Thoughts by John

It's been a bit since I've posted on this blog. I seem to be following the pattern of most other blogs. They start out almost every day, then go to several times a week, then decreasing and decreasing until it ends up being like once every other month or something like that. I don't think I'm going to get to that point. Especially because I now have a website! Yes indeed, I have an official website! How cool is that, eh? You all can check it out and tell me what you think! The link is http://johnbwoodruff.net/ which will take you to my homepage. (it's very pitiful at the moment, I know, it's in its beginning stages) You'll hopefully be able to navigate your way around, and if not, definitely let me know, because that would be a huge flaw. :) I've got my blog on there and an "About Me" page. It's all rather pitiful at the moment, kind of boring. I'm trying to figure out what I should do with it. So if anyone has any cool creative ideas on what I can add to my blog, definitely let me know!!! I want to make it awesome!

*****

So I'm on a different computer today. That means there's not Mission Picture and Story of the Day. Next time. So this time I'll tell about my week. Last week was disgustingly crazy. This week was also disgustingly crazy, despite my hope that it would be normal. I had a Lab due on Tuesday that I'd been working on for a week. I finally was mostly done, and was having troubles. So I got help from a TA. I most unfortunately got a certain TA who I've had trouble with in the past with him telling me to do the wrong thing. This time was no different. In fact, he told me I had to do it a certain way, which sounded extremely weird, and I was skeptical, so I asked him three times if he was sure I had to do it that way, and I explained to him exactly what he explained to me, and he told me yes, that was how I was supposed to do it. So I did it that way with much uneasiness (should have listened to that) and attempted to pass off. The TA who came (he was a different one, he's actually my favorite one, very good at what he does) looked at my code and immediately knew something was amis. He told me that I had done exactly the opposite of what I was supposed to do. Let's just say I was a little upset. So I explained to him about the other TA, and he said "Oh." Kind of like he knew about this TA. I suspect they had already had similar problems. Well, he unfortunately couldn't accept it, because it needed to be exactly the opposite, so I had to almost completely rewrite my code! It was disgusting. I was not a happy camper. Well, it ended up taking me two days to rewrite the code because of other assignments that I had to finish first. So I turned it in finally two days late. Luckily I've built up extra credit so it gives me back the points I lost. But I was not happy. However I'm very happy now that I'm done with that lab and the Assembly Language in general! So that was a positive aspect. :)

*****

I have been thinking as of late. (actually I think all the time. I'm a thinker) About a couple of things. First of all, of how I'm so busy I don't have time to read like I used to be able to. That's sad. I love reading. But luckily this busy schedule won't last forever, then I'll be able to catch up on the so many books I want to read!

Secondly, I've been thinking about my friend from my mission, Elder Johnson. He was hit by a car a couple of weeks ago and has been in the hospital in a coma. Also the girl he was sharing the gospel with got hit by the car and is also in the hospital in critical condition. Elder Johnson just barely improved enough to be transferred to ICU. That kind of shows you how critical of a condition he was in, such that ICU is an improvement. Luckily they are positive about the direction he's headed in. He seems to be showing signs of more life and strength and his brain swelling has gone down. Due in large measure, I believe, to the prayers and fasting of many many people who knew and loved him. This whole thing helps me learn two things. First of all, drivers, watch where you're going and be safe!!!!!!!! They were hit because the driver decided to try to run a red light. So don't be stupid while driving. Secondly, it has helped me realize just how fragile life really is. It is so easy to think at my age that I've got my entire life ahead of me and nothing can happen to me. False. That's why we need to make sure we're always living in a way that if our time comes suddenly, we'll be prepared to leave this life clean and full of service and help towards others. So really, it's been a blessing knowing Elder Johnson in far more ways than I've realized.

Finally I've been thinking about school. Yes, this will be a much more secular thought as opposed to the more spiritual side in the previous paragraph. But this is also a very important thought. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I've come down to this one very vital conclusion... 41 DAYS UNTIL SCHOOL IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Silent Killer

A pretty cool occurrance occurred (is that redundant?) over the weekend. Basically we found a projector worth thousands of dollars on our hill. David tells the story much cooler than I do, so see his post here. It was pretty awesome though. All I can say is that it's a good thing someone who hates the U of U didn't find it before we did. I mean, I bleed blue, but that doesn't mean I'd destroy the U's projector. :) So anyway, go read the story, it's pretty darn cool!

