Super Smash Bro's

On Tuesday we had our pack's Pinewood Derby. It was pretty cool despite having to put it on ourselves. Last year was epic because we had a man from out of town come and do it for us. He had a light show, music, and games with the audience between heats. He came equipped with helpers, a jig for qualifying cars, and much much more. Most importantly, I didn't have to do anything. 

I was an idiot and didn't get in contact with him until about 6 weeks ago about doing it again only to learn that he wouldn't be available. It turns out we were the last derby he had hosted and he had to focus on his "family" or something. Whatever. Anyways we made it work and the kids had fun even though there was no rock concert this time. I'm just grateful for all the help I got from the other den leaders.

We have some new leaders that were called to help out since our Webelos leader graduated from Cal Poly and moved away. Hashtag lifegoals... About graduating I mean, not about moving away and being released from scouts. Have you seen my list of callings? Most people have one or two lines, I have a paragraph.

Note: I'm a substitute seminary teacher. (in case you thought
I was that righteous)

Worse than bragging, I'm complaining. I've decided that I can consider saying no to callings in the future. That way I can feel unworthy for not doing enough rather than be unworthy for resenting having so much responsibility.

There's a fine line between doing too much and thinking you do more than you do. And how can I complain about so many people in our ward not accepting callings when I complain about my own? The Savior gave His life for us, and we should strive to follow His example of selflessness. However, I think He also understands sometimes. People are usually given a break from callings for special circumstances, and it's not because they're selfish or because they lack the faith to receive the divine help they need.

Anyways, I should stop complaining. Merilee and I are the same in that we complain. I complain about being too busy and not having time to work out and she complains about 22 gauge needles going into her lower back and anything that has to do with being a woman.

300 IU of FSH analogs +Lupron
and Omnitrope

If you've played this game, you're hearing him say it.

Hopefully you saw our update on our fundraiser page. Some people having offered to fast for our cause. If you didn't know, that's fine. We appreciate your prayers. Of course whenever we post updates about our infertility there's always the adoption brigade that comes out to tell us how blessed we could be if we adopted. There's also people that just seem to know what we need to do (like go to Nebraska). They are sincere and kind and want only the best for us. However, I'm more than kind of sincere when I say that I want to falcon-punch some of those people in the throat.

Seriously though, I understand that adoption is very important, and indeed it blesses lives. Yet I really can't believe that it is the same thing as having your own child. And I mean that without trying to imply that one is superior to the other in any way or that an adopted child is not a real child. 

Birthing and adopting are, however, different in the way that children become sons or daughters and adults become parents. I could go on and explore my feelings about adoption, but my point is that it's not the grassy meadow of contentment that everyone tells you that you should be grazing in instead of doing IVF. Both are hard, and at this point in our marriage, adoption/foster care is even less of a fit for us than shooting Merilee up every morning. So when you tell me how great adoption is as I am about $30,000 into IVF, consider the following:

Made this meme all by myself.

Surviving the Harsh Environment of Space

A few lies:

1. Removing the battery from your cell phone makes it charge faster.
2. It will be bronze in the morning.
3. The cake.

This last week was possibly one of the heaviest work-wise that I've had in a while. It couldn't actually have been that bad since I only remember getting less than 7 hours of sleep once. School has been pretty easy this quarter so far actually. Perhaps I'm just slacking.

I had a lab report due Tuesday, Structures and Spacecraft Environments homework due Wednesday and a Structures midterm Wednesday. I also had an Aerothermodynamics III quiz and a Spacecraft Environments Midterm today (Thursday). 

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Courtesy: nasa.gov

Interesting...

Spacecraft Environments is a pretty interesting class not simply because of the material covered, but because it, along with the associated lab next quarter, is possibly not found in any other undergraduate program in the country. The courses were developed in reaction to industry feedback. Graduates performed well in many ways, yet many lacked the knowledge of why spacecraft look the way they do and why they need certain components, etc. It makes sense that knowledge of the environmental effects on spacecraft would be essential in design and execution of missions in space.

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This weekend was supposed to be packed as we prepared for our first launch attempt this coming Monday. Our oxidizer isn't arriving until Monday, and we won't be able to get the powder we need for the ejection charge until next week. Oh well.

