It was only 1 week?!

A lot happened this week, and for anybody that actually reads this blog, I figured a) I'd remind you that comments, and emails, and likes (on facebook) give motivation to write, and b) update you on this week, and our married lives.


ITEM NUMBER 1: SPACE CENTER

The first news that came through was that my childhood love (oh, who am I kidding, my greatest love until I met Lejana ;) ) the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center was officially closed by the Alpine School District. Let me back up a little bit.

A couple months ago, the Space Center was closed by the Alpine School District for electrical repairs that needed to be made in order to bring it up to code with current electrical standards. That repair takes more money than the Space Center has, and the ASD is willing to part with, and so the Space Center was (at that time, permanently closed). They planned to possibly open up a math, reading, and writing center... Or something else. The intent was to close the center. They said the simulators have no educational value.

Me, hard at work. This is a briefing at the Space Center, giving the
instructions before the kids enter the simulator. Painting the
overall picture to help them understand what they are supposed
to accomplish in their mission. These missions teach more than social
studies, science, and math. They teach problem solving, communication
and many other important life skills. 

The Captain gives instructions to his Operations and Helm
officers in the old Galileo Simulator.

I'm not sure whether or not the District has continuously shifted their stance, or whether they struggled to clarify their initial position- but since their official announcement, they have stated that they intend to keep the simulators open, and better the Space Center. I believe that the community has played a huge role in this continued shift of position; the phone calls, emails, and demands of the community to the district have helped them realize the importance of the simulators. Their educational value is incredible. I would like to share my favorite story that illustrates this point:

In the summer of 2008, right before I left on my mission, I wrote a story for the Voyager simulator. That story is now known as "Silhouette" (it's original title was "Beneath Us a Shadow", but Silhouette sounded better). The story is one that pits the crew against a man named Stanton Everett who has been identified as a terrorist. He is slandered in the worst possible way during the briefing, and their objective is to capture him, and hopefully that will dissolve his terrorist cell. But Stanton isn't really a terrorist, the country who asks for help to capture him is trying to get him arrested so that he won't alert anybody else in the Galaxy know what they are planning. A good plot, and the kids love the plot twist (usually). 

But I wrote the story because several friends of mine committed suicide in that year, not because I loved the plot; and having talked with their families, and their friends, it was revealed that these friends I'd had had chosen to follow the crowd, instead of what they wanted in life. And, in the realization that they weren't who they wanted to be, and the mess they were in, it was easier for them in their minds to just end everything. I told this story in detail after every mission. I begged the kids to stand up for what they wanted to be- told them that this mission was to teach them that even though it wasn't popular to side with Stanton Everett, who wasn't really a terrorist (but only they find this out in the mission, everyone else beats on them, and frustrates them), that they had stood for what they believed in, and in doing so saved their country in the story. Then I related it to their lives, and how important it was to not fall into the folly of my friends.

Several campers emailed me, wrote me letters, and found me on facebook to tell me how much that story had meant to them, and how they'd never looked at it from that point of view. That is what they learned at the Space Center. Something that can't really be TAUGHT in a classroom. Simulation- putting the kids through the experience: that is teaching.

So please, if you would, like this page. Support us in our mission to teach kids through the power of doing, teaching them to see things in a way that teachers, and parents can't do alone. And don't just join- participate. Become an active participant in this endeavor to save something that really makes a different for children in Utah, and will make a difference across the globe: http://www.facebook.com/SaveTheSpaceCenter

ITEM NUMBER 2: JAMES HARDEN

James Harden is one of my top 5 favorite players in the NBA right now. Why? Because I think he has tons of talent, his excitement is fun and catchy, and I envy that beard of his. So why is he in my list of the week?! Because he got traded from my favorite team in the league (OKC) to the Houston Rockets because he's an idiot.

Great player, bad decision making.

He left OKC because they wouldn't give him a quadrillion dollars. Once you're in the millions, it shouldn't matter, but whatever. Instead of wanting to win a championship, he can now go suck in Houston for a couple more million. I totally see the logic...

