A Checkin They Will Go

The monthly cleaning checks in my apartment complex are a nuisance.

Honestly.

Why stress out the students in the complex by requiring them to clean every month?

If we have to have cleaning checks I would prefer them less often.

But....

If I have to clean....

Then the checkers should check the apartment more thoroughly.

*shakes head*

I hate it when I feel like I did work for nothing.

Where I could have gotten away with not doing some of the tasks I did....

Because what did the checkers do?

They walked in.

Glanced in the kitchen.

Grabbed our checklists from each bedroom.

Didn't even look in the bathrooms.

Left the papers on the counter in the kitchen, saying that we passed.

And left.

It took like 30 seconds in total.

Which was like;

Yay! We passed!

But....

Hey!

I spent time cleaning this apartment!

Look closer at it!

Yah...

Just annoyed.

To not have the work appreciated.

But I'm glad that they didn't stay long either.

Guess we'll see what happens next time around...

If it will be more white-glove or just like this time.

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

A Bad Movie?

So, I've been wanting to watch the new Fantastic Four movie ever since I heard it was coming out.
Because I'm always curious with reboots, to see what is the same and what is different in the movie. And since technology is always getting better, it means movie effects are getting a lot better too. :)

Yet, when Fantastic Four came out.
I heard that it wasn't worth the money to go see it in theatres.
That it was bad.
Super bad.

O.o Which was surprising.....because I mean....how bad could a movie actually be?
There have been many movies that others have thought were bad, but actually were pretty good......

*shrugs*
But since nobody wanted to see the movie with me,
Due to all the negative acclaim it was getting.
So I had to wait.

and wait.

and wait.

and wait.

It came out on DVD....
And I didn't buy it,
Because again with the negative reviews....
I wanted to see it first.
Before I spent money on this 'horrible' movie.

Well, tonight,
After my roommate and I decided against going to go see a movie in the theatre....
and instead redbox something.

I saw that Fantastic Four was available to rent.
And her fiancé ended up having a free code for Redbox. Where we could watch a movie for free.

So.
We grabbed Fantastic Four.

And watched it.

Honestly....
It's not the worst movie I've seen.
I could see how it could have so much more potential.
A. lot. more. potential.

The main thing that bugged me about the movie.
Was the acting seemed so....stilted.
Where the words being said by the people....didn't have the effect they needed to have. It just felt...contrived, corny, you could tell when they were in front of a green screen....
Honestly....it was like a 'throw back' movie.
One that you expect to see made back in the 1980s

Which I think is why it got such bad acclaim.
Because it was a throw back movie.
Back to a time when the actor/ress's only needed to say their lines, they didn't really need to act them.

Granted....the plot could have worked on its timing issues more too.
Focused on the more interesting things, like Reed's ability to shape shift, Doom's time on the foreign planet, have them on Planet Zero much longer, have the fight have more build up.

Plot and Acting.
It could have been so much more.
And originally it sounds like it was a lot more.
But due to creative differences.
Between the actors/director/producers/company.
It just was a bad mixture.
Where the vision wasn't fulfilled.
because Trust wasn't given.
Wants were forced.
And the original movie was lost on the battlefield.

:( Which is sad, when the movie you wanted to make, isn't the one that ended up being creative. I could see why there would be tension and stress over everything. :(

Still, the movie had its cool moments.
Those moments that sparked the creativity of the writer within me.
I wish we could have seen more of those moments.
The movie would have been better off for it. :)

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

-Sarnic Dirchi

Getting the Worm

Let me take just a moment to mention a little incident that made an impression upon me when I was a boy.
This came to my mind when it was mentioned that there are with us this afternoon a large group of dedicated people who teach our youth.

It was on a summer day early in the morning.
I was standing near the window.
The curtains obstructed me from two little creatures out on the lawn.
One was a large bird and the other a little bird, obviously just out of the nest.
I saw the larger bird hop out on the lawn, then thump his feet and cock his head.
He drew a big fat worm out of the lawn and came hopping back.
The little bird opened its bill wide, but the big bird swallowed the worm.

Then I saw the big bird fly up into a tree.
He pecked at the bark for a little while and came back with a big bug in his mouth.
The little bird opened his beak wide, but the big bird swallowed the bug.
There was squawking in protest.

The big bird flew away, ands I didn't see it again, but I watched the little bird.
After a while, the little bird hopped out on the lawn, thumped its feet, cocked its head, and pulled a big worm out of the lawn.

