Akira to the Moon

My New Part-Time Job

2010-07-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's really not a job nor do I get paid, but I find myself playing tour guide alot, and to be perfectly honest, I thoroughly enjoy showing out-of-towners my city. I never really understood Boston's allure when I was younger, but having lived in a few places over the last ten years before moving back to Beantown, it's easy to see why it's usually a must see place for west-coasters, especially for an Idahoan like Jae. Boston is rich in tradition and many people note it's "personality" - something many west-coast cities lack.

This round of tourists included Jae, a friend from the BYU days and her friend, Sara. Although Jae and I were in the same major, had numerous classes together, and shared many mutual friends, it had been seven years (I think) since I've seen her last.

Jae has a knack for finding peculiar stuff to see no matter where she goes, and her trip to Boston was no different. In addition to the main touristy stuff like the Freedom Trail, Quincy Market, etc, Jae also wanted to see the Harvard Anatomical Museum and the Mary Baker Eddy Library/Museum among other places.

But it must be noted that the top priority and the main reason for coming to Boston was to see John Williams conduct the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall (as mentioned about in a previous post). As a thank you for taking a few days off from work and being their tour guide, Jae and Sara graciously paid for my ticket to the concert.

It was good seeing Jae again and meeting Sara. I hope they enjoyed Boston as much as I enjoyed showing them my city.

Ah, yes, they were quick to realize the true rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees.

Quincy Market

The reflection pool near the Prudential Center, part of the Church of Christ Scientist.

Another tour of Fenway. Too bad there wasn't an actual game being played on the nights they were in town.

The Harvard Anatomical Museum

Sara waiting to get onto the US Constitution

Duck tour.

Symphony Hall.

Jae enjoying her view of Fenway Park.

Walkway between the Prudential Center and Copley Place. For some reason Jae and Sara were excited to actually be on walkway like this. Are they that rare?

John Williams

2010-05-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had two friends come into town from Utah. (Well, technically, it was one friend, and the other girl was a friend of my friend, but who's keeping track?). For both of them, it was their first time to Boston. I'd love to say that their main reason for visiting was to see me, but that would be a lie. Apparently, seeing a John Williams concert live with the Boston Pops was on Jae's bucket list!

I've pretty much always known who John Williams was, but until this concert I had no idea to the extend in which he wrote musical scores. His more popular scores include Stars Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Jaws, but the scope of his movie musical scores was larger than I ever imagined. I won't list them all here for you, but it suffices to say that if it was a blockbuster movie, John Williams probably wrote the score.

Of course, the two hour concert only allowed for a small sampling of his work, but luckily for us, we got to listen to some of his more popular works, like the Imperial March (Star Wars), excerpts from Harry Potter, pieces from Superman, and the main theme from Indiana Jones, to name a few.

The following videos probably break a handful of copyright issues, but someone in our threesome (who will remain nameless!) couldn't resist recording some of it for future viewings! Here is a small sample of what we heard/saw:

B-School

2010-04-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Obtaining an MBA is something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember. If some of you remember a few years back I got accepted to Arizona State's MBA program, but the rather sudden move back to Boston in 2008 put that hope on hold, err stop. I don't know how long I'll be staying in Boston this time around, but as far as I know it's indefinite. But who really knows? Regardless, I still had high hopes for getting an MBA, so being in Boston ultimately turned out to be fortuitous since it offered so many great schools nearby.

Starting the MBA research all over again was a daunting task, but having lived out in Boston growing up I was already relatively familiar with the schools in the area. I took it upon myself to find the best program for me all while taking into account a number of different things like cost, location, student satisfaction, curriculum, ROI, etc., as well as rankings and accreditation.

I won't bore you with the details of my decision making, but to make a long story short I had a brief list of schools I wanted to personally visit: Boston University, Northeastern, and Bentley. Also Suffolk and Babson were on the radar, too.

I knew that Boston University was the #1 ranked part-time program in Boston, so there was definitely something they are doing well. I went to one informational session, talked with a few members of the admission council as well as a handful of current students and I was smitten. The more I researched it and read up on the school, the more I felt that BU would be a great fit for me. Additionally, the staff at the graduate admissions office were extremely professional and always returned correspondence within a day! (Would you believe that I emailed a few other schools requesting more information about their programs and they never emailed me back!?!).

The application process for BU's program was extensive: four essays(!), two "letters" of recommendations which turned out to be more of an intensive questionnaire on the candidate you were recommending, and a one-on-one interview, not to mention the usuals...college transcripts, resume, GMAT scores, etc. As far as I know, BU is the only school that required an interview for their part-time program and that meant alot to me. It really shows you how hard they are actively finding the right professionals for their program.

My GMAT scores were lower than I would have liked, but I think my undergrad GPA, work experience, etc, was up to par with other applicants. The days leading up to the interview were nerve-racking, but it ultimately ended well. My interviewer, Liz, was an angel and made the experience very comfortable.

After the interview, things we out of my hands - I had done all I could do and then it became a waiting game...and wait I did! I was supposed to have a decision mailed to me by 15 April, but after 19 April I still hadn't heard word back. Turns out there was a slight "miss-filing" at the admissions office, so they basically told me via email that I was accepted! Yea! ( I still haven't received my official letter in the mail yet!) I was extremely nervous waiting for a decision. I can't even tell you what a relief it was to get accepted! And good thing I did get accepted - it was the only school I applied to, and quite frankly, the only school I wanted to go to. Trust me, I did not want to deal with applying to other schools and going through their application process!

I will always be a BYU supporter at heart and forever a die-hard Cougar fan, but I never had intentions of going to BYU for a graduate program. I had the BYU experience as an undergrad and definitely wanted a change. I hope I can represent BYU well during the next three years. I also feel slightly disappointed that I never got a chance to go to Arizona State, but after all is said and done, Boston University's part-time MBA program ranks well ahead of BYU and ASU, so things have turned out great so far. Rankings aside, I'm very comfortable with my decision.

Despite being out of study mode for about seven years, I'm really excited for the program to begin. But better late than never right!?! I've since joined the ubiquitous Facebook page for the incoming students and have learned that other great schools across the country will be represented in the program: Stanford, UCLA, George Washington, Bentley, Brown, U of Florida, Holy Cross, to name a few. I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit intimidated, but I know I can hang. Three years is a long time. Here we go...now the hard part begins.

California Dreamin'

2010-04-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

One of my goals in 2010 was to cut back on travel and the expenses that inevitably come with it, but when long-time friend, Gabby, invited me out to LA, I couldn't resist. Being a teacher, Gabby had the week off and didn't have any plans set in stone, so we made a nice little vacation together.

I had been to LA once before when I was 19 - right before my 2 year mission to Japan, so to see LA again was long overdue. If my memory served me correctly, I wasn't a big fan of LA when I first visited there back in 1998. One of the few images I still see in my memory bank was driving down from La Crescenta and seeing a nasty smog-cloud over the city.

Unfortunately this more recent trip to LA didn't change my perception of LA much. Don't get me wrong, it's a great city with lots to offer and plenty to see, but I personally have no desire to ever life there. The constant traffic everywhere by itself would keep me from ever living out there. San Diego is another story...

Ok, enough of me bashing LA...

Gabby and I pretty much played by ear when deciding what to do. Ultimately our list ended up consisting of a trip to Disneyland, watching a Lakers basketball game, visiting the Le Brea Tar Pit and Museum (did you know much of LA used to be covered in tar!!!), walking around the Farmer's Market, meeting up with some of Gabby's friends in Santa Monica, attending a funeral (of Gabby's Aunt), and other little excursions. We also spent a few day's at Gabby's childhood home in Huntington Beach where I got to meet her parents again.

All in all it was a great trip despite hitting traffic EVERYWHERE we went no matter what time of day it was. Gabby played a great host and perfect tour guide!

Here are some pictures in no particular order.

Gabby and I right before the Lakers game.

At Farmer's Market

Disneyland.

Gabby insisted that I get my picture taken in front of the princess castle. I'm surprised she stopped laughing long enough to take this picture.

Lakers game.

To infinity and beyond! I think one of the funnest parts of Disneyland was simply seeing how happy some of the kids were just to be there. Disneyland is like crack for children!

Standing outside the Staples Center right before the Lakers game.

At the La Brea Tar Pit and Museum.

Farmers Market.

Disneyland

Rose Bowl.

Nice to Mitt you!

2010-04-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

I try really hard not to like Mitt Romney simply because I don't want to be cast into the same group of people who like him because they share some insignificant commonalities - BYU grad, Mormon, his ties to Massachusetts and Utah, etc. But no matter how hard I try, I'm convinced he should be President. I understand his reasoning, respect his King Midas touch on past business ventures, and believe his policies will be best for America.

I had known about his book tour for some time now, and marked the Manchester, NH date on my calendar weeks ago. I arrived at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm's College at 6:15pm eagerly looking forward to getting a great seat for his 7pm speech, only to find out his speech began at 5:30pm!!! I was thoroughly disappointed that I missed his speech, but I did catch the tail end of his Q & A session. Thank goodness I decided to get there early, otherwise I might have missed the entire session!

Recently I purchased his book, No Apology, but haven't yet begun to read it. (I committed to finishing the two books I'm currently reading before I start any new books). I was only in line about 20 minutes before I was able to meet him and I must say I was quite nervous. The meeting was brief. I simply told him I was a big supporter, had him sign my copy of his book, and asked for a picture. The entire encounter was probably less than a minute, but well worth the wait and the drive up to Manchester.

I'm well aware of the hoards or Obama faithful out there (including my own sisters!) so I need to watch what I say, but I can't wait for an opportunity to see Mitt run for President (again!) in 2012!

The tail end of Q & A.

Waiting in line...

I was so nervous to finally get to Mitt's table!

Nieces...

2010-04-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I needed an excuse to post pictures of my three nieces, but I really couldn't justify it, besides simply wanting to do it, and showing them off a bit. Of course, I'm partial to my nieces, but I can't get over how cute these little crumb-cruchers are!

All three of my sisters are married and have one girl/each. How ironic that I would grow up with three sisters only to have each of them bring more girls into our family!

Oldest to youngest:

MAYA:

She is the oldest of the nieces. I get to see her tomorrow!!!

LUCY:

Not the "baby" of the babies anymore, Lucy will be 1 year old soon. I look forward to seeing her again in June, too.

OLIVE:
Less than 2 months old....lives in Utah. I have yet to meet her! I have a tentative plan to fly to Utah in June for a good friends wedding, so I look forward to meeting Olive for the first time.

Out and About in the Bay State

2010-04-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Even though I grew up in the northern part of Mass before a 10 year hiatus out west and overseas, it never ceases to amaze me what is practically in my backyard. I had been to Gloucester before for a whale watching trip, but I've never really taken the opportunity to drive along the coast of northeastern Mass. Until last Sunday that is. We tried to get larger numbers for our adventure, but ultimately just three of us ended up going - myself, Lumina, and Rene. We drove to the Beverly/Salem area and then pretty much drove on route 127 along the coast passing, Beverly, Magnolia, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Gloucester and a handful of other quaint little New England towns. We made random stops here and there and played the trip by ear. Here are a few pictures in no particular order:

I have no idea what this truck was for, but Lumina wanted a picture by it.

Rene manning the life-guard station

Lumina enjoying the ocean breeze!

Gloucester

No fish.

Resting.

"Shed" - ing some light on storage

2010-04-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

For years, the garage has been filled with garden tools, automotive miscellanea, and other randomness. Does anyone have a tidy garage that is not filled with years of accumulated stuff? I can't even remember a time when there was actually a car in the garage!

When my dad agreed a shed would be a good idea, I jumped on researching shed designs, prices, etc. Initially I wanted to build it myself, by after pricing them out, it just wasn't worth my time to save a few hundred bucks when you can buy from a place that specializes in building/installing sheds. I was thinking something in the 8x10 range would work, but dad wanted bigger. Could I complain? It's his money!

The new 10x18 shed:

They build most of the shed in a warehouse and then assembly it on sight. They were only in my yard for about 3 hours!

Windows facing the garden (and the sun)!

I've since added a few latches that lock via heavy-duty pad-locks. Additionally, all the expensive tools, machinery are locked together inside the shed.

Now that the shed is up and functional, one of my next projects it to repaint the entire garage, get a new garage door with a garage opener, and redo some shelving. AND....drum roll please.....park an actual vehicle in the garage (which will come in very handle during these wintry New England winters)!

