Excellence.

I have been thinking about excellence. If I'm being quite honest, it started just watching people. Maybe, it was the way I was raised. Maybe, it was something I picked up from the mission, but it's something that is deep, deep in me. The thought of excellence. The thought of doing something good. Not just good, but well. Not just well, but thorough, thought out. Completing a task from start to finish.

It's a lost art. It truly is art.

A lot of us think of excellence as something only obtainable by a few. As if Michael or Dominique, Da Vinci or Picaso, or real great men like Elder Ballard or President Monson are the only ones capable of doing great things. I don't get it.

There is something special about doing a job well. Consider for a moment that everything is a job. Everything. When you get up in the morning, when you make breakfast, when you do school work or your job, everything can be apart of being excellent.

I don't know when it became the social norm to just suck at everything. I don't know when it became a social norm for people to be dirty. I don't know when it became a social norm to feel entitled to things. I don't know, I don't care.

I just feel like we need to change. I have these problems too. The thing is there is a special feeling to doing a good job on things.

 There is one thing I have learned from being a designer. You can tell who has taken the time. You can tell who started the night before. There is less substantial information. There is a lack of substance. When you rush on something you miss the details. There is no way a design that took two weeks will ever be as thought out as one that took two days.

Consider another example, the Savior, Jesus Christ. Consider that he noticed every detail, even down to a woman touching His clothes in a crowded street. He never left a stone unturned. Can you imagine that when He washed the Apostles feet on that Sacred Occasion that their feet were left half dirty? I imagine their feet cleaner than at any other time in their life.

I know this sounds more like a church talk/sermon than anything. I just can’t imagine sometimes what’s going through the minds of people. An extra half hour to the day, taking time to consider the things less thought about will change our lives. But really though. Do something.

Honestly, I need this lesson myself. Maybe that's why I've been dwelling on it lately. But be real. Stop being lazy. There's no time like the present, says my wood shop professor. If my Mom saw me being lazy or my Dad....they'd mess me up. Stop half-butting things. That's what my Dad would say. Stop half-butting things.

 

 

The Marriage Resume

Alright. I've been thinking a lot about resumes. I'm a professional practices class and we have been making our own resumes. I thought it would be funny if everyone had marriage resumes. It would work something like your reputation. You would exchange resumes or hand your resume to the girl. I thought it was comical. I just thought I'd write my own marriage resume to explain the idea.


MARRIAGE RESUME
Jake.
Address City St 12345
(pho) nen umbe

Work:
Currently designing eco-friendly kids furniture and I love it.

Education :
College student - Indusrial Design. 3.7/4.0 GPA. Student of life. Graduated Seminary. Graduated Institute.

Experience :
I've dated several girls. In which I learned many things about womanhood and such.
Served a mission and had to live with a sloppy dude for two whole years.
I've taught Sunday School twice to 12-13 and 14-18 classes. Taught Elder's Quoram for a year and a half at BYU.

Skills :
I feel like I have an 'ok' handle on the scriptures, but I'm not a general authority (we can learn together ( : ) I can cook exceptionally well. I like to do dishes. I like to be clean and not leave a mess for others. I always want to dress well. I play guitar, drums and uke. I've dabbled in the harmonica. I've been told I do pretty creative dates. I like to do spontaneous acts of service, especially for cute girls. I like to compliment. I bake. I'm thrifty like all Eagle Scouts should be. I can cuddle pretty dece. You may or may not know that I write a blog. I enjoy the company of babies. I can draw. I'm pretty good at working with my hands. I'm not afraid of getting dirty. I am a Smash Bro's Champion. I'm a wood-worker and carpenter when I need to be. I'm devoted to my job, design. I love good design and my house will be modernly furnished. I work hard and usually have some idea where I'm going. Did I mention I'm debt free? Unless you count the Maverick soda I own my roomie. (:

Weaknesses:
I dunno......I can't dunk. I can't bench press over 160 pounds. I'm near sighted. I'm not that fond of dogs, but some are cool. I've never changed a poopy diaper. Occasionally, I like a video game or two. I don't know how to sew exactly, but I make it up pretty well. Spiders and snakes are pretty scary to me. I will also run from a skunk. I'm not the biggest fan of camping, but I like the outdoors and scenic views. I'm a pretty weak swimmer, as in, I could save my own life just probably not yours. In fact I'd probably be a threat to your life more than anything.