God bless the good people who teach our children and our youth.

-Howard W. Hunter -A Teacher -April 1972 General Conference

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

-Sarnic Dirchi

Ringed Pieces

Do you ever have something you always wear?
Like you're never seen without it.
And if you happen to forget to wear said item that day....
You feel incomplete. Like something is missing?

For me, that's usually one of three items.
My watch.
My necklace.
Or my Ring.

Now for like the last.....forever.
I've worn basically the same ring nearly everyday for years.

It's a silver ring, with a turquoise stone in the center.
With huge sentimental value.
As this ring, belonged to my Daddoo before he gave it to me.
I feel like I was given it around the same time I went to college....
In any case.
It's a ring that fits me really well.
stays steady.
Doesn't flip about on my finger.
And of course, reminds me of my Daddoo, and in some ways, my Great Grandma Maren (the inspiration for me starting this blog.) as she gave the ring to him first when he was a preteen/teenager.

In any case.
I've worn the ring a lot.
A. L.O.T.

lol.
And at one point a couple of years ago....
It was sometime after I started working at Starsmet.
That a portion of it cracked.
It was the narrowest point of the ring. Where there was already a slight divet in it.
But after a little bit of fiddling.
I managed to get it back in place,
To where the crack was a nonissue.

And went about my merry way.

Until like....two days ago?

Where I was doing something.
And the ring randomly caught on...something I was wearing or something I was helping a customer with.
And it lifted up.
Like a hang nail or something.
Which was surprising.
As nothing like that has ever happened to it before. O.o
It's always been so steady.
In any case, I bent it back down into place.
And forgot about it.
Until last night, when I took of my ring.
And felt it be really wigglely as I did so.
Looking closer at the ring.
I saw that there was a fissure on the other side of my ring.
Basically the first crack was located on the left side of my finger, the new fissure was located on the right side of my finger.
It seemed a bit more fragile than I'd ever felt it be/or see it be before.
Which was worrisome.
So I made the decision to take it into the Jewelry Doctor in the mall the next day after work, To get it stabilized, as I didn't want the ring to break. :S

So the next morning.
I put on my ring like usual.
Went out into the cold to my car.
Got in, sat down, and rubbed my hands together really quickly to warm them up.
And...
Tragedy.
A piece of my ring feel off!
It was too much. The stress too much.
And the ring broke apart. :(
A whole section. Like 3/8 of an inch gone.
Not totally missing as it fell in my lap.

So I had all the pieces together.
I didn't loose anything. So yay for that!
But there was no way that I could wear the ring. :(
Not without risking loosing it.
Which with how important this ring is to me...
Not an option. :S

-It's a good thing that this didn't happen last week when I was in a super bad mood.
As it probably would have been the last straw of a lot of broken straws.
But since I'm kinda on an tentative upswing right now, not as bad or devastating as it could have been a week ago.

In any case.
I made the sad decision.
To leave the broken ring in my car.

Ah.
How difficult work was!!
I felt totally incomplete for that 8 hour shift without my ring on my finger.
As honestly it's my 'go to fiddle object' when I'm bored/talking to customers/nervous etc.

So I was rather anxious to dash over to the mall and get my ring fixed.
I figured it would be similar to when I got my necklace fixed.
That they'd do it then and there or maybe it would take like an hour and I could hang out....
I also figured since it was a bit more broken than my necklace....it would cost a bit more.

I was right on that point.
Unfortunately. Since it was in two different pieces.
And needed to be welded together.
And because it was silver and turquoise....which don't do well in welding heat....a more specialized laser needed to be used....

It cost more.
It was basically $45 per side.
So $90 fix.
But what is money to a priceless sentimental ring?
Lol I was judging it would be anywhere from $40-$100 So I was prepared.

Yet! Good news!
When the Jewelry Doctor found out that I was a repeat customer.
He gave me a discount!
So I would only be spending $60 to fix my ring.
It's money.
But worth it.

Unfortunately.... :(
It wasn't going to be fixed today. Y_Y
No....I won't be getting my ring back until Monday. Y_Y
That's like...nearly a week without my ring!!
Sooo...depressing.
Y.Y

Still....a fixed ring will be the result right??
And if there's like a cancellation or something takes less time then expected, he may get to it earlier....
But Monday....at the latest. :)

In the meantime, I guess I just have to dust off some of my other rings and wear them in the meantime.
Because I can't go a week without having something there.
So the other rings get a chance for a field trip :)
Should be fun.
Not the same.
But fun! :)

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

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Beginning

I saw the possible beginning of a cute love story today.