My new "yak"

2010-04-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

I've wanted a kayak for years, even though I only remembering kayaking once in my life on a short vacation in Hawaii years ago. One of my goals for 2010 is to spend more time doing recreational things outdoors -fishing, kayaking, hiking, etc. I often strolled by the EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports) in the mall whenever I was nearby, so when they had some of last years kayaks on clearance for nearly 1/2 off, I couldn't resist.

Taking the kayak out on a river or lake is forthcoming, but I failed to realize how much kayak accessories are! Paddles, roof racks, etc, were alot more than I wanted to spend, but what good is a kayak without a paddle or a safe way to transport it, right. Regardless, I reluctantly bought all the bells and whistles needed and can't wait for the weather to warm up even more! Luckily I have another good friend with a kayak and we plan on a handful of fishing excursions this summer.

Here she is:

I hope the kayak doesn't fly off my truck when I finally get around to getting on the highway!

WWBHJD

2010-02-24T08:42:00.001-08:00

When work issues get out of hand or when I need a little inspiration, I often find myself asking, "what would bobble head Jesus do."

Bye, Bye PC, hello Mac

2010-02-15T18:47:00.001-08:00

My five-year-old computer pooped the bed a few weeks ago at a very inopportune time. (Is there ever an opportune time for a computer to crash?). And after spending my entire Saturday trying to fix/restore it, I finally decided to buy a new computer instead of pumping endless amounts of money into an archaic (in computer terms!) PC.

After years of PC troubles and having three computers completely die on me in the last 10 years, I finally decided to gravitate towards Macs since I have heard nothing but good things about them from the friends and family that have them.

Long story short, I bought a new 21.5" iMac and LOVE IT! The whole buying experience at the Apple store was a dream and it was no surprise to see why Apple owns the digital media world. Although, it's still a wonder why PCs are even around with the more user-friendly Macs. Go figure!

I was definitely skeptical at first, but barring some huge, unforeseen catastrophe, I think I'm Mac for life. I guess the old adage is true....Once you go Mac, you never go back!

It's a GIrl!

2010-02-15T18:29:00.001-08:00

My little sister, Emily, recently celebrated the much anticipated arrival of their daughter. Olive Kumiko Haleck was born on Saturday, January 23, 2010. Now, all three of my sisters have one daughter of their own. I'm surrounded by girls!

Unfortunately, I have was not in Utah for the birth (or since) but all has been well for mother and daughter since. Here are some pictures of my newest niece!

Hitting the Links.

2009-11-17T12:40:00.001-08:00

It's official. I have a new addiction. I've always liked golf, but never owned clubs until about 6 years ago when a former boss bought me a set of irons. Since then I've added some other clubs to my bag and tried to play once or twice a year when I was in Utah, Chicago, Arizona, etc. But since being back in Massachusetts I've tried to play more and really learn the game. Fortunately I have a good friend who loves golf as well, so we try (weather permitting) to play every Saturday. Between rain-outs, traveling, and other things that get in the way, I still usually play about twice a month. It still kills me how much it rains out here! Anyways....if you even wonder why I'm not answering my phone on Saturday morning, its probably because I'm doing alot of this...

My friend Scott.

Scott's Dad.

Scott's dad again. He loves that white sweater!

Ever once in a while Scott's younger brother will tag along too.

Finished! (mostly)

2009-11-17T12:20:00.001-08:00

The tool room remodel is essentially complete. Technically, I still need to paint the floor, install the drop ceiling and install a door, but once I moved all the contents back into that room, I considered it complete!
I don't have too many "before" pictures, but overall I'm happy with the outcome. Finally I have a place to put all the tools and can easily find just about any tool I am looking for.

Before...

After! The workbench that sits just under the tool pegboard was a recent hand-me-down from my grandmother in Maine. It used to belong to my grandfather who passed away nearly 20 years ago and had been sitting unused in a basement for years. It was nice to have something of my grandfather's at my place now. It's a great, sturdy, workbench, too!

Before...

After!

Finally, some good storage for coats and shoes!

Tool Room Update #1

2009-10-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

The tool room remodel is coming along. I would say that about 80% of it is done, but the remaining 20% continues to linger. As you can see from the pictures, one side of the room is about done. The other side (where the jackets, gloves, hats, etc, will go) will hopefully get done in the next week or so. I'm still debating whether or not to do some built-in seating below the window. Hmm...

The built-in shelving is stained and finally able to house some of the random clutter that has been all over the place these last few months. The brown color looked a lot nicer on the sample at Home Depot then it does on the wall, but still a good color considering it's just a tool room.

Finished the trim around the door, but I still need to clean up some paint drips on the door.

Projects, projects, projects!

2009-10-22T11:35:00.001-07:00

I think I was a carpenter in another life. I love working with my hands. And tools....what guy doesn't like tools!?! In addition, we all like the satisfaction of "doing it ourselves" right?

With my parents in Japan, they've pretty much given me free roam around the house to do as I please. Besides liking things clean and neat for myself, I want to make sure my parents come home to a nicer house then when they left. I have a lot of ideas for the house, but so far time constraints have those plans mostly in my head and only a few of those projects have come to fruition. I'm way behind on my "to do" list.

However, the current project is a mud/tool room in the basement. Previously, this section of the basement was unfinished and boasted a mix of tools flung on the walls while shoes and other random stuff really didn't have a home. So far, I've added a wall which will separate the tool room from the food storage/laundry area. The drywall is done. The mudding and sanding of the drywall is done. I'm going to put up pegboard throughout for the tools on one side, while making a tidier area for jackets, coats, gloves, etc. Again, I forgot to take "before" pictures, but here is some of the progress so far.

Built-in shelving will go to the right of this wall.

I added this wall to separate the laundry room from the tools, etc.

Tools will go on this wall.

The new bow (not bay!) window

2009-10-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

I finally convinced my parents to invest in a new bow window for the living room. The old one was on its death bed and would be hard-pressed to make it through another winter. Although I enjoy doing little projects around the house, installing a huge bow window was not exactly up my alley, so we hired professionals. One day later, here are the results, although hard to tell since I don't have the "before" pictures.

The finished product.

Whale Watching

2009-10-21T09:00:00.001-07:00

A few friends and I got together and went whale watching. Although I had gone whale watching once before off the San Diego coast, this was actually my first time whale watching in New England. The boat left Gloucester, MA and took us some distance out into the ocean where we followed three whales for a few hours. Although it was interesting to see, whales aren't the most active animals and besides a few extended rolls from ocean to surface back into the water, it was difficult to see more than a small section of their backs.

The tour guides were helpful with their whale expertise, but they weren't too amused when I asked where they kept the harpoons.

Pre-whale watch nap.

Napping, part deux. (and yes, my receding hairline is getting out of control. Sigh.)

New Phone Number

2009-10-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings family, friends, and random people who stumbled upon my blog!

I have a new cell phone number! As much as I would love to post it here for all to see, I think a more controlled way to get the word out is to add it to my Facebook profile. So, I have added my new 978 area code phone number to my Facebook and will no longer have my 602 area code number.

If you're not on my Facebook, just send me an email if you need my number.

U2

2009-09-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

Like most other people, I'm a big fan of music. I probably value my iPod more than my cell phone. I've been a fan of U2 for years and have always wanted to see them live. Some friends and I bought our tickets months ago and the day finally arrived to see them perform at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, home of the New England Patriots. Even though I have been a lifelong Patriots fan, this was my first time ever seeing Gillette Stadium, too! (or the old Foxboro Stadium, for that matter).

The traffic down to Foxboro was horrendous - the last 10 miles or so probably took us about an hour. After playing $40 (!!!) for parking and walking 15 minutes to the stadium, we arrived just before U2 came on stage. They played alot of their newer stuff to start, which, unfortunately, I didn't know that well, but towards the end of their performance they played more of there older (better?) songs. Unfortunately, the horror of the commute to the stadium was more than enough persuasion to prompt us to leave the concert early to avoid the gridlock that would inevitable follow. That said, we missed the last hour or so of the concert, but did avoid the frustration of post-concert traffic.

All in all it was a good concert even though much of the music sounded echoey (did I just make up that word?), but maybe that was just a result of our nose-bleed seats!

Some pictures:

Our tickets!

Anita, Carolina, and me.

Everybody, including random guy on the right.

Wendy, Rene, Lumina.

U2's 40 million dollar stage!

Red Sox game #3

2009-09-22T08:03:00.001-07:00

Third time is a charm, right?

Way back in April (before that?) my friend Scott told me of a friend of his that has season tickets to the Red Sox. Even the most devoted fans have trouble attending all the Red Sox home games, so each year this season ticket holder sells some of his tickets to close friends and family for face value. Even "face value" can get pricey in these parts, but splurging once a year won't hurt, especially when showing your devotion to the Sox, right?

Accompanying Scott and I were our better half's (halves?) Carolina and Melissa. The seats were the best I ever had - just off of home plate about 10 rows back.

Oh, and for what it's worth...I have been to three Red Sox games this year and the Red Sox are 3-0 in those games! Maybe I should attend more games!

Carolina, me, Scott, Melissa.

Big Papi!

Family Trip to Japan (minus me)

2009-09-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

While I took an earlier trip to Japan at the beginning of August, my three sisters (and their families) visited Japan in September when the weather would be slightly cooler and things wouldn't be so hectic at my grandfather's place. Originally, I was planning on going with my sisters, but after being asked to play tour guide a few months back, I decided to go a few weeks early, thus missing a rare opportunity to get the entire family together. My trip was more of the touristy/travel stuff, but I my sisters' trip was more family focused, although they did do their share of sightseeing as well.

Even though I was not there for this particular set of adventures, I thought it would be nice to share some photos of their excursions in Japan was well as general family time photos. Plus, I'm always looking for reasons to post pictures of my cute nieces, Maya and Lucy. Most of these pictures were taken directly from Elaine's blog, so I apologize if they are heavy towards the Elaine, Mike, and Maya.

Pictures, in no particular order:

Emily and Jared

Proud mothers: Elaine with Maya, Annie with Lucy.

Walking down the street in the little village of Nozumi.

Lucy

Elaine and Maya chatting through Skype with Dada (Mike) before he flew to Japan to meet up with them.

Where my parents are staying, my grandfather has one car. Since alot of the family would be in town for a few weeks, my grandfather bought another car for my parents so it would be easier to haul everyone around. Definitely not the biggest car on the lot, apparently.

My two nieces, Mayumi and Lucy.

Ojii-chan (My grandfather) in one of his rare trips outside the house these days.

(My) mom and baby Lucy.

Part of the Sturgis clan trying to find their way around Tokyo.

The Dayton Family (Annie, Brandon, and Lucy) on the Shinkansen on their way to visit my mom and dad.

My mom and Maya.

Forget the shrine, check out these pebbles!

Maya has a fascination with fish!

Maya at the fish market.

My mom cutting up some sashimi. Believe it or not, all three of my brother's in law love sushi and sashimi! Surprisingly, my mom who is 100% japanese doesn't like either one of them.

Maya helping Aunt Emily perpare dinner.

Lucy on the beach with Uncle Jared and Maya in the background.

Uncle Jared and Maya.

My dad teaches english part-time at a nearby high school and brought Elaine, Mike, and Maya in for a day. Here, Maya and Mike pass time in calligraphy class.

Proud mother Annie with Lucy.

When my dad brought Maya around the school, she was treated like celebrity. It's not too often you see a cute baby with blond hair and blue eyes in your school.

Maya tending to the gravesite of my grandmother who passed away some 11 years ago.

Great-grandfather and great-grand-daughter.

BYU vs. Oklahoma football game

2009-09-08T11:53:00.001-07:00

After last season I've learned to be very cautious of what I say about BYU football in fear of jinxing their season. Of course, I could only hope that what I say or do had any bearing on the outcomes of their games.

It was hard to ignore the hype built around the BYU vs. Oklahoma football game. It was Saturday night's featured game on ESPN and one of a small handful of football games that kicked off the college football season. Oklahoma was favored by 22 points. That was enough to motivate BYU.

I was on a mini-vacation to Martha's Vineyard and dragged Carolina along with me to a few local hot spots that would show the game. She knew I was a fan of BYU football, but never realized to what extent until the game started. I tried my best to include her in my world during the duration of the game, but she quickly realized that her questions and comments would most likely have to wait for a commercial break if it elicited a response. Unfortunately, that will probably be the last time she watches a BYU football game with me. Sigh.

