In Constant Flux

I can. Fingers crossed.

I decided to try to get with the times. I guess this technology stuff really is going to stick around. So, I am posting from my cell phone just to see if

I can. Fingers crossed.

I decided to try to get with the times. I guess this technology stuff really is going to stick around. So, I am posting from my cell phone just to see if

Remember that life-changing experience I told you about?  Remember?  This one?  Well, I can't say the entire experience has completely ended, but enough has happened that I feel I can adequately tell the story.

So, without putting it off any further, I present it to you now.

Right after I go get a sandwich or something.  Hold on.

Okay.  Here we go.

About two months ago, or so, it was Thursday.  Thursday is an important day.  It's the day where I rearrange everything going on that day so I can hang out with my family.  (Let me translate:  hang out with family = free lunch)  So you see, Thursday is a very important day.

We all meet at Grandma's place.  She only lives a mile or so from where we live.  I had planned on just riding my bike over there.  I can get there in about 4 minutes on my bike.  I timed it once.  Anyways, I pulled my bike out and learned that I had a flat tire (I'll have you know it was the first flat tire I had had in nearly 600 miles).  I had ridden with Whitey on Saturday and apparently there were some goat-heads on the path we took.  And of course, I had no spare.  So, I jumped in the Honda Pilot and headed to Grandma's.  The car choice will be important later in the story.  Be patient.

Let me tell you something about "cyclists."  We all like to look at other "cyclist's" gear.  I don't think it is out of envy or that we want to think our stuff is better, we just like to see what everyone else uses.  At least that is what I do.  So, on my way to Grandma's, I see a guy on a bike way ahead of me.  I didn't speed or anything, but at a red light, I caught up to him.

He was riding a Scott bike.  Black and yellow.  Very nice.  

But something seemed wrong.  He unclipped both feet from the pedals and his body was shaking violently.  He clumsily walked his bike to the sidewalk.  I was concerned.  I turned on my emergency flashers and got out to see if he was okay.  All he could tell me was "cold."  I asked him if I could give him a ride.  He said no and held up two fingers.  I asked if that meant he was only two blocks from home, and he nodded.  Up to this point, I just assumed he didn't speak much English.

The light turned green and he took off.  I was still worried, so I decided I would follow him to make sure he made it home safe.  It might seem a bit creepy, but I've been in situations like this before and it would have made me feel better.  He made it a couple of blocks and he stopped again.  He was still trembling.  I pulled up behind him and when he saw me, he just shrugged.  I got out and grabbed his bike and loaded it into the back of the Pilot.  (This is the part in the story where the car choice is important)

While I was grabbing his bike, one of these beauties rode by.  I'm not sure if this counts as "gear" that I could check out as a "cyclist", but I did anyways.

And yes, it had all-terrain tires.

He climbed in and I turned on the heater.

Then he told me the life-changing part.  The part that made me realize how truly pathetic I am.  The part that will cause introspection for the rest of my life.

He said "stroke."  He was a stroke survivor.  He was cold for two reasons.  First is that the entire right side of his body was essentially paralyzed and had a hard time regulating temperature.  Second is because he had just ridden up and down Emigration Canyon.


A little math:  paralyzed right side=one good leg for pedaling.  Ergo, he rode up Emigration Canyon with one leg.  I am still amazed.  And I feel completely and utterly weak.

He gave me directions to his house.  I unloaded his bike, met his two dogs Fred and Rex and went on my way.  On the way back to Grandma's, I realized I never even asked his name.

So, I stalked him.  Just a little.  I wrote him a note with my email and phone number to make sure he was okay and to introduce myself.  I left in on his door and hoped I would hear from him.

The next morning I had an email from his wife.  We'll say her name is Becky.  She said thank you and suggested her husband, we'll call him Dave, and I go ride together sometime.

So, the planning craziness began.  At that time, the only time I really had available was Wednesday mornings.  He usually had that time free as well, so it shouldn't have been a problem.  But then spring in Utah hit.  Weekends were nice, Wednesdays were always cold and wet.  For weeks on end.