ITEM NUMBER 3: FIRST SCRIMMAGE/LOSING THE WEDDING RING

We (as in the BYUH Seasider basketball team) played in our first scrimmage this week at the University of Hawaii. We played well, and learned a lot (if you have more questions, I'll answer them, but that's all I'll say online). I wore my wedding ring on my shoe because I thought it was "cute", and thought Lejana would like it. When I untied my shoes at the end of the scrimmage, I put the ring on the desk in the locker room while I showered, AAAANNNNDDD.... I left it there, and we haven't heard back from them as to if they found it or not :( I miss my wedding ring. I hope it wasn't stolen....

ITEM NUMBER 4: TSUNAMI

Last night, we were evacuated all across Oahu for the potential of a tsunami which was caused by an earthquake in Canada. This tsunami was to hit us Saturday night at 10:28. Lejana and I ran to the church with a makeshift 72 hour kit for both of us (the church was high ground, exactly 100 ft higher than our house, and exactly 273 feet away). At 11:00 the waves had upped from 4 inches to 14 inches, and that was it. After all the alarms, the fanfare, the media... 14 inches is all that made it to us, and I am so grateful. Other islands were hit much harder, and I am so happy to not have had any damage to our property, or each other!

The newspaper this morning posted this photoshopped picture of what this would do to Honolulu.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ITEM NUMBER 5: THE PRIMARY PROGRAM

Last Sunday Lejana and I sat in Gospel Doctrine (the fancy name of our Sunday School class) and were minding our own business when Brother Haverly of our bishopric popped his head in, and walked towards us.

"I understand that you can play the piano," he said to me. I said, "Yes, and the organ if you need," with an air of confidence... Oops.

A typical primary program- not ours, you can tell this is
a Utah ward because everyone is white... but all the same,
I think I saw every single one of these facial expressions today.

He informed me that the pianist for the primary was overdue with the baby she was supposed to have had two weeks prior, and that they were in desperate need of a pianist. I bit my tongue, thought "what have I done", and then happily agreed to help the primary out.

So after a week of practice, I only butchered 1 of the 11 songs, and two others were C grade, but besides that, it was a screaming success, and I made it through with no issues with anxiety or anything else, and they asked me to help them out again next week :)! I'm very excited, we have an awesome ward.

So that wraps up this week. It's been INSANE! But, there is the week. I will do better at posting throughout the upcoming weeks, it's hard to find things that are entertaining to write about, so I'll work a little harder. For now, I'm going to lay next to my already sleeping wife, and get some beauty sleep so that I can function tomorrow. Peace!

--Brack

A post.

Well. We've now gapped two months or so since I've posted anything on the blog. I'm sure that you are all wondering what happened. We got married- and then life hit, and now we're trying to keep our heads above water as we try to keep this marriage thing going.

I would happily post wedding pictures on the blog- but I feel like they are doing great by themselves on Facebook- so check them out there, comment on them- tell us how hot we look (Lejana really likes that- so, just keep stroking her ego. I don't mind it, but, she checks all the damned notifications before I can ever check facebook. So in all reality- she's the only that's gonna see it). So, if I get a bunch of people commenting on posts telling me to post pictures... I might consider it.

As for news- we have very little. We live in paradise. Lejana is taking this semester to work because we're poor. That's not really a surprise. We just got married, and I'm not a millionaire. Neither is she (though my mother always did tell me that 'you can marry more money in a month than you can make in your whole life', but... isn't that like cheating in school?), so we're making due with what we have. We both plan to finish school at the same time, so, there shouldn't be any problem there, just trying to catch up on student loans, and fun stuff like that.

Welp... Just wanted to get a post out. I'll try to think of some fun commentary (like why people's blogs are so whiney), or a good story to tell (like... anything but twilight) before tomorrow hits. You'll just have to wait in stroked anticipation. :)

--Brack

Reflections

The events that have lead to a point often seem random, but as I have begun to take a look at them, I have discovered one thing. Random is not a word I would use to describe my life. Everything that has ever happened has happened for a reason. I don't know why, but I tend to get all sentimental and reflective when a life-changing moment is staring me in the face. Maybe it's my coping mechanism for when I know the change is coming, and I'm not sure what it will entail. Maybe it's just that I'm truly an emotional person, and as much as I try to hide it, all of the waves of change wash it to the forefront of my mind. Regardless, the reflections come and go with events, and they always seem poignant. This is my reflection on Lejana and I's meeting.

