Tiki rabble

Modern Warfare 3 impressions

2011-11-09T17:47:00.001-07:00

Modern Warfare 3 Review

The day of days has finally come. After Modern Warfare 2 left us all on an epic cliff hanger we anxiously awaited for the release of the next in the series. The story conclusion is what so many of us desired and have been wishing for. Well folks the day has come and Modern Warfare 3 is on store shelfs…and probably yours.

If you haven't already picked up your copy of Modern Warfare 3 here are my first impressions of this game said to be the epic conclusion to an epic triliogy. The campaign is a lot like the previous games in the series. The gripping story entraps you upon entering the single player. *SPOILER ALERT* The game starts you right off as New York is being invaded by Russian Troops. The style of game play is nothing unique, it's an infinite amount of enemy troops coming toward you till you advance to a certain point and a sequence opens up to advance you to the next portion. The game attempts to keep you moving but if you stop then the enemy won't stop coming. Just watch out for the enemy that will run past your AI allies with a personal vendetta to kill you and only you. While rolling through the streets you are instantly grasped by the magnitude of everything happening around you. It's hard not to get engrossed by the epic detail in the scenery around you. However, no time to look at the pretty scenery it's time to fight! The campaign levels have you move through a set path moving from one objective to the next. You won't always be on foot as a basic infantry but at times a gunner in a helicopter or driving a raft while dodge Russian ships. The campaign sets a fast pace to keep you excited and moving forward. The story sets you in the shoes of soldiers defending for what they believe in and there is no stronger feeling then that. If you have loved the previous Modern Warfare campaigns then you will not be disappointed by this campaign. No new engine, no real new things in the story, but a continuation of the epic story you loved. Why change what works?

Now there are some in this world that don't even care about the campaign. The only thing that matters is being first place in an epic team death match. You want noobs to fear your gamer tag. Modern Warfare 3 changes a few of the minor fundamentals of the Call of Duty multiplayer experience. My experience is I was able to join a game and from previous experience knew how to handle myself in the multiplayer. There was nothing new to learn and nothing I wasn't prepared for. The new perks were easy to navigate and once I unlocked my custom classes I was ready to create my custom class. I had no trouble navigating the custom class creation to my desired playing style. Using the new perks to make my multiplayer experience unique to my play style I was ready to start owning some noobs. I couldn't help but feeling strangely like I had played this multiplayer before upon first entering. I felt that the only real thing I had purchased here was a $60 map pack to Modern Warfare 2. However, upon playing a few more matches I felt that I was indeed playing a new game. The sounds from my weapons sounded like actual guns and it was beautiful. Things in the game looked more crisp and seemed to flow more seamless. Everything in the multiplayer was what I loved in previous Call of Duty games with it's own flavor thrown in.

Just like all new releases they will experience connection issues with the overwhelming traffic hitting the servers. I had experiences of myself and my party hitting lag while engaging in multiplayer. The anticipated Call of Duty Elite has seen a large number of traffic which has proceeded to bog down server and allow many to not sign up or view their accounts. However, just like all new release games these are things that will continually be worked on. Any person thinking that a game will be released to a flawless server network lives in a perfect world.

I think Call of Duty is a solid game. Why change what was working before? The epic conclusion of the story will be worth playing all on it's own. I'm yet to go through the Spec Ops portion of the game but from what I've seen then I can bet it'll be what I loved previously. The multiplayer will hold it's own replay value just like all Call of Duty's previously. We can hope for a way to stop people from "drop shoting" or other dirty tactics but all is fair in love and war. It'll feel that much better beating them when they use poor tactics. Modern Warfare 3 brought no new engine or epic changes to the world. With that said, I think Modern Warfare 3 will be played by those that love the series till the next one comes out and myself as well as other will not be disappointed. See you on the Battlefield...

First Impressions of BattleField 3

2011-10-25T21:50:00.001-06:00

Battlefield 3 peaked my interest upon it's first announcement. I constantly tried to keep myself away from the hype so I would not be disappointed by another flop of a game. The last two games I was extreamly excited for were Dragon Age 2 and Medal of Honor. Both games hit bottom for me on my list. I didn't love them like I thought I would and was greatly sadden by this. It was a rough time for games. Then there were great experiences I wasn't expecting. For instance Dark Souls. If any of you haven't played this game then I strongly recommend picking it up if you are interested in a beautiful looking game that will challenge you to your core.

Battlefield 3 steps into a ring that is currently dominated by an undefeated opponent. If anyone has played a first person shooter (FPS) then they probably have played or at least heard of the Call of Duty series. The Call of Duty series has strongly dominated the platform for some time now. Many haven't played the previous two Battlefield games and it was mostly kept underground. Battlefield 3 however stood up to challenge a game such as Call of Duty. Coming into the arena against such a powerhouse such as Call of Duty is a large feat to undertake. You can't help but cheer for the under dog and I couldn't help but hope this game would come out superior in the end. However, Call of Duty has one advantage in this fight and that is that they've molded the FPS player to it's type of game style. It would be hard to create a game now that does not have similarities to the Call of Duty genere.

Now Battlefield 3 releases a game a mere 2 weeks before the highly anticipated CoD4MW3. When I placed my game into the XBOX it prompted me to install a texture pack to help make the game look better. I agreed and waited for the game to install to my hard drive. Upon starting the single player campign it started a story that instantly got me excited. I started the story with some adreniline pumping in my veins. Instantly captured my attention and felt great. I completed the opening (tutorial) sequence and began the story of the game which takes place 8 hours previously. The beginning of the story instantly reminded me of the CoD Black Ops story style. I couldn't help but think of CoD Black Ops story telling style and awaited more moments of such a game. (For the record I suffered through the Black Ops single player and was so excited to get it over with) Now the next level starts and I see a beautiful Middle Eastern City laid in front of me. My squad travel through the narrow alleys till we are ambushed. The game has begun. I enjoyed the fact that I was fighting my way though objectives rather then simply waves of enemies to reach the next check point. I went from the ambush, to taking down a sniper, to covering a squad of allies, to defending a LZ. The game flowed well and kept me from losing my interest. Shortly after completing more missions as the Marine Recon solider I entered into the cock pit of a Fighter Jet set on a mission. The mission included dog fighting, marking targets, and recon. It was done well and I greatly enjoyed it. My wife, however, did not enjoy the jet scene and felt sick while watching. I loved the view I had during the scene going to and flying in the jet. The enviroment around my character was a gripping action scene of war. It was beautiful. I then moved on to the next mission which I'm currently on which is a night time assualt on a city. So far so good.

The negative of the Single Player. I did encounter some issues in the game. There was a short instance where I got hit with the evil known as lag. I was attempting to jump over some blankets in a narrow hallway shoot out and hit some lag which looked as if the game was paused suddenly and then quickly unpaused. Later in a different area of the game I was attempting to sneak past some guards. Once they saw me I hit some lag when they began firing upon my position. Nothing was altering to the game play but it was evident that lag had struck. One other flaw I came across is I was shooting an enemy and while shooting him he disappered as if he was never there. He didn't react to my gun fire and then suddenly disappered. That was the only occurance of that thus far.

Now for the multiplayer. The multiplayer is where most players fell in love with CoD, I know I did. I entered into the multiplayer looking for a server to play on. The server selection reminded me much of the server selection on a PC version of any other game. Different to me compared to what I was use to playing on CoD or Halo. Yet I had the selection of a map to play, players in the game, and a game mode. I enjoyed it. I found a full server and was put into queue for the next avilable slot. I was 2 out of 3. Not bad waiting. Within a few moments I was in the game. Upon entering the game I saw a vast battlefield and in the air was a dog fight between jets. The jet exploded and pieces fell to the earth around me. Tanks and jeeps fought through the streets as snipers attempted to pick off infantry moving into the town. I'm more of an infantry player so took my assault class for a run. First run started off all well then I was sniped from a well hidden sniper. Second attempt, I ran to objective A and was able to knife an unsuspecting enemy which was one beautiful executing stab. I was then instantly shot. New plan (and attempt 3), to spawn on a team mate who was infiltrating around the side of the base. Our entire squad spawned on him and we were able to systematically take out the enemy and plant the charge on the objective. We then set up defensive positions and held the position till the timer was up and the bomb exploded. Your team has won. It was a great victory. Now we were defending. I chose my sniper class and set up to snipe as the enemy attacked our positions. The sniping took some getting use to but once I was able to narrow in my cross hairs the fun began. My shots arc down as I shot the farther away. It took some skill to hit running targets or even a prone target (yes you can go prone now). Then...you've lost connection to the server. Alright find a new server and log in to another. Logged in and after some more intense play I once again lost connection to my server. Frustration sat in a little bit but was easily able to get into another server. The epic porportions of the battles looked amazing. Standing a top of a hill watching as tanks, planes, helicopters, and infantry fight was a breathe taking scene. The game looked beautiful. The connection issues were frustrating but other then the disconnection I never experienced lag in game. The weapons reacted as I would expect an assualt rifle would and sounded great. I didn't fall through the world or experience other strange Beta issues viewed before.

Now my experience with the game was short lived but from what I experienced I look forward to more to come. I enjoyed my moments of single player and enjoyed the moments I had fighting other BattleField 3 players. The enviroment was very breath taking at times and I enjoyed the mechanics of the game laid before me. Do I think this game is better then any CoD game that came before? No. Do I think CoD is a better game? No. I think both games have aspects that make it a wonderful game and I look forward to see what CoD4MW3 has to bring to the table. From what I've seen is two very enjoyable games are here to make our holidays bright. If you've enjoyed the previous Battlefield games and enjoy objective based Multiplayer then I think you will enjoy your time on BF3.