If you're not a college football fan, the details of the game won't matter. If you are a college football fan, you already know the outcome...BYU 14, Oklahoma 13.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/stewart_mandel/09/06/mandel.overtime/index.html?eref=sihpT1

Coach Bronco Mendenhall celebrates after a BYU goal-line stand.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford was knocked out of the game right before the second half, but BYU was already dominating statistically even before 2008's Heisman Trophy winner left with a sprained shoulder.

Max Hall ended up with Player of the Week honors and catapulted himself into Heisman contention after passing for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns.

BYU won despite 4 turnovers!

BYU celebrates it 4th quarter touchdown, giving them the edge, 14-13.

Martha's Vineyard

2009-09-08T11:52:00.001-07:00

Of the two main islands that sit off of Cape Cod, I had been to Nantucket about 6 years ago with my good friend, Hayley, but I had yet to see Martha's Vineyard until last weekend. A group of six of us rented a room at a hostel for a night and ventured for much of the time without a plan. We rented scooters for the duration which made for easy (but not necessarily safe) travel throughout the island. We relaxed on the beach, ate at local restaurants/shops, and did alot of window shopping

On the 45 minute ferry ride to Martha's Vineyard

On the ferry.

Me and Joe showing off our bellies. Joe wins!

At a local sandwich shop. My hands were full so instead of carrying my moped helmet, it was just easier to wear it.

Not exactly tropical, but the water was actually pretty nice once you got in.

Our shared room in the hostel.

Trying to put on my sweatshirt, but forgetting to realize that I was still wearing my helmet.

Mopeds!

Carolina and I by the gingerbread houses.

Bienvenido a Miami

2009-09-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

Everytime I think of Miami I always remember that Will Smith song, "Welcome to Miami" for some reason. Anyways, a few weekends ago, Carolina and I took a trip down to Ft. Lauderdale/Miami to see some of her family. It was my first trip to Miami - or Florida for that matter. The weather was noticably more humid than Boston, but that was expected. I was only there for two shorts days, but was able to squeeze in some sightseeing down by South Beach, a club in Miami, and good food all mingled together with fun times with Carolina's family.

Hanging out at Sandy's house.

Carolina and I with her dad who was in town from Venezuela.

Carolina and Wendy

This was about 3am!

Carolina and her cousins, Wendy, Sandy, Shirly.

Sleep!

Doing dishes inside Wendy and Rafael's posh downtown Miami condo.

Trip to Japan

2009-08-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Japan, my second home. It wasn't my first trip there and, barring some unforeseeable major event, it won't be my last time there. If I remember correctly, this most recent trip was my 11th time there, granted that total includes a handful of trips when I was really young that I don't even remember.

For the most part, the weather was super hot and humid, but I knew this would be the case. August in southern Japan is as predictable as winter in Antarctica. In many of the pictures that follow, you might notice a small towel around my neck. This was to constantly wipe the sweat from my face while in some of the more humid places like Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara.

Traveling with 4 girls was interesting, to say the least. If you're a guy, I wouldn't recommend it. The estrogen to testosterone level was tipped in their favor, as was evident in the numerous pit stops to local boutiques and clothing outlets. In the bible when it mentions that it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, I think the Chris Sturgis translation will read, "it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than to get four women to get ready on time." Nevertheless, it was a great vacation and I enjoyed the company.

Although some of the sights I had seen before, most of the touristy things we saw were new to me. The following is a rather long description of our general itinerary. Feel free to skip the narrative and go right to the pictures.

SATURDAY:
Since Gabby lives in LA, and I live in Boston, we were not on the same flight. Ironically we still arrived within 20 minutes of each other and met up in the baggage claim area. From there, we took a train and then a taxi to the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo where we met up with Gabby's friend Meredith, and Meredith's two cousins, Alicia and Ashley.

Gabby and Meredith in their cozy western style bed - no futons tonight.

SUNDAY:
Our first activity of the day would be a trip to Harajuku, recently made (more) famous my Gwen Stefani and her love of Japan fashion and her "harajuku girl" dancers. Harajuku is the section in Tokyo were anything goes in fashion. Girls (and guys, too, apparently!) are seen wearing a myriad of unique outfits, from punk styles, to preppy, to school-girl to goth. Between walks down some of the busier streets, we stopped at some of the larger stores there, including Forever 21, H &M, Gap, as well as numerous local shops. After Harajuku, we simply crossed to street to view the Meiji Shrine, one of the more famous shrines in the greater Tokyo area. We then took a train to Tokyo Tower where we walked around the observation deck which was located about half-way up the tower.

Riding the Tokyo subway. The public transportation system in Japan is masterful and would put to shame anything we have here in the US.

Security guards and lines out the door at Forever 21!?!

A harajuku girl.

The main drag in Harajuku. Can you say crowded?

It's not only the girl who have fun with their costumes. I love the look on the guy in the background. Priceless!

More weirdos.

The entrance to the Meiji shrine

Rain delay portrait.

This was hiliarious. There was a set-up there in which you could purchase wood block tablets to write your wishes/hopes on. This one cracked me up.

Tokyo Tower, day.

Enjoying the views from the Observation deck.

Tokyo Tower, night.

This phallus shaped character is the Tokyo tower mascot. Creepy.

You wish, Alicia, you wish!

MONDAY:
We got a late start and didn't leave out hotel until after 11am, but found our way to the Tokyo Train Station where we got our Shinkansen (Bullet Train) tickets to travel to Osaka. Since Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara are relatively close, we choose to stay in Osaka since it seems somewhat central to that area and allowed us to travel easily to other areas. We stayed three nights at the Osaka Club Hokke Hotel where we stayed in traditional Japanese style hotel rooms, called "ryoukan." Our ryoukan rooms were small, but cozy. We slept on futons which were set on tatami matted floors. On the top floor was an "ofuro" (public bath house) overlooking the city. After we got settled into our hotel we hopped a train and went to Namba, the covered shopping center of Osaka. While in Namba, we stopped at numerous shops, enjoyed the sights and sounds of Osaka and had dinner at a "kaiten" sushi restaurant. Kaiten sushi places are special sushi restaurants were you sit at a bar and the sushi comes past the patrons on a conveyor belt system and you simply take small plates of sushi that you would like to eat. Generally, these plates have 2 piece of sushi on them. At the end of dinner you pay based on how many plates you have. Even though these "kaiten" sushi places are all over Japan, this was actually my first time ever eating at one. My seven plates of sushi came to 910 yen, or about $9 - well worth it.

Tokyo to Osaka, 120 MPH.

Kaiten sushi

Notice the sushi on the conveyor belt.

TUESDAY:
Our first excursion of the day brought us to Osaka Castle, one of the most famous castles in Japan. With the weather being hot and humid, the long walk to the castle mixed in with a few sets of stairs could've been more pleasant, but the castle itself was gorgeous and the views from the top were great. Lunch was at a restaurant right next to the castle where the girls had Reimen (cold noodles), tempura udon, and mugi-cha tea. I had curry rice...mmm. From Osaka Castle we walked to the Osaka Peace Museum, a museum dedicated to those who lost their lives during the WWII bombings by the American's. The museum was enlightening and depicted in great detail some descriptive personal accounts of the war. One of the most interesting things I read was when I first entered the museum. An introductory placard clearly blamed Japan itself for the horrors of the bombings at Osaka. Throughout the museum, there were no attempts to save face as the museum portrayed numerous accounts of heinous war crimes committed by Japanese soldiers in China and elsewhere in the Pacific, as well as placing blame on the Japanese for "awakening a giant" after the bombings at Pearl Harbor. The video footage and photographs were a grim reminder of the tensions that once existed between Japan and the United States - a stark contrast to today. From there, we went on to the Osaka Aquarium, which housed an enormous fish tank containing thousands of fish, sharks, rays, octopus, etc. The best part of the aquarium was the section where you could touch the sting rays, get right next to the penguins, and see other oceanic creatures face to face. Dinner that night was at a Turkish, all-you-can-eat joint in a shopping complex next to the aquarium.

Osakajo

Notice the gross sweat marks on my shoulders even after I took my backpack off!! Can you said hot and humid? Showers have never felt so good!

The girls enjoying lunch on the grounds of Osakajo

Outside the Osaka Aquarium - the best aquarium I have been to.

The girls inside one of the tunnels.

Meredith with some of the scariest looking animals I have ever seen! These things look like super rats! However, they seemed pretty docile and even made a purring sounds similar to a cat. Go figure.

Gabby and Alicia playing with the fish and sting rays.

Outside the Aquarium on our way to dinner.

Good food! While in Japan I earned my master black belt in eating!

WEDNESDAY:

We traveled to Kyoto, Japan's former capital city before Tokyo. Our first stop was at Kinkakuji, Japan's famous castle covered in gold leaf. I have wanted to see this sight for years, but was a bit disappointed to realize how small it is. Entry inside the structure is not allowed. Our next tourist sight was Nijojo, and ancient palace for feudal lords. We got there a bit late and were the last group allowed in. Although I had seem this temple in my 2007 trip to Japan, the girls enjoyed walking on the nightingale floors and reading up on the history of some of the ancient Japanese rituals. There is a flower garden/pond surrounding the grounds which adds a nice element to the area. Because we were the last groups allowed in, it was no surprise when grounds workers were anxiously waiting for us to leave, but as we got closer and closer to exiting, the incessant invites to hurry up were strange. Once we exited the compound, it all made sense - they were waiting for us to leave because they had an entire film crew set up to shoot what appeared to be some sort of ancient samurai-type film. After our brisk exit from Nijojo, we briefly walked around the Kyoto Imperial Palace but were not allowed entry into the actual buildings. Apparently special permission is needed and we didn't have it.

Standing next to Kinkakuji (the Golden Palace)

Looking for fish in the gardens surrounding Nijojo.

Some of the characters getting ready for the film shoot.

On a bridge at the Kyoto Imperial Gardens

THURSDAY:

Thursday was the day I split off from the four girls who went further south to spent time with Alicia and Ashley's parents who are serving a mission in Fukuoka. Although I would love to have visited Fukuoka, a section of Japan I have never been to, I looked forward to taking this time to travel in the opposite direction to spend some time with my parents who are living in Nozumi, Niigata. Before I went back to Tokyo to transfer out to Niigata, I made a brief detour to Nara to visit an old friend from my mission days, Chinatsu Okita. Chinatsu (Sister Okita) was in the Kushiro area when I first started my two year mission back in 1998 and we've kept in touch ever since then. When she arrived at the Nara train station I barely recognized her since she had lost so much weight. I wish that was the case with me! I didn't have too much time to spend with Chinatsu, unfortunately, since I needed to catch a train, but we did have an hour or so to walk to Nara Park, Nara's most famous attraction that is home to hundreds of domesticated deer, eager for a free snack. Although I have been to this park about 20 years ago, it was fun to be back. Even with the blazing hot sun and the brutal humidity, it was refreshing to walk around town with a good friend. After yet another Shinkansen ride, I was finally able to met up with my parent's that night at the Nagaoka Station where they picked me up and drove me to Nozumi, my Mom's hometown and location of many childhood memories. It was refreshing to know that the weather was much more comfortable there than southern Japan. Luckily for me, it was Obon - a time of year when many people travel to see family and celebrate their ancestry. So, in addition to me, my grandfather's house was also temporary quarters to my aunt Yoko, my great-uncle Seishiro, his wife Keiko, and their Pomeranian dog, Cherry. My Great-Aunt, Mini was there with her husband, and, of course, my Grandfather (Ojii-chan) was there.

Meeting up with Chinatsu Okita.

Feeding the deer (shika) at Nara Park

FRIDAY:

Friday started off under somewhat gloomy conditions, but the weather had nothing to do with it. I tagged along to a funeral of a close friend of my parent's. Their former branch president of their Mormon church passed away due to complications dealing with stomach and liver cancer. Apparently he was diagnosed with the ailment in December, and being too late to operate, the cancer took his life less than nine months later. He was only 45 years old and left behind a wife and two teenage children. Sad. After the funeral, my mom dropped my dad and I off at the local train station where we hopped on a local train towards Niigata City. From there, my dad gave me a personal tour of Seiryo High School, where he is a part time English teacher. Afterwards we walked around, did some shopping, and ate dinner before finally heading back to Nozumi.