My story starts in 2008 when I left for my mission to Houston, Texas. I have told people this before, and I truly do believe, that when I opened that mission call, it felt wrong. That felt like it was absolutely and totally the wrong place. I didn't say anything. I gritted my teeth. I moved forward. But I was unhappy because I was going back to where I grew up, and I wanted to go somewhere that wouldn't be aggravating and frustrating. I had prepared my whole life to go on a mission, and this call was going to try my patience. But, like I'd been instructed from day 1, I tried to do as I was asked.

My mission was Hell. I have never been beaten and tortured as I was there. My mission president seemed to hate me. It felt like everything that went wrong was always my fault. My personality, which is a super type A, rubbed wrong with some of my companions, I was trapped in an apartment for a very long time. Everything that could have gone wrong was wrong. I felt like I was being punished by the leadership, and even the ward members in some of the areas were absolutely ridiculous. When I finally couldn't take it anymore, and everyone in the mission had abandoned me, I left. I came home. I had never felt more hopeless in my life, and had no more will to live. Coming home saved me.

Even then, I felt like the world was still beating down on me. I didn't have any support from my parents. They didn't understand. They didn't know what I was going through, or realize the intensity with which I was being struck with. The anxiety was unbearable, and I needed someone in my corner. Instead, they wanted to fix me, make me the way they thought was good. It just reiterated that I was broken, and I fell into a deep depression.

Fighting out of that hole was the hardest thing I have ever done. There were days when I didn't know how to function, or how I could function. The best description I have is that it felt like I was trapped in a whirlpool of complete blackness that would pull me closer and closer to the bottom every second, and there was literally no way to swim out. There were mornings when I would wake up, and the pain and the sorrow I felt wasn't just emotional, it was physical too. I would cry, but nobody knew. I would beg God for help, but it felt like those pleas couldn't penetrate that swirling blackness that was keeping me in.

Then, over time, people came to my help. Garyn showed up out of the blue to offer support and help. Doctor Johns was Garyn's idea, and he helped me learn and understand what I was going through. Knowledge truly is power, and it was a great help to me. Erin was someone who understood what I was going through, and offered insight and drive that I hadn't been able to muster prior to her involvement. My Grandma and Grandpa Funk were able to give me strength and comfort through their help- I stayed with them for a while, and learned a great deal from them, and how to solve problems that lie ahead. Erica, who now probably loathes the sound of my name, but she had a way of helping me look inward, and seeing my weaknesses that held me back, and helped me conquer a few of them, and left me to fend off the others- and also taught me that weakness can be a strength if you learn to harness it, and learn from it. Marc, who always stood beside me even when the rain clouds poured buckets of pain and frustration from the skies of hell, and always knows how to laugh at any situation. Glen Christensen, who has never once let me feel like I am a failure, but that I am someone important in the grand scheme of things, and that God has a purpose for me, and that these lessons will eventually lead me to some greater understanding of my purpose as a human here. Coach Lewis, who gave me confidence that there were still things to be done, and that many people cared- and that there was no way he would ever give up on me. Bria, who never gave up, but consistently tried to help me in the darkest of hours, when I had nothing more to give. Coach Cleve, who was so patient with me, and gave me opportunities that I doubt anyone else would have given me. And then finally, my parents, who came around and realized that there were ways to help.

All of these people made profound impacts in my life, and I aspire to have so many of their great qualities. And even though I am not all the way through this trial, these were God's army of angels sent to help me when I didn't know what else to do.

After all of this, when I actually finally was able to see clearly, and focus on something else other than trying to get out of the tunnel I was stuck in, I met Lejana. I admit that I wish I hadn't been dating her friend at the time, because of the aftermath it caused. This is not to say that I regret that, or that I was ashamed of it- I just wish the circumstance hadn't been so furious and bitter when Lejana and I hooked up. The first thing that I felt when I met Lejana was that she had an incredible ability to care. She wanted to help people, and was always looking for ways to serve. She also loves with tremendous ability- her heart is huge. That drew me to her, I wanted to know that I would be loved, and that I wouldn't end up being stabbed in the back by doubting that emotion, or allowing it to be influenced by another party. She didn't have that capability. She loved what she loved, and who she loved- and it was apparent.

