June27th, a Monday, I worked with Jarom to get the trusses and roof sheathing done on a shed. Worked on some trebuchets, and did some other things unremem...wait! I remember! I was up until about...12?ish and got a hold of Becca (well in contact) and we decided to go on a walk to talk about a few things, I think we left about 12:30 ish. Whatever time it was when we started we walked and talked and I finally arrived home at 2:34. My memory has a strange personal issue remembering weird things like that. I figured I would pack for my little trip, seeing as I hadn't really finished yet. I packed until it was time to go, 4, and we head out about 4:15, relatively close to the goal. (I was impressed too!) Jarom drove the first leg and I passed out about 15 minutes after Pueblo. Actually, I don't remember getting to Pueblo...so maybe not. He woke me up in Amarillo. I drove from there to Dallas. Got a bike tire. Saw Kat and the Jernigans. Went to the Balleys, had a ball...sorry for the puns...and ate dinner stayed the night. I left Jarom to fandangle with them as I drove to Houston in the morning. Visited the Houston Temple,
Drove to East Texas out to Tyler. Stayed at the Wards' house. The next day went to Layne's house to
horseback ride and pig hunt. Did some horseback riding. Storm came through, so pig hunting was dismissed until another time, shucks. I was way excited for that! (Just wait until I post here in November!!) There was a snake in a downed tree that I shot the head off with a .22 Revolver and skinned and such. That was neat.
Ended up staying the night at Layne's so we could hunt in the morning, but didn't wake up in time. We then went with Lonnie to Ft. Worth to go
We left from there and headed back to Dallas (about 1:30). Got to Garland and drove by the Church building to see if anything was going on at about 5. Got there for a baptism of a member! So I stayed through that and headed up to McKinney. Went to the Chaffens' because I love 'em, and then
Flew from there to Anchorage and landed about 1:30 am AK time. Still duskish looking. Alaska! John took his friend and I and we went shooting.
Posted the targets on a tree, that was later compromised in the process. I felt pretty cool as I shot the killing blow, as I was shooting a handgun quick draw style! Did some weeding. Made some rope out of grass, long grass, and some crappy bark.
The bark was strongest, but it was a pain to extract useful pieces, I need to know a better method...6 inches isn't going to do a whole lot. And grasses take way too long and aren't strong enough. Need some willow saplings or something, hopefully Texas can come through with the right stuff! Went swimming in lake up there that was actually quite warm, but because I'm such a whimp I didn't get in for a while and didn't take the chance as I should've.
This picture taken at 12:45 or so after my run. Finally a little too dark to play baseball.
Went to the Temple with Jodi.
(This is Brylie, my niece, at the Bear Paw festival.)
Baptized Kadin on Saturday. I can't remember what we did Monday...hmm.. Or Tuesday. Flew out about 5 (airport by 3) on Tuesday, got in California at 11:20 or so, but baggage was delayed until at least 11:45. LAX is a busy place. Sheesh!
My California experience!! I experienced the whole California experience! : ) I was picked up from LAX by Keith, a CouchSurfer, and went back to his house. He and his boyfriend live there and both go to college. They were way nice. Helped me find where to go the next day for my inquiries, and had a nice sleep on an air mattress. Cooked me an omelot for breakfast too! Thanks Keith! He later dropped me off at Universal Studios; I'm telling you, these were some nice guys! So, I went there on a mission- to find out what it takes to get a job building for movie/tv sets.