The proposal...

2011-07-11T22:18:00.000-06:00

His side: So being super nervous and not knowing what to do with myself I emailed Megan's Mother asking her if they had a moment I could talk to her and her husband. So on the weekend of the 4th we were with her family for festivities. Megan's Mom pulled me aside to speak with them and I had the opportunity to tell them that I love their daughter and wanted to ask for permission to buy a ring so I could ask her to marry me. Her Dad didn't know if he should give me permission or a warning, but in the end it worked out just fine. Permission was granted.

The following week I had the debate between two jewelery stores in looking for the perfect ring for the perfect girl. It needed to be something unique and beautiful so that I could buy the girl of my dreams the best ring. Eventually I decided on a ring and placed the order. I had to wait two days while they fit the diamond into the setting. Then Friday I picked up the ring.

Saturday Megan worked all day shooting a wedding and I anxiously waited. Once she was done with work and exhausted from the long day I asked if she would like to go for a walk. She said that'd be great and we could get out of the house for a little bit. I asked her to drive up the canyon where we first got together for our first date. We went up the canyon and started our walk down the little trail. Not far into the trail I couldn't wait in anticipation any longer and got the ring out from my back pack. After a few more steps I wrapped her in my arms and told her how much she meant to me. I told Megan that she is the best ever and I love her more then anything. I got down on one knee for the most terrifying moment of my life to date and asked her if she would marry me. She started laughing and made me pretty nervous, but luckily my dreams came true and she said yes. So we were engaged at that moment and I couldn't be happier. I'm the luckiest person ever. I love Megan.

Her side: Isn't he a romantic?! haha! The day of the proposal... Steve hadn't been feeling well that week so i was caught a little off guard when I got home and he was freshly showered and shaved and wanting to go walk around in Provo Canyon. On our drive he was unusually quiet, I asked if he was tired and he said he wasn't. I started to get a little nervous! I suggested that maybe we stay in town and go for a walk. He was very set on going up the canyon. that's when i began to clue in. "OMG is this really happening?!" I asked myself, in my head of course. Once we got to the trail head he grabbed his back pack from the car. I joked around about the need for a back pack on our little walk, his rebuttal was that he was using it to carry a flash light. This was about 10:30 at night, it was dark. The fact that we weren't just carrying the flash light got me really hopeful and excited! We didn't get very far down the trail when he started reciting the nicest things to me I've ever heard and got down on a knee. So yeah I started laughing. I was SO excited!!! After he got me to stop kissing him, he asked if that was a yes answer, and of course, it was. And that's our story! I'm officially engaged to the nicest guy I've ever met! He's charming, fun, and I couldn't be happier! Love you too Steve!!!!!

White trash hybernation?

2011-06-18T19:57:00.002-06:00

Alright so I have a question...During the winter there doesn't seem to be as many white trash people walking around. Winter months have people dressed appropriate (mostly) and they all seem somewhat clean (again mostly).
Then comes the warmer months...suddenly there is white trash people every place! Take a drive around time and you'll see people wearing shorts below their ass and they have their shirt off tucked into their shorts. Where do these people go in the winter?!
That is my question for you to ponder.
My theory is they migrate...you know...kinda like birds. They travel to a warmer climate like Arizona or something like that. They go there till they can return to their land and be fully white trash nasty.

A great talk...Celestial Marriage

2011-03-22T10:49:00.001-06:00

Elder Russell M. Nelson

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

[The] proclamation on the family helps us realize that celestial marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship.

My beloved brethren and sisters, I am deeply grateful for each of you. Together we feel a profound sense of gratitude for the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this world abounding with misery, we are truly thankful for God’s “great plan of happiness.”¹ His plan declares that men and women are “that they might have joy.”² That joy comes when we choose to live in harmony with God’s eternal plan.

The importance of choice may be illustrated by a homespun concept that came to mind one day when I was shopping in a large retail store. I call it “patterns of the shopper.” As shopping is part of our daily life, these patterns may be familiar.

Wise shoppers study their options thoroughly before they make a selection. They focus primarily on the quality and durability of a desired product. They want the very best. In contrast, some shoppers look for bargains, and others may splurge, only to learn later—much to their dismay—that their choice did not endure well. And sadly, there are those rare individuals who cast aside their personal integrity and steal what they want. We call them shoplifters.

The patterns of the shopper may be applied to the topic of marriage. A couple in love can choose a marriage of the highest quality or a lesser type that will not endure. Or they can choose neither and brazenly steal what they want as “marital shoplifters.”

The subject of marriage is debated across the world, where various arrangements exist for conjugal living. My purpose in speaking out on this topic is to declare, as an Apostle of the Lord,³ that edit marriage between a man and a woman is sacred—it is ordained of God.⁴ I also assert the virtue of a temple marriage. It is the highest and most enduring type of marriage that our Creator can offer to His children.

While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a family matter.⁵ Only those who are married in the temple and whose marriage is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise will continue as spouses after death⁶ and receive the highest degree of celestial glory, or exaltation. A temple marriage is also called a celestial marriage. Within the celestial glory are three levels. To obtain the highest, a husband and wife must be sealed for time and all eternity and keep their covenants made in a holy temple.⁷

The noblest yearning of the human heart is for a marriage that can endure beyond death. Fidelity to a temple marriage does that. It allows families to be together forever.

This goal is glorious. All Church activities, advancements, quorums, and classes are means to the end of an exalted family.⁸

To make this goal possible, our Heavenly Father has restored priesthood keys in this dispensation so that essential ordinances in His plan can be performed by proper authority. Heavenly messengers—including John the Baptist;⁹ Peter, James, and John;¹⁰ Moses, Elias, and Elijah¹¹—have participated in that restoration.¹²

Knowledge of this revealed truth is spreading across the earth.¹³ We, as the Lord’s prophets and apostles, again proclaim to the world that “the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”¹⁴

We further proclaim that “all human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

“In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. [Heavenly Father’s great] plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”¹⁵

That proclamation on the family helps us realize that celestial marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship.¹⁶ The earth was created and this Church was restored so that families could be formed, sealed, and exalted eternally.¹⁷

Scriptures declare that “it is lawful that [a man] should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation.”¹⁸ Another affirms that “the man [is not] without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.”¹⁹ Thus, marriage is not only an exalting principle of the gospel; it is a divine commandment.

Our Heavenly Father declared, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”²⁰ The Atonement of His Beloved Son enabled both of these objectives to be realized. Because of the Atonement, immortality—or resurrection from the dead—became a reality for all.²¹ And because of the Atonement, eternal life—which is living forever in God’s presence, the “greatest of all the gifts of God”²²—became a possibility. To qualify for eternal life, we must make an eternal and everlasting covenant with our Heavenly Father.²³ This means that a temple marriage is not only between husband and wife; it embraces a partnership with God.²⁴

The family proclamation also reminds us that “husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other.”²⁵ Children born of that union are “an heritage of the Lord.”²⁶ When a family is sealed in the temple, that family may become as eternal as the kingdom of God itself.²⁷

Such a reward requires more than a hopeful wish. On occasion, I read in a newspaper obituary of an expectation that a recent death has reunited that person with a deceased spouse, when, in fact, they did not choose the eternal option. Instead, they opted for a marriage that was valid only as long as they both should live. Heavenly Father had offered them a supernal gift, but they refused it. And in rejecting the gift, they rejected the Giver of the gift.²⁸

One strong sentence of scripture clearly distinguishes between a hopeful wish and eternal truth: “All covenants, contracts, … obligations, oaths, vows, … or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, … are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead.”²⁹

These truths are absolute. Members of this Church invite all people to learn them and to qualify for eternal life.³⁰ We invite all to gain faith in God the Eternal Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ, to repent, to receive the Holy Ghost, to obtain the blessings of the temple, to make and keep sacred covenants, and to endure to the end.

Mercifully, God’s great plan of happiness and its eternal blessings can be extended to those who did not have the opportunity to hear the gospel in mortality. Temple ordinances can be done vicariously for them.³¹

But what of the many mature members of the Church who are not married? Through no failing of their own, they deal with the trials of life alone. Be we all reminded that, in the Lord’s own way and time, no blessings will be withheld from His faithful Saints.³² The Lord will judge and reward each individual according to heartfelt desire as well as deed.³³

Meanwhile, mortal misunderstandings can make mischief in a marriage. In fact, each marriage starts with two built-in handicaps. It involves two imperfect people. Happiness can come to them only through their earnest effort. Just as harmony comes from an orchestra only when its members make a concerted effort, so harmony in marriage also requires a concerted effort. That effort will succeed if each partner will minimize personal demands and maximize actions of loving selflessness.

President Thomas S. Monson has said: “To find real happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves. No one has learned the meaning of living until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellow man. Service to others is akin to duty—the fulfillment of which brings true joy.”³⁴

Harmony in marriage comes only when one esteems the welfare of his or her spouse among the highest of priorities. When that really happens, a celestial marriage becomes a reality, bringing great joy in this life and in the life to come.

