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Over the last two weeks I have learned my scores on the first three sections of the CPA exam ... and I passed all three! That means I only have one exam left. 

I have begun working at Deloitte, which surprisingly has cut into my studying time [who would have imagined?]. I am waiting for one last administrative item before I can schedule my exam, but I hope to take it around the end of October or beginning of November. 

There was a strategy to taking my exams - the three completed exams were the longest in terms of material and test time. I am hoping that translates into me having enough time to study for this last exam. Wish me luck!

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I am not a creative person, when accountants get creative the consequences are usually bad - see Enron. So my latest project was something most would not believe me capable of.  But I saw a need and realized that I could save money - which is practical (a word I would use to describe myself) I decided I was going to make a cover for our window seat.  

I am a perfectionist. Meaning my project needed to look good. In my design I created a flap to cover the zipper, I knew I could do this - it's basic.  But I was worried about the corners. I got the zipper on and secured the cushion inside. Then I sat, stared, tucked and pulled. I knew I could figure it out, I viewed it as a math problem that had to have a solution, because something else that I am is logical. I composed a theory and tested it and lo and behold it worked even better then I had anticipated. Maybe it was a little bit of luck ... but that’s something I’m not, so it’s unlikely.

Now the project is complete and it sits idle under our window bringing color and character to our bedroom. Not bad for an unlucky, logical perfectionist who lacks creativity. 

See the full gallery on Posterous

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I took the Auditing section of the CPA exam yesterday. It was my third of four exams, and all things considered it went well. The exam covered auditing and attestation engagements and their respective procedures and reports. I finished the exam early, but I am just happy it is over. No tests are administered in September so I will take the last exam in the beginning of October. 

I will learn my scores toward the end of September, hopefully I will pass the three exams I have taken. I will keep you posted. I begin work the second week of September, in the mean time I will be studying for the next exam. Wish me luck.

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We posted The Alamo trailer below for two reasons:

1. Now you will know more than we did about the Alamo
2. Any excuse to pay homage to Billy Bob Thornton is a good excuse

We spent the next night in San Marcos with Lauren's aunt and uncle who is the dean of marketing at Texas State University. They were great hosts taking us to dinner and then showing us the university. It was great to ahve some family time during our weekend getaway. All in all, it was a quick but fun weekend, and we are excited to go back to check out Austin and San Antonio again.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Lauren and I were married four years ago today. A lot has happened in four years ... since out last anniversary I graduated from BYU, we bought a home, moved to Dallas, and Lauren began a new job.

Our wedding day was accompanied by 115 degree weather, major single-day construction on the way to the reception, a lost temple recommend, a family medical emergency, and sweet dance moves courtesy of Stanley Wilde. In other words it was nearly a perfect day. And even though it only seems like yesterday four years is a long time. Time can be a hard thing to comprehend so like any good accountant we have attempted to provide perspective to four years in numerical format.

• thirty-five thousand, forty hours
• enough time to watch the entire series of LOST four hundered thirteen times
• enough time to have Michael Jackson's Thriller play on loop forty-nine thousand, seven hundred two times
• enough time to fly around the world five hundred twenty two times

That is no typo - you can't watch the whole series of LOST in the time it takes to fly around the world.

When viewed through the numbers above it feels like we haven't accomplished too much in our four years (we certainly could have watched much more television). Although we have fallen short of our television viewing potential, so much has happened to us individually and as a couple. The future looks bright and we are excited for the expected and unexpected that accompanies it.

In regards to the immediate future we are going to spend the weekend in San Antonio and do the whole tourist thing. We will tell you all about it when we get back.

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I took the Regulation section of the CPA exam last Tuesday. The exam covers a lot of topics including individual and business tax, business law, and ethics. The broad coverage made studying stressful, but ultimately I felt prepared. I arrived to take the exam early in the afternoon and quickly learned that a wide-coverage exam is very difficult. The exam lasts for three hours, and after two hours my computer [along with the computers of seven others] malfunctioned. We were ushered to the waiting room and waited for the test administrators to fix the problem. Fast forward almost two hours and we were allowed to complete our exams. 