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"Not-know-it-alls"

This is space. It does not cooperate.
Courtesy: The Martian

After so many trips up there, humans have learned a lot about space. We've also done a great job at making it more dangerous. However, despite our advances and engineering feats, there are still mysteries, surprises, and failures that serve as reminders that we don't know everything. Some of the equations we use for calculating orbital debris flux or solar intensity are stuffed full of random-looking coefficients that scientists made up, based on data collected. We're just trying to make it fit the model. We don't necessarily have a grasp on what's going on.

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You'd be surprised how hard it is to find black powder where we live. Well, you actually might not. What we need can be ordered, but the hazmat fee is almost $30 which more than doubles the cost. A local store here carries it, but only orders it for the hunting season which I guess is around October? Good to know.

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Trying to get it right

Spacecraft glow on shuttle.
Courtesy: NASA

I think that it's obvious for many people why it's important to do all you can to make sure something will work before sending millions of dollars into space on top of a controlled explosion. A major obstacle is that the space environment is very difficult to recreate on Earth's surface. Vacuum chambers, rail-guns, and other devices help, but not many can be used in conjunction for synergistic effects. Plus, you know what they say.  Failing to plan for any aspect of the space environment can easily result in complete failure of the mission. So many things can go wrong even when you're aware and plan for them.

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Despite having only rockets and lines of code in my brain, I was able to give a talk last month and I don't think I used any aerospace analogies this time. We also had Christmas. I guess a lot has happened since my last post.

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LDEF - The Real Thing

Stands for: Long Duration Exposure Facility

With the space shuttle, prolonged in-space experiments became possible. In class we learned about the LDEF, which carried panels with different materials all over the outside of a cylinder shape. Besides being able to view the effects on many different coatings and materials, LDEF also made possible the observation of the effects on different surfaces based on their orientation. This included the forward direction versus the sides and back of the space craft. Some coatings changed color while others eroded and some held intact. The experiment was so valuable for its ability to directly measure the effects of the space environment, that similar experiments have also been done on the International Space Station (ISS). 

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In my talk I was strangely given the choice of what I wanted to speak on, which was frightening as I usually get lost in my own thoughts when that happens. Luckily I was given an alternative topic which I blended with things that I had been thinking about lately.

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Our LDEF

This experiment reminded me of a YSA fireside I went to in Oakland after I got home from my mission. The speaker talked about how collision survival rates in cars rose after safety advancements were made thanks to the implementation of crash test dummies. Like the LDEF, a dummy is put right where the action is. The idea is that the dummy undergoes the same exact experience a human would, leaving estimations from complex models and equations behind and going for real, accurate data. The speaker's point was that our crash test dummy for life, of course, is Jesus Christ.

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The truth is that I've felt an increase in compassion for those going through difficulties, whether I'm aware of them or not. This compassion is imperfect, but is becoming more consistent. I reflected on my parents' challenges in a way that I hadn't before. After then considering my own challenges, and extending that to those around me, I've come to the conclusion that compassion is a catalyst which allows humankind to grow together. Think about that the next time you want to flip off the driver next to you.

Unfortunately, we can only do so much for each other. Sometimes I feel like sympathy only goes so far. In a way I've felt like my trials were like personal spiritual experiences. I think that one reason why it's not always appropriate to share them is because they usually don't mean as much to other people. I may have an increased feeling of sympathy for my parents as I get older and relate to them more, but unless I went through what they did, that sympathy is all I can have for them.

I don't know what it's like to grow up in an abusive home. I wasn't a marine in Vietnam. I've never lost children to miscarriages, buried a child, or had a rebellious child leave the church. I've never been through a divorce. Though I've never been swimming in cash, I've also haven't faced long-term unemployment or lost my home to foreclosure.

Everyone gets their own unique set of circumstances in life, and we're often ignorant of each other's. Thankfully, we have a loving Heavenly Father and His Son.

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The Book of Mormon, Alma 7

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

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Christ's love was so great that just knowing about the human experience wasn't enough. He could have known everything through the Spirit, but decided to experience it himself. He preferred to be empathetic instead of merely sympathetic. Who better to judge us than Him?

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13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

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To all of you also trying to survive the harsh environment of mortality: know that the Savior knows precisely what is coming your way as well as what you are made of. More importantly, He's already been there and is ready to help with any situation. Mer and I have witnessed first hand that, though we have our challenges, we've also been blessed with prayers answered, the knowledge of the Gospel, and each other.

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"As we rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses, and pain. We can be filled with joy, peace, and consolation. All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

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Marie, the baguettes, hurry up!

