Discovering Evermore Park

My family and I got to experience Evermore Park for the first time yesterday. I would like to give a very brief review from a person who had no idea what Evermore was and entered the park blindly.

Upon waiting in the line to enter the park you get a major cosplay feel from mostly all patrons who enter into the park. The line was filled with costumed patrons dressed up in a wide variety of themes. I saw patrons dressed as: pirates, viking, Lord of the Rings Elves, Steampunk, Goth, western cowboys, vampires, Link from Zelda, and even the Super Mario Brothers. Some patrons talked to us in character of whoever they were dressed up like and would only respond to their character’s name. Obviously I was wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into?

We finally entered the park and discovered with some difficulty that the actual characters who work at Evermore wear an “E” glowing crystal amulet around their necks. That made it much easier to identify them through all the wardrobe costume anarchy.

We realized that we needed to get a map of the park which had certain tasks and quests written on the back of it. If we completed that list we would familiarize ourselves better with the park.

We learned that there are different camps and towns within the borders of Evermore Park that houses everything from: witches, rangers, knights, pirates, dwarves, barbarian known as the Wolves of Winter, and bards. Just to name a few. Each group of characters had their own guilds that you are welcome to join.

In order to join a guild you are given up to three tasks or quests that you need to complete before the guild’s initiation ceremony which would happen closer to the end of the night.

Since my 8-year old loves magic we decided to focus on tasks geared towards the witches coven. We were given three good witch tasks. It was a fun experience and my daughter at the end of the day was initiated into the Witches Coven and was promoted to the level of “Seeker” within their guild. If we were to return to the park we would have the option to pick up where we left off and advance further in the guild… or join another one as well.

My over-all opinions of Evermore Park: The employees are trained to stay in character and encouraged to speak with foreign European dialect. They seem to hire actors with musical or stage combat talents. They are indeed trying to give you a spectacular fantasy experience. Picture LARPing on steroids.

We came during the tail end of their Aurora Season. Sort of like their Christmas / holiday theme within the park. So we saw some Christmas themed lights. The construction of the park is incomplete, and we were obviously attending during their off season with most of their attractions closed or out of commission, with that understanding, the park has potential and I wouldn’t mind giving it a second visit some time.

For more information or for ticket purchase please visit: https://www.evermore.com/

Mt. Nebo Half Marathon Race

Okay so I have been slacking in my blogs lately... Sorry about that. Time to do some catching up.

September 5^th 2015 I ran in the Mt. Nebo Half Marathon. Needless to say it was rough, I gained some weight and had some troubles with Achilles tendinitis.

I was half way tempted (pardon the pun) to sign up for the full Nebo Marathon since it was only a ten dollar difference. I decided to shoot for the full marathon in a year. I think that full marathons are crazy, but I at least want to say I experienced one.

Anyway back to my experience with the race... They made us all rendezvous at the Payson high school at a ridiculous hour of 4 o'clock in the morning so they could bus us up the Nebo loop. The bus dropped us off at a chilly campground where we had to wait an hour and a half for the race to start. I do not know why they did that to us.

The race was okay, I liked it because it was all down hill. Check out my over all results for the race.

Things that must go: cops who pull over bike riders in Provo

Cops who pull over bike riders in Provo: I was riding my bike home from work and had not traveled more then 5 minutes on nothing more than sidewalks and crosswalks when a cop car turned his lights on and waved me to a stop. He said, “I was just checking on you because we received a call that you were weaving in and out of traffic and I just wanted to make sure you are okay.” I explained to him I had only been riding on sidewalks and told him I thought he had the wrong guy. Then he gave me a lecture anyway about riding safely. Cops that don't verify bike riders before they pull them over must go. Also, disgruntled Provo drivers who hate Provo traffic and make calls like that on bike riders must go.

Things that must go: Minion pins on Pinterest

Minion pins on Pinterest: Anyone on Facebook or Instagram that pins and shares Minion pins must go. (See attachment) Every one of them shows a picture of a minion followed by some witty or clever saying like, “I know the voices in my head aren't real....but sometimes their ideas are just absolutely awesome!” Pierre Coffin, the director of the Despicable Me movies who also makes the voice of all the minions in the movies, has stated that there is no official Minion language like the Klingon language is on Star Trek. It is all just jibber-jabber. So, implying that minions speak in sonnets or limericks is incredibly stupid. It was not funny the first shared pin I viewed nor do the hundreds more I am viewing make it any more funny. These stupid shared Minion pins on Pinterest must go.

