Holland's Life

Observations

2009-02-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

I don't want people to think I am weird, although it might be a little late for that, but I love to people watch.
Don't get me wrong. I am neither a creeper nor a stalker, but I find it fascinating what people will do when they don't realize people are watching them. Here are some of my favorite observations.
I love to go to the computer center to write my articles and papers because I can focus better. While there, I sit back in my chair and look around to see what people are doing. There is a couple I see there a lot, and they seem to be very much in love. I have no problem with people in love, but this couple drives me crazy.
Last week I was sitting near the girl in this wonderful couple when her boyfriend showed up. She was happy to see him, which is normal for a couple in love. The part that bugged me was that he sat down in her chair, and she sat in his lap. They stayed like this for the rest of the time they were at the computer lab. Oh how freakin' cute.
I don't want to sound mean, but do they realize they are in a public place where that might be distracting? Any kind of public displays of affection (anything more than a hug or holding hands) in an actual public setting (homes and apartments don't count) drives me crazy. I mean, I get uncomfortable at weddings when the groom kisses the bride. So, lap-sitting couple in the computer lab, knock it off!
Another favorite observation of mine was while I was growing up in Gunnison. You see, in Gunnison there is not much to do so we would often venture up to Provo to have a good time. One time we decided to glue a quarter to the mall floor and watch people try to pick it up. This provided hours, OK minutes, of entertainment.
My favorite was when people would bend over to pick it up, and it took them a while to realize that it was glued down. My other favorite was kids trying to pick it up and then asking their parents to try. It became a family activity to try and get it off the floor. One dad even started kicking at it, hoping to get it loose. I always wondered why people tried so hard to pick it up; it was only a quarter.
I also love watching a guy approach a girl whom he thinks is attractive. This may be my favorite thing to watch. Guy sees girl, girl tries to ignore guy, guy talks to girl, girl rejects guy, guy thinks he was successful and walks away in triumph. Can it get any better than that?
I love watching this happen around the school. A guy will try and make small talk and get a girl's number, but the girl dances around the question. The guy will try to be smooth, sitting on the edge of the table and telling jokes. Sometimes I just want to walk up to the guy and tell him to move on because it isn't working.
Other honorable mentions are when people fall down stairs in public, mouth the words to their music, and dance in their cars. I love to make fun of those people, even though I am guilty of all of those embarrassing activities.
So, next time you are in a public place and you think no one is looking, be careful that I am not in the room, or you might end up in the newspaper.

No Regrets

2009-02-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

The Mr. Dixie pageant is done for the year, and once again I lost, but I think the judges got it right this time.

I again failed to claim the title of Mr. Dixie. The weird thing is that I don't really mind. I have decided that winning is not everything. I did win Mr. Congeniality, which was awesome. So at least I got a crown and a cool sash.

My friend Nolan Hanley is the new Mr. Dixie, and he deserves it. I mean, he did a back flip on the stage, which was freaking amazing. All guys in the pageant were unique in their own way. As I got to know them all, I started to realize that any of them could have won, and I would have been fine with it.

As I took a moment after the pageant was over to contemplate why I lost, I started to think of the journey. Here are some of the things that I learned.

I can still control a crowd. I again realized how fun it is to get in front of a crowd and make them laugh. That is one of the greatest feelings that I have had in a long time. I love making people laugh, and I think I am good at it.

Next, I learned that I am really good with my mouth (don't take that the wrong way). If you were there, you would have seen my wonderful talent. For the last week I have been practicing throwing marshmallows in the air and catching them in my mouth. I learned some new tricks, like throwing them behind my back and under my leg. My favorite part of my talent was when I had my friend Jacob Hurst throw marshmallows, which I caught in my mouth. Trust me; it is harder than it looks.

Another thing I learned is that being in a pageant is hard work. Having to practice that silly dance number and walking through all the positions for every portion of the pageant was hard. I forgot more than once where I was supposed to go and what I was supposed to say. It is a lot of pressure and running around. I will never make fun of girls in pageants again. I will just respect them.

