I'm a little frustrated right now. I found yesterday that not only is Circuit open New Year's Day, I will be working that morning. Yes, I work New Years eve and day. Add that on top of working the day before and after Christmas and that I only have 17 hours next week and you can see why I'm frustrated. Circuit has stolen my holidays. Before *anyone* says, 'that's the nature of retail', I will cut you off. It may be the nature of retail at Circuit, but not everywhere.

I always compare my job to Sharper Image, but it really was the best I've experienced. There, if you worked before a holiday, you wouldn't be scheduled the day after. We weren't open New Year's Day at all. I'm sure that if we were, we'd get holiday pay. Now I will bet you two to one that we will *not* get holiday pay at Circuit.

If I am scheduled less than 30 hours the next week, I will begin looking for another job. I have yet to have 40 hours. I need a full time job. I made goals to make my 30s the best. That includes getting a car, finishing my degree and having a good job. Circuit City seems to be hindering those goals, not advancing them.

There is a supervisor position open at the Fort Union store. I had a co-worker say that I should apply for the position. However it said in the e-mail that they would judge on firedog and circuit city advantage add-ons. I'm not that good at adding those on, though I have improved a lot. If I were good at the add-ons for computers, I'd be set.

I still have my eyes on achieving supervisor. I entered the job with that position in my sights. *sigh* I hate change, I hate changing jobs. I want to advance in this job.

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I really hope that your day was full of magic and peace. Christmas is a wonderful time of year. I really do look forward to it. Sadly, it is simultaneously too long and done too quickly. Working in retail really does put a damper on my holidays. I only got Christmas day off. I worked Christmas eve and I work tomorrow too. December has been busy and difficult at Circuit City. Imagine six people with questions that need answering, product that needs unlocking, and things that need their prices checked. Don't get me wrong, I like working in retail. I like selling things and helping customers pick the best product for them. But that customer urgency is what makes me glad the season has passed.

But it is moments like this that makes me wish Christmas could continue. I'm sitting here watching Kung Fu Panda with my mom and two nephews. It's quiet and peaceful. Three days off would give me a chance to breathe, to appreciate my time with my family and friends. I could sit by the Christmas tree, listen to some carols, and snuggle up to my babe, Aaron.

That brings me to the last part. I miss Aaron. I really wanted to spend Christmas morning with him. It couldn't be this year though. He had to work at six this morning. So I went home with my parents last night. We're struggling to even find time to have our own Christmas. It's hard because I did the hardest thing I've done in my life (come out to my parents) so that I could have Christmas with Aaron. *sigh* I guess it will be next year.

Logical

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Jon Stewart just comes across as very logical and well thought out. To me gay marriage is logical. Two people love each other and as consenting adults should be able to marry. The argument that if we change the definition of marriage then we'll have to allow polygamy or any other arrangement doesn't hold water. I'm sure when interracial marriages were first legalized, people used the same argument. Our law works on a case by case basis, legalizing one thing doesn't mean all other things are legal too.

Concerning polygamy, I certainly don't want it legalized. I also don't think that it's even doctrine of the Church that it will come back either. Polygamy was already restored once, nothing says it will be restored again. Back in the 1800s when polygamy was made illegal the Church was persecuted and members practicing it were hunted down. Those members evaded capture and continued to break the law. Earlier the Church had left the United States in order to pursue their own freedom of religion. Everything points to the Church being an ally for gay men and women and our fight for equality. Historically we Mormons have practiced "alternative lifestyles". And as Jon Stewart said, religion is certainly more of a choice than being gay. Religion and particularly Mormonism should be sympathetic to our cause.

Here's why I think logic evades the situation. First, LDS members today don't relate to the members who practiced polygamy (oftentimes their own progenitors). On my mission the polygamy issue would come up regularly. We were taught to say that that was over 100 years ago and that we don't do that anymore. Basically saying, "It was different back then, but we've changed." It was treated like it was a little dirty secret that we needed to downplay. Stories of how difficult it was for members to have their religion say one thing and their country say another haven't been passed down. We don't read them in Sunday School, we don't hear those stories in Conference. It's been erased. Members today don't relate because they don't even know those issues.