Finally, yesterday, May 5th, we made it happen.  We rode about 20 miles from his house to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and back.  It was fun.  I learned a little bit more about him and his story.  He used to race downhill mountain bikes.  Yeah, the crazy ones.  He used to win, too.  He showed me his medals.

Then, 4 years ago, he had a stroke.  For several days, the doctors were certain he would die.  He didn't.  Now he rides a road bike.  No small feat after such a thing.

And how was the ride?  I'll put it quite simply:

He whooped my butt.  With one leg.  I need to train.  A lot.

His bike has been rigged so he can use it.  All of the shifters are on the left side.  He has no rear brake because his right hand can't squeeze.  He attaches his right hand to the bike with velcro to keep it slipping off the handlebars.

I will forever be thankful to him.  He has truly opened my eyes and allowed me to see the human potential.  He is much stronger than I think I will ever be, but it gives me something to strive towards.  I hope we ride again soon.

He is certainly a hero to many who know him, including me.

I know that it has been a while since I have last posted.  I did it a little bit on purpose.  You see, I had this awesome life-changing experience that I wanted to tell all three of you about, but the whole experience hasn't ended yet.  It has taken a bit longer than expected.  Don't worry, though.  You will be the first to hear the whole story.  So until then, I know it will drive you crazy just constantly thinking about what possibly could have changed my life.  I'll give you a hint: it was a person I met.  I can't tell you any more.

I will post this funny little video for you, though.  Like I said, it's funny.

I really am.  Ask anyone who really knows me, especially Aim or my mother.  I grab hobbies like Dean Martin grabs women.  The real problem with my hobbies, however, seems to be expense.

Here are a couple of examples:

I have always loved camping of all sorts.  I love car camping for things like canyoneering or just a weekend out with the family.  I love backpacking to get back into places you can't get to otherwise.  As a kid, we had a pop-up trailer that I also greatly enjoyed because it allows you to be outdoors with a little slice of home comfort.

When I got home from Mexico and moved out on my own and got married, etc., I realized that I had very little camping gear of my own.  So, I bought some.  Not all at once, but slowly.  I thought I was smart.  If I buy things slowly, Aimee won't really realize how much money I am actually spending.  Well, it turns out that Aimee is smarter than I am.  Plus, she works with small children who try to pull the once over on her on a daily basis.  So, it turns out that camping is expensive.  (But, that hasn't stopped me from doing it and convincing Aimee to take me here.)

When we got married, the in-laws lived up in Idaho.  We would make fairly frequent trips to visit, all while enjoying lovely books on tape.  (On a side note, ask Aimee how much she loves the guy who reads the book.)  One thing I did not know about Aimee's dad when we got married is his love for cycling.  I can't think of a time before Idaho that I had ever even seen a bike at their house, and believe me, I spent a lot of time at their house.  Anyways, we visited the Idahome once and good ol' Father-In-Law had just bought a fancy new road bike.  And, much to Aimee's chagrin, he suggested I take it for a spin up the road.  Now Aimee, who has some foresight, knew exactly what was coming.

When I got back to the house, I needed a road bike.  So, I bought one.  It was fancy.  And expensive.  Even though I got $1000 off.  So far, I still love it.  (The Father-In-Law and I will be riding across Iowa this summer.)

So, to make the above long story short, I like to collect hobbies.  I like to think of it like the late, great Aldo Leopold does:

"You do not annex  hobby, the hobby annexes you."

See, there it is.  It's not my fault.  I was chosen.

Sometimes, I like to be annexed by a hobby and then later on down the road be un-annexed by it.  I still don't think its my fault.  Blame the hobby.

As a reward for reading my ramblings, watch this and giggle.





P.S.    To be continued...

Or take the bus.  Why?  Because it will save us all.  Seriously.

