Chicken No More

It seems rather typical for the Dirchi family.
Find something that we love to eat.
And it will eventually be discontinued.

The latest tragedy has hit.
My favorite meal at Arctic Circle is no more.

What happened?

Most fast food places I go to,
I end up getting the same thing nearly every time.
I mean. If it's good and tasty, why not have good and tasty?

Well...
I went to Arctic Circle to get my usual order.
The Country Chicken Sandwich.
Only when I ordered it.
The cashier was like. "Have you tried our new chicken patty yet?"
*blink blink*
"New Chicken Patty?"

>.<
Apparently, the company that they'd been getting their chicken patties from....had stopped making them.
O.o
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!?!?!? A restaurant depends on you for this and you suddenly stop making it?!!?

In any case that left AC in a bit of a bind.
Either...they stop having the Country Chicken on the menu.
Or they find a new provider.

Well, they found a new provider.

It's...not the same.
Not at all.
Y_Y
The new chicken sandwich is so B. L. A. N. D. BLAND!
Seriously, it's like tasteless nasty 'lunch room style' food. All the flavor and goodness has been taken out and disguised by a poor substitute.

My Country Chicken Sandwich....
Is no more.
Y_Y

I'm not sure what to get at Arctic Circle anymore...
That's what I've gotten for years.
And now....
I don't know what to get when I know that my usual is now a tasteless zombie.....

Why!?
WHY TAKE MY FAVORITE FOOD AWAY FROM ME?!?!

Y_Y

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was in league with all the Disney Villains as we roamed my parents neighborhood and other city neighbor places. We'd been labeled the bad guys, though after a series of events involving the good guys...it was hard to believe that we were actually the villains as the 'good guys' did more horrible things' lying cheating stealing than we did. For a long while I was of two minds of how I thought about both sides, and it reflected in my costume, as I had a 'good costume' and a 'bad costume' that I would switch to by snapping my fingers once I crossed between territories. I think I'd originally started as a 'good' guy -though my uniform was darker, but had ended up on the 'bad' side by accident (where my uniform was more white...) And I discovered how the bad guys...weren't really bad guys. At one point, as we were sheltering from a raid from the good guys, it was outside my grandparent's home/Lovell's home, we discovered, that everyone had two costumes. A good one and a bad one. Only the bad guys had been bad for so long, they hadn't really thought about their other costumes. Instead of dreary colors of their normal Disney villain looks, they were bright. Dazzling. Cruella had on a long shimmery sparkly sky blue dress that totally changed how she looked. And with that we realized....we didn't have to be the bad guys, but we needed to pretend to be for a while longer until we could take out the good guys who were the real bad guys. So the Disney Villains put their old costumes back on over their old ones -they didn't fit as well, nor look so nice now that I'd seen them in their other costumes, and we set off to 'take over' We ended up in an old subway station that was more of a futuristic style where I ran into my boyfriend. He was shocked that I had gone over to the 'dark side' and in desperation I snapped my fingers and had both of my selfs appear. Me in my white costume standing up, me in my dark costume lying down. He took one look, and went after me in my white costume, joining our side as he recognized what good actually was supposed to look like. We were amassing our forces to fight...

When the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

October 2001 General Conference Saturday Afternoon

James E. Faust -The Sustaining of Church Officers

David B. Haight -Faith of Our Prophets

• Isn't it interesting to reflect in our own lives and in the lives of the many people who may hear me at this time--those whose violin or lives may be a little out of tune--that we are able to come to a general conference of the Church and hear the marvelous messages that are spoken? Those of us who have the opportunity to speak here pray mightily that we would have the energy and the strength and the vitality even as I do, as I enter the twilight of my life, to stand and bear witness of the truthfulness of this work--because I am a witness of it.

Joseph B. Wirthlin -One Step after Another

• We all are going through different life experiences. While some are filled with joy today, others feel as though their hearts could burst with sorrow. Some feel as though the world is their oyster; others feel as though they were the oyster itself, plucked from the ocean, cracked open, and robbed of all that is precious to them.
• If we will consider the blessings we have, we will forget some of our worries.
• Keep your mind focused. Don't let all that doubt and fear and frustration sort of get in the way.
• "Just take each day step by step."
• Sometimes we make the process more complicated than we need to. We will never make a journey of a thousand miles by fretting about how long it will take or how hard it will be. We make the journey by taking each day step by step and then repeating it again and again until we reach our destination.
• We don't have to be fast; we simply have to be steady and move in the right direction. We have to do the best we can, one step after another.
• "Don't worry much about trying to be better than someone else."
• "Learn from others, yes. But don't just try to be better than they are. You have no control over that. Instead try, and try very hard, to be the best that you can be. That you have control over."
• We don't have to be perfect today.
• Though you may feel weary, though you sometimes may not be able to see the way, know that your Father in Heaven will never forsake His righteous followers. He will not leave you comfortless. He will be at your side, yes, guiding you every step of the way.

L. Whitney Clayton -"Help Thou Mine Unbelief"

• Each day we decide what we will do and what we will not do, among myriad alternatives. When we choose to obey the commandments cheerfully as our first priority, neither murmuring about nor measuring the things He commands, we become the handmaids of the Lord and fishers of men and cast our nets on the right side of our own ships. We simply go and do the things the Lord has commanded, eve when we are weary, trusting that He will help us to do exactly as He asks. As we do so, the Lord help our unbelief, and our faith becomes powerful, vibrant, and unshakable. The Prophet Joseph wrote from Liberty Jail, "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all thins that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance [or faith], to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.
• Remember that genuine fasting fosters strong faith.

Christoffel Golden Jr. -Our Father's Plan

• We are not left alone to find our way back home.
• In the Lord's loving care, He has provided us with all of the essential resources required to forge our way through the many pitfalls placed before us by the evil one.