Also, super exciting update! So I forgot my lunch today (this is a regular thing with me apparently...) and so I got me some Taco Bell. (disgustingly cheap, and not disgusting!) It was a miracle! I ate my beefy 5-layer burrito, and everything was perfect! Usually all the sour cream is on one extreme end of the burrito, so you're eating all your beefy deliciousness, then suddenly the rest of your burrito is merely tortilla and sour cream. The the cheese is all on the other side! So you're suddenly out of cheese! Well, today was a miracle! I ate the whole burrito, and was shocked to see that everything was perfectly spread out throughout the entire burrito!!! I was completely blown away! That burrito was delicious!!! And thus we see that there are tender mercies all around us! (don't think I'm crazy, that made me soooo happy to eat that thing! That was definitely a tender mercy!) Anyway, so that's my other cool story.

*****

So for my Mission Picture of the Day, I'll just have a cool picture, because I realized I never finished the final 911 story! So anyway, here's my cool picture!

Cool view from Apartment!

Look at that amazing view!!! Yeah, I know, I'm just so darn good looking! Ok, ha-ha, that was a really stupid joke and definitely false. I just thought I'd throw that one out there. :P

Anyway! To the story! This was the beginning of my third transfer in the mission. So this was three days after the big house fire! I had just gotten my first trainee, Elder Lima. It was our 2nd day together, and we were doing our morning study. Suddenly I hear this loud beeping. I'm confused, cause it's not a fire alarm beep, but I had heard it somewhere before. Well, I suddenly realized what it was, and ran to double check. Yup, it was the Carbon Monoxide alarm. So I got Elder Lima quick and we got out of there quick and got the family who lived upstairs out as well and called 911. (I'm sure they were like wait what? Didn't we just go over there a couple days ago?) :P 

So anyway, a fire truck came and they went in and inspected it, and I'm not sure what the problem was, but I guess they fixed it, opened all the windows and fanned the place out with a big fan, and said we could go back in! :) So that was our other adventure with 911! It was quite fun.

*****

I love Doctor Who!!! It's basically the best thing ever! I'm currently working on a pretty cool project idea. I'll reveal more as the details and progress come!

And I'm tired! And I have to work tomorrow morning! Not fun! But I'm happy that this week hopefully won't be NEARLY as bad as last week! :) Yay! All right, well, I'm off to go home! Tchau!

Money Money, Where Have You Gone?

There's obviously a hole in my wallet... Or bank account...

I have never spent, nor do I think I will ever spend, as much money on school supplies somehow relating to my classes than I did this semester. I thought I was done when I bought my books. Nope. I still had to buy the Launchpad Development Tool. So surely I must be done. Nope. I just got done buying my Developer Board that accompanies it.

Cost? Eighty (80) very precious dollars. 80 dollars?? Let me make a comparison. I could buy a way more complex graphics card for 20 dollars. As a matter of fact I did that very thing in January. Just goes to show how absurdly overpriced school textbooks and other materials are.

People wonder why students never have money... I could give them an idea of why... This was a ridiculously expensive semester. I'll blame David. He signed me up for these classes... Just kidding David!

Ode to a Friend

So on Saturday I woke up super crazy early because I work on Saturdays at 5 am. Well, I get up, get all ready, eat the best breakfast one can have at 5 in the morning, and then drove to work. I got to work, and saw a new schedule posted on the board, so I was curious to see who was on my shift, because nobody had contacted me about switching shifts. I take a look, and find out that I'm actually not on the shift! Say-whaaaaat??? Are you telling me I got up crazy early, got ready, ate breakfast, and drove in a freezing car all the way to work (not that far actually) just to find out that I could be sleeping at that moment??? Yeah, I was discouraged, because I didn't even have the consolation of making money. So I dejectedly drove home, and then tried to get back into my bed. It was hard going back to sleep after having accomplished so much so early, but I managed!!! :) Then once I got back to sleep my alarm rang to wake me up, and I felt once again like I was getting up at 5 am. (even though it was more around 7:30) At least now I know my schedule, and it's really nice, because now since I don't work Saturday mornings, that means I get to do whatever I want on Friday nights and not worry about my sleep!!! :)

*****

Photo time! By the way, I'm going to have to start thinking of something else to do, otherwise I'll run out of mission photos! I'll have to do something cool... Very cool...