Second, as members of the Church, sex and sexuality is sacred. It is also secret. We don't feel comfortable talking about it even while using the upmost respect. Many people suffer in silence because they can't breach the taboo subject. Sexual development and sexuality have *major* roles in human development. Its influence can be felt in every facet of our lives. Most LDS people define gay men and women by what they see as the only difference: with whom they like to have sex. (We're much more complex than that!) But sex and sexuality are taboo subjects. So gay people are taboo subjects. Members feel that if they openly accept gay people then they are in support of the sin. You cannot hate a sin and love a sinner in this case because in the Church's eyes the sin defines the sinner. Loving the sinner implies that you love the sin. I've never heard in real terms how one can hate a sin without hating the sinner.

Last, religions should be happy that a population of "promiscuos" and "immoral" citizens want to give up their old ways and settle down into life-long and stable relationships or marriages. It should be like welcoming the prodigal son back into the fold. This isn't so because in the eyes of most religious people, a gay relationship is not permisible or equal. It would allow gay parents to teach children that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality. Afterall, the child's two dads or two moms raised him well, kept him fed, and taught him right from wrong. Many of us want to adopt and there are so many children out there without parents. But most religious people will say it is better for a child to grow up on the street than to be raised by gay parents. Sick.

In short (too late!), history isn't enough to make LDS members and gay people become allies. It's only going to start by gay people making and continuing to be friends with their LDS neighbors. Two of my nephews know I'm gay now. I'm sure they are much more okay with it than their parents or my parents (just like racism). Each generation will be more sympathetic because each generation will have more experience with their gay brothers and sisters. Most of us are normal, good and moral people. I'm proud to be both LDS and gay.

Happy Human Rights Day

"The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights. The commemoration was established in 1950, when the General Assembly invited all states and interested organizations to celebrate the day as they saw fit."
--Wikipedia.org, Human Rights Day

This year is also the 60th anniversary of the day's anniversary. The gay community chose this day for the Day Without a Gay. Basically gay men and women are supposed to call in sick today and use the day to do community service. It will help America see how much of an impact we have on everyday life. If every single gay person didn't show up for work today, it would have a *huge* impact. I'm sure every field of work would be affected and some would shut down all together.

I had considered asking for the day off, but I will be going in to work today. I haven't been at Circuit City long enough to just call in sick. If I were still at Sharper Image, I bet my boss would have given himself, Aaron and I the day off (as we are all gay). So today, I figured my contribution would be blogging about the day.

I'm not one to be a political activist. I'd just like to say that we gay people are full citizens of the United States and deserve all rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a full citizen. This includes the right to marry, the right to serve in the military and the right to pursue our own happiness.

My Most Recent Word Cloud

Duplicity

Today's my day off. I went over to the $5 haircut place on 7th where I normally get my haircut. I had a nice barber (are women barbers too?) She started the pleasant small talk that barbers normally do. That's cool with me. Silence or small talk are equally fine for me.

She talked about her three-year-old son and getting ready for Christmas. I mentioned my nephews and going to the Festival of Trees today. As I was doing this, I caught myself "straightening" my small talk. It's something I do naturally. When I make the switch I use gender neutral pronouns, change the situations a little bit and tweak the truth. I do it without even thinking. Today I just happened to mentally catch it.

It made me think. I am out to my family and friends now. There is not really anyone else that needs to hear it from me. (My sister is excluded.) So why do I de-gay my speech? Do I really care what the barber thinks? Is it just easier to not show that part of me to strangers? My boyfriend Aaron doesn't "straighten" his speech at all. He works at a hotel and will mention picking up his boyfriend or a cute guy or whatever. He's not embarrassed. He just treats it like it is the most normal thing. I envy him for that.

On one hand, I don't need to share my sexual orientation with every person I meet. I am a gay man and am proud of who I am, but it just isn't relevant to every conversation or relationship. Sometimes (rarely in my experience), I need to hide that aspect to protect myself or others from hate speech. That aside, there doesn't seem to be any logical reason to hide my being gay from people.

On the other hand, by sharing my sexuality as Aaron does--in the most normal matter--it will expose people to the fact that there are gay people every where. We are normal. Utahns particularly need exposure to that.

So what do you think? For those of my readers who are gay, how do you handle those situations? For those who aren't gay, being Mormon is probably the closest analogy. Do you ever "de-Mormonize" your speech with strangers you interact with? Do either of the groups say "I'm going to hang out with my friends" rather than saying "ward activity" or "Gay night"?