First talked to a guy at the security checkpoint for the theme park. He said go down the street a building on the right, 3 entrance or something rather. I head down the street, don't see any entrances. See a guy! He was like a valet or parking garage security guy? He didn't know much either, so I went to the next best building nearby! NBC Studios! This is their office building. Who knew all this stuff was so security infested? Haha. Security screeners and detectors behind every door/ entrance...silliness almost. Talked to the security guy there, he said my inquiry would best be handled (he thinks..haha) by Human Resources, down the road, the entrance by the bank, black building, small white lettering...something..So I go down there. (Notice I am walking around in overalls and with about 40lbs of stuff on my back..) I see the bank, turn, a gate! Very secure, like military gates, and this was no surprise, it wasn't the first. I get to the pedestrian entrance and am reading the signs about, because I like to read signs before I break the rules! and I hear a lady say 'Can I help you?' I look around, but can't see anyone in sight. I looked through the box but didn't see anyone. 'Uh...I don't know where you are, who am I talking to?' This little woman pokes her head out of the booth 'I'm right here. May I help you?' Very curtly. A little brisk I might say! 'Oh, I was looking for information on who I need to see on getting a job building construction on the sets or something like that' 'Upstairs.' As she pointed behind me and tucked back into her booth, and I think she shut the door too. I turned around, and what do you know!? Black building with little white letters, Human Resources, or something like that. I go up and talk to the lady behind the counter. 'I am trying to find out who I need to talk to to find out about building and construction on the sets or such.' 'Oh. I'm not actually at this desk usually, I am just covering for another girl. I'll ask someone. Meanwhile, here's an application, but I'm not sure if that will even work..' I sit down and about to start filling out the application, after I read the whole thing first (a good habit I've gotten into. Read the whole form before filling out any of it!). I got about a quarter page down reading when she comes back with her higher person and says 'Yeah, I'm sorry, but that won't actually work this way.' So I give back the application. 'We don't actually hire any construction hiring here.' ....'Do you know where I could go to find out who does?' (You can probably guess the answer by now...) ..(Yep, you're right.) ....So I think for a bit, trying to figure out some things.. 'What exactly does this office do, who do you hire?' 'Every corporate position and producers and all the people that fill the positions of the company and such.' 'So everyone except for construction then? How do people get into this business?' 'Yep. It's mostly through who you know...' Haha. I'm glad this girl was extremely polite and delightful to speak with, or else one could get frustrated in such a system! 'Well do you know how I might find anyone who might know about any of this?Hehe..' She gets her friend back and she looks through all the positions they hire and looks through a big binder and her boss lady tells me that the construction is all contracted out and usually goes through the labor unions or such. So she finds me the numbers of two of the unions. I ask the ladies now, 'So, how did you two get your jobs?' The older lady says,'I applied right after high school and have been here the last 43 years.' The younger,'I went to school for this.'....Oh...who knew? Haha. So I sit down and call the unions. First number-no good. Second number I talk to Mike, who after a few quick holds and conversation I derived the basic info that: The only way he knows is through the union. The union will take a while to process, and because no one is hiring will not work. He doesn't know anything of non-union. He doesn't know of any other union's status. Basically, the industry is locked down as is for now...Great! Lovely! FINE! I'll go elsewhere then! Haha. I thank the ladies after my call and walk to McDonald's to check the internet. All in all with these folk..Gate guy, super nice!, Valet guy, super nice!, Security guy, super nice!, Security lady, short,brisk, and cold...Lady at counter, exceptionally nice!, Boss lady, pleasant and very nice! I really liked the people from what I mostly saw, and was very impressed. Checked email and ate lunch, and walked a mile to the train station. Rode to Union Station for $1.50 and then from there I got on a MetroLink train for $10.00(ouch!) to Corona. Got off at Orange and head back up on another train. Got there about 6 and Andie picked me up and we went to the Redlands Temple.
Went back to her house and stayed the night in her brother's room. Went running in the morning with her, 13 miles...yeah. She's a runner. Actually, she passed me, came back and talked to me...passed me...came back and talked to me...repeat a few times... as I said, she's a runner. Haha. She dropped me off at her work where Charlie picked me up and we went to Newport Beach Temple and quickly did Initiatories, running behind on time. In so much a hurry I forgot to take a picture! Silly me!