After a while, I started noticing all of the qualities that I mentioned in the army of angels that I had sent to me existed in her. She was everything I could want in a best friend, in a girlfriend, and in a future wife. It didn't take me long to realize that I wanted to spend the rest of my forever with her.

Without the trials that extended from my mission, I doubt I would have made it to Hawaii to meet her, our paths would never have crossed. I wouldn't have been looking for the loyalty of love, or the compassion of a large heart, or many of the qualities that exist in Lejana. I fell in love with Lejana because it honestly felt like she could see through me, and do repair the injuries that were within me. I fell more in love with Lejana because it felt like I could do the same for her. Our personalities compliment each other. She loves what I love, and I love what she loves (except for chick flicks, and girly music... But I'm trying ;)). I love the way her hand feels in mine. I love that I honestly feel like we can do anything if we do it together. I love that I feel safe with her. I love that she treats me like a king. I love that my only goal is to make her happy. I love Lejana. I am oddly grateful for my trial that came from my mission, because it led me to the locations and the places in which I could realize the traits of human-kind that I wanted to have in my life. This week marks the most exciting week that I have ever had in my life, I'm marrying the most amazing woman I have ever met, and cannot wait to kneel across the alter from her, and promise her my whole being.

Trip, I love you. More every second, and I pray that it never stops. I know it won't, but prayers can't hurt!

--Brack

Matt's Strip Show/The End and Beginning

It's always an interesting time here at the Space Center. This week was especially interesting as I was nearly scared to death by a normally conservative human being.

Matt Ricks looks cute and innocent.... BUT BEWARE THE ODYSSEY

I walked into the Odyssey, mostly to check on the staff sleeping in there. I was enjoying my time, but I heard Matt saying something to the effect of "Don't look over here, don't look over here!" So of course I had to know what's going on, I walked in, eyes closed, and faced the direction of his voice. He screeched a little, and then said, "I suppose I don't care."


I then made a critical mistake. I started to beat box... Or pretending to. Matt then got this idea that he was a stripper. He began to remove his shirt, and swung it around his head. He then started "shaking his hips in a seductive manner" and it freaked me out.


So Matt, wherever you are, I am now officially terrified by your presence. You make me fear the Odyssey.

THE END AND BEGINNING 

I realized last night that last night was one of the last nights I would ever spend here at the Space Center. I layed on the bridge on my Queen sized air mattress, and mulled over that thought. I have been doing this for 10 years now. I have loved every minute I have spent here, even when I am frustrated with Campers' attitudes, or their density. It has been a privilege to work here at the Space Center. Though I will still gladly make tacticals, or write stories, or make videos, or do whatever they need- I am approaching that time of life where I don't have much of a choice but to leave and move on with life. There is so much ahead of me, but one of the greatest adventrues of my life is now coming to a close. I would like to publicly thank (again) Victor Williamson. He's heard it all, but there has been a profound impact on my life that extends from him and this place. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities and privileges that I have had, the friends I have made, the people I have met, the campers that have changed my outlook of life. I have learned so much from my time here. Though I am not officially done until August 22, I feel the end as it comes slowly.

Of course, it's not all bad. The future is ahead of me. Next Saturday I will be married to the most amazing woman in the world. I have forever to spend with her, and I don't know if that will be long enough for me, but it's a good start. I can't wait to wake up to her smile, and to spend time with her. It has been way too long since I have been able to just giver her a hug, and stare into her eyes.  It's crazy to be saying, "I'm getting married". But, I am so glad that I am, and can't wait to be with Trip (Lejana).

Also, my future goals can now be pursued. This is exciting for me, because now I can roll forward and do those things that I have dreamed of since I was a kid. There is so much I need to learn. I realize that I have an air of arrogance that surrounds me sometimes when it comes to that. I like to feel in control and in charge, and that's how it comes off, but I realize and recognize that there is so much I still need to know. I'm glad that I can finally pursue my dreams of becoming a coach, and teaching. The next phase brings so much with it, so as I slowly rid myself of what I used to know, there is excitement that exists in the future.

So this is to the future, and what comes with it. Only God knows, but I will try my hardest to keep my head up, and roll with the punches.

--Brack

Sunday and the 3 Day Break

It's Sunday, after the leadership camp at the Space Center. I attempted the leadership camp last year. It fell apart into a disaster. I partially blame that on a couple of very uncooperative and frustrating people, but I guess they had their side too. This years was well done. It was... aggravating in a lot of ways, but it was fun, and I couldn't have asked for it to go any better. When Jackie gets me some pictures I will update this post with them from the camp (I really need to do a better job of taking pictures. It was really easy when I had my good phone, now I don't do it like I should).

This week came with a surprise. The Space Center appears to be closed between now and the fourth! That means a 3 day break. That means sleeping in my own bed, eating what I want, and making the Magellan tactical that I have put off for a month and a half now. It's fun to actually have time to think. I'm excited.

Today is also the day in which I will finally be putting the invitations in their envelopes and sending them. I know that they are late- but I did the best I could to have them done 2 or 3 weeks ago, and then everybody in my family had to stick their fingers in that pie. I just eventually gave up and let whatever happen. I am too tired to fight, and don't care enough about pieces of paper that tell people that already know that we are getting married, haha! So I get to do that for a couple of hours today, and then see what comes after that.

My mother and Jaysa are on a volleyball trip. I haven't heard heads or tails from them, but I know that Jaysa was so excited to go. Her team made it to nationals this year, and I hope that they kick butt! That's a very exciting experience!

Well, I'll probably either update this post, or write a new one with pictures. I just felt like writing for a second, so I pulled this sucker up. Check back later to check out the mailing action, or even some leadership camp stuff! It's all going to be right here!

--Brack

Cancellations, and Other Things

At work there are a list of things I'd rather not do. This list continuously grows as I discover things I dislike. Here is the small version of that list:

-Fly Phoenix private missions.

       REASON: The ship shouldn't be as complicated as it is. I hate it. I hate that the children can't wrap their heads around it because it is too complicated. The controls are for a 14 person ship, and there are only 6 kids. I hate private missions in that ship. My vote is that it becomes a runabout like the Galileo.

-Fly Galileo School Missions.

       REASON: The Galileo is a shuttlecraft. A Mark VI stealth runabout. As cool as that sounds, our school missions were written around evacuations. It's kind of difficult to imagine stuffing, oh, I dunno, 350 people in there. Or 1,000. Depends on the story. Or, a story that engages the children in a battle... It's a shuttle. Not much you can do. It just sucks to have to attempt to tell those stories in there.

This thing barely fits me and 6 kids in it... Evacuating anyone is almost ridiculous...

-Supervise Current Magellan.

       REASON: The current Magellan is supposed to be a space station... However, this space station avoids the key word of station in every single situation it is posed. A station is a stationary vessel that fuels vessels, issues commands, and does administrative things. This particular space station has Warp Engines, Impulse Engines, Thrusters, a transwarp core, a cloaking device, a planet buster, a system that turns the entire station into a weapon, etc. The consistency, and ideas placed in it frustrate me. It is turning into a battleship. I will love it then.

-Kitchen Duty

       REASON: Mostly because I would rather play pretend than do actual work. Actual work isn't that fun, you know?

So there is my short list of things I prefer not to do. There are many other things that could be attached to this list. But these are the ones that make me the most angry :P!

Today, I was scheduled to fly the Galileo for a summer school group. Summer school groups frustrate me, because A) I feel that parents should be more involved in their children's lives than to let them fall into the pangs of summer school. B) The children already struggle in our ships, so adding the density of most summer school children is hard to stomach and fly with. C) It's the galileo for a school mission... GRR... I woke up in a slightly frustrated mood, and geared up for work.

My mood lit greatly though, when my father talked to me about my fiance and I's honeymoon. We have it purchased and paid for, and I couldn't be more excited than I am right now to take her on this honeymoon my parents have set up for us!! I am stoked!!!