Sam and I machining the mold for
the carbon fiber fuselage lay up.

During a stake conference in Livermore a few years ago, a recently converted member of the Spanish branch bore her testimony in her native language. Fortunately, for most of the congregation who didn't understand Spanish, a young woman was translating. She was probably in her mid-teens, and I imagined that she had grown up in the US but with Spanish speaking parents. I think I was unkind later as I expressed dissatisfaction at her translation.

Tiny lizard sun bathing on the back
porch.

The woman who bore her testimony talked about the bitterness and the darkness that filled her soul before she found the gospel. The young woman's translation: "I felt really bad before I found the gospel." The testimony went on, explaining the emptiness, despair, and hopelessness she felt going through life. Translation: "She felt really bad."

I think I didn't feel mean chuckling about the poor translation with others afterwards because it was truly a bad translation. Those who didn't know the true meaning behind the convert's words were given a fuzzy image of what that woman had been going through.

Recently, the bishop in our ward issued a challenge to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. Going through it a little faster than usual, something stuck out to me while reading 1 Nephi 17. In the past, I would share select verses of this chapter with people to compare Nephi's perspective of his blessings in the wilderness to that of his brothers who only saw trials.

Observe Nephi's pairing of blessings with trials:

1 And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth. And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness.
2 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.

6 And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.

A few minutes before egg harvest.

I've heard it said that the reason behind the frequent repetition in scripture is because that was the way to emphasize ideas. Given that this chapter is full of verses outlining trials and blessings, and that Nephi mentions a quantity of trials incapable of being written, I'm wondering what exactly he went through, and if I could even understand it if I knew.

In the last year or so I've been frustrated a few times when trying to express myself to people. Sometimes I just keep things more or less to myself. When I don't, I often hear myself and I sound like that young woman trying to translate depth of emotion that I understand natively into the English language.

Then here's Nephi trying his best to tell me how hard things were for him and I just turn the page and hope there's not an Isaiah chapter coming.

It's like there's some sort of communication barrier that sets the cap at 98%. The last 2% is always the hardest. That's why they leave it in the milk.

Squash and quesadillas because
I love you.

So I'm trying to be more compassionate. Maybe people are doomed to never fully understand each other, but they can get a lot closer if they try harder. I'm also recognizing that coupled with my trials are immense blessings. Even so many that I could not list them here. I have a wife who loves me truly and fully, and I feel a happiness in that which alone makes up for everything else.

$3 Boo-ritos at Chipotle. No we didn't get sick

Those of us who have testimonies of Jesus Christ have hope in the atonement, something that is free and which encompasses and surpasses all our needs. I could go on and mention all the tender mercies Mer and I have received as we confront our challenges, but in the end my truest feelings of gratitude would just end up lost in translation, leaving here a fuzzy image in their place.

Trying to get the right lighting for our fundraiser picture.

Still not right

Making Chipotle at Home

I've had plenty of time to blog all Summer but when I finally wanted to, we got rid of our internet. We got it back by being sneaky. I'll explain the how.


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Step 1: Prepare

I cook small pieces of chicken in taco seasoning and add some beans. Keep it on the burner on low if you want to keep it warm. We usually add cheese, rice, cilantro, diced tomatoes, guac, salsa, sour cream, and some cumin (though I forgot it this time). This made almost 30 small burritos, so try to get about that many tortillas. We usually use medium flour tortillas

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From what I hear, cable companies are part of an oligopoly, so they basically charge as much as they want. That was evidenced by our monthly internet bill doubling from $30/month to $60/month Just. For. Internet.


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Step 2: Prepare more

A large piece of wax paper taped to the counter is nice. It keeps food off your counter and your counter off of your food.

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Given our current frustration with having to pay lots of money for lots of things, and not being able to make as much as we'd like, we decided to live without internet. Merilee almost never uses the internet at home, and I can get free internet at school or even at church. It seems crazy to not have internet access but we figured that we'd make the sacrifice.

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Step 3: Get ready to wrap

If you're making a bunch to freeze, I recommend placing plastic wrap down before building each burrito. It makes it easy. It doesn't have to be the good kind that actually sticks because you're just packing it into the freezer.

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The biggest difficulty was not being able to do video calls on Sunday. Since I'm not back in school and use the internet a lot for tutorials, I was using my phone as a hotspot until my high speed data ran out. Eventually, we decided to try going back, but having me sign up for it this time instead of Merilee. Previously, when I tried to call to talk about our service, they couldn't speak to me because my name wasn't on the account. Well it worked. We're back at the year-long promotional rate of $30/month for another year.

