Groceries

We are pleased to announce a new member to the Olsen family... Groceries! Yes, Groceries. Tyson and Danielle Moody came over at random the other night saying they had "a present for Jeremy." Sure enough, they did! Yep, it's a fish. And Jeremy LOVES it. We asked Jeremy what he wanted to name it and he thought for a minute and said: "Ummm... Groceries!" So we have a fish named Groceries. We think it's derived from buying Goldfish crackers at the GROCERY store... but we're not sure. Doesn't matter anyway. Welcome to the family, Groceries. :)

Bow Hunt, Weekend 1

Bow hunting season is open and opening weekend was a blast! I went up with Dave Miller from the ward to a spot in the Uintas to hunt deer and elk for the weekend. We left on Friday after work and had a nice warm trailer and meal waiting for us when we got there thanks to his son. We went to bed and woke up at 5 am the next morning and headed out to "Elk Ridge." It was pretty exciting when we got there because you could hear the cow elk chirping away in the cool morning air! It didn't take long to attract other hunters, though. I was set up along an old logging trail and it sounded like I had a cow moving my way until CLOMP, CRUNCH, SNAP, CLOMP! Yeah, I had a guy walk right through my line. He was only 15 yards away and didn't see me at all. I should have shot him with my rubber tipped arrow. So that killed any hope of bringing anything in. I went back up the trail and eventually met up with Dave again and we cut across to another ridge. We ended up seeing one cow about 100 yards away, but couldn't get her any closer. After meeting up with the rest of our group, I went with his other son, Kurt, and brushed through the aspen covered hillside. We saw a few deer, but no elk. They weren't far off, however! In fact, we were so close several times that you could smell them in the air. Pretty cool. We eventually found our way back to the truck and after some lunch, went over to a different spot to look for deer. Kurt and I split up from Dave and we had just dropped off the ridge when we scared up two bucks. We weren't able to get a shot at them, but they found their way over towards Dave. It wasn't long before he called over the radio saying he'd got one! I guess our deer had gone over and one had laid down by a rock. Dave and Jason (his son who got the trailer set up) walked right up on him and Dave place perfect shot at 40 yards. He only went maybe 50 yards before he went down. While we were cleaning him out, I looked up on the cliffs above us and there was the other deer! So Kurt and I headed straight up the face to try and stalk him. I got about 10 feet away from him at one point, but was on the wrong side of the tree and he ran. So we went back down and helped carry out Dave's deer. We took him back to camp, quartered the meat, and went out one last time for the night hunt. No bucks this time around, but we saw a few does. I also found this balloon hanging from a tree! It read: "Over the Hill." No kidding! Not bad for an opening weekend!

Free Lunch, Part 2

I must be on a roll lately or something. So I'm at work again and get offered another homemade lunch! This time it was a chicken sandwich, chips, and Reese's. Just goes to show you that spending your entire day installing a 65" plasma with surround sound has its benefits! If this keeps up I'm going to stop packing my own lunches all together...

King's Peak

A little over a year ago, I received a call pretty late at night from Jeff saying he and his dad were broken down on their way to hike King's Peak, the highest peak in Utah (13,528 ft.). I hopped into the car that night and drove out to Wyoming where I picked them up near Fort Bridger. Ever since, Jeff and Uncle Tim and been eager and planning to go back. Thankfully, I was invited to go along as well. We left on a Thursday at noon and made our way through the southwest corner of Wyoming and back over into Utah into the Uinta Mountains. The drive wasn't bad at all and the dirt road to the trail head was fantastic. Jeff had been up in the area the week previous and warned us that there might be quite a few people there. The parking lot was PACKED! There had to be near a hundred vehicles at least. I had heard that this was a popular place for Scout groups and such, but it was pretty surprising to see that many people out and about. We unloaded our gear at the trail head, snapped a pre-hike pic, and headed up the trail. It was pretty overcast that day, but that made for wonderful hiking weather for the first hour or so... until it started to rain. Yeah, we hiked most of the way in the rain, but it wasn't too bad. The trail was easy to follow and relatively easy to climb with only a few steep inclines. It wasn't until we had crossed the river that the hail and heavy rains really began. We stopped under a tree to wait out the worst of it and then continued on.