Hobbies/Additional :
I like to travel. I have been from the east coast to the west coast. The pacific is cooler, a little more crazy. I like to watch movies, but only ones worth my time, so that means I'll watch anything not a horror movie because they are a waste of time and a disturber of the Spirit. I like soda. I like good food. I love my Mom. Dad is cool.  I miss my cat. I like to bike. Basketball defines me. Fresh Prince is my alternative ego. I'm not afraid to cry though I hardly do unless it's right. There is a time to laugh, to be serious and to cry. I have completed the blaze'n challenge at buffalo wild wings (which was stupid). I enjoy modesty.

Spiritually:
My covenants are everything to me. I don't realize how powerful they are all the time, but I want to honor them. I want to be a "covenant person" and not a "hireling" (conference talk called Sacred Covenants by Bruce Hafen). The Book of Mormon is obviously way important, but the Bible is what I learned on the mission in Independence Missouri. I've never missed church unless I was snowed in or a hurricane threatened my life. I wish I could see what Joseph Smith saw in the scriptures, but I realize that takes time.

Quotes I live by :
"Nothing is learned until experienced." "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." "Anything the Prophets say goes."

I do not get girls.

So.

This blog is dedicated to me and my roomies, and a couple non-roomies and our situations that we hit all at once. Viewer discretion is advised.

The title works on two levels. I don't understand and obtain girls. At least haven't since being in Utah. What's the deal?

I just do not get it. Why do girls have a hard time dating guys? Maybe that's not it. Why do girls have a problem letting guys go hard? Wait. That's not it either (but probably should be). They don't have a hard time dropping guys they think aren't cool at all and don't want to spend time with. But maybe they want to keep the ones that maybe in some time distant or not so distant, but if things don't work out with other guys...yadda yadda...that they would want around...... I would submit more possible solutions, but time restricts me. It's a tangled web.

I would address this phrase. ----"I care about you."----

What the heck does that even mean? Like. Alright. You don't want to date me so..... what........you'd spit on me if I was on fire? I think that's pretty special. Or is it like..."but I still want to be friends"... its like saying..."no offense but..." and then you say whatever you feel like saying. "I care about you..." - come off it. That helps no man. I've also heard..."...but you are still my best friend"......are you kidding me? I heard in a stake conference once, "You aren't dating, but you are best friends? Well, I want to marry my best friend and did. Wouldn't you want to marry your best friend?"

Also, when you decide not to date a guy/your friend/guy you CANNOT try to hook that person up with other girls. Nothing annoys us more. Sorry, you forfeit all such privileges. For example you can't say, "Oh, look at (her/insert name) you should date her, she's sute." .... haha .... bite me, is what's going through our minds.

I feel like both guys and girls suffer from "the-guy/girl-around-the-corner" syndrome. Where they don't date a guy because that person might not be exactly what he/she/butmorethanlikelyshe expected...and...there is probably another guy that will just drop out of the sky and be everything. Well that's smart.

Surely, the answer couldn't be, enjoy the guy you already have who wants to be faithful to you.

Oh boy..."I care about you and want the best for you"...I've heard that so many times. Grow some courage and say what you really want to say and don't book-end it with a hollow feeling. "I care about you"...obviously not enough or you'd be dating me. You care enough to say find someone else. And it's like you expect that to be a happy thought for us. That's not the case. Talking to guys I know, that is the worst phrase. I'm speaking from my own experience when I say, I'd rather the girl just disappear.

Harsh, but...when you build something up and then it comes crumbling down with one swift stroke of the tongue. It's over. Vanish. It's hard to be reminded of the beautiful carpet you feel you knit together, getting pulled out from under you.

Guy/girl around the corner. Who needs them? I've heard this from one of my religion professors, "Be careful how many opportunities you let go or slip by."

There were sister missionaries in my mission once that were running out of gas on a Sunday. They didn't want to break the Sabbath and were about to be late to an important appointment so they put water in the gas tank and prayed for it to turn into gas. You know what happened? It happened and they made it to the appointment.