Walter F. Gonzalez -Writing Gospel Principles in Our Hearts

• Those of us who are first-generation Church members also feel great gratitude for our nonmember parents who took time to teach us righteous principles which prepared us to recognize and welcome the gospel message.

Jeffrey R. Holland -"Like a Watered Garden"

• If I did not pay my tithing, I should expect the Lord to withhold His blessings from me. I pay my tithing, not only because it is a law of God, but because I expect a blessing by doing it. [I need a blessing.] By keeping this and other laws, I expect to ... be able to provide for my family."
• Living in a world that emphasizes material acquisition and cultivates distrust for anyone or anything that has designs on our money, we shed that self-absorption to give freely, trustingly, and generously. By this act, we say--indeed--we are different, that we are God's peculiar people. In a society that tells us money is our most important asset, we declare emphatically it is not."
• Paying tithing is not a token gift we are somehow charitably bestowing upon God.

M. Russell Ballard -Doctrine of Inclusion

• Perceptions and assumptions can be very dangerous and unfair. There are some of our members who may fail to reach our with friendly smiles, warm handshakes, and loving service to all of their neighbors. At the same time, there may be those who move into our neighborhoods who are not of our faith who come with negative preconceptions about the Church and its members. Surely good neighbors should put forth every effort to understand each other and to be kind to one another regardless of religion, nationality, race, or culture.
• I have never heard the members of this Church urged to be anything but loving, kind, tolerant, and benevolent to our friends and neighbors of other faiths.
• While it is true we declare to the world that the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith and we urge our members to share their faith and testimonies with others, it has never been the policy of the Church that those who choose not to listen or to accept our message should be shunned or ignored. Indeed, the opposite is true.
• "Each of us is an individual. Each of us is different. There must be respect for those differences."
• " ... We must work harder to build mutual respect, an attitude of forbearance, with tolerance one for another regardless of the doctrines and philosophies which we may espouse. Concerning these you and I may disagree. But we can do so with respect and civility."
• For the most part, our neighbors not of our faith are good, honorable people--every bit as good and honorable as we strive to be. They care about their families, just like we do. They want to make the world a better place, just like we do. They are kind and loving and generous and faithful, just like we seek to be.
• Friendship should never be offered as a means to an end; it can and should be an end unto itself.
• If neighbors become testy or frustrated because of some disagreement with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or with some law we support for moral reasons, please don't suggest to them--even in a humorous way--that they consider moving someplace else. I cannot comprehend how any member of our Church can even think such a thing! Our pioneer ancestors were driven from place to place by uniformed and intolerant neighbors. They experienced extraordinary hardship and persecution because they thought, acted, and believed differently from others. If our history teaches us nothing else, it should teach us to respect the rights of all people to peacefully coexist with one another.
• To all those who are not of our faith. If there are issues of concern, let us talk about them. We want to be helpful. Please understand, however, that our doctrines and teachings are set by the Lord, so sometimes we will have to agree to disagree with you, but we can do so without becoming disagreeable.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was in the church gym/auditorium area where the ward was having a big ward party though it was also like some children's program like you see in schools. And while we were doing this and that, I remembered that I had agreed to sign (not sing) a song that the children were going to sing, and I hadn't prepared at all for it. I'd gotten too busy to try, so I hoped that they would have forgotten that I'd agreed to help. Not quite. I looked at the program and saw that I had agreed to teach the people and children there some animal signs. But I didn't know how long it would take. The program basically said "Sarnic, dressed in her medical scrubs will teach the children some animal signs." I wasn't dressed totally in scrubs but I could see how they'd mistake that. Then the moment came, a couple of guys dressed up in Dalmatian costumes came up to me, and my name was announced, but everybody started gesturing to their throats that they were thirsty, so I told them all to go get a drink first and I would show them signs afterwards. One of the chair people in charge of the event told me that people were wanting to leave, that the event had gone on for too long. So I told him I would keep it short and sweet....I never got around to showing signs though. I ended up going through a haunted maze full of blood and skeletons and other Halloween things.....

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

Tingly

It's called a Relaxcation for a reason. Because all you do is relax.
Sleep when you want, eat when you want, do what you want. Relax.

Well....it wasn't all relaxing. :(
I don't know why it happened.
It seemed like a normal enough day.
I'd spent it with the family watching the BBC Sherlock series in marathon fashion.
I'd been writing, I'd been watching, I'd been reading...
Nothing out of the ordinary.
But something struck wrong with me.
Was it being too hot?
Was it too much tv?
Was it too much sleep?
Who knows for sure.
But I ended up going to bed early, because I was getting one of those "Get some sleep or you'll regret it" headaches.
So I did.
Only.
I wasn't able to stay asleep.
No,
I was awakened in the middle of the night.
Intense pain all over.
But more oddly.
My arms were tingling.
I hadn't been sleeping in a weird position or anything.
They were just tingly.
And my nose oddly enough was getting tingly too.
I tried what I could to make it go away. A hot bath, a heat pack, some advil....
Nothing. It seemed to be getting worse.
Which is all the more frightening.
As suddenly going all tingly in your arms is not a fun feeling.

I guessed that I was probably tense.
Again, I have no idea why I was tense, something though was making me tense....
I wasn't in a stressful situation.
I couldn't put my finger on it.
All I could think of was the last time, something similar to this happened....I'd been taken up to a cabin in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of mostly strangers at the beginning of the summer....
Since that point, nothing at all similar had occurred.

But when I went to my parent's room for help.
It turned out, the muscles all the way down my back were tense.
Literally.
I think my dad massaged my back for ten or fifteen minutes straight to try and get the muscles to relax.
Luckily, that helped.
But my sleep. Not at all restful. *shakes head*
It's so weird.
I don't know why I got all tense that night....but I did.
Thankfully, I recovered just fine.

I just really hope....this doesn't happen again.
>.< I don't like it much.

