i need to be regular!

Work has been rather taxing as of late. Usually, it was Tuesdays that I would get off. I would work open to close Monday and Thursday, and shorter shifts Wednesday and Friday. Saturday I would either work open to close or a 10-3 shift, depending on who else was working. Now, considering our staffing issues, I have a very sporadic schedule. I had Monday off two weeks, ago, Wednesday last week, Thursday this week, Tuesday next week, then Wednesday the following week, and I the nights that I close now include Tuesdays on a regular basis, meaning that I am unable to attend rugby practice 3 of the next 5 weeks. I can't get into any patterns. I wake up every day unsure of what is going on. It kinda sucks.

Kilts; they are so wonderfully comfortable. They allow for near complete range of motion. They are semi-stylish in that odd ‘that doesn’t go with anything, so it casually clashes with everything’ type way. A kilt is also great attire for a formal occasion. All you have to do is know which family tartan it is, research their history a little bit, and wear a bow tie and some flashy sneakers with it. I did just that this weekend. It was once again time for the annual Roncalli High School Auction. I was once again auctioned off as a server for ‘The Best Seat in the House.’ It is located in the middle back of the room and allows an unimpeded view of the entire room from a comfortable set of lawn chairs and a table. I hustled around through the entire event for a few hours at the beck and call of Chris and Rick, a wonderfully fun and generous couple who invited most anyone who was walking past to have a drink with them. They had a great deal of fun bidding on more oral auction items and eventually invited me to have a seat at the table with them as the oral auction drew to a close. We discussed other fund raisers they have helped organize, their personal business ventures, and they were kindly interested in my goals and plans for the future. It was a very fun evening, and I look forward to next year when I can do it all again.

I also had football practice this weekend. It was a lot of fun, and I took the majority of snaps at h-back, a combination of running back and receiver. I had a few simply bad drops in warm ups, but performed better in game simulation drills. I found I really need to work on my jumping skills. I have a pathetic vertical and got over thrown on at least 3 occasions, but another 3 inches would have given me enough height to reach it, though probably still not enough body control to bring in the catch. I find that I am now rambling slightly, but being able to spend three hours on a sunny afternoon practicing football was a ton of fun. I now have a perfect farmers tan, compliments of the compression shirt I wore. My arm goes from white to red on a perfect line of my upper arm. I am bruised, sore, and scabbed. My legs were shaking and my busted foot was screaming with pain, but I had a great deal of fun, learned a lot, and met some guys that I had not been introduced to before. I am very excited for the upcoming season.

And then there is the spring thaw. I drove up to Green Bay two weeks ago and there were still bodies of water covered in ice. Then, 10 days later, I was running without a shirt… at night. The swing in temperature, and the lack of rain, the last few days has resulted in a fabulous change of mood (and the aforementioned sun burn). The sun is currently shining, but it is now cloudy… now sun- no, wait, clouds. Oh, whatever. It is partly sunny.

I also filled my car up last week, and I am getting about 29mph. Not bad for a car old enough to drive itself. It gets a little 'jumpy' when it rains, though, and given that it has been rainy 80% of the time I drive it since I bought the car, it has been jumpy quite often. I don't like that. It makes it look like I can't drive stick. And I can drive stick.
The best news I have heard in a few weeks is that my dear friend Elder Berg might be able to come home earlier than expected (though not in the same way I cam home early). Because he left at the beginning of January, he might be sent home previous to Christmas! I would love to see him as early as possible, cause I really miss him, but I am so proud of him and wish him the best. He is doing a fantastic thing by serving his mission. It is enriching his life so much, and I can tell that from every letter I get from him. It is so wonderful to see those changes in his life, and see the improvements, and yet he remains himself in most every facet. I felt the changes of a mission, and I believe in the positive influence of the people you serve, as well as those you serve with. I know that the Spirit change bring about a change of heart, and the inner desires of your very core can change through the influence of the Gospel. I love the Church, the Gospel, the Atonement, and our Lord and Savior. I am so glad that I know what I need to do to be happy, to feel secure, and to fulfill my greatest dreams.
My mom recently taught a Sunday School lesson where she asked a room full of 13-18 year olds what their five year plans were. The answers varied rather widely, but they each had a rough idea of what they wanted to accomplish. She then asked what things could occur in their lives to throw their plans out of synch. The answers cam again, and there were plenty of them. She then asked "What is your eternal plan?" Essentially, where do you want to be for time and all eternity? The answers were very similar. The followup question was what can change these plans? The conclusion the class came to was that a lot can happen in the world to change your short and even long term plans, but if you set your eternal goal, outside forces are irrelevant. The choices you make to achieve eternal joy is a lifestyle, the small and simple decisions made every single hour of every day. They are not things that can be forced upon you or seized from you. Nothing can prevent you from living your life and making your choices.
Unless you get drugged or brainwashed, of course, but I don't think that counts as you making choices, then.