God’s plan of happiness allows us to choose for ourselves. As with the patterns of the shopper, we may choose celestial marriage or lesser alternatives.³⁵ Some marital options are cheap, some are costly, and some are cunningly crafted by the adversary. Beware of his options; they always breed misery!³⁶

The best choice is a celestial marriage. Thankfully, if a lesser choice has previously been made, a choice can now be made to upgrade it to the best choice. That requires a mighty change of heart³⁷ and a permanent personal upgrade.³⁸ Blessings so derived are worth all efforts made.³⁹

The full realization of the blessings of a temple marriage is almost beyond our mortal comprehension. Such a marriage will continue to grow in the celestial realm. There we can become perfected.⁴⁰ As Jesus ultimately received the fulness of the glory of the Father,⁴¹ so we may “come unto the Father … and in due time receive of his fulness.”⁴²

Celestial marriage is a pivotal part of preparation for eternal life. It requires one to be married to the right person, in the right place, by the right authority, and to obey that sacred covenant faithfully.⁴³ Then one may be assured of exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen

Celestial Marriage

Thrice-In your hands

2011-02-22T14:03:00.001-07:00

bound to this couch, i lie in waiting
watching wind blown memories slip by my window sill
i can't fall asleep, voice in my head disturbs me
waking nightmares keep, have my cries fallen on deaf ears
can you hear me or am i....

talking to myself again, is there anybody listening
are you taking this in, am i wasting my breath
tell me, is the wind in your sails worth everything you give
are you looking for something, forgiveness

i leave it up to you, i guess i'm better off removed
because the situtations growing too thick,
in your hands

could it have been something i said,
or was it something that i did
did i ruin my chance, have you written me off
tell me where did i cross the line,
and can i work my way back this time
will i always regret this decision
i leave it up to you,
i hope you find a good excuse because
i've given about all that i can give,
in your hands

are you taking this in, am i wasting my breath
did i ruin my chance, have you written me off

[background]
i could try to count the times that i've been through this in my mind,
but i'm running out of fingers and i don't have that much time

are you taking this in, am i wasting my breath
did i ruin my chance, have you written me off

Incubus--I Miss You

2011-01-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

I Miss You lyrics

To see you when I wake up, is a gift I didn't think could be real
To know that you feel the same, as I do, is a Three-fold utopian dream
You do something to me
That I can't explain
So would I be out of line, If I said
I miss you.
I see your picture, I smell your skin on, the empty pillow next to mine
You have only been gone ten days, but already I am wasting away
I know I'll see you again
Whether far or soon
But I need you to know, that I care
And I miss you

Another random story...

2011-01-04T11:20:00.003-07:00

I stared down at my meal and thought it was strange that after 10 hours of straight work I have no desire to eat. Sitting in the restaurant my partner looked half asleep. You could see his moustache slowly move as he slowly chews his food. All that changed in a second when the radio yelled out, "Shots fired. Officer down. All units respond immediately". As fast as the call came out we were in the black and white with lights flashing and siren screaming. The tires screeched as I avoided traffic in the crowded streets of the evening hours. Neither I nor my partner said anything as our training kicked in and we ran head first into potential danger. All we could think about is one of our brothers in uniform was down and possibly more people are in danger.
When we arrived at the scene everything seemed to stand still. We could see the downed officer huddled behind his car grabbing at his bleeding leg. The house we pulled up to was a white house in the middle of a crowded street. The front was covered by its iron security door and the windows were covered by bars. The lawn was dead and weeds reigned supreme. I rushed to the downed officer with my first aid kit from the car and began to bandage his leg. My partner started asking questions of what happened while his gun pointed toward the house.
"I received a call of a domestic disturbance. Woman possibly beaten by her husband. When I showed up shots rang out from the house. I didn't have a chance to react before I was hit" the downed officer stated.
As we aided our fallen friend officers showed up in a large show of force. Someone shot their brother and that isn't expectable. Within in minutes that seemed like hours the entire street was covered in officers and cars blocking the street. The house was surrounded and now we have a lunatic sitting inside who isn't afraid to shoot first.
Our guns pointed toward the house as we waited for our orders. We weren't in a huge rush to run into a house where a insane suspect was out for blood. Then the worst happened. The door opened to a slight crack and a little girl appeared. You could see a gun behind her and I went tense.
"I have children in here and if you come in you won't find them alive!" yelled the lunatic that brought us all here.
That's something that no one in their right mind wants to see. A small child in harms way.
No one said anything but all hand guns at the ready waiting for that moment where this house becomes a war zone.
Our on scene commander was making attempts to begin the hostage negotiation but it didn't seem to be going well and the stress showed through onto his face.
The sun began to fall as night started to cover the street. The only lights soon would be flash lights and flashing lights from the squad cars.
As night set in the situation was tense. No one moved and everyone's minds were on those little kids. No one wanted those innocent children to be in harms way but at the time we were waiting on our SWAT to take care of someone who had no right to hurt these children.

I hate driving in winter storms in Utah...

2010-12-30T11:22:00.003-07:00

So Utah has been hit by another winter storm. Yesterday the big storm came in and Mother Nature showed her furry. Well today you would think the main roads in a main city would be plowed and safe for people to drive on. You would think tons of salt would cover the roads so that ice would be minimal. Well if you are thinking that is the case then you haven't had to drive ANYWHERE in Utah today. It is insane out there! Its the middle of the day and I haven't seen snow falling for hours but the roads are still iced over and people are still slipping and sliding on main streets!
Then you have those super amazing drivers who think, "Hey this isn't so bad I'm going to go speeding down the road while all you suckers go slow". Later you see that person sliding into another car or into a snow bank. Congratz dude, you have now learned a lesson...till next year when you do it again.
One really cool thing we saw was a Toyota Tundra towing a City bus out of the snow and off a hill. That's pretty impressive. Hopefully more people will have some acts of kindness in helping others out of their plights in this horrible unplowed and unsalted road of Utah. Be safe out there!

It's a nice feeling...

2010-11-26T12:59:00.003-07:00

Today is a super slow day at work. So here I am bored sitting at my computer looking at my blog and thinking about things going on in my life. I'm pretty grateful for a lot in my life right now and last night I got to reflect on that. Last night after my family all parted to go home I went home to an empty apartment. Sometimes its nice to have some peace and quiet but on a holiday it was just kinda strange to be home alone. I'm very grateful to have loving family and friends so I know I won't have to spend a holiday alone. I'm grateful to have the knowledge that I will be with my family for eternity and one day I will be sealed to a beautiful woman so that we may spend our holidays together. Its a nice feeling to know you aren't ever truly alone. I finally have come to a point in my life where I'm happy where I'm at. I'm not making crazy amounts of money at work but I enjoy my job. I'm not graduating with a masters but I have a lot of knowledge and have a desire to keep going to school. I feel like my spiritual life has grown a lot and that makes me feel great. So things aren't the most amazing they can be but I'm happy where I'm at and looking forward to making them better.

I will never stop loving...

2010-09-24T13:39:00.004-06:00

Things are interesting. You can never tell how life will turn out and you can never know why they turn out the way they did. For some people they will wander in this fog their entire life not knowing what direction they are heading or for what reasons. I'm pretty dang happy to know the reason I'm here and where I'm going when it's all over. Hopefully it being all over won't be in the near future but I'll take what I can get. Right now there have been many changes in my life and if they are for the better I'm unsure about right now because they are just so recent. I've hurt people in my past and I've been hurt. I've felt happiness and brought happiness to others. The point I'm getting at is that the crazy life we live in is filled with many ups and downs. The ups are great and the downs can seem like the most miserable we will ever be. Luckily though we will never be given more then we can handle. That was promised to us all. It may seem we are unable to handle such circumstances but in the end we will come out better for it. I hope for us all that we hold our heads high and help those in need. There is no better feeling then helping someone in need. I promise. But one thing is for sure. I will never stop loving. Doesn't matter what happens, love will always be a strength to others and yourself. Love one another.

Temperament Report...

2010-06-05T10:54:00.003-06:00

Alright well my Grandma wanted me to take one of those tests that tell you what career you would excel in. So today while wasting time at work I took one that told me what type I am.

The test i took was the Keirsey Temperament Sorter -II and it said that my type is Guardian.
Guardians are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have a natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply-- and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly -- they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast paced world.

Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population, and a good thing, because they usually end up doing all the indispensable but thankless jobs everyone else takes for granted.

So that's the little response thing it gave me for taking the online test. I think its interesting and pretty spot on. There are some things I don't exactly see as being true to be but for the most part its pretty true. I do believe I'll be doing one of those thankless jobs in my life and look forward for getting started on that.

My life has run into a brick wall

2010-05-19T10:09:00.003-06:00

"Life meet brick wall"

So my life has run head first into a brick wall and seems to have not learned from the experience and keeps bashing its head against the wall.

Life just seems to be stuck and not going anywhere. I'm in a bunch of dead end jobs that won't take me anywhere, I'm not dating anyone, and I'm doing to great in school. Where is my life going at this point? No where it seems.

Well here is what I'm thinking...Maybe I can just go to school full time. An option is to go so far into debt in student loans and finish my degree and go for my law degree. Then if I make it through that I'd be making enough to pay my loans off. Another option I been really considering is going into the military. Its kinda an idea I've played with before in the past but it keeps coming up as what I should do. I really been considering it this time. I been praying about it and constantly pondering it and it keeps coming up as what I should do. Interesting fact that I learned while pondering this is President Eyring was in the Air Force. Apparently there are quite a few of the Brethren who have served in the military. So that's an interesting fact to me that they served and have become some of the greatest men on this earth.

This summer I'm gonna be really pushing myself. My goal by the end of the summer is to be running up to 8 miles, 70 push ups, 70 sit ups, and 10 pull ups in a minute. Even if I don't go into the military it'd be good for me to get back into shape. I'm already eating better and trying to get healthier.

Its one thing to be physically healthy but I'm also working on being spiritually healthy. I'm taking an institute class, I'm reading nightly, I'm praying again, and I'm making sure I go to church (even if its alone).