(Sorry, no pictures for Friday)

SATURDAY:

My dad and I went out to a few local places including a drive up to the top of the mountain that is the backdrop to my grandfather's house. We also visited a few temples/shrines, a local lighthouse, and some nearby beach spots. Later that evening there was a little Obon festival in the streets were we watched some traditional Japanese dancing done by the locals. To end the day, Dad and I went to Taiko No Yu Onsen, a natural hot spring public bathhouse in the adjacent town.

At a mountain-top launching pad for hang-gliders.

Father and son

Footbridge

Exploring the nearby beaches

Dad.

Obon dancing in the tiny little town of Nozumi, where my grandfather (and parents) live.

SUNDAY:

It's been a tradition at my Grandfather's house to send out a bouquet or small straw-made boat out into the ocean during the morning in celebration of the Obon holiday. I'm not sure of all of the details of why, but basically it's a sign of remembrance to those ancestors that passed on. In the past, my Uncle had the honors of swimming into the ocean and releasing the offering into the sea. Unfortunately, my uncle is not on the nest terms with my grandfather right now, so being the most junior person there by about 30 years, I was given the "honor" of getting into the cold ocean water to set of the offering, which would inevitably just wash right back to shore within the hour. Regardless, I dutifully swam out and pushed the offering out. Once I swam back to shore, however, I was asked to send another one out as well. By this time, my body had acclimated to the cold water and felt somewhat comfortable. Bouquet #1 was quickly joined by bouquet #2. After a quick shower and a few farewells, it was off to Tokyo once again to meet up with Gabby and Meredith, who were returning from Fukuoka. On the Shinkansen ride back to Tokyo, I was accompanied by my Aunt Yoko who was returning to her home in Chiba, just outside Tokyo. Once in Tokyo, we said our goodbye's and went our separate ways. Ironically, I was heading to a different part of Chiba to spend the next few days at my cousin Masami's house. Masami is the oldest son of my aunt Yoko. When I got to Masami's house, my other cousin, Aiko was there with her husband and two little boys. It was good to catch up with everyone, but unfortunately I wasn't able to see Masami's wife and newborn baby, Yua. who were down in Nara visiting family. Gabby and Meredith joined us later that night.

Walking to the beach from my Grandfather's (Ojii-chan) house.

Coming back to shore after sending off the offerings.

Aunt Mini, Mom, Aunt Yoko, Uncle Seishiro watching on.

Some local townsfolk. Apparently, I'm related to some (most?) of them.

MONDAY:

Monday would be our last full day in Japan. We started the day by going to Tsukiji, a world-famous section of Tokyo known for its fresh fish and delectable sushi. We missed the hustle and bustle of the fish auctions that take place most mornings there, but we were able to eat some great sushi at one of the many nearby sushi bars. From there, we went to Shinjuku, a major shipping hub of Tokyo. We did a bit of window shopping and found our way to a museum only to find it was closed. The local park in Shinjuku, however, was a fun place to visit despite it being a gathering place for many of the homeless in the area. Afterwards, we took a train to Akihabara, another shopping center in Tokyo known for its large array of low-priced electronics. Besides getting an 8GB thumb drive for about $15, I steered clear of buying cameras, camcorders, etc. After work, Masami met up with us and we ate some great "gyoudon" from a local diner.

Fresh sushi from Tsukiji fish market.

Relaxing and trying out the exercise section of the park in Shinjuku. My back needed a good stretch!

Eating gyudon (raw egg and all!) with my cousin Masami.

With Gabby and Meredith as they had their first taste of gyudon, minus the raw egg!

With Masami right before we headed home for the night.

TUESDAY:
Flew back to the states

Japan Miscellanea

2009-08-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Japan that really don't fall into the post above, but are still blog worthy.

Helping my new friend catch some fish!

Outside of Osaka Castle

By the Meiji Shrine.

Relaxing at the Osaka Aquarium

Shinjuku

Colonel Sanders

The girls and their pimp ride

On the subway in Tokyo

Outside a hotel in the Dotomburi section of Osaka.

Ashley and me trying to get our faces in line with the statues behind us.

At the waterfall in Shinjuku Park

Near Kinkaguji (The Golden Palace)

Meredith and me standing outside the "Cocoon" tower in Shinjuku.

Gabby and Meredith's new friend.

Waiting....I did alot of this. At the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo.

Riding the Shinkansen (bullet trains).

The girls taking a break right outside Osaka Castle.

By the Meiji Shrine in Harajuku.

What the?

Would You Like to Learn Engrish?

2009-08-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

If you have any travel experience to Japan or any other Asian country for that matter, it will be no surprise that we spotted quite a bit of oddball English wherever we traveled. Sometimes it was t-shirts or clothing, other times it was general signing, but regardless of what we read or where we saw it, it leaves one lasting question...."who the heck proof-reads this stuff?"

Here is a sampling of some of the "engrish" we ran across:

Most of the flashing comes before the flush!

You? What about me?

Naked fames....bad. Clothed flames...ok.

This was a restaurant, by the way.

Do what at the beach? Push ladies off the train platform?

Yeah, don't you know smorking causes rung cancer!

Red Sox Game #2

2009-07-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

CG: "Chris, I have an extra ticket to the RED SOX game on Saturday, wanna go?"

CS: "Do bears crap in the woods?"

CG: "I take that as a yes."

CS: "How much do I owe you for the ticket?"

CG: "Don't worry about it. My treat!"

Ok, well that is not exactly how the conversation went, but when a close friend offered me an extra ticket to go watch the Red Sox at Fenway, I cheerfully accepted, of course. I hadn't sat in the bleacher section at Fenway since I was a kid, but this time around the view wasn't nearly as bad as I remember. Granted, there were a few hits to deep center, including Big Papi's 3-run homerun, that I couldn't see, but overall the weather was great, the game was better, and the company was entertaining.

It was LDS night that night, so there were alot of soda-drinking, casserole loving, ice cream devouring, BYU graduating, Eagle Scout earning, cleanly-shaven, down to your knees short wearing, clean cut men and women there. Ironically, the pitcher that night for the Orioles was Jeremy Guthrie, an LDS guy himself. Jeremy actually went to BYU his freshman year before transferring to Stanford. We both were actually in the Missionary Training Center at the same time preparing for our missions, so we chatted a number of times and shared a mutual friend, Isabella. LDS ties aside, I'm still glad the Red Sox pounded him!

The view of the field from the bleachers.

Caro, David, me, Ben

I don't even remember this picture being taken. I'm sure I was pondering something like this..."When did I get so old? Most of the Red Sox players are younger than me!?!"

Wyatt was getting tired, needed some help getting around after the game.

Caro in one of her rare moments when she's not rolling her eyes at me.

Caro (bottom right) with her cousin (bottom left) with two boys she used to nanny for: David and Wyatt. Alex (the boy's dad) is in the back.

Summer Family Time

2009-07-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Having family that lives far away is tough at times. A few years ago I would have never believed that when I moved back to Boston, my family would still be far from me. It seems no matter where I end up, the majority of my immediate family remains a plane flight away. Nevertheless we try to get together as often as possibly. Last weekend, I was fortunate to have two sisters (with their husbands and little girls!) come back to Methuen and spend some time here. Annie's family was in town for a wedding and Elaine's family was here for a mini-vacation, I guess.

Although everyone still had their own agendas we still were able to spend some quality time together. We even took a day trip up to Maine together to see Grammie Erma, Uncle Tom, and Aunt Deanne. It was their first time meeting baby Lucy.

Me and Baby Lucy. Maya is currently in a band-aid phase and insists on sticking them just about everywhere, including Lucy's forehead!

Annnie with Grammie Erma holding Lucy.

Aunt Deanne with Lucy and Maya.

Grammie Erma with Baby Lucy

Uncle Tom holding Lucy. The look on Lucy's face is priceless.

Maya in hopefully one of many playtimes with Lucy

Maya and me with grapes on our mouths!

Mommy and Lucy

Grammie, Me and Maya.

4th of July

2009-07-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, a little late....

I've only seen the Boston fireworks on the Charles River live and in-person once before in my life - when I was 19 right before I was headed off to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) and then off to Japan. When I moved back last summer, the 4th of July weekend was my first weekend in town after transplanting from Arizona. This most recent 4th of July marked one year for me being back east! Time flies.

Lumina is a good friend who spearheads alot of get-togethers. I'm more passive in my attempts to get people together so its good to have friends like Lumina who can make things happen. I just get the invites. Lumina and her boyfriend Rene were kind enough to stake out spots on the coveted lawn areas right next to the Charles River - prime real estate for watching the fireworks.

It was great to be with friends this night was we listened to the Boston Pops, Neil Diamond, and others perform on a near perfect night in the city.

Riding the T on my way to Cambridge

Rene, Me, Scott...with dinner.

The always happy couple, Rene and Lumina.

Me, Christina, Rene, Lumina.

Christina, Carolina, Lumina.

Caro insisted on dancing to some of the songs.

Tree Fallin'

2009-07-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

If you lived in New England in December of last year, the ice storm we had was still a fairly recent memory. Nearly everyone had branches/trees fall in their yards. Even the roads were covered with debris and fallen phone/power lines.

A large branch had fallen on the roof at that time, but considering what could've happened, I was fortunate nothing worse happened. Regardless, since that infamous ice storm, one tree on the left side of the house had been damaged and has been precariously learning over the house ever since. The tree seemed to learn over the house a little bit more each week, and during a few recent thunderstorms I found myself a bit nervous as I laid in bed. If the tree were to fall on the house, my room would've been the unfortunate recipient of the brunt of the force - not something I want to walk up to!

Well, I finally for around to getting a tree removal service out to get rid of the leaning tree and one other large branch from another tree. Although it was only one large tree, is seemed to clear a huge part of the left side of the house. It almost looks like a new yard on the left side!

Fore!

2009-07-06T07:06:00.001-07:00

Thank goodness for long holiday weekends! Last Friday was a day-off from work due to the observance of the 4th of July, so what better way to celebrate than to plan golf? We traded our usual Saturday tee time for Friday and teed off around 7am at Campbell's Scottish Highlands in Salem, NH. The course was soaked due to the near month-straight incessant rainfall we've received. Needless to say, the course was tough due to its dampness, but still enjoyable. As usual, I missed my scoring goal of being under 100, but any day I don't snap a golf club in half out of frustration is a good day! (Actually, I have never done that - I'm much too cheap and would hate buying new clubs!)

Shortly after we finished the first round at Campbell's, my golf partner, Scott, suggested that we go play a second round at Merrimack - a course that I have never played, but is only about 1/2 mile from my house! The course has been completely remodeled and was still in the process of being finished up, but despite eight par 3's, it was a much better course than either of us expected.

The day ended with us playing golf until 5:30, nearly 11 hours of golf for the day. I've never played that much golf in a week, never mind one day!

Here are some random golf pics. Not all of these are necessarily from Friday:

Merrimack -the couse less than a mile from my house.

My balls are glorious!

The Miracle on 18th

2009-06-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, this probably won't excite you readers as much as it excited me, so feel free to completely skip this post, especially if you don't care for or understand golf. Alot of the story looses its luster when you aren't actually there to experience it.

Since the New England winter left, I've been trying to play a round of golf once a week. I caught on to golf shortly after a former boss in Utah bought me a set of golf clubs. In Arizona, I would probably only play 4 or 5 rounds of golf per year, but would hit at the driving range a few times per month. But in order to get any good at golf, you need to play actual courses more often.

Every golfing excursion this year so far has been with Scott, a friend of mine since high school. Together we've played about 7 or 8 rounds of golf already at various places including Green Meadows Golf Course, Campbell's Scottish Greenlands, and Windham Country Club. I'm not a good golfer by any stretch, but I think it's fair to say I'm decent. To me that means I will hit some beautiful tee shots, only to follow it up with putrid iron shots, or vice versa. To hit great consistently is what separates decent golfers for the likes of Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson. For your information I average about 105.

To make things more interesting during this most recent round of golf, Scott and I decided to make a friendly wager and put a prime rib dinner on the line. The bet: Scott gave me 5.5 stokes for the round, since he is a little better than me and usually scores about 5 strokes better than me. So, if Scott shot, say, a 100, I would need to shoot a 105 or better.

I will skip the details of the first 17 holes. As we were about to tee off for the 18th and final hole, Scott had a 8.5 stroke lead on me and was playing much better than me the entire day. To make a long story short, the 18th hole would be my last attempt to make up a seemingly impossible spread of 4 strokes (remember I had 5.5 strokes as my handicap). Fortunately, I saved my best golf of the day for the last hole. Scott did not.