I do not know how to feel after each exam. I definitely felt better after my first exam, but because scores for the first three exams are not released until September I try to avoid feeling confident or pessimistic and instead try to mentally move forward to the next section. I am now studying for the Auditing section which I will take August 30. Wish me luck!

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"Good things don't end, unless they end badly." And since this season's Bachelorette was anything but good, it may be a good thing it ended. The only way to add the smallest sense of conflict to the fledgling season was to bring in a new cast of characters - enter Ashley's sister. In just a few minutes she claimed the role of villian from the long exited Bentley. It is ironic that the rational person in the bachelorette's family is the divorced sister covered head to toe in tattoos. And while it seemed she was campaigning for her own TV series, we appreciated the irrationality and foolishness she brought - it's exactly what reality television is supposed to be. 

And so our first season of the great experiment of our fantasy league came to an end. There was little suspense as JP has been the favorite for quite some time. Believers in love scored a tentative point when the couple arrived to the After the Final Rose episode still engaged. After the dust settled Team Lauren got a sizable victory - which means she will have her choice in a night on a town. And despite the upcoming Bachelor Pad, which is sure to guarantee ridiculous fantasy points, we are not ready to make the committment. Here is our final update of our fantasy league until The Bachelor in several months.

Team Lauren

JP - 65 points. He left with the girl, which by definition means he won. He also handled the sister thing with class. JP also scored points via his last second scrapbook - wise move. He made very few missteps throughout the season and was rewarded with B-List celebrity status and an extended 15 minutes of fame.

Team Steven

Ben - 30 points. Ben left the show with his dignity intact - except for the whole she said no part. It was hard not to feel bad as he fumbled his way through his proposal only to be rejected. It was poor tact by Ashley - we are both a fan of rejection before a person tries to make a lifetime commitment to someone. Before his hasty exit he scored points for crying, making Ashley cry, and an obligatory makeout. 

Team Lauren - 272.5 points

Team Steven - 210 points

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Another lackluster Bachelorette, but we are almost at the finish line. Both Lauren and I have learned about sunk costs in economic classes, but we cannot seem to apply the principle and walk away from this season of The Bachelorette. Admittedly this has more to do with appeasing all of our faithful readers [Bueller ...Bueller] than any affinity we have toward the show.

Our fantasy league is meant to reward bad behavior. Integrity and self-respect are traits we all aspire towards ... but it makes for some lackluster television. So it only makes sense that vile behavior leads to fantasy points. Based upon years of reality television it seemed our point system was destined for greatness. However, the producers of this years show threw the audience a curveball by selecting the most uninteresting bachelorette in recent memory and surrounding her with half-decent men who all seem more interested in finding a way to leave the show than to win her heart. But here we are ... one episode remaining and two contestants [maybe survivors is more appropriate]. Read below for this week's fantasy point breakdown.

Team Lauren

JP - 30 points. Overnight dates mean 25 points per participant ... at least we are assuming. Chris Harrison does his best to be discrete and PG appropriate, but those fantasy suites are not meant for talking.  

Ryan - 2.5 points. A desperate attempt to get back on the show meant Ryan had a lot of alone time in the islands of Fiji. Although he was one of the few that seemed genuinely interested in Ashley, his surprise attack ended up meaning little more than an expensive vacation he took by himself - and although Fiji looked nice, I doubt it's as nice when you are alone. He did call Ashley, "Ash" which technically is a pet name, but does not merit the full 5 points. 

Team Steven

Constantine - 5 points. This is where decency and the fantasy point system clash. Constantine had less interest in Ashley than most of America and still made it to the final three. With the obligatory fantasy suite card approaching he took the opportunity to gracefully leave the show. And while we respect his sense of morality, our point system clearly states this gets him -25 fantasy points. However he makes it all back by choosing to leave on his own for 30 points.

Ben - 30 points. Another participant in the overnight date leads to big points for Ben. At least the sunscreen portion of his date led to some awkward interaction. 

