A Smile... of Happiness

Smile!!!

<-- This guy does it correctly

 

 ^

Emo Hitler does it wrong

 He just needs to turn it upside down--->

So you might be 

WONDERING 

why...               I have so much about smiles... 

well.... [can you tell I like girls ellipses?] I have to tell you something. The other day I realized [or rather I was told]

that I have an amazing smile.

It's not one of those things you usually see in yourself === I certainly HOPE not === but such has been said too many times very recently and over time that I'm beginning to believe it. I mean it's really one of the things  that people comment most on to me. "Wow Bourne! You're always smiling!" "Don't you ever stop smiling!?!?"

And I also try very hard to make sure everyone around me has a good reason to smile. A smile from me (they're infectious), a joke, or I'll even do something absurd and totally outrageous. [band anyone?]

Let me be Frank. Actually... I'd rather just be myself.

 Poor pun aside (and a bit above)

I'm not really all that proud of my body.

MONGO CONFESSION SECTION!!!

My body is nice and strong and such... but it's... hard to explain. The only part of it I'm somewhat proud of

IS

MY LEGS!!!!

 

Isn't that beautiful? Alright alright. It's an old tacky picture but I like it. 

 Now back to the main topic of this post. My smile. The most recent example of the power of my own smile goes back to a day earlier this week. I was hanging out in the mall with some friends. Two girls walked into the store (Pac Sun or whatever) and they were cute. My friends (two of which were on shift at the store) saw me look and dared me to flirt with them. Naturally, me being the bashful guy I am, just smiled and blushed and looked away. Then I felt the eyes upon me. I looked up and made eye contact and I guess I smiled. I continued talking with my friends and awkwardly not making eye contact with either of those girls. But I would casually look over and everytime I did that they happened to look over at me. 

Right after they left, a girl friend I was with (notice the space?) started going crazy. She was amazed that somehow I had managed to flirt with the girls without even going over and talking to them.

This really started me thinking... what is a smile? What does it do? 

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” --Mother Teresa of Calcutta

I then realized that I smile, not only for me, but for others. I smile nonstop when people see me, because I'm always enjoying the presence of others. 

I LOVE being with and around people.

And that makes me happy inside. “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” --  Thich Nhat Hanh quotes (Vietnamese Monk, Activist and Writer

  And I also have learned that throughout my life, I've always tried to make others around me smile and feel some happiness. Why? I know not. Probably because everybody looks good with a smile on their face :D

Then there are times where I remember how great it is to have something to smile about. I look back at my Freshman year. Before I moved to Timpview, I lived in a middle of nowhere town and had tons of awesome friends that I could go hang out with and do anything at anytime. Life was amazing.

Then I moved.

I had been uprooted and now lived in a place that always had noise and thousands of people.  I went to a school where I wouldn't be able to know everybody's name (though I sure tried over the years) just through sheer dint of numbers.  

Being as it was January, everyone knew everyone and was totally comfortable. I wasn't. Coming from a small, middle of nowhere town was rather hard for me. The Commons were a constant struggle just because I did not want to be rude at all and perchance offend somebody (don't worry I got over that worry). And to make matters more difficult, I had that issue almost every person that moves in to a new place has.  

Making new friends was hard. 

 It took me about two months to really make a few friends (Thank you band) that I would hang out with at school. Before that point I went to classes, felt embarrassed I knew the answer to every question {small classes move through material faster than big classes}, ate lunch ALONE in the cafeteria, then watched the chess club play chess. After which I'd go back to sitting in the corner in class.

What does any of this have to do with me smiling? It made me appreciate the power of a smile. People say that a smile can really make a person's day. Fact is, the saying is true. I made it a specific goal in my life to help others smile. What has it gotten me? Well it has turned my smile.... 

 into a...

 Smile    of     HAPPINESS

 

 

SUCCESS!! ^.*

Zombieland

Once upon a time I watched a show called Zombieland, but this show made me think...  and from the painstaking process of thinking I thought of this: Why is everyone so unprepared?! Did we not see this coming?! Are there not hundreds of zombie movies and books warning us of the apocalypse?! (My favorite of which is zombiesurvivalwiki.com ) I decided that this is an urgent matter that needs discussed immediately so your brains don’t get chewed out.


