Ode to some close, yet far away friends...

I got to thinking the other day how fortunate I've been to live the places I've lived and become friends with the friends that I have. My time at BYU was especially great, as I got to know some of the smartest, most talented, down-to-earth, kind-hearted people I've ever met. As I graduated from the "Y" and years have passed, I can't believe how many of them are now married! Of course, I've been happy for all of you, but sometimes I still enjoy reminiscing about times back in the day when we saw each other more frequently. I miss some of those times, but at least I can stay in the loop through your blogs. I wanted to give a little hommage to those that I miss from yesteryear as I add your blog links to my page for others to enjoy. I frequent your blogs more often you would think and enjoy tremendously living vicariously through your pictures and thoughts. It's amazing how many of you now live far away even from Utah, but its also good to know that you are writing your own chapters in your book of life with your new families and friends. You all have been great influences on me and can't wait to see you all again....sometime. Here are your links and some memories...my memories:

Jen (Bates) Salisbury:
You are the salt of the earth. I loved that we had almost all of our major classes together at BYU. I can't even begin to thank you for all the times that you helped me with projects. I never quite undestood how you had such a gift for picking up all those programs so well. I loved seeing your work and can't believe some of the stuff that you've showed me in the past. You are more talented than I will ever be. You are also one of the most caring and selfless people I have ever met - qualities that I'll forever be working on. You never had unkind things to say about anyone, despite having been through some rough times earlier in your life. You were often soft-spoken, but we definitely had some good hard laughs together over the years! I loved hanging with you and Christina, Emily, Chantelle, Kimball, and all, as we did whatever we did. I can't believe you are so far away in California! I need to come visit soon.
http://jenandjosh.com/blogger.html

Emily (Hess) Flinders:
Every once in a while you see a girl that gets married and they just seem to have a different glow about them. It's hard to explain, but you can almost see it even through pictures. You totally have this 'glow' ever since you got married to Ren. You were always well-spoken, like you were speaking for a purpose. You tought me some big words, without ever knowing it. Whenever I think about college classes with you, I remember countless times sitting next to you and you falling asleep within minutes of class starting. How you kept your insane schedule all those years is beyond me! I envied your work habits and don't know how you worked at those nights in that KBYU studio! It was great living together at Liberty Square and being in the same ward. I admire your homemaking skills (that you must've acquired since getting married!).
http://readyformycloseupmrdemille.blogspot.com/

Em, you might have actually stayed awake for this class!

Christina (Lyons) Cline:
Again, it was great having all those classes with you. Like Emily, you seemed to just roll with the punches and never really got flustered despite crazy work schedules. I still don't know how you, Emily, Chantelle, and Kimball dragged me into the SFA executive committee my last 2 years, but it was fun. I still haven't seem the final cut of TOKOLOSHI, by the way. Who has that anyway? I never got a chance to meet your husband, but I'm sure he's a good man! Stay in touch!
http://taylorandstinacline.blogspot.com/

The TMA girls!

Kea Kagawa:
I can't even being to tell you how fun it was to see you again a few months back in AZ and to finally meet your husband. You must be the only person I know that looks better as you get older! Your laugh and smile are infectious! Thanks for all those countless nights at BYU when we hung out and just talked. I always seemed to have something or someone to complain about, or some stupid relationship to vent about, but you are one of the best listeners and never sugar-coated anything for me. You always told it like it was whether I wanted to hear it or not. How fun was that year when I was in the "red brick house' with Kau, Kelii, Mike, and Morgan and you were literally across the street. I remember just coming over unannounced and knocking on your door to chat. I was really pulling for you guys to move to Arizona, so Troy could come to ASU, but now look at me - I'm in Boston!!!
http://keasmea.blogspot.com/

Kacey Laga:
I'm so happy we got back in touch after all these years. I love reading your blog and love the comments you leave me every once in a while. Your family has unbelievably photogenic pictures on your blog. What a good looking family! I will always remember planning those FHE's together for our FHE family at Liberty Square. I will go down as the least creative FHE planner ever - thanks for bailing me out. We pulled through, though. I cannot remember a single time when you were not smiling. I wish we hung out more than we did. Your hubby is a lucky, lucky, lucky man! (That's right, 3 lucky's in there!) Come visit Boston some day. Brad is out here, too!
http://www.lagafamily.blogspot.com/