I also realized that I don't have to be Mr. Dixie to show the school that I love it. I just need to continue going to the basketball games and continue being loud and annoying. As long as I have school spirit I will be fine. I might not be remembered here in five years, but at least my school spirit will still be strong. In all reality they should probably make a statue of me, so people will always remember the amazing Holland Olsen.

For all you guys out there, make sure to do the Mr. Dixie pageant next year. It is one of the most fun activities that I have done in my college career. Make it fun and just be yourself. After all, you are only in college once (hopefully).

Mr. Dixie

2009-02-09T19:18:00.001-08:00

The Mr. Dixie Pageant is on Friday, and I have a good feeling about it this year.I ran for Mr. Dixie last year.

I thought I did a good job, but I did not claim the top prize. Heck, I was not even in the top three.
As I stood on the stage waiting for the announcement I could hear my name being chanted throughout the audience. In the mist of chants repeating "Holland, Holland," I then heard a different name announced as the winner. I was shocked. How could I lose? Was that actually possible?

Well, it was possible, and it happened. This year I have a new outlook on the pageant, including a newfound desire to claim that top prize. I will now proceed to tell you why I think I should be Mr. Dixie.

The first reason that I should be Mr. Dixie is that I am Holland "Frickin'" Olsen. I know almost everyone. Have you heard of the seven degrees of separation? Well that theory says everyone is connected to anyone else in the world by only seven steps or people. Here at Dixie State College, I think it is more like two steps of separation to Holland. That makes me a very important and well-known person on campus.

The second reason that I should be Mr. Dixie is because I embody the "Dixie Spirit." Seriously, when you look up Dixie Spirit in the dictionary there is a picture of me waving back at you (not in reality, but definitely in my imagination). I love everything about this school: I love the lack of parking, and all the ways that I can get tickets from the campus cops. I love the Dixie dance team and the cheerleaders (they love me back too; this is not a stalking situation). I love all the sports teams, and I especially love standing on the front row of the student section, screaming at the top of my lungs. These are the things that I live for.

Another reason I should be Mr. Dixie is because of my wardrobe. If you took a tour of my closet you would find that more than half of my shirts have the word "Dixie" on them. Do you realize what this means? It means that I have a lot of red shirts! It also means I attend a lot of DSC activities. Mr. Dixie should be the type of guy who goes to all of the activities and is active within the structure of the college. That is me; I am that guy.

I also think that I should be Mr. Dixie because I am the X-Club president. X-Club is an all-male club that focuses on service, school spirit and school traditions. The guys in the X-Club are quite possibly the coolest group of guys on campus. It is only natural to think that the president of the best group of guys on campus should become Mr. Dixie.

The final reason that I should be Mr. Dixie is my glorious body. I don't want to sound overly conceited, but I think that I am downright sexy. I am also all man. I mean, I have a beard, what is more manly than that? All my friends call me "Big Sexy" for a reason. Some people think that being overweight is ugly, but if you can work it like I do, it is a beautiful thing.

I would be the greatest Mr. Dixie ever. With all the things I bring to the table, including my good looks, I should be a shoe-in for Mr. Dixie. So if you want to see me in action, come to the Mr. Dixie pageant

Holland's Life: Doctors

2008-12-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

If you have seen me walking around campus or trying to walk down a flight of stairs, you may have noticed I have been walking with a limp for quite some time now.

About a month and a half ago, I was playing flag football in the mud. As I ran a route, I made a cut, slipped in the mud, felt my knee buckle, and went down. My team only had seven players that night, so I could not sit out and try to see how bad it was. I continued to play through the pain. Teammates were asking me if I was OK as I hobbled to and from the huddle. To make things worse, I got a charlie horse in both legs, so if I bent or extended either of them it would hurt. Through the night, I went down several more times, even once when I dived to catch a ball.