So I may be hitting a brick wall but I'm gonna break on through. Not letting the wall stop me. RAWR!

2010-01-07T21:48:00.003-07:00

So on my way to class I was thinking. My Mom and I were talking the other day like we usually do and she said something that didn't really strike me till today. She said, "Steve I don't understand how you do it. You can forgive people pretty quickly even people that I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive." I didn't really understand and didn't think anything of it till now. I guess growing up I just had to forgive and move on or I'd be way down in the dumps. Its all about experiences and living life in every situation. I've definatly had my share of being treated poorly by others but seriously what is the big deal. Yeah someone might be a jerk or destroy me but sometimes its not their fault. Alright well it is their fault for being a total ass but I'm sure there is something going on it their life that makes them so.
I had a lot more to write but sometime in between driving to class and coming back to my recliner i forgot it. SO anywho...I need to write a story again soon. I got a few brewing in my mind.

Welcome in the new year!

2010-01-01T12:50:00.004-07:00

2009 is over and now its time to bring in another year. Time magazine has called this decade "The Decade from Hell". It hasn't been easy for many but through theses hard times we have always been able to rely on friends and family. So at the start of this new year take a look at the previous year, do some reflecting, and prepare yourself for the new year. Raise a glass for those who has passed on. Hug the broken hearted. Offer your hand to the fallen. Be grateful for what you have rather than wanting more. Hope everyone has a good year! Happy New Year!

Secondhand Serenade-Stranger

2009-11-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

Lyrics to Stranger :
Turn Around
Turn Around and fix your eye in my direction
So there is a connection
I can't speak
I can't make a sound to somehow capture your attention
I'm staring at perfection
take a look at me so you can see
how beautiful you are

you call me a stranger
you say I'm a danger
but all these thoughts are leaving you tonight
I'm broke and abandoned
you are an angel
making all my dreams come true tonight

I'm confident
but I can't pretend I wasn't terrified to meet you
I knew you could see right through me
I saw my life flash right before my very eyes
and I knew just what we'd turn into
I was hopeing that you could see
take a look at me so you can see

you call me a stranger
you say I'm a danger
but all these thoughts are leaving you tonight
I'm broke and abandoned
you are an angel
making all my dreams come true tonight

you are an angel
making all my dreams come true tonight

take a look at me so you can see
how beautiful you are

your beauty seems so far away
I'd have to write a thousand songs to make you comprehend how beautiful you are

i know that I can't make you stay
but I would give my final breathe to make you understand how beautiful you are
understand how beautiful you are

you call me a stranger
you say I'm a danger
but all these thoughts are leaving you tonight
I'm broke and abandoned
you are an angel
making all my dreams come true tonight

you call me a stranger
you say I'm a danger
you call me a stranger

Why do you hire someone with a criminal record and no one can trust?

2009-11-09T18:12:00.002-07:00

So at my oh so lovely job I work with someone with lets say is the most difficult person to work with I have ever encountered. So this guy got mad at me and another employee on Friday because we questioned something he was doing. We just wanted to know what was going on because there is nothing in the account notes. Well he decided to blow up at that and tell the repo agent we were questioning that we had a problem with him. The repo agent asked us if we had a problem and we both said we didn't so the repo agent tells us that the manger said that we had a problem with him. We just said no no its fine don't worry about it. So this other employee of mine calls the manager and asks him whats going on and the manger responds saying he isn't working for Nebo right now and he'll talk to him on Monday.
Well Monday comes around and he pulls this other employee into an office to talk to him. Then he pulls me in to talk to him. I tell him that I don't agree with him, i don't trust him, and that he basically is a crappy manager. Instead of addressing any of the issues I bring up he insteads just says look at my numbers and how good I'm doing. Come to find out my numbers were twice better then what he currently has. But whatever there is no point in bickering who is the better manager. So basically he wouldn't address any of my issues or concerns I had so I said forget it and I walked away with nothing resolved. Now I'm currently looking for a new job.
I called the old Collection Manager who is now a manager of another credit union. He said he'd write me a letter of recommendation to see if that'll help me get a job elsewhere. I even told one of the branch managers I'd come work for him as a teller. At this point I just need to get out of the collection department because I know that manager is doing something and that is why he is getting mad at us questioning him. I just can't figure out what he is doing. So yeah that on top of everything else on my life is just weighing me down. I'm exhausted and have trouble getting out of bed in the morning! So hopefully i can get my life figured out. Thanks for the vent fest blog.

The Red Dawn Killer

2009-09-25T10:42:00.009-06:00

It was a cold autumn evening when my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"There has been another body found. We need you to the airport in 45 minutes."
"I'm on my way" I responded while jumping from bed.
The drive to the airport I went over the case file in my head. I've been reviewing pictures and police reports for a week and half. The media have called this killer the Red Dawn Killer. I don't know where the media comes up with this stuff but I guess it helps ratings. To me its just another sociopath that I need to find before he hurts anyone else. I've been on this case for two weeks now and I'm no closer to knowing who it is.
Sitting on the plane I quietly sat away from the other Agents while I reviewed the case file again. This sociopath first came to the attention to the FBI when a body with the same kill pattern was found over state lines. That was over a month ago. The last team was taken off the case when one of their agents was found with his throat slit and a note that said, "You'll never stop me". After that the Director felt it was time to take them off and put a fresh set of eyes on the case.
Our plane set down at the airport just as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Walking off the plane with my black duffel bag in one hand and my laptop bag across my back, I walked down the stairs to the waiting police vehicles waiting for us. I was greeted by the rookie cop who anxiously took my bags and put them in the trunk. "I'll take you straight to the scene sir." said the nervous officer.
"You mean the scene hasn't been cleaned yet?" I asked
"No sir. It just happened. We closed down the roads and we think the killer is still in the area."
I sat in silence. Could we have the killer trapped in?

We pulled up to a scene of flashing blue and red lights on the side of a corn field.
Getting out of the squad car I asked, "How did we find the body so quickly here in the field?"
The officer responded, "Someone saw a man running out of the field and called it in. The responding officer happened to see the body. It was pure luck!"
He made his first mistake, I thought to myself. We will catch you.
I asked the officer to call the others in my team and let them know I'm on scene waiting for them to get set up. I walked toward the circle of officers and crime scene investigators.
"Hello Sir. We kept the scene clean waiting for your arrival." said a voice from the side of me.
I turned to see a officer standing there with brown eyes that looked like he had seen more then he had ever wanted to.
"Hello Sargent. What we got?" I asked.
"Dead woman. Stomach cut with her insides falling out. Main arteries in the neck and thigh also cut open. Looks like something startled him because its only partially like the others we found, I mean her hands are still attached. So he didn't get to finish his work." replied the Sargent.
I walked up to the body and put on my rubber gloves. The body was the same as the others but he was right. The hands were only cut, he didn't get to finish. I sat and pondered what could have made him run.
"Alright Sargent. Have we searched the area yet? If he ran he could have dropped a murder weapon or he could be hiding in the surrounding area. What's out there?" I said
"Well there are a lot of fields, a hotel that your team is setting up at, and a couple of abandon houses." was the reply.
"I want a grid search. We will search every piece of this land. Call in hounds and every available unit. Call SWAT also...we may need it." I said.
The reply came from another officer, "We have SWAT and more officers coming from the city. We don't have that much force out here. We mostly deal with farmers and speeders. They'll be here in an hour."
"Alright well we will make do with what we have and they'll have to catch up. Have the crime scene investigators document the body. Let's move out." I said as I checked to make sure my gun was loaded and ready. I began to walk into the corn field with a dozen officers fanning out behind me.
As I was walking through the field in my ear I heard a familiar voice say, "Czarnocki? We are set up in the local motel. You are missing out cause they are setting us up with coffee and breakfast!"
I laughed to myself and said, "Glad you are having a good time. I'm out here looking for our killer. You guys set up over there or enjoying the southern hospitality?"
The response was, "Yes sir we are set up and ready for your orders."
"Alright coordinate with the other police agencies when they come in and get them on this search." I ordered.
"Yes sir" was the response before all went quiet again.
I came to a clearing in the field and a small house sat in front of me with a creek running next to it. The house was dark in color and hadn't been maintained in some years. I cautiously approached the house and peered inside. The house was empty. I held my breathe and unholstered my H&K USP while entering the front door. Empty except for one peculiar thing, the smell. It smelt like bad body odor. Someone had been here I thought to myself.
"HQ come in." I said to my microphone. "HQ" I repeated. No response. All was silent. "Anyone out there come in".
"Yes sir" came the response.
"Who is this?" I asked.
"Rodriguez sir. I picked you up from the airport." Rodriguez said.
"Rodriguez. Go to the motel and see why I can't get in contact with my HQ."
"Yes sir."
I began walking around the small one roomed house. Looking for any other evidence that might give me a idea of where my killer had gone. I'm so close and I can't screw this up. There are lives at risk.
"Sir come in" my radio buzzed.
"Rodriguez. Did you find them?" I asked
"Kinda sir. There is blood everywhere"
"What do you mean?!" I yelled.
Rodriguez shaky voice spoke back, "Looks like there was a fight. One agent is down and I think the hotel owner is laying dead also."
"Damn it" I whispered. "Call in back up now!" I yelled.
I sat and listened to Rodriguez make the call to the officers coming to the scene from the city. The response was a half hour away. Rodriguez told them the urgency and they better step on it.
While examining the room I noticed a small blob of blood sitting by one of the windows. Did he see me coming? I exited the house and started running to the motel with gun still in hand. When I arrived at the motel Rodriguez was sitting outside with his head between his legs.
"Rodriguez" I said.
No response.
I walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. His body fell over as blood started pouring from his neck. I took off my jacket and put it around his neck but it was to late. He was dead. Poor kid. The serial killer must be in the motel still but back up is a half hour away at least. Where is the rest of my team?
I pointed my gun at the front door and walked through. One of my agents lay dead on the floor next to the young motel owner. Blood covered the wooden floor.
I began making my way through the bottom floor of the motel. As I turned around a corner I heard something crash at the stairs. I spun around and pointed my gun towards the stairs. No movement but I knew I heard something. I began to walk up the stairs. When I got close to the top I heard whispering through one of the rooms. I slowly approached the door. Standing in front of the door I kicked it open. The door flew open and sitting in the corner was a officer and two of my agents with their guns drawn to the door.
"Glad we didn't shoot you sir" said the officer.
"Yeah I'm glad too" I said "What happened?"
"We were up here looking out the window and heard a crash. We walked downstairs and saw two bodies bleeding out on the floor. Our radios weren't working so we came back in here to wait for the Calvary. We didn't know what to do." said my agent.
"Alright well I'm gonna finish clearing the upstairs. You three go down and start securing the scene. Keep your guns out." I ordered.
I left the room and started moving down the hallway of doors. I felt every door to see if they were unlocked or not. Toward the end of the hall I felt one of the handles and it was warm. I looked down and my hand was covered in blood. He is in that room. I took a breath and kicked the door open. The room was empty but a paper sat on the bed.
I walked over to the bed and lifted up the paper and it said, "Hello Mr. Czarnocki. Now its personal. I'll be waiting"
Signed at the bottom in blood was 'The Red Dawn Killer'

