Woman's Conference

Mom and I went to woman's conference yesterday. It was really good. I especially liked the one about faith. How doubt and faith cannot exist in the same place. I got two blisters from my sunday shoes. Elder Tom Perry gave the closing talk, about creating a positive image of the church. It took forever to get out of the parking lot.

My Brute

Hey, here is a website where people can fight each other. It's random, so all you have to do is watch. Come join me!
http://joebilly.mybrute.com

Date #2

So I went on another date with Sam on Friday. We went down to St. George. It was warm, but the wind still made it slightly cooler. We went up to what is called the sugar-loafs, just some rock formations right above St. George. We hiked a bit and squeezed our way through this ravine, it was slightly claustrophobic, but I thought it was going to be worse. We then hiked to a picnic table and ate lunch/dinner. Then we sat on top of the sugar-loafs for an hour or so, talking. It was nice to sit there and look out at the city, but I didn't talk a whole bunch and it was slightly chilly. We then went in search for a duck pond, but only found a fishing pond with lots of dead fish in it. The we drove by the Lava Fields and then drove home. We mainly talked on the ride there, I found out we both like playing Zelda and listen to They Might Be Giants. So yeah, that was my wonderful second date.

Spring Break l

So for the start of my spring break I stayed at my apartment with just Janelle.

On Friday I had a date with a guy named Sam. He's in my institute class. We were going to go forewheeling, but had to change plans. So we went over to his friends house and made pizza. The pizza was great by-the-way, and after some trial and error it was cooked. Sam's friend's (whom I have forgotten his name) mom was pretty funny. She gave me an apron so I wouldn't get flour on my shirt, but she didn't give one to anyone else. She also had me try one of her muffins (she puts spinach in them), and they were actually pretty good.

After the pizza was cooked we went downstairs and watched Groundhogs Day. Sam's friend started a fire in their pot-belly stove and we all squished together under a blanket. After that we went back upstairs and played Apples to Apples.

This date made me realize something. I don't know if I like super smart guys. Sam has a watch that is binary code. He reads the time in ones and zeros! He's also really smart in others things. I think I like my guys to be creative and outdoorsy.

Anyhoo. Janelle and I didn't really do much else that weekend. We finished watching Avatar (stayed up till one to do it too). That was fun. So yeah, that was the beginning of my Spring Break.

Spring Break ll

Spring break has just finished. It was both interesting and pretty dull.

I went sailing with my parents at Lake Mead. There was absolutely no wind the entire four days we were there. Okay, there was about an hour of wind on Wednesday and Thursday, but other than that we've been motoring about at 5 mph. I sat on that sailboat and got the funkiest sunburns and tan lines I have ever had.

There were some interesting high points on this trip though. On the first night the anchor line got stuck on the keel (?) or something and Dad had to go in the water, under the boat and undo the damage. The water was supposedly pretty cold. That we went back to the dock and stayed the night there.

On Wednesday we anchored early in a very nice, shallow area. Mom and I rowed an unsteady blow-up canoe to shore and walked around. That night we were the only ones out on the lake. It was kind of creepy actually; how separated we were from everything else.

Thursday we went through the gorge. It was narrow and the cliffs on either side were high and rocky. That's where the wind picked up. There were shallow areas on both sides and rocks hiding just beneath the water. Mom and Dad took care in navigating through there, I just sat there and filmed and took pictures. We docked at Calville Docks (I think) and later that evening Kristy (ok, I'm sure that's not how you spell her name, but oh well) came to visit. We motored out and talked, we started dinner, and then we sat around and talked some more.

Friday we spent the whole time getting back to Echo Bay. My Ipod had run out of battery, so I just sat there the whole day. When we were docked at Echo Bay and getting ready for bed, there were a couple of drunk guys a few slots down. They said hi to my Dad and complimented his shirt, but when he didn't respond to them they got a little pissed off. They didn't do anything. Of course how could they know that they were talking to a deaf guy?

Anyway, we left on Saturday. After a while being in a small space with my parents, they were starting to drive me bonkers. So that was my whole vacation. A new experience, but nothing much happened.

The Draper Temple

I just walked through the Draper Temple today! It was so beautiful! I especially liked the Celestial Room and the Bride's dressing room, so pretty! If anyone gets a chance, please walk through it before it is dedicated in March.

Friday the 13th

Here are some interesting facts about Friday the 13th:

• The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia

• Thirteen is considered to be an unlucky number, while Friday is an unlucky day

• Twelve is considered the number of completness, while Thirteen is irregular trangressing the completness of Twelve.

• "The actual origin of the superstition, though, appears also to be a tale in Norse mythology. Friday is named for Frigga, the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility. When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigga was banished in shame to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the spiteful goddess convened a meeting with eleven other witches, plus the devil - a gathering of thirteen - and plotted ill turns of fate for the coming week. For many centuries in Scandinavia, Friday was known as "Witches' Sabbath." - Charles Panati

• The Knights Templar were a monastic military order founded in Jerusalem in 1118 C.E., whose mission was to protect Christian pilgrims during the Crusades. Over the next two centuries, the Knights Templar became extraordinarily powerful and wealthy. Threatened by that power and eager to acquire their wealth, King Philip secretly ordered the mass arrest of all the Knights Templar in France on Friday, October 13, 1307 - Friday the 13th.

• This superstition wasn't seen until after 1907. Its popularity might be derived from the publication of Friday the 13th by Thomas W. Lawson, which is about a broker that takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on Friday the 13th.

• Some people are so terrified of this day that they change their normal routine, even going so far as to not even get out of bed.

• the U.S. loses about $800-900 million dollars in lost business on this day

• There are actually less accidents and thefts on this day because people become more cautious, but there also seems to be a higher rate of traffic accidents on this day

• This year there will be three Friday the 13ths: February, March, and November

So be careful out there and enjoy Friday the 13th!
(information derived from Wikipedia)