Team Lauren - 207.5 points

Team Steven - 180 points

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At this point in the show we may be the only remaining viewers of The Bachelorette. But our fantasy league specifically has a clause that it will continue even if the season is boring beyond belief. At least home-town dates can provide some needed comic relief - right? There was the morbid visit to the funeral home and mausoleum by Shantel N. with Brad Womack during The Bachelor, and last season's bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky dealt with the painfully awkward visit to the taxidermy basement of Kirk DeWindt's father. Although the awkward home town date often leads to a quick heave-ho it makes for great TV. Unfortunately this season's contestants all seemed to have normal and relatable families [what is this world coming to, that out of four contestants, all four have good families?] - fortunate for the contestants, but unfortunate for us viewers at home. Coming into this week both of our fantasy teams had two contestants remaining, but Lauren has a sizable lead. Read more to see our fantasy team breakdown.

Team Lauren

JP - 5 points. Nothing spectacular, but their relationship seems to be very solid. Although I was disappointed with the music choice, everyone knows Boyz II Men is synonymous with roller-skating hook ups. The music definitely revealed poor judgement by JP, "Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" doesn't hold a candle to "On Bended Knee" or "Water Runs Dry". His music choice, more than his lack of coordination, revealed how little time he spent roller skating. 

Ames - 5 points. We were sad to see Ames go, although painfully un-smooth he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. He is the embodiment of Forrest Gump - if Mr. Gump was Ivy-league educated and rowed crew. In Ashley's defense with the size of both hers and his forehead, there was a good possibility their offspring would not have a face. But in all seriousness, we would love if Mr. Ames was the next bachelor, especially after his talk with Ashley after getting eliminated - all class. He always chose his words so carefully and whenever he spoke I was prepared for something profound. And did you see the handshake [see 35:16 in the video below] right before they stand up to go to the limo? A handshake! This guy is awesome. 

Team Steven

Ben - 25 points. Ben continued to get free advertising time for his winery and milked it with their "creative date" to visit his business [seriously, how could Ashley say this was the most creative date - we all knew he was going to take her to his winery]. Nothing special with his home town visit, he continues to be a top contender. But Ben did rise above the competition and got my team 20 points for male crying. 

Constantine - 5 points. Constantine continues to have no genuine interest in Ashley - but who needs their love reciprocated? Conversely, you could tell how excited Ashley was about the prospect of moving to Cummings, GA. But what ivy-league educated, New Englander, wouldn't jump at the chance to be a part of a small-town, shopping-mall, Italian restaurant? However Uncle Constantine showed the real allure of a Big Fat Greek Wedding by making it rain. However upon closer view it was only raining $1 bills - it will take more than that to get Ashley to ever come back to Georgia. However, Constantine made the cut and now Team Steven has a real advantage going into the final two weeks.

Team Lauren - 175 points

Team Steven - 145 points

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Ashley of The Bachelorette is slowly crawling to the finish-line of the once proud [sarcasm] reality show. The bachelorette herself lacks charisma and outside of one or two contestants, there seems to be little chemistry on the show [with the exception of Ben F. and Constantine]. After a one week hiatus, the show returned to Taiwan - but the change of scenery did little to keep the show moving. Our fantasy league is the only thing keeping Lauren and I tuning in, but we are hoping the show will be more exciting during the home stretch. Tell us what you guys think, or are we the only ones who watch this fine piece of American television? Here is the breakdown of our fantasy teams.

Team Lauren

JP - 0 points. Although the clear favorite at this point in the show, JP did not gain any more fans in this weeks' episode. He played the jealousy card very annoyingly from start to finish. 

Ames - 5 points. The wild card. He has progressed nicely after his slow finish, and we almost find ourselves cheering for him. He comes across as a very nice guy with a good sense of humor. Although he is starting to fall for Ashley I am not sure the feeling is returned. Even though he scored 5 points for a kiss, it was a show mandated kiss.

Ryan P. - 20 points. Mr. Sunshine left the show with his best attempt at creating an audition video [see the video below] to be the next bachelor. Since the first episode I thought Ryan P. was a little over-the-top. But as the season continued it became clear that he was really just a nice guy. But who says nice guys finish last? Ryan P. finished in 6th place - which is guess is better than last. However, he did manage to score 20 points for male crying as he left his show.