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Spring Thaw Ball

When I was a deacon, I loved baseball.
In fact, I still do.
I had a fielder's glove inscribed with the name Mel Ott.
He was the premier player of my day.
My friends and I would play ball in a small alleyway behind the houses where we lived.
Our playing field was cramped, but all right, provided you hit straightaway to center field.
However, if you hit the ball to the right of center, disaster was at the door.
Here lived Mrs. Shinas, who, from her kitchen window, would watch us play; and as soon as the ball rolled to her porch, her large dog rolled to her porch, her large dog would retrieve the ball and present it to her as she opened the door.
Into her house Mrs. Shinas would return and add this ball to the many she had previously confiscated.
She was our nemesis, the destroyer of our fun-even the bane of our existence.
None of us had a good word for Mrs. Shinas, but we had plenty of bad words for her.
None of us would speak to her, and she never spoke to us.
She was hampered by a stiff leg which impaired her walking and must have caused her great pain.
She and her husband had no children, lived secluded lives, and rarely came out of their house.

This private war continued for some time--perhaps two years--and then as inspired thaw melted the ice of winter and brought a springtime of good feelings to the stalemate.

One evening as I performed my daily task of watering our front lawn, holding the nozzle of the hose in the hand as was the style at the time, I noticed that Mrs. Shinas's lawn was dry and beginning to turn brown.
I honestly don't know, brethren, what came over me, but I took a few more minutes and, with our hose, watered her lawn.
I continued to do this throughout the summer, and then when autumn came I hosed her lawn free of leaves as I did ours and stacked the leaves in piles at the street's edge to be gathered.
During the entire summer I had not seen Mrs. Shinas.
We boys had long since given up laying ball in the alleyway.
We had run out of baseballs and had no money to buy more.

Early one evening, Mrs. Shinas's front door opened, and she beckoned for me to jump the small fence and come to her front porch.
This I did.
As I approached her, she invited me into her living room, where I was asked to sit in a comfortable chair.
she treated me to cookies and milk.
Then she went to the kitchen and returned with a large box filled with baseballs and softballs, representing several seasons of her confiscation efforts.
The filled box was presented to me.
The treasure, however, was not to be found in the gift but rather in her words.
I saw the first time a smile come across the face of Mrs. Shinas, and she said, "Tommy, I want to have these baseballs, and I want to thank you for being kind to me."
I expressed my own gratitude to her and walked from her and walked from her home a better boy than when I entered.
No longer were we enemies.
Now we were friends.
The Golden Rule had again succeeded.

-Thomas S. Monson -Your Eternal Voyage -April 2000 General Conference

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was in a classroom, kinda like the Nursery room in church with a bunch of other students, and I noticed one person -possibly my sister- picking up these little animal toys that were scattered all around. Nobody else had noticed what she was doing, but possibly the teacher, so I went to help her. Wondering in the back of my mind, if the teacher was purposely staging a lesson of some sort. So a few of us went about the room finding the little toys, when one boy, Brady, noticed, and he didn't like what we were doing for some reason. So he got on a fork lift, with the forks being sharp, and came after us. I ran terrified the forks would get me as my pockets and things were loaded and I wasn't sure I was running as fast as I could have run. I ran through the University to a spot that was just finishing with construction where a group of people were standing for the celebrations and ran straight to a boy standing behind another guy and a girl, they protected me from Brady's wrath, keeping me from getting injured....

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

Driving With Heights

I heard an interesting thing about my Grandpa Retrun the other day.
My mom told me that he was afraid of heights.
It was something I had kinda heard before, but it hadn't really stuck to my memory.
So I asked him what he would do if he were on a cliff side or if he had to cross a bridge.
My mom told me that he wasn't so bad when he was younger, but as he got older, he got more paranoid about it.

So what did he do when he was faced with those heights on a road trip?

Well, if there was a bridge Grandpa would drive right down the middle of it, equally apart from the edge on both sides. Regardless of lanes of traffic.
If he were on the side of a cliff, he would drive in the lane that was closest to the wall, as far away from the edge that he could get....even if that meant driving in the wrong lane. O.o

Somehow

Doing this, Grandpa never got into a car accident.
I have no idea how he managed that.
I can imagine all the twists and turns that one would face on a cliff....

No, the only time Grandpa got into an accident....was on a flat patch of road. O.o No heights anywhere. Go figure.

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

October 2001 General Conference Saturday Morning

Gordon B. Hinckley -Living in the Fulness of Times

• "No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

Dallin H. Oaks -Sharing the Gospel

• Just as our desires must be pure and rooted in testimony and love, our actions must be directed by the Lord. It is His work, not ours, and it must be done in His way and on His timing, not ours. Otherwise, our efforts may be fated to frustration and failure.
• We begin by beginning. We should not wait for a further invitation from heaven. Revelation comes most often when we are on the move.

Charles Didier -Building a Bridge of Faith

• "Men are building too many walls and not enough bridges."
• Indeed, walls are usually built to separate two or more entities physically, mentally, or even spiritually and to create obstacles. They are built because they represent the idea of defense, protection, or separation.
• Bridges are the opposite of walls. Bridges are built to bring together, to join two or more entities, and to create unity. They are built to overcome obstacles.
• And so, as we attempt to build a bridge of faith, we need to build in our lives a firm testimony of the Father and the Son and His Atonement. This bridge of faith will make a difference between the reality of eternal reunion with our Heavenly Father or eternal separation from Him if we erect walls of sin that turn us away from His love and mercy.
• The gift of the Holy Ghost is the foundation of the bridge of faith.
• Crossing the bridge of faith may not be as easy as we may think. A bridge will only resist the storms because of the strength of the pillars of its foundation.
• Yes, the solutions to our daily problems can always be found by daily seeking.
• The mists of doubt and apathy arise and corrode one's heart and mind, impeding one's progress and restricting one's response to the magnetic force of love which streams across the bridge. It is then one breaks step and falls to his knees and hangs on until the force of love restores faith and direction to the crossing.
• "Trust my word and follow me; listen to my voice. If you do so, I will protect you the best I know how."
• In our day, it is so easy to isolate ourselves by erecting temporal, spiritual, and even family or religious walls. Let us instead build more bridges of faith, of reconciliation, and live by the peace that is given "not as the world giveth," but by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the bridge of faith unto eternity.