Part 2...

2009-09-14T16:22:00.003-06:00

What was happening? This couldn't be real. Could it?
I stood in a daze as all the training soldiers stared up at me. I didn't know what to do or say. I felt that my entire world had stopped spinning and I was in some dream that I couldn't wake from. Who were these people? The Keepers? I know there are secret organizations but they don't fight the underworld! Do they? All my logic and knowledge seemed to be useless. I felt that all the years spent learning Math, Science, English, and History were a waste. Especially History, it never taught me about the Templars unleashing a dark evil on the world!
"Alright Phil. Now what?" I asked in hopes he would say it was all a joke.
Phillip nodded and said, "Now we train you."
I stood there with a blank look on my face, "You are serious. Aren't you?"
"More serious then you realize right now. It'll all come clear tonight. Tonight you will hunt and you will realize how true all this really is."
I was escorted up the stairs by a young man who didn't say anything but wore a sword on his back and a gun on his belt. He opened the door to a room and pointed for me to go in. I walked in and before I could say anything the door shut behind me. The room I was standing in was covered in candles that made a dancing yellow glow through the room. Shadows covered the walls. In a corner sat a bed with red sheets and a wooden frame, the middle of the room had a round wooden table with four wooden chairs surrounding it. On the wall hung a red shield and two swords placed on both sides of it.
I walked toward the bed to find a small sword strapped to a leather belt. On the belt sat a gun holster with a black gun sitting in it. I picked up the belt and felt a sudden sense of honor come over me. I don't know why but I placed the belt around my waist and took the gun out. Pulling out the clip i noticed the bullets were silver and had a strange tint to them.
A knock came to the door and I spun around gun still in my hand. A man and a woman entered the room.
"Glad you found your weapons okay there. I am Jason and I'll be the lead hunter tonight. This beautiful lady is my wife, Jessie. She will be your body guard in case anything happens. Listen to what we say and react without question."
I was in slight shock but nodded and followed them out the door.
We walked up the stair case to a iron gate. Jason pushed a button to the side of the gate and the gate opened. Walking through the gate was a distinct smell of garlic. We entered a garage full of exotic and street cars. Jason pulled out a set of keys and a black trucks lights began to glow in the distance. Without any words we all got in the car and Jason began to drive through the tunnels till we reached the city streets.
It was dark out with a yellow moon that reflected off the puddles from the recent rain. The cities lights illuminated the sky and we proceeded through the city. No one said anything and I sat quietly hoping that we will stop at some place with all my friends and they will tell me it was a big joke.
We pulled into a parking garage of a small apartment complex. Jessie turned around in her chair and nodded to me. Jason pulled out his gun and prepared a bullet into the chamber.
"Lets go" said Jason "stick close to Jessie and do whatever we say."
"You'll be fine" whispered Jessie.
We walked into a stair well and started walking the flights of stairs till we reached the third floor. Jason slowly opened the door while pulling out his gun. Jason signaled with his hand for us to come through.
"Pull out your gun" whispered Jason.
I did as i was told and held it in both hands in front of me. We moved slowly down the hallway with Jason in front, myself in the middle, and Jessie looking around behind us. We came to apartment D168 and Jason moved to the left side of the door frame.
"Here is where the fun begins" whispered Jason
In a flash Jason turned and kicked open the door and moved inside with his gun drawn. I felt Jessie hand push me in behind him and she followed behind me. Inside was dark as a night with no moon. Jason and Jessie both pulled out flash lights and began to move the light across the room.
I began to hear a slight growling. First I thought it was my own fears. Suddenly in a blur something moved across the room towards the wall. Jason and Jessie's flash lights moved toward the wall to reveal nothing. I said nothing but could hear my breathing getting heavier and sweat beading down my face. The lights moved up the wall to the ceiling. I couldn't describe the horror I felt at that moment the lights reached the corner of the ceiling. In the corner was a person sitting against the wall with eyes as red as blood. Jason fired off his gun and the person was gone.
"Damn it!" yelled Jason "he's running!"
Jason began moving to the window. He peered out the open window looking up and down the wall. Suddenly a wisp of air passed me and Jason was slammed against the wall but this creature. Jessie started firing her gun but the creature turned into a mist and then reformed before my eyes.
"Swords!" yelled Jessie
I holstered my gun and pulled out my sword. The sword was glowing in a strange red color and looked as if mist was coming from the blade. Could mist be coming off my blade?
Jessie and Jason both unsheathed their swords and began slicing at the creature in front of them. The creature moved faster then I could ever imagine possible. With lightning speed he dodged the thrusts from the sword and returned the attacks with fists of his own. I didn't know what else to do so I charged toward the creature sword in hand. His back was turned and I swung my sword to its showing back. Before I could realize what was happening the white face was staring at me with red eyes. In fear I stopped the sword swing and felt a warm wet feeling dripping down my face. I was bleeding!
"Move back!" yelled Jessie
I took a step back and when my vision focused I saw the white face staring at me. The face showed his teeth. The teeth looked as if they had been sharpened by the Devil. The teeth were long and pointed at the end and dripped with saliva.
"Don't let him near you!" yelled Jason
Before I could process what was said I felt cold fingers around my neck and felt myself being lifted off the floor. I stared into the red eyes as they examined the blood dripping down my face.
I looked for Jason and Jessie and saw nothing but this face and darkness surrounding it. Sword in hand I swung it with all my might and I felt myself fall to the floor. Coughing to catch my breath I started to stand and felt a hand pulling me up. Jessie and Jason stood at my side.
"He escaped" said Jason.
"I didn't know he was a solider" whispered Jessie.
"I don't think anyone did" said Jason in a disappointed voice.
"What was that?" I asked.
"That my friend was a Vampire. And if you hadn't hit it in the side with your sword, we would be telling your Family you are dead." sternly said Jason.
I stared into the darkness and my legs began to feel weak. This isn't a dream. That's my blood.

Part 1...

