I need to work on my skills...

So...I was playing racquetball tonight with a couple of friends...okay, I wasn't really playing. I was subbing in and out of a game; probably to provide some sort of comic relief. I swear that my racquet had a whole in it the size of , well, an entire racquet because just about the only thing I hit the entire night was air. Sure, I may have hit the ball once or twice, but that was sheer luck. I think it hit the edge of my racquet where the whole wasn't. In fact, the entire thing was a bit of a flashback to my elementary school days. Picture it: the nerdy fat kid with big-honking goggles chasing after a ball that he could never hit. The only difference between then and now is I'm not quite as fat...proportionally speaking. I'm still the nerdy kid with the enormous goggles (who wants to be hit in the eye with a racquet...not me) chasing after the same elusive ball. I guess I never played enough video games as a child, because my hand-eye coordination is simply nonexistent. The other guys were way nice about it, but I got out of that court as soon as I could think of an excuse. I've made a pledge, however. I'm buying myself a racquet and practicing until I can actually stand playing with other humans without making a fool out of myself.

In other news, FOUR MORE DAYS until I Vegas!!! Yes, I'm excited for a trip to sin city. I know that probably shouldn't be the case, but I'm SO ready for a break from school. Have you ever been at that point in your life where everything seems to be hovering around one week? I have a test in Economics that I'm not even close to being prepared for, half of a marketing plan that I've been procrastinating, and a comparison paper on diseases that changed the world. They are ALL due next Thursday...the day I get back from Vegas. So, like any responsible college student would do, I decided not to do any of it tonight (because I don't know where to start) and instead ate pizza and played racquetball. Extremely responsible indeed. No wonder I'm getting horrible grades this semester.

Life's Random Moments

I absolutely love life's random moments. I had so much fun tonight! The best part is, I did absolutely nothing in particular. After the Sunday YSA social at the Henderson's, Hailey, Jared, and I drove around to no where in particular while listening to The Carpenters Christmas CD. I know, October isn't the typical month to be listening to Christmas music, but with all the snow on the ground, I simply couldn't help it. There's nothing better after the first snow storm than listening to Karen Carpenter sing "The First Snowfall of the Winter" while driving through streets decorated in snow that is usually saved for those particularly fluffy winter days. I have to admit, I wasn't very excited yesterday when the first flakes began to fall, but as I sat listening to the music of the holidays, I had a major attitude adjustment and now can't wait for Christmas!

Okay, back on track now. Life is too short to have it filled with monotonous chores and boring conversations. Life is best lived by the seat of one's pants. The more randomness we can inject into each day, the happier we'll all be. For instance, next time you're in a boring conference, try putting on a sombrero and shaking a maraca. Sure, you may get a few unsavory glances by those lonely stiffs who have nothing better to do with their lives but scowl, but you just made your day a little better, and hopefully someone who, I don't know, has fixation with colorful Mexican Mariachi bands and hasn't seen one in ages. You just made their day.

Have you ever seen the FISH movie? If not, there are a couple of values they talk about at the Pikes Fish Market in Seattle (the place where they throw fish just to make work a little more interesting). These values, as you incorporate them into your life in the office (and everywhere else), make your life exponentially more enjoyable. Anywho, the first two values are my favorite, and I think everyone should adhere to them: Play and Make Their Day. Life just isn't complete without a little play. You may have the worst job in the world, get paid squat, and absolutely distain your boss, but if you can play a little bit each day, you'll enjoy going to work. As each of us try to "Make Their Day," meaning helping anyone and everyone have a little bit better day, we'll not only help our fellow man; we'll make our day that much more meaningful. I challenge you all to play more, and make people's day. Make your life enjoyable with those random moments. Be spontaneous. I can't wait until the next time I'm spontaneous. In fact, I'm going to plan on doing it tomorrow.

I'm a little sick...