Frivolous I Know

I grabbed this list from another blogging friend. It's pretty easy — just copy the list and embolden the items that you've done in your life…

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
    
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
    
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
    
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
    
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total solar eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
    
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
    
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
    
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
    
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (oops!)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
    
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
    
90. Sat on a jury
    
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
    
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
    
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

PS - If something is frivolous, does it mean it is full of frivol?

Black (as night) Friday

My day began at 3 AM today. I had to be to work at 4 AM. I have to say that I am not very tired. I went to be at 10 last night so I got five hours of sleep. Oh and I took a Tylenol PM to help me get to sleep right away.

So right now I'm on my first break. It has been busy today, but nothing compared to last year or so I'm told. Last year the line was six deep and wrapped half-way around the store. This morning there were around 50 people waiting. I've been stationed at the registers in cameras and imaging. I'd thought I would be crowded and pressed by people and ringing them up frantically. I haven't been crowded at all, just pleasantly busy.

All of this is probably bad overall for the store. I'm hoping that we are selling good gross margin on products. But I wonder if it's this way just for our store or for other Circuit Cities or even the same in other chains too. I guess we'll know in a few days.

The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done

Sunday I went with my parents up to Logan to go to my nephew's Eagle Court of Honor. I didn't really want to go. I imagined it would be long and drawn out and well, boring. I'm happy to say that I was wrong. It was actually inspiring. My 14 year old nephew and my 10 year old nephew both were impressed. Especially Zach, his eyes were all wide after watching the video about the eagle. It's good to see him take interest in something like that.

So afterwards, we were headed home after I dropped off my nephews. My parents wanted to just drive me straight to SLC but I asked to stop by their place. Then my dad was going wait in the car till I grabbed whatever it was I needed. I asked them both to come in because I needed to talk to them about something.

I sat them down and I came out to them. I won't go into great detail as it is personal. But they had suspected for two years. After finding out that I had a boyfriend, they were surprised. It seems my whole family suspected that I was gay, but none of them suspected that I did anything about it. So no one but me cried. My parents do worry for my eternal well-being. The gay doesn't bother them, just eternity. Which is... refreshing. We discussed several aspects of me being gay. I think we were mostly on the same page.

My parents are basically the last people I care about that I needed to tell. But this isn't the end, it's really the beginning. I'm sure after they have gotten over the shock of it, they will have many questions, and we may probably disagree on a lot of things. But we will learn from each other and come to an understanding.

I think the most important part of this is that I am tearing down the buffer zone that I needed to keep between my loved ones and myself. I was tired of lying but not ready to come out to them yet. I look forward to regaining what I lost.

Oh the weather

So this is what I was going to post yesterday, but didn't have the time:

Can I say how much I love our weather lately? We've been in the 50-60° range. The mean temperature for Utah in November is usually is 42°. And I just looked it up, our record high for November was 75° in 1999. Wow. We would normally have perma-snow on the ground by now. Thank you global warming! As I have said before, I think Utah is going through arizonification (the process of becoming like Arizona).

So of course today, it's just the opposite: cold and windy. Well, you can never expect Utah weather to be predictable in the fall or spring.

Can I say how much I love our weather lately? We've been in the 50-60° range. The mean temperature for Utah in November is usually is 42°. And I just looked it up, our record high for November was 75° in 1999. Wow. We would normally have perma-snow on the ground by now. Thank you global warming! As I have said before, I think Utah is going through arizonification (the process of becoming like Arizona).

Creativity

I am feeling particularly creative right now. I just finished making a How to Host a Murder Mystery into the form I needed it. Yes, yes, it took me over a year to actually finish it. But it's done! Regular murder mysteries are four men and four women. I needed one to be eight men. So I had to change all the female names to male names, and make all their attributes male too. This would have been very easy but for one thing: One of the females was pregnant. That fact is very important for the story as it determines heirship. It took me *forever* to determine how to fix that. But I did it!

I still have the bug though. I want to keep working on one. I have one that I started maybe six years ago and it's well on its way. I was looking over it today and it's very creative, if I do say so myself. So I can either finish that one, or begin another. This old one is nice because it's for five men and five women, so more people can participate. It's also completely from scratch.