Team Steven

Ben F. 5 points. There was little doubt Mr. Nadal would be going home to visit his family with Ashley. But he clearly is a relatively cool guy. As evidenced by his witty reference to Dumb and Dumber during his and Ashley's moped ride. 

Constantine - 5 points. At this point in the show its clear that Ashley likes Constantine. What is not so clear is how much he likes her. In fact he seems to take every opportunity to let her know that he is not sure how much he likes her. There is zero chemistry among the two, but he was able to score a obligatory kiss during their date.

Team Lauren - 165 points

Team Steven - 115 points

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Those of you who are more experienced [code for old] may remember a movie from the 1980's titled The Money Pit [trailer included below].  It starred Tom Hanks and Shelly Long, and the plot centers around the couple's attempt to purchase and update their first home. This should have been required viewing before Lauren and I purchased our home a few months ago. Although we have yet to have any staircases collapse or bathtubs drop through the floor we are quickly learning that home ownership is a costly venture. 

Do not misunderstand, we love our home - we understood we were not buying a brand new house and tried to plan accordingly. However, we did not factor the effects of my summer as a stay-at-home husband. Because I am studying for the CPA exam until I begin work in September, I spend the entire day within the confines of our new home. That's a lot of time to notice flaws and devise plans to fix them. For example, when we were shopping for our home I do not think I ever noticed any ceiling. Two months into our home, all I see as I lie awake at night is the tacky popcorn ceiling - and it's everywhere, literally on every square inch of ceiling in the house. Instead of sleeping, I am scouring the internet for do-it-yourself tips to fix every flaw and I fall asleep with visions of putty knives and paint brushes dancing in my head.  

Those of you who know my limitations may see the flaw in my dreams - I am the least prepared person to fix anything. It has taken me twenty-plus years to finally confidently know the difference between a phillips- and flat-head screw driver. As I awake each morning I am reminded of reality when I struggle to re-track our closet doors or some other simple task. And just like clockwork I go through the entire process again - at some point during a break in my studying I find myself looking at websites courtesy of Home Depot or HGTV, like a junkee looking for a fix, only to come down from my do-it-yourself high when I realize I will never be Tim the Tool Man Taylor [or our friend, Stew "The Lumberjack" Sucher].

As such, we have come up with a new realistic project - our bedroom. We plan to buy some furniture and add paint to fix it up. And we made our first significant purchase for our home this week when we bought our bedroom set from Bassett Furniture. Furniture shopping on the 4th of July was our first mistake. We convinced ourselves we were going to see what kind of sales they were having. Of course the salesperson convinced us that this was the best sale Basset Furniture was ever going to have and within minutes we found ourselves at the customer service desk with credit card in hand [as a side note, is there ever a time a furniture store is not having a sale?]. In all our set will include the bed, two nightstands, and dresser with mirror. We are very excited about the purchase, and we even met yesterday to discuss other decorating ideas with an interior designer.

So without further ado I give you the before picture of our bedroom, and a few pictures of the furniture. As you can see it's pretty dark and empty in our room. You cannot even see half of the room, where we will put the dresser and a couple chairs. We will keep you updated as we paint [hopefully next week] and complete other projects surrounding our bedroom makeover.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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This summer I have the distinguished privilege of being a stay-at-home husband. Consequently, my sense of self worth has taken a blow. Don't misunderstand, I am accustomed to Lauren being my 'sugar-momma', she had a graduate degree and has worked since we were married - and I have enjoyed the fruits of her labors (I would never advocate marrying someone solely so they can put you through school, but it is a nice side benefit). However during this time of sugar-mommery I always had a job, which helped to appease my self-conscience and made me feel I was contributing to our home. 

Since our move to Dallas, my job has become more ambiguous - studying for the CPA exam. Because work for Deloitte does not begin until September, I needed to find something to fill up my days, and Lauren and I have used the CPA exam to do just that. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the CPA exam is a set of four extensive exams (Financial Accounting, Regulation, Auditing, and Business). In order to become a CPA you must pass all four sections of the exam with a minimum score of 75. There is a 'pot of gold' at the end of the exam because Deloitte offers a sizable bonus if a new-hire passes all four sections of the exam within the first year of employment.