It was in the Food Court of the local mall.
And I looked over and saw a cute guy, sitting at one of those bar table sort of places. All the way over on one side.
Doing possible homework on his laptop.
Totally in the zone.
And on the other end of that bar table. All the way across the room, as it spanned like the entire food court.
Was a cute woman. Sitting by herself. Eating a meal, staring off into space.

On opposite sides of the room.
Totally clueless to each other.

Isn't that how like every romantic movie ever starts? lol

In all reality, probably nothing will happen....
They may never sit at those spots again.
May never be in the same room again.

Still.
It was nice to imagine.
That that's the start of a new relationship for the both of them. :)

Boy                                                                              Girl

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

-Sarnic Dirchi

October 2008 General Conference -Sunday Afternoon

Boyd K. Packer -The Test

• As we have inherited the spirit of liberty and the fire of patriotism from our fathers, so let them descend [unchanged] to our posterity.

Russell M. Nelson -Celestial Marriage

• Marriage between a man and a woman is sacred--it is ordained of God.
• The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
• Mortal misunderstandings can make mischief in a marriage. In fact, each marriage starts with two built-in handicaps. It involves two imperfect people. Happiness can come to them only through their earnest effort. Just as harmony comes from an orchestra only when its members make a concerted effort, so harmony in marriage also requires a concerted effort. That effort will succeed if each partner will minimize personal demands and maximize actions of loving selflessness.

William D. Oswald -Gospel Teaching--Our Most Important Calling

• "Every position in the Church requires an effective teacher."

Eduardo Gavarret -Returning Home

• To the less active, the offended, the critical, the transgressor--to come back. "Come back and feast at the table of the Lord, and taste again the sweet and satisfying fruits of fellowship with the Saints."
• The interest, attention, and care towards our brethren are profound manifestations of love for our Heavenly Father. In fact, we express our love for God when we serve and when this service is focused on our neighbor's well-being.
• Let us remember that love and service are like twins who seek each other's companionship.

Carlos A. Godoy -Testimony as a Process

• Sometimes we think that to have a testimony of the Church, we need some great, powerful experience, or a single event which would erase any doubts that we have received an answer or a confirmation.
• "The voice of the Spirit is described in the scripture as being neither 'loud' nor 'harsh.' It is 'not a voice of thunder, neither ... [a] voice of a great tumultuous noise.' But rather, 'a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper,' and it can 'pierce even to the very soul' and 'cause [the heart] to burn.'
• "The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all."
• "Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression, 'Speak [Lord], for thy servant heareth.'
• Great events are not a guarantee that our testimony will be strong.

Quentin L. Cook -"Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time"

• The challenges we face today are in their own way comparable to challenges of the past.
• We know from the scriptures that some trials are for our good and are suited for our own personal development. We also know that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. It is also true that every cloud we see doesn't result in rain. Regardless of the challenges, trials, and hardships we endure, the reassuring doctrine of the Atonement wrought by Jesus Christ includes Alma's teaching that the Savior would take upon Him our infirmities and "succor his people according to their infirmities."
• Regardless of our trials, with the abundance we have today, we would be ungrateful if we did not appreciate our blessings.
• "Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you."

Thomas S. Monson -Until We Meet Again

• I assure you that our Heavenly Father is mindful of the challenges we face in the world today. He loves each of us and will bless us as we strive to keep His commandments and seek Him through prayer.

General Relief Society Meeting

Julie B. Beck -Fulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society

• President Joseph F. Smith taught that Relief Society was "divinely made, divinely authorized, divinely instituted, divinely ordained of God," "according to the law of heaven," to help the Lord "bring to pass the ... eternal life of man."
• Whether we are married or single, old or young, we have a duty to defend and practice the truths found in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."
• "However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform." Children being born no ware growing up in an increasingly sinful world. Our homes are to be their refuge from the daily encounters they have with evil.
• We can do the work of the Lord in His way when we seek, receive, and act on personal revelation. Without personal revelation, we cannot succeed. If we heed personal revelation, we cannot fail.
• The Holy Ghost will show us "all things what [we] should do.
• Revelation is not a matter of pushing buttons, but of pushing ourselves, often aided by fasting, scripture study, and personal pondering.

Silvia H. Allred -Holy Temples, Sacred Covenants

• "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?"
• "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." His house is holy, and no unclean thing may enter it.