Or their car just died hard.

This might sound angry. But guess what? My blog, my rules. Oh boy...haha...new semester...new blogs coming down the pipe.

So you're coming to Provo for a girl....Hi. My name is Jake, and in this instructional blog...

I'll tell you the ins and outs as to why that's dumb and try to keep you here for the right reasons.

Did you get into BYU? If yes, happy day! Enjoy school and campus life and take as many classes as possible. This is a world class education you are getting at a rediculously low price. Seriously.

If you answered no to the above, did you register at UVU? I say that because they admit everyone. If no, how about independent study at BYU? Probably, not the best bet, but still something. If you go that route is does NOT mean you'll get into BYU ever. Last but not least...but close to least is Provo College. They suck. Not really...I'm sure they do some good although...they have a commercial that says their credits are non-transferable which means that they are NOT an accredited institution.

If you answered yes to any of the no BYU questions then you probably need a loan. Loans suck...but general authorities say that it's the only OK debt. Educational debt. I mean...within reason. Don't take out a huge loan to become a 4th grade teacher......Or do! It's your life.

If you are smart you can get scholarships at BYU. It's a lot of hard work but it's so possible and so worth it. Each department has its on scholarship program, try them. Also, there are a lot of off-campus scholarship possibilities. BUYER BEWARE : if you have an off-campus scholarship you MUST have 12 credit hours of classes. Some scholarships require 14 or more hours. It's kinda jank, basically because BYU is death hard sometimes. But don't let it discourage you, it's worth it.

If college in Provo/Orem isn't what you are coming for then why the heck are you here? Provo is strictly a college town and caters to college students. Especially, Mormon college students. Nothing is open past ten. Nothing is open Sunday. There are no careers here, unless you are going to be a professor or some kinda Road Work Specialist. There is one InDes firm. There is water treatment and waste management. And restaurants like crazy.

If you are single, rent is dog-gone cheap. Unless you are feeling cool and want to live sorta up scale. BUYER BEWARE : the more costly apartments and condo's are populated by richy rich riches who drive their Daddy's BMW........ok so maybe not, but it is kinda that way. The best wards are in the chill places that aren't ritzy......which is provo ritzy.....which is like, not very ritzy.

Looking for a home? BYU housing guide....which I believe is housing.byu. Go there. Usually the farthe away you get from campus the cheaper it is. BUYER BEWARE : have a bike. Have a jacket or 20. 6 month winters baby doll and you can't live farther than a mile and a half from campus if you are single......and why would you want to anyway? On campus jobs are the best, the end. ALSO. Parking at BYU sucks. It actually blows chunks. There is enough student parking for me and two other people........literally.........if you don't drive to campus between 6 am and 7:45am, there will be no spaces for you. So just huff it.

So. The girl thing. Well. If you are coming for a girl with no other reason in mind. Joke is on you. When you get out here there are so many girls and things to do and people to meet and callings to receive, being burden with a girl already isn't the smoothest of moves. Maybe it is. Maybe it will be great. But if it isn't, don't cut your losses and head home. This place might be the cheapest, worry free college town on the planet. Love it.

Ever tasted a rainbow? Well here at BYU we intend of giving you that satisfaction. I'm Jake signing off, living the good life in Provo. Stay classy world.

You suck. Not really. But kinda.

So I saw this...and said...man I haven't posted in a while...well now I am. It's Friday night. No date. It's summer and blah-dy blah-dy blah! (all that ref.) I don't really know how to say this any other way, but I'm just done with dating. I'm about to be 25...I really could care less anymore. Maybe saying that leads me to destruction. Maybe I should try harder says one source. Maybe I should just let people come to me, says another. Both leads to less friends I feel like. Meh. That sounds bad, but I guess spending a Friday night with a bunch of dudes doesn't make one too peppy. Hmm. I did dominate at Smash. Peach pulls out a bomb-omb and saves the day. "You will not win tonight!" I think the key to staying positive on nights like this is to just try to learn whatever it is that a person should learn while they got nothing going on. Haha...sure something like that.

I have been playing guitar. I learned a good portion of Stairway to Heaven. I've learned the beginning to Layla Unplugged and Under the Bridge by RHCP.