I am taking three of the exams before I begin work for Deloitte in September, and will take the fourth exam in October. Testing is administered the first two months of a quarter - and I took the first exam today. I think I did alright, but I will not learn my score until September. I will begin studying for my next exam after the holiday. Here is my summer test schedule:

July 2: Financial Accounting

August 2: Regulation

August 30: Auditing

There is a lot of pressure to pass the exams in order to further my career, but also because Lauren is already a CPA and passed all of these exams long ago - which means there are bragging rights at risk. 

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The points slowed down in the second week of our fantasy league. Some may even call it a boring week for The Bachelorette ... but we persevere. Just like real life, I find myself trying to catch up with Team Lauren. Neither team lost any of its remaining players but Team Lauren seems to have the most promising players left. Here is a quick play-by-play of the action from this week's episode in regards to our players. 

Team Steven

Ben F. - 5 points. His relationship with Ashley remained relatively stagnant. Although a blossoming bro-mance between himself and Constantine emerged. He did earn five fantasy points for a decent open-mouth kiss [with Ashley, not Constantine].

Constantine. - 0 points. This was my sleeper pick in our draft. I thought he might quietly emerge from the background as a solid player. But at this point it seems he is much more likely to run away with Ben F. than Ashley, and that unfortunately is worth no points [although it should be, but this fantasy league isn't perfect yet. I'm sure even the Declaration of Independence had more than one draft]. 

Team Lauren

JP - 5 points. It's clear that Jordan Paul is the front-runner at this point in the show. He was the first contestant to get a second one-on-one date and seems to say all the right things. Ashley does little to hide her attraction, and he continues to tally up the points with another open-mouth kiss.

Ryan P. - 0 points. Everyone hates this guy, and the reason? Because he is a nice guy, thats why. This jerk has the audacity to be annoyingly happy all the time and never seems to get out of character. Why can't this guy just be miserable and grumpy like the rest of us? Apparently nice guys do finish last because he is the last person to still not have had a one-on-one date. 

Ames - 5 points. The token Ivy-Leaguer came out of his shell to score his first open-mouth kiss with Ashley, although the kiss seemed more like an assault than a romantic moment. Ames also scored imaginary points with his spontaneous philosophical retort to the Bentley situation [double imaginary points if you consider his comments were made as he was looking in the distance], "We would all prefer for our fairy tales to be simple.'

Team Lauren - 140 points

Team Steven - 105 points

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It was a big-point episode for our first week of The Bachelorette fantasy league. Ashley's inability to really progress didn't stop Team Lauren from jumping to a sizable lead. However, it should be noted that this lead did not come without its share of controversy.

According to the scoring guidelines physical fighting is worth 25 points per participant, and an additional 25 points to the decisive winner of the fight. This episode had eight of the contestants participating in Muay Thai [Thai kickboxing] - which meant the points were stacking up quickly, and Team Lauren was essentially handed 100 points. All but 5 of Team Lauren's points came from the Muay Thai competition. The most surprising points of the episode came because of unintentional nudity via Ames when he was wheeled into the hospital - the boxing shorts were a little loose and we got to see a little bit more of Ames than expected. 

Team Steven took a punch to the gut when it lost two of its team members, William and Nick. And despite a successful one-on-one date Rafael Nadal*, aka Ben F. did not score many points - thanks to kissing being sacrilegious for half of his date. 

Here is the official Breakdown for each team [eliminated contestants are striked out]

Team Lauren - 130 points

1. JP - 50 points
2. Ryan P - 50 points
3. Ames - 30 points
4. Ben C - 0 points

Team Steven - 100 points

1. Ben F - 15 points
2. Constantine - 50 points
3. William - 10 points
4. Nick - 25 points

*I believe filming for The Bachelorette ended about six months prior to its first episode at the end of May. Which means filming would have wrapped up in time for tennis great Rafael Nadal to still compete in the Australian Open in January 2011. I am still holding out hope for the biggest twist of the season - when Ashley H. is shown in the crowd at Wimbledon.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Our family's borderline obsession with The Bachelor/Bachelorette began with Jake Pavelka while Steven was on an internship in Dallas. It officially became a family affair that summer when Steven joined me to watch Ali Fedotowsky meander herself through a cast of losers and misfits. I think the video below perfectly captures our fascination with this show (fast forward to 1:17 for the best part).

