25 Reasons We LOVE Brian!

1.  “Brian’s very enthusiastic and passionate about things he loves.  He refuses to go through life complacent.”—Wes King

2.  “My favorite thing about Brian is his kindness.  He’s always welcomed me into his home and made me feel comfortable.  He never makes me feel stupid even when I disagree with him or am not very knowledgeable on a subject.  And he shares his amazing cooking with me!  He’s just a nice guy!  My second favorite thing is this incredible potato dish he makes!  It’s so yummy!  Like a foodgasm!”—Michelle Stokes

 

3.  “Brian makes me wish I liked politics.  Oh!  And he’s the shit!”—Mineh Palacios

4.  “He’s passionate.”—Jenny Kesler

5.  “Brian has this unparalleled ability to express very fairly and evenly his opinion but without watering it down—he is honest and straightforward and always worthy of respect.  Also he has a great sense of humor.”—Hannah Wheelwright

6.  “His food is scrumdiliumcious and I love all his interesting movie facts!”—Courtney Kesler

7.  “Brian is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”—Emily Mattson

8.  “I think Brian has the nicest sexy man bum out there.”—Nichole Christensen

9.  “Brian is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met.  I met and talked to him for a brief time at a meeting once, and from then on he has been a huge help to me—even though he hardly knows me!  He is supportive and funny and clever and oh so classy!  I'm grateful to know him!”—Annette Harris

10.  “I think Brian is an outstanding gentleman.  I don’t think he realizes it, but he is a near daily influence on my life.  He is a great example of what it means to be a mature, thoughtful and genuine man.”—Brett Kesler

11.  “When I think of the two most important decisions I’ve made, coming out and going to Europe, I realize Brian was influential in helping me do both.  I look up to him as a musician, intellectual, and a human being.  I hope the utmost happiness for him in his life.”—Patrick Barrus

12.  “Brian is a caring and giving man.  I have always felt welcomed by and warmth from him.  I am happy to know him!”—Krystal Olsen

13.  “He’s pretty, with a cute laugh!  Plus I like how he’s not afraid to express his opinions.”—Renee Garcia

14.  “To Brian—the guy who introduced Jack to politics and good cooking!”—Jack Garcia (my father)

15.  “Brian is one of the most passionate people I've ever met! He really stands up for what he believes in, from music, theater and cinema to politics.”—Rebecca Hackett Lisor

16.  “Brian is the most honest person I know, and I value that most.”—Brandon James

17.  “Brian has a passion for life and movies—and anything he's interested in, for that matter—that is inspiring.  My best memories of him were sitting in the attic of his parents’ house and learning how to defeat Ganondorf and navigate safely through all the temples of Zelda.  I still think of him when I play through Ocarina of Time.”—Freddy Kesler

18.  “Brain has been an awesome friend for me all of my life.  Brian has always been very creative.  I think it was fourth grade when we would walk around the playground after every lunch for probably several weeks in a row and discus our great ideas for movies.  We had come up with a very sad story about a poor orphan puppy with 3 legs and a bitten-off ear.  We wanted to send it into Disney, sure that they would make a movie of it for us because it was just SO wonderful. Another great quality about Brian is that he is very honest and well informed to this day and that is something that I admire very much about him.  I feel so blessed to still be his friend.”—Candace Bonsteel

19.  “Dear Brian, Thanks to me you’re a better person.”—Nick Frandsen

20.  “He’s a classy guy.  And interesting.  I like that we’re both into old school things like old Hollywood-type stuff.  I haven’t met anyone like that so I would say he’s an old soul.”—Ana Frutos

21.  “Brian is my favorite brother.  I’ve always looked up to him and wanted to be just like him.  I remember when I was in junior high I would go see him in shows and that was the only reason I ever wanted to do shows—because he did!  Oh, and he is just like amazing at everything he does.”—Amy Kesler

22.  “Brian’s cooking puts Julia Child to shame, he has a wit sharper than a razor and has a heart bigger than the sky!  How could you not love this wonderful guy?”—Kelsey Roberts

23.  “He is a great cook and is extremely funny when he makes fun of movies.”—Daniel Garcia

24.  “He’s kind.  Always has been to me.  For that I am eternally grateful.”—Rafael Butron

25.  “When I first met Brian we just instantly clicked.  As cheesy as it sounds, I knew that he was the one for me and I decided then and there to do everything in my power to keep him!  I love him so much.  He’s adorable, funny, intelligent, creative, helpful and an all-around good guy who makes me happy.  I honestly don’t know what I would ever do without him.  Just shrivel up and die somewhere I guess…”—Jack Garcia (me, the future husband)

September Happenings

Brian and I have been busy lately.  I'm still working five days a week at Zales, including weekends, and my only days off are Tuesday and Thursday when I attend my three classes at Utah Valley University.  Brian has had an extremely heavy workload the last few weeks at Culinary Crafts, going in really early and working 12-hour shifts.  On top of that he's taking four classes at UVU (two on campus and two online) and barely finds time to do the coursework.  Heck, we barely have time to give each other a goodbye kiss before we part ways!