Now I know that the popular culture is into vampires slash Twilight. But zombies are much better. And just saying, Twilight sucks. (Does anybody else remember how everybody was/is obsessed with me "being?" Jacob Black?) Zombies and vampires both have some things in common though so I think a compare and contrast is in order.


-Both want a relationship with humans.
(Vampires want to fall in love and Zombies are in love with your vital organs)
-Both are hungry.
(Vampires want a sip from your neck with the exception of Twilight, and Zombies prefer brain soup)
-Both have a unique fashion sense.
(Vampires have dandruff of glitter and capes, Zombies have various limbs missing and blood stained clothes)
-And lastly both are at the forefront of media today
(Vampires are preteen crushes and Zombies are in the action slash horror genre)


Now all you vampire people, grow up, get real. Zombies are for realz [4 srs guyz] and more likely to eat you. Vampires just drown you in glitter; you can get the same thing at a gay pride parade. Now, time to talk seriously on how to survive, and facts you may not know about zombies.


How to spot a zombie:
-Grey slash pale skin
-Wound that doesn’t stop bleeding
-Visual signs of decay
-Smells horrid
-“Empty” eyes
-And lastly the mindless moaning and groaning of the living dead
(Also please note: If anyone you know starts biting you or ripping your flesh, this is also a vital indication of the undead. Best to kill them and ask questions later)


Speed of a zombie:
-There are two speeds for zombies (much like those old lawn mowers that have the speed of ‘turtle’ and ‘rabbit’)
+Turtle speed- zombie is traveling at a slow ‘shamble’, in other words if you walk at a normal slash fast pace you can out walk them
+Rabbit speed- zombie is pumped full of adrenaline, aka supa fast! My best tip on this one is to run faster than humanly possible


How to treat the infected:
- Homeopathic remedies
+There are none.
+ But homeopathic means natural, so a natural way to treat infected would be the injuring of the brain via rock, stick, or large mammal.
- There is no cure. Plain. Simple.


How to kill a zombie:
-Destroy the brain or remove the head


What to do if your friend is infected:
- Take no chances, kill them immediately and dispose of the body away from your hideout
- Be sure to cut all emotional ties beforehand so that this is not a painful process
FOR EXAMPLE: 
If my one of best friends, lets say Jaron Harris, becomes a zombie. Even though he means more than most girls to me, I would be forced to view him no longer as my friend, but as a creature wanting to eat my raw, bloody flesh (Side note: This would be a very noticeable change in his character because he is usually a rather shy, bashful guy and that's just against his nature). So I would have to destroy his lovely brain. (I would most likely use a chainsaw because I would want to make his death as epic as possible) 


{If you click on Jaron's name you will see his Facebook page and realize what a hunk he is. If you need a date, he is certainly available}


What to do if you’re infected:
-Gather useful tools and weapons and give them to other survivors
-Dispatch yourself
   = You may decide to go out in a blaze of glory attempting to take as many zombies with you as possible. Please make sure you can go through with this and destroy your own brain in the process.

Safest spot:
- High ground with land for farming and source of clean water.
-Be sure to have an escape route


Optimal weapons:
-Melee weapons (these are the most efficient due to the fact that they will not run out of ammo) *take precautions- zombie splatter could infect you*
+Katana- most efficient killing tool
+Shaolin Spade- Pole arm works as weapon and shovel
+Crowbar- heavy and blunt, good for brain smashing, also efficient for opening stuff
+Other blunt objects such as bats, guitars, croquet sticks are also useful
-Firearms (Accuracy > Rate of fire)
+Bolt-action and semi-automatic are ideal
+ High caliber machine guns are also handy on the occasional killing spree

  If you want to learn more read 

"The Zombie Survival Guide"

I will gladly loan it out if you only hang out with me *wink wink*

Also watching the movie Zombieland may give you some more helpful rules of survival. 


Now, I hope everyone is educated enough to now defend themselves against a zombie uprising. And with that I leave you with this:


Little Rock: [playing Monopoly] Oh, free parking.
Wichita: Which, coincidentally, is the best thing about Zombieland.
Columbus: No, the best thing about Z-land, no Facebook status updates. You know, "Rob Curtis is gearing up for Friday." Who cares?
Tallahassee: The best thing is no more flushing. Epic.