Gabby Macias:
Sorry I was such a horrible BF. I know I'm lame and should've asked you countless times to ask you to marry me, but I always thought there was someone better out there for you! I think you might have found him, we'll see! I hope I still get an invite to the wedding out in Cali or where ever it happens. Didn't we make an agreement that we would get married if I was unmarried at 30? Ha, I turn 30 next March! I'm glad that we stayed friend all these years and that we can still talk about our relationships with others without any weird feelings. That weekend in Colorado was fun -everything was fun. Sorry I moved to Arizona - I just had to get out of Provo! I love your family, hope they are all doing well. Tell them hi for me. Thanks for visiting me in AZ last year ( I enjoyed our conversation at Cold Stone Ice Cream, in particular!) and Boston (twice!). Thanks for teaching me the word "frumpy." :)
http://gmacias.blogspot.com/

Remember how cold it was the weekend you came to visit me out in Boston (the first time)! It was kinda funny actually!

Hayley (Young) Laidlaw:
Wow, have I not seen you since your wedding in Cali? Has it been that long? I know I rolled my eyes at you thousands of times at school, but you know that I loved you like a sister, right? I can't believe how much you've grown up! And you're an RM!!! I still can't beleive you went on a mish - I thought for sure you would be one of those crazy BYU freshman girls that got married before their 2nd year. I don't even remember how we became friends, to be honest with you - I just remember being friends. After all those crushes on "halfers" and Hawaiians, I think its great that you ended up marrying Eric, 100% "haole." I hope we become neighbors one day. http://ehlaidlaw.blogspot.com/

I think we took this picture the morning that I went to Chicago.

Hayley, remember this one..when I flew to Boston for the weekend and we took a day trip to Nantucket when you were doing your internship in Cape Cod?

Rayna Condra:
Although I became friends with you in Minnesota and not at BYU, I still consider you one of my closest friends even after just knowing you for the few shorts months I was out there. Duluth will always be our little trip! You will always be the first thing that comes to mind when I hear anything to do with Minnesota or Minneapolis. I'll always remember that little purple Ford truck and hanging out at my apartment in Brooklyn Park. It was great seeing you a few months back on my short layover in Minnesota! I can't believe how much you grew up. You are no longer that young woman anymore. You need to write more blog entires for all to read! By the way, remember those pictures I was telling you about? I found them! I'll scan them and send them to you!
http://raynaonyourparade.blogspot.com/

This is "the" picture that I was telling you about along time ago.

Duluth, MN

I miss all you girls a ton! Thanks for staying in touch!

What are the chances of that?

Well, as many of you know, both of my parents have taken an early retirement and have moved to Japan indefinitely. I would assume they would be there a few years, but who knows - does anything turn out like its originally planned? Of course, their moving to Japan was a main contributor to me movnig back to Boston. They wanted someone to take care of their house in their absence, and since I'm the only Sturgis kid not married, that makes me the most flexible, so I volunteered to move back.

Anyways, my mom left for Japan in July and my dad just recently joined her last week. Last Sunday my parents went to church in the local LDS branch and actually ran into a guy, Tomonori Suzuki, that I used to live with when I was serving my mission to Japan back in 1998-2000. But the story of coincidences doesn't even come close to beginning there. It's a bit confusing, so try to stick with me here:

Before my parents were married, my dad was stationed overseas in Tokyo as Military Intelligence for the US Army in the mid 1970's. In the local church branch, they befriended the Suzuki's, a young couple who recently were married. My parent's eventually got married, and had 4 kids, one of which was me. Turns out that the Suzuki's had a son (among other children) that was about my age and they ended up living in Chiba, Japan, right near my Aunt's family. Coincidence?

Years passed and I got called to serve in the Japan Sapporo Mission in 1998, one of 8 mission in Japan alone. Turns, out that the Suzuki's kid, Tomonori, happened to get called to the same mission as me! To make a long story short, out of over 120 missionaries in the mission field, Tomonori became my companion and we actually worked together for about 3 or 4 months. Strange, huh? His parents and my parent's knew each other before either of us were born, and we happened to get called to the same mission (out of over 330 in the world) at the same time, in the same District, and the same area, and become companions. Coincidence?

Well, like I mentioned, it turns out that last weekend my parent's ran into Tomonori at the local LDS branch in Niigata. What are the chances of that? Small world, huh?

And for those of you who were wondering....Tokyo (where my parents met), Chiba, (where my aunt lives), Hokkaido (where I served my mission), and Niigata (where my parents are currently living) are all very far away from each other!

Some pictures of Suzuki "choro" and I from back in 2000 in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan:


In our apartment in Kushiro


Fun times to end our day!


Suzuki Choro's favorite thing to do during morning study time!

My new Red Sox license...