But here are some things we have managed to do this month that weren't school/work-related:

• We attended a doggy birthday party!  Brian's sister Jenny's dog Lou celebrated his birthday on the first.  Since Brian's a pastry chef, we thought some pastry-shaped rawhide treats would be a good gift for the canine.
• That same night we drove up to Layton to celebrate my (human) cousin Tanissa's birthday.  It was at the Fahrenheit Lounge and it was fun... even if we had to skive off early to drive all the way home.
• Brian wanted to try out a duck recipe so he invited Stephen and Lexi over as guinea pigs.  The food was delicious and the conversation was great.  We even had Shirley Temples!
• My coworker Tara invited us out to party at The Madison in downtown Provo the following weekend and we had a blast!  I got to see one of my old coworkers, Riley, and then Brian and I ran into our friends Karrie and Ana on the dance floor!  It was great to see them!
• I officially became a Utahn this month!  Woohoo!  Or should I say "boohoo"?  I'm not sure if I'm happy about that or not...  Anyway, my Colorado driver's license finally expired on me so I got myself a Utah one.  My buddy Wes was kind enough to accompany me to the DMV and we had so much fun we just decided to hang out all day.  Brett came over later and we played Wii Super Mario and ordered pizza.  Oh, I should also mention I look dead sexy in my driver's license photo, but no surprise there.
• Glee started this week, which you know I love, and I've also become hooked on The New Normal.  Such a great new show!
• As far as wedding planning goes, Brian and I have purchased the plane tickets to New York City and reserved the hotel room.  We've also set the date for our reception (November 16), booked the venue (Rock Canyon Room), hired a band (Van Lady Love), registered for gifts and ordered the invitations.  Brian's mom and I even went on a little shopping excursion for decorations.  Things are progressing smoothly!
• My dad turned 50 this month!  He's so old!
• My friends Curt and Lamar invited me to their monthly Gay Poker Night.  I've got the gay part down but boy do I suck at poker.  I had a couple of good hands, but ultimately I went down in flames... no pun intended.
• Brian's sister Courtney turned 17 on the 27th and we celebrated with a family dinner at the Kesler house.  Then my little sister Renee turned 19 the next day, but unfortunately she lives too far away to visit.
• My friend Michelle (and yes, we're friends again) had her birthday the day after that and Wes and I went to her birthday dinner at Red Robin and then the midnight showing of Looper, which was pretty dang cool!
• The birthdays continued with our friend Nichole who threw a shindig at her new home in Lehi (which she shares with her girlfriend Emily) and Brian, Mineh and I drove up together to celebrate.  We played some new games, met some new people and had so much fun we ended up staying the night.  Slumber party!

So that was the month of September.  Let's see what October has in store!

Birthday Dinner with the Keslers

My birthday celebrations continued yesterday with a family dinner at the Kesler house.  Jenny brought her dog Lou; Amy had a friend, April, visiting from New York; Courtney invited her on-again off-again beau, Kevin; and Mama and Papa Kesler invited the grandparents.  It was a full house!

Brian made us all Tikka Masala for dinner and it was delicious!  He was very proud of how fluffy the rice came out and couldn't stop praising himself.  We couldn't stop talking about it either!  For dessert there was a chocolate birthday cake, peanut butter ice cream, and various homemade pies.  I figured since it's my birthday I can make exceptions on my diet...  Lots of sweets for me!

Afterwards Brian and Amy entertained us all by playing show tunes on the piano and serenading us with their terrific voices.  I wish we had a piano at our apartment so Brian could play for me all the time!  I bet our neighbors are grateful we don't, though...

Anyway, I'm grateful for Brian's family and the love they show me.  With my family so far away, it's nice to have them close by, ya know?  To love me and spend time with me.  Oh, and I really like it when they give me birthday money.  That part's the best!