The next morning I woke up, got out of bed, and fell to the ground in pain. Most people who feel that way would have checked their medical insurance and gone to the doctor, but not me. I got up, literally hopped into the shower, and went to school barely able to walk. I would rather chop my leg off with a hacksaw than go to the doctor.

I have always hated going to the doctor's office. Maybe I developed a subconscious fear of hospitals because of an extended stay in the hospital when I was born with a hole in my lungs that caused them to collapse. Another reason could be every time I go to the doctor I learn another unexpected problem that I need to take care of.

For example, in a weight lifting class in high school I was spotting my friend while he was doing military presses. As my friend got near the end of his set, I noticed that he was starting to lean backward while the weight was still in the air. I put out my hands to stop him from falling backward. The only problem was that I stopped him from falling over, but that did not stop the weight. As I looked up, my friend dropped the weight behind him, and the bar was so gracefully introduced to my face, all 185 pounds of it. I got knocked out and was bleeding pretty badly. I went to the doctor to get stitches right under my eye.

That part of the trip was expected, but the part I did not expect was when they did an x-ray on my back because it had been giving me problems. That is the day that I learned that I have an extra vertebra in my lower back. Yeah, talk about an unexpected surprise. My doctor told me that I should not lift anymore and should maybe even stop playing football. I took the news quite well, and then ignored it and continued to condition for football.

Another time I learned some unexpected news was when I lived in Fiji. I hurt my shoulder playing rugby with a bunch of kids in the village I was living in. I jumped over a boy I had fallen over. While in mid-air I realized that I was not going to be able to land on my feet. I thought that I would just tuck and roll like I had done hundreds of times in football. I soon found out that the reason it works so well in football is because I was wearing pads. As the weight of my body focused on my right shoulder, I heard a pop and felt extreme pain.

I knew something was wrong when I stood up and could not lift my arm at all. The doctor was very helpful, took x-rays and even took an ultrasound of my shoulder. The doctor found out my shoulder popped out and right back in. Now for the part I didn't expect: They told me my collarbone is not connected to my rotator cuff. There is literally a half-inch gap where there should be bone and cartilage. I know, I am a freak.

Maybe my fear of doctors came when I a dog bit me (again while living in Fiji), and the doctor's only cure was having me rip out a hair from the dog's tail and rub it on the open wound. I don't care how long it bled (four days straight) or how badly it hurt, I was not going to go back to the dog that had just taken a chunk out of my leg to rip out a hair from his tail just so I could get an infection or rabies.

Or maybe it was because I was hospitalized with a blood infection within less than 24 hours of me returning to Utah from Fiji, or maybe it was Fiji in general. It might even be all these events added together.

I think I have had some bad luck when it comes to doctors, maybe more than my share, which is the reason that no matter how much my knee hurts, I put off going back to the doctor. My main excuse is if I go to the doctor, I already know what he is going to tell me. He will say nothing is wrong after taking more x-rays of my "healthy" knee. He would probably add that I should take it easy for a couple weeks and not play sports. I will take the news well and then successfully ignore everything he says. Who needs a knee to play sports, anyway?

Morons

2008-12-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

I have read almost every story I can find on Plaxico Burress because I think it is hilarious that he shot himself in the leg. Now Burress is being suspended from the Giants for the rest of the season. I hope he gets more than that as a punishment. A normal person would get jail time for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, so I hope he does too. I am sick of celebrities getting star treatments. Michael Vick is serving jail time for dog fighting, and that is what he deserves. I think that Burress should also get what is coming to him, if he is proven guilty.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3738905

Where do they go?

2008-11-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

I found an article about John McCain still campaigning. There will be a run off in Georgia between Republican senator Saxby Chambliss and the democrat candidate Jim Martin. McCain will be helping Chambliss during the extended campaign. I think it is good for McCain to continue campaigning, because what else is he going to do now that he is not going to be President. That is a question I have always wondered, where is do the candidates go? When a Presidential candidate loses the election where do they go? Do they go on vacation to make themselves happy, or do they just go home and sulk in their loss? Either way it seems that the majority of the country will be happy that they are out of the spot light.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

Holland's Life - Looking Ahead

2008-11-08T01:37:00.000-08:00

I have been facing some very trying times lately because of school.