Sheri L. Dew -It Is Not Good for Man or Woman to Be Alone

• Lucifer is determined to devour marriages and families, because their demise threatens the salvation of all involved and the vitality of the Lord's kingdom itself. Thus, Satan seeks to confuse us about our stewardships and distinctive natures as men and women.
• He would have us believe men and women are so alike that our unique gifts are not necessary, or so different we can never hope to understand each other. Neither is true.
• Our Father knew exactly what He was doing when He created us. He made us enough alike to love each other, but enough different that we would need to unite our strengths and stewardships to create a whole. Neither man nor woman is perfect or complete without the other. Thus, no marriage or family, no ward or stake is likely to reach its full potential until husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, men and women work together in unity of purpose, respecting and relying upon each other's strengths.
• Sisters, we as women are not diminished by priesthood power, we are magnified by it.
• If you will marry a virtuous woman who can hear the voice of the Lord, she will bless your life every day of your life.

Henry B. Eyring -Prayer

• "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
• "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee."
• Dependence on God can fade quickly when prayers are answered. And when the trouble lessens, so do the prayers. The Book of Mormon repeats that sad story over and over again.
• "And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.
• Except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him.
• Pride creates a noise within us which makes the quiet voice of the Spirit hard to hear.
• When God has commanded us to pray, He has used words like "pray unceasingly" and "pray always" and "mighty prayer."
• Those commands do not require using many words. In fact, the Savior has told us that we need not multiply words when we pray. The diligence in prayer which God requires does not take flowery speech nor long hours of solitude.
• "Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you."
• Our hearts can only be drawn out to God when they are filled with love for Him and trust in His goodness.
• We may not cease to pray, but our prayers will become more repetitive, more mechanical, lacking real intent. Our hearts cannot be drawn out to a God we do not know, and the scriptures and the words of living prophets help us know Him. As we know Him better, we love Him more.
• We must always serve Him to love Him.
• "For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" As our love for Him increases, so will our desire to approach the Father in prayer.

James E. Faust- The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope

• After all we can do to pay to the uttermost farthing and make right our wrongs, the Savior's grace is activated in our lives through the Atonement, which purifies us and can perfect us.
• If we will return unto the Lord, "he will abundantly pardon."
• I had always viewed the Atonement as a means  of making repentance work for the sinner. I had not realized that it also make sit possible for the one sinned against to receive into his or her heart the sweet peace of forgiving.
• The injured should do what they can to work through their trials, and the Savior will "succor his people according to their infirmities."  He will help us carry our burdens. Some injuries are so hurtful and deep that they cannot be healed without help from a higher power and hope for perfect justice and restitution in the next life. Since the Savior has suffered anything and everything that we would ever feel or experience, He can help the weak to become stronger. He has personally experienced all of it. He understands our pain and will walk with us even in our darkest hours.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

Involved me walking out onto the field of my elementary/jrhigh and running into a cute guy named Nate. He took me over behind the baseball diamond high fence and there was Matt Perry there, trying to convince me that Nate was a guy that I should really go on a date with. He had a song for it and everything. I wasn't too opposed to the idea, though Nate was younger than me, he hadn't gone on a mission yet, but I liked the idea of dating him any way.....

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

Car Problems

I'd noticed it for a while,
the oil leak under my car.
Had it checked,
Was told it needed to be fixed,
But didn't have the time or a mechanic nearby that I would trust to look at my car.
So I put it off.

Only to have people ask me at the most random occasions.
"How is your car doing?"
O.o Were they trying to jinx me or something?
Probably not, as most of them had recently had car problems, so I figured they were just checking to make sure I wasn't having problems either.
Which I wasn't.
Besides that leak.

Only,
I'd noticed in the past couple of weeks or so,
That it had gotten worse.
There would be a sizeable spill underneath my car, after just a few hours of work.
Not good.
So I figured I would take it in,
After my vacation...
If my car still had oil to run it with by then.

But then, a few days before we were to leave.
I had this thought.
What if, I drove the car up to my hometown, where I knew there was a mechanic, who had worked on my car before, and drop it off before my vacation?
I could then drive down with my parents from there, instead of having them come pick me up.
It could work.
And if something went wrong, the mechanics would have a weekish to fix the problem.
And since I would be gone, I wouldn't need my car anyways.

So that's what I did.
I dropped off my car.

And it's a good thing I did.
The mechanic called me back.
There were two problems with the car.
One, was an easy fix. Something had become loosened, they just tightened it back up.
The second one, not good.
There was a leak in my car...that happened while the car was running.
As in aka "BIG FIRE HAZARD" alert. Oil leaks and hot engine...probably not good.
And it's not an easy place to get to it, no, they have to remove the transmission and drop down the oil pan in order to reach this leak. :(
Which means, a lot of man hours.
Which equates to a lot of $$$
About 4x what I'd been expecting to pay to fix my car. :(
Plus. It would take them about a week to do the job.

Yikes. Why do cars have to cost so much money?

But It's a blessing really.
-not that it costs so much, yikes really :S -
but that I had the inspiration to take my car in before I left on vaca.
As I would have been hard put up to not have my car for a week otherwise. :S
Now, it's being fixed, and I don't have to worry about needing it at the moment. ^^;;

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

It's FREE!