Zone 300!

DOGGY PILE!!!!

So today's photos focus on a most excellent Zone Activity we had on a Preperation Day. It was an improv skit type of activity! We split up into groups and were given 3 scripture stories, and we were supposed to come up with the best, funniest skit we could think of in about 20 minutes involving all three stories, and we had to use three props randomly assigned. So for example, my group was assigned the stories "Nephi breaks his bow," "Solomon cuts a baby in half" (except he didn't really) and "The Ten Plagues of Egypt." For our props, we had a nerf gun, a television, and a backpack. So it was really funny, meshing together everything with these props to make this absolutely ridiculously funny skit. We ended up filming them all and I edited them together onto DVD's that we gave out to the Zone. If anyone has a burning desire to watch them, just ask me, although most people may not find them as funny as I do, because I actually know the people and their personalities. It was a very fun activity though! After we took a picture with our awesome Zone t-shirts, the Elders decided to Doggy Pile Elder Rhodes, which was a common occurrance with poor Elder Rhodes. It was very fun! Except that I was on the bottom... Underneath some heavy Elders. Yeah, I thought I just might get crushed. Lovely activity! :)

*****

Today I spent from 12:45 till 6:30 at church. Yeah. It was a long day. I had to renew my Temple Recommend, which I was able to do with the Bishop's Counselor, then he set me apart as a counselor in the Sunday School Presidency, then I had to talk to a teacher and the Sunday School President, then finally was ready to get my Stake President interview for my Temple Recommend, and ended up waiting for an hour to get it. The happy news is, I'm still a current Temple Recommend Holder! (I didn't wait for my old one to expire) That's always a really good feeling, evaluating myself and being able to answer the questions as God wants them to be. It makes me very happy! :)

So I've decided I'm going to go be with one of my best friends... An absolutely incredible friend. So faithful. So friendly. Always there for you when you're feeling good, bad, sad, happy, whatever. Completely trustworthy. Perfect listener if you want to just talk and let off stress. Never recognized for the incredible help given. Never thanked, never praised, never applauded, rarely even mentioned. And yet, this friend is there. Always. Always waiting for you, never turning you away. My amazing friend... My Beloved Bed! My incredibly warm, comfy, cozy, friendly bed!!! :) Yeah. All that was to say I'm going to bed now. ;) Perhaps it was a little much. Although it was all true! I love my bed!

Sunday is over, and tomorrow is a new day, new week! Super awesome! Except for the fact that it's a Monday. I used to like Mondays you know... That was on my mission... Because my Preperation Day was on Monday. ;)  Tchau tchau!!!

The Lost and Forgotten Post

I just got done eating a delicious $5 footlong (although I had to critique it first, before I ate it, seeing as the person had a tag that said "Sandwich Artist" and this sandwich looked nothing like a piece of art) A true sandwich artist would make it so it looks incredible, doesn't make a massive mess, and doesn't fall apart. Unfortunately my sandwich was none of these. That's the only downside to not working at Subway anymore, the fact that I can't make my own sandwiches now... Other than that one tiny thing, I don't mind not working at Subway anymore. I quite enjoy it in fact. ;) Although I don't blame the person. They probably don't like working there and therefore don't give it their all. Ok, I have no idea if they like it or not, but I don't mind if they make a sloppy sandwich. I'm just making fun of Subway's title they give their employees of "Sandwich Artist" which I can do as I used to be one of those people.

Anyway, the purpose of talking about Subway was because I just got done hanging out with Jared Rhodes, from the Greatest Mission in the World (my mission, the CTM), and his friend. It was extremely fun. Then rather strange was that afterwards my singing class teacher saw me and said "Hey John! How are you doing?" And I was like woah, that's weird, I've never had a teacher do that. I don't see why he shouldn't, but it was just weird as it has never happened before.