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

My 26th birthday is coming up soon and last night I threw a fantastic birthday party.  Knowing me, it was a themed party because, well, that's what I do.  The party was dubbed "Jack's 26th PB&J B-Day" aka "Peanut Butter Jelly Time!"  You know it's a good party when it has two different names.  That's a sign of quality.

So what happens at a peanut butter and jelly-themed birthday party, you ask?  Well, for starters we served various bite-sized gourmet versions of the classic sandwich.  For example, "The Spicy Thai" with curried peanut butter, orange marmalade, Thai basil and sriracha on naan bread.  Or another one on French bread featuring cashew butter and brie cheese with apple jelly.  Sandwiches with bacon and caramalized onions and goat cheese.  Yeah, we're fancy.

We also decorated in brown and purple (peanut butter and jelly), gave out Smuckers' Uncrustables as prizes and served a peanut butter and jelly birthday cake!  It was a pound cake shaped like bread with a layer of peanut butter frosting and strawberry jam in the middle.  Very delicious.  Brian worked so hard making all the food for my party and I am eternally grateful.

Oh, and we even served a peanut butter and jelly martini.  A PB&J really can be for grownups.

Many friends showed up to celebrate and I couldn't have been happier with the turn-out.  My friends Kayla and Melinda from Salt Lake City came down, my cousin Tanissa who I haven't seen in years graced me with her presence, and my newlywed friends Lexi and Stephen even showed up to party and I haven't seen them in months!  Other guests included coworkers, tons of homos, and regulars like Wes, Brett and Rafael.

I had every one of my guests write me a little note, and here are some of my favorites:

• "Jack is the most awesomest gay person in the world..." - Unknown Source (Brett)
• "Today is your birthday and I am still prettier than you." - Nick
• "P.S. Your veggie bowl is full of wieners and balls..." - Emily
• "Dear Jack, F*** you.  (With love)." - Curt
• "You are the pus in a pimple on an otherwise perfect complexion..." - Rafael
• "Don't take life too seriously and drink some Kool-Aid" - Bryce
• "ERMAGERD JACK!  You be 20-f***ing-6!  ERMAGERD!" - Wes
• "Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm probably going to do straight things to you!!" - Nichole

October in a Pumpkin Shell

Usually the phrase goes "in a nutshell", but seeing as it's Halloween I thought "pumpkin shell" was more fitting!  October was another good month to us... as you will see.

• Brian celebrated his 24th birthday this month!  He and I had lunch up at Thanksgiving Point where we also tried to do a corn maze only to find out that it didn't open to the public until later that evening.  So no corn maze.  We did do some new clothes shopping and invited some of his friends and family to a birthday dinner at Red Lobster.  Part of Brian's birthday present was a new Wii Console that I allowed him to purchase in September, but I also got him a ten-month subscription to Food Network Magazine.
• Michelle, Brian and I went to a production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, performed by The Grassroots Shakespeare Company.  It was held at the Castle Amphitheater in Provo, UT and it was fantastic... even if it was a bit chilly outside!  The cast managed to create a very low-key but effective atmosphere for this sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying play.
• My 20-year-old brother Daniel bought an engagement ring and proposed to his girlfriend of two years, Sofia.  A wedding date has not yet been chosen, but we are all happy for the young lovebirds.
• I got a 15 cent raise at work... which isn't a whole lot to shout about but I guess it's better than nothing!
• Brian's sister Amy returned from Florida this month (where she was doing an internship at Disney World) and we are very happy to have her back.  It just wasn't the same without her.
• My block class Professional Considerations for the English Major started this month, which means I am now taking three classes.  I only take it on Mondays and I just have three writing assignments total, so it shouldn't be too hard.  In my Ethics and Values class I had to give a 30-minute presentation on the issue of pornography, which seemed to go really well.  I currently have a high B in the class and hope to bring it up by the end of the semester.  I'm doing the best in British Literature where I have an A (I've scored a perfect 100% on both a test and a paper, which I am very proud of).  I just finished reading Othello for the first time and it was very good!
• Michelle, Brian and I have been on a Stephen Sondheim kick and have watched recorded productions of Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Passion and Company (with more shows coming through Netflix).  Michelle even got Brian a book about Sondheim for his birthday!
• My friend Dyann invited Brian and I to a Halloween party and it was a lot of fun.  We arrived dressed as cowboys which made everybody think instantly of the movie Brokeback Mountain!  The party proved to be a lot of fun and we watched Coraline and played the game Curses... which Brian won.  Oh, and we also managed to spill red cream soda on her beige carpet.  Oops.
• I was able to have lunch with my friend Ryan from Salt Lake City who I don't get to see often, and Brian's cousin Patrick also stopped by for a quick visit after doing the Halloween Marathon down here.  It's always nice to see those you love, which really makes me want to visit my family!