Uhoh,
A monster may have just been unleashed.
For it was brought to my attention the other day,
That there was a book available for Free on ITunes.
And not just any book.
But a Brandon Sanderson book.
More particularly his huge book: The Way of Kings, is free on ITunes right now!
Seriously. HUGE book. It's over 1,000 pages!!! ()_()
AND ITs FREE!!!

Of course I downloaded it!
(Even though I already have it in hardcover and have read it already.)
But it didn't stop there.

>.>
No.
Because where there is one free book...
There will be more.
And I figured...why not go check it out?

Only, I discovered a problem.
You see....like all the free books....are the first books in series.
While the rest of the series...not free.
>.>
They're trying to bait you, to get you hooked on the book to buy the rest of the series.

And for a long time, I've been avoiding series books.
Because most of them only have one or two books out in said series.
And I haven't felt like investing myself into a world, only to not have the story completed.
to have to wait a year or two or three for the next book to come out...
Not really what I wanted.

But this...
Books.
Free.

It made me waver.
I mean, I'm downloading a book for FREE
How can a reader like me resist free?

You can't.
I may regret getting so many first books in series.
But, at least this lets me try out  a lot of books,
and branch out a little bit more than I have been doing recently. :D

So wish me luck!
I have a virtual book case full of books to read now! ^^

...Maybe if I start reading, it will distract me from downloading more....lol.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Stuttering

Fifty years ago, I knew a young man--even a priest--who held the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood.
As the bishop, I was his quorum president.
Robert stuttered and stammered, void of control.
Self-conscious, shy, fearful of himself and all others, this impediment was devastating to him.
Never did he fulfill an assignment; never would he look another in the eye; always he would gaze downward.
Then one day, through a set of unusual circumstances, he accepted an assignment to perform the priestly responsibility to baptize another.

I sat next to Robert in the baptistery of the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
He was dressed in immaculate white, prepared for the ordinance he was to perform.
I leaned over and asked him how he felt.
He gazed at the floor and stuttered almost uncontrollably that he felt terrible, terrible.

We both prayed fervently that he would be made equal to his task.
Suddenly the clerk said, "Nancy Ann McArthur will now be baptized by Robert Williams, a priest."

Robert left my side, stepped into the font, took little Nancy by the hand and helped her into that water which cleanses human lives and provides a spiritual rebirth.
He spoke the words, "Nancy Ann McArthur, having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen."
Not once did he stutter!
Not once did he falter!
A modern miracle had been witnessed.
Robert then performed the baptismal ordinance for two or three other children in the same fashion.

In the dressing room, as I congratulated Robert, I expected to hear this same uninterrupted flow of speech.
I was wrong.
He gazed downward and stammered his reply of gratitude.

To each of you brethren this evening, I testify that when Robert acted in the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood,  he spoke with power, with conviction, and with heavenly help.

-Thomas S. Monson -The Call to Serve -October 2000 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Note: As a heads up, for the next weekish posts may not come due to vaca. :)

Suddenly Woozy

I had a weird moment at work.
Where it felt like I had like a... two hour flu or something.

I mean, I went on my lunch break...
and spent my lunch break feeling totally horrible when I had been fine moments before.
Woozy stomach and everything.

And afterwards for like a half our or so, I got like echoes of that unwellness.

O.o
Has anyone else experienced this? Because it was really strange.
It was like my body took my brief lunch break to say to itself
"Okay! Let's feel sick right now!..........Now breaks over. Back to work Sarnic!"
*shakes head*
So.
Strange.
Perhaps I'm working too hard? Am I stressing over something? Did having actual real food before work throw something off? Who knows.

O.o.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Odd Eyes

>.>
<.<

I rescued a gold fish today.
One of those inexpensive carnival feeder gold fish.

Why?

Well, we'd just gotten in a shipment of them in at work.
And I'd just finished placing them into their new temporary home tanks.
When I noticed one of those gold fish didn't look quite like the others.

It was his eyes.
They bulged out.
Just like the Black Moor Goldfish eyes bulge out.
I don't know if it's a permanent thing for this little comet goldfish or temporary.
Still, I didn't want him to get sold as food for a turtle.
I wanted to see if he could last.
What he would look like should he grow bigger.

So....
I may have fished him out, and placed him in our display tank. (We had the room for him.)
After all, he's unique. A non fantailed gold fish with bulgy eyes?
Who sees that?!

I haven't.

Now.
Now it's a game.
To see how long it takes anyone else to notice that he's in there.
I mean, he's small.
He tends to hug the bottom of the tank, and almost blends in with the gravel....
So I think it will be a while.
>.>
<.<
We'll see.

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

April 2001 General Conference Sunday Afternoon

David B. Haight -Gratitude and Service

• "This amazing Church has woven a pattern of miracles in our lives."

Joseph B. Wirthlin -The Law of the Fast

• Without prayer, fasting is not complete fasting; it's simply going hungry. If we want our fasting to be more than just going without eating, we must lift our hearts, our minds, and our voices in communion with our Heavenly Father. Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful. It can fill our minds with the revelations of the Spirit. It can strengthen us against times of temptations.
• When we give to the bishop an offering to relieve the suffering of others, we not only do something sublime for others, but we do something wonderful for ourselves as well.
• Another Book of Mormon prophet, Amulek, explained that often our prayers have no power because we have turned our backs on the needy. If you feel that Heavenly Father is not listening to your petitions, ask yourself if you are listening to the cries of the poor, the sick, the hungry, and the afflicted all around you.
• Fast offerings are used for one purpose only; to bless the lives of those in need. Every dollar given to the bishop as a fast offering goes to assist the poor. When donations exceed local needs, they are passed along to fulfill the needs elsewhere.
• "Be liberal in your giving, that you yourselves may grow. Don't give just for the benefit of the poor, but give for your own welfare.