If I do start another murder mystery, I have two ideas in mind. I could either do a Clue based mystery, or I thought of a campaign party murder mystery. The first option is classic and a lot of fun. I *love* Clue! The second is pretty good idea too. Aaron made a good suggestion too. I don't have to make an all male murder mystery this time. Now that I'm out to all my friends I can have men and women. And that does make it a lot easier!

On another creative note, I am also very good at modifying existing games and improving them. For my birthday Aaron got me a Planet Earth trivia game. It was a lot of fun to play. It's a DVD game, so you get to see lots of beautiful scenery from our amazing planet. But... it wasn't competitive enough! So my wheels are turning on how to improve it. It'll be good.

And lastly, a short list of games I've improved or created:

Murder Mysteries
Tibbets
Jungle Tag
Super Monopoly
Clue Live
Murder in the Dark
...and there are others.

Milton Bradley should hire me!

A New Chapter for America and Me

Today I turn 30 years old. I think for most that would be a sobering thought. Most people do not look forward to that birthday. I feel differently. My 20s were an incredible decade. It started with serving in Romania and helping others come to Christ. That experience will always be with me. I went to college and expanded my horizons and created many, many good friends. I've also come to understand myself better and point myself in the right direction. I've found the love of my life and we are building a positive and loving relationship together.

So now I begin my 30s with great plans for the future. There are several things that have been chains around my feet that I am going to remove. I have made goals to become a better person. I already started them. I am excited to be 30! Besides, 30-somethings are hot! lol

On another note, I am excited for our country. I voted for McCain, but fully expected Obama to win. I feel hope for the future of America. I don't think that one term from either candidate will end our problems, but I know that the hope of change will spur many Americans to make positive changes to their homes, businesses, and surroundings. I'm very proud that I was able to vote.

Whether you voted for McCain, Obama, or some other, now is the time to rally around our new President and support him. Part of the fall of the Nephite nation came when they sought to subvert and manipulate the will of their leaders. But we're Americans, all together, all of us. One president alone cannot fix our problems, but all together we can.

Election Ramblings

I don't think I mentioned, but on Halloween I was happy to vote early. I work on election day, so Aaron and I went and voted. It felt really good. I'd love to wear that "I voted." sticker every day until election day. But I won't.

It doesn't matter who I voted for. (Though I voted for both Dems and Reps.) I've been a registered Republican my whole voting career. I still would be, only when I registered here in Salt Lake City, I must have missed that box or something. So as of right now I'm an independent voter.

I'm looking forward to election day. I've always had so much fun watching as the voting stats roll in. Gayle and Aaron C. will remember election day so long ago when we made fun of the reporters. Yes Gayle you thought that woman was ugly, you can admit it.

If I may make a prediction, whichever candidate wins... he won't be able to fix our problems. However, he may lengthen or shorten the troubles we are going through. And whoever is elected, he and his party will be blamed for not getting us out the hole we're in.

I'll end this rambling post with a challenge: Vote.

New Music Video

Brandy - New Music - More Music Videos

So I thought this video was beautiful when I saw it. Something struck me as interesting, but I didn't know what. Then it struck me, the singer, Brandy, is an angel. She's reaching down to comfort the people. I really love the song.

Happy Halloween!

I hope you've been having a great day! I have had a great Halloween so far and it's not over yet. I woke up an hour early for work today to put on all my zombie costume. I don't have my pictures uploaded yet to show you. So I rode the bus to work. Everyone pretty much ignored me except one preteen who kept looking at me. There was a latino guy sitting across the aisle from me. He was old, grandpa aged. When he saw me board the bus he crossed himself! Yeah, I'm not evil!

The day went by really quick, but I was only there 5 hours. Most people just ignored the costume, and a lot of people complimented me. I love being a zombie at work!

So in about an hour or so we're going to head to Club Sound. We go every year. This year I think they'll have fire dancers and ribbon dancers. I've seen the fire dancers before and wow, they are good!

A New Beginning

I started my first blog July 24, 2004. Back then I started a blog as a way for my family and friends to keep up with my life. I think many people start blogs for that reason. I think it works out that way for very few people however. More often than not it provides a release for the blogger. You're able to write your feelings and by doing so work through things and understand yourself better. That and put up the silly things of your life. lol

But I have to say, life is really good. I'm proud of where I'm at and I'm proud of where I'm going. The past three years I've made some big decisions and they changed my life for the better and in ways I couldn't have guessed.