*****

Time for the Mission Picture and Story of the Day! Actually, these pictures should have gone in with the Epic of the Broken Ankle, but I forgot that I even have these pictures! So here you are! The belated Episode of the Broken Ankle Saga. The Lost and Forgotten Portion of the Story!!!

Balance on one foot...

Bongo Board!... Or Bongo Ball.

So there you go. These pictures of me during one of my torture sessions. Oh darn, did I just say that? I meant physical therapy sessions. :) It was a particularly busy day, so the therapist had me start on these exercises that help strengthen the muscles around the broken and torn areas before I went in and he proceeded to re-break my ankle for the 10th time. Ok, not re-break, but it hurt! Anyway, he was really busy and I was bored doing my exercises, so I took pictures! I took others, but these were the best. It was fun, this beginning part. Then he called me in to the room and I left the friendly squishy half-ball and walked into the dungeon of torture. Ok, this sounds way worse than it really is! :) I just like exaggerating for fun. Although the sessions were quite painful, they were nothing like I'm describing. Anyway, that's all for my pictures and story of the day!

*****

I'm tired... Very tired... I had to work early this morning... Now I'm about to go into my Book of Mormon class... I'm really hoping I don't fall asleep. If I can make it through this class, I'm good, because I can't fall asleep in my singing class, it's not possible. So here's hoping I make it!

P.S. I'm really really really tired...

Another Day, Another Test

Once upon a time there was a boy. This boy doesn't like tests. So one day this boy had to take a test. The boy didn't like it. The End.
Except it's not the end. I still have to look like I'm trying to write a good post. So therefore, I'll post my picture I posted on Facebook. Most excellently thought out.

True Dat!

I thought it was rather funny. So there you have it, a very professional looking graph that shows why I'm single. Give me a break though, I've only been home 2 months, and I'm not one of those RMs that wants to get married 5 months after they get back. (I'm not bashing anyone or their decision! It's just not for me!) And here I am attempting to explain my way out of this mess I just put myself in, and all of this can be avoided if I just delete that picture and put something else... Am I going to?... Nah, I'm not that smart. ;)

I am, however, smart enough to know that it's time to go to bed! Because Johnny Boy's exhausted!!!

1000 Page Views!!!

It's a big day! I have passed the 1000 page view number! Ok, so it's not that big of a feat. Most people who have blogs are probably way past that, but hey, it's a big feat for me, who writes exceptionally boring posts! So I'm pretty excited about that!

I had a test Friday. That was after the most ridiculous lab for my computer science class. I completed it, but had troubles with my calculations, then I couldn't pass it off that day, then the next day the TA's kept saying I had to do it differently, and so I did it exactly how each told me, and the next one would tell me it was wrong how the last one told me, and it went on and on until I was extremely frustrated, to say the least. Well finally I got my favorite TA and he passed me off. Finally!!! But because of all that ridiculousness, I wasn't able to study for my Biology midterm which I had to run and take right then. So naturally I didn't do very well. Hopefully my essay questions were better. So I truly embodied my last post, being one of those depressed people going to the testing center. It was definitely depressing.

*****

Mission Picture of the Day! Here you go!

Supplies!

School Bus Full of Missionaries!

This was a fun day!!! In my 3rd transfer I was training Elder Lima from Brazil, and we decided as a Zone that we wanted to have a fun Preparation Day activity, and we decided we would have a Brazilian BBQ!!! Everyone thought that was an awesome idea, so Elder Lima and I took charge! I didn't know how to have a good meat BBQ, and Elder Lima didn't know how to make Brazilian Beans and Rice, so we pooled our efforts and put together a sweet BBQ! We had ribs that Elder Lima cooked up with some amazing BBQ sauce he made, while I cooked the beans and rice in massive amounts. (we had a big Zone) So everyone came (it was graciously hosted by a member of the ward Elder Lima and I were in) and we ate some deeeeeelicious food and played "futebol" (or soccer) and volleyball. It was incredibly fun! At the end of the activity we all piled in the school bus that the member drives kids to and from school in, and took a Zone picture. It was all incredibly fun! One of my more favorite Zone Activities!!! So we cleaned up, went home, changed, and hit the streets once again! :) Good times!