John K. Carmack -United in Love and Testimony

• The Church is quietly moving forward in crescendo, as a great symphony orchestra moving toward a climax, strengthening communities as it grows.
• I also wonder if we fully appreciate the value and strength of the witnesses' testimonies published in each copy of the Book of Mormon
• These witnesses did not recant their testimonies, nor have their published testimonies ever been otherwise impeached.
• Grandparents should not underestimate their influence in the lives of their grandchildren.

L. Lionel Kendrick -Enhancing Our Temple Experience

• We should always remember that it is by His invitation that we come to His holy house, the temple of the Lord.
• While in the temple we should act as if we are in His holy presence.
• To be reverent is not just to be quiet. It involves an awareness of what is taking place. It involves a divine desire to learn and to be receptive to the promptings of the Spirit. It involves a striving to seek added light and knowledge. Irreverence is not only an act of disrespect for Deity, but it makes it impossible for the Spirit to teach us the things that we need to know.
• When we are reverent in the temple, we help to keep it pure and holy, free from distractions and offenses to the Spirit. We must remember to say or do nothing that would be offensive to the Lord.
• "When you enter a Church building, you are coming into the presence of our Father in heaven; and that thought should be sufficient incentive for you to prepare your hearts, your minds, and even your attire, that you might appropriately and properly sit in his presence.
• Reverence involves thinking, speaking, feeling, and acting as we would in the presence of the Lord.
• First, we must leave the world behind as we enter the temple.
• Second, we must seek to gain added light and knowledge.

Bruce D. Porter -Building the Kingdom

• Sometimes, perhaps, we may be inclined to see the building of the kingdom as something that takes place beyond the horizon, far away from our own branch or ward. In truth, the Church advances both by outwards expansion and by inward refinement.
• "Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."
• "Great causes are not won in a single generation."

Dallin H. Oaks -Focus and Priorities

• Our biggest need is a clearer focus on how we should value and use what we already have.
• Available information wisely used is far more valuable than multiplied information allowed to lie fallow.
• Faced with an excess of information in the marvelous resources we have been given, we must begin with focus or we are likely to become like those in the well-known prophecy about people in the last days--" ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
• We also need focus to avoid what is harmful.
• Each of us should be careful that the current flood of information does not occupy our time so completely that we cannot focus on and hear and heed the still, small voice that is available to guide each of us with our own challenges today.
• "Every discovery in science and art, that is really true and useful to mankind, has been given by direct revelation from God. ... We should take advantage of all these great discoveries ... and give to our children the benefit of every branch of useful knowledge, to prepare them to step forward and efficiently do their part in the great work."
• If we do not choose the kingdom of God first, it will make little difference in the long run what we have chosen instead of it.
• We cannot recycle or save the time allotted to us each day. With time, we have only one opportunity for choice, and then it is gone forever.
• I believe many of us are overnourished on the entertainment junk food and undernourished on the bread of life.

Gordon B. Hinckley -Good-bye for Another Season

• We have heard 26 speakers during these two days. That's a very large number. Each is told how much time he or she will have. But none is told what to speak about. And yet all of the talks seem to harmonize, one with another, each a thread in the tapestry of a grand and beautiful pattern.

General YW Meeting

Sharon G. Larsen -Your Celestial Guide

• The Lord has not asked you to build a ship, but to build your life. You don't yet know what your completed mortal life looks like. But your Father in Heaven knows and can guide you one step at a time.
• It can be dangerous trying to please ourselves.
• I had chosen to be popular with my friends instead of pleasing my parents and the Lord. But even when I deliberately chose not to obey, the Spirit was still there prompting me. You can't do wrong and feel right. Pretending the Spirit isn't prompting you when it is, is like putting the wrong answer down on a test when you know the right answer.
• Remember, remember how the Spirit feels. Use that experience to help you identify the Spirit again and again.
• Heavenly Father's top priority is His children. If it's important to you, it's important to Him. Whatever concern you have is His concern. Whatever you have a question about, the Lord knows the answer. Whatever sadness you are feeling, He knows how you feel and will ease the pain. He knows what it's like to feel all alone. He will comfort you.

Carol B. Thomas -Developing Our Talent for Spirituality

• The Spirit doesn't always give us warm, fuzzy feelings. Most of the time, the voice of inspiration is a quiet voice, a still, small voice.
• It's OK if we're weak, as long as we don't stay weak, as long as we do something about it.
• "Your daily conversations with [H]im will bring peace into your hearts and a joy into your lives that can come from no other source."
• Prayer is like an umbrella in the storms of life.

Margaret D. Nadauld -A Comforter, a Guide, a Testifier

• A holy gift was given to you at the time of your baptism and confirmation, when hands were placed on your head and you were told, "receive the Holy Ghost." It is almost as if your Father in Heaven gave you a gift to celebrate your official entrance into His kingdom on earth. The Holy Spirit can be with you always and guide you back to Him, but in order to enjoy the benefits of this holy gift, you must truly receive it, and then you must use it in your life.
• Your Heavenly Father will help you find the right path as you seek His guidance. Remember though, after you pray you must get off your knees and start doing something positive; head in the right direction! He will send people along the way who will assist you, but you must be doing your part as well. By the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, you can be guided in your trip through life.
• When we bear our testimony to others, they "are not only hearing our testimony of Christ, but they are hearing echoes of other, earlier testimonies, including their own testimony of Him," for they were among the valiant who chose Christ and chose to follow Him over Satan in the premortal life.

Gordon B. Hinckley -How Can I become the Woman of Whom I Dream?