It's those big changes that have made it hard to meet/chat with some of you earlier. About three years ago I finally admitted to myself that I'm gay. Yeah, even now it's hard to type it. It's a life altering realization and one that has really changed me. I won't bother you with the long story from there to here. But I'll tell you some details. I am out to my brother and sister-in-law but not yet to my parents. I want to tell them very much, but I don't know how to go about it. I don't want to ruin their lives. But I think it'll happen sooner than later.

The other big part of this that has changed my life: I've had a boyfriend for over three years now. You already know him. It's Aaron. We've lived together for over two years now. We really do make each other happy. I really love him. I see a long life together with him.

So you probably have a lot of questions running through your mind. The first question that came to one friend's mind when I told her this news, was what my standing was with the Church. I'm not out to the Church either. I love the Church; I have a strong testimony of it. I don't go to Church every Sunday, but I'm not inactive either. I think the main reason going to Church is hard, isn't that I have any guilt... but rather the constant pressure to participate in things that I no longer can. I'm not worthy to participate in the Priesthood or attend the Temple. I can only really be "half" a member. But I want the Church to always be a part of my life. It just has to take on a different role now.

Now I've given you a lot to swallow. But I don't want to over do it. I'm sure you have questions and I promise I will answer every one of them honestly and to the best of my ability. It took me years to come to terms with this, so I don't expect you to do it any faster. I'm a good person, I've just been faced with some very hard decisions.

I turn 30 in a little over a week. I've made a goal to have my 30s be my best decade yet. Part of that means becoming a whole person. I'm bringing the two parts of my life into one complete whole. Coming out to friends and family has been a spiritual experience. The Spirit is drawn to the truth and now I can share it with you.

Please don't let any of this come between our friendships. I am still the same Scott. I love my friends, family, games, movies, science fiction, and have the same dry sense of humor. I trust you enough to share the important parts of my life.

Scott

Halloween Playlist

I love making CDs for my friends. I make them for various reasons, for parties, events, or even seasons. The other week I started making a Halloween CD when I stumbled across a playlist I had made for work at The Sharper Image for Halloween day. So with a little updating to that previous list, I present to you "Halloween 2008"!

1. Michael Jackson (DMX remix) - Thriller
2. Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party
3. B52s - Monster Mash
4. The End Mashup - Who Can It Be Watching Me
5. Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London
6. Theme Song for Ghostbusters
7. Marilyn Manson - This Is Halloween
8. Aqua - Halloween
9. The Theme for the Munsters
10. Anastasia Soundtrack - In the Dark of the Night
11. The Theme for the Addams' Family
12. The Theme for the X-Files
13. Rocky Horror Picture Show - Time Warp
14. Oingo Boingo - Weird Science
15. David Bowie - Magic Dane
16. Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
17. Bette Midler - I Put a Spell on You
18. Rihanna - Disturbia

Halloween in my neighborhood

I was taking a walk in my neighborhood yesterday evening. I turned a corner and I nearly gasped. It looked like someone had hanged themselves from the nearby tree. Then a smile broke out on my face. I love Halloween! I imagine having a tree with dummies hanging from nooses.

Am I Excited?

I'm sure you can tell from the newly themed blog that I am excited for Halloween. I'm actually a little late. Normally I'm very excited for the holiday back in August. Now it's only 3 days until one of my favorite months and I have caught the fever!

It started with me finding a playlist I made last year. I worked at The Sharper Image and I made a CD with all Halloween music to play on my second favorite holiday. I've been listening to it every day. These songs bring me back. Right now I'm listening to a Thriller remix that I had played at a few Halloween ward dances back at BYU. Reed M. *loved* this song too. Once it's October I'll probably post the playlist up on here. Now I'm listening to "I Put a Spell On You."

I want to have a Halloween party. I want to have the classics like a costume contest, bobbing for apples, donuts on a string, sugar cookies and all the other trimmings. I'd better get to work!

Things Are Improving

Yesterday was my last day at Staples. For those that don't know about it, I'll update you quickly. I started looking for a job in August. I applied everywhere and it seemed that no one was hiring. After all, no one called me for an interview. Then I got a call from Staples and I took the job. I really needed the money. One week later I had a call from Circuit City for an interview. I took a job there. I went to Staples and let them know that I needed to quit. I had hoped they would let me go without having to put in my two weeks. After all, I had only worked there three days. The manager wanted me to stay the remaining two weeks because I was already on the schedule.