*****

So I'm tired. Have I ever mentioned that? I'm actually not tired... I'm exhausted. This whole working at 5 am thing definitely wears on you after a while. I have no idea how my Dad gets up at 4:30 every morning and has for the last 3 and a half years. But then again, he's a big morning person. I'm not. Not one bit. This morning I finally couldn't take it and after I got home from work I took a nap, except it was exceptionally short, due to the fact that I had a Sunday School Presidency meeting soon after I had gotten home. So when that was done, I tried taking a nap again, only to have to go back to church for the actual service. Plus I had to teach Temple Prep class. I hope I didn't make anyone bored because I didn't say a whole lot due to my tiredness. Oh well, if I make mistakes, judge ye, and most likely you will be correct. :) There's my scriptural quotation for the day.

Is it time for John to go to bed? See Alma 18:27.

The Post That Yesterday's Should Have Been

Ok, so now I've had a good full 9ish hours of sleep (although I'm not feeling it as much anymore, because I've had three classes and a session of homework) and feel much more bloggie. So here goes.

Today in Math we made boxes out of paper... Yup, just like I did in 2nd grade. We took a piece of paper, cut squares out of the corners, and folded up the sides. What do you think of that? Ok, so there was a little more to it, but for the first 20 minutes I was thinking to myself "Hey, this is cake!" Then we got into other stuff, which was still fairly understandable and easy, but not the delicious cake I thought it was... Anyway, I of course didn't have another one of those awesome smart person moments. Oh well. Maybe another time.

*****

Mission Picture and Story Time!!! Yay!!! I'm hoping you all aren't getting bored of these. If you are, leave a comment or a message telling me and I'll choose something else to do. Anyway, see picture below.

Petey the Pigeon

This monstrously ugly bird is known affectionately as Petey the Pigeon. He was our pet when I was serving with Elders Wray and Workman in the Weston South Area. One day we were studying and we heard this squealing noise on our deck outside, and we looked outside to see a big pigeon attacking this old hideous bird. I yelled "Oh my gosh!!! It's killing it!!!" I didn't know why, but that big bird was murdering that hideous old bird!!! Then suddenly the big one grabbed the little one by the beak and started doin' its thing into his beak, and it dawned on us. It's a baby pigeon and it's being fed! So I was much happier, because I didn't want a dead pigeon on our deck. That's nasty. Well, we found out that this baby had hatched either on our deck or the one next to ours, but either way, it seemed to take a special liking to our deck for some strange reason (probably not because we kept feeding it... nah, definitely not) and made its home there. Well, at first my companions wanted to kick it off. I didn't let them. Sure it was absurdly ugly, but still, it was just a baby and couldn't fly. So we spared its life, and after a little bit we gave it a name. Petey.

After a while we all got kind of attached to the ugly beast. So we fed it, played with it, and eventually he grew old enough to fly, and his parents had left him, so my companion nudged him off the deck to learn to fly. I was impressed, he flew! Not super well, but not bad! He managed to land on the deck below us, and later that night flew back up to ours! So he had finally learned how to fly! After a few days he finally disappeared. I'll admit, even though he was hideous, I was a little sad that he left. But it was time for Petey to move on to bigger things in life. (although frankly, I don't know if he'll be able to find a wife looking like that! Hopefully he gets a little more handsome than he was...) So anyway, that is the story of Petey the Pigeon.

*****

I'm going tonight to a sweet restaurant I haven't been to in years!!! Actually, the last time I went to this place, Brick Oven, was the day that I entered the MTC!!! I remember it veeeery well! It's a delicious place!!! Incredible pizza and pasta!!! I can't even decide yet what I'm going to get... But there will definitely be a frosty mug of root beer involved!!! Yum!!!

*Begin salivating here*

Anyway. Basically I'm dying to go and can't wait! I purposely didn't eat lunch today just so I could enjoy it in all its glory!!! So I'm super excited!!!

Dear Blog,

I am starving.

Love John

Eyes.

Dear Blog Readers. A picture is worth a thousand words.

*Thousand Words Here*

Yes. This is not my eye. My eye looks far worse. This is the worst picture I could find. I tried taking a picture on my phone but I looked hideous.

I was considering writing an actual post like normal. But then I looked in the mirror. So therefore, dear readers, GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!