2009-09-14T14:47:00.007-06:00

Everyone thought I moved to California to pursue some dream of a career but its time to come clean and honest. Allow me to explain...
I'll start from the beginning...I was driving with my Grandmother and I received a strange phone call from an unknown number. I answered the phone and on the other end it said, "We know you aren't alone and that's okay. We need your assistance. Its time you embark on the great adventure. No time for questions, it'll all come clear shortly. Just play it off as something else and we can move from there."
So naturally I said it was the phone call saying I got the job. Wohoo right? Who the heck just called me?!
I continued my day wondering about the strange phone call and thinking it was nothing but a dream. Little did I know I was going to wish I was in a dream.
Later that night I got my dog and headed to bed. Upon entering my room there was 3 hooded people.
"Who are you!?" I demanded.
"That will all come clear soon" stated one of the voices under the hoods.
"That's cool and all but I'd like to know who the freak you are and how you got in my room AND why the hoods?"
"Soon" was the only response i received.
I felt calm for some reason...you would think I'd be flipping out about people breaking into my house and scaring the day lights out of me but I wasn't. I'm not sure what happened after that but I woke up in a dark room with a single candle on a small wooden table in the middle. I tried to stand up but my head felt like it weighed a metric ton.
"Glad you are awake. Here drink some water" came a soothing girls voice from the shadows.
A slim figure walked toward me from the darkness holding a bottle of water that looked like it had just been taken out of the fridge. She was dressed in the same dark purple robes as the visitors in my room except her face glowed in the candle light and her green eyes seemed to pierce directly to my soul.
"Drink" she said.
I took the water and began to drink it, water dripped out the side of my mouth as i sucked down the fresh taste of life.
"You'll feel better soon" she calmly stated.
"Where I'm I?" I asked.
"I don't have permission to tell you but you'll be told soon enough. You have been chosen for quite a task."
"Task?"
"I've said to much. You'll know soon enough. I've been assigned to see that you get anything you require."
"Alright, well thanks. But what the heck is going on?" I asked while my frustration began to rise.
A door opened and light filled the room. The ceiling seemed to be endless and a chandelier with unlit candles hung from the middle. A suit of armor stood in a corner with a crest upon its breast plate.
"Glad you are awake. We have a lot to cover. Sorry about drugging you to get you here, its usually easier." came the familiar voice from my room.
"Alright well I need some answers." I said while staggering to my feet.
"Yes, answers. The one who seeks answers will learn but only if he continues to search." said the voice.
"Yeah whatever the heck that's suppose to mean. Where I'm I? Who are you people?" I sarcastically asked.
"Very well" said the calm voice, "We are a brotherhood. We were created during the Crusades in secret. Our purpose has been clear since the day the Templar's unleashed death upon this earth."
He moved across the room and stood next to the candle that luminated his elderly face. His face was covered in light gray scruff of a beard that was split by a scar running from his right ear to his lips. His eyes were dark as coal but the eyes squinted with a sharpness that peered through the room.
"My name is Phillip. And I'm the Grandmaster of this order. We are called 'The Keepers' and we have been fighting a secret war for longer then we would like to remember."
"That's pretty cool but what does it have to do with me and why I'm here?" I asked.
Phillip took a deep breath and said, "You have been recruited for a sacred fight and our success stands on a blade edge. We have been losing this war and we need those with cunning and a pure heart. You have been found to be such a person."
"I'm still lost. Get to the point." I spatted out.
Phillip's eyes closed and his hands clasped together tightly, "You are hear to learn to fight. Fight an evil that has plagued this earth since those that released it long before your time. You will fight a fight that wasn't yours to begin with but has been every ones fight since the times of the Crusades. You will learn to fight with the blade, the crossbow, the modern hand gun, hand-to-hand, and lastly our last line of defense, the wooden stake."
"Excuse me?" I said with wide eyes, "This is some weird joke. And 'a wooden stake'? I'm I fighting Vampires?" I slightly chuckled with the thought of Vampires.
The green eyed girl stammered, "It is no laughing matter! Vampires aren't to be joked about!"
"Its alright, Celia" Phillip said, "I know its hard to understand but its true. Vampires are not a Halloween idea but are real. They have plagued this earth for many years and there are few left that understand their true power in this world. They have a evil grasp upon the world of men and want nothing more then to watch the world burn. I didn't believe it when I was recruited fifty years ago but I have seen them and have sent Vampires back to the hell they once came. I have trained fighters that have fallen to them and I have trained fighters that fought valiantly. Now I will train you."
"Seriously?" I asked. "This can't be real. This is a dream. I was going to my room to get some sleep. This isn't real. There aren't Vampires. What are you talking about?! What is this?!"
Phillip started walking to the door and said, "Follow me".
I didn't know what else to do so I followed him through the door. As I got closer to the door way I heard clanking steel and shouting. We entered a large circular room with a wooden banister following the stairs up and down.
"Look down" said Phillip.
I stepped to the edge and looked down. As I looked down everything went quite. I saw below me a large area with men and women with swords, crossbows, guns, stakes, and all matters of weapons looking up at me.
"They all questioned like you but they have seen the truth. Soon you will see the truth"

To be continued...

Bill Gates is going to hold the world for ransom...

2009-08-28T12:51:00.004-06:00

Alright so every day at work my wondering mind takes me to CNN.com to see what is going on in the world. Get a good idea of whats happening. Well today I read something utterly disturbing! Bill Gates is going to try and control hurricanes!

My first thought was a person trying to control hurricanes is a super villain that uses the hurricanes to flood cities and destroy countries and holding the world at ransom. How do you stop someone who has the power of hurricanes!? Is Bill Gates just freaking bored and feels that playing around with Hurricanes is the answer? Dude, Bill, you need to play Halo 3 and this whole hurricane thing will be forgotten because you are getting your trash handed to you by some punk 12 year old who swears like a sailor.

I imagine Bill suddenly appearing in his next press conference wearing all black, a cape, and a black mask with a big Microsoft symbol on his chest. Bill's world is coming crashing around him since everyone is finding out what Microsoft no longer is building the best stuff around. He feels threatened. Bill must react in order to keep his empire in control...the only solution is to control the weather and take over the world. His first order of business as ruler of the world will be to destroy all Apple devices and anyone seen using a mac or apple product will be killed on sight.

My other idea of what may have sparked this weather controlling mad man...Bill being frustrated with what is happening to his empire decided to create something so advanced that it would bankrupt all his competitors. Bill kidnapped the top scientist from all major governments from around the world and of course Robert Downey Jr because he made the Iron Man...unfortunately Bill hasn't figured out that Iron Man is a movie and not real. But we will let him figure that out later. Then with his now kidnapped super power he puts them on an island to begin work on his robot army. Well his robot army became self aware and began killing everyone except Robert Downey Jr who for whatever reason is now the God of the robots. Now Bill Gates needs to wipe out the island before they can do more damage then they already have so his idea is to create a hurricane to destroy all habitual life on the island thus destroying his haywire Robot army and Robert Downey Jr.

Good luck to us all!

Camarillo Mental Institute...

2009-08-18T12:14:00.002-06:00

So I recently had the chance to go to California for a best friends wedding. Every time I go down there my friend Jimmy wants to go to the old mental institute to see if some haunted thing can happen. Well this time we decided to go late one night. It was a foggy night and we didn't really know what would happen. I had been there a few times before walking around and it was creepy but nothing really happened. This time was different.
We began walking around the parts that are still in the same condition as the mental institute was left as. Lots of the school has been changed into a college but parts of the school are still the creepy mental institute. We walked around the outside and then decided to wander into a open court yard. Upon approaching the court yard we heard tapping on the pipes. It was interesting because the tapping was so irregular that it couldn't be caused by a machine or anything. As we walked past the wall it seemed to follow us. After that we walked out to this hall way. When walking down the hall way the tapping grew louder and there was banging around us. We walked down the hall and the noises seemed to follow us as we walked up and down the hall. Jillian and I started to walk up a dark stair case but the doors above us were shut so we couldn't continue on. The noises got more intense as we approached a door in the dark. As we started to leave (and left quite briskly) the pounding and banging got louder and seemed to follow us. It felt as if someone was watching us. We left the mental institute with a creepy feeling.
I been doing some reading from ghost hunters about the school and some people have said that its by far one of the scariest places they have ventured in. The tapping and banging can be heard by many people and it seems to follow you everywhere you go. Also people with recorders have recorded hearing voices whispering things like, "Don't go in there" and such things as that. So if you are ever looking for a little ghost hunting i think that's a good place to start. Enjoy.

2009-08-06T11:37:00.002-06:00

I found a nice seat in the airport terminal away from the televisions and any other passengers. It was a nice place to enjoy the air conditioning and read my new book.
You can tell when a person has a purpose by the look on his face and this man was in the terminal with a purpose. His hair was dark black, skin was a light brown, and eyes dark like the evening tide. He scanned the terminal looking at every face trying to identify his objective. The dark eye brow raised a little bit as he saw the face of who he was looking for.
"Could that be him?" he thought to himself, "Orders are orders."
That feeling that someone was watching me sent a chill down my spine. I turned around to look at the busy traffic of the airport. There was a man standing in a dark blue suit staring right at me. Our eyes connected and we he walks toward me.
"Mr. Czarnocki?" he asked with a slight hesitation.
"Yes?" was my shaken reply. Who is this guy? Why does he know my name?
"You need you to come with me. Its urgent."
"What is this regarding?"
"I can tell you more when no one is near to listen. It may not be safe here"
I thought what couldn't be safe in an airport terminal with cops patrolling and security every place you look?
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I'll tell you more soon but right now please follow me" was his reply.
I didn't know what else to do so I closed my up my things and placed them neatly back into my small black duffel bag. I stood up and the man began to walk toward the entrance to the airport. We came to a door and he passed his security card through the scanner and the door popped open. We went through the door and two security cameras monitored the long hall way with doors on every side of the hall.
"Follow me, please" said the man in the blue suit
"Who are you?" I asked
"I can't tell you. Those aren't my orders" was snappy answer.
"Well good. But what do your orders have to do with me?"
"I'm to give you this" the suited man pulled a gun from his back "and to tell you to protect the innocent. More will be explained when the time has come."
"Woah! What are you talking about?! I'm a banker!"
"Now you are a government agent. Welcome. Now go back to the terminal and board your flight home. Everything will be explained later but remember to protect the innocent."
The suited man turned and walked down the hall leaving me standing there with a cold black hand gun made by Glock sitting in my hand. I released the clip to see a full clip of .40 caliber bullets lining the clip and one in the chamber. My head began to pulse.
"What is happening?" I whispered to myself.
I turned and walked back through the door which I entered to a airport full of people knowing not much more then I did.
"Flight 7662 to Los Angeles is now boarding" exclaimed the speakers.
I boarded my flight and found my seat next to an elderly lady and her husband. I smiled, put my bag in the over storage, and sat down next to them. I felt the gun dig into my back and sat up to adjust myself, placing the gun on my side.
"These seats are awful" came the sooth voice of the elderly lady
"They are" I replied
The safety presentation was given as the roar of the engines began to roar. I closed my eyes to try and get some sleep so that I might wake up from this strange dream.
I woke up suddenly as the flight attendant came over the microphone, "Seats back and tray tables locked. Welcome to Los Angeles. The current temperature is 78 degrees with a light breeze coming from the South West. The sky is partly cloudy and a slight chance of rain within the week. Thank you for flying with us and welcome to LA."
I quickly jerked awake. Looked around and saw everyone preparing for landing. It was a good flight to have slept through it like I did. Even if I had some strange dream about a man giving me a gun and telling me to protect the innocent. The elderly lady next to me smiled.
"Are you from here?" asked the nice voice
"Excuse me?" I replied still trying to wake up
"LA. Are you from here?"
"Oh yes. I grew up here and coming home for a friends wedding."
"Oh delightful. We love it here but enjoy leaving the crowds behind."
I chuckled, "Yes it is quite crowded"
She leaned over to me and whispered, "You were talking in your sleep. Something about the innocent needs protecting. No one else heard but thought you'd want to know"
"Thank you" I said.
I stared forward until the fasten seat belt turned off. When I stood up my heart sunk, the gun was still in my waist band of my jeans. It wasn't a dream.