Oh wow!!! Looky here... another blog post!! I know it has been ages since I last made one, and it has recently come to my attention that some people actually look at my blog. Shocking right? It's pretty ridiculous, but the truth tends to be ridiculous.
               I lack a defined topic today, but a short while back I happened to see a sight that I'm not entirely sure what to think of it. While at Chuck-a-rama (thanks to my saintly grandfather who treated my family and some wayward waifs to that smorgasbord) I was being bored out of my skull while waiting for a table to open up for out party of nine. After what was an eternity (Five minutes is an eternity when you're hungry and sitting at the edge of a buffet) we were shown to our tables. I eagerly grabbed a plate and piled it with food and sat down to eat. Much to my surprise, however, after my third mouthful I thought I heard my name. I confusedly turned around and scanned the dining room and saw a guy... his name happens to be Joshua Rasmussen and he is from Fillmore, Utah. Near him was a number of familiar faces, but more beautiful than I remembered. More like reflections in a pool that have been Photoshopped, but real. It was quite the surreal experience to see these specters from a bygone phase in my life. Since leaving that quaint, bucolic hamlet I have realized I truly have changed so much and I very much doubt I would be able to re-assimilate into that hamlet.

      At times I miss the friends I had down there, the sound of the snow falling, the personal symphony outside my bedroom every night. I miss the crispness of the air, the bubbling of the creek while I fished it, and the long days of the hottest season in the year where distractions and diversions were just waiting to be discovered. Despite all these pinings, I've truly changed too much to return and be content. In this great Northland I've really grown as a person.

Much of this growth occurred solely because of the influence of one of the greatest men I've known, and that is Doctor David Fullmer. I would trust this man with my life without any qualms, and I know it would be in the best hands. Anyone who has spent a summer with him knows exactly what I mean, he cares about EVERY individual that enters his program. He most definitely gets angry and all up in yo face, but it's because he loves you. "Love is a choice", he says and it's true.

Aside from band, I've just had so much other influence in knowing so many diverse people. All these people have really had a small part in how I've metamorphosed into a young man. It's wonderful.
                          I really appreciate all the knowledge I've been able to sop up at Timpview. Had I not moved up here, I would not hoop dance, I would not have spoken in front of a thousand people, I would not have met one of the few living Code Talkers (despite him having a concussion and saying awesomely crazy things), I definitely would not speak 日本語 (Japanese for all of you 外国人 [ which means crackers See also: Dakine]), and I would not have met some of the most beautiful people I know.

 In brief....

I would NOT change the fact that I had moved (given the chance of  course)

In other news..... well....

I went to Uchi, a Tepanyaki style restaurant for my 

Senior Ball dinner with                                                                       

                 SARAH JAKINS!!!1exclamation point!

and after all the flair and tricks, my only comment was on the high quality of the man's knife. It is not often I'm envious of another man's knife, but that night I was. mmmmm.... the memory itself is delicious.

      Yeah. Boom. Disney in the 90s and my  srsly flavorite vid lawl

I realized how many people I've gotten to know at school, and how I cannot go anywhere without saying hello to somebody. It's marvelous. Speaking of marvelous.... I LESS THAN THREE Marvellous Catering!! Besides being family friends, these people make delicious food, fo' sho'. Not to mention the facilities to cook a metric ton of meat to perfection. Or that they've converted powertools to culinary instruments. (Once again I'm envious)

What shall I post of next? Does anybody actually read this?  I know not the answer to either of these questions.    

はなみず

Comment for blog requests or translations or fun or bananas.

Disneyland, Learning, and a package

 | WARNING |

Content in this blog may cause retinal scarring, mental breakdown, and laughter. Proceed with CAUTION!!!@21

Scroll to bottom for spoilers.

