"Steele" of a Surprise

I know I haven't posted in a while, but this semester was crazy. I was working as a TA, RA and CA and taking 15 credits, including my Capstone Class which required a 25 page paper, which was a lot of fun. I have really been enjoying my Christmas break. I have done nothing, which has been really awesome. It's so nice to not have any homework or assignments. I did get to babysit my cousin's kids one day. It was a lot of fun. They are two of the cutest kids ever and really well behaved. We had a lot of fun playing the Wii.



Christmas Eve we went out to dinner to Michael's and had the best ribs that I have ever had really. Then we got together with some family. It was really good to see them again. Christmas day started with us opening presents. I got everything I wanted which was nice. Then we had french toast for breakfast with Aunt Val and Jason. It was way good. Then after we got cleaned up, we went to Aunt Aun's. We had fun there. It was good to see the cute little kids and relatives.



The day after Christmas was spent in anticipation of a snow storm, that we missed the brunt of. The night of Christmas, Savannah Steele called asked if she could come and visit us tomorrow. I said yes of course. They came over in the evening. We had a good time chatting and eating dessert. It was a good time! A really great Christmas!

Summer Reading List

So this summer I didn’t really have that much to do, especially the first half of the summer. I decided that I should read some books that I have been wanting to read for a while. Here are the reviews for the books that I read over the summer.

Going Rogue---Sarah Palin



This is essentially Sarah Palin’s autobiography. I thought that it was really well done. It gave a lot of her background, especially as governor of Alaska that didn’t come out on the Campaign Trail. There are two sides to every story, and I think that if you give her a chance to tell her side about all of the drama that took place during the Campaign, you’ll be surprised about how poorly she was treated by the McCain campaign. It is definitely worth your time.

Enough---Juan Williams




This was probably my favorite book of the summer. It is a book about the state of African Americans in America. It came about as a result of a speech Bill Cosby gave at an NAACP event paying tribute to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court. It is essentially a call to arms for the African Americans to work to change their current situation in America. I agree whole heartedly with all of his points. It’s awesome! A must read!

How to Save America: A Tactical Guide For Practical Patriots---A.E. Duzett



This is a book by someone who was in my Freshman Academy Group my first year at BYU. This is an excellent guide on how to get involved politically in practical ways that everyone can do. The tips she gives are so great. Most are simple things that the normal person would never think of being effective in influencing policy, but the ideas that she presents are good ways to get involved and have influence in the public arena. It is worth your time! It’s available on Amazon!

The last think I’ll mention here is not something I read, but rather something I wrote that you should all check out. I had a National Security Strategies class last winter semester and had to write a paper on a topic of my choice. I decided to write about Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) in Central Europe. The professor (one of the top one hundred global thinkers in the world) liked it so much she invited me to submit it for publication in an online journal. Needless to say it was published and you can read it here. One of the reviewers commented that “this paper is the best of three papers I have read on the subject of BMD. It is very well organized and well reasoned. It evidences independent thought without over reliance on quotations from secondary literature.” I think it’s worth your time to learn something about BMD. Enjoy!

Summer Vacation

So we started off our first family vacation in two years by flying into Vegas. Savannah Steele gave a ride to the airport which was way nice. My flight was delayed by an hour, but it worked out well because I got to hang out with one of my companions from the mission who was going to Alabama. Once we met up in Vegas and had lunch, we checked out our hotel. The parents took a nap because they were super tired. Then after finding out which buffet was the best in Vegas, we headed over to the Palms to try it out. It was really good. They pretty much had everything you could ever imagine. Then we headed over to the Venetian, my favorite of all the Casinos to see the Blue Man Group. It was pretty interesting. Nothing like I expected it to be, but it was awesome to say the least. Then we did some exploring of the strip and headed back to the hotel via the monorail.





The next day we went and saw the Hoover Dam. Yes, we went on the dam tour and it was pretty dam interesting. We then headed back to Vegas and found the Temple, which was really pretty. Then we pretty much just chilled the rest of the evening.





The next day we drove pretty much the whole day. We eventually made our way to Zion’s National Park, which was really cool. I had always heard about these parks in southern Utah, but never experienced them. Zion’s was a great way to start.



Then we headed on to Jacob Lake to stay the night. It was a neat experience. In the morning, we headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. That was absolutely beautiful. Words can’t even begin to describe it. There are so many natural wonders in just America alone.





Then we made the drive back to St. George in the afternoon. The next day we went Bryce Canyon, which I have to confess was my favorite of all the national parks that we visited. The rock formations were absolutely stunning. It was beautiful.