Wake Me Up When September Ends

When I was serving a mission in Chile, I was scheduled to go home in September of 2007.  My last few months in the field were spent listening to fellow missionaries sing Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" to remind me that the end of my mission was drawing near.  Nowadays, whenever the month of September draws to a close, I inevitably think of that song.

This month has been a very interesting one for me, mostly because I am now back in school.  It's a strange thing, really.  After taking a two-year break from the classroom environment with all the homework, tests and stress that come with it, I at first felt very out-of-place and ill-equipped for success.  Luckily I am only enrolled in two classes at the moment, so my workload hasn't been too overwhelming... yet.

My favorite of the two is British Literature: Beginnings to 1800 (English 2610).  My professor is a delightful woman who is full of energy and great insight, carefully orchestrating the class discussions so that I always feel I am learning something without ever feeling bored.  We have read and analyzed Beowulf, Judith, The Wife's Lament, selections from Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (focusing on the "General Prologue" and "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale"), selections from Malory's Morte D'Arthur and we are now moving into the 16th Century with Sir Thomas More's Utopia.  Very interesting stuff, even if I feel like all my time outside of class is spent reading!

The other class I am taking is Ethics and Values (Philosophy 2050), and I am getting tired of everyone laughing and saying, "You sure need that one!"  Ha ha.  I'm gay so I have no values... ha ha.  I get it.  Besides, the class isn't what people think it would be.  Instead of going into Aristotle and his philosophies, for example, we spend class discussing things like healthcare, immigration, and political correctness.  Every week I am required to watch two hours of political commentary (an hour that is liberal and an hour that is conservative) and report on the topics and opinions conveyed.  Overall, I find the subject matter interesting, but the professor lacks a clear objective when he is teaching and the result is a two-and-a-half-hour class period of his rambling.

Assignments for both classes have been minimal thus far, but currently I am studying for a big test in my Brit Lit class and sometime in October I have to lead a class discussion on pornography and prostitution in Ethics and Values.  After those get graded I'll have a much clearer picture of how I'm doing, but for the moment, I'm doing just fine!

Aside from school, not much has changed.  Brian is still working for Culinary Crafts and he's been getting a lot of hours lately.  He brings home twice as much money as me, which doesn't exactly make me feel awesome.  I'm still at the movie theater, but am seriously considering a new job because minimum wage just simply doesn't cut it.  Brian and I went apartment hunting the other day, and if we are ever going to move out I'm going to have to bring home some bacon!

Our financial situation isn't completely bleak, however.  We have finally paid off all our credit card debt!  Yay!  And we actually have a sizable dollar amount in our savings account, which is rare for the two of us.  So in that aspect, things are looking up.

Enough about money, though!  September has had plenty of fun moments!  We've seen lots of new movies, Glee's new season started, Brian took me up to Thanksgiving Point for the first time and later today I am going bowling!  Brian's sister Courtney celebrated her "sweet sixteen" on the 27th, my sister Renee turned eighteen on the 28th and our friend Michelle's birthday is today!

September really has been good to us, and I hope that October can be even better.

Thanks for the Birthday Presents!

25 Days of Jack: Day Twenty-Five Continued

Last night's birthday party was just the beginning.  Tonight Brian surprised me with a delicious Chilean meal that really brought back a lot of good memories.  For dinner he treated me and his family to Pastel de Choclo which is the national dish of Chile.  It's very similar to a Shepard's Pie, except the meats are covered in a puree of corn instead of mashed potatoes.  He really did a great job with it!

For dessert we had Torta de Mil Hojas, which is my very favorite thing ever!!  It's layers of crispy pastry stacked high with a caramel sauce and nuts between each layer.  The recipe called for walnuts but Brian used almonds because we had them on hand.  I loved it!  It's super rich and super sweet.

I'm very grateful for the hard work Brian put into creating my special birthday dinner.  He really does spoil me.

25 Days of Jack: Day Twenty-Five

Today is my 25th birthday!

My sister called today and said, "Happy birthday, you old freakin fart!"

Oh, it's so true!