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Step 4: Tortilla

No explanation needed. (not that you need any of these instructions anyways)

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So I'm back at working on projects. I'm nine chapters through a book I borrowed on programming in C++, I finished the Python course on Codecademy a while ago, I've finished some conceptual CAD models and some other things for my guided-rocket project (Edwina). Though I don't plan on using C++ or Python much, going through the book on the former and the course on the latter have really helped me to understand coding a lot better. In fact, a lot of the Arduino codes used to receive accelerometer data are actually legible now.

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Step 5: Protein

Don't overdo it if you're doing small burritos. They don't need a lot of meat and you still have lots to add before folding.

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Mer and I had a great visit up in the Bay Area last month. We were invited to a ball game with friends. It was the A's versus the Giants, which was great to see since they were the two big teams I grew up next to. Mer successfully surprised me and her sister at a surprise birthday party with lots of friends from the singles ward, our Hayward ward, and some family. Mer's oldest sister also gave us a bunch of her old food storage since she was moving. Now Merilee's youngest sister is the only family we have in the Bay Area. It could be a while before we return. Weird.

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Step 6: Cheese Please



If the chicken/bean mixture is still hot, it will melt together. This is an added benefit if you're eating any fresh.
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We've been in our current ward for just over a year now. Mer was recently called as the first counselor in the Primary. We're trying to prepare for scouts that starts up again in about a week. The program is somewhat different than last year, and we'll have less scouts in our den since we had a few age out over the Summer. It's been nice having a break, and we're hoping that this time it won't be so crazy. Someone the other day asked if we were still doing scouts because of the recent changes in policy. As far as I know, there haven't been any different instructions given to us, so it's business as usual until we hear otherwise.

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Step 7: Rice

Use whatever type of rice you'd like but make sure to season it. I usually don't even add salt to rice since I always have it mixed with something tasty and find salt flavoring unnecessary. Occasionally with these burritos, the inside isn't so homogeneous and you bite into a chunk of white flavorless rice.

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We got a new nephew last week. He was named Emmett Indiana (after the dog), and we're excited to see him at Christmas. Since the new baby, Mer and I have been thinking of some awesome names for our own eventual children. No, this isn't an announcement of anything. We're not pregnant. However, we did want to call dibs on the following names:



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Step 8: Tomatoes

Add them.

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-Armando Armadillo Ward                    -Shenaynay YesYes Ward 
-Cockatrice Crocodile Ward                   -LaFaunte Shaniqua Ward
-William (Billy) Goat Ward                   -Cadfael Wassail Ward
-Sheriah (from Sheralyn) Ward              -Mohammed Faheem Ward



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Step 9: Cilantro etc.

Feel free to add any desired spices. Just know that the chicken will have enough and it should really go on other things like the tomatoes and rice etc

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I hereby call dibs, even retroactively if you already had any of these names picked (whether first or middle) times infinity I win.

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Step 10: Getting to the good stuff

Add sour cream. You have to.

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Names can be hard to think of, so let us know if you need any ideas. The ones I listed were only our top picks but there were plenty others we wouldn't mind parting with.

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Step 11: Guac

You obviously want to add tons of this, but just make sure you don't run out too early or else half of your burritos won't actually be burritos.

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I almost forgot, I got a job at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Having said that, they instructed us in training to put disclaimers whenever mentioning the store.

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Step 12: Salsa

Some salsas can have a lot of juice. We don't want burrito soup when we reheat these things, so be careful.

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The content of this posting is the poster's own opinions and views and does not contain or reflect the opinions or views of Bed, Bath, & Beyond or its affiliates.

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Step 13: Folding time

I learned how to fold burritos the way I do from YouTube. I highly recommend you do the same even though I'm about to explain it. First, push the insides towards the middle by lifting up on the tortilla from nine o'clock and three o'clock.
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Though it has cut into my time for my many projects, I have been enjoying being able to work. I'm hoping this will be my last retail job, however. They started me pretty late in the Summer, which is too bad, because there's a strong possibility that I'll be leaving once school starts.

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Step 14: More folding

With the filling pushed inside from the left and right, take the tortilla from six o'clock and fold it over to 12 o'clock. Press the 12 and six o'clock lips together and slide the six o'clock lip down towards the center to wipe the filling back towards the middle. As you do so, the pocket inside will "fill up."