After about half an hour going through the trees and side hills, we walked into a beautiful and vast valley that I can best describe as being "a completely different world." It was surrounded on all sides by massive mountain peaks and seemed completely shut out from the rest of the world. The sun finally came out right about this time and it really was breathtaking to say the least. We got a great look at King's Peak from the valley as well. Despite seeing so many cars in the parking lot, we only passed a few hikers along the ten mile trail to base camp. We found a good spot to camp where we cleared out some snow and set up tents. I even found a backpacking frying pan under a tree in great shape! We were pretty worn out from the long hike and dinner was great to lift our spirits. We were pretty concerned, however, about what the weather would be like the next day. We concluded that if it was going to be rainy again, we would not be able to summit.

Thankfully, our worries were gone when we woke up the next morning to a beautiful sunny day. We ate breakfast after Tim got back from fishing, loaded our day packs, and began the 5 mile trek to the summit. Even though it was only 5 miles to the top, it took us the same amount of time as it did to hike the 10 miles into base camp, which was about 3 1/2 hours. Leaving camp, you continue up the grassy valley passing several ponds and lakes towards a saddle-like rocky pass. Once we reached the pass, we stopped for a few pictures and chose the trail we would take to the little valley at the base of the peak. One could either drop down into the open basin and around the hillside to the south, or hug the hillside and go over the top of it, dropping into the valley and saving about an hour's worth of hiking. There was a fair amount of boulders to climb and scramble over, but it was worth the time saved. We stopped on top of the hill for a nice lunch and enjoyed the sunshine.

We cut across the valley and started up the trail to the peak's summit. This was where we started to see a lot of people. Many were on their way down, but there was still a good amount of hikers heading towards the top. We were just heading up the mountain when we passed an old man who had been separated from his group, but was heading to meet them and communicating over radio. Jeff and I stopped to take a short break and were looking out over the valley when we saw the old man fall over like he was shot! I asked Jeff, "Do you think he's okay?" "NO!" was his reply as he started jumping over rocks and running down the hill, me close behind. Another group of backpackers were close to him and offered help as he got to his feet. He insisted he was alright, but did say he had probably broken a finger at least. They again tried to help, but he brushed them off and continued down the mountain. Crazy.

We got back to the trail and eventually caught up to Tim. Up until this point, I hadn't really thought the hike had lived up to its "Extreme" rating on the websites I'd seen. This was were it did. The trail soon vanished amongst the rocky boulders and we were left to climb up whatever way we could to make our slow progress towards the peak. It was slow going and mentally draining because of all the false peaks that we would reach. Just when we thought we'd made it to the top, we'd look up and see another climb. Again, the distance wasn't that far, but the mountain was visually deceiving and played games on your mind. Slowly, but surely, we continued on and eventually came to the top. It was epic! Such an amazing view and the sense of accomplishment was absolutely indescribable. There were only three other guys on the top when we reached it and they left after taking some pictures for us, so we had the summit all to ourselves. We took a nice break and had some snacks and enjoyed the beauty around us for 20 minutes or so until we looked up and saw dark clouds looming. While we were on the summit, it looked as though the storm would pass by us to the north, but we decided to get off the mountain while the getting was good.

We only passed one other group on the way down, a pair a guys mine and Jeff's age about 20 minutes (going up) from the top. We told them they'd have the summit all to themselves, but the weather was starting to get a little crazy. It was amazing how dark the sky started to get in a very short time. We elected to head straight down the east slope instead of going down the "trail" in order to save time. This was just boulder hopping all of the way and it was pretty gnarly to say the least. It definitely was a time saver, but we had to watch our steps for loose rocks and cracks that could be a potential broken leg or worse. We made our way down as quickly as possible, but it wasn't quick enough. About 3/4 of the way down, the rain started to fall. The rocks got wet and slippery very quickly and even more care had to be used with each step. Our pace didn't slow down for long, however, because shortly after the rain came the hail. It was relentless and it came down the size of marbles. It was all we could do to get down the last few boulders into the valley. The hail pummeled us from all sides and then came the thunder and lightning. It's one of those moments where your mind immediately races back to anything and everything you've learned in the wilderness and I looked around quickly for some kind of shelter to hide under but there was NOTHING. That left us only one choice: run! Jeff pulled out his camera and took this video, but it really doesn't do the situation we were in justice:

We ran like our lives depended on it and they did. There was literally lightning striking the ground around us. It wasn't close enough to hit us, but close enough to feel like it would. We saw a huge fireball erupt from the ground when the lightning hit the earth and looked back to see more strikes hit the peak's summit. We could only hope and pray for those two who we'd passed coming down who were still up there somewhere. And we prayed for ourselves as we ran through the slush, water, and hailstones that covered the meadow. Honestly, I've been through enough to block out everything and just go in those moments and that's what I did. Looking back, it was like a horrible and scary nightmare. I was still in shorts and had to wrap my bandanna around my ears and neck to get them protected from the relentless hail. My legs were covered in welts from the pounding ice stones, but somehow, we made it through and over the hill. This time, there was no stopping at the pass and the wind and rain followed us until we finally dropped into the valley floor again. The storm raged on over the peak behind us as we walked back to camp, making it from the summit down in only 2 hours. We fell asleep for a while and then woke up to more blessed sunshine, which allowed us to dry off our wet clothes. We ate dinner and fell into a deep and restful sleep that night.