As we embarked on our second season of The Bachelorette with one another, Steven came across an article that described combining fantasy sports with reality TV. It's so simple - the only thing that could make an American institution such as The Bachelor more interesting is to attach numbers to it (at least in an accountants view). Four episodes into the season we decided to hold our family's first Bachelorette Fantasy Draft.

Steven and I both drafted four contestants as members of our team and the winner of the fantasy league of two will receive an undisclosed (to you, not to us) cash prize. 

Here is Team Lauren (shown in order picked):

See the full gallery on Posterous

Here is Team Steven (shown in order picked):

See the full gallery on Posterous

All we needed was a scoring system to fully implement our first fantasy season. Lucky for us the article provided some suggestions and scoring will take place in the following manner:

Emotional/Verbal

• Making Ashley Cry: 5 points
• Male Crying: 20 points
• Asking if a fellow cast member is there "for the right reasons": 10 points
• Saying, "I didn't come here to make friends": 10 points
• Trying to make someone cry and succeeding: 25 points
• Trying to make someone cry and failing: -5 to -25 points (commissioner's discretion)
• Blaming parents for poor behavior: 10 points
• Calling a friend or relative at home, crying, and saying, "Everyone here hates me": 20 points
• Threatening to sue fellow cast member: 25 points
• Being subject of an intervention: 30 points
• Plugging an acting, modeling, or singing career: 10 points
• Singing a song in front of two or more people: 20 points

Romantic/Sexual

• Open-mouth kissing: 5 points per participant
• Coitus (or pulling over covers in bed): 25 points per participant
• Intentional nudity: 20 points
• Unintentional nudity: 5 points
• Going on show-sanctioned overnight date and not hooking up: -25 points per participant

Violence

• Verbal Fighting: 5 points
• Physical Fighting: 25 points
• Decisively winning physical fight: 25 points
• Throwing drink in someone's face: 5 points
• Having unexplained black eye, fat lip, or bloody knuckles: 25 points
• Being restrained or lectured on camera by security or production staff: 25 points
• Requesting to be assaulted: 10 points
• Invoking show's rules as only reason for not committing assault: 10 points
• Attempting to fight show's host: 100 points

Drugs/Alcohol

• Extreme intoxication: 5 to 25 points (commissioner's discretion)
• Vomiting: 10 points
• Having car keys taken away: 5 points
• Being kicked out of bar or club: 20 points

Religious

• Violating stated religious beliefs: 25 points

Early Departures

• Being abandoned in an exotic location: 15 points
• Causing others to threaten to leave show: 15 points
• Threatening to leave show and not following through: 15 points
• Threatening to leave show and following through: 30 points

Hot Tub/Helicopter Bonus

• Any points earned in hot tub and/or helicopter are scored at double value

Show-specific Scoring

• Calling Ashley a pet name: 5 points
• Giving Ashley a gift: 10 points
• Mentioning Brad: 10 points
• Winning final rose: 50 points

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After a three-year run the Classic Movie Crew watched its last movie together on this day - Saturday April 30, 2011. I wish I could say it went out with a bang, but it was more like a whimper ... thanks to a lackluster finale selected by yours truly. We watched ‘The Sting’ (1973) starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman. Don’t get me wrong, it was not bad, but outside of the occasional gentlemen’s club scene [we quickly learned that PG in 1973 does not mean the same thing as PG in 2011], it lacked real pizazz. However one mediocre movie can’t put a damper on what the classic movie night has meant. In all we almost watched forty movies together which pretty much makes us a better version of Siskel and Ebert. 

There were 6 members of our crew - and since it was pretty exclusive I will try to give you a glimpse of everyone involved.

Stewart Sucher - the patriarch of the crew - since almost all of the movies were watched in his and Megan’s home. He is infamous for his highly addictive popcorn - where the butter flowed like honey. His not so secret recipe never disappointed - except for that one time, but no one is perfect. Stew is also known for being able to fix anything, whittling a baseball bat out of a single block of wood, growing a terrific 5 o’clock shadow, and just generally making myself and Mike feel like failures. The only thing that has ever proven more powerful than Stew is the Kracken pizza at Pirate Island.

