We interrupt this travelogue . . .

To bring you a Charity Challenge!

**Step 1**
For all of you out there with a spouse/significant other who is NOT currently in the room or very close by:

• Think of 3 reasons why you love them.
  
• Contact them immediately and share your feelings.
  
• DO NOT mention this challenge in the process. If you do, you score no points!

For all of you out there with a spouse/significant other or other close family member who IS currently in the room or very close by:

• Go right now and give them a hug.
  
• Look them in the eye and tell them that you love them.
  
• If you laugh, you score no points!
• Sometime this week, do them a special, secret favor.
  
• If you call attention to it or tell them you did it because of this challenge, lose 10 points!
  

For all of you out there without a spouse/significant other (bonus points for those who do have one!):

• Take a moment to think of a friend, family member or neighbor whose life you can bless today by either your presence or your words.
  
• Pray about it, then act on it!
  
• DO NOT mention this challenge in the process. If you do, you score no points!
• If you can't think of anything/anyone, lose 5 points!
• If you think of something you could do to bless someone's life and you don't do it, lose 10 points!

**Step 2**
For everyone:

• Do someone in your life (other than the person from Step 1) a favor today.
• Say something kind to someone else today.
• Say an extra prayer for someone today.
• Introduce yourself to someone you don't know this week.
  
• If you call attention to doing any of these things or mention this challenge as your impetus, no points for you!

**Step 3**
Scoring

• Your score is determined by how happy you feel when you finish.
  
• Are you satisfied with your score?
  
• If so, doesn't it feel nice? Keep up the great work!
  
• If not, keep trying!
• Regardless, try to be charitable every day. I promise that your life will be blessed for it even more than the lives you personally touch!
  

Road Trippin' to CT. Chapter 1: Getting out of Utah

We got internet hooked up in our new apartment today, so it's time to share some of our experience with everyone.

First, a huge thank you to everyone who helped us move out (especially our good buddies, the Auds), those who helped us move in (Jason, you da' man!) and, most of all, to my parents who made the whole enterprise possible. Without their old van (which we have redubbed "Cosmo" in honor of BYU's mascot) and them behind the wheel of their new van (St. Lawrence), we would pretty much have nothing left.

Our first stop on the trip was an unscheduled one just a few miles up Provo Canyon. As we began reaching higher speeds, the mattress and box springs atop the vans were wobbling and shifting uncomfortably. While bungees are supposed to stretch, it was enough to worry us. Mom and Dad noticed first and called us to let us know they had pulled over. We stopped by Bridal Veil falls to give them a chance to take a look and snapped our first photos of the voyage.


We started on our way and realized that the mattress on our roof was having trouble, too. I fished out the 200 ft. length of twine we had purchased and wound it through the eyelets of the tarp, around the car's windows and vents and over the top of the mattress. Feeling slightly more secure, we continued driving - until we heard a loud SHUNK behind us - the sound of the twine snapping.

We pulled over again and contemplated ditching the mattress - it was a $500 investment, but we'd never get to Connecticut this way. Mom, ever the crafter, crocheted the twine into a triple-thick line which we wound over the top of the mattress. With that reinforcement, we were able to make it to Heber (a normally 20 minute drive which became a 2-hour journey) and a hardware store. Dad purchased a set of 8 ratcheting bands which we fastened around the mattress and box springs to lock them in place, which gave us peace of mind through the journey.

Okay, I admit it, I was still paranoid about it through the journey, but at least it provided some amusement. At one point, the side view of our mattress with its billowing tarp resembled, as my parents put it, "a low-slung Italian sports car." Mom and Dad, having a less flexible bundle, looked more like this through the rest of the trip:




Stay tuned for Chapter 2: Going to the Zoo