Piddle

Andy and I were discussing the definition of piddle. I don't remember how we came upon the subject, but I typed the word into Google to find the definition. Piddle means to waste time and the slang meaning is to urinate. We decided that when Andy is using the word, he is most often referring to children or dogs urinating. But this is one of the pictures that comes up when you type the word into the search engine:

Obviously this shows that piddle does not apply to just children and dogs . . . but then again maybe it just supports that theory!

The Recession and Andy

So I met with one of my professor's yesterday before class. And here is what I learned about the different career options.

1. Health Clubs- During a recession the number of club memberships goes up (that and the number of alcoholics). However what people cut out is personal training and group classes. So entering the training business without an established clientele is very difficult.

2. Corporate Fitness- It was very popular for large companies to add a gym to their building recognizing the positive effects. But when the company hits economic trouble guess what is the first thing to be cut.

3. K-12- Many schools right now are faced with a dilemma, they have no money which mean something needs to get cut.
A. Cut Health and PE (which is why I am school right now)
B. Cut or limit sports, which means getting into coaching right now is hard.
C. Cut the Salary of the teachers (many schools have done this) which forces teachers into extracurricular activities to supplement their salary.

4. Coaching in College- This is still a possibility, but I cannot find a place where I can now, because I have class during practice.

5. Work for the Military- They perform lots of tests to determine health. But I know nothing about this. But working for the Government is not a bad situation.

6. Continue on to another University- With this comes two options.
A. Start working on a PhD with the intention to become a professor.
B. Try to start teaching at a school that does not require a PhD.

So here is my update on our current situation. Stefany and I are having a fun time looking at many options. *note if she was not such a hard worker we would be in trouble.

Now once the Obama health plan (where Prevention becomes the focus) is enacted, I will hopefully become quite marketable.

Just think that there is a 17% chance that you will be calling me Dr. Andy in 5 years.

Very Cool Story

Approximately 2.6 million Americans lost their jobs last year. One of them couldn't have been happier about it.

Superfan Lionel Rodia celebrates with the Phillies after their World Series win in October.

His name is Lionel Rodia, of suburban Philadelphia, and if they ever build a national Fan Hall of Fame, what he did in Game 5 of last year's World Series should get his face on the logo.

When Lionel's staffing company was sold and he was pink-slipped, it knocked him flatter than forgotten beer. And it's not easy to flatten Lionel, who is as pessimistic as a rainbow and twice as colorful. His real name is Mike, but they call him Lionel because, like the train, he can't be stopped.

So Lionel, 42, did what any true Philly fan would do: He started begging, borrowing and stealing his way into every Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers game he could. And nobody nudges better than Lionel. "I've never been to a Springsteen concert with him where he didn't say, 'Follow me,' and we didn't end up in the front row," says Lionel's best friend, Tom (Tush) Millison.

When the Phils played in the soggy World Series Game 5—up three games to one—Lionel sat along the leftfield foul pole in a seat he'd gotten for free. With the game tied 2-2 in the sixth, rain checks were issued for the rest of Game 5, to be played two nights later. That is when Lionel somehow sneaked into the swanky Diamond Club section behind the plate, where Tush has season tickets.

Ten minutes in, Tush is in his seat—five rows up, just off home plate—when his cell buzzes. It's Lionel. "Look to your right," Lionel says. And there he is, sitting TWO rows back, DEAD CENTER behind home plate, grinning like Phil Mickelson.

Now, the Phillies have just won, 4-3, when Lionel notices a 6'8" guy in a suit begin to walk down the aisle. Lionel figures the guy's important, so he slinks in behind him, through a gate and toward the Tampa dugout. Who's in there but Bud Selig, some suits and the World Series trophy, all of which are on the field a minute later for the presentation of hardware to Phillies boss David Montgomery. Which is weird, because the way Lionel is strutting around, you'd think he were the boss.

That's when a bat boy starts throwing championship T-shirts to everyone, including you-know-who. Now comes a Hawaiian woman handing out leis. And because Lionel has all kinds of time to read every word about his beloved Phils, he knows it's Shane Victorino's mom. He says, "Hey, Mrs. Victorino!" And she puts one around his neck and kisses him and cries some more.

Lionel goes 5'8", 240, and he's got the same shirt and lei as the players, so he looks like a player, which is maybe why he's suddenly in the middle of every hug. And that's about when Chase Utley says to Jimmy Rollins: "Let's go celebrate!" And Lionel says exactly what you'd think he'd say, which is, "I'm with you guys!"

So now Lionel is in the madhouse clubhouse, where he sees tubs of champagne and beer. Naturally, he chugs a beer. He has become a human Bud Light commercial.