Things that must go: registering our rewards cards

Registering our rewards cards must go: This goes for all franchises that utilize rewards cards that track how much you spend and then reward you with a free sandwich etc... You do not need to know my personal information to allow me to keep using your rewards system. That is none of your business. After a decade of dining at Subway and using a rewards card the franchise gave me 30 days to register. I just threw my card away. Their bread is not fresh, it is premade, frozen, and then warmed in an oven and they are stifling their 5 dollar foot long deal… Actually, not only can we do without registering rewards cards, but Subway in general must go too.

Things that must go: panhandlers who assault people in Orem

I frequently post a list of my "Things That Must Go." For those of you who don't know, this is a weekly segment that Kerry, Bill and Gina do on The Radio From Hell show on X96 every Wednesday morning. After paying close attention to this segment I have noticed that 97% of what I write never makes it on air. Whether it infringes on their sponsors or they just plain don’t like my list I am not too sure. I decided to do a topic on my blog called Rejected from X96’s Hell: what never made it on air. Enjoy! 

Panhandlers who assault people in Orem: I was exiting a McDonalds next to Walmart. About 600 feet away is the favored corner where panhandlers shake cardboard signs. One panhandler made eye contact with me. I thought nothing of it and gave no indication that I had anything for him. After entering my car and turning on the ignition I received a pounding knock on the roof of my car. To my surprise this panhandler had left his favored corner and walked the 600-foot distance to my car. I said nothing, just looked at him. He said “I don't want your money!” I was confused but he repeated, “I said I don't want your money!” Still confused I replied, “Okay then. ” He then flipped out using all sorts of obscenities like 'mother hugger' and 'a-hole' and something crude about my mother... He then left the while saluting me with the bird raised high the entire way until he was out of sight. I give him an A for dramatic flair. I am still dazed and confused over the whole ordeal. Did he want a beer? Regardless, I did not approach him nor give any signal from far away indicating that I had something for him. It makes me not want to consider giving panhandlers anything ever. Panhandlers like that must go!

Spontaneous nunchuck lessons Part 2

Nunchaku, often casually known as "nunchucks," are a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon that is made of two sticks that are connected by a rope or a chain on one end. The Nunchaku make a great training weapon, which can help you improve your posture and develop quicker movements of the hands.

As I mentioned before my gang and I decided to have a night out with spontaneous nunchuck lessons. We asked a nice sensei who was very generous to let us use his dojo and training equipment. He was also generous with his time.

Yes, I brought my homemade nunchucks with me. I made three pairs but I was the only brave one to train with them luckily everyone else used foam chucks.

The following photos are the most well known way to hold nunchucks right before you combat with them

When you are not intending to fight someone but you would still like to intimidate them you hold them crossed in your arms but still visible

A less intimidating hold is where you hide the nunchucks behind your arm

We started very slowly with some basic over the shoulder, and then catch it with your other hand under the arm technique like so:

Then we tried something more aggressive. We would whip the chucks over the shoulder, wave the chucks in front of us in a figure-eight motion and then bring it back to this position.

Some of us got more confident and faster as the night went on. This was not wise for a beginner. 

I feel like the lesson was a success. What cool and spontaneous things have you done with your gang?

Spontaneous nunchuck lessons Part 1

My gang and I decided to take a crash course in nunchuck lessons. 

I wanted to make sure we all had nunchucks to practice with… so I made some!

Step one: find an old broomstick

Step two: saw it down into 11-12” sticks. I was able to cut six out of this broomstick.

Step three: Go to home depot and by a cheap designer chain: 

and some screw eyes:

Step four: with a drill and some pliers you can attach the chain to the broom stick handles. My sensei told me that the shorter the length of the chain the better it is for a beginner.

Step five: begin lessons! Stay tuned for next week’s blog on training with my gang in the dojo!

Voilà! Just your own homemade assault with a deadly weapon product!

This project only cost me $1.35 to assemble. Did you know I was so thrifty?