Then we made the trek up to Provo. I’m always amazed at how little there actually is between St. George and Provo. It was a nice drive though. Then, my parents dropped me off at my apartment. The next day they went to the BYU Bookstore, while I went and tried to run some errands, but I wasn’t that successful. Then we went to Walmart and got some groceries. I’m a huge Walmart fan. Then we went to lunch with Roberta Magarell, an old family friend of my dad’s. They hadn’t see each other for decades. She was really touched by it and we had a good visit. Then we just chilled for a while and then went to smashburger, which was enjoyed by all. Then we went to my apartment and hung out for a little bit. Then we said goodbye. All in all it was a good trip. We got to see a lot and bond.

Christmas in July

So July ended up being a super busy and fun month. So many things happened that I don’t even know where to begin. My classes went well. I had a lot of reading for my history class, which was really interesting and I learned a lot. Tennis and bowling went really well as well. I improved a lot in both areas. For my Doctrine and Covenants class, I ended up reading the whole thing, in less than two months, which really helped me to put a lot of things in perspective.

So, some exciting happenings include going to Park City. I had never been to Park City before so, it was super awesome to go and visit. It was amazing. Really pretty. So not Utah that it was almost refreshing. We walked around the stores, sat in the grass, went outlet shopping ( I got a nice pair of gap jeans for 17 bucks which was awesome).



On the way home, we were hungry and craving fried chicken so we stopped at KFC. I had wanted to try a double down sandwich for a while now, so I went ahead and tried it. It was way delicious and filling. They could have put more bacon on it, but other than that, it was awesome.



Pioneer Day weekend was busy as well. For those of you who are not from Utah, Pioneer Day is on the 24th of July and commemorates when Brigham Young and the first settlers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. On Friday, our good friend Rachel Davis had her wedding reception. It was way nice. Very simple, but elegant. They had a cheese bar which was good, with fruit and chicken. Instead of cake, they had cupcakes. The raspberry ones were the best.



It was probably the best wedding reception I had ever been too. Rachel made sure she spent a lot of time with us which made me feel loved. Probably the most loved I had ever felt at a wedding reception. I’m grateful for awesome friends like her and wish her the best in her marriage with Brad.



Then on Saturday evening I went to the Spanish Fork rodeo. It was impressive. The bull riders were actually able to stay on at this one which was nice. The fireworks were a perfect ending to a perfect day.

The last weekend in July found me on a road trip. My friend Abby has a sister in Logan, and I told her if she ever goes to visit I would like to go with her. So, she went and so did I. We left at 9:00 on a Friday morning. We made a couple of stops including at that Super Europa Market where I was able to pick up some food from Europe including peach juice, Milka Bars, cookies and Kolbasz (aka Hungarian Sausage). Then we drove up to Logan, which was a really nice and not-so-long drive. We met here sister at Rumbi Island Grill, which was really delicious. I had never eaten there before but it was really good.



After lunch we went to the Logan Aquatic Center, which is a really big pool with a couple of slides. It was a lot of fun. I haven’t spent a full afternoon swimming in the longest time. The best part was the fact that we used SPF 70 sunscreen. Needless to say, I’m just as pasty as I was before. Good time with good people.



After we got cleaned up, I went and met my favorite mission companion Elder Wilkins. We spent 18 weeks as companions and really had a lot of fun serving with each other. After some fruit soup, we took a ride up to porcupine reservoir to meet his family, who was having a family reunion. They made me feel like part of the family from the very beginning. They had an amazing dinner of hot dogs, hamburgers and Dutch oven potatoes, which were amazing by the way.





Then after dinner, we spent most of our time around the campfire making smores. I got to hear a lot of really funny family stories. It was a good time. They also had a cot for me to sleep on. I was amazed at how well I slept. I don’t think that I can go back to sleeping on the ground. In the morning we woke up and had pancakes and bacon. So good. Wilkins had to work and I didn’t feel like being outside all day, so we came back to Logan and I just hung out at his apartment for a while and got some reading done that I needed to. I took a walk around Logan got some bagels for Lunch, visited the Temple and did some looking around. This was one of the funnier things that I saw. Who knew they had parking spaces specifically for Utards?