And it hits him. "The last time Philly won anything was in 1983, the Sixers over the Lakers," Lionel says. "And I watched Dr. J get the trophy in the locker room and thought, Wow, I'd like to be there."

Bucket list? Check.

Now Lionel starts going lotto-champagne crazy, squirting multimillionaire athletes up the nose, in the eyes and down the shorts. He pours an entire bottle over the head of slugger Ryan Howard. Matt Stairs gives him a head butt. He kisses pitcher Jamie Moyer on the cheek and yells, "Thank you for everything!" And Moyer yells, "No, thank you!"

Now Tush's cell rings again. But it's not Lionel. It's a buddy going, "I swear I just saw Lionel on TV celebrating in the clubhouse! But that can't be, can it?"

Oh yes. Yes, it can.

Finally, Lionel comes out with a bottle under his coat, and they all end up at their favorite canteen, Barnaby's, where Lionel pours out the bubbly and his story to anyone who will drink it in, which is everybody.

Greatest fan day ever.

"I'm just so glad it happened to Lionel," Tush says. "He's been through a really rough time with the job stuff. But this kind of eased the sting."

And now I see the Flyers playing well. And my only thought is: Wonder how Lionel will spend his day with the Cup?

Mr. President

One of the benefits of night classes is that I got to watch everything on this historic day. It was amazing, I got watch The Obama's go in and leave church at the President's church. I was also able to see the Obama's head into have coffee with the Bush's. It was very nice to see Michelle give her gift to Laura Bush, and to hear how wonderful these couples treated each other.

And then from the moment that I started watching the former Presidents walk into the inauguration I began to get chills. By the time that President Obama was being sworn in I was crying. It was like I was watching Rudy, Brian's Song and Hardball while cutting Onions.

What an amazing time to be alive, and to hear the stories from the people that thought this day would never come.

God Bless America

My prayers go out to the Kennedy family

My feet

So I suffer from feet claustrophobia. As soon as I put a blanket on me I need to find the escape route for my feet. This needs to be done immediately and often aggressively. After this happens Stefany (whom I love) begins to laugh at me. She thinks that it is funny, which may be true but that is no excuse.

This is just how I am wired, would you make fun of someone who has head claustrophobia?

Think about that?

So 24 years ago a young couple in Seattle gave birth to their first child, Stefany Rosita Larsen. Here we are in 2008, she is a grown married girl (not a woman) and the most amazing person that I have ever met.

Stefany I love you very much

Have a wonderful birth day

Thanks President Bush

As President Bush's days as President come to an end I would like to take this moment to thank him for his service to the country and highlight some of his successes.

1. His effort to fight AIDS. He has increased funding and made it so that you do not have to be Rich to receive treatment.

"In 2002, Bush helped launch the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to which the United States is the biggest single contributor.
And in 2003 he set up the President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (PEPFAR), focused on 15 countries, mainly in Africa."

2. No Child Left Behind I am not a fan of, but he has focused on Education and increased funding more than any other President.

"Test scores have been rising around the country in recent years, while the achievement gap between white and minority students is closing."

3. Reduce the number of youth who use and abuse drugs. He made a goal to reduce drug use by 25% during his presidency. And if you rule out prescription drug use (which has risen) he has lowered drug use by 24%.

"With the expansion of federally funded student drug-testing programs to 80 school districts nationally; increased screening, brief interventions, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) programs in healthcare settings; and the Access to Recovery treatment voucher program, which has resulted in 190,000 people with addiction getting services."

4. He was the leader that we needed during the Post 9/11 era. He led the charge to increase patriotism and faith.



Thank You for your service and Patriotism

Aerobics

So I do not feel like my knees are able to handle running yet. I will need to lose probably about 15 lbs first. So this week I did aerobics twice (and I will not do them in front of anyone for less than 10 grand)

Well I woke up this morning with a very soar back, and decided that a back disease might take me out of aerobics for good. So now I am contemplating how to exercise in the mean time. Maybe a WII fit (hint Stefany).

Union Sqaure ward

So it is quite fun sitting in Elders Quorum listening to the comments. I feel like I can hang with most people intellectually, however this changes when I listen to the comments. The word Dichotomy was used 6 or 7 times during a lesson on Charity (I now plan to use it often). The ward consists of Ivy League grads that live downtown and people getting post baccalaureate degrees at NYU living in the Village. So I sit by the USC grad who as a junior partner at Price Waterhouse (I guess closer to my level) talks like me.

The point of the story is now I know how all those people in Spokane felt when I used big wards and talked way above the intellectual capacity of the room.

I do not mean to be speaking in sardonic tone