So a few days ago the manger offered me a quarter more pay than Circuit City if I would stay. I really considered it. Staples is closer and within walking distance than CCity. I like the people at Staples better as well. But the position was only head cashier and I'd just be standing behind a register all day. I can do much better than that.

So yesterday I turned down the promotion and said that I would not be able to work there any longer. It is a relief to be done with two jobs. I was working every day and with alternating hours.

It also feels great to have money in the bank and a steady income. Now the downside is that at CCity you have to earn full-time hours. So I can expect 30+ hours every week, but I won't know how many until the week comes. That means there will be variation in my paycheck. I like to have reliable income. I am not the most financially inclined so reliability helps me out a lot.

On another note, aren't you loving this weather? It's 80 degrees out right now and today's high is 85! I was walking outside in shorts and it was heaven. I wish this cold would go away and I'd be enjoying it even more!

Tag to Everyone Who Reads This!

Go to Google images and type in your own answers for the topics below. Pick your favorite image on the first 3 pages of results and post... (Yes it does take forever for it to line up correctly.)

My First Name:











My Middle Name:

























My Last Name:














My Age:













A Place I Would Like to Visit:













My Favorite Place:















My College Degree:
























My Grandma's Name:


























The Place I Grew Up:




















A Pet I Have Owned:















Nickname of a Best Friend:

























My First Job:






















My Favorite Food:















My Favorite Color:




















What I am Doing Right Now:


























A Bad Habit:

America's Best Dance Crew

So America's Best Dance Crew is my favorite television show. And you may scoff, but watch it! The people on the show have incredible talent. Besides loving the dance styles they use, I think this show is better than all the other dances shows because these people choreograph their own dances. 'Dancing with the Stars' and 'So You Think You Can Dance' just learn the dances they're taught. ABDC crews invent their own dances and infuse them with creativity and passion. They are incredible!

A bit of Trek

So I haven't posted for a long time. I don't have that much to report. But I did just join a Star Trek sim and this is my first post.

-Scott

ON:

[Logan, Utah]
[Donnelly home]

Always cooler than the rest of the state, it was a beautiful day in high altitude city of Logan, Utah. 26 C was cooler then even Brian Donnelly expected. But it was a pleasant change from the nearly 40 C temperatures that Brian's hometown of Salt Lake City was experiencing today. Brian had stopped at his house to check on things and changed into some civilian clothes before hopping a magtrain to the northern city. He walked up the steps of the suburban home and rang the door
chime. He could hear some scuffling before someone answered the door.

A dark-haired, lanky teenager opened the door. "Hey Brian." Donnelly's nephews had never taken up the habit of calling him `uncle'. Not inviting his uncle in, Shane (npc) left his uncle and
ran back to whatever he was doing.

Brian walked in with a smirk on his face. Teenagers. He closed the door behind him and took a seat on the couch in the living room. He yelled out, "So when do your parents get home?" In response his other nephew Jacob entered the room, "Oh hey Brian. They'll be home in a little bit." The blond teenager was the younger of the two sons, but it seemed he had outgrown his brother. Brian stood, "Hey there bud, give your uncle a hug." Jacob gave his uncle a short but awkward hug. Maybe they were getting too old for that. Kids grow up too fast. And looking at how much they'd already grown, Donnelly wouldn't be surprised if they topped two meters.

Donnelly relaxed, stretching his thick arms across the back of the couch. It was nice to relax in an actual house. He glanced around, typical of such homes there were pictures of the family on the walls. He spotted a pic of him in his cadet dress uniform… graduation. There were others of his parents, his siblings, and his nephews. It only lasted a moment, but it made Donnelly wonder.

A few minutes later the front door opened and Brian's younger brother Paul walked in. Paul didn't notice the visitor at first. Brian shifted in his seat and his brother caught the movement and gave a start. Brian stood and smiled, "Going blind in your old age?" Paul laughed. The two brothers gave each other a brief hug.

"Blind, no… deaf maybe from yelling at these thugs." Paul motioned to his then present sons. "So, are you in town for long?"