I've started feeling like the apartment Mom. The only one that really cleans or anything like that really in my spare time.

I'm going to learn how to sew soon. Don't really know when that'll happen.

Dad will be here in two weeks or so and my birthday is too.


(The Real You suck. Not really. But kinda. Post)

So...I've been trying some social experiments lately, just to see if maybe I can get along with people better. Not that I don't get along with people. But all people, is what I'm going for. Basically, I used this topic to get to what I really wanted to talk to.

Tell a girl you like her and its all over. Pessimistic, sorry. Optimistically, because let's just get the bad out of the way, it could start everything; joy, rapture etc. As a general rule, not mentioned in http://jbrag.blogspot.com/2011/06/dating-tips-oh-boyhow-do-i-get-roped.html <----dating tips blog----bueno----read it----it's 100% facts----it really really is all true----not really---- I only date people I've known for a while. Therein runs a risk of failure and loss-of-girl-as-friend-status. But recently I tried the, tell-the-girl-straight-out-and-figure-it-out-later method. It's not that bad. At the end its like no harm, no foul. And you live on happily ever after. Kinda. It's interesting to me that one ends well with someone you really dont know and ends terrible with someone you have come to really like. Whickety whack.

Aside - I do the friend thing because of Xan and Mak. Me and Mak once talked about the whole dating scene. We concluded that if you are good enough friends, and one asks the other out, best friends should consider it.

I dunno this is all theory any way.

Life Update por la parentals - Made my resume look spiffy. Pretty much ready to make shoes. Portland was really really fun. I pretty much love little baby childs now. Summer is going great. I'm not doing too too much,  but designing. Sketching. I want a bike, car...and a real job. I've been cleaning a lot. Our apartment always gets gross so fast. bleh. Dad comes out soon. We'll do a buncha stuff.

Dadddddaaaaaaayyyyy

So I have a blog for Mom and Joe...that leaves Dad.

Dad, Dad, Dad...Funny...in order to talk about Dad I feel like I need to talk about Mom. That should speak something to their relationship. Mom is quiet. She'll read a book and be happy. She doesn't have to do much of anything to be happy, in all reality.

Dad...is loud. Dad is active. Dad wants to be going places and doing things. Dad always took us to Cedar Point. That place is too sweet. Dad and I went on this crazy bungee jump thing on my first trip to Utah at like 12 or 13. Dad wants to Tornado chase with the guys you see on TV. They do it for like 10 grand and you chase for a week, Dad will eventually do it. Though he's 51. He has ridden over 300 miles on a  bike (or something crazy like that) in the past 3 years.  I encourage it...haha let him live life! And he's doing rather well.

Dad was the enforcer. Punishments were dealt by Dad. The thing is is Dad wanted it that way. His way of thinking was that he wanted us to love Mom and not like him if anything. (I have many many stories of Dad enforcing....haha)

I think his italiano blood gave him somewhat of a short temper (and I got it from him). Not so much nowadays, he's cooled off.

We were never wanting to help him with stuff because we could never do it right...or to his specs. However, some of my favorite memories were dad helping me make things or building the basement. That's when I was introduced to Rush, which led to my families somewhat healthy obsession with the canadian band (notice the non-capitalized canadian, sorry, when your currency is worth more than ours I'll consider it, which is pretty soon I think. Keep your fingers crossed.)

From him, is where I learned craftsmanship, the craftsmanship that benefits me today and helped me get into the InDes program.

Dad is the person I got my, go big or go home mentality and my excitement for life. It was between both Mom and Dad where excitement, scholarship and comedy met. Seeking learning, while also seeking fun...perhaps thats the benefits of having parents who are so opposite.

Dad was the source of common sense. If I wanted a straight answer, I got a straight answer from Dad. According to BYU that's what makes him a good engineer, simple quick solutions.
Speaking of common sense, my Dad has a lot of phrases, I don't know where they came from, but I do know they are good and beneficial. "If she does it to you once, she'll do it again." "Like all get out" "The bacon is on fire"

"When Mom and Dad are dead it's just you and your brother." - When Joe and I got into fights that's exactly what Dad would say...along with "SO GET ALONG."