Team name

A while ago I blogged about how I voted for the dumbest team name at work and how it worked since I was the only one who voted… Well as you can see by the t-shirt that was made for my group representing our team name, it’s not quite the same name that won the election.

Our team name is DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Too Safe Crew, not the 2 Superman C!

When I protested this folly to my team captain he said most of us in the team could never be comfortable wearing that shirt in public.

This is just another example why democracy does not work here.

Do you find anything offensive or uncomfortable with the original unaltered name?

http://accordingtokirk.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-day-i-threw-my-vote-away-and-it.html

Donating plasma

While going to college I heard of and participated in the local plasma center which gives you money for every visit.

This is what happens when you donate at the plasma center: you enter and take a number, and then you sit and wait and watch a movie in the waiting room. After about 30 minutes they call your name and ask you to enter a small concealed booth where a representative educates you about AIDS and interrogates you to make sure you have lived a lifestyle free from the virus. They then proceed to take a blood sample and take your vitals. They then excuse you back to the waiting room to continue watching the movie. About 25 minutes later they call you into the room where the procedure will commence.

They sit you down in a funky chair and a certified phlebotomist pricks your arm and starts an IV that is hooked to a machine that will suck out your blood, extract the plasma from it, and then put the blood back into your arm. All the while you are still watching the movie from another TV in that room.

Once they have filled the quart sized bottle of plasma, they bandage you up, and pay you and then you’re free to leave the facility. This entire ordeal takes a little over two hours to do each time.

I have not been to the plasma center for a few years and I would like to share with you the pros and cons to donating plasma.

Cons:

1) Everyone gets paid the same amount each time. If you are a big fat guy like me they will keep you on the machine for a long time and milk you until that bottle is full to the brim with plasma.

2) Everyone has to have a physical examination with one of their representatives before  officially donating plasma. There is nothing awkward about it, they don’t ask you to drop your drawers or stuff like that. The physical is very basic. But plan on at least 3 to 5 hours of waiting to get this part completed.

3) Their hours of operation are pretty much open during business hours so if you have a job you will never find a convenient time to go in.

4) You have no choice on which movie to watch.

5) If the phlebotomist is inexperienced, they may bruise your arm, they then turn you away and you can't donate for a while. Then they make you have another dang physical.

Pros:

1) It can be a good source of a supplemental income. If you donate frequently, you can make around $200 a month.

2) Everyone gets paid the same amount each time. If you are a 90-pound girl they will take much less out of you than the big fat guys. You only have to fill up a quarter of a bottle and you get out of there sooner. 

3) You get paid to watch a movie.

Do you like to donate plasma?

How to annoy a Californian

Top ten list on how to annoy a Californian:

1. Bash anything Disney related including movies, high prices etc.         
2. Tell them Disneyworld is better than Disneyland.
3. Picnic at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Walt Disney’s final resting place).
4. Ask them, "What is In-N-Out Burger?"
5. Ask them, "What is an iPhone?"
6. Drive around the beach in a rusty old non-emissions friendly car.
7. Have a picnic on the beach with tin foil dinners and second hand paper plates.
8. Ask them, "What is Starbucks?"
9. Wear a T-Shirt that says “Nuke the Whales” on it.
10. Tell them you heard they are reevaluating Proposition 8 again.

Do you agree with this list?

Volunteering at Colonial Days

As July is about to fade I would like to reflect on an event I got to volunteer for on Independence Day. The city of Orem has many things going on during this time of year, one of which is the Colonial Heritage Festival.

What is Colonial Days? I’m glad you asked. Gregg Hardy, the chairperson, sums it up nicely: 

“Meet history face to face! This year marks the eighth annual Colonial Heritage Festival, a free four-day event for the whole family. Travel back in time through our living museum known as the Village at Aubin’s Grove at SCERA Park, and visit our indoor Colonial relics museum at the SCERA Center for the Arts. Visit Colonial artisans, exhibits, demonstrations, and join in the great debates, public trials, and storytelling in the Old South Church. From our grand Mayflower replica and maritime interactive exhibits to the Colonial School, children will be attended to by teachers from the Alpine School District. Children will also be able to play Colonial games and participate in the daily children’s chores. Military enthusiasts can visit the gun displays and experience the cannon firing on the green. Exhibits include the apothecary shop, blacksmith, cooper, broom maker, gunsmith, spoon maker, potter, bobbin lace maker, bee keeper, chandler, wood worker, women’s clothing, home life, frontier life, and much more.”