I would love to try to elaborate on the details of this 18th hole, but it suffices to say that I ended up paring the par 5 after I drained a tough 15 foot putt! Scott, shot a 9, his worst score on a hole that day! To make matters worse for Scott, on this particular day we played with 5 other members of his family. All witnessed first hand the miracle on 18th!

My prime rib was delicious, and was made even more delectable knowing that Scott would cover the tab. To make things fair, I offered to choke on my prime rib so Scott and I would both have a good choke for the day. He didn't find it amusing.

Lucy Mei

2009-06-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post, my younger sister Annie recently gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Lucy Mei. Here are some recent pictures that I "borrowed" from Annie's blog so I could show off niece #2.

What big eyes!

Sleeping with George - one of the two family cats.

Sleeping.

More sleep. Apparently babies do alot of this. (Can you see the black cat looking on in the background?)

Brandon and Annie taking Lucy out for a hike.

Annie with her new bundle of joy - sleepy joy.

To the Land of the Rising Sun

2009-06-08T12:29:00.001-07:00

I recently bought my ticket to Japan in anticipation to see my parents as well as other friends and relatives. A good friend, Gabby, has decided to join me in hopes that I can play tour guide since she doesn't speak a word of Japanese. My Japanese, although somewhat rusty from my years of living in Hokkaido is still decent enough to get us around on our own ( I hope!).

The original plan was to meet up with Gabby in LA (where she currently lives) and then travel to Japan together, but there is a side to the airline industry I will never understand.

Roundtrip ticket from Boston to Tokyo = $700
Roundtrip ticket from Boston to LA = $1200

Does this make any sense at all?

The $700 ticket to Japan (actually it was $692 including all taxes!) was a big-time score, especially taking into account that it is a busy travel time. Thankfully this should free up a little bit more money to sightsee and move around the country.

Although I won't be on Gabby's flight from LAX to Narita (Tokyo's International Airport), coincidentally, we happen to arrive within 30 minutes of each other. We have no set plans as of yet, but I'll let Gabby be the deciding factor in where and what we do since this is her first trip there. Surely there will be a few days stay in Niigata, where my parents are currently residing, walking distance from the local beach.

Even though I was recently there in 2007, there still remains alot to be seen there. One thing I have wanted to do for years now is to hike Mt. Fuji, but alas, Mt Fuji closes (the trails, that is) late July. Bummer.

Regardless, I look forward to seeing new things, family time with my parent's and other relatives, and getting my fill on sushi, yakiniku, tebehodai's, sukiyaki, curry rice, gyudon, and the like. What I don't look forward to is the 16 hour flight from Boston to Tokyo and then back again!

Mt. Fuji will have to wait until next time.

Riding on the "shinkansen" to Niigata is always fun. Some of the world's fastest trains.

Summer Projects

2009-06-08T11:54:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure where I got the bug to constantly have projects going on, but maybe it's in the back of my mind that there is a slight possibility that my parents could (in theory) come back anytime from Japan, so maybe that is the driving force behind trying to get so much done around the house. The fact of the matter is, I actually love doing these projects, but I also want to make some nice improvements for my parents that will make life easier for them when they do indeed move back.

Beyond a ton of little projects, my current big project is finishing a section of the basement and turning it into a mud room, for lack of a better word. I want to section this part of the basement off from the other section that houses the food storage, washer/dryer, water heater, etc. I'm hoping to add an updated workbench and tool area to this small mud room as well as some bench seating and a closet and shelving for winter jackets, gloves, hats, and such.

So far I haven't made too much progress, but I have been able to get as far as clearing the whole room and sectioning off the area and securing the framing for the drywall which should go up soon. I also plan on adding a few electrical outlets, as there is currently only one on that entire side of the basement. I still haven't decided on what do do with the ceiling yet. Another drop ceiling maybe?

Here are some "before" pictures. I'm hoping to have some "after" pictures within a month or so. Don't hold your breath!

I already replaced the old door which offered little insulation and replaced it with a new, more efficient door. I also had the lock re-keyed on this door so now the front door and this door opens with the same key. I can't believe I never thought of that earlier!

I still have alot of drywall to do (as you can see!) as well as installing some shelving.

As for project #2 this summer, I'm hoping to build a shed in the back yard to free up some much needed space in the garage, so I can park my truck there during the winter months. I've been searching for shed plans for some time now and came across this - my favorite design so far:

This will be a big project, but I think I can do it, or something similar to it. Any thoughts?

Sexy mouthguards/night-guards

2009-06-08T11:16:00.001-07:00

I hate going to the dentist. I hate going to the doctor. It's rare a doctor or dentist tells me something I don't already know. However, one thing I resolved to do since moving back to Boston has been to be more consistent in my regular check-ups with both my doctor and my dentist. I've even started going to a chiropractor for my back to hopefully start relieving my ailing back before I can't walk anymore! Well, it's not nearly that bad. As a matter of fact, I can function just fine in everyday life and even play basketball a few times a week. The recovery time, however, has me feeling like I'm 60, not 30. Ah, the things I have to look forward to as I get older.

Ok, back to the dentist. Before my mom flew off to Japan she suggested I go to her dentist, Dr. Sandler, whom she promised me was extremely thorough in his examinations. Turns out, he IS a great dentist and suggested, among other things, that I get a night-guard to stop my teeth grinding, which, unknown to me, was slowly wearing my teeth down. He mentioned that I grind my teeth so bad, my teeth looks like that of a 60 year old. What a coincidence that my teeth and my back appear to be the same age!

Here is my sexy little mouth guard. I've had it for a few months now, and actually wear it about 80% of the time (while sleeping that is).

A few weeks ago, I was playing basketball at the gym when I caught a flying elbow to the eye socket, which promptly dropped me to the floor while splitting my eyebrow wide open, dripping blood down my face. Of course it was an accident, but between nearly getting my teeth knocked out on a few occasions and now getting my face split open, it didn't take much convincing when my dentist suggested getting a custom made mouthpiece as well. So now I have a companion to my night guard - a nice, blue mouthpiece that totally impairs my talking and breathing when I play basketball.

I'm not sure why my dentist is adamant that his $180 "custom" mouthpiece is so much better than the ones I used to boil and mold for myself when I played high school football. Oh well.

So now my teeth are safe and I'm about $500 poorer (and yes, that is out of pocket AFTER my insurance!). I can't wait for my next elbow to the face!

On a similar note, my chiropractor is trying to convince me to drop $200 on a pair of orthotic shoe inserts to help alleviate my posture/walking (apparently I walk abnormally on the outside of my feet). Maybe this explains the six or seven horrible sprained ankles I've had over the years! I'll pass for now!

The older I get the more I realize how expensive it is just to be alive! And after seeing what my life insurance plans pay out if I die unexpectedly, I've come to the realization that I am worth far more dead than alive! Oh, joy.

Why Giving Matters

2009-06-08T10:15:00.001-07:00

"A truly educated man never ceases to learn"
-Gordon B. Hinkley

While I'm at work, I often listen to music on my iTunes. And every once in a while I will listen to talks or devotionals, mostly from the weekly devotionals held every Tuesday at BYU. (If you went to BYU, I need not remind you of how the whole campus shut down at 11am every Tuesday so you could, ahem, "choose" to attend) Most talks are okay, but every once in a while I find one especially interesting. One recent one was by a non-Mormon guest speaker, Dr. Arthur Brooks, a visiting professor From Syracuse University.

I don't want to regurgitate all that he said, be the premise of his talk was the idea that we (Americans) become more prosperous when we give to charity. And beyond that, how often and to what extent we give, directly influences our happiness and our own prosperity. Not surprisingly, he noted that Utah is the most charitable state in the country, nearly twice as charitable as the next state. And, not coincidentally, Utah is also one of the happiest states.

Dr. Brook's talk was so interesting that I've listened to it at least a half a dozen times and decided to buy one of his recent books, "Gross National Happiness." (Let's hope this doesn't end up as one of the many books that I start, but never finish!)

On a related note, I recommend browsing through iTunes and its myriad of podcasts available. I subscribe to the BYU forums and devotionals, but beyond that, there are other great podcasts as well, like Stuff You Should Know, and the Bronco Mendenhall Show (with recaps of every BYU football game.) Most of the aforementioned podcasts rarely run longer than 30 minutes, so they are quick listens.

I converted the talk by Arthur C. Brooks to an MP3 file in order to post it here on my blog, but for some reason I can't get it to post without giving me some sort of error. But search for it on iTunes Podcasts if you are interested in hearing it. Or go buy his book! (or send me an email and I will send you the file.)

My First Red Sox Game (of 2009, that is!)

2009-06-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my friend Scott and I decided last minute to go to a Red Sox game at Fenway versus the Texas Rangers. This was the first Red Sox game I had been to since moving back to Boston and the first Red Sox game I had seen at Fenway since the night before Annie was married back in 2005 (?).

Lester had a perfect game going into the 7th inning, but inevitable gave up a few hits before the game was over. The Red Sox still won handedly, 8-1, as Lester went the distance, pitching all 9 innings. I even saw Ortz hit a rare home run.

Our seats definitely weren't the best, but these days you need to pay a small fortune to get good seats at Fenway. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was great, as was the weather. I'm so glad I'm not a Yankees fan.

Scott and I in far left field. My face was so burnt from an earlier round of golf at Campbell's Scottish Highlands golf course in Salem, NH, as well as a few hours of yard work.

Jason Bay in left field.

The greatest park in baseball. We actually switched seats a few times, as a pole (see to the right of the picture) was obstructing our views. Ah, Fenway, gotta love the viewing obstructions!

I know, I know...BYU football, blah, blah...

2009-06-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

I can't help but look forward to the upcoming college football season - my favorite time of year!

I'm not sure where BYU will be in the pre-season ranking, but it really doesn't matter. But what DOES matter is BYU opening game against Big 12 powerhouse, Oklahoma! It's not very often that BYU gets to play at top #5 team - who knows, maybe Oklahoma will be ranked #1 to start the season. And the last time BYU played a #1 ranked team....BYU 28, Miami 21.

The BYU/Oklahoma football game is slated for September 5th in the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium and will be the featured game on ESPN that day. There will definitely be a little get-together at my house for all the local BYU faithful, so mark your calendars!

As for other BYU news, last week, the #1 rated high school quarterback, Jake Heaps, announced that he will be going to BYU. As for the last #1 rated high school quarterback to go to BYU, Ben Olsen eventually transferred from BYU to play at a more "recognized" program at UCLA. BYU beat UCLA 59-0 last year. Let's hope Jake Heaps has the wits to stay at BYU.

After Heaps signed with BYU, a few other top recruits joined suit and have commited to BYU, quite possibly making this the best recruiting class BYU has ever had. Now if we could only get by the University of Utah when it matters.

SCOUT 2010 Football recruiting team rankings 6/4/09

rank, school, # commits, conf, total points

1. Texas 19 Big 12 3467
2. Alabama 14 SEC 2257
3. Florida 12 SEC 2081
4. Oklahoma 10 Big 12 17275
. Texas A&M 16 Big 12 1627
6. Penn State 7 Big Ten 1548
7. Stanford 15 Pac-10 1434
8. BYU 12 MWC 1274
9. Michigan 12 Big Ten 1258
10. Washington 9 Pac-10 1096

Mom's Flowers

2009-06-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I'm "baby-stting" my parents home while they are enjoying being pseudo-retired and living in Niigata, Japan for the next few years.

I knew the spring and summer would be a bit of a challenge tending to the flowers and garden that my mom would leave behind. I've been doing my best trying to keep up with weeding, watering, ect, and I think I've done a decent job so far. Ironically, I look forward to seeing how the flowers are doing each time I arrive home from work and on most occassions will even spend a few minutes in the flower gardens before I even step in the house. I've even received a few compliments from the neighbors!

A picture of the front flowers next to the driveway. As for the garden out back, well I think I'll spare the horror of having my mother see that.

Mom, if you're wondering where that tree stump went, I ripped it out with my truck!

Trip to Las Vegas - May 2009

2009-06-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how my friends convinced me to go, but I ended up taking a last minute flight to Las Vegas over the Memorial Day holiday. I met up with some friends that I knew when I was living in Arizona. The weekend was sleep-deprived, consisted of alot of loud music, and lounging by pools.