"You have two arms and legs." - Didn't originate with Dad, but he said it enough you'd think he made it up. Really though, there are so many lazy kids today...it amazes me. I guess I know because I live with a group of my own youth...so many lost values that I Dad taught that seem to be lost with some of my peers. Frustrating....but he always wanted Joe and I to do work and to work for what we have. "If you want something bad enough, get it."

"Don't ever tell me what I can't do." - Dad was told at a young age he wouldn't amount to much. Someone needs to find that guy and tell him what's up, because he was dead wrong. I'd fashion to say that Dad became more than that guy did.

"There is such thing as soap and water." - He really didn't like that Joe and I were afraid to get dirty. But...who wants to get dirty sometimes? haha and who wants to grab something unrecognizable because of nastiness?

"Use both hands." - To me this is more of a principle of excellence. How many people half-butt a lot of things nowadays....like I said earlier....just laziness.

"Use your muscles." - Again a principle of excellence.

Dad is a stone when it comes to gospel principles. He has never flinched in living principles. He has always been a straight line. He has always been very matter of fact about all that, even stuff I learn.

huh? wha? I dunno...

So I'll write about boys and girls again. Rant/I'm kinda angry/I'm laughing at some peoples misfortune/I shouldn't but sometimes you can't help it/until you are perfect.

Like....I'd love to not write about this, but it's my life right now. How can you tell between flirting and not flirting? I wrote about this like.......A LONG time ago. I also wish girls weren't allowed to talk to guys they didn't like. Almost as if they had a switch and their mouth that ABSOLUTELY could not open unless they had real feelings. That would be awesome. Boys could like everyone and go around talking to every different girl...only the girl couldn't answer back unless they had true feelings. This could be useful, because, one, there would be less noise polution and, two, less mixed signals. Imagine a guy walking up to a girl. "Hello!".....then silence and a blank stare in return.

That would be great.

Imagine it, when the girl stopped having feelings or something and felt that there should be a break-up the girl just couldn't talk anymore to that guy. And she would go on her merry way and there would be no choice for the guy. He would have to leave because she couldn't physically talk to him.

Bam! Problem solved. How else can it ever work? Girls are toooooo nice sometimes. Some people are like...well...how would we get to know eachother?

Ok...well...how about this. You can never flirt with a guy unless you are interested. So you would always be serious, never flirt, never smile at a guy unless feelings were real.

So with that said...Also...why do girls trip when they find out a guy would like to date her? Meh...that subject bores me.

Honestly, I asked some guys about it. They agreed....there needs to be a radar or something like unto it. Honestly I never know. When I think I do...that's when I don't. And when I really think I do, that's when I'm in for a huge surprise.


Yeah. Really though. Number two...I've been reading Stand For Something by President Hinckley. I want to lift a few phrases that struck me...and hopefully let you ponder on them.

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." - Proverbs 15:1... I hear so many complaints from men and women that they cannot communicate with one another. Can they not discuss with one another in an open and frank and candid and happy way, their interests, their problems, their challenges, their disappointments, their desires? ... It is impossible for them to love someone with whom they don't or won't talk.

Grievous words could be a lot of things.


Last quote...from Jenkins Lloyd Jones...

There seems to be a superstition among many thousands of our young who hold hands and smooch in the drive-ins that marriage is a cottage surrounded by perpetual hollyhocks to which a perpetually young and handsome husband comes home to perpetually young and ravishing wife. When the hollyhocks wither and boredom and bills appear, the divorce courts are jammed. Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around and shouting that he or she has been robbed.

President Hinckley :
 Connected to evitably with the process of marriage is pain - physical, mental and emotional. Too many who come to marriage have been coddled and spoiled and somehow led to feel that everything must be right at all times.

My roommate:
 I feel like girls have these hopes and dreams and desires. They find a guy that they like and transpose those hopes and dreams on that guy even though that guy really doesn't represent what she thinks he does, then throws herself at him...sometimes the guy goes for it and sometimes he doesn't.

Crushes die. Love, is a constant. It is loyalty. It is reality.




Well its said. If ya don't like it...don't click it. I'm from the South were common sense prevails.