No, it is not the homework or even all my classes that seem to keep piling up and running together. The real reason that I am having so much trouble is because I am almost done with school. I always thought that I would be really happy when my senior year came along, but I have found out that is just not the case.

Growing up is the opposite of fun. Responsibility is just too much sometimes. Why can't I just stay the way I am? Who said I can't just stay in college the rest of my life? These were the thoughts running through my head last week.

You see, I have a problem with adulthood. I am 22 years old, soon to be 23, and I don't really feel like an adult, so why do I have to start acting like one?

I had a conversation with one of my professors last week who was a little concerned with the way I act inside and outside the classroom. He was concerned that I was not taking my schooling seriously. He noticed that I don't take many notes and that I miss class every once in a while. He wanted me to start acting like a senior instead of a sophomore.

I was glad he sat me down and talked to me about these important issues. In my defense, I have never been good at taking notes on any kind of class, but I still have passed every class I have taken in college with a B- or better.

To his other concerns about me not taking school seriously and acting like a sophomore, all I can say is that I am technically a sophomore. This is my fourth semester in college. I will be graduating with my degree in communication after only five semesters. I think that is taking my education seriously. I have not wasted time taking bowling or basketball classes, I have worked hard to get where I am.

Putting all that aside, I have thought a lot about what my professor had to say. That is what got me worried. Will I have to grow up and be boring at a normal job when I graduate? I hope not!

For me life is about more than just moving ahead, "graduating" from things and moving on to the next task. I think the more important thing is to have as much fun in life as I can no matter what stage of life I am in. I like to have fun in all aspects of my life, everything from school, work and even church (whoever said church was boring has never been to church with me and Brock Bybee).

So I have started to get nervous about graduating and not being able to have fun like I am now. For example, when I graduate will I still be able to duck tape my roommate to the wall, a foot off the ground? I think not! Will I be able to get into every sporting event for free? Not anymore! Will I have thousands of girls scream my name at the verge of tears when I get on a stage? Hopefully, but that will probably never happen again.

So what really happens when you leave college? Do you transform into a super adult? I don't think it will be that simple. I think I will have to really work at being a professional business person. I will definitely have to hold in my sarcasm and humor while in important meetings. Where is the fun in that?

I know what I will have to do to maintain the fun in my life. I will have to do what I have always done and make my job fun. This time it might be a little more difficult than telling some fat jokes and making people like me through humor because this time I will actually have to work.

I guess growing up and graduating from college could be worse. I mean, at least I don't have kids yet.

Holland's Life - Obesity

2008-11-08T01:27:00.000-08:00

There is something seriously wrong about this country, isn't there? And no, I am not talking about politics or the economy.

The problem is so evident, but it does not seem to ever be addressed the way it should. I am talking about obesity. That's right, obesity. For all of you who don't know me, I am a fairly large person, but I don't think I am obese yet (my doctor might disagree).

The only thing I hear about obesity is people need to change their eating and recreational activities so they can lose weight. Why should we, the overweight community, be the ones who constantly have to change?

According to obesityinamerica.org, 65.2 percent of adults over 20 are overweight, and approximately 60 million people are obese in the U.S. So what does that tell us? I'll tell you what it means. First, people need to stop eating junk food (this one includes me); and second, we, the overweight community, are on the majority; and third, the world needs to change the way things are made to make them bigger and stronger to accommodate the majority.

I am not joking. I recently went to Lagoon in northern Utah, a place that is supposed to be fun and relaxing, but instead I was continually worried if I would fit in the rides. I was being discriminated against. I had to sit in chairs that were marked with orange dots for "people with a larger build," and sometimes this meant that I could not sit with my friends.