• You are creatures of divinity; you are daughters of the Almighty. Limitless is your potential. Magnificent is your future, if you will take control of it. Do not let your lives drift in a fruitless and worthless manner.
• Be Grateful. Be Smart. Be Clean. Be True. Be Humble. Be Prayerful.
• There can be fun, yes. But there must be recognition of the fact that life is serious, that the risks are great, but that you can overcome them if you will discipline yourselves and seek the unfailing strength of the Lord.
• Pay no attention to what some boy might say to demean you. he is no better than you. In fact, he has already belittled himself by his actions. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities, and forever and always be loyal to the Church.
• Never forget that you came to earth as a child of the divine Father, with something of divinity in your very makeup. The Lord did not send you here to fail. he did not give you life to waste it. He bestowed upon you the gift of mortality that you might gain experience--positive, wonderful, purposeful experience--that will lead to life eternal.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was venturing with some others into a cave, a cave that was considered to be dangerous, but people would venture into it anyway to find their fortune, as within the rocks and sand you could find gold, crystals, other shiny objects of value. But you had to be careful the monsters in the cave did not find you, and you also had to be aware of other diggers, to not dig where they had already claimed a spot. It was difficult, dangerous, but I managed to navigate the cave system going through/under/above rocks that could collapse the tunnel at any moment trapping us, and I found a section that as of yet had not been claimed by anyone and began to dig. I found a couple of crystals that I could pull out, and a ton of other crystals that looked solid, but were actually a bunch of little ones together, that if you touched them or tried to move them would tumble apart making it useless. My friend Jess was also there, working on digging, but wasn't keen on helping me or on me helping her....

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

What I'm Wearing

There are days when I don't like to dress up for church.
Because there are times when I'm just....more emotionally vulnerable than others.
Where a compliment to something I'm wearing, makes me wonder....
If the rest of my outfit just doesn't look good.

In particular, when I took the time to find a nice shirt, one with more designs, one that looks more formal, more for a special event, and....it doesn't get complimented.

Instead, it's the necklace I'm wearing,
or the skirt...which is often incomprehensible to me as the skirts....I've had them forever, they're nothing new....

But quietly I wonder....
Does this shirt really look that bad on me?
Does it not match what I'm wearing?
Are they complimenting other aspects that they do like?
Do they not like the shirt?

Really, it probably is that they didn't even notice the shirt. (some...its hard to believe that.)
And instead the necklace or the skirt catches their eye first, and they compliment it first.

*shrugs*
Who knows....
But I do wonder....

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Jump! Jump! Die.

So there I was,
Coming into work, early in the morning.
Not yet started on my morning tasks,
But preparing to do so.

I ended up slamming a door,
and
Plop.
I saw a Tiger Barb laying on the floor, still gasping, till moving.
It had jumped out of the tank! :S
Not a full surprise as we had taken the lid off to do some cleaning,
But still a surprise as usually fish don't jump out of their tanks.
I figured the slamming door had scared it,
and so swooped in and rescued the flopping thing.
I dropped him back into the water.
Not even getting a chance to think 'I saved you!'
Before he jumped back out.
!!!!!!
Honestly, he reacted like I had placed him in boiling water,
I don't even know if he was fully underwater before he flung himself back out onto the floor.
But off I went again to rescue the thing.

And thankfully he didn't shoot straight back out of the water the second time I put him in.
>.<
Instead, he floated there, upside down, gills moving, but nothing else moving.

Seriously!!
Did I just rescue you TWICE to have you die on me?
>.<
Yep.
I did.
The fish died a short time later. :(
Who knows...maybe his frantic flying out of the tank had broken something, or he was already suffering...
Idk.
>.< Just found it frustrating.

Stay in your tanks fish! You live longer that way!

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Building Isn't Easy

Building things is hard.
Close enough may not work here when it does in other places.

For example.
I spent most of the morning building a bookcase.
>.<
Not the best premade bookcase ever.
I mean, who cuts the backboard CROOKED??!
But there were other issues to this project.
Namely, I am a girl.
And not a strong girl at that.
Which means, no matter how hard I pound on a hammer and try to get things to squish together...
They don't budge.
So there remained some gaps in the joints and such.

Which resulted in?
>.<
A skiwhompous bookcase.
One that appears to have a small bottom and a huge top.
One that leans ever so slightly to the left.
-Gap? Crooked board? Who knows.

At this point.
I don't really care. :)
It stands.
It holds my books.
Now it's just a matter of crossing my fingers that the whole thing doesn't fall apart at some point in the future. :S

Note to self: Don't stand near it if an earthquake happens.....
(Watch it will remain standing if that does happen lol.)

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Much Work To Be Done

There is an urgency in this work that motivates us to extend the blessings of the temple to as many of our Heavenly Father's children as possible.
I was impressed with an experience of President Wilford Woodruff when he told of a visitation he received from the Prophet Joseph Smith some time after the Prophet was martyred.
According to President Woodruff's own account: "[Joseph Smith] came to me and spoke to me.
He said he could not stop to talk with me because he was in a hurry.
The next man I met was Father Smith; he could not talk with me because he was in a hurry.
I met half a dozen brethren who had held high positions on earth, and none of them could stop to talk with me because they were in a hurry.
I was much astonished.
By and by I saw the Prophet again and I go the privilege of asking him a question.

"'Now,' said I, 'I want to know why you are in a hurry.
I have been in a hurry all my life; but I expected my hurry would be over when I got into the kingdom of heaven, if I ever did.'

"Joseph said: 'I will tell you, Brother Woodruff.
Every dispensation that has had the priesthood on the earth and has gone into the celestial kingdom has had a certain amount of work to do to prepare to go to the earth with the Savior when he goes to reign on the earth.
Each dispensation has had ample time to do this work.
We have not.
We are the last dispensation, and so much work has to be done, and we need to be in a hurry to accomplish it.'

"Of course, that was satisfactory," President Woodruff concluded, "but it was new doctrine to me."