Okay, I think I'm a little sick in the head. We had a Par-Tay for Alysa's birthday on Friday, and since autumn is one of my favorite seasons, I kinda went all out on preparing some treats & such...I racked my brain trying to think of some good things for some fall-themed treats, and eventually I came across a couple of fun ideas. SO, I hollowed out some pumpkins for Queso and Salsa with some chips, I shaped an orange cheese ball like a pumpkin with a little broccoli stalk for a stem, and I found a great recipe for pumpkin pie dip that I served with apple slices and some graham cracker thingys (quite the technical term, I know). I also know that this sounds like something a woman would do, but I am very secure in my masculinity...I just like to go all-out for stuff like this. In fact, I'm contemplating starting a catering business some time in the future. What do you all say? I know it could be difficult...starting up a business that has so much to do with personal tastes, but it would be SO fun! Think about it for a second...almost all of the best chefs and caterers out there are men, so I already have a competitive advantage! Now, don't go off calling me sexist...I just think that I would have that killer instinct. Here are some of the recipes I used:

Pumpkin Pie Dip

1 (16 oz) block Cream Cheese

2 cups Powdered Sugar

1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin Pie Filling (not just canned pumpkin)

Cinnamon Sticks

Powdered Saigon Cinnamon

Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the

 pumpkin and beat until fully mixed and lighter in color. Be sure to scrape the bottom, because if you don't, you probably won't get all of the cream cheese mixed in. Chill for 4 hours in the refrigerator. Garnish with Saigon Cinnamon and Cinnamon Sticks and serve with apple slices and/or graham crackers.

Yields: About 3 cups

"Pumpkin Cheese Ball"

2 (8-ounce) blocks extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (8-ounce) container chive-and-onion cream cheese

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon Bon Apetit Seasoning

1 broccoli stalk

In a mixing bowl, combine cheese, and both cream cheeses. Mix until combined. Add Seasoning and mix well. Cover. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Just before serving, shape cheese ball into a pumpkin. You can use your fingers to make the vertical lines or even a jack-o-lantern face. Cut the stalk off of the broccoli and put it on the top, upside-down. HINT: Before shaping the ball, coat your hands with nonstick cooking spray so the cheese won't stick to your fingers!

Anywho, I hope you don't think I'm too weird for doing something like this...remember...I'm not weird. I'm just quirky ;-)

Satisfying an Urge

SO....today I satisfied an urge that I have had for quite some time. In fact, I've had this particular urge for about a year: since last October! Now, don't get your panties in a bind; before you get all discombobulated, let me tell you that this urge had nothing to do with immorality or anything like that. Where is your mind? Get it out of the gutter...

The urge that I satisfied was the desire I've had for steaming hot, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth Pumpkin Pancakes from IHOP. No, I'm not trying to advertise them to you. But seriously, go try them. Now. No, wait...finish reading this article first, because what I have to say is extremely important. Are you ready? I hope so, because here it goes.

I decided that one of the most important things in life is food. Shocker, eh? Yes, I know that it is important to live and all that, but food is truly important to emotions. Each bite of these wonderfully fluffy pancakes gave me a little bit of happiness. It was like a piece of pure bliss in my mouth for a couple minutes. The best part about food is that it can never let you down. Even if you have a bad taste in your mouth, you have the next meal to look forward to.

Also, look back in your life. When are the happiest times? Family get-togethers? Christmas? Birthdays? Easter? What do they all have in common? That's right! It's food. People don't necessarily like spending time with their families on Thanksgiving; they truly enjoy eating turkey, stuffing, potatoes, yams, and rolls until you either burst or have to use a rubber band to secure the button area on your pants (unless you're one of the smart people that wear stretchy 90s pants on Thanksgiving). Food is wonderful. It is not only vital to our health, but needed for our emotional well-being. So, eat up!

Now you can go get those Pumpkin Pancakes from iHop. Try it!

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Nathan. You can see a picture of little Nathan on the left. Nathan grew up as one of those awkward, nerdy little kids that didn't have too many friends his own age. When Nathan was in elementary school, he was misunderstood. His teachers called him weird. Why? Simply because he checked out cook books in the school's library. His classmates called him weird. Why? Because he was a chubby little teachers' pet with glasses. Then Nathan grew up. Did he ever change? Well, even if he didn't, let's just say that Nathan grew into his quirkiness. Nathan started high school and met friends that held the same interests as him. He sang in the choir, cooked all the time (even developing a few of his own "secret recipes"), and he continued being the teachers' pet that he was.

Fast forward a few years. Nathan is now a sophomore at Weber State University. That's where Nathan is today. If you couldn't tell by the title at the top of this page, I am Nathan. I hope you enjoy reading my blog! I'll try to keep it interesting...I hope. But I'd really like your feedback! Well, I'll see you around here soon. Thanks for visiting!