Wedding Registry Shopping

Kendra and I are going registry shopping today.. we're going to hit the usual spots for kitchen things, towels, etc.. target, bed bath and beyond.. but I am looking forward to seeing what Best Buy has to offer :)

I have heard from my friends who have tied the knot that a super-nice $200+ vacuum cleaner makes the BEST wedding gift..

how is this possible ?

it's an overpriced vacuum.. all it does is clean.. it doesn't entertain, do any tricks, or do anything that a $50 vacuum can't..

I want a 42" wall mounted widescreen HD-TV w/ VGA port (computer's video card input).. I have this glamorous image of playing Company of Heroes or surfing the web on this massive screen.. the best part is that I can do so from the comfort of my couch with a wireless keyboard / mouse.. Another bonus, is I can install a Dish-722 to this monster.. HD-DVR Dual tuner.. I can get the programming for free cuz It will be my business' showcase receiver..

boo yah grandma.. boo yah..

So let's compare.. a super-duper vacuum cleaner who's claim to fame is that it literally sucks..
or my awesome TV that can split-screen Sportscenter AND my rockin computer games at the same time :)

I think if I ask my Special-K very nicely, she might let me scan one in today when we go shopping..

PS - This pic is completely irrelevant, but I thought it was the coolest thing ever..

I am the 'Evil Food Nazi'

I am the 'Evil Food Nazi', as my 10 year old brother Jacob has labeled me..

I suggest making him food almost every time I see him.. sometimes he is grateful and eats, but sometimes he take out his hungry frustrations out on me and call me the Evil Food Nazi..

But I don't mind the title at all. I like food.. nay, I LOVE food..

While I am not so much concerned with gourmet, extreme-quality kind of food, I have been known to be obsessive about eating vast quantities of good food every meal..

I love that 'cant-take-another-bite' / Thanksgiving Dinner / 'no thanks, I'm full' kind of feeling.. I love how food satisfies.. I like making 4 or 5 course breakfasts that IHOP can't hold a flame to.. Blueberry waffles, crunchy bacon, fluffy eggs, sausages, peaches.. yum..

I have come to grips with the fact that God decided to give me a body with an ultra-fast metabolism.. It may sound nice, but I have found that my mood / energy levels are unusually dependent on my diet. When I don't take in as many calories as I am burning off, I get frustrated and agitated much quicker than usual.. My temper is not as shy as it normal is, and I feel lethargic and uninspired when I look at my to-do list.. My thoughts drift off into negativity, sometimes even to the point of self doubt and self pity..

You may think that I am over stating the fact, but this is how I feel when I don't eat properly. I have also observed this behavior in my family and have found it to be a major source of contention in the home. These emotions, caused by a lack of food, promote misery, anger, and they interfere with life..

If fighting these negative emotions turns me into the 'Evil Food Nazi' that Jacob calls me, then so be it.. but I should note that 100% of the time, he has felt better and apologized after eating whatever this 'Evil Food Nazi' had to make for him :)

Let's hear it for food !!

Happy Times !!

so.. blogspot.. hmmmm.. cool :)

I'm Mike. If you're reading this, chances are you already know me. So, instead of taking it from the top, you will be limited to read about how cool life has been since last week or so.. Don't be too disappointed.. Looking at it from your perspective, you have a couple of minutes to surf the web, and I'm sure that you'll be equally entertained by my latest rantings as you would if you went looking for funny youtube videos..

I am getting married

I decided to marry my beautiful girlfriend Kendra Skousen, whom I've been dating for a year now. Wow.. a whole year. By Mormon dating standards, that's unheard of.. It feels like I've known her longer than that. I don't remember what my life was like before her, nor do I wish to..

She knows that I am going to pop the question, and how it's only a matter of time before I do. We talk openly about it, so I think I'm safe to announce this news.. We are hosting a Dinner for friends and family on July 9 @ 5:00 in Orem, Utah, then getting sealed in the Las Vegas Temple on July 11th @ noon, and having the formal reception in Kingman Arizona on July 12th.. (we're taking addresses for invitations, so don't be shy.. if you'd like to come, we'd like to have you :)

We've found an apartment

Kendra has a year of school left, so we found a place in Provo. It's a block from BYU's indoor practice field / smith field house (where all of her classes are). $550 / month, we only pay gas/electric, 1 big bedroom, small kitchen, normal sized bathroom, and a big front room, W/D hookups, A/C, and a bunch of BYU newlyweds for neighbors..