Yeah, seriously, I have nothing better to blog about. Check out the new plates! It's not so different to be a Red Sox fan anymore! I'm just one of millions out here that cheer for them. I like being in New England, but I think it's more enjoyable cheering them on when you live on the west coast. Either way, here's to another World Series run.

Is my life really this boring...

..that I have nothing better to do than write about little projects around the house? My dad recently left for Japan last Wednesday which left me an empty-nester for the first time since moving back to good ol' Methuen. This weekend was especially uneventful, but I really needed this weekend of no social plans so I could get some little projects done around the house as well as cleaning.

some recent projects...


Although I did this a few weeks ago, I added some closet lights to the master bedroom and hard-wired a switch to the entrance of the room. It was another few hours in the attic inhalling more insulation than I would have liked, but the fixtures look good and added some great light to the closet. I can now see what I'm wearing when I get ready for work in the morning. The lights also make good mood-lighting when they are the only lights on in the room.


Even since living in Arizona, I've become a big fan of ceiling fans/lights. I hate having floor fans all over the place. Like the closet lights, this required some time in the attic. When I was installing ceiling fans in my house in AZ, I made the big mistake of not installing a remote controls with the fixture. I remember countless nights when I was half asleep and had to crawl out of bed to turn the light off. This time, I installed a remote control for the fixture and have used it everynight!


The old bamboo-ish shades that were in the theater room looked nice, but at night, they didn't provide much privacy, as anyone walking down the street could see right into the house. I decided to get some new shades, providing some much needed privacy. I also added the window treatments that my mother was nice enough to leave behind.

The Ultimate BYU Football Highlight

I found this video on youtube.com and had to post it. If you've ever played football in your life, you will surely want to go out and hit someone after watching this!

Go Cougars! coming off back-to-back shutouts of UCLA (59-0) and Wyoming (44-0) the BYU football team is now ranked #11 in the country and are favorites to bust the BCS. Oh, did I forget to mention they have the nation's longest active winning streak and haven't lost a conference game in three years!

Enjoy the video...

A Suprise Visit from an old Friend

Last weekend I got a call out of the blue from an old friend, Gary Anderson. Gary rented a car and was making his rounds around New York and New England touring some of the sites and remembered that I moved out here at the last minute. Gary and I used to work together in Utah, Minneapolis, and Chicago. We did some of the Boston touristy things like Quincy Market, Fanuiel Hall, The Boston Public Gardens, Prudential Center, Copley Plaza, etc. But our last stop was the new 180 degree Omni Max theatre at the Museum of Science. It was a first for Gary seeing a screen that size! We didn't take many pics, but here they are.

I'm never watching another Patriots football game with Gary ever again. Tom Brady tore up his knee while we were watching. At least Gary didn't wear any of his damn Yankees crap around me!

Right before the Omni Max show.


Street performers right behind the old Fanuiel Hall.

Labor Day Weekend in Phoenix

Over Labor Day I decided to take a last minute trip to Phoenix, for no other reason than to see my friends and to check up on my house. It was great being back. As a matter of fact, it was like I never left! It was good seeing old friends and catching up. Also a special thanks to Tim, Zach, Russ, Chris, and Dwight for contributing to the Chris Sturgis poker winnings fund!

Hannah and her daugher Angel.


Hannah, are my conversations really this stimulating?


Me, Hannah's Kid, Jay, and Hannah!


Martini Ranch in Scottsdale. I was SO tired that night due to the jet lag. How I stayed up so late is a mystery.


4am apartment football anyone?


Dave and his new belle, Lindsey. Ironically, Dave met her the same weekend I moved to Boston. It was good to finally meet her. Take care of Dave, Lindsey! Come visit soon! Oh, you can bring Dave, too! Ha!


Dave Tipp at 4am, ready for bed on the floor!

'
Garret and Chris Leonard - getting a bit too close there fellas!


Chris and Joanna.


After Joana's wonderful dinner of homemade mac and cheese!

More hijacked pictures of my niece, Maya

Ok, maybe I'm a little biased here, but Maya has got to be the cutest thing ever! More pics for your viewing pleasure...

Maya and Mommy on the Jungle Gym.


Maya's first time on a slide!


Apparently Maya can't stop smiling and laughing when she is on swings. Her new favorite thing to do!




I hope that is organic, Elaine!!!


Maya in the pool.


Maya loves to travel - at least once she's out of the car seat.


Maya still has strawberry blonde hair. Is it me, or does anyone else think she doesn't look like her Mom (my sister, Elaine.)