Every ride I went on, the person in charge would walk around making sure people were secured properly in their chairs. Every time they got to me, they would have to push with all their might to get the chair's restraint to click one more time. On some rides I could not breathe properly because the restraint was so tight against my chest. On others it felt like the restraint might break my pelvis. The worst moment was when I realized that I was too big to fit on one ride called "The Bat."

As I looked around the park, I realized I was not the biggest person in Lagoon that day, but most of the bigger people were not riding the rides. That's when I came up with a great idea: Why not make everything bigger? I mean, if you can make one of the seats a little bigger, why not just make every seat bigger? If amusement parks would do that, more people could ride the rides and not feel like they are too big for the rides. In all reality, they would come back to the park again because they actually had fun riding the rides. That means more money for the amusement park.

Think about it, if 65.2 percent of the population is overweight, why would you still make things with a weight limit under 225 pounds? Take plastic chairs, for example. I am sure the manufacturers of those chairs have never had the embarrassment of sitting in a chair eating and having a good time, just to have one of the legs buckle because of your weight. Trust me, it is not a good feeling. We obese people can't even sit down without being reminded that we are a little overweight.

Clothing stores are the worst. I have an ongoing bet with my friends that every time we go to the mall if they can find something in my size, I will buy it. Now I am not talking about Sears or stores like that (but even then it is tough to find clothes that fit right); I am talking about Hollister, Buckle and American Eagle.

Why don't they make XXL shirts and pants that are bigger than a men's size 38? Do they not realize that 65.2 percent more of Americans would shop in their stores? I mean, just because I am plump does not mean that I don't want to look good for all the ladies.

So America, start your change for once. Start by changing the way you build things. Obesity is not going to go away anytime soon; in fact, the problem will get bigger before it gets better. Wait... was that a fat joke?

Hasselbeck supports formal rival.

2008-11-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

I found an article about Elizabeth Hasselbeck supporting Barack Obama. Hasselbeck was a huge McCain supporter, and even campaigned with Sarah Palin. Hasselbeck was asked by Barbra Walters how she felt about McCain’s defeat, and Hasselbeck told Walters that she was going to support Obama now. Now this is what I don’t get about our country, why do we care what a celebrity thinks. How why did Walters not ask supporters of McCain in the audience? I would rather listen to “Joe the plumber” than a celebrity. I was listening to a commercial this week about the election, when an actress told the country to get out and vote on the fourth, because this is one of the most important votes of the year. Which shows you why I don’t care about what they think, they are not smart enough to know that there is only one real vote a year.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,447385,00.html

Oh Peter

2008-10-30T08:02:00.001-07:00

I found a article about rocker Peter Frampton complaining that his Obama campaign signs keep getting swiped from his front yard. Now where is the world going if people can not show their support for a given candidate? I wonder what has become of the signs? Maybe it is some kind of crazy person that is stalking Obama, and wants as many signs as he can get. Maybe it is his wife that does not want signs littering their front yard. The best part of the story is that Frampton went to the news to and asked to be interviewed. Was that really necessary?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081030/ap_en_ce/people_peter_frampton;_ylt=AuJfqTIKFTW0ilQYTP24SrRxFb8C

What the DOG

2008-10-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well I read a very disturbing story about a dog in Colorado named Bobo that died after his owner burned him on her kitchen stove on Sunday. Apparently the owner hog tied Bobo and set him on the kitchen stove. What was the owner thinking? Well I might be able to tell you the answer to that question, she was not thinking at all. The relatives of the owner said that she suffers from mental illness. Now I know that pets can give the mentally handicapped a companion and happiness, and that can be a good thing, but what happens when the dog or cat is abused? Well maybe we can invent robotic animals, that look and act like normal animals, but when the owner sets them on fire, they have an internal fire extinguisher, that would work. So when I have invented that I will be a billionaire.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/oct/23/bobo-yorkshire-terrier-burned-his-owner-dies/

Photo Essay

2008-10-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

Students at Dixie State College enjoy several activities during homecoming week. One of the traditions at DSC during homecoming is painting the D in the middle of the road at the intersection of 300 south and 800 east. Students that participate in painting the D usually end up painting more than the road during the service project. All in all painting the D is one of student’s favorite activities during the week.