Don't get me wrong, I also appreciate cars.  I own (or am in the several-year process of owning) two of them.  They are great for a lot of different things.  For example, it would have been quite difficult and I would likely have looked a bit silly transporting a large piece of furniture that we just acquired on my bicycle.  I also understand that it is not a lot of fun to ride a bike in bad weather.

However, my opinion is that most of us are just plain lazy.  Sorry.  It hurts me just as much as I am sure it hurts you to hear it.  I am lazy.  You are lazy.  And if you truly believe you aren't, please let me know, with accompanying evidence, and I will issue a personal apology to you via this blog.

I say this because not being lazy generally hurts in one form or another and I am a firm believer that no one actually enjoys pain.  (I won't get into any of that freaky stuff.  Just accept my statement as a general assumption.)  However, I am sure that most people like the results that pain often brings after the fact.

But, can't things like riding your bike also be fun?  I submit that they can.  I love riding my bike.  There is a true sense of control and freedom that I get when I ride.  And, if you push hard through the pain to get to the top of the hill, you get to go back down.  Down=fun.  So why don't we make our commute fun by actually being involved in the process?

I found this video on another great blog, and I just love it.  You probably won't, but watch it anyway.  And after you do, find a way to enjoy your commute.




And I will have you know that this video proved last night that I have in fact had some effect on Aimee in the last three years.  When asked if she recognized the sound from this video, she immediately identified it as Phil Liggett, the TDF announcer.  I fell in love all over again.

At least that is what my newest watch tells me.

Wednesday I spoke to my college advisor and it is now official: I'm graduating at the end of this semester. What feels an absolute eternity in school has actually only been four years. But, a lot can happen in four years. So, now I'm frantically searching for some place to go for grad school. I have a couple of options so far, but I have no idea what will happen. I'm sure I'll end up in the right place.

Doesn't that just look great? And yes, that is a paint shaker attached to the counter. It is a high tech device used for getting lice off of birds. The details are a bit messy though.

So, I haven't posted since April 24, 2009 and I didn't really think much had happened in my life since then, but Aimee let me know that I am losing my mind.

To all three of you people who read this, I need help. As both Aimee and I have told you, we are getting a puppy in a few short weeks. The problem is we can't decide on a name. So, I am wondering what your opinion is. Which of these is your favorite? Second favorite? Hate?

Nova (I like this one, but I'm worried it will sound too much like "NO." What do you think?)

Suka

Mika (pronounced meeka)

Skaya (From siberskaya laika, which is Russion for Siberian husky. Not sure if I spelled that right.)

Nukilik (pronounced new-key-leak)

Yakone

Any opinions out there?

We are hoping to go see her tomorrow morning. Maybe we'll just know when we see her? I can't wait to finally get to play with her a little bit. So excited. A bit nervous.

So, Aimee already spilled the beans, but I wanted to tell you about it too.

About a week ago Aimee surprised me, and I mean really surprised me when she told me she wanted to buy me a puppy for my birthday. I was seriously shocked. So, we were looking on KSL and found some brand new puppies in Stansbury Park so we decided to go see them and meet the parents. Dad is a red and white husky with bright blue eyes. His name is Sisco. Mom is a pure white husky with bright blue eyes. Her name is Sky. The two are probably in the top five most beautiful and mild-tempered dogs I have ever met.

So, we bought one. A girl. We are naming her Nova. She comes home in May. Today she is one week old. I don't sleep because I am so excited. I think I am neurotic. This will certainly be the best birthday ever. Here are some pictures:

Nova is the one right in the middle with her head facing to the right. Her head is on the back of the pup on the far right.

This is one of the puppies from a previous litter of the same parents. They say that all of the puppies they have had are red with blue eyes. This one is about 4 months old.

And this is one of the pups from a previous litter as well. Here he is about 7 weeks or so. This will be about what ours looks like right when we get her.

So, thanks again a million to Aimee for being the best wife ever. I know that I am crazy, but I don't mind. Can't wait!!

If you don't seriously enjoy this video, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore.