Before we even arrived in Vegas, we had gotten tickets to:
-The Love Fest pool party at the Palms
-The Wet Republic pool party at the MGM Grand
-Tickets to see DJ Tiesto at JET at the Mirage
-Tickets to see Paul Oakenfold at RAIN at the Palms (?, I forget)

Even though this was my fifth time to Vegas, I knew that this partuicular trip would be a challenge keeping up with my party-happy friends, Dave, Mike, and Toby. I did my best, but realized I was definitely not made for the "staying up all night partying and then rinse and repeat tomorrow night" kind of life.

Nevertheless it was "wicked" fun little trip and it was also great to catch up with some old friends from Arizona. What happens in Vegas....well, you know the rest.

I'm still waiting on my friend, Dave, to send me all the pictures he took from the trip, but, I still have a few appropriate ones that should do for now.

The Wet Republic pool party at the MGM.

The Bellagio (we didn't stay here, in case you were wondering). We stayed at Bill's Gambling Hall, which I had never even heard of before, but the location was ideal - right on the strip, next to Flamingo, and kitty-corner from the Bellagio.

Dave, me, Toby, Mike. I got alot of comments when I wore my Red Sox stuff. (Good comments, mostly!)

Dave and one of his new friends from Iowa. I don't know how he does it, but Dave has a nack for going up to any girl and getting them to open up. I need to take some lessons.

Mike (the Catholic), me (the Mormon) and Dave, (the Jew). We are like a walking joke! I'm not sure why I look so grumpy in all these pics. I think it was because I get grumpy when I don't get more than 2 hous of sleep! I'm sure the incessant blaring music didn't help my cause.

I was one of a handful of people there that had no tan whatsoever. There is Boston for ya! Time to go on a diet, too!

Night one. It was good to have a club right in the basement of the hotel you are staying at. Nothing beats just hopping on a elevator and heading up to your room.

I think this picture was taken at JET nightclub at the Palms during the DJ Tiesto show.

At Rain nightclub. I'm sooooo tired...

The last night there was the most interesting and still makes me laugh. We all went to the show together, but all went home seperately. Dave ended up in some random hotel room (that's all I'm telling you!) , Mike nearly got arrested for something that was not his fault and ended up in a random part of Vegas nowhere near us, Toby was nowhere to be found (although more than likely he was stalking out asian girls!), and I ended up at the hotel room sometime after 6am sans any sleep, took a shower and then went straight to the airport to catch my flight home. Once I finally got on the plane, I fell asleep right away. I don't think I have ever been so tired in my life.

The Vegas Memorial Day trip 2010 is already in the works.

More pictures comin soon....

Trip to Utah - April 2009

2009-06-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

My youngest sister, Annie, and her husband, Brandon, were expecting their first baby in April, so (most of) the family decided to rendez-vouz in Salt Lake City to see the newest addition to the Sturgis/Dayton clan. Even my mom flew over from Japan to spend a few weeks with grandchild, Lucy Mei. Lucy was born without incident, and besides a slight scare with her losing a bit of weight shortly after her arrival, she is now completely happy and healthy. Annie and Brandon seems to not be getting as much sleep as they would like, but have adjusted well to the new family member.

Everyone in my immediate family was there in Utah to see the new baby, with the exception of my dad, who stayed back in Japan since he recently started a new part-time gig teaching English at a nearby high school. Annie and Brandon (and the rest of us!) are planning a trip out to Japan at the end of the summer, so hopefully my dad will get his fill of the new grandchild shortly.

Here are some pics of the trip in no particular order.

Mike Q and I decided to take a quick trip to our old stomping grounds in Provo, UT at Brigham Young University. We wanted to see the new Hinckley Alumni Center which was dedicated recently. It was a gorgeous building and a great addition to the beautiful campus.

The Hinckley Alumni Center

A friends of Mike's (and mine, of course!) from Washington DC had recently moved back to Salt Lake City so we decided to meet up with him and go fly-fishing - my newest obsession! Eagle, was a great guide, as always, and took us up through the Provo Canyons and into the middle Provo River. This picture doesn't do the scenery justice. As usual, Eagle caught the most fish, Mike netted one, and I reeled in zero, and got really wet.

The is the view from Emily and Jared's neighbothood. I miss waking up to those Rocky Mountains.

Maya and me outside of Em and Jared's house.

Gettin goofy at the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point.

Working on the garden plot that Emily "rented" for the summer. This goes without saying if you know my mother, but Emily definitely got the gardening bug from my mom's side of the family

For much of the three weeks that my mom was in town, she took care of most of the cooking and cleaning, so Annie and Brandon could devote as much time to Lucy as possible.

Maya and Mike Q enjoying some daddy/daughter time.

Maya and Mommy taking part in some free craft exhibits at the Tulip Festival

Three generations of gardeners!

Elaine and Maya, Annie and Lucy.

My mom and Maya enjoying the stroll through the Tulip Festival.

Uncle Jared showing his new iPhone to Maya.

Play time with Maya.

Elaine and Maya.

Lucy Mei, just a few weeks old.

The proud new mom with her Lucy.

Annie and Brandon and their first time out to eat since having the baby.

Big family dinner at a nearby sushi place to celebrate the arrival of Lucy as well as Elaine's birthday.

Uncle Chris and Maya.

"Obaa-chan" and Maya.

In front of Emily and Jared's house in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

Maya LOVES animals, so we were fortunate to have some local farm animals literally across the street from Em's place.

Annie and a sleepy Lucy

Maya Papaya

2009-03-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I haven't had much to blog about lately, so I figured it would be a good time to keep everyone updated on the cuteness of my niece, Maya. She is almost 1 1/2 years old now and starting to talk. Apparently she can say "uncle," but I haven't heard it yet. I'm excited to see little Mayumi in April! And by the end of April, Mayumi will have a cousin to play with!

Tours of Boston, old friends, good times.

2009-03-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

After the snow storm we got a few weekends ago I was a bit worried knowing two of my friends from AZ, Chris and Joannah, were coming to town. Last Friday I picked them up at the Manchester, NH airport and the two days that followed were absolutely gorgeous New England spring days. Apparently they packed some sunshine and warm weather with them from Arizona, but they only brought enough for the weekend, because we were right back to snow on Monday.

We spent Saturday doing alot of the cliché touristy things around Boston: Haymarket, Fanueil Hall, Boston Public Gardens, the Prudential Center, etc. Lunch was good. We ate at the Bell in Hand, the proclaimed oldest Tavern in America, a popular spot around Haymarket/Fanueil Hall. Afterwards we took the "T" (Boston's subway system) to the Public Gardens, strolled by Cheers, made a pit stop at the Boston Public Library, before we ended at the Prudential Center were we went to the Top of the Hub Restaurant and then strolled around the Skywalk Observatory.

Sunday was spent mostly in the North End with a brief detour at the New England Aquarium and a few local bars by North Station. We took the long route to the aquarium, enjoying the likes of Rowes Warf, Battery Warf, all while being envious of the local condo's their views of the harbor. Joannah found it absolutely fascinating that we actually have ducks swimming in Boston harbor. Lunch was at Regina's Pizza (I had actually never been there before). The wait to get in was well worth it. Joannah said it was the best pizza she'd ever had. No argument from me! After a few dips into local stores and stop at Mike's Pastries, dinner was at Dolce Vita on Hanover St. To say that both lunch and dinner (and the pastries) was excellent would be an understatement. Mmm....who doesn't like good italian food!?!

Unfortunately, I had to work on Monday and Tuesday, but Chris and Joanna ventured out on their own, enjoying more alone time, I'm sure. I suggested Anthony's Pier 4 restaurant for lunch and they loved it! I tagged along for dinner that night as we all went to a local 99 Restaurant where I had one of my favorite dishes - Prime Rib! Mmm (again!). Tuesday, they took a day trip to see New Hampshire and Maine, lighthouses, etc. Joannah mentioned the drive through New Hamphsire and Maine was her favorite part of the trip. Most of what they saw on Tuesday, I had actually never seen before.

Although I wasn't around for most of their Monday and Tuesday explorations, here are some pictures from Joannah's camera she let me copy before they flew back to Arizona, including our excursions on Saturday and Sunday.

It was great catching up with them. I can't believe it has been over 7 months since I left Arizona! I miss my AZ life, but equally love being on the east coast, my home.

If you are one of my local (Boston) friends, most of these sites will look familiar. If you're one of my distant friends, these pictures are enticement to come visit me!

Joannah and I along Boston harbor

Chris was happy to see this. Leonard is his last name.

Boston Public Garden area.

Chris and Joannah by the pubs near Fanueil Hall.

Quincy Market

Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center.

A view of the Charles River from the Skywalk at the Prudential Center.

The Hancock building as a backdrop to Trinity church on Boylston St.

At the Bell in Hand pub

I'm not sure if Chris and Joannah were fans of the cold, but they liked the views of my street covered in snow.

Awesome, huge posters we found at a local watering hole by the North End.

By the New England Aquarium

We stumbed upon this at the Boston Public Library. It was in a side room that we shouldn't have been in, but we couldn't resist!

The Holocaust Memorial by Haymarket

Lone Survivor

2009-02-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is near monumental. I don't remember that last time a read a book cover to cover in less than, say, 6 months, but this book was good. My brother in law, Mike Q has a good friend, Scott, down in the Washington DC area that suggested reading LONE SURVIVOR, the story of a US Navy Seals team that was ambushed in Afghanistan. Scott said it was one of the best books he ever read, so I thought I would find it on my next trip to Borders. I don't want to write a book report here, but the book was great, so I'm highly recommending it. Once you get about half-way through the book, you get a clear understanding of why the Navy Seals are the elite of the elite training forces anywhere.

Thumbs up from me!

Uncle Sam wants....me?

2009-02-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

I have an old co-worker from Phoenix, Michael, that emails me incessantly everyday. So frequent are his emails that I needed to create a "rule" in my Outlook so his emails go to their own folder so they don't tie up my main email folder with useless information. I easily get between 20-30 emails (or more!) from him each day, many of which get deleted nearly right off the bat. He knows this, which is strange, because he still insists on me reading about his useless news stories - most of which talk about economic Armageddon. Interspersed with his news stories are the occasional homemade picture of something random, many of which I wouldn't dare show you! Regardless, here is one picture he sent today that I thought was rather funny:

Of course he did it out of fun, but I wasn't sure to laugh or cry...so I laughed.

31 Dates in 31 Days continued...

2009-02-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

The 31 dates in 31 days saga continues.

ABC Radio:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6820996

Good Morning America:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6819332
Yea, I even got my ugly mug on TV for 2 seconds!

NH Stake Basketball Champs

2009-01-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

Well, this is hardly anything to hang your hat on, but last weekend, my home church ward asked me to play in a stake basketball tournament in Exeter, NH. Although the tournament had started the week before, I wasn't able to play due to being in New York City. Well, we made it to the losers bracket after going 0-2, but we still had a chance if we won all our games.

We won our first game of the day by 2. We had a pretty good lead at half-time, but nearly coughed up the game.

Game 2 we won by about 6, I think. I got myself kicked out with about a minute left in the game for saying a few, um, R-rated words after nearly getting tackled by an opposing player. I thought some of the wives would be upset at me (being that kids were all around), but later learned afterwards that they thought I was right! Go figure.

The Lawrence team was the team to beat in the tournament. They were 5-0 and eager to play their next door neighbors. Well, long story short, we beat them by 12. I don't think we had a guy on our team younger than 29. I don't think Lawrence had a kid on their team older than, say, 24. It was good to beat the young guys!

Although the competition was nothing to write home about it was great just being a little competitive for a while and playing with good teammates. I heard Regionals are in March.

It's only a coincidence that I'm the only one wearing a dark shirt in the picture. We had jerseys during the game, anyways.

Needless to say, three basketball games in one day takes its toll on the body. to say my body ached on Sunday would be an understatement. 29 is hardly old, but my legs are well underway from disobeying what my mind tells them to do.

ID Me!

2009-01-29T17:51:00.000-08:00

With winter going nowhere soon out here, I've taken the opportunity to do some inside cleaning projects. I never thought I'd live in Methuen again anytime soon, but living back in my childhood home gave me the opportunity to rummage through some of my old stuff from yesteryear. I've scrounged up some of my ID's from over the past few years. I'm getting old quick!

I still remember the day I got my license. I was a junior in high school, playing football, and this picture was taken on a Friday afternoon right before we played Haverhill High School. I'm actually wearing my white football jearsey, as was tradition on game days.