Once Wilkins got off work, we just kind of chilled. We played cities and knights and ate our Kolbasz, which was so good. The next morning we woke up and moved all of Wilkins’ stuff out of his apartment and to his parents’ house. I was glad I could be of service. Then we had Church in the afternoon. It was nice not to have to be in charge of anything, and I really could just enjoy the meetings, which was nice. The funniest moment was the fact that the lesson in Elder’s Quorum was about Finding Joy in the Journey. After church, we went back and had some hotdogs. Then we just kind of hung out until Abby came and picked me up. Wilkins’ family was so nice. They really made me feel like I was part of the family. They sent me home with fresh squash, green beans and poppy seeds. So delicious. I thought this picture kind of summed up the weekend and our companionship for that matter.



Overall, it was an awesome July. Finals are coming up and then it is off for family vacation. This is the first real family vacation since I got back from the Mission, which has been for two years, by the way. Anyway, it should be good.

Happy Birthday America

I’m a big fan of America. I think it really is the greatest country in the world. I normally do a low key celebration with the Family, but this year I was in Provo and decided to live it up! Friday it started with some Thai food in honor of Steven’s friend Echoe coming into town. It was way good, especially for my first time trying Thai food. I was pleasantly surprised.



Then that evening I had my first blind date ever. We went bowling, which was fun. My bowling class is paying off. I won and was the only person to score above 100. Bowling is so much fun. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Then Saturday, I did some homework in the morning. In the afternoon, a group of us got together and went up to the Canyon to make foil dinners. They were so good. The weather was perfect. The food was so delicious. The company was great too.



In the evening, we went up on the mountain to watch the fireworks. It was really cool because you could see a lot of the fireworks being set off over the whole valley. It was a really good day. I’m so glad to be an American. The good news is that there is still another day left of the holiday weekend. I think I’m going to infinity and beyond tomorrow!

South Jersey Whores

So, I started summer classes this week. I'm taking a bowling, tennis, Doctrine and Covenants and a history class. I think it is going to be a fun semester. Another great part of this week was an e-mail I got from my friend. It brought back a memory from High School. Sometime in my ninth grade American History class we talked about hookahs, the drug paraphernalia. One of my fellow classmates Tyler Oliveros made a joke. He was like "Hookah, also know as a South Jersey whore." (Get it---hooker with a New Jersey accent). It's one of the few jokes I remember from high school. Anyway this picture cracked me up when I saw it.



On another note, Provo actually has its own South Jersey Whore store, "The Hookah Collection." I just think its funny that Provo has a hookah shop. I guess all of the UVU students need somewhere to get their drug paraphernalia.

That Damned Old Rodeo

Nothing says the American West better than a Rodeo. A group of friends and I decided that going to a rodeo would be the perfect way to celebrate Memorial Day. We went to the Rodeo in Eagle Mountain. It was the first one ever in Eagle Mountain, which was pretty cool.



They had all of the standard events like bronco riding.



Bull riding



And who could forget the rodeo clown.



All in All it was a fun evening. On the way home we stopped at IHOP for some pancakes. They were really good.



Then we came home. So, really it was an inspiring evening at the Rodeo. I just hope I can be successful in the arena of life now, so when I reach the other side my entrance fees will be paid.

Jeramy Does Dallas

So, I applied for an internship with Southwest Airlines in their legal department back in March. I hadn’t heard anything and I just thought they didn’t want me. Then I got a phone call to set up an interview the beginning of May. The phone interview went well apparently, because they invited me to come to Dallas at their expense. So I left Thursday afternoon, ready to conquer Dallas!



I had an awesome driver to the Airport in Conner Castagno (a former Mission Comp).



My first stop was in New Mexico. I had never been there before. I’m going to be honest and say it didn’t look that exciting. This statue was cool though.



After another hour and a half flight, I arrived in Dallas. It was a smaller airport, but super crowded. I got my luggage and caught a shuttle to my hotel, which was way nice.



I then decided to explore Downtown Dallas. I was originally going to take a cab, but they were super expensive, so I took the Bus instead. Luckily, the Bus Driver was really cool and helped me get to where I needed to be. Being the Poli-Sci major that I am, I went to the JFK memorial in the square where he got shot.



After finding my way back to the Hotel on the Bus, I went to bed. I woke up super early because I didn’t want to over sleep. After getting ready and eating breakfast, I got a shuttle to Southwest Headquarters.



When I arrived I had to give them a ton of paperwork that they wanted (transcripts, letters of recommendation, essay, applications). After a while, I went in for my interview. They interview candidates in teams. My team was made up of three people. It was Karen from HR (she is the one that I had the phone interview with) and two people from the legal department with whom I would be working. They asked all of the normal questions and I think it went pretty well. After my interview, I went to the Airport to catch a plane back to Salt Lake. My flight went from Dallas to Tulsa to Denver and finally to Salt Lake. Owen, was super awesome and gave me a ride home. I was grateful for that.