Students Prepare to paint the D by duct taping the edges of the D on the road to make sure the paint does not end up places it does not belong. The preparation to paint the D is the least dangerous part of the service project, because it does not involve paint.

Quin Monson, a junior business major from Salt Lake City, and Dani Hansen, a junior nursing major from Alamo Nevada, start painting the D with their rollers. Some students who have not done this before usually end up stuck in the middle with wet paint all around them.

A Student paints one of the most important parts of the D, the corner. Students become creative with what they paint with. This one uses a stick taped to a roller. Some just poor the paint on the ground and try to spread it out with paint brushes before it runs into the white areas.

Monson and Hansen start a paint fight between themselves that soon spreads to other students. This is one of the unspoken traditions during any activity that involves paint.

Students show mercy to nobody, not even the camera guy. I was under attack most of the afternoon.

Ashley Gibson started painting more than just the road, and started painting her friends. One thing she learned is the road can’t paint her back, but friends seek revenge.

Painting is finally finished, and students start to clean up and make final touch ups. The D now has a fresh coat of red and white paint, and so do most of the students.

Students receive drinks provided by the Student Government. After the hard work and all the goofing around, students get a well deserved rest and hydration.

Holland's life- Procrastination

2008-10-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Wow. Isn't life just full of little surprises? I mean little things that make you cringe, cry and occasionally laugh.
I have finally found why most of those things happen to me. It's called procrastination, one of my best qualities.

I procrastinate almost everything in my life. For example, I am writing this article 10 minutes before it's due. Let me tell you a couple stories about my procrastination skills.

Being a communication major, I have the opportunity to take a class called Communication Research Methods. It is one of those classes that is 2 ½ hours long once a week. I hate those kinds of classes, but not because of the professor or even the homework. The main reason is because I have a short attention span. I can never concen… oh, look, something shiny.

In my class this week I was just sitting down after a short break in the middle of class when my professor told the class he needed all the athletes and Holland to stay after class for a little while. I am not going to lie… I had plans with a girl around 7 p.m., so I was going to bail out of class a little early. I felt that because he had singled me out in class that I had to stay until the end and meet with him.

My professor was concerned that we had not turned in some of the assignments each week, or more specifically, that I had not turned in any so far. You see, I have the articles that I need to turn in saved on my computer, but I just have procrastinated, and I keep putting it off until it is necessary for me to do the work.

I turn to Wikipedia for more on procrastination: "For an individual, procrastination may result in stress, a sense of guilt, the loss of personal productivity, the creation of crisis, and the disapproval of others for not fulfilling one's responsibilities or commitments."

I hate that feeling I get every night when I realize I have not done my homework for my classes the next day. That feeling came to me once earlier this week when I was out and about trying to entertain a lady friend of mine, and I realized I needed one more source for a story I was writing for the newspaper. I actually asked the girl for a piece of paper and a pen and called the person I needed to call at 11 p.m. I interviewed him while I was with the girl. I would have to say that was not one of my more gentlemanly moments.

I love to procrastinate, and so far I am doing well. I still have a 3.64 GPA and am going to graduate in the spring. Procrastination will remain my friend until it stabs me in the back and I finally fail one of my classes, but until then I am off, but not to do my homework.