En-Freaking-Joy!!!




I hope this makes up for my quite long blogging absence.

Well, I know I have been horrible at posting on here (its been two months and nine days). I'm not entirely sure anyone reads it besides my wife, but hey, its like a journal I suppose.

So, this post goes out to possibly my only blog follower: Mrs. Aimee Sharon Hemmelgarn Smith.

I don't think I tell Aimee enough how awesome she is. Right now it is one thirty in the morning and she is at work selling baby clothes to crazy people so I get a minute to talk about her.

First of all, she is a teacher. Not just any teacher, mind you, but an elementary school teacher, a.k.a. saint. I was reading her blog and I watched the video on there and couldn't help but think how true that is. I don't know how Aimee has the patience to be with dozens of eight year olds for hours at a time. I get tired of a few minutes with kids, but she loves it. For this reason I am convinced that my wife will be the all time greatest mother. I have a lot to learn from her in the parenting department, I'm sure.

Secondly, I work until eleven o'clock every night followed by a forty minute drive home. I obviously get home quite late. However, Aimee has to get up at near the butt-crack of dawn to go inspire young minds (see above paragraph). Even though she knows she is missing out on one of her favorite things: sleep, she still will stay awake with me and listen to me whine about my pathetic job and how anal I am about school. I don't think anyone has been so willing to sacrifice their sleep just to hang out with me. (My mom always would wait up for me and we would talk when I got home, but I think she would have rather been sleeping.) So, night upon night she gets something like 5 hours and change of sleep and its all my fault.

Thirdly, I'm neurotic. I change my mind pretty much every fifteen seconds. I am not talking about with small decisions like what flavor of ice cream to order, either. I am talking about what I am going to do with my life and where in the world I am going to drag our little family. In fact, Aimee said she would be willing to go to Fairbanks, Alaska with me to graduate school where the average daytime high in January is -2 degrees Fahrenheit. Simply put, Aimee is from Arizona and that she would say something like that means a lot to me. Since we were married I have probably changed my mind a dozen times. For now, I think I'm pretty sure about what's going on, but we'll see.

This certainly is not a comprehensive list and I could probably go on and on and on and on and on. For those of you who know Aimee like I do, you will agree that she is awesome.

Beaner, I love you and thank you for everything!

So, I'm hometeaching for the first time in the new ward, and after we're done, we are making the rounds about the neighborhood. Apparently my companion is quite the social butterfly. We stopped at a neighbors house and they start talking about this triathlon they are doing the next weekend. So, my interest is peaked and I decide, what the heck, I can do it. So, last minute registrations and goggle buying and here we go.

I think it is a bit of an understatement to say I was kind of nervous. The only training I had was on my bike, so I was not worried about the bike part. I hadn't been in a pool for months and none of that was lap swimming.

They call this one a beginner triathlon. It's in reverse order and its a one and a half mile run, 10 k bike ride and 200 yard swim. I ran the mile and a half one time before the actual race. Bro. Allen let me run with him during the race, so I felt like I had someone to pace myself off of. My home teaching companion was gone. We didn't see him the rest of the race.

I felt pretty good when I had actually finished the run and never had to walk. I was about middle of the pack so not bad. I was looking forward to the bike section the most because I knew it would be my best part. I got a great start. The entire 6.2 miles, I only got passed twice, but passed a lot of other people. The first person to pass me was an old man, which is a bit of a morale killer, but he obviously knew what he was doing because he didn't just pass me, he blew by me. The next time I got passed was a couple of girls. I tried not to focus on them and just kept peddling the same speed. They only got about 10 feet in front of me then I caught back up. You can see them a ways behind me in the next picture.


I finished the bike with flying colors and on to the drowning.

Like I mentioned, I haven't been in a pool much. I dove in and did about 3 strokes of freestyle and thought I was going to die. I promptly started into the breaststroke. The rest of the 8 laps were spent flopping back and forth from breaststroke to some weird hybrid craziness on my back because I couldn't breathe.

