability to walk and function as a human being. In my head I've already pictured the appointment and the doctor looks at my ankle and after he gasps in shock he asks me, "How in the world are you still standing up? I don't give that ankle more than two or three more days before it snaps in two."

I know I'm over reacting but I've got almost a full intramural soccer season ahead of me. I've got my priorities. If he tells me to have surgery, it'll have to wait until the tournament is over.



That's my ankle the night I sprained it after an hour of icing and wrapping it.