Lets go for a hike...

2009-07-21T12:26:00.006-06:00

So its interesting to some situations we might come across that has some effect on us. Let me see if I can explain. I often struggle with wondering if I have a testimony or anything. Well yesterday at work I was talking with a coworker about God and his plan for us...the plan of Salvation. I really felt good talking about it and really felt that our Father in Heaven was talking through me. I really felt I was able to get across to him and he even said that what I said he understood. So that made me feel really good and I was thinking about it. Then I went on a hike with my old ward to a waterfall. Well everyone was happily watching the waterfall so i took a little journey down a little bit away from everyone. I found a nice rock next to the creek and just sat there pondering. In my pondering in my mind I started having a conversation with someone...no one was there and I'm not crazy but I was talking to someone. I sat there and argued about things and talked things out. I kinda had a full blow argument with God...thats the best way I can describe it. I really felt comforted and relaxed. It was nice. I don't know what happened or really anything but i felt peaceful and felt that things were going to be alright. I really felt a lot in that little time and it was nice to know.

So yeah and then after the hike I rocked out to classic rock the entire way home. Busting it out and rocking and singing. Few people driving next to us had a good laugh but I don't really care. Then later that night my ex text me to let me know she was engaged...neat. Why she felt the need to tell me I may never know. Kinda felt like a little lemon juice on a wound cause all my other friends are getting married but whatever. It is what it is.

A night to remember...

2009-07-18T09:28:00.005-06:00

Alright so last night was one of the best nights I've had in awhile. It was freaking fun. We started the evening with me leaving work early cause lets be honest I was sick and tired of the bull shit that goes on there. So I went to Pizza Factory to meet up with Karli, Amanda, and Jillian. The fun has just begun. At the table we decide to watch a scary movie. "The Haunting in Connecticut". Movie was pretty scary. Not the scariest thing I've seen in my life but still pretty freaking creepy and gives you the chills. Well that wasn't good enough for Jillian and myself...we needed more scary. We felt to keep on the same track of the haunted house deal and rented "Amittyville Horror". Adding to the scary is we were at Blockbuster and the cashier goes, "Are you Steve?". I have no idea who this girl was but she knew who I was but luckily Amanda knew who she was...but what the hell...Anywho. The picture above is a picture that the History channel offered when they were doing a documentary of the home. According to the story surrounding this picture...there was no one in the house except the film crew and one of the photographers was going through the house taking pictures. The photographer claims that he felt a chill and like someone was watching him. When he developed the pictures he saw the picture of the little boy. So just the story can scare someone without watching the movie but we decided to watch the movie influenced by the story. Now take scary stories for what they are worth but I think there are times when the two worlds cross and in some places it might be more frequent than others. Anywho we watched that movie and I'm now scared to ever wake up at 3:15 am. If you have seen the movie or read the story you'll know why 3:15 am is so significant. After that we had the brilliant idea to walk through a graveyard! Yeah that's right...we already had the thrilling scary movies and now we needed some real life adventure of walking through a graveyard. So Jillian and I head out on our adventure. We went to one graveyard but that one was fenced off and we felt being caught in there would make someone fussy. Well I remembered a graveyard by Peties house that had no fence so we headed to American Fork. We both felt pits in our stomach as we reached closer to the graveyard. In the graveyard we started walking up the trail and got more and more creeped out the closer we got. The weather even changed drastically to a cold but no wind or anything could explain why it suddenly got cold. We mustered the courage to press on and the weather went back to the summer heat that was suppose to be there. We took some pictures but my camera was being fussy trying to take pictures with no light. Then we saw a cat randomly walking through the graveyard. Strange movements around us. And we saw this windmill on one of the grave plots that was spinning way fast as if there was a strong gust of wind moving through...there was no wind. We moved toward the windmill and when we got close it stopped...then proceeded to start moving again. That was way creepy. Then we felt like we had enough and called it a night. But seriously so much freaking fun!

Pink Floyd-Another Brick in the Wall

2009-07-17T13:57:00.002-06:00

So I'm sitting at my desk listening to some Pink Floyd and was just thinking. Its interesting to me that one day you can be in a really good mood...that night have a sleepless night where your mind won't stop thinking and then they next day you are uber fussy and over thinking your life. Last few days I been thinking about my friends lives and then comparing my life to theirs. Yeah I have some different experiences than them and some circumstances that are more out of the ordinary. I have friends getting married left and right. That's crazy to me because when I was in High School I thought I would be someone who would marry pretty young. Only to find out its really not that easy. Its amazing what things really aren't that easy as you grow up. I thought I'd have no problem picking a career and getting through school to get it. Yet here I am still in school trying to obtain that dream career. I even tried to sell myself short and take a lesser job of the dream but somethings happened and I ended back up in the start as if it didn't happen other than the scars that came with it. People tell me things happen for a reason and I'll understand later or I just need to be patient...well I'm ready to know the reason I think. I know somethings are out of my control and I'm not really being proactive in others but seriously...wtf?! I'm not really looking for that wife right now because I don't think I'm ready. In fact I know I'm not ready to make that commitment to someone cause thats freaking huge. I look at these people getting married so quickly and I'm happy for them and a little envious that they can make it happen so easily and quickly. I really want my marriage to be a strong relationship of love and friendship. Love is such an interesting thing cause you can love someone but no you could never live with that person. I guess I'm waiting for that no doubt love situation where they feel the same for me. Careers are just intense. I have always wanted a career where my objective every day is to help people and I have leaned toward law enforcement. Most people kinda shiver when they hear that for whatever reason but really I think it takes a certain person to be able to do that job and do it well...i want to be that person. I'm also learning more about the real world. The real world isn't all about doing the right thing and going after those not doing the right thing. I have this coworker that in my opinion is one of the most dishonest people I have ever met but he still comes to work every day even though the upper management doesn't trust him either! They just kinda look away from what he is doing and hope it works itself out. What would Captain America do? Its amazing to me how grown up I thought I was once I graduated high school and now I realize I'm still a kid and pretty naive when it comes to things. I know a fair amount more than others but not enough sometimes it seems. A friend of mine is going through his second divorce and he has kids with both spouses and I couldn't imagine being in his situation and feeling what he feels. He is very upet and troubled by the situation. I try to offer words of comfort and advice but who I am someone who doesn't have any kids or a wife. Who I'm I to offer him advise but yet he comes to me?! Basically this blog feels like I'm just whining but it kinda feels nice...so deal with it or stop reading. I think about the quote, "What you do in life, echoes in eternity" but what have I done in my life that will echo in eternity? I don't know...sometimes I just want the girl of my dreams to come wrap her arms around me and tell me she is all mine. Then I land the dream job. Then live happily ever after. Happily ever after possible really? I like to think it is. Just gotta make it through the mind games of dating, the stress of school to get that piece of paper that says you are qualified for a job you have never done, and the stress of bills to get you there. Well there ya have it...I should get back to work.

"We create the world in which we live; if that world becomes unfit for human life, it is because we tire of our responsibility"

Mini-vans were sent to this world to destroy people...

2009-07-14T13:06:00.002-06:00

So I have another theory on mini-vans. I think the mini-van was designed in hell and sent to this world to take human life. Every mini-van i come across on the road has this strange desire to take me out and kill me! It must be getting closer to my time. This morning on my way to work i was in the turn lane farthest out and for some reason the mini-van in the lane next to me decided that staying in his lane around the turn wasn't very fun so came into my lane and almost wiped me out.
Mini-vans are just dangerous! Its not just the elderly or the Moms who make these vans dangerous. Its anyone who gets behind the wheel. I was driving and this mini-van with teenage girls decided that stopping at the stop sign was a bad idea and almost t-boned me.
All Mini-vans have a small Gnome living inside the engine who emits a powder that disorients the driver and makes their driving more difficult. In some cases the powder even puts the driver in a dream state where they think everything is perfect and dandy but really they are driving horrible!
I mean who really wants to buy a mini-van? They are freaking ugly! I think a small gnome comes to these people in their sleep and puts them in a trance that convinces them to buy a mini-van. My only other thought is the car salesman is possessed by some demonic force and convinces people to buy a mini-van when really they have no desire for a mini-van.
If you see a mini-van on the road be careful...you might be next!

Lost in the woods...

