It surprises me just how much stuff piles up to mention in these things if I’m not diligent in keeping up.

Two weeks and two days ago was an Ensign Symphony Choir and Orchestra performance. David Archuleta performed with them, and was very talented. The unfortunate part was that the choir director I guess thought that since such a young and hip performer would be accompanying them, the choir should try and exude some of that youth themselves, by being all cool with the snapping and the swaying about. Universally panned in my totally non-scientific poll afterwards.

I’d been picked up at work by a friend, and on the way back I noticed that she’d forgotten to turn off at my office’s exit, and was taking me back home. I figured I’d enjoy the bike ride back the next day to retrieve my car, and reassured her that it was totally fine when she realized her mistake.

And indeed it was awesome. I find it hard to just bike to random places if there’s not a point to the trips. Biking to work, check. Biking with a friend, check. Biking down a nice trail for no reason, meh.

Sunday was Mother’s Day, and I spent that evening at a “My Mother Lives Far Away” game night. Learned some fun new ones.

Tuesday was Institute, which I’m back to attending. I’m finding it easier to catch up with people and find random things to do by attending.

Wednesday was a ward temple night. I’d aimed to attend early Tuesday morning to get my family name all prepped for a session, but the temple’s power had gone out. I thought I’d just go again Wednesday morning, but it turns out that something had gone horribly wrong with the font. The temple is on three-phase power, and one of the phases had gone… out of phase or whatever. There are two electrical systems that control the font: one that keeps the water flowing, and one that shuts the water off when the font is sufficiently full. This latter system was hooked up to the circuit that failed. The former system, that kept the water flowing, continued to run just fine.

Over ten thousand gallons of heated water poured over the font’s edge. “Up to the horns” is a phrase I heard tossed around by a temple worker. Walls were ruined, electrical panels shorted. Our ward would not be doing any baptisms that day.

Fortunately I had a list of names a friend had given me a while back that needed initiatories done, so I busied myself with those during the temple night.

The next day, our team at work had a bit of a celebratory outing to Mox Boarding House. This establishment caters to card- and board-game players, as well as miniature-based games like Warhammer 40k. There’s an attached restaurant, and you can borrow any games you want as long as you’re there.

Friday was my day to feed the missionaries. I don’t normally do it, but I’d been sitting next to them in Elder’s Quorum when they handed me the meal chart, so I couldn’t in good conscience just pass it along. Invited many friends, but it was short notice so only one showed up. The four of us had good conversation over one of Costco’s salmon thingers.

Saturday morning I went out to play mini-golfing with some friends. Might have to hit that up while y’all are here.

That afternoon I had a fellow wardie over to help me tackle some weeds in my back yard. He’s saving up to go on a mission, so I figured I’d employ him rather than paying some service, at least for now.

I’d noticed that one of my plants out front had died due to neglect, and I replaced it with a hydrangea.

That evening was a multi-ward activity. At first it was gonna be a picnic sort of thing just behind the church, but while I was hanging with my former co-chair on the Activities Committee I acted as a consulting party planner and we slowly morphed it into a Book of Mormon war chapter-style thing, “War of the Wards”. Dodgeball where you have to knock down your opponent’s tower, that sort of thing. Ice cream outing afterwards.

The next Sunday evening was a camp fire with s’mores in a friend’s back yard. I was the only guy there, and was sad I hadn’t worn my plaid shirt since I got to be the one to use an axe to chop some wood for the fire.

I don’t believe the FHE and Activities committees coordinate very closely, as Monday evening was another round of dodgeball. It was a very special round of dodgeball, however, as I got to coordinate and recreate the version of dodgeball we played in high school and that I’ve been chasing ever since. Apparently it’s called “elimination“.

On Tuesday I noticed that my hydrangea was doing quite poorly.

This might have had something to do with the fact that I hadn’t watered it since it’d been installed. Charlie Brown’s lament immediately came to mind. I really need to look into good-looking-yet-super-low-maintenance options.

Anyways, a bit of water and the thing perked right up the next day.

I guess I’ll have to start being responsible or whatever.

Wednesday evening was spent chilling at a park with a few wardies.

On Friday our site went off to see the new Solo movie. I was super happy about a few of the tie-ins with other Star Wars properties, and the movie wasn’t half bad.

Friday was also soccer day. As they tend to do these days, one of my contacts fell out, but this was a very inopportune time for that to happen. I’d driven in to work, and had a hike to get to afterwards, and I’d need my binocular vision. By a small miracle, I spotted the lens on the turf, washed it off with a water bottle, and it stayed put the rest of the evening.

The hike was to Franklin Falls. I didn’t anticipate it being as late or as wet as it was, and was ill-dressed.

The next morning my phone was at 7% power, hadn’t charged at all that night. I plugged it in a few more times, powered it off, nothing. There’d been quite a bit of mist coming off that waterfall, and I was darn near convinced that my phone had been rendered un-chargeable. But it turns out it charged just fine off my car; just my plug-in charger that had died. Whew.

At 10am I set off with a friend on a bike ride to St. Edwards State Park. I’d always been meaning to go, but had never made time. It was a long up-hill slog, but the ride down made it all worth it.

Chilled at home for an hour, before the same soon-to-be-missionary from last week showed up for some more weeding. We got pretty much everything we could identify as a weed. A professional–the same one that installed the water feature, actually–will be coming by next week to take a look and see what else needs to be done. Pretty sure one of the shrubs in the back corner either had a really bad reaction to the vines that’d been crawling over it for a while, or it’s infested with some kind of parasite plant. Either way it looks weird, and it’ll be good to get someone who knows what they’re doing to advise.

That evening was a game night for a friend’s birthday. The same one featured above, actually. A bit leveled up from a matchstick in a strawberry this time.

In closing, here are a couple of humorous car decals I’ve spotted over the last month.

Love ya!