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Classes begin on the 21st again. I think it's weird that it was the same exact day last year. We start so late but it's all good. Things will definitely start going crazy once it hits so I'm excited yet apprehensive. I'm taking three classes, all of which are AERO (yes! a thousand times yes!)

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Step 15: Halfway done

Now there should be filling in the center of the burrito, but hopefully not spilling out from anywhere. Fold the right side in so that you have a straight edge on that side...

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There's Orbital Mechanics, which should be fun. Also the second quarter of Aerothermodynamics. That should also be very good. Lastly, there is a Controls class, which I'm not %100 sure about. I'm not even really sure what Controls will be like at all.

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Step 16: Keep going

... then do the same on the other side, holding it together.

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I will be the Vice President for the composites club. During the Fall, that doesn't involve too much, but there is some preparation and paperwork that needs to get done for events in the Winter and Spring. Sam and I were also going to get involved with the rocketry club. It will be nice having so many things to do.

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Step 17: Really? 17+ steps for a burrito?

To finish it off, roll the burrito over like it's rolling away from you. The lip at 12 o'clock should tuck under and your masterpiece is complete.

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I just wanted to pause here and say good job to those that have made it this far down. You're either awesome because you're reading burrito making instructions, reading an update, or reading both at the same time. You're awesome. Keep going. It's almost finished.

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Step 18: That's a wrap!

If you put down plastic wrap, it should be easy to do the rest without any spills or having it fall apart on you. However, even if it comes loose a little bit, it's no big deal.

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Next week I'm starting P90x again. I was interrupted during my last attempt by illness and it's taken me a while to get back into it. I was two thirds of the way through it :( Oh well. I think next week I'll actually just run and then start P90x after that. The church pants that Mer got me for Christmas are starting to feel tighter and that is not acceptable.

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Step 19: Cleanup?

I neglected to mention that I'm usually hungry when I make these, so I grab a spare tortilla and munch on it.

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The two pies she just took out of the oven probably won't help.

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Step 20: Snack

The extra tortilla also makes any spills easy and delicious to clean up.

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I should probably try to set a routine now anyways. That way, when school starts, I'll keep it going. My first class doesn't start until one in the afternoon. So, going for a run in the morning shouldn't be an issue.

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Finally
If you have a small T-Rex, feed it.

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Everyone enjoy your week and be safe!

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A place downtown by the library.
They probably sell crossbows.

Sé que Soy Hombre Visionario

Hey everyone. I hope you all are doing fantastic. Sorry I don't call. Mer just got a call yesterday from a friend she hasn't spoken to in a while. There's always that guilty feeling you feel when you're the friend being called. Like, "why didn't I care to call during all this time?" Anyways, so that's why I haven't called you - to save you from the guilt. You're welcome.

The spring quarter ended last week. I had two finals and a paper due. Usually people hate having finals on Friday, but I appreciated the extra time to study and work on the paper. It was for the LGBT Literature and Media class (not the math class, surprisingly). I wrote about how a poem we read in class described the experiences of many during the AIDS crisis. It was sad, but also surprising that I hadn't really heard about it until this class. I guess it was at its worst around the early '90s or something, so I would have been really young (I was born the same year as Taylor Swift). I'm glad I survived that class with a B. The class was insightful in many, too many, ways.

I got A's in my other two classes though. It seems like I got through the two weeder classes and will probably be relaxing up a bit on my grades from here on out. Besides being Mer's movie-buddy, I'll have several extracurricular things going on.

1. I'll still be in SAMPE. In fact, next year I'll be the vice president working with my friend, Sam, who is the president.
2. Sam and I are also planning on participating in CPSS, which stands for Cal Poly Space Systems. They're basically Cal Poly's rocketry club.
3. Also with Sam (you'll think we were dating by this point), I'll be working on what I call the Edwina Project. Edwina is the pet name that Mer's given to my Arduino. Basically, the project is a personal project, the goal of which is to launch a rocket with electrical components for data acquisition and possibly other things (such as thrust vectoring, controlled recovery, remote ignition, etc.). It should be fun. I've been thinking about starting a new blog to follow us through the project.