Brian shrugged, "No such luck this time. I've just accepted a new position aboard the Arc Angel. And you guessed it, Chief of Security."

The two walked into the kitchen. Paul chuckled and replied, "You always were good at beating up on people." He was referencing their childhood. The two brothers were known for getting in fights with each other. But contrary to the extended family's perception it was only typical of young boys. Now the younger Paul was taller and outweighed his brother. Brian had a hard body from his time in Starfleet, and his brother had the typical husband gut. Paul continued, "Well you can at least stay for dinner. Jade will be home soon and I'm told we're having lasagna."

Brian Donnelly smiled and patted his belly. "I couldn't pass that up!"

==several hours later==

Donnelly was headed to the nearest transportation hub with a full stomach. He was grateful for the time to visit his brother and his family. With the mission of the Arc Angel, Donnelly didn't know when he'd get to visit again. He still needed to contact his parents on New Deridous and let them know about the transfer. His dad would especially laugh that Colonel Furry was the man behind the transfer. The Donnelly men had both served with Furry, but the three had never
been in the same location simultaneously. He'd have to do something about that.

Soon he would be on his new home aboard the Arc Angel.

LT Commander Donnelly
Chief of Security
USS Arc Angel-A

I Love Personality Tests!

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal. A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. In love, you express your emotions through actions. Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well! At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist. How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

Tagged!

A: Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves
B: At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names; then goes to their blogs, leaves them a comment letting them know that they have been tagged and invites them to read your blog.

1. Every time I leave the house I have to check to make sure I have everything. So I say aloud, "Keys, wallet, phone". This started back on my mission and was very helpful. Back then I said 'pen' instead of 'phone'. And now (almost ten years later) I still have a one in three chance of saying 'pen' instead of 'phone' when I leave the house. Good habits die hard.

2. I love people watching! I'm always making mental notes of patterns I notice between people.

3. Though I am not hypoglycemic (yet) like Mighty Bob, when I get hungry I am very easily annoyed. I know I'm likely to blow up at that point, so if I can't eat yet I normally get quiet so I won't do/say anything I'll regret.

4. I love technology.

5. But not as much as you, you see.

6. But I still... Never mind. I love playing games. Almost as much, I love teaching people new games. I have a whole closet full of board and strategy games. On a related note I also collect playing cards. I just got a pack from Knott's Berry Farm.

MacBook Air Gets Tied Down

So the other day, I got into a discussion about the merits of Macs and the Macbook Air. The biggest advantage is advertising. Yep, that's it. Mac's have the best advertising agency I've ever seen. They can make so-so products look fantastic. After all, look at iPods. Most people think iPods are the only mp3 player out there. Because the MacBook Air doesn't have *any* ports, you have to add them on! Anyway, I don't want to get into another discussion about this. Just watch the video.

Spring Flowers!

Glad It's Over!

Wow! What a month! I am happy April is nearly over. On the first of the month I was made the acting manager of The Sharper Image. I had very little time to learn all the aspects of my new position. I knew I could handle the responsibilities, but I think I underestimated all that I would need to do. I needed to hire all new associates and train them how to run the store. Luckily I had several friends who needed part time jobs. One position was filled by my ad in craigslist. They were all hard workers and fast learners.

Of course there were the angry customers, that never changes. I only had to have one couple escorted out of the mall. Only... They would get angry because we were unable to take their returns. Once the liquidators bought our store, we became theirs and followed their policies. Their policy includes no returns. So our customers only needed to contact an 800 number and Sharper Image customer service would send out a pre-paid box to take the unit back. I think that's really generous on their half. But that wasn't good enough for some customers. Luckily I had lots of experience with this before becoming the manager. I do my best to help every customer but I know when to put my foot down.

Our store was planned to be open anywhere from four to twelve weeks. Two weeks into the closure, they let us know that we would be closing in two weeks. I can't say that I was surprised. Compared to the other stores closing in our district, we weren't doing very well. Our sales were down. I think first of all, our mall being under construction but a large damper on our sales. Trolley Square just doesn't have the traffic in it our store needs. Second, no offense but Utahans are cheapskates. 40% isn't good enough for them. They want 80-90% off. The problem was, because of our short four weeks open, the sales weren't going to get that good. But tell that to customers and they just think you're holding out. Ah well!