Last night I celebrated early with a simple little birthday party.  I invited some friends over and we played some games, opened presents and ate cake and ice cream.  My friend Michelle made the cake and it was delicious!  I asked for the most chocolatey cake in the world and boy did she deliver!  It was two layers of chocolate cake with a caramel whipped cream in the middle and toffee bits on top... so so so so good.

While opening presents I saw that my mom had gotten me the first season of Modern Family, which is a television comedy that I love!  Everybody else seemed to love it too, so we watched a few episodes together to end the night.  It was fun!

I'd like to thank everyone who was able to make it!

LEFT:  Brian and me
TOP RIGHT:  Gabe, me, John and LoriAnn
BOTTOM RIGHT:  Sydney, me, Raeane and Michelle
(Not pictured:  Amy, James, Caleb and Trevor)

And here is a video of everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to me!  I almost didn't blow out that second candle... but I got it!

 

Chihuahua Comics: Fat Kid Loves Cake

Those scary chompers are going to kill that poor little decadent morsel of cake!  Oh no!

25 Days of Jack: Day Twenty-Four

My little brother Daniel just sent me a text message asking what I wanted for my birthday.  "Time flies!" he said as his excuse for thinking of gift options so late in the game.  I told him to get me an apartment, and he jokingly replied that he would do something even better and get me my own private island!  Could you imagine me on my own private island?  I'd be the Skipper, Brian would be my Gilligan.  We would sit in bamboo chairs and drink out of coconuts... or lay in a hammock while random television guest stars come by to visit.  Oh, what a life that would be!

But if my own flesh and blood brother hasn't gotten me anything yet, perhaps some of you others haven't gotten me anything yet either.  Maybe you need some suggestions?  Here is a list of some gift ideas with links to where you can buy them online!  Everything is under $15.

Jack's Birthday Wish List!

• The book Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury or The Martian Chronicles by the same author.  I've become obsessed with him lately.
• I could use some new school clothes!  I like this turquoise v-neck tee (small), this sage tee (small) or this gray scarf from 21Men.
• I really love the 80's movies The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Stand by Me and would love to own them!
• Since I'm a Gleek, I would love to have these albums by Matthew Morrison, Mark Salling or Darren Criss.

Of course you can always just get me whatever you want.  You probably know me better than I know myself and would get me something perfect on your own.  Last year I got a teddy bear named "Beary Potter" and I never would have thought of that... but I loved it!  I'm constantly surprised by the creativity of my friends!

Speaking of last year, here are the pictures from last year's birthday.  I was blogging then so you can read the posts "Jack Day", "Jack Day Part Two" and "Jack Day Part Three?" if you so desire.

LEFT TOP:  me, Kayla, Jenna and Melinda
LEFT BOTTOM:  Robert and Kelsey
CENTER:  Tori and Katie
RIGHT TOP:  Ryan and Mesun
RIGHT BOTTOM:  me and Brian

25 Days of Jack: Day Twenty-Three

Photos from my 22nd birthday are nowhere to be found.  What's worse is I honestly can't remember what I did for it.  I was living in La Junta... um... yeah, don't remember.  Nope.  I'm sure somebody must have made me a cake.  Surely I got some presents.  Did my ex-stepfather Steve get me my printer that year?  I think so!  I got a printer!  Or was that Christmas?  No... I'm pretty sure that was for my birthday.

I guess it doesn't matter.  Since those photos are nonexistent, today will showcase a look back at my 23rd birthday... which actually coincides nicely with the 23rd Day of Jack!  Brian and I were living in Salt Lake City at the time and I went to a free concert with Kelsey, Mesun, Jenna and Sarah.  Brian stayed home to make me a delicious cake which we all devoured happily at the apartment after the concert.  I got some crazy gifts (like Syphilis) and then later that night we went 80s dancing at a club called Area 51.  It was a lot of fun, although we got super hot and sweaty dancing our butts off...

LEFT:  Kelsey, Jenna, Mesun and I
RIGHT:  me and Sarah

25 Days of Jack: Day Twenty-Two

"Jackmas," as my friend Wes calls it, is getting really close!  Only three more days and I will be a quarter-of-a-century and an official failure in life!  I still don't have a grown-up job or a home or a family or anything that a man my age should possess!

Gosh, I don't even have a car!  While at Disneyland I saw a keychain that looked really fun and I would have bought it had I not realized that I don't own a single key.  No work keys...no car keys... not even a house key!  One night I had to break in through the garage like some common burglar...