Barbara Thompson -Now Let Us Rejoice

• Remember, most often the help needed is in our own homes, neighborhoods, and communities. A kind word of encouragement, a note of thanks, a phone call, a loving smile, a helpful deed, and a reminder that God loves us are often what is needed most. We can lift and bless others in so many ways.
• "The Relief Society might be likened to a refuge--the place of safety and protection. ... You will be safe within it. It encircles each sister like a protecting wall."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf -Happiness, Your Heritage

• To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities--they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are.
• Everyone can create. You don't need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.
• Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty--and I am not talking about the process of cleaning the rooms of your teenage children.
• What you create doesn't have to be perfect.
• Don't let fear of failure discourage you. Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you--whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.
• If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it.
• As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.
• "When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated."
• "Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."
• Lift up your chin; walk tall. God loves you. We love and admire you.

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Text From The Blue

So.
I'd just gotten off work.
Planning to grab gas, and food, and run away from the world for a bit.
Anxious because I don't do this sort of thing. Not tell people where I'm going. Just disappearing.
As I needed space. Needed some alone time.
But that didn't mean I didn't want to talk to people.

I just wanted...I don't know...to see a familiar face. Talk to someone I hadn't talked to in a bit.
Just kinda....have confirmation that people are aware of me, that someone is thinking of me.
Just when I felt like no one would notice I'd disappeared until today.

So I pull up to the gas station.
As I do, I get a text message.

My heart drops. Speeds up. Worry, anticipation.
It'd only been like 15 minutes since I'd left work.
Had my roommates figured out what I was doing so quickly?

Not really.
It was a text from a roommate.
But not my current set of roommates.
My first roommate had texted me.
Out of the blue really.
Because we haven't spoken in a couple of years. I haven't seen her in a couple of years besides in her facebook posts.

But she'd texted me.
Wondering if I was at the Vocal Point concert that night.
-Which I wasn't. Because I had to work through both performances on Saturday. :(
And I told her so.
But, I asked her if she'd spotted Ariel yet.
Which she had.

and she mentioned that she wished I was there. That it would have been fun to see me.

Now...my state of mind is in that state of "Ha. Yah right." at the moment.
That she only mentioned it because I wasn't going to be there, but there was no real longing to actually see me. I could continue on, grab my food and head on home. With no consequences.

Still...I'd thought about going to the Vocal Point concert, not to see the performance since I'd already missed that. But to go see everyone after the show. Since Vocal Point does signings afterwards. Where they can interact with the fans and the fans can see them closer.
I'd seen them all Friday night. But there were Twitter friends of mine who were from out of town, that I'd seen Friday...but it would be fun to see them again briefly. Maybe get the chance to see Ariel, to run into and see other people I knew....

So as I was grabbing my food.
I made the decision.
To go.
My old roommate was going to be there. So I would get to see them at least. And I could find my Twitter friends.

So I put off running away for a bit.
To go be social for an hourish.

Because...why would my old roommate, after two years of not texting at all.
Randomly text me about the concert?
Randomly contact me? I mean, I had figured by now she would have gotten a different phone number.
Yet here she was, still with the same number, still having my number...texting me.

Would I just keep it at texting, and go on my merry way?
Or since I know where she is, and what time the concert was going to end, go and say hi and visit for a bit? She had reached out. I could reach out myself.

So I went, and spent like 20 minutes waiting for the concert to end.
And then.
I ran into Ariel!! :) I got to say hi!
And then all of a sudden I was being attacked hugged.
It was my old roommate! And she genuinely seemed excited to see me!

...Though it wasn't as long of a conversation as I would have hoped for... as she and her husband had to get back home to their young son.
But it was nice to see her in person and chat if only for a few minutes. :)
-And about this time...my current roommates went all haywire texting and calling me. which marred the happy experience I was trying to make for myself, instead of being guilt tripped about not telling them where I was going.-

But I was also able to see my Twitter friends!
Say hi to a few more members of previous Vocal Point groups that I admire.
Say hi to Mckay -current director of Vocal Point.
And feel for a bit that people knew and were happy to see me.
Just when I felt like nobody cared.

So it was definitely a bit of a blessing, to go to the 'after party' and be able to have people be happy to see me. Even in the chaos.

Plus, I was able to listen to encore performances during the signings from the Alumni. ^^ Ah. So much happiness hearing all those angelic voices together. :)

I was glad that I was able to go and experience a bit of that. :)
Before I made the long drive to my parent's place, for some much needed quiet time.

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

-Sarnic Dirchi