-M. Russell Ballard -Are We Keeping Pace? -October 1998 General Conference

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

There was a young man down town, being bullied by a taller guy, with short blonde hair, and wearing a blue shirt. The young man was like a young superman, but nobody in the city appreciated his efforts to help them out. They wanted him gone. He tried to fly away from their mockery, but their disbelief made it difficult for him to fly, he ended up leaping down the street, and went into his old lair at the top of an old building. Inside were old posters of back when he was a villain. The joker. His white face, red makeup. A girl followed him inside and saw his lair, but didn't see him. She searched, and finally found him in a dark corner, dressed as the batman but without the head mask on. He wasn't reverting back to being the bad guy like she'd feared, but had decided to go undercover. They left the lair, but it wasn't over yet. The man who'd been bulling him earlier slipped into the old lair, where he found the joker attire.....

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

Lights Out

BOOM!
The thunder sounded nearly over head, the repercussion of the lightning strike nearby reverberating through my chest.
The lights at work turned off for an eye blink.
Turned on for another eye blink.
Turned off again.

We....we were powerless.
Emergency lights flicked on.
Glowing orange lights high above us.
Hardly making a difference in the darkness.
Everything remained black.

Quickly everyone pulled out flashlights,
or in most cases, their phones. flicking on the 'flashlight' already there.

I held up my Itouch to be able to see,
See the birds reacting like crazed animals as the light hit them,
See people up ahead,
See that the store can be quite dark with hardly any light.

Quickly we directed people from the back of the store to the front to make sure no one tripped or got hurt trying to navigate our aisles.

The registers, luckily, still had a little bit of back up power left allowing us to continue selling for a little while.
Even in the blackout, some people came in, wanting to get things. Wanting to know if we were still open.
One by one, we would take turns, guiding them back to what they wanted to buy with our phone flashlights showing the way.

But we couldn't stay open like this forever.
Our registers couldn't stay on forever.
If the power didn't come back on soon.
We would have to close.

We'd been given a fix by time of two hours later.
But, five minutes after the registers went dead.
The lights came back on.

It's totally crazy.
I hadn't experienced anything like that at work before.
Leading people in the dark.
Having no lights on whatsoever in the store. (the orange lights did nothing really.)
It was exciting!
Though I'm glad that this is a rare occurrence.
Things would have become chaos after too much longer if people continued to insist that they needed to buy stuff and we would be reduced to going into a back up system to make sure items were purchased.

Thankfully I had my Itouch with me. :D Trying to do all that in the dark without a light would have been super difficult. ^^

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Four Years Later

Guys!
GUYS!
GUYS!
GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS??!?!

lol I'm sure the title gives it away.
But.
It's my blog's four year anniversary!
That's right! I've been keeping this blog updated nearly every single day for FOUR YEARS!!
O.o
How crazy is that?
I think it's totally crazy. Did I think it would be four years later when I started this blog back in 2010?
No.
Hoped for yes.
But didn't expect it.
^^ Yay for persistence! :D

And a super big thanks for all my readers for taking the time to follow, visit, scope out this blog throughout these four years. ^^
Seriously. Amazing. ^^

and just like last year.
I'm going to continue the tradition of regaling all of you with my stats! ^^;; lol
Good thing this is only once a year huh?
But hey, I always like to see how things increase or decrease over time. :D
So here we go! :)

To kick things off, I've now written 1435 posts.
()-() I wonder if anyone besides me (who wrote them) has read every single post. That would be amazing, and rather time consuming if anyone attempted that now lol. :)
But a lot of you have visited my blog! For I'm up to 27,751 pageviews as of writing this! Wow again. :D Slowly but surely this blog is gaining in popularity and I couldn't be happier. ^^ To watch this blog grow from it's little seed has been great! :D It looks like we're keeping rather steady in growth as well, considering that once again we've increased by about 10,000 pageviews :D Yay! :D

So what have been my most popular posts over the last year?

The Last Yellow Rose (4/26/11) : 1173 Pageviews.
Broken Teeth (11/2/11): 673 Pageviews.
Game Night (3/15/14): 473 Pageviews.
181st Saturday Conference Highlights (4/2/11): 171 Pageviews.
When Risks Pay Off (11/30/12): 84 Pageviews.
Thought o'da Day (3/5/11): 56 Pageviews.
Oh Cleaning CHecks, How Much I Don't Miss You (9/11/12): 48 Pageviews.
To Talk On Sunday (8/17/14): 40 Pageviews.
:( :( (3/11/14): 38 Pageviews.
Teary Eyed Olympic Opening (7/27/12): 35 Pageviews.

Lol I still have little understanding as to what counts as a pageview or not, but I do like to see which posts become popular! ^^ It's always the ones I don't think will get popular that end up getting the most views. :D

Pageviews by Browsers:

Internet Explorer -8,591 (32%)
Firefox -7,528 (28%)
Safari -4,268 (15%)
Chrome -3,995 (14%)
Opera - 2,172 (8%)
Mobile Safari -111 (<1%)
BingPreview -55(<1%)
chromeframe -49 (<1%)
OS;FBSV -34 (<1%)
Maxthon -23 (<1%)

Pageviews by Operating Systems

Windows -19,869 (71%)
Macintosh -2,675 (9%)
Linux -2,004 (7%)
iPod - 1,486 (5%)
iPad - 1,007 (3%)
Android - 177 (<1%)
iPhone - 165 (<1%)
Other Unix - 159 (<1%)
Windows NT 6.1 - 51 (<1%)
compatible - 29 (<1%)

And finally! My favorite part ^^
Which countries viewed me the most!
(Once again, I have failed to keep track of all countires. :( Mostly due to switching computers halfway through the year. :(  Time passes soo quickly it's insane.)

United States -16,168
Russia - 4,878
Germany -893
Ukraine -465
India -389
Latvia -379
United Kingdom -354
Malaysia -276
Poland -205
China -152

^^
Again, thank you dear readers for dropping by my blog!
I hope that this year brings your continue readership, or at least a drop by visit! ^^

On to year 5! :D

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi