........Vespa....who'd have thought.........?

First, let me start back in December when I went to Las Vegas to see Muse, I was introduced to a new Band. The Paper Tongues. (see full post) That trip was pretty crazy by itself, but it seems it has gotten even more interesting 2 months down the road.

I got home and went to the Papertongues website and joined to be on their email list. Well apparently they had/have a sweepstakes going for a Paper Tongues Vespa....a Vespa...really? Kinda random, but cool none the less. So by signing up on their website, you would get entered automatically.

There are certain things in this world that a person would most likely never buy for themselves. Some good examples, for me, would be a jar of pickles, a Honda element, World of Warcraft, among other things the least likely thing I would buy for myself is a Vespa. If I were a single guy....well I AM single....but a Single guy living in Italy, I'd probably have one. However, I am not. So I wouldn't ever really see any need to buy a Vespa. However If i got one for free....that could be cool. I mean who doesn't want a free....anything?

This week has been busy. Studying, taking tests, working, being sick, working on a project, studying, almost non stop stuff. I rarely don't check my emails, but ever since I got my DROID, and have email on my phone, I don't really check other accounts anymore. Last night I get on and open up my old email, the one i signed up on the PT website with, and lo and behold I had an interesting email from them. This is what it looked like.

Dear Jeff Mabey,

We're writing to inform you that you've been randomly selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the Paper Tongues 'Ride to California on a Vespa' Contest. You've won a brand new Vespa S50. As per the official rules of the contest, you are required to provide all of the following documentation prior to being awarded the prize.

1. Proof of residence (copy of valid drivers license)
2. Proof of a valid license to operate a motorized cycle (winner is responsible for determining the appropriate class of license within their state of residence)
3. Proof of motor liability insurance
4. Completed W-9 form (attached) for tax reporting purposes.

Please contact us via email confirming receipt of this notice and acceptance of the grand prize offer as well as a the best phone number(s) to reach you. All documentation outlined above must be received by us via registered mail at the address below no later than 6pm EST March 12, 2010 or your status as the winner may be forfeited. Upon certification of eligibility requirements, you will be contacted to schedule delivery of the prize.

Please send the aforementioned documentation to the address below:

Paper Tongues - 'Ride to California on a Vespa' Contest
c/o A&M Octone Records
113 University Ave
11th Floor
New York, NY 10003

NOTE: we strongly suggest that you alert us via this email address with the detailed tracking information once your documentation has been sent to ensure prompt review.

Once again, Congratulations!,

Paper Tongues

To ME, that LOOKS pretty dang legit. Octone records is Legit, Paper Tongues is legit ( I saw them in concert), the contest is Legit (at least appears to be on their website), and well...I think I actually really DID win a Vespa. I was basically freaking out last night when I read the email. There was actually an email from this past Tuesday, saying "please read the email we sent you last Saturday, AND respond by Friday February 26th, or forfeit your prize." So I did. I haven't heard back from them yet......I'm just hoping Everything is cool. I don't know why it WOULDN'T be legit, but who knows I guess. Anyway I'll keep you....blog world....updated :)

YAY for a WIN!

My ThEoRy

This is My Theory on Dating, well not really on dating, but more on girls and guys. Today, not 30 years ago. I haven't met many people that disagree with me because there is truth in this.

The Way Things Are

Men: Simple.

Women:Complicated.

Simple Explanation: Many times girls will say "MAN GUYS ARE SO COMPLICATED!!!" but the reality, is that we are not. We ARE simple, but a girl's mind thinks so differently and so much more complicatedly, that they can't grasp how simple we must be, so we MUST be complicated. They're complicatedness, MAKES us SEEM complicated, when we're really simple.

Complicated Explanation:There is none. It needs none. Simple as that. (see?)

Ok there might be some biased conjecture seeing that I'm a guy, but just really think about relationships....and the issues people have. It really boils down to miscommunication. I had a recent relationship, which ended in us being just friends, where the whole thing was based on an open and honest communication-ship. It just makes sense: SAY the things you want to say. Don't HIDE things, be yourself. Instead of Analyzing, JUST ASK. I know it SOUNDS hard, but really....It's harder on the person to guess and freak out about things than it is to just talk. Communicate.

I don't feel my theory really needs any further explanation. I just do know that in today's day and age, Dating has become something people loath instead of enjoy. I haven't been actively dating lately, and I know I need too. My Mom made a good point yesterday; I can have fun with my roommates and I will miss that in the future, but a forever roommate and companion will be even more fun and kinda the next step in life. I just wish I could make it happen. Maybe I should try my Dad's approach: Find a Girl I like, go out a few times, then say "I think we should continue this relationship." (My Dad said that word for word. Yeah we make fun of him pretty much all the time for it.) Hey, It worked.

$$ MONEY $$

Let's be honest; If someone walked up to me and handed me the above pile of Bills, even if only the top one was a Benjamin, and the rest were George's, would I not take it? I'd love to say no, but of course I would!!!