2009-07-11T16:53:00.002-06:00

So we had this brilliant idea that we should go camping...little did we know what was going to happen.
Brock, Victor, Steve, and Tyler decide to go up the canyon and find a camp ground where they can happily fish and camp. Driving through the canyon are many pay to camp sites that no one really wanted to pay for. Suddenly out the side is a random dirt road. They take the road with slight caution to come across a beautiful campground right next to the river. It had fire pits, picnic tables and available camp sites right next to the creek. Strangely enough no one else was camping in the area. It was as if no one knew about this camp site. It was...to good to be true. Without thinking much they unpack and set up camp...still no one shows up. Just them alone in this amazing free camp site they came across.
Then Brock and Steve notice something...there isn't any wildlife in the area either. Its just a strange silence. Night quickly came and the stars lite the sky. That was the only light illuminating the camp. Suddenly the camp ground was surrounded by strange noises but the brush surrounding the camp showed nothing of that it would be. For hours they search around the camp with flashlights and lanterns but can not find what is bringing the strange noise surrounding the camp.
There was a need for more firewood so they decide to leave the safety of the camp and go on a search for more wood. The search turned difficult in the pitch black of the camp. Nothing could be seen except for what the flash light lite. No wind blew but the bushes still shook and stirred. Quickly returning to camp with what wood they acquired they built a large campfire to illuminate the area more. Pictures were taken and faces can be seen in the pictures. The faces of unknown people. For the remainder of the night strange noises surrounded the camp. Was it ghosts? Demons? or just animals? No one knows but they will never be the same...
Just kidding. Camping was amazing this weekend. We did find a really nice camp ground where no one else camped at and it was really nice. We did scare ourselves pretty good and did hear strange things around the camp but we have no idea what it was. I'm sure we psyched ourselves out more than it really was. I really want to get a bunch of people and go back there to camp for a weekend because it was a blast and really nice camp grounds.

The dishonesty continues...

2009-06-30T13:58:00.004-06:00

So yesterday at my employment I was working and two members were meeting with this person I talked about in a previous blog. He was talking to them about this dealership that went out of business but sold the car that they traded in to the dealership but never paid off their loan. Whenever a person trades a car into a dealership that dealership has to pay off that loan by law. Well this dealership didn't pay off these people loan and sold their car on top of that. So the members came to us for help because they are still making their payments on the loan in order to not hurt their credit. They wanted to know if we would go repo the car for them and this person who works here said he wouldn't because he had no reason to and that he couldn't. I just sat at my desk listening to him telling them this and was in utter confusion and quite honestly I was pissed off. We have every right to repo the car! I checked our security agreement and everything to double check myself but of course this person told them over and over that we weren't going to repo it and its their problem. To me that is just bad juju. So after the people left I turned and asked him if he knew that he just straight out lied to those people. He got all defensive and said that he didn't want to get in the middle of the people and this dealership. I told him we needed to protect the Credit Union. He just kinda blew me off and ignored me. Thats fine I told him and whatever he wants to do is fine. Well this certain car dealer also has an account with us so I checked to see the status of the account. It had been negative a large amount of money since April but the Credit Card and HELOC were never closed or blocked. So these people owe us a ton of money but the dishonest person working here didn't bother to do anything about it. This car dealer has been using his credit card for everything and anything he could...racking up the balance. Well come to find out this dishonest person and this car dealer have been talking and have a common hatred for an auto auction here in Utah. They have come buddy buddy and the guy working here always says that the dealer is going to pay off these loans. I know there is no way this guy can pay these loans and he is being investigated by the Utah District Attorney. So this dealership is going under hard core and the owner will be facing criminal charges. But yeah this guy working here doesn't want to get in the middle. Sometimes I really think he is scared of people and confrontation.
Its gets a little better at the fact that the person working here also owns his own used car dealership. Oh yeah he does most of his work for that here in this office. Pretty creative because it makes it look like he is working and he delegates out all the other work. My favorite part is has asked me to do all the attorney cases, small claims, charge offs, bankruptcy, calling on accounts, and much more. So really he doesn't do much as it is...I do and the other employees handle the rest. Thats pretty interesting...makes me wonder what he really does? I'm by no means perfect but I think you should always be honest in everything you do.

"Moral conduct includes every thing in which men are active and for which they are accountable. They are active in their desires, their affections, their designs, their intentions, and in every thing they say and do of choice; and for all these things they are accountable to God"
-Nathaniel Emmons

Crestwood was built over an Indian burial...

2009-06-29T11:41:00.002-06:00

Alright so I have a theory that the Crestwood apartments were built over an Indian burial ground. The place is freaking demonic and possessed. It seems all happy and secure but really its all a lie!
Here is what I think it all went down. First lets begin with the management. If you haven't dealt with the management yet...well they are Nazis. They will come up with things to charge you for that make no sense at all but if you argue with them they will some how convince you its your fault and you leave feeling confused and pissed. You don't understand how its your fault these charges are coming through but sure enough they make you pay for it. I think they really died long ago but their spirits have never left and they just been working for the Crestwood the entire time. The real owners of Crestwood are bewitched by the management staff to keep letting them work there even though they have been there forever. Basically bottom line they are evil and some place in the office is the true gate way to hell.
Next is some of the residence. I'm convinced there is a guy living in Crestwood that really died back in 1984 but he still haunts the grounds. For the safety of everyone we will just call him Funk. This spirit haunts the grounds and stalks poor helpless women. He thinks them as his girlfriend whom he must of lost around the same time he died but since his spirit has been unable to move on, well it haunts the grounds looking for her. I have personally seen him wondering the complex really really late at night. Luckily he is a happy spirit just looking for his girlfriend. Not to be afraid...unless you are female...then the stalking might get scary.
Lastly I believe that their are just flat out demonic spirits possessing the residence of the Crestwood. These evil spirits go around and take over people and make them do crazy crazy things. The evil spirits will make the person they possess to ruin relationship, create unnecessary drama, attempt self infliction, and just be down right a freaking prick. I don't understand where these spirits have come from but I can only imagine they have come from the gateway to hell in the main office. If you try to challenge one of these spirits be prepared for crazy attacks and nonsense that is uncontrolled. You can't explain what will happen but it will scare you to death. Maybe the spirits want to scare you to death so that you may join their ranks but you must stay strong!
Oh and I almost forgot...ZOMBIES! Yes the Crestwood has Zombies! Not the Zombies you see in movies but rather zombies that suck the life out of you slowly. They will make you feel miserable and tired and all happiness will leave you. They act like the dementors from Harry Potter! If a person comes in contact with you and all happiness leaves...my only suggestion is to run. They look like real people but can't be trusted!
Good luck to you all and be safe while near the Crestwood apartments!

Summer and the outdoors

2009-06-23T15:53:00.003-06:00

Well now that June has come and gone its time to get my butt out and go camping! Time to take time to be in the outdoors and enjoy life! Something about going out and camping is just so nice and relaxing. Camping lets you be out in the quite wilderness and clear my mind. The second week in July and the last weekend in July i'm planning on camping and getting the hell outta here for a bit! I can't wait for my phone to lose reception and just enjoy peace. I know no one will be around other than close friends and nature. So don't be surprised if my phone is off for long periods of time!

Dishonesty in the work place

2009-06-13T11:04:00.000-06:00

So I work at a Credit Union in the Collections department. Once upon a time I was the only manager of the department. Then I decided to try a different aspect of life and joined the LA County Sheriffs department. Had some a series of things happen and experiences and learning that I decided to hold off on that part of my life. So, I decided to go back to school and shoot for the FBI. I came back to work at the Credit Union in the Collections Department. They had replaced me with another guy and then put me back in as well do be my own supervisor and really kinda my own department handling different aspects of Collections.
When I was the Collections Manager I was always honest and straight forward in everything I did. If I told someone what they needed to do in order to clear their late account then that is what they needed to do and stuck to that and never changed it. When someone came to me and made an arrangement with me, i never changed the arrangement without first talking to them. I never lied. I never stole. I never cheated anyone. I like to think I ran my office very honestly and my employees ran things honestly.
The new manager that works in the office I have come to learn does not have the same work ethics that I have. For example he spoke with a lady who said she was trying to sell her car and get us paid off. She said she was in a hard circumstance and was going to work through it with us. To me it sounded great and the new manager was the one of the phone with her. He told her that he had no desire to repo her car and wanted to work with her. He obtained her address and phone numbers, then once the phone call was over he sent a repo agent to pick up the car. The people called back very furious that he had repo'd the car even when he promised he would not. Then when he got in trouble for this instance from our President of the Credit Union he turned the blame on one of the employees, that employee had nothing to do with it but yet he was blamed for it by his superior. Other times we had people calling in saying that this certain manager threatened them or made claims that were false or just straight up lied to them.
One day this manager sat with me and another employee (who is a personal friend) and told us that we were getting to comfortable and we were not working. I didn't say anything but looked at him with what must have been a very disgusted look because he quickly changed the subject.
Then today I'm working and researching some accounts that we had charged off only to find that he has been taking sale proceeds from accounts before they were charged off and reapplying them to the loans after they were charged off so that they will look like its recovery. So in short without getting into anything confusing...he is taking money that's already there, deleting it, and putting it back on there so it makes him look better. By doing this it looks like the amount charged off is much less than the amount we have obtained in recovery in turn making him look like he is doing good BUT if you look at it from what i've found...he is actually not changing anything other than padding the numbers a little bit.
Also, as I have done my research today I have found accounts that are just not being collected on and no repo orders are being issued. The collection policy is being taken spastic at best and no two people are getting the same treatment from him. I believe if you are going to do something for one person then every person is entitled to be treated in the same manner.
Now I have the dilemma on what I should do. I have come across things that to me seem dishonest and not a way to run a office. In my feelings I feel bad about it and it stresses me out. I don't really know who to talk to about it because I don't know how is turning a blind eye to such a thing. My current plan is to talk to my boss, President of the Credit Union, and explain to him what is happening and leave it up to him to do something.
Oh yeah did I mention that we have been sued more times with him in the few months he has been here than ever in the 50 years the Credit Union has been open? Oh yeah that's another wonderfully true statement.
Unforturnatly not the entire world likes to see things as working honest in their dealings with their fellow men. I will not be one that turns a blind eye to dishonesty or cheating. Turning a blind eye would mean that I'm okay with that type of behavior and I am not okay with it.