Blogging... What a let down!

okay... So it's been 5 days since my post.  No comments.

Haylee told me that most people wouldn't really understand what is in that image from the last post.  For those who aren't aware, it would be the crowning event of the 1994 Maxis classic SimTower.  Only when your tower has 5 stars are you permitted to build a cathedral, and the cathedral can only be built on the 100th floor.  I built a superwide tower up to level 45, then I built an elevator spire to the 100th floor for my cathedral.  That single cathedral is the fruit of hours and hours of effort.

But I understand that not everybody can appreciate my nunchucks skills, so there is no offense taken by all y'all's apparent lack of excitement.

However, I want my footprint on the blogosphere to be at least enjoyable for those who spend time looking at it.  Therefore, I have done some research to see why blogs of some are more popular than blogs of others.  I have come to the conclusion that I lack the childhood cuteness that typically interests people of the Mormon persuasion, which is a healthy chunk of our modest readership.

But we're not having a baby now, nor are we trying to.  Therefore, I am forced to share my very own childhood cuteness in efforts to entice readership.  My mother gave us boxes of stuff that mothers usually keep, and I found these, from kindergarten.  This first picture is of my lovely sister Miriam.  She was born in 1991, the year this picture was drawn, and it still looks just like her!

To properly understand this next poem, you must understand that I have inherited allergies from my mother's father and a genetic kitten-hatred from my own father.

Now, feel free to comment to tell me how you wish that your kids grow up to be as cute as me.

California and Progress

So we come to California, and we have a relaxing time enjoying the wedding of Haylee's good friend Cristin to her love, Fa.  Of course, it was a beautiful time and we quite enjoyed the company of Cristin's family and friends.

Of course, I do have a great accomplishment that I must share with you:

I remember playing Sim Tower in middle school once I finished my work in computer class.  Never had I enjoyed the success that I have found here.

On to other news, we have been working on our guest room.  It has a bed now and we bought an awesome comforter set.  I'm excited to have out-of-towners come and stay with us.

Budgeting for Marrieds

So here's how it goes:

Of course, we all live on a basic budget.  We know how much we make and we can't spend more than that.  But we have our wish lists.  Usually, mine is full of electronic things that I enjoy while sitting on the couch.  Haylee wants things that are pretty.  Clothes, house decorations, etc.  Also girly books and disney movies.

Of course, my things are very expensive.  Like... Hundreds of dollars, minimum.  That represents many hours of sitting in a cubicle.

How can I possibly not feel guilty for buying those things, when I know perfectly well that buying these toys will have zero positive impact on my long-term financial situation?  I could be putting that extra money torwards paying off the car, student loans, or house.  But those electronic things are so fun.

I need(ed) a receiver.  After all, the speakers are already in the ceiling, just begging to be powered.  And how can you possibly run a surround sound system without a subwoofer?  And once I have my receiver, how can I possibly operate such an amazing system without a fancy remote?

Okay.  I've established that I need these items.  Now how do I possibly make myself feel better about buying these things?

The solution: I can convince Haylee to buy things, too.  That way, if the money is too tight, then it was a contributory effort.  It wasn't just my fault. 

Of course, the end result is that all of my toys cost a bit more than the actual price on the tag, since the total bill includes buying stuff for Haylee, too.

But the "home theater" is starting to be freakin' awesome.  And I figure we have until kids arrive in a few years before we have to be really frugal.

Toomuchstuffhashappenedandiamtoolazytowriteaboutitiamevenlazyenoughtoforgetspacesandpunctuationmarks

I don't really feel like writing about all the stuff that has happened the last month.  We had Christmas, New Years, my birthday, Michael's birthday and our anniversary is today.  We moved into a new house and started going to our new ward. I finished another semester of school.That's a lot of stuff.  

The end.

p.s. I am not pregnant even though everyone else seems to be. haha.

Isabella...

is the most popular girls' name of 2008.  Hmm.  I wonder why.  haha.

Moving

Can I just say that moving is a nightmare? I absolutely love my new house but I feel so claustrophobic and OCD about all of the stuff laying around my house in boxes. AHHHH! Let's also talk about how fun it is to move when it is raining and it's the week before Christmas. Oh yeah. Woo.

Vote for ME!

It's Michael here.

Friends and neighbors, I have an announcement.

I love sharing my opinion on important issues.  I love debating everyday things that people care about and determining why they feel the way they do.  I believe in careful commitment to decisions that supports a better future.

Does that sound too politician-like?

How about this:

I want to run for Town of Gilbert leadership in 2010 or 2012.  Although I believe that Gilbert is one of the best municipalities in the nation, I feel that there are three areas that need to be addressed to make sure that Gilbert remains among the best places to live.

1.  Citizens need to be heard.  There are two recent examples where Gilbert citizens have been ignored recently.  One was by the school board, which went through the motions of openness only to insult citizens by ignoring their voice in the decisionmaking process.  Similarly, recent zoning decisions around the future temple site have been made without adequate consideration of the citizens' opinions.  Simply explaining what I am doing and why is not sufficient.  I must do what I do because I and the citizens both understand that the future will be better for what we do today.

I will address this concern by establishing a "Lobbyist Chat".  In these sessions, I will allow citizens to discuss with me what is on their mind.  I will call it "Lobbyist Chat" because I want the citizens to know that their lives and opinions are the voices that will steer my decisionmaking.  They will be my only lobbyists, and I will encourage citizens to make sure their opinions and lives are recognized in the leadership of their town.

2.  The city zoning hasn't been forward looking.  Nearly everybody who lives in Gilbert works elsewhere.  Why does Gilbert have some of the highest transit times in the valley?  Because city planning has failed to establish employment opportunities within the community for the citizens.  Without forethough and serious planning, Gilbert will continue to grow and be one of the best places to live... for perhaps another decade.  Then, Gilbert will become the new Mesa, a bedroom community full of great people who drive across town borders to work and spend.  Unfortunately, as we see in Mesa, when the citizens spend and work across the town borders, then the municipality cannot support the necessary infrastructure to maintain a safe and pleasant community.

I will address this concern through working towards a comprehensive city plan.  Town planning and zoning leadership can help Gilbert to become the community of the future that is the premier place to live, not just sleep.  I will work with the planning and zoning leadership to establish and communicate Gilbert's plan to be the most livable city in Arizona.  Although I do generally believe that a smaller government is a better government, I do believe that a city investment in business incentives to attract quality jobs and tax revenue is something that should be discussed and considered.

3.  City responsibilities of infrastrucutre and policing have been neglected.  Gilbert average transit times lead the Valley.  Public transit is not adequate or useful.  Gilbert police staffing is among the lowest in the valley.  Although this may be proportional to Gilbert's current level of safety, I am not sure that the level of police staffing is adequate to maintain the safety and comfort of Gilbert communities.

I will address these concerns by encouraging a reprioritization.  Gilbert should focus on utilization public transit through park and ride facilities that link to Phoenix's new light-rail system.  Gilbert needs to evaluate the utilization of roads, using a logistical analysis to determine if further progress can be made in light timing and speed limits to encourage a smoother, more efficient commute.  Finally, the police force needs to be strengthened.  Gilbert will manage the police force in a way that city leaders, citizens, and police leadership feels will maintain the safety of Gilbert.

That's what I'm thinking.

What do you think?

Are there obstacles I should be aware of?  Would you support my campaign?  Do you think I should run?

Now, I need to make sure that the house we're buying becomes ours so that I can live a year in Gilbert before the next election.