Money, I believe, is the root of 99% of all stresses and problems. Of course many other factors can cause these stresses, however most likely it could be rooted back to the one thing that drives us as human beings to do the strangest things. I searched "Money Quotes" on Google, and found a few interesting and extremely true thoughts.

"They who are of the opinion that Money will do everything, may very well be suspected to do everything for Money" ~George Savile~

You walk down the street, you see garbage cans out, sometimes overflowing and sometimes empty. A truck drives by and picks it up and takes it away. It's one of those things we take for granted. One of those jobs that "someone has to do it," but how glorious is being a Garbage man? Growing up my Dad always said things like "you better get an education, or you'll end up a Garbage man." I honestly have no problem with a person being a garbage man, but it comes down to the point of doing almost anything for money. Picking up other peoples trash and taking it to a dump (that smells horrendously), and disposing of it for them. It's a job. I guess that is the important part. However in today's age of game shows, media, and greediness, people will do literally almost anything for money. I remember seeing commercials for a recent show basically flaunting a family and their problems and dishonesty for entertainment. I don't remember if it even took off, or if it's still around, but the fact is: People will do anything for money.

Meet James......

"The only reason a great many American families don't own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments" ~Mad Magazine~

James is the name of the elephant I will have one day....................America is all about "I want the best, and I want it now!" America is (insert insanely large number) Trillions of Dollars in debt. Yet the Government bails out the car companies? I guess that doesn't really reflect the true point of this quote, but people, as an example, want cars. Nice cars. Expensive cars. Unnecessary options. I will admit, I drive a nice car. I didn't buy it, but at this point in time i'm debating on getting rid of it to help my parents out. I don't NEED a really nice car, it's not necessary. How often do we as people see something we want, and just HAVE it. "Zero interest, no payments for a year, blah blah blah...." While these stipulations may be nice, generally people fall further into debt (mainly from fine print materials) than they would have saved by not splurging unnecessarily. Who needs an elephant? Who would want an elephant? Would it be completely AWESOME to have an elephant hanging out in your back yard? YESSSSSSSSSSSSS, is it completely unnecessary!?!?! Even more so.........But they have a good point. It's never been offered. Maybe it has, i doubt it, but if it were.......I'd probably want one. Who wouldn't want a pet elephant? James would be a good elephant.

"I'd like to live as a poor man with lots of money"~Pablo Picasso~

Who WANTS to live poor? No one. Who COULD live poor, most likely everyone. People have done it for thousands of years, and we're still here. It's not preferable by any means, I would rather have money than not, but I've discovered in the past 3 or 4 weeks I can get by with almost nothing. Cutting out fast food, not buying things that I WANT (unnecessary items aka movies, music, new guitar...etc.), and just watching my budget, I've been ok. The only drawback to this is the what If's. What if something happens and I need to pay some random bill. I know however everything will be ok, even if i have to go in debt, things will work out. It's the cycle. Things have to come full circle, it's just how life goes. Life is not ALWAYS so bad for one person, good things do happen. It's hard to see those things, or realize them when it seems all is downhill, but they do and will happen. I just have to keep telling myself that. My mission President once said "Money isn't the most important thing in the world, but it's great not having to worry about it." You don't HAVE to live the life of a rich person if you are rich, in fact I wouldn't. But having money to do what you need and support yourself and family without problems, that would be great.

Life is not meant to be lived in fear, stressed, in sorrow and depression. Life is meant to be enjoyed, as hard as that can be at times. Because of financial stresses on my family right now, I have let my guard down and let these stresses get to me. I've been debating making some major changes in my life because of this, but perhaps these stresses were the reason.

Only God knows how much my life needs to change, He and I both do. Maybe he is letting things happen to help me on my way during this time of my life, to change some things to help me progress beyond where I am now. Being stale is getting old, and changes are needed, and hopefully on their way. I'm not sure exactly which changes yet, I have made a list of pros and cons about one big change that would completely alter how I live life currently, and right now the change is looking more positive than negative. Of course if these changes occur, I will update to the 2 or 3 people that read this blog................:)

Lines, Tests, and Taco's

8 hours on campus, 2 hours spent taking tests, 1 hour 40 Minutes in class, 3 hours studying, one hour standing in line. Not too unsimilar from the one seen above. (the picture above is NOT the line i was standing in)

Today is February 4th, 2010. It's a Thursday. It isn't close to any midterms, not remotely close to finals, just an average day of the week in, during an atypically warm day in February (this is somewhat relevant). Along with the a-typicality of "warm" weather in February, why not throw in a long line at the testing center?