We woke up early, packed up camp, and hiked back down the trail in warm sunshine. I think we were all pensive and reflective as we walked, but it was still very enjoyable. We made it back to the trail head in good time and loaded our stuff into the truck and came home. I've been through a lot of things in the mountains in my days, but that experience in the storm was something unreal. It's amazing how helpless you feel when Nature's wrath is unleashed around you. I was never worried we wouldn't make it out of there alive, but it was definitely a defining moment for each of us. Another great adventure in the books for theBRIGADE.

The Book Club, Chapter 1

So the other night, a bunch of us man folk in the ward got together for a little man-night-out sesh. Okay, so there was only 4 of us, but still, it was great. (Yeah, it's called the "Book Club" and we are reading zero books.) We had Jason "The Big Combo" Condie, Steve "This Wrap is Crap" Earl, Joe "These are Ribs?" Dryden, and Jake "No, These Definitely Are Not Ribs" Olsen all together at BC Chicken for dinner on the recommendation that the ribs were to die for... Well, if by "to die for" you mean, "they'll kill you!", then yeah, well said. So the food was just okay, but the company was legit.

"The Big Combo"

"This Wrap is Crap"

Me eating my "Definitely Not Ribs" and Joe... Is he throwing up?!

So anyway, after dinner, we went over the dollar theater and decided to watch Robin Hood... Yeah, that movie was worse than dinner. I think most guys are closet (or out of closet) Russell Crowe fans, but Russ... Not your best work, pal. In fact, it was LAME. I mean, sure there was some cool action and stuff, but I'm pretty sure I'd seen all of those shots in other Russell Crowe movies? Yeah, I'd skip that one. But anyway, the Book Club's first meeting was a success. See you next month, fellas.

eBay Is My Drug

So I've kinda gotten on an eBay fix lately. I've always been a fan, but lately... yeah it's gotten pretty bad (or should I say good?). It doesn't help that there's a super convenient app for iPhone either. It started out innocently enough: I was looking for a sewing machine for Amber's birthday. Well then I found a USA soccer jersey and if you bought it in the store it was like $70! But on eBay... $10! (Just gotta wait for it to come from Bangkok!) That led to finding an Under Armour shirt, $11, and a car charger. The charger was probably my best find... a penny! A couple bucks to ship from China, but still a KILLER deal! Then I got a new watch... and Muppet Treasure Island on DVD (been looking for that for a long time!)... and broad heads for my bow ($3 instead of $35?! Hey-ohh!)... So yeah, it's been a successful month! Haha. And I'd like everyone to know it's been over a week since my last purchase! Wow, maybe I should have started that statement with: "Hello, my name is Jake and I'm an eBay-holic..."

Softball Is Over

The same night as Amber's birthday party was our last softball game. Understand that it was only our last because we lost, but had we won we could have continued. Colby was the only one to go play and we were one guy short, so we started out every inning with an automatic out. That didn't help anything. Tim and Rob decided to come to the party instead of the game. So that's it, the season over. It was great while it lasted, though. Hopefully there will be another chance to play again soon because that was a blast. Thanks to everyone for a great season!