Displaying the Dead

2008-10-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about this exhibit that displays human bodies that have been preserved, and positioned in different ways, to show how the body works? Well I have, and it is an interesting topic. In an article I read in the Salt Lake Tribune, featured students going to see the exhibit. I thought it was interesting that some school districts have actually banned students from going to this once in a life time experience. I think that students would have a great experience walking around the exhibit, actually seeing what their body looks like inside. But here is what really gets me, WHO AM I LOOKING AT? Think about it I am looking at an actual dead person. Who is it? How did they die? But the biggest question in my mind is what person in their right mind is going to donate their body to this exhibit. I heard on a TV show that there is actually a line of people who want to donate their bodies to this exhibit. I don’t know if I would do that, and I guess that is why when I die I will just be put in the ground. I guess if I wanted to live forever I could just be preserved, and my family could find me in a city near them, or where ever I will be on display.

http://www.sltrib.com/utah_ci_10674587?source=rv

A day in the life of Holland Olsen- Wing heaven

2008-10-06T12:19:00.001-07:00

Now before I start my story I have to tell you a little about myself. I am what I call fat-letic. I am six foot three inches and 300 pounds, but I am one of the most active people I know. One of my favorite things in life to have a smaller person guard me while playing football or ultimate frisbee, and then seeing their faces when I beat them long down the field. Oh the sweet taste of victory.

One night after a grueling flag football game, a couple of my friends decided to out to dinner at a restaurant called Buffalo’s Southwest Café. One of my friends named Shaun Russon decided it would be a good idea to order the all you can eat buffalo wings. I was right along with him, wanting to get the most food for my money.

Shaun asked the waiter what the record was for eating the most wings in one sitting. Isaac, our waiter, told us the record was 44 buffalo wings. Shaun decided to go for the record, and I like a sheep agreed to try to break the record with him.

Now let me tell you a little about Shaun. He is about 5 foot 10 inches and 140 pounds, so when he tells me he wants to have an eating contest I have no reservations telling him to bring it on.

The first round of wings come out, teriyaki for me and barbeque for Shaun. The first basket of wings had 12 in it. No problem both Shaun and I had those down within a minute and a half. We told Isaac to bring out the next set of wings. I felt great, 12 wings down, and I only needed to eat 33 more to break the record.

A couple minutes later, the next basket of wings came out, and again Shaun and I ate them so fast the waiter barley had time to put them down on the table. From second basket on there were only eight wings in each basket, so we were on 20 total wings.

As I sat there licking barbeque sauce off my fingers, I realized that after 20 wings I was full, or at least completely satisfied. I looked at Shaun, who was yelling at Isaac to hurry and bring more wings out before he got full; I vowed not to let this little puck out eat me.

The next basket we both decided to take our time. We wanted to try and pace ourselves to get as many wings as we could. After the third basket the count was at 28 total wings, I needed only 17 more wings and the record would be mine.

Between each round of wings, Shaun and I would take a lap walking around the empty restaurant, trying to make space in our stomachs for the rest of the food we were about to eat.

Isaac brought out the fourth basket of wings, and to tell you the truth, I could not stand the smell of the barbeque sauce. I did not want to taste it. I just waned to get this over. Shaun decided he did not want to smell the sauce either, so he took his napkin ripped some pieces off it and stuck them up his nose to avoid smelling the wings. Thirty six buffalo wings down, and struggling to stay down at that.

This whole time three more of our friend had received their orders eaten, and now were encouraging/taunting us to eat more and more. I thank them and hate them for their undying support. If they were not there I would have stopped around 24, but not wanting to disappoint them I kept eating as they kept laughing.

The fifth basket was by far the hardest to eat. The smell alone made me want to hurl. I slowly at four buffalo wings. Each bite and every chew was painful. The chicken in my mouth felt like rubber, and I could not swallow it, I just kept chewing the same piece of chicken for about five minutes.

“I’m done,” I said. My friends tried to talk me into eating the last four wings, but I could not stand the taste and smell any more, I was done. To my surprise Shaun was still eating. I’ll give it to the little guy, he can eat with the best of them.

After I decided to throw in the towel I made a quick trip to the bathroom, to make sure I was in a safe spot incase something bad happened. My friends being the great support that they were followed me video taping me incase I lost my dinner all over the floor. Several minutes later I realized I was safe and could rejoin my friends.