I thought I was handling everything pretty well. I was learning the ropes quickly and responsibly. I figured that because we wouldn't be open so long I'd not train a new Senior Sales in order to close and open the store. It would be difficult but I could handle the three weeks at nine hours a day without any days off. Well, I am still alive.

Even though I was on top of the things, the stress was killing me. During the three week period I had four migraines! I normally have about one a year, sometimes less. I'm so thankful that after my second migraine, I found some medicine that stopped the beast dead in its tracks. Hallelujah! Why didn't I know about this back when I started getting them in junior high school? I could have been without pain and discomfort and annoyance for years! But I have it now, phew! I was getting afraid too. I figured the migraines were caused by stress, but I'd never had them so often. I thought it might be something I'd have to continue to deal with. Luckily (knock on wood) they seem to have dissipated.

Every day of the three weeks was identical to the last. It was long, it was hard, and it was stressful. My last day, Aaron and I both pulled 12 hour shifts. The last hours seemed to drag on. Our liquidation representative had this small thing, or that last thing he needed done. And he didn't do anything to help get it done. Grrrr!

But! All of that is behind me. I made a lot of money, I earned a lot of experience, and I am so glad it is done. If I needed to, would I do it again? Probably yes. But I would make a lot of changes... and I wouldn't do it for a long time!

Now I'm giving myself a small vacation before I head back to work. The Sharper Image is dead in Utah, but I hope to have a job at Brookstone very soon. I'm sorry I fell off the planet during that time, but I hope you all understand. But Scott is back and better for it!

Spring Does Exist!

I took these today while going on a walk in my neighborhood. It's nice to know that spring might be here! (But for how long?)

In the Blink of an Eye

Wow. I am amazed at how quickly my life can change. About four weeks ago, my employer, The Sharper Image filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. About two weeks ago, we found out our store would be liquidating. Then I went to Hawaii on paid vacation. When I returned, all of my co-workers and managers had put in their two week notices. I cannot afford to be jobless, so I am staying at the Sharper Image until we close. On April 1st (the irony of that day has not escaped me) I will be made the acting Manager. So right now my life is filled with the stress of finding employees that are willing to work for only six to twelve weeks. Then I need to interview them, train them, and supervise them. I need to have them ready by April first. Wow.

In the meantime, I need to learn payroll, hiring procedures, and everything else a manager does. I'm swamped, I'm stressed, and I'm worried. On top of all this, the job is just as temporary for me. I need to find a new job myself. This is sad because I *love* this job. I have become a better person from it. I really saw myself growing and progressing in this company. But now that has all changed--and so quickly.

The bright side? I may make some good money. I will have management skills. I will have resume builders. I will be more responsible. I will be strong. Will it be worth the trade-off? I'll find out.

A Short Memorial

Today was the one year anniversary of the shooting at Trolley Square. I was able to leave some flowers at the site. As I walked through the mall I saw other small groups of people mourning the loss of their family members and friends. I pray for those who experienced such a difficult loss. I hope the Holy Ghost comforts them and brings them closer to their Heavenly Father. It's important to remember that though they were taken before their time, they live on.

--Scott

My Celebrity Look-Alike

Piracy, Lies, and the Shooting

I just looked at my blogging stats for 2007. I wrote fewer blogs last year than any other year. That's sad. Back in 2005 I made a goal to become a regular blogger and it really made a difference. I'm hesitant to make that same goal for this year. We'll see how it plays out.

So here's the actual topic of my first blog of 2008: Piracy. It seems the MPAA likes to create statistics in order to further their cause. In 2005 they stated that 44% of lost sales came from college-aged downloaders. Now they're backtracking and saying the numbers are closer to 15%. Campus IT groups are saying that it's closer to 3%. Hmph. It makes you think. Now whenever the MPAA proclaims a statistic or trend, we'll need someone to double check it. It seems they will lie in order to further their agenda. Ridiculous.

Oh, one other thing. So yesterday I checked my voice mail. The Salt Lake Tribune had called and left a message. They wanted to interview me on how things had changed since the Trolley Square Shooting. The one year anniversary is nearly here. That really upsets me. I cannot pretend to be a spokesman for the event. I didn't lose any loved ones or co-workers. It would be completely inappropriate for me to speak to an audience on that topic. I'll remind you, this is the newspaper that wanted to interview me while the shooting was happening! Tasteless!