After being late we decided to do Initiatories before a session, we weren't that pressed for time as before! It was the first time since my first time through the Temple to do it like that back to back. I highly recommend it! Try to do it the next time you go! After the session we head to the beach real quick (which would've just been smarter to do it early that morning come to find out!) and I took a quick picture from a beach cone, jumped into the waves and played for a minute, then head to City of Industry. Charlie was a trooper! Living off 1-2 hours of sleep and drove back to San Diego after that, arriving about 7! Poor guy! Thanks for the help!! I got there about 3 having to meet Daniel my ride to Vegas, at Panera Bread at 7:30. There was a gym right next to it so I took a shower and went swimming for a bit! Sadly I bent my goggles the wrong way in my luggage so they were broke, so not a whole lot of good swimming could occur. I then went outside and my California adventure got a lot more adventurous! A guy in the gym and I just sparked a conversation (because I had a lot of luggage for just going to the gym...ahha), and after I got out he was heading to his car and I asked him if he knew where Panera Bread was at, and he said, 'Yeah, it's just over there, wanna ride?' 'Sure' So I get in the car, and he says ' Actually, as you're traveling, and it's my day off and have nothing else to do, wanna see around the place?' 'Sure! I got until 7...' So we go...haha. I introduce myself to this Filipino man (about 25ish) and he says he's Mark. So we head up to a park in the area to see the city from above kind of and enjoy the nice weather. We start walking around the little park thing and I see this dumb exercise station that they install nowadays...it's this dumb looking monkey bar rendition of a ladder about 5 feet wide and 8 feet tall. (What on earth is that even for?) I of course have to make fun of it and climb it and as soon as I get on it I feel his hand on my back a little (I take it he is just too overcautious or something...) so I start on my way down, and his hand was touching a little lower than my back at this point. No comment, just get down and keep walking. He casually touched my back when I got down too, (just to make sure I was safe? hmmm....) then we proceeded around the park thing just chatting. He was a Chiropractor in his last year. I am traveling about. He speaks Tagalog. I don't...you know, just common banter know one cares about. We sit down at the park bench. I make sure to make note that I would like to learn several languages. 12 of them. I'll start with Spanish. My WIFE and I will move to Ecuador or somewhere like that when we're newly married to get immersed in the language thoroughly hopefully. Talked about a few things and so we start to head out and as I get down from the bench I groan because of my knees (and the rest of my legs, I just ran 13 miles yesterday...) and he asks if he can work on me. I said, 'Sure, anything that'll help!' So, he realized it's 5 and the clinic at the school closes then. So we head toward the gym and we're thinking of places with a table or something he can work on. He asks if I've ever had a Taiwanese smoothie and I answer no, so we go get one and he pays for it. Pretty good. Strange at first, because I don't know if you've ever had one but..I won't spoil the fun. Just have one, they taste good. : ) So, I check my iTouch for email/Facebook with the wifi there. Get a poignant email and respond to it partially. My mind is not anywhere except that email at this point...haha. So we leave and he feels my knee (because I was rubbing it) and (I'd like to make a note. I've been to chiropractors. Usually they only did stuff on my back, but I know chiropractors' styles...) he seems to know what he's doing, feeling around the knee for such, as much as he can while driving. Then...professionalism out the window! He stops touching my knee and then a bit later I feel his hand on my thigh. I am polite. Don't say anything. Then he squeezes a little (with the touch of a chiropractor, so it's not completely awkward....riiiiight...) and we're just having a casual conversation mostly, little breaks now and then, but normal. By this point he has touche my thigh and gently massaged it a little and has moved higher, not toward the knee. 'Whoa, that's too close' I say as I move his hand, and you know where it puts it? Back on my thigh! Who IS this guy? I know some people are just touchy people. You know...Filipinos...a smaller bubble than others maybe? I'm a nice guy. That's all I have to say. We find a parking lot, just across from Panera Bread, that is empty. We park and he asks which one would I like to have him look at. I tell him my right shoulder, because it was killing me after that run! Really hurting! I turn to the window and he starts messing with it and know immediately the issue. Asks me if it's okay to use lotion, I say yes, and so he gets lotion and goes inside my collar and pushes the muscles down away from my neck seemingly. Felt great! Helped it feel a lot better too! I like this chiropractor thing! After that he dropped me off at Panera Bread. Thank you, Mark, for your assistance, no thank you for your advances! : ) I gave him my info (on my Mormon.org card) and as I waited at Panera he texted me and asked me about the quote on my shirt that he liked. (We talked a second about this walking...) So I gave him the reference, Mormon 9:28 and quoted it to him. Then he texted back that Mark wasn't his name, it was Rizaldy or something like that...haha. Whatever, he was a nice guy, even if he was a bit eccentric!
My goodness'! I am getting tired of typing! Becoming an author might be harder than I thought! I will get back to this and finish soon! I think I'm going to go enjoy my day! It's light enough to go get some work done now! ; )