Then I came into work, and they didn't have enough to fill my ship! What a great day =D I love it when the Galileo gets cancelled. That's a very happy thing. I have nothing against that Galileo. I love the Galileo- but Galileo school flights... GRRRR! (Need another repeat?)

Anyways, that was my day thus far. I shall get on with it. I have to go do insanity... Ugh...

Flying Time/Tempting Fortuna

Life is like a roll of toilet paper, it goes faster as it gets closer to the end

Weeks come and go, and it's crazy how fast they do so. Some days are long, others pass by at warp speed without me even knowing they come. Work has been hectic, so much to do, and not enough time, campers always need attention, and of course consistent customer service. And of course you cannot possibly keep everyone happy all the time, so it makes multiple situations more frustrating, but that goes without saying.

Plus, the wedding isn't coming fast enough. 1 month, and 5 days, and I just want it to be tomorrow. I miss Lejana worse than life itself. It doesn't seem fair that I can't hold her hand, or stare into her beautiful eyes, or whisper into her ears and tell her how much I love her. Isn't that what engaged couples are supposed to be able to do?

And thusly, time continues it's effervescent journey which loops and twists in all manner of varieties, and sings forth into the abyss of the world as it connects every human being to it's whims.

This week has been a frustrating one. This is in stark contrast to the previous week, because I loved it. The kids at work were well-behaved and fun, there was always someone smiling about something, the kids would get into the stories we told here. It was a GREAT week. This week was like we'd all been crammed into extremely tight quarters, and some people wanted to kill too many others.

Though blind, Fortuna sees all, and hears all that is spoken from her special throne on Mount Olympus

I made the mistake. I tempted Fortuna. She is the great, and abominable temptress of the Space Center. For years she has made her presence known to our staff, and her mischievous ways tackle our efforts often. I proclaimed that she could not touch bring me down, and she dropped me to my knees.

It all started with the Insanity workout. Jon Parker (co-worker/friend) and I began the program on Monday of this week while we were at work. It just seems convenient to do it there, and get it done. So Jon and I have done it every day this week. However, doing this at work necessitates showering. We have a shower at work, that shower is on deck 2 of Voyager. Earlier this summer we discovered that taking warm showers on deck 2 is not a wise decision, as it sets off the fire alarm. When the fire alarm goes off, the boss gets unhappy. By setting off the alarm, and the risk of said alarm going off- the boss has been leery of allowing us showering privileges.

The issue arose when I discovered that if I take cold showers, that the alarm will not be evoked. It stays dormant, and happy. So, I have gotten away without an incident. My boss was talking to me about how much trouble showering was, and I explained that I could shower without setting off the alarm. The boss told me that Fortuna would find away, and I replied with fervor, "THERE IS NOTHING THAT FORTUNA CAN DO! FOR BEHOLD, I HAVE DISCOVERED WATER OF THE MOST COLD NATURE THAT DOES NOT GIVE OFF STEAM, WHICH CANNOT CONDENSATE, AND SET OFF THE ALARM!"

From Mount Olympus, Fortuna was listening. She was listening, and she heard every word I declared. From that moment a smile curled in her lips, and she whispered softly, "The goddess of luck shall meet you soon," she hissed. And thus the war was started. Her army of miscreants, against me.

Life instantly became a disaster. Everything I touched begin to crumble in my grasp. I tried to play basketball with some of the campers, and a kids shoes broke. I tried to help in situations that I usually help in, and was chided for it. I tried to enjoy a basketball game, and workout later (against the wishes of my boss, who wanted Jon and I to work out earlier so that we could shower at the pool) which proved to be a tortuous test of the boss' patience. Yes, Fortuna's army made their point, and I sit here waving readily my white flag of surrender.

And there I sit, atop her wheel of fortune. This week I was sent spinning off like I'd never before been atop that wheel. What will she allow for me next week? Only the fates can know...

The lesson that I take away from this is to never tempt the temptress. She controls the fate of luck, and will not let die so easily blasphemy spoken of her. She has the power to degrade and uplift. She will sometimes smile upon us, or bury us in fury. But never, never tempt Fortuna.

--Brack