Crosswords and Cracked Hips (Almost)

I have found a new hobby. It is something that keeps me busy when I have nothing else to do and don't want to study (which is most of the time). I love crosswords. I used to hate them a lot, but now I don't. It all started a couple of weeks ago when I was working at the Hotel Monaco and we had some down time. Somebody had grabbed the Salt Lake Tribune and started the crossword that was in the paper on that particular day. I just looked at it briefly wondering what it possibly could offer as entertainment. I slowly would start getting more and more clues right and felt as though I had more of a brain than I realized. After a week or so, I started to wonder if my skill was getting any better at thinking of the answers. I thought of a way to measure how fast and how often I came up with not only the right answer, but any answer at all. There is a kid named Brandon Klenk that I work with and he is really good at coming up with answers to the clues. I payed close attention to how often he would come up with an answer and then I would compare his response time with mine. That is how I know that I am getting better. I have since bought a book full of these puzzles and spend some time everyday expanding my mind. The book I bought isn't just one of those scruffy crossword books that look like they were made from recycled paper, it is called Crosswords to Keep Your Brain Young: The 6-step Age-Defying Program. It includes interesting and insightful information on exercising your brain. I feel smarter already!! :)

Now, while I was working yesterday, the previously mentioned Brandon Klenk and I were running down to the parking garage to pick up a couple of the cars that had been requested for pickup. The parking garage is about 2 1/2 blocks away from the drop-off point, so we have to run fast and far in order to keep the people who are waiting happy. Well, on one of my runs I got to the edge of the hotel and right before I was about to turn the corner I heard somebody come out of the front entrance. I turned my head to see who it was but didn't stop running, I kept going full speed. Brandon, 

who was running beside me, tried to tell me to slow down, but it was too late...the damage had been done. I slammed into a little old lady who was probably about 50 or 60 years old. I hit her so hard that she landed flat on her back.

 She was so shocked at what happened that she just gazed at me in bewilderment. I probably had a pretty perplexed look on my face too. The first thing I did was help her up while apologizing like a hundred times. I asked if she was okay and she just stood there in silence looking at me. It was the kind of look somebody gives you after they just woke up. That kind of freaked me out a little bit. I felt like she had gone into a coma standing up. After a few seconds she tells me that she thinks she is alright and then slowly turns around and walks away. I stood there for a minute trying to wrap my brain around what just happened. Brandon was about ten feet away waiting for me. We took off running again and right when we got out of sight, he started laughing uncontrollably, which set off my laughter. It is only funny because she was okay. Then about 4 minutes later I almost ran over a guy riding by on his bicycle. After that I decided to slow down and watch where I was going. For the rest of the day Brandon was making comments about how I almost killed an old lady. That is until one of our last runs. We started running down 2nd south and we see a girl riding on a skateboard in front of us with her back to us. Brandon tells me to try not to hit the girl as we pass by. Well, right before we got to her the guy that she was with tells her to watch out, which causes her to jump off her skateboard and land right in Brandon's path. He slammed right into her and knocked her up against the glass wall that makes up the bus stop. We didn't even wait until we were out of sight to start laughing at that. She was fine...at least physically, so we just kept going. He didn't say anything to me about hitting the old lady after that.

In other news, I have been really happy the last couple of days, which is something that I have learned to appreciate. I have been reading the scriptures more frequently and enjoying my time at church and institute. I read a scripture today that helped me understand better what it is that I need to be doing. It is in Mosiah 4:30, this is what it says:

"But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not."

It is sometimes hard to stay focused on everything that I need to do in order to stay happy, but this scripture pretty much sums it up. If I can remember to "watch myself," I wont have to perish. President Kimball said that the most important word in the dictionary was "remember." Remember, remember, that it is upon the rock of our redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation (Helaman 5:12). O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it (Mosiah 2:41). 

Lets not forget.