You may remember how last time I mentioned a competition in May. Me and my partner, Anthony, did not place. We finished making the tooling for the project, which was awesome, but didn't have a lot of time afterwards for testing. The first bridge we made came out a little dry (meaning we didn't add enough resin), and we didn't have enough time nor material to make another one. I don't think the resin was the problem, however. It was the air bladder. We had time to finish the aluminum mold, but for next year we need to have an air bladder made to fit the bridge. We tried using a taped piece of vacuum bag material but we couldn't get it past 30 psi without leaks. The bridge broke at 5700 lbs or something.

So this summer, I didn't get any kind of job. I will probably go into Mer's work next week. The call center always hires people, and they have a pretty quick turnover since everyone hates calling people all day to sell stuff. I'm pretty sure I'd hate it, but we could definitely use the money. I'll only do it part time though. Partly for my sanity, but I'm also working on a few projects. CPSS isn't doing anything over the summer, but the Formula SAE team is doing some stuff, so I'll probably work with them to get some experience. I don't know if I'll continue with them into the fall, though. I need to learn more about how to use my Arduino (it's basically a mini computer for controlling things). I also wanted to learn another programming language besides Arduino, probably C++. I wanted to do some more stuff in MATLAB as well, such as finish a program I've been working on that makes a shopping list for you after you select from your list of recipes which ones you're shopping for. That would help us with meal planning because I hate hate hate hate having to look through each cookbook to see how many onions or peppers or whatever I need to buy.

Wife and husband, fresh out of the temple

What else is going on? Since I have more free time without school (obviously), I've been able to start reading the Book of Mormon in the mornings again. Mer and I are in the Old Testament in our reading. We will be there for a very very very long time, so the Book of Mormon is nice. This morning I read the chapters right after Lehi's son's obtain the plates of brass. I was reminded of how a mission companion of mine once humorously interpreted the dialogue of Lehi and Sariah. When she calls him out on being a visionary man, he responds saying "I know that I am a visionary man," then proceeds to tell her what would have happened had he not been. It's an interpretation people might be able to relate to.

Two years later and we're still eating cake

On a more serious note, I found myself relating to Lehi, possibly for the first time. He and I are both husbands. The trek out into the wilderness must have been hard to do. Mer and I haven't even been camping together with our six person tent and queen-sized air mattress. I guess everyone has their unique challenges. For Lehi, he had this great work to do. His marriage was probably a source of joy for him and helped support him as a prophet. However, I don't think that the proportion of Nephi's writings which describe Lehi as a spouse are representative of his dedication to that role which we are both called to fulfill. I mean to say that this wasn't the one and only time he needed to support his wife. But unlike what would happen in today's sitcom I don't see him responding to Sariah with a witty comeback. I see him with a comforting arm around her while he attempts to assure her that everything will end up alright, that God will protect their children, and that beyond the current wilderness there is a promised land.

Tall brothers I could never measure up to (I'm 5' 10")

Mer and I don't have any deserts or oceans to cross, but we are having our own trials. Thankfully, our marriage itself hasn't been one of them. Some A lot of people do mention, even publicly, that their marriage is hard even before children. Of course, we don't have children yet, though that itself has been a challenge. I'd like to blame part of our marital bliss on lessons learned from my parents' marriage, but it's at least 100% due to Mer. She's such a great example of how families should love each other, and how to be cute. My wonderful wife's only desire after a long and hard day at work is to spend time with me. Sometimes I'm so foolish that all I can seem to think about is all the things that need to get done. Merilee, you are my media naranja, eres un cacho de pan, you are so good to me. It's true what they say that we cannot treat our wives good enough.

Like I said at the top, I'm sorry for not calling anyone. I'm trying to pray for more people. Part of that is because I've noticed differences as more people have been praying for us. However, it's hard to know who to pray for since we don't talk. I'm going to start calling people, but in the meantime please include us in your prayers, and give me a call! That way you won't feel guilty when I call you.

Peace (which I heard means peace)

Chip-Chip, Hooray!

Hey guys. The winter quarter is over, and that means that it's time for me to finally give everyone an update and talk about the same stuff I always do. You're welcome.

Yesterday, we had a pack meeting for scouts. Merilee and I are still the wolf den leaders, but I've also taken up the role of Cubmaster since the last one moved up to the bay area (to my old stomping grounds of Walnut Creek, actually) with his wife. They didn't end up in my old ward, but they were close.

Anyways, it was pretty fun. We're trying to get the parents more involved and having fun with scouting. Scouting should be fun, right? I forgot to bring the cheer box though. The cheer box is not a box of Cheerios; rather, it is a box that scouts can stick their hands in when it's time for a cheer and they pull out a slip of paper with one of many cheers on it and we learn and perform the cheer. Without the box, Merilee made some up. They were goofy and pretty awesome! One included chipmunk impersonations. She is the cutest.