This was a alien resident card when I was living in Japan, 1998-2000. We were told to always have this on us, but I don't remember ever having to show it to anyone.

One of may BYU IDs I had. I think I lost about a half dozen or so. You had to be completely shaved before they took your picture. What other school do they make you shave your facial hair daily!?!

My AZ license. Gotta love the expiration date. Their licenses are good for 40 years!!!

My current license. For some reason it still have my high school height on it - they never even asked me my height or weight.

I don't know where my UTAH drivers license is.

My sister, Elaine...

2009-01-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

Since moving back to my hometown of Methuen, I've taken on a few self-given projects around the house. A few months ago, I was slaving in the attic installing some recessed lighting, and made a rather interesting discover. After removing a nailed down floor board, I found this letter:

I actually showed Elaine this letter the last time she was up from DC, and she doesn't remember writing it, but still had a chuckle at her young self.

Dork.

New York, New York

2009-01-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

My friend Hannah was going to be in NYC for a business conference over the weekend, so we decided to meet up there and go site-seeing and catch up. I had been to NYC a few times before, but was still eager to see the hustle and bustle again. For the last few years, Hannah has been one of my closest friends and continues to be despite living on the other side of the country, in sunny, warm, perfect weather (I could go on here), Arizona.

I left Saturday via Lucky Star Bus (yeah baby!). The bus ride itself was long and boring, besides the part where the girl next to me threw up into a plastic bag. I'll skip the details. I got into the Big Apple in the early afternoon and spend much of my afternoon just walking around and seeing some new sites as well as some I had seen before in previous trips there.

My Saturday night was an experience. See preceding blog below.

Some random things I observed about the city and of myself:

1. There are alot of Chipotle's restaruants there. My favorite place to eat! I think I could literally eat one of their steak fajita burritos everyday for the rest of my life. If you have never eaten their burritos, I highly suggest them. If you don't love them, you should get your brain checked out.

2. I enjoy people watching. Sure, I love to see the sites and sounds of New York, but just walking the streets and seeing some many different types of people and hearing a myriad of languages being spoke at every street corner was amusing.

3. I'm pretty sure you can get some stuff cheaper in NYC than anywhere else. I stopped into a handful of stores including Gap, Banana Republic, etc. If you shop the sale racks (or the welfare racks as I like to call them) you can get some great deals. And don't be ashamed to buy from the welfare racks - I shop them exclusively. I refuse to pay full price on stuff myself.

4. Street vendors don't wash their hands. My mom would faint.

5. New Yorkers are generally nice people despite all the negativity that surrounds them. I saw a handful of good deeds that even small town America would be proud of.

6. New York is a big city, but still a pretty good walking city.

7. I felt bad not calling my Uncle Craig to let him know I was there. He lives right in Manhattan (I think?) and I don't see him that much.

Here are some pictures (in no particular order) of the rest of the trip:

Me and Hannah as Rockefeller Center. We thought about going ice skating, but Hannah figured she would save herself the embarrassment since she had never been on skates before.

In Time Square.

Before Hannah arrived I took a stroll down to the financial district and then to the water front, where I saw this - the US Airways plane that landed on the Hudson River a few days back. This almost goes without saying, but it was surreal to see a plane right off the pier.

The present day scene at where the World Trade Towers once stood.

I took a tour of the 9/11 memorial. It was a fitting homage to the people who lost their lives that day. Between the videos that were playing, the pictures of those that were lost, and remembrances written by loved ones, you could only feel compassion and humility. This was my first time seeing this memorial. Well worth the visit.

A steel girder from the wreckage of 9/11. This simple piece of architecture seems to tell a little piece of the story by itself.

I happened upon a small film shoot going on in the financial district.

This was a little celebration going on in Chinatown that I stumbled upon. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but I think it was a celebration for a new store opening up.

Time Square

The NYC Public Library.

Self-portrait in my hotel room.

31 Dates in 31 Days...

2009-01-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

...is more of a punishment than an opportunity, if you ask me.

Right before my trip to New York, my friend Lumina suggested I go on a blind date in NYC with her friend Tamara, a recent Columbia grad and journalist/writer for the Good Morning America show on CBS. I'm always game to meet new people in new places, so I quickly agreed. Plus, I didn't have any solid plans my first night in town.

Tamara (pronounced like 'camera') recently turned 31 and came up with this over-ambitious (crazy?) idea to go on 31 dates with 31 different guys in 31 consecutive days, none of which could exceed $31. All 31 dates would be "blogged" about on her website, made especially for this project. At that point, we (the dates) would seemingly be know by our number, rather than our name, even though names are, of course, mentioned. Why someone would purposely put themselves through this is beyond me. She has ambitions of writing a book about her experiences. I was number three.

I really had nothing to loose. I knew it might be the only time I really ever see her. And, c'mon, I definitely had no plans to fall for a girl that lives four hours away.

Before I go on to tell my experience, here is her story, straight from her blog:

3 Point Shot - Chris
Saturday, January 17, 2009
17Jan2009 Posted by Tamara

My friend, Lumina, warned me about him.
"He's hot, Tam. You might end up liking him."
Check.
And checkmate.
I hustled, zig-zagging my way around Penn Station to meet Chris outside Madison Square Garden. He had travelled all the way down from his home outside of Boston and I wanted this avid sports fan to do something special in the city. So some tough detective work helped us track down a cheap pair of tickets online to the Knicks v. 76ers game.
I was on the phone with him trying to figure out where he was.
"I'm standing outside wearing a white hat," he said.
From half a block away I spotted him. His stature struck me from afar. Quickly I came up to him and he drew me into a tight embrace.
This guy knows how to play the game well.
We made our way up to the nose-bleed section and found our seats among the packed coliseum. It was a close game but neither of us was really paying attention. Instead we sat and talked about... well, everything.

He makes sacrifices for his family. He still plays baseball. And he cuts through the bull quickly.
Chris is really easy to be around.
I found myself telling him things that I haven't told some of my closest friends.
**Time Out**
Look.
I know that's not the way to play the dating game... starting out by pouring out your most embarrassing thoughts, sharing your biggest fears about marriage, and letting him see more than just "me on my best first-date behavior." I know I played all my cards too early.
But I felt like I was in a no-lose situation.
Chris lives four hours away. He knows I'm dating, well, a couple dozen other guys or so. I wasn't sure if anything would ever happen with him.
But the truth is, I'd like to see him again.
The Knicks seemed to be giving too much up too. They kept losing possession in the last quarter. Any time they'd score three points, the fans would scream.
"Threeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!"

Chris and I kept pushing further. Sharing more than we probably should have. Crossing conversational boundaries most people wouldn't. Stepping out of bounds I typically don't when first meeting.
So I'm not sure how well I did there. Did I commit a true dating game violation? Was this a technical foul?
The Knicks lost.
By ten points.
Looks like everyone wasn't on their game.

Before you go on, I must mentioned that Tamara, being the person she is, talked very highly of all her dates (so far), so don't think anything highly of me. That is , for every girl that might put me under the category of "good guy," I'm sure there are a handful that would just as likely put me under "douchebag." And I'm perfectly fine with that.

Tamara was a class act. We did, indeed, talk for hours about everything. We mostly talked about being single at our age in the Mormon community and the challenges it often presents. If you are Mormon, no explanation is necessary. If you aren't Mormon, no explanation would really help. It's just a strange sub-culture you would have to experience to really grasp. I guess being a "menace to society" wasn't as bad as I thought (sorry, another Mormon reference there!). I couldn't believe how often we saw eye to eye on, well, just about everything.

The Knicks game was fun. I was shocked to learn that you could actually get tickets for $10 to a sporting event in New York. That's unheard of in Boston, a city the doesn't compare in size to NYC. Not that I'm proud that Boston has exorbitant ticket prices, but along those lines I'm glad we don't whore them out for $10, either. Did the Knicks stink that bad? I guess so. Either way, it played to our advantage to get cheap tickets. Hell, $10 was about my limit to see the Knicks, the doormat of the NBA for the last 10 years. ! We did talk nearly the entire game. For a short while, I was pretty sure some of the surrounding people we going to say, "shut up, we're trying to watch the game." But nothing.

As mentioned previously, the Knicks game was only $20 for the pair of tickets. We still had $11 more dollars at our discretion. We agreed on hot chocolate - the Mormon coffee. The local Dunkin Donuts would do. The hot chocolate somehow turned into Diet Pepsi (my drink of choice). I don't even remember how long we were there chatting at our run-down table in the back, but I'm pretty sure that if there we no such thing as Sunday morning, we might still be chatting.

Tamara taught me a new word, "biscuit." No, not biscuit in the tradition food sense. This term is a perfect description of those young girls who are light and fluffy on the outside, but inside lack substance. They are generally the young twenty-somethings that go to local community college, or beauty school and have never really ventured out to make much of their lives. They live off daddy and expect hand-outs and refuse to take any risks in life. We all know people like this. There is nothing wrong with them, they are just annoying. Ok, maybe there is something wrong with them. I've always just used a long descriptive to try to explain these girls, but now "biscuit" will suffice. Thanks for the new word, Tamara!

I'm glad I made a new friend.

Her website is below and updated daily. I highly recommend following the madness.

http://31datesin31days.com/

Christmas in Emily's neck of the woods in "Utard"

2008-12-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this really has nothing to do with me at all, but I thought it might be fun to post some pictures of my little sister's Christmas out in Utah. We had the entire (Mark) Sturgis family out to Utah last Christmas, which was a blast, but this Christmas, Emily and Jared played host to Jared's brother's family from San Francisco. Does that all make sense? Oh well, here are some random pictures from their Christmas since many of you know my little sister from either BYU days or from Methuen. (Em, I hope you don't mind me taking these pics from your blog!)

Em and Jared at an archery range. What a fun activity! I need to look into that around Boston.

Em's first try.

Jared's first try.

Emily and her sister-in-law, Kim.

Emily and her niece, Marlo.

The famous Sturgis "bomb" cookies. For as long as I can remember, my sisters and mom have always made these cookies around the holidays. Awesome cookies!

Em got a subscription to Domino Magazine. Am I suppossed to know what this is? Apparently, she was thrilled about it.

Snowshoeing. I miss those Rocky Mountains of Utah. Oh yeah, I miss Em and Jared, too.

Christmas 2008...cancelled, sort of.

2008-12-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

Having three sisters who are all married sometimes poses some logistical challenges, especially aroung the holidays. As much as the entire family tries to get together for Christmas, it generally only happens every other year. That is, we will have a Sturgis Christmas one year and then the year after, my sisters have Christmas with their husbands' families. And the pattern sort of repeats like that. This year was one of the "off" years, in which my sisters would be spending the holidays with their husbands families. So...Emily and Jared stayed in SLC and had Jared's family out to visit, Annie and Brandon went to Buffalo, NY to spend Christmas with the Dayton's and Elaine and Mike made the usual trek back to the Boston area. I, being the eternally single guy, stuck around these (Methuen, MA) parts as well.

Since this was an "off" year (sorry, I don't know what else to call it), and having my parents recently retire/move to Japan, the Sturgis clan decided not to do presents, which was fine by me. It's not too often then you don't need to go Christmas shopping. Although I scored a little package of goodies from Japan and a handmade Alpaca wool scarf that Elaine made me, Christmas was rather uneventful in terms of gift giving, but being with the family that was around more than made up for it.

Some random pics:

Maya on my tummy. I've seen quite a bit of Maya recently as she was up here in November for a funeral, I was down in DC for Thanksgiving, and now she was back up for a week for Christmas.

Maya at the Qualter's house on the massage chair. I wasn't there when this picture was taken, but I'm sure it kept Maya thoroughly entertained for a good 20-30 seconds.

Maya and Grampa Mark (Sturgis) playing some tunes on my guitars. Maya's been getting more use out of them than me lately.

Grampa Mark...professional baby book reader.

Let it snow, let it snow...and then let the weather get to 60 degrees

2008-12-29T12:39:00.001-08:00

Elaine and Mike picked a rather treacherous day to fly into Logan from DC for the Christmas holiday. The weekend right before Christmas, the New England area got belted with a good foot (or more) or snow as a follow up to the horrific ice storm that left so many without power for weeks! Their flight was delayed an hour or so and to make matters worse, one of their suitcases was lost. All in all, what should have been a quick pick-up at the airport turned into a 5 hour ordeal. Gotta love flying around the holidays!