Normally I don't put tests off until the last 3 hours of the last day to take them, however in this case it was the only choice I had. Generally teachers give at least 2-3 days to take a test, but for the first time in my college career I had only 1 day to take a test. On top of that I had another test for a class within my major, scheduled yesterday and today. Is it really THAT hard for 2 teachers to coordinate their exams? Do teachers do this on purpose to throw us off? I mean what was the difference of one test being Wed-Thurs, and the other class Thurs-Fri. Or even if the teacher wanted to keep it at one day, why not put it on Friday instead of on the same day as the two-day exam? The teacher did in fact cancel class today, which gave her reason to say we could take it during that class time at the very least. It just isn't logical. I realize that this is college, and teachers just do what they want because, well, they're the teacher. However, I believe they should take into consideration the fact that we as students, as human beings, have a life outside of BYU. REALLY!?!? What a SHOCKER!!! (Note: I really don't have much of a life, but I do work.....and Do other stuff too...)

I planned my day out relatively simple. I took work off to study more, which gave me the option to sleep in some (which was needed since it still ended up being a long day). I went to campus at 12:30 ish, took my first test, Hearing Science, from 1-2:15 or so, then met up with some people to study for the second test on my agenda. By this point we had all studied our brains out, and extra studying, especially group, turned into chatting and joking around. In the 2 hour period i was with those friends, we probably studied for half that, or less. But that was ok; it was good to relax a bit and actually enjoy life as a student for once. I took off to grab some food and study for a quiz in my upcoming class at 5: Writings of Isaiah. (It sounds intense, and it actually is somewhat, but more than that it's quite exciting. I always skip through the Isaiah chapters when I get to them in the Book of Mormon; now that I have a class with a teacher that knows historical and cultural background to the things Isaiah is saying, it's interesting to realize how "Plain" he was speaking to those people.) After class I planned on heading to the testing center and taking my last test: Phonological and Articulation Disorders. Exciting huh? As the testing center is the next building over from where I had my Isaiah class, I realized my plan was horribly foiled as soon as I walked out that door.

When a person goes to a theme park, a concert, an autograph signing, or a prime example would be Black Friday shopping, waiting in a line is expected. The only time waiting in a line for a test could be said to be, "expected," would be during finals week. Is it finals now? No. Should there be a line OUT THE DOOR, over to the next building over, on a THURSDAY in FEBRUARY? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently the printer, that prints out scan-trons, pooped out and it forced the staff to write the student names and information in the test, thus causing the back up and extra abnormally long lines. For a COMPLETE report on what happened, go here.

Have we become so dependent on technology, the second it craps out on us, it completely halts all traffic and stops everything? I can't even remember what it was like to not have the internet, a cell phone, Electricity........Even on my mission in Bolivia, in the middle of the jungle, we had electricity and running water (not to say everyone there does). I realize that establishments, such as BYU, have a system in place to make things work even if something does happen. I also suppose it could have been worse. It was one of the warmer days we've had recently, and even though it was well past dark, it wasn't completely unbearable to be outside for 20 minutes I had to be. I found a friend in line that so happened to be in my Isaiah class, AND taking the same test I was, so it made the line not seem so boring and gave us a chance to study and ask questions.

There's always someone worse off than yourself. Sometimes I forget this, but there is a lot of truth in that statement. My new friend, Kimbri, tried to keep a positive outlook on things as we got closer to the........finish, not sure if that's the right word since taking a test isn't exactly something to look forward to...........And it reminded me of something my 2nd companion taught me. Look around you, look around the world, look anywhere, and you will find someone worse off than yourself. I know I am truly blessed and have such a good quality life. Sure it's not exciting sometimes, but I really do have it good.

Taco's: I made Taco's tonight. I finished them past 10, but it was my dinner night. My roommates and I have kept a good thing going for the past 3-4 weeks. All taking turns making dinner and taking a dish night. I really do appreciate their willingness to make things better. I'm attempting to make new dishes weekly. So far I have Made BBQ Biscuit Casserole and Poppy Seed Chicken, both thanks to my good friend Megan. I did my amazing Taco's tonight. I think they are. Any readers out there, I know they are few, If you have any good, simple or somewhat "challenging" recipes you think I should try, throw it out there. I want to LEARN!!!!