Sara Hacken, and me

Sara Hacken, my friend and neighbor, is one of the main organizers for colonial days and was thrilled to get my help since they are always extremely short-staffed for volunteers. They first had me assist with the children’s chores activity. Then they had me play along in the old south church debate, I then spent the rest of my time helping people suit up in Jamestown armor that the Virginia Company would have worn.

Pepper doing children's chores 

Pepper and me in Jamestown armor

I had a lot of fun and would not mind helping out in the future if work and family obligations will permit. I saw a lot of extreme re-enactors that participate every year. I personally am torn between two different thoughts, one being that it is fun to dress up and connect with the past, and the other being how some of these re-enactors are just playing an extremely expensive game of cowboys and Indians. Are your thoughts similar to mine on this?

Rocks, rocks, and more rocks

I recently returned from a campout in Moab, Utah. Moab attracts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. It's a popular base for mountain bikers that ride a lot of wicked trails, and off-roaders that come for the annual Moab Jeep Safari. I was surprised how popular this small town is.

My family and I enjoyed hiking in Arches National Park and observing all the breathtaking landscape of the desert. So beautiful! It’s amazing to me how sandstone can erode into delicate arches, and also form other interesting shapes.

Like this one. It had no name but it definitely has physique. What do you think I should call this rock formation?  

Got Birds?

I had the cherished opportunity recently to visit the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge up in Brigham City Utah.

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge visitor center

What are they? Their mission statement says:

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge lies in northern Utah, where the Bear River flows into the northeast arm of the Great Salt Lake.  The Refuge protects the marshes found at the mouth of the Bear River; these marshes are the largest freshwater component of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.  Since these marshes are in turn surrounded by arid desert lands, it is little wonder that they have always been an oasis for waterbirds and wildlife. 

So in other words they love nature, they really love birds and try to provide birds with pristine hospitality. 

The visitor center is filled with avid bird lovers who are anxious to answer any questions you may have about the world’s fowls.

While I was there I saw this display which really cracked me up. I got such a big kick out of it I had to take a picture of it.

Here is a close up of the plaque.

Can you see the irony that I found in this display?

Sick of being sick

Those of you who make up my favorite followers on this blog are probably wondering where I have been for the last month. I have been sick. Right after my half marathon, I was suspiciously drained of all energy for about five weeks. This soon followed with nausea and a constant fever of 101 that would not break for a week. On Saturday during Memorial Day weekend I was encouraged by close relatives to seek medical attention at Urgent Care. This is how my visit went:

Like the way every visit to the doctor goes, I was first interrogated by the receptionist who asked me about my symptoms and why I was bothering them on Memorial Day weekend. Then after a long wait I got to tell the whole story over again to the nurse, who made sure to ask me if it was allergy-related.

I had the mistake of getting a doctor in the past who noticed that I had allergies and then entered it into my medical record. Now every time I go the doctor every one of them asks me “Are you sure it’s not just your allergies?” Or "It's allergy-related, just take Claritin and get out of here.” This is why I am reluctant to ever go to the doctor unless I can arguably prove that it is not just allergies.

Anyway, then the doctor who is a nice and bewildered old lady with a European accent comes in and once again asks me to explain why I am there that day, and "What are my symptoms again? And are you sure it’s not your allergies?" I’m pretty sure a fever is not allergies!

She got very frustrated because she could not diagnose exactly what I had. Because the lab was closed that day I would have to come back on Wednesday when my real doctor was in and so I could get some blood tests from the lab.

A funny bit of dialogue that went on between me and the doctor:

Dr. Anderson: On a scale of one to ten, ten being the most pain you have ever felt before in your life how would you rate the pain you are feeling?

Me: Well if you would say ten is equivalent to excruciatingly I would have to say …

Dr. Anderson: Excruciatingly I like that word. Nurse give him a shot of toradol in his hip!!