Once upon a time, a magical marching ensemble went to share their melodious gift with hundreds and hundreds of people. They visited the "Happiest Place on Earth" to share their happiness with the land of Disney. During the jaunts of a small group of friends in a little seen corner of the magical land, they chanced upon a shop of war. The men of the group rushed in to goggle at the eyecandy. A particularly adept warrior ogled at the glorious katanas they had in this heraldic shoppe. The band continued on their travels until their marching ensemble had the time of their calling. Directly after their last performance for the year, that young warrior gathered some of his close friends and hurried to make a purchase that could very well change his life. He procured those two katanas.  After a very long wait of 74 days, they finally arrived along with a complimentary dagger. By this time the excitement was eeking out of the young man and he made a poor decision in his excitement. He chose to go home to swords and work rather than spend some time with a very, very dear friend. The moral of this story... remember what's important.
 On a side note (yes, this story is a story from my life) the swords are very fun and I got very sore trying to remember the katas (Katta? Somebody help me with my Japanese). Even just basic Japanese strike patterns I had forgotten and would keep mixing up with the Phillipino strike patterns. Any questions? If so... feel free to   COMMENT on it below. 

Do you have friends? Do your or them have little to do in life or

waste large amounts of time on the computer? Do you often find yourself

stalking people you have met on the internet? If the answer to any of these questions

is yes, then you and your friends should be reading this blog! Sadly only  o27%f those who should be

reading this blog actually are. Get the word out!

This message researched and distributed by BORED (Benevolent Oppressors of Retired Environmental Demons)

The Beginning

Well I have must needs of giving into the temptation that is making a blog post about the new year. First I'll recap Christmas break. Work....work...work.... I had quite the opportunity to cover for a coworker who left for the holidays. I got 9 nice 6-8 hour days of working mornings and with my parents. Wake up at 5:30 AM, head into the work, cut 6 sheets of fresh made Focaccia, and make some pretty fruit displays. Then come around 7 I get to work on Novatek, which is a recurring catering order we have. After all that's done and other catering orders are satisfied I'm helping with the breakfast rush. So much fun!
Anywho.. besides work I lounged around the house not doing much or spending some wonderful time with a certain friend XD    But in all honesty... Christmas rushed in on me too fast. I spent too much time Wednesday and Thursday rushing around attempting to find acceptable gifts for friends and family.          Shortly after Christmas I had the joy of having a birthday. I received the inevitable flood of wall posts on Facebook from adoring fans who rarely speak to me any day but have no trouble wishing me happy birthday. Sometimes I kinda wish those people would manage to say hello, you know? But I graciously replied to each and everyone. I must be a saint of the latter days.... I must apologize for the poor pun but it is late after all. On my birthday I had the distinct pleasure to hang around Provo with Sarah Jakins. We played Little Big Planet at her house (which I must say I have distinctly enjoyed playing) and then proceeded to go to the International Buffet where I introduced her to mussels, crab legs, sushi, eel sauce, and clams. It was really delicious!! The worst part about it is that we went to Cafe Rio half an hour later with my family and some family friends. Needless to say I was extremely content and semi-comatose from the copious amounts of food which I put down. After Second Dinner, my family, and Sarah and I returned to our house and there my parents decided to inflict the most devastating of tortures on me.... they brought out.... THE "TAPE"!!! The "Tape", as it is called, is a collection of home video clips of my life from about -1 month to about 72 months. I sat there in horror as Sarah saw my birth and weighing at 7 pound 7.8 ounces. She saw me as a small child running around in circles chasing dogs, eating ashes, speaking with my speech impediments. It was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. I think the entire video lasted two hours. Too long.
         The day after my birthday is New Year's Eve and it was also a blast! I did little throughout the day and had the good fortune of not having to go in to work that day. I later showered and went to the dance and "happened" to run into Sarah there. Along with Michael Peterson and Jaron Harris. Jaron and I got the wonderful idea that we should slick our hair back to be more 50s. We didn't think it through too well because we ended up using gel... and it looked really weird. Luckily my hair doesn't take gel very well and it returned to a semi-normal state after some ridiculous dancing and whipping my hair back and forth Willow Smith style.  The night was very fun!! Now on this New Year's Day... I've done a lot of thinking. I really need to get back into shape, practice my hoop dancing, and get my life back into shape. So for once in my life, I am doing New Year's resolutions. Pretty strange stuff. Well here I am, up at 1:51 AM January the Second updating anyone that cares to read this on my life. Pretty fun. I must apologize for the poor writing of this one post, I am hoping you will forgive me. If not.... eat rocks and smell funny!!