Luckily, I didn't drown. I did have to stop swimming and ask Aimee if I had done enough laps cause I apparently forgot mid swim.
This picture is Aimee's favorite. She already has it on her blog, but I figured what the hey.


After the race, I'm watching the board and I'm waiting and waiting and I never see my name go up. Finally It comes up and it says I'm listed 15 out of 18. I was a bit bummed, but I figured I hadn't done any training so it's not all bad. After the shindig, I went to look at the board and they had put my name in the wrong place. I actually finished 8 out of 18 in my age group and 18th overall. I was pretty proud of myself.

Of course I didn't win anything in the drawing because no one in my family can possibly win at drawings unless it is my dad and that is a guaranteed grand prize. But, I'm glad I didn't drown and now I look forward to actually training and doing another one.

Wow, where to start. This has been a whirlwind summer of academic overwhelming. The end of this summer officially marks 5 semesters of non-stop class-taking. That equals almost two years with almost no time off. I feel that next summer will be reserved for avoiding classes at all costs.

I am proud to say, however, that I survived Organic Chemistry II. I actually did quite a bit better than I expected.

I also was accepted into the Bioscience Ungergraduate Research Program which should be an adventure in and of itself. I'm sure there will be more about that in the future.

Right now I have a week off until fall semester starts, but during that week I am writing lab reports from the last two weeks. I am up to about 35 pages so far and just a couple more to go. Not too shabby, eh?

This summer has also been a re-awakening of sorts as to what I want to do with my life. After lab one day I was standing around talking to Dr. Gray and a few classmates and we were discussing all of the hoops one has to jump through to get into medical school. Now, for those of you who don't remember (or didn't know in the first place), after much internal struggle I had finally made up my mind that I actually didn't want to go to medical school and wanted to get a Ph.D. in biology instead. Well, all the talk about med school after class made me second guess my previous decision and I began to panic. This was not just a little panic either. I mean I was on the verge of breakdown.

So, after class I pulled out my computer and began looking at different medical schools and comparing them to graduate schools and trying to figure out what my life had in store for me. I said some little prayers to see if I could get a hold of myself. Well, my prayers were answered and I decided that I had, in fact, made the right decision to pursue the degree in biology. Crisis averted.

Now I started panicking because I really don't have much time to get ready to start taking GREs and applying to different schools so I set out to find my schools of choice. And, after much deliberation, I found my dream school.







You may recognize this little building from a film called "Good Will Hunting." If not, it is the dome of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I'm not entirely sure if this little dream is realistic, but I'm going to try anyway. My GPA is good enough, so we'll see if they like me. Of course there are some other little schools I would like to apply for such as Harvard, Yale, UC San Diego, among others, but there's always a preference, right?

So, the next year will be devoted to obsessing over a little school called MIT and probably trying to kiss up to whoever I can to try to make it happen. Wish me luck!


On another note: I saw the Declaration of Independence this weekend and it was awesome.

Let me know what you think.

This morning bright and early we got up to go for a ride. Aimee hasn't been on a bike since she "had a bad experience" when she was 14. I'm super proud of her though. Last night she and I rode about seven miles and today the group did eleven. So 18 miles in less than 24 hours. Nice job Beaner!
There were some funny things of course. Aimee's bike was way too big so she couldn't touch the ground. Thomas (on the very left of the picture) stopped without taking his foot out of the clip and fell right over. I almost did the same thing and almost took Aimee down with me but luckily I got my foot out just in the nick of time.
After the eleven miles, Jory, Steve and I felt like we could do a bit more. We took off up around the new daybreak temple. We had a couple of good climbs and an awesome downhill. A mini-van with a poodle in the front seat almost turned right into us. Steve lost his hex wrenches out of his saddle bad and they survived after being run over several times. But after all was said and done the three of us did almost 23 miles today.

It was a great morning.

So now, for at least a moment, I am on the top of Jess's list. Take that.