It snowed on and off pretty much throughout the weekend. Luckily, Mike Q was there to give a hand, as well as my dad who was enjoying his last week in the states before flying back to rejoin my mother in Japan. (He actually flew back on Christmas day).

Furtunately, a year or so ago, my parents had some friends that moved to Florida (?) and graciously left them a snowblower. I had never used a snowblower before, but after a heck of a time getting it started, it made easy removal of the snow from the driveway.

Putting Mike Q to work! Even though Elaine and Mike see flurries of snow in DC, I don't think it snows nearly as bad down there.

Mike Q and Maya observing the snowfall on the back deck.

I love snowblowers!

So does Mike!

Ironically, less than a week later, the weather got up to around 60 degrees and most of the snow was gone. Go figure.

Ice storms and more...

2008-12-19T14:52:00.001-08:00

Like a previous post mentioned, we had a severe ice storm out here in the northern Boston area that extended well into New Hampshire and Maine (I think). Its been over a week since the actual ice storm, but there are still people without electricity! I've heard numberous stories about trees leveling cars and crashing through windows/homes, etc, so when the extend of the damage to our house was a few large branches on the roof, I considered it lucky! Again, my dad is still in town for the holiday season visiting from Japan, so he was happiest to know that there was no significant damage to his brand new roof he had installed last summer. He got a quote of $700 to remove the branches and the tree, which is not necessarily unreasonable, but still alot to pay for something you can (in most cases) do yourself. So, we spent the next Saturday cutting away. I was the lucky one who got to climb all over the roof to start removing the branches. We only got about half of the work done - one more Saturday should do the trick.

It ended up not being as bad as it sounded when it came crashing on the roof at 3am.

After the smaller stuff was removed.

I can see cleary now the ...old windows are gone.

2008-12-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

A month or so ago I tracked down a guy via Craigslist (I love that website) and got a great deal on new windows/installation. One reason he gave me a good price was because I offered my assistance in installing the windows. Coincidentally, my dad was in town (from Japan) so he helped out as well. All in all, we installed all new windows on the lower lever of the house and finished just after noon time.

Mike, a general contractor/handyman from nearby Haverhill and me.

Installing windows.

I should've seen it coming

2008-12-12T07:06:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a substantial ice storm throughout New England that left branches and trees all over the place, not to mention leaving thousands without power/electricity. Unfortunately, we were a victim, being the recipient of some large branches that have now nestled comfortably on the roof.

I sent an email out to some of my friends in AZ to let them know of my 3am debacle last night as my dad and I assessed the damage of the partially fallen tree on the roof.

Here is an email I received from Garrett, a friend in sunny AZ:

Sturgis,
I am glad that both you and I are all right. Last night and early this morning I also had a scare. I let the dogs out last night and as I stepped on the patio my feet got extremely cold. I hurried and rushed back inside to escape the 60 degree weather barely escaping frost bite. Then this morning as I approached my car I saw that it was frozen, luckily as I got closer I could see that what I thought was ice was in fact dry dust from the previous days 70 degree sunny day.

Looks like we both have guardian angels looking after us.

I will keep your family in my prayers, and please pray that is does not get below 40 degrees here because I may have to open my winter coat storage box and that would be an inconvenience.

I should've seen it coming.

My new watch!

2008-12-07T19:14:00.001-08:00

A few months ago I had three watches that I had been neglecting - all three had dead batteries. So finally I decided to take them to a watch repair place to get them fixed. With three newly fixed watches I figured they would last at least a few years, but to my surprise, two of them stopped working within a month. Of course I had no idea where the receipt was and I also realized that is was probably a problem with the watch's beyond the battery. Anyways, I've been shopping around for a kinetic watch - one that had no battery, it works by your movement. I found one that I really liked while reading MENS HEALTH magazine, the Seiko Coutura series. Strangley, as part of their advertising, you could text them a picture of your wrist and they would send back a picture of how the watch would look on your wrist. Here it is! Wow, it looks so real! (I hope my sarcasm is obvious!)

I have five watches now, none of them that nice besides a Swiss Army watch that an old boss bought for me about 5 years ago. As far as I can remember, I have never bought a watch. Maybe this will be this year's Christmas present to myself. Let's hope it looks better than the picture.

BYU's loss to Utah

2008-12-07T19:09:00.002-08:00

Well, I watched the BYU-Utah game a few weeks ago with mostly strangers when I was down in DC. It was brutal to watch the Cougars fall to the Utes, but that's just the way it is. My little sister Emily sent me this hilarious video. I wonder where they got the footage:

Random Pictures from Thanksgiving week in Washington DC

2008-12-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

Maya loves getting her picture taken. She knows how to take pictures on my blackberry now and insists on me taking her picture with it all the time. It's cute. She loves to pose.

Mark, Mei-le, Dave, and Julie at Big Ben's Chili Bowl. We then went on to Busboys and Poets for dinner after dinner.

This was one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. Maybe you had to be there to appreciate it. Driving back from Home Depot with Mike, we stumbled upon Segway training for the DC police. They looked like a family of ducks crossing the street.

Mike is usually good at teaching me a new song or two everytime I am down there.

While Elaine drives, I play entertainer for Maya in the back seat.

Elaine and Maya at the dinner table

Maya is so smart! She knows alot of sign language and picks out everything in her books.!

Family picture right before I flew home to Boston.

Maya and Momma

Thanksgiving Day

2008-12-03T13:37:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving with a ton of other people, most of whom I didn't know. Kimberly played a gracious host and the food was delicious!

Maya insisted on wiping the floors with the Swiffer.

Gathering in the living room.

Some of the food!

Kimberly, Liz, and Tomicah cutting the turkey

Fly fishing in Maryland

2008-12-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to fly fish, so when Mike brought it up, I made sure we were going to go no matter how cold it was. Luckily, Saturday was fairly nice weather so we packed up and headed about an hour away to Maryland to fish at Gunstock (Park?). Fly fishing is a bit harder than it seems, but between Eagle, Mike, and Dave, I seemed to pick up the basics. Ex fly-fishing guide, Eagle, was the only one who caught any fish - he caught three!

Mike and Mike (aka Eagle) practing their technique

Enjoying the quiet. That buldge in the front of my waders is a Diet Pepsi, not my belly. I'm not that fat (yet!).

Dave (aka Jesus) enjoying the quiet as well. He can actually walk on water and summon the fish to rise, but he didn't want to show us up.

Eagle with one of the three fish he caught.

Mike and Mike getting the rods ready.

Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl 2008

2008-12-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

What would Thanksgiving be without a Turkey Bowl football game? On my team, was Eagle, a University of Utah grad. I must say the BYU to Utah combo worked quite well as we connected for a handful of TDs.

Here is a bunch of us after the game, which, in case you were wondering, ended in a tie.

Thanksgiving in DC (aka "the District")

2008-12-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

Apparently I'm not up with lingo down their. All this time, I refered to Washington DC as "DC," but apparently everyone down there calls it "the district." (in case you cared).

Like my last post mentioned, my sister's family visited me a few weeks ago due to a death in the family. Ironically, they flew back to DC, oops, I mean "the district" on Friday, and I flew down the next day for a week's long stay for vacation and Thanksgiving.

Elaine and Mike recently bought a house right on Mass Ave and asked me to help them do some stuff around the house, namely a closet in the master bedroom, where there was little space for any storage at all.

Pictures!

My friend Dave decided to help one day since he didn't have too much else to do. He recently quit his job and is enjoying life more than me these days! Dave and I squeezed into a cut-out barely wider than a magazine cover to get into the attic to install some recessed lighting. I wish we had footage of me trying to get in and out of that cut-out. During one point, I asked Mike to take of my shoes, because they kept getting stuck. Laughing hard and barely able to talk, Mike replied, "Why don't you take off your ass instead!" Real funny, Mike, real funny.

Once up in the attic we found...well...poop. Bird droppings everywhere! Apparently birds were getting into the attic somehow over the years and left a nice mess for us to forrage through as we installed the lights. No bird flu viruses yet! Whew!

The frame of the new his and her closet.

This is what I looked like after an hour or so of sanding drywall.

Elaine and Maya advising the project and checking in.

My Uncle Jeff taught me a lesson a long time ago. Sometimes you have to sit back and admire your work.

Mike and I next to the almost finished product. (we ran out of paint and they are also going to special order some doors which will take a month of so to come in.)

Long Overdue...Surprise Visit!

2008-12-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

I've been putting this off too long. Like exercise, the longer you procrastinate, the harder it becomes. Let me try to update the last month or so...

Elaine, Mike and Maya came into town unexpectedly a few weeks ago. It was great to see them, but we all wish the circumstances were a bit different. Mike's grandmother's illness prompted the suddent trip back to New England for them. They were all hoping to see her one last time before she passed away, which she did on Sunday. The funeral/wake aside, the Qualters were generally in high spirits considering the circumstances. Having Maya, and Peyton (the other grandchild) around helped, I'm sure.

Some pics...

Maya's dress for the funeral of her great-grandmother.

Maya and me chilling downstairs at my house.

Maya can totally walk just fine, but she kept insisting on being put in the walker. Go Figure.

Halloween Par-tay

2008-10-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

I recently got back in touch with an old friend from the high school days, Jana. Last week Jana invited me to a Halloween party that included mostly people from her work.

Personally, I think Halloween is just a semi-valid excuse for girls to dress like hookers, but I'm not complaining. It was still funny to see some of these costumes. Granted, I only knew a small handful of people there, but it was good to get out.

Me and Jana. (Yeah, I was a boring RED SOX player, but I already had all the gear, so it saved me a trip to the store!)

Alison and Alison (I mean, Amy Whinehouse)

Hilarious!

I didn't know these girls, but thought the one in green was cute!

Walter bustin a move.

Yips yips (or something like that? Sorry, I'm not down on the Sesame Street characters!)

Maya turns 1

2008-10-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Until my younger sister Annie has her baby in April, Mayumi (Maya) has the distinction of being my only niece (or nephew for that matter). Little Maya has grown so much over the last year. It's a highlight everyday when I find out whether or not my sister uploads new pictures to her blog. I wish I could show you some of the videos of little Maya learning recent new things like walking, dancing, and sign language, but these pictures will have to suffice. Of course, I'm biased, but you can't tell me she is not "wicked" cute!

I can't wait to see her over Thanksgiving. I hope she remembers who I am. Enjoy the pictures I swiped from Elaine's blog.

Maya and her partner in crime, Cora.

Maya's birthday present!

Mike Q and Maya.

Dinner.

Catching up with Kristal

2008-10-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend an old friend got in touch with me. I had know Kristal from our BYU days. She is originally from Hawaii, but coincidentally her family moved to Cambridge while she was at BYU. We had hung out a few times in Boston over Christmas breaks etc, but I hadn't seen Kristal since before I graduated BYU and moved to Arizona.

We decided to get together on Sunday night and go out to eat at Anthony's Pier 4 - a place that I had wanted to go to since my high school days. It was great catching up chatting with her and her husband, Rich, whom I had know briefly from BYU as well. Kristal's friend, Angel, was also in town for the weekend visiting from Georgia.

On another strange line of coincidences, it turns out that Kristal's dad and my dad actually served in the same LDS mission in Japan in the 70s before we were even born. It sometimes amazes me how small the world can be.

I'm still waiting for a few more pictures from Kristal, but here are some that I took from my Blackberry. Sorry, I'm not in any of these...

Angel and Kristal.

Kristal and Rich

Another Great BYU Commercial

2008-10-03T19:41:00.001-07:00

It doesn't quite end like you think it might...or maybe it does...

This one is a great knock on the U of U and is a fun little mockery of their relentless pursuit of BYU.

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

2008-09-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-09-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-09-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-09-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

..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

2008-09-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

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.)

Boston Harbor Cruise

2008-08-20T18:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go on a company outing on the Spirit of Boston which toured the Boston Harbor area for a few hours. The lunch provided was great, as well as the scenery from the decks. The on-board entertainment, however, was super cheesy to say the least. But, nonetheless, it was a fun afternoon - sure beats being in the office all afternoon. And even though the forecast called for a 70% chance of rain, we lucked out and had clear skies for the most part.

I wanted to jump of the boat when I heard them sing!

I'm not sure what island this is, but someone mentioned that they thought it was George's Island.

My boss Chris and I. I don't even remember anyone taking this picture.

The skyline of the best city in the world!

*Akira to the Moon*