Tuesdays with Muerte

Below, I have copied an excerpt from Elder Uchtdorf's First Presidency Message in the June 2013 Ensign , " Walking in Circles ." (Highlighting added for emphasis.) Elder Uchtdof's Ensign message speaks to my present condition to some degree.  I feel like I'm living righteously, yet I feel like I lack direction (as evidenced by use of time).  I desire goals, or landmarks, to help me guide my choices.  I have some big decisions coming up and simply don't have time to dilly-dally.  I know that by following Elder Utchdorf's counsel, I will be able to identify those markers I am seeking. The Antidote According to Elder Uchtdorf "Spiritual landmarks are indispensable for keeping us on the straight and narrow path. They give clear direction as to the way we should travel—but only if we recognize them and walk toward them. If we refuse to be guided by these landmarks, they become meaningless, decorative masses that have no purpose but to break up ...

I just bought these Easton Trail AL3 hiking poles from Out n' Back in Provo.  Jason Hills forwarded me an email advertisement he got from them.  I looked up the specs to see if they met my all criteria. (I would have liked them to be ultra light and have a compass and a screw for a monopod and some bear spray and an internal mp3 player with speakers embedded in the shaft, but I'll have to take what I can get for now.) Next, I checked around the internet to make sure it was a good deal—and it was: $42 for poles and winter baskets (incl. tax)!  My knees are pretty excited about this. I'll probably be doing about 3-5 more hikes before driving down to California to submit Mt. Whitney in June!

Software Review I just used iMacsoft's iPod to Mac Transfer to move a playlist of songs (that I originally gave to Rick) back to my iTunes library (11.0.2) from a 4th Gen iPod Shuffle—and it worked great! This FREE, 12MB application can copy music, songs, video, rating, pictures, playlist, etc files from your iPod back to your Mac (or straight into iTunes) in only two intuitive clicks. I have scanned the .dmg file with McAfee virus scanner, and it is reported safe ; without any viruses or spyware. The free version of this software lets you move 100 songs at a time, while the paid version is without limitations. iPod to Mac Transfer  is perfect and powerful  Mac iPod transfer  software which makes it much easier to manage your iPod freely. It offers the function of iPod to Mac transfer of music, photo, video, movie, podcast and TV program. Besides file transfer from iPod to Mac, iPod to iTunes and  Mac to iPod transfer  are also available. Backup mu...

Chelise has recently become a major part of my life.  My new schedule basically revolves around spending time with her.  I even considered renting a second apartment just so I could be 15 minutes closer to her.  It's high time she gets the shout out she deserves from me. Here are a few interesting facts about how Chelise and I came to be: We first met in Sacrament meeting on January 20th, 2013, held in BYU's Richards Building (BYU 186th ward). Chelise played the piano for a special musical number in Sacrament meeting, which I used as an excuse go up and talk with to her afterward. When we met, one of the first things I noticed about Chelise was her kind, sophisticated, reserved demeanor and her excellent fashion sense.   As we got to know each other better over the course of the semester, I recognized her gentleness and compassion and razor-sharp wit.  We became friends through attending alternative FHE activities , cooking together, and doing sma...

This is one person's response to the title question. I felt like his story (linked below) reflects a work experience of mine. I was excited to be part of an organization, but my role wasn't clear. This was torture for the instructional designer in me. I wish I would have had this man's insight and experience when I was in his position. Read Quote of Gil Yehuda's answer to Job Interviews: What's the craziest thing you ever said at a job interview and still got the job? on Quora Image Source

*Rockstar dating coach and marriage & family therapist, Alisa Snell , does it again with this outstanding post on how YOU need to communicate so your significant other will feel comfortable receiving what you have to say, or to sharing what they have a hard time sharing*   To talk in a way that your partner will listen, and listen in a way that your partner will talk, follow the five steps below. Women, before you make a complaint or express a need: Smile and act confident that he will respond well and that you both will work the situation out. Touch him. Express your gratitude for what he does right. State your faith and trust in him and in the goodness of his intentions. Tell him what you would like him to do. For example, if he arrives twenty minutes late for the third time that month, greet him with a soft smile, warmth, and confidence. Express your appreciation for some of the things he is doing well. Then, later that evening, touch him on the arm an...

#5. Time flies by in moments. A question you think you only took 15-minutes to complete, really took you AN HOUR! You're doing homework and suddenly, it's 5am! You're 5-minute-alarm-clock-snooze magically turns into 2 hours and you literally don't know how. #4. You're mentally space out (resembling a zombie more than a living, functioning person). You bake cornbread muffins, but instead of turning the oven knob to BAKE, you absent-mindedly turn the knob to BROIL and proceed to fill your domicile with smoke and sadness. You sleep in two-hour spurts whenever they are available.  (Noon-time? No problem.) You try to open your car without your keys and can't figure out why it won't open. (#notsafetodrive) #3. Your body physically degrades and you lose spacial awareness. The blistering white screen of a word processor starts to burn your eyes, like a vampire exposed to daylight. You bonk your head on things as you bob and weave down the hall...