So if you are thinking of birthday gift ideas, do not get me a keychain.

In unrelated news, yesterday's Glee party was a raving success for all involved.  My friend Rebecca took a bus down from the Salt Lake City area to hang out with us, which was a ton of fun since I hardly ever see her anymore.  When Brian and I had our own place she was a constant visitor on Glee nights, which were always the highlight of my week.

We gathered at my friend Michelle's apartment, along with Wes and Trevor, where we did everything I said we were going to do in yesterday's post, except for decorate Glee t-shirts.  Instead we left our red shirts unaltered and wore them to the Glee 3D Concert Movie in honor of the "Don't Stop Believing" outfits they wore in the pilot episode of the show.  Don't we look awesome?  We are even wearing our special blue 3D glasses that say Glee on the sides!

Trevor, Michelle, me, Wes and Rebecca just before seeing the Glee 3D Concert Movie!

And while we are looking at photos, let's go back in time a couple of years to my 21st birthday.  This was my second and final birthday spent in Chile.  This photo was taken at Maria Elena's house where my companion Elder Silva and I spent many a day with her two children and parents.  I know I have a photo of the family somewhere, but I couldn't find it...  Hmm.  Anyway, we still talk on Facebook from time to time and they are all very dear to my heart.

25 Days of Jack: Day Twenty-One

Patrick from Logan, Utah was the winner of yesterday's giveaway.  He suggested that Brian and I spend a day eating animal crackers and fruit roll-ups while coloring in coloring books.  The idea was to return to our youth and shrug off the worries of adulthood.  A very enticing idea indeed, but we were plum out of kiddie snacks and crayons... so we just watched a movie instead.  Some other day though.  Some day.

The rest of my day was spent helping Michelle and Wes prep for today's Glee Party, and yes, you heard me correctly.  With my Glee obsession it would hardly seem natural for my 25 Days of Jack to neglect my gleekiness.  We are going to watch old episodes, make Glee t-shirts, eat lots of food and see the Glee 3D Concert Movie.  It's going to be such a fun party!

I will add, however, that planning parties is less fun.  Lots of crazy sh** goes down and friendships are tested!

Do you know what else will test a friendship?  Coming out of the closet!  Luckily, I'm still on really friendly terms with quite a few people from my mission.  Those in the photo included.  Except for that little girl.  I don't even know who she is...

As I'm sure you've guessed these are photos from my 20th birthday while on my mission in Chile.  This particular birthday was spent in the pueblito of San Clemente and I was spoiled rotten!  Right after church I was treated to that delicious torta de mil hojas (which you can see I'm about to devour, smiling like a crazed fool) by female members of the Jovenes Adultos Solteros (seen in the other photograph posing like the modelas they really are).

After church my companion, Elder Medina, and I went to lunch where another delicious cake was waiting.  You can imagine how full I was getting by this point.  Later we went to a member's house to give a blessing, because we had been told that her little brother was sick.  Turns out it was all a ruse to get us to come over where I was surprised with my third birthday cake of the day!  I was overcome with emotion... or was that vomit?

25 Days of Jack: Day Twenty

I didn’t bring my computer with me to California.  Were you fooled by all of my pre-written and scheduled postings?  Did you imagine me sitting cross-legged in my fluffy white hotel bed, head down, busily typing away on my laptop as everyone else skedaddled to the theme parks without me?  Or perhaps I woke up early and sneaked off to the bathroom where I composed my posts while seated on the toilet, drawing inspiration from the pattern on the shower curtain.  Was I writing these while hanging upside down on the California Screamin’ ride?  While waiting in line for Splash Mountain?  During the closing number of the Aladdin show?

The answer is no, no, no and most assuredly NO!

I was having fun, baby!  But just because I’m home in boring old Orem does not mean that I have to live a boring old life!  I still have five more days of birthday celebrations and I intend to enjoy them.  I may not have anything particularly exciting planned for today, but I have a feeling it will be epic nonetheless!

Have any ideas of something fun to do?  Send me your ideas (to my email, jjgarcia3@live.com) and I’ll send you a sticker or a button—your choice!

But before you do that, be sure to take a look at these two photos from when I turned nineteen.  One looks like it came from a party all about me (look at my stringy hair!), but the other photo comes from a shared birthday celebration.  Edward and Michael Mayhoffer were close friends of mine growing up and we were all born in the month of August.  Michael’s a year younger, born on August 10^th, and Edward is my age born a week before me on August 13^th.

I miss those guys...