There are no cats in America

Last quarter ended up going alright. I got three A's and an A- in my English technical writing class. Boo. I hate plus-minus grades for a few reasons, one being that an A+ grade doesn't exist. Anyways, I'm still content with the quarter. One thing that was hard for me about that class was that a lot of things are subjective. Of course, when you're writing a report or making a fact sheet or composing a resume, there are certain things you should or should never do. However, there's still a lot of "I think it would look better if..." which pretty much means that there's no perfect way to do things. Am I venting because that class dropped my Cal Poly GPA down to 3.95? Of course.

I finally went to the doctor for a first visit/physical. It went fine, except when I weighed in at around 200 lbs. What the heck! I'm pretty sure all the weight that mom has lost has gone over to me since I got married (I was 165). I knew weight was just a number and didn't really measure fitness, but since I was fairly certain that I hadn't gained 35 lbs of muscle in the last year and a half, I felt I really needed to start working out again.

So now I'm on week five of P90X for the second time. I did the program last year around this time but then didn't do anything until about a month ago. The first week and a half were so so painful. I also got P90X2 so I have something to do after the program. I could alternate between the two, since I'm sure a three month program will give plenty of time for the muscle-confusion strategy to work. Adding exercise into my schedule was hard. Many people say you don't have time for it, but you have to make time for it. I'm sorry, but when you're married and studying rocket science and have other responsibilities, something has to give. Last week with finals and some assignments due, I had to stay up a few nights and didn't get all my workouts in.

I also am trying to diet. The program comes with a nutrition guide which I'm using to some extent. I'm not following it verbatim because I would need a personal chef in order to follow it exactly. I pretty much look at what they're telling me to have for each meal and snack, and try to match it the best I can. For example, for a typical breakfast they have you eat something like 8 oz 1% cottage cheese and a cup of strawberries. Instead, I get 2% cottage cheese because that's what Costco sells, then have a cup of whatever fruit I have. For a snack I usually have some mixed nuts. I'm also trying to have more soups and veggies with dinner. Mer and I have usually just made main dishes for dinner and skipped sides. It's easier that way but not very balanced. I ended up losing 10 lbs in the first two weeks, but have halted since then. I think I need to add running or something to start losing weight again.

This is the part when I tell you about the classes I have planned for next quarter (which starts on Monday)

I'm pretty psyched about only having 3 classes (still 13 units though). AERO 300 is Aerospace Engineering Analysis. Basically it's advanced engineering mathematics. It's supposed to be the first hard AERO class to see if you can get through everything else, and it's five units. I'm excited for it. AERO 301 is Aerothermodynamics I. I'm also excited for this class (although a lab with it would be cooler) because my physics teacher that covered thermodynamics at community college was brilliant but terrible at teaching. Learning about heat is actually pretty interesting and obviously important.

My third class is LGBT Literature and Media. I usually avoid taking classes about sexuality mainly because I don't feel like they would be very beneficial and I also do not value the opportunity to hear many of my peers' opinions on it. However, I have lots of GE requirements that can all be met with this one class. The first is an upper-division English class. Don't ask me why I have to take an upper-division GE class. To me it sounds like an oxymoron. The second is a United States Cultural Pluralism course, which is some random class having to do with american culture I guess. The last requirement it fulfills is the graduation writing requirement. There's a test you can pay to take once a quarter to fulfill it, or you can take a GWR-approved class. If you take the class option, you don't pay and you get multiple chances with your in-class essays to fulfill the requirement. Because of how crazy registration has been, I barely got into this class, but I'm glad I did. It will be the last GE I ever have to take (knock on wood), and it probably won't hurt to see things from another person's point of view.

The old (crappy) way to make a square beam

Other than that stuff, there's really not too much going on. I am still doing stuff with the composites club on campus, SAMPE. We have another competition in May. Me and a few others in the club have been working with a company down around San Diego to get some new tooling so we can use a better process for lay up and curing for square beams. So, that's exciting. Hopefully we can get it going fast and have better square beams done for the competition. The new process involves laying the carbon into an aluminum mold and inflating the inside with a bladder instead of wrapping layers around a two-by-four and adding pressure from the outside.

Failure somewhere around 2500 pounds