Amber's 25th Birthday

Before I begin, let me just say that this... was... EPIC! So for several weeks leading up to Amber's birthday, I've been concocting various ideas of what to get her or what to do for her birthday. She already knew what she wanted and was pretty set on a sewing machine, so that wasn't really an option. But being her 25th, it only seemed right to do something big. So I planned a surprise party! I did my homework too! I sat back and listened and observed for weeks: Who does she mention a lot? Who does she talk to at Church? Who does she text? Who is she friends with on Facebook? Seriously, it was pure undercover steez at its finest. So I got in contact with all her friends and invited them to be at our house on her birthday at 7:00. Amber is really good at sniffing out surprises and gifts so I made sure to not even leave a paper trail! I even called Casi and had a special birthday cake made for her. Finally, the big day arrived. I had taken the day off so we had a nice relaxing morning and then went down to the Gateway where Jeremy bought her a new birthday outfit. We had a really good time. We even went down to Fashion Place Mall after and Amber picked out some new make-up too. What a lucky birthday girl. (Jeremy and I took a nap in the car. Haha) This is where things started to get interesting. Rob kept calling Amber and asking what we were doing that night because they wanted to go out for dinner and have cake. She didn't really know what we were going to do, other than we were going to a play, so she felt stuck between what I had planned and her family. (Nice work, Rob!) We got home and that's about the time the questions began... "So... did you have any plans for a cake?" I put on my best sheepish face and told her I had thought we could get a cake when we went out to dinner with her family on Monday. "But that's not my birthday..." Oh man, it was sad. Then a few minutes later, "I was just wondering... Not that my birthday hasn't been great, but... did you ever think about throwing me a party? I mean, 25 is kind of a big one..." I TOLD YOU SHE WAS GOOD! I really put on an Oscar-worthy performance, though. I just had to sell it. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't fun. But the successfulness of the surprise party was in the balance! So... I lied. :( Thankfully, Mom showed up around this time and they gave a great opportunity to dodge the awkwardness. Also at this time, just as we were about to leave to dinner, Casi pulled in with the cake!! Thankfully, Amber wasn't sitting where she could see and we quickly had Casi drive away before anything happened. We left as soon as the coast was clear and the cake was redelivered. We went to Olive Garden for dinner and had a great meal. It was funny because Amber's old boss from the school was there next to us with her family because it was her birthday as well! I couldn't resist and told our servers, "Wow! When you're here, you really are family!" It was funny. Servers? Yes, you read that right. We had two. It was amazing. So we finished dinner and went out to the car and I started backing up when we heard a scraping sound... Amber asked, "Is that us?!" I said, "It can't be! I made CERTAIN I didn't pull over the curb!" But sure enough, we backed out and there was our bumper sitting in the parking lot! Not wanting to make a scene (or a fool of myself), we threw it in the back seat!! Hahaha! Anyway, we had a few minutes to kill, so we went to the mall and then the trap was set! We got in the car and I realized I had "forgotten the play tickets!" So we hurried home and on the way, I called Mom to let her know we were coming. She told me to tell Amber Jeremy was "really missing her and wanted to give her a hug so she better come downstairs." Oh wow it couldn't have been better! We pulled in, she went downstairs, came around the corner, and... SURPRISE!!! I wish I could have taken a picture of her face! It was FAN-TAS-STICK! The basement was PACKED too. I couldn't even believe how many of her friends had come! It was great. She was so surprised! Hahaha. We had a pretty good spread of treats and goodies as well and I think everyone had a great time. All of us like to see how much we truly have in the form of support and friends and I'm so glad we could do this for her. She works so hard and she deserves the world. Special thanks again to everyone who helped make this her best birthday ever. You all rock. Happy Birthday, baby!

Free Lunch

So there's this old Cambodian saying that goes something like: "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Okay, so it's probably not Cambodian, but whoever came up with it, they obviously don't know my new friend, Elma. You see, Elma needed a security system so I went and installed it for her. She got the works, so it took most of the day. Around lunch time, I needed to run back to the office for some parts and on my way out the door, she asked if I would like some lunch. I told her she didn't need to do that. She told me, "What do you like on your sandwich?" It was a losing battle on my end and I was hungry, so I obliged her. When I got back, this was waiting for me: (see picture). She freaking cut my sandwiches corner-to-corner and wrapped them individually in waxed paper! I'm talking LEGIT! There were fudge cookie sticks and cheese slices too. And an apple. Not just any apple, either. It was one of those "hy-bred" apples that are like grape-apples! Yeah. She's a doll. So here's to you and your waxed-paper-wrapped-sandwich kindness, Elma. Shout out!

Elder's Quorum BBQ 2010

I'd be remissed if I didn't report on the EQ BBQ we had last month. This came about as a request from the Quorum because we didn't really have a BBQ planned after the ward decided to do their BBQ on the same day as ours. It turned out really good, though. We didn't have as many people there as we would have liked, but we had more than last year! So that's good. We lit a whole bag of charcoal on fire and then added wood to get a good blaze/coals going for our burgers and dogs. We set up a volleyball net and also a shuttlecock net. We decided to have a shuttlecock tournament and it was pretty intense. I'm stoked to say that I took home the "Golden Shuttlecock!" (No big deal!) Don't worry, it's already got a place of honor in my garage. We also played some other games too. It was just nice to get together with other people from the ward and have a good time. We really love this ward...