Me: Let me finish, I would have to say I have a high tolerance to pain and so I would have to say I am more around the area of five to (nurse sticks the big needle in my butt) hello!?!

The Doctor was able to give me a blood sugar and mono test, both tested negative. So she gave me a whole bunch prescriptions to fill and sent me on my way.

One of the prescriptions she gave me was to help treat allergies.

Luckily my huge fever broke two days before I saw my real doctor. I got sick with cold / flu a day later because my daughter got it from another kid at daycare. That’s a fact, if you have a toddler in daycare, be prepared to be sick all the time. Other than an annoying cough that still lingers, the symptoms of my current disease are bearable.

Needless to say I am sick of being sick.

Have you ever a had a situation like this?

Thanksgiving Point 2014 Results and Reflections from the Race

This is the second time I participated in Thanksgiving Point’s half marathon: all 13.1 miles of it! According to my personal iPod that tracks my distance, it was actually closer to 14 miles. Anyway, I woke up with a late start and had to speed from Orem to make it to Lehi before the gunshot. It was almost a tuck and roll situation. Luckily my wife can drive really fast. The weather was extremely rainy the entire time. I ran by Thanksgiving Point's  Noah’s Ark exhibit and thought how fitting it was for the day. I wore a waterproof jacket with a hood but after about 6 miles with the excessive perspiration and the rainfall the jacket was rendered pointless. (I think I will now look into upgrading my running clothes since my baggy gym shorts don’t stay up too well when they are waterlogged.)

The tulips and Italian gardens were once again breathtakingly beautiful to run through at dawn. The rain was a nice touch to that scenery. The main reason why I choose to run the Thanksgiving Point half marathon instead of all the other options available in the valley is because they offer admission for two into everything their giant facility has to offer once you have registered for their race. I like this because even if something bad happens and I am unable to race then I haven’t just blown sixty bucks that can be added as a charitable donation to active.com.

Last year I didn’t train well and I walked three of the 13 miles and I had one bathroom break and I finished with the time of 2 hours, and 20 minutes. I am a little depressed and can’t figure out the mystery of this one but this time I trained harder, didn’t walk at all, and I didn’t take any bathroom breaks and I finished with the time 2 hours, and 21 minutes?!? I blame the rain because that just makes no sense to me.

At least I made par. My pace was decent at about 10 -11 minutes a miles. You need to be going at least 16 minutes a mile to be considered a finisher. They take the clock and finish line down after 4 hours, and open traffic up again. I guess you could say even though I am not the best at races I still love them and hope that I can still do them in my old age.

Have you ever tried to run a half marathon? 

Dealing with Tendonitis

For those of you who follow me on Facebook I mentioned about how I was dealing with some minor complications while training for another half marathon. I discovered a chronic pain in my lower right ankle. I saw what looked like a goose egg that had formed on the back lateral part of my heel. The goose egg would swell and cause me to limp like Tiny Tim all day.

Finally after dealing with the pain and the limping for over eight weeks I finally went in to see my doctor. I discovered that I have a mild form of Achilles Tendonitis. This is caused when too much weight is constantly impacting on the heel of your foot. This can cause minor ruptures within your tendons and other joints in your foot.

Illustration of Achilles Tendonitis 

Luckily I found that there is a cure. I was instructed by my doctor to take ibuprofen before I ran and to wear what is called a Strassburg sock.

My sexy leg wearing the Strassburg sock

The Strassburg sock is pretty much a funny looking sock with a splint that you are supposed to wear on your foot for 2 weeks. I felt like I looked like an elf in rehab. This foot splint is supposed to keep your toes suspended upward all night long so that the tendon's ruptures can heal more efficiently. Imagine a cut on the knuckle of your finger. If the knuckle is always moving the wound will take forever to heal.

Long story short, the limping stopped after two nights of wearing the funny-looking sock. I still feel some tenderness down there and the goose egg has not completely vanished but my doctor thinks I can still run in my half marathon.

One of the facts of life for a long distance runner is you are constantly dealing with some sort of pain or sickness. They say it’s just part of the game. With that in mind when I am running in a race I don’t feel so much like I am competing with the other runners. More so, I am competing with myself to see if I can endure the miles.

Have you ever seen or heard of the Strassburg sock before?