I sat down and Isaac brought out the last basket of buffalo wings, I had ordered them before I had given up. This basket was different, it was teriyaki not barbeque. I could not smell them. I was motivated again to break the record. I only needed to eat five more wings, and I would be the new King.

The First and second went down surprisingly well. The third was a struggle, but the fourth made me gag. I had done it, 44 buffalo wings. I only needed one more to break the record. I grabbed the smallest wing I could find, stood up and walked to the bathroom door, just incase. I held the wing to my mouth, took a bite, and it was gone.

I’m the new record holder, 45 wings in one sitting that lasted about an hour and a half. Shaun lost it into a plastic bag at 43. I’ll give him all the credit he deserves, he is one tough guy.

I got two things out of this experience. The first is my name on a trophy that is drawn on a white board in the kitchen of Buffalo’s Southwest Café. The Second the realization I really need to change my eating habits.

BCS Stinks

2008-10-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

I love sports, so I keep up dated on the rankings in college football. The BCS system is quite ridiculous if you ask me. In fact I hate the whole post season when it comes to college football. In an article on ESPN it talks about the teams that might have one loss, but still be in the championship game. That is what I am talking about, it is stupid that an undefeated BYU or Utah(who ever wins there game, go Utah) may not be in the national championship, because they are not in a BCS conference. I know that some might say that they do not play as hard as teams in the Mountain West Conference, but this year three teams from the “weak” Mountain West have been ranked in the top 25 polls, and they three still would be if TCU did not lose to the then #2 Oklahoma. College football, I love you, but go to a playoff system dang it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3617926

Why stay in Utah?

2008-09-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

I found an article that talked about a basketball player from Lone Peak who was recruited very highly both in Utah and out. He just committed to play for BYU, which makes me wonder “WHAT THE HECK IS HE THINKING!” Now I am not saying that I don’t like BYU, I am just asking the question what makes a guy want to stay in Utah and play for BYU instead of playing for Stanford, Pepperdine, Wake Forest, and Harvard. Is it his religion that made the final decision or maybe it was his family? From a player point of view I would rather play for a school that has a history of winning in March, and in all reality BYU has not played well in the NCAA tournament. So to all those young players looking to move on to the college level and eventually the Pros, choose a team that you can get recognition. Don’t just choose the team your dad played for.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700261549,00.html

Quarterback gets sacked by own team and fans

2008-09-18T08:14:00.001-07:00

Tarvaris Jackson quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings was side lined for the rest of the year after only two starts this season. I know that this is a normal thing in the NFL, it happens every year. Two mediocre quarterbacks fighting for playing time. Over the last several years I have seen QB’s practically fighting each other to be the starter. Now the thing that I don’t get is why a coach puts them in this situation. It has not helped the teams, and the team ends up under 500 for the season. Brad Childress, Vikings head coach, has named Gus Frerotte, a veteran quarterback I have never heard of, as the starter. What happens to Jackson? Well he will work hard in practice, and most likely regain the starting position, until he plays again, loses and is booed out of the stadium only to have Frerotte become the starter again. This process will happen over the next couple years. The end result will ultimately be that the Vikings will not get into the playoffs, fans will be irked at both quarterbacks and their coach.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3593304

Why not live decent lives for a change?

2008-09-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

I read an article about a 4 year old girl that was found stuffed in a suitcase at the bottom of Yarkon River in Israel. She was put there by her grandfather who put her in the suitcase and threw her in the river and watched her slowly sink in to the water. I know that the world is getting worse and worse everyday, but this rubs me the wrong way. What could a 4 year old girl do to make a 45 year old man kill her? I know this happened on the other side of the world, but these stories seem to be popping up everywhere even here in the United States. What are we as a people going to have to do to stop this hatred and nonsense in the world? Well for starters we have to focus on ourselves. We have to live decent lives. If we become decent people our children will also learn from our example.

Link:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/09/11/israel.suitcase.girl/index.html