Overall, it was an awesome experience. Texas was amazing. That was my first time in the Lonestar State and I was impressed. All of the people I met were super nice. All of the people at Southwest were so incredibly nice. It would be awesome to work for them. Even if I don’t get it though, it was still a beneficial experience!

A Smashing Success

So, I’m back in Provo after a two week vacation home. Life is really boring because I am only working 15 hours a week and studying for the LSAT. But, other than that life is good. Owen and I have this goal to visit a lot of the restaurants in Utah. We thought we would start it off with a smash, a smash burger that is. I have to admit, I was kind of skeptical about how the quality of the burger was going to be, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a nice sized burger and very delicious. The fries are covered in olive oil, rosemary, garlic and other “herbs”. Owen had the classic SmashBurger.



I had the Beehive SmashBurger which had onion straws, BACON and barbeque sauce on it. So delicious. It was really good, only it needed more barbeque sauce.



So that is one restaurant off of our list. Our goal is about one a week! Stay tuned!

Made With Love

When I was on my mission in Hungary, the people there were predominantly Catholic. They took the Easter holiday very seriously. On Good Friday, Catholics aren’t supposed to eat meat. So, on Good Friday my companion, Elder Howe, and I went to McDonalds (twice) and had burgers to celebrate what we called Proud to Be a Mormon Day because we could eat meat (ironically enough though McDonalds was packed both times with people eating a lot of meat). So, I have carried that tradition on since I have gotten back from my mission. I always make it a point to eat a hamburger on Good Friday. Last year I went to Wendys, this year I decided to take it up a notch.



Owen, the restaurant aficionado in our Apartment, talked about how good Sammy’s was in Downtown Provo. We have wanted to go there for a while and after Owen got off work we girded up our loins and went there. It was a really neat place. Just a cool burger joint on a side street. They are known for their pie shakes. I had a Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake one and it was amazing.



I had the Masterpiece Burger and it was super good. Bacon, cheese, grilled onions and barbeque sauce with sweet potato fries on the side. So delicious! Anyway, it was a good time. Perfect way to celebrate Good Friday.



(P.S.---It became an even better Friday when I found out Jimmer Fredette has the same major as me. Props to the American Studies major!)

Joe Strikes Again

Well, I thought that Obama was keeping Joe Biden on a tight leash with all of the gaffes that he is prone to make, but in the past couple of weeks they have let him loose. This is one of the best ones ever, right up there with the Stand Up Chuck moment. The Irish Prime Minister was visiting and Joe pronounced a blessing on his late mother, who was actually still alive. God bless your soul Joe!



Then at the "historic" signing of Obamacare Joe apparently forgot that he was at the microphone when he dropped the F-Bomb to the President of the United States. "This is an #@*!ing big deal." Man first he threatens him with his Beretta, now he is cursing at him. Anyway, I think he actually meant to say that Obama care is actually a "#@*!ing" raw deal. It puts us on a slippery slope towards universal health care, which sucks by the way. The best thing is that before the major changes take place three years from now, we'll still be paying taxes until then to fund. Do you actually think that Congress is going to hold onto that money until then?

Purim

So today was Purim, the Jewish holiday honoring Ester, and Owen and I decided that we should celebrate. Nothing says a Jewish holiday like gravy and biscuits. We made this potato soup last week with our friend Amy. We had some left over and Owen thought that it would make a good gravy. I had biscuits and we went to town. It was so amazingly good. I was pleasantly surprised. Best of all, it was kosher!

What Would Jimmer Do?

This week has been absolutely crazy. I had two papers due, a ton of reading, a film log due and thank heavens I only had one midterm instead of two (thank you Dr. Hudson who allowed the group one writing group members to take their test next week. That was an answer to a silent prayer), plus work as well. By the time I got to Thursday I was ready for a break/celebration. Coincidently, Jimmer Fredette’s birthday fell on the same day. Needless to say I made a cake to honor that amazing basketball player.



“WWJD,” contrary to popular belief actually stands for What would Jimmer do? So, I had some friends over and we even sang to him, even though he wasn’t here. I’m sure he was here in spirit though. Then we spent the rest of the time visiting with friends. It was a jolly old time! But I think we all could benefit by asking ourselves this question, especially when we are in a tough spot. What would Jimmer Do? He would take the ball and score. We need to do the same when life throws us the basket. Let’s follow Jimmer’s example and when life hands us the basketball, let’s take it to the basket!