This place is PERFECT for K.. She likes how it is so close to BYU and is in love with the fact that I talked the landlord into letting us get a dog. I really like how the landlord and I have hit it off so well.. after our long conversation, she dropped the deposit down to $200, gave us permission us to get a dog, and gave us lots of freedom to modify the place to our liking; we can paint the walls, put in a ceiling fan in any room, and install a Dish.. I also like the location.. the place is on 57 W 960 N in provo.. we are across the street south of Provo High's seminary building. For those who went to Provo High, if you look straight through the seminary building hallway, you can see our front door. I want to coach football this year for Provo High and it will be convenient to live across the street from the school :)

Saturday Football

It has become a tradition to play football every Saturday at Provo High. While I am getting older (and feeling the effects of such), I am still able to have fun switching into competitive mode in the sport I love.. We get 7 or 8 guys every time and it is a friendly game of tackle football.. we are all friends and not looking to cause injury to the opposition.. sprained ankles and bumps / bruises are bound to happen, but that is the extent of injuries sustained. We just make it clear that bull-rushing is frowned upon, and that juking is celebrated.. Reggie Bush type of football rather than Jerome Bettis.. We all realize that the opportunity to win the state championship has passed, and that the saturday football tradition is set up to maintain contact with friends..

that being said, it is still healthy competition.. I was on top of my game and had 5 receiving TD's yesterday (boo yah :).

For the first time this year, my shoulders got sunburned.. It is a blissfully happy kind of pain.. I love the sun.. I missed it this winter.. I don't like the idea of hiding from the sun under a sweater of heavy coat for more than a month at a time.. Kendra agrees with me, and we plan to live in a warmer climate after she finishes school.. St George or further south.. AZ, CA, or Hawaii sound nice :)

Yesterday was a big day for my business

Yesterday was the first day my business made a sale from door-to-door! I have recruited 3 salesmen to sell Dish in their spare time. I have trained them all on Dish Network's programming and pricing, but I have been slow to take them out on the doors.. I suppose I have been afraid of taking them out on the doors in fear of coming back without a sale.. that would damage my high hopes and would scare my guys away indefinitely..

But yesterday, I took Seth out and we got 2 sales in only 40 minutes of knocking.. I faced those fears and scored big.. Seth made 250 bucks for an hour of work, and is now excited to sell next Wednesday.. I now have the confidence that I CAN take my trainees out on the doors and come back with success.. Dave and I are going out tomorrow and he'll learn how to approach the customer, how to present what Dish can offer, and how to close the sale..

This Wednesday is going to be EXCITING

Dish Tech will have 3 salesmen knocking doors in Utah County ! Things are looking good :) My company nets $150-$200 and my sales / techs are making $125 from each account that gets activated, so everyone's happy. If each of my sales guy average 2 a day, we'll be 'rollin in the benjis'..

Seth, Dave, and Hunter are my former roommates at Parkway Crossing. They want to get together and knock 2 days a week, a weekday and a saturday. I have another group of friends who are interested in making money on the side of their 9-5.. If Dish Tech can get 2 groups of 3 guys willing to knock 2 days a week.. bling bling.. money aint a thing :)

6 sales reps
* 2 days working a week
= 12 shifts

12 shifts
* 2 sales per shift (average)
= 24 accounts per week

24 accounts
* $150 - $200 net profit from sales (depending on tv's installed, HD, DVR, etc)
= $3600 - $4800 Dish Tech's profit

Here's what my sales reps make :

1 sales rep
*2 sales per shift
= 2 sales

2 sales
* 2 shifts
= 4 accounts / week

4 accounts
* $125 per sale
= $500 /week (for part time work)

I am so stoked.. I love the idea of establishing my business here in Provo before taking it out of state.. While my guys would be full time salesmen in Bakersfield, CA, I would have to pay LOTS for rent, the deposit (which i doubt I'd get back), and I'd lose the contacts I have here in Utah for installs.. Plus I get to take my Special K on dates and kiss her lots.

Things are looking up, and these really are Happy Times :)

Well that's it for now.. I think I'm going to write in this thing weekly.. so stay tuned for more..

Have a nice day :)