Megan Sucher - the veto queen. Movies were not watched if at least two members of the crew vetoed the choice. Megan was never bashful to use her vetoes on such classics as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [the original], Harry and the Henderson’s, and about every other movie not included in the list below [how could anyone veto Gene Wilder’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?]. Megan also knows how to make a wicked good Kool-Aid. Besides classic movie nights, Megan had a borderline unhealthy fascination with ABC’s The Bachelor.   

Michael Donn Morgan - between picking such classics as Heart and Souls and Romancing the Stone Mike spent his time as an All-American non-collegiate-amateur athlete at almost every sport [no seriously ... every sport - basketball, racquetball, soccer, baseball, tennis, kubb ... even Mike Tyson’s Punchout] and moonlighted as a family therapist. He still proudly holds the record for shots made on the four foot basketball hoop in the Sucher home.

Bridget Morgan - single handedly overthrew our attempts to eat at Rubio’s during our last movie night [honestly, who doesn’t like fish tacos?]. Not only did we have to move restaurants to accommodate her taste preferences, but Bridget also had the audacity to work many nights saving lives as a nurse, which incidentally postponed more than one movie night. Between saving many a life as a nurse Bridget is responsible for several sleeper picks in our movie repertoire - most notably, Who’s Minding the Mint. Bridget also had a borderline unhealthy fascination with ABC’s The Bachelor. 

Steven Wilde - the inexperienced one. As options were discussed for movies I often realized I have not seen many classic movies and felt very sheltered and embarrassed [thanks mom and dad]. I was famous for eating every last kernel in our bowl of popcorn and often scavenging through the leftovers of others [what can I say, I like popcorn]. I also had a borderline unhealthy fascination with ABC’s The Bachelor. But the let the record show that I was the only one who was never sold on Emily. 

Lauren Wilde - was responsible for some of our more risque movie picks. Bless her heart, but Lauren’s movies always seemed to have the most language and suggestive material. If the movies weren’t challenging our moral values then they were among the girliest [i.e. Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken] . Lauren also had a borderline unhealthy fascination with ABC’s The Bachelor. 

We watched almost every type of movie available. The only rule was it must be made before 2000 and not be overplayed - hence no Sandlot. A few exceptions were made, but the exceptions were usually a result of some members of the crew not being present. The list of movies is rather impressive ...

1. •Rookie of the Year (1993)
   

2. •Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

3. •Tremors (1990)

4. •Last of the Mohicans (1992)

5. •Who’s Minding the Mint (1967)

6. •Back to the Future (1985)

7. •Back to the Future II (1989)

8. •Back to the Future III (1990)

9. •Karate Kid (1984)

10. •Sneakers (1992)

11. •Mighty Ducks (1992)

12. •Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

13. •Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (1991)

14. •Corrina, Corrina (1994)

15. •Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

16. •Duck Tales - Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990)

17. •Ferngully (1992)

18. •Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Chipmunk Adventure (1987)

19. •Romancing the Stone (1984)

20. •Three Amigos (1986)

21. •Groundhog Day (1993)

22. •Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

23. •The Wizard (1989)

24. •Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Experiment #910 The Final Sacrifice (1998)

25. •Parent Trap (1961)

26. •Toy Story (1995)

27. •Hook (1991)

28. •Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves (1991)

29. •Field of Dreams (1989)

30. •Fletch (1985)

31. •Heart and Souls (1993)

32. •Maverick (1994)

33. •The Sting (1973)

34. •Crash (2004)

35. •Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009)

36. •Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

37. •Man on Wire (2008)

38. •Inception (2010)

One of the saddest things about moving was leaving such good friends behind. However, we take solace in the idea that no matter how hard they try ... they will never be able to find another couple as cool as us.

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In case you do not get the reference in the title above, please see the YouTube video below. 

If you do get the reference below, then you will be excited to see the YouTube video below. 

It is hard not to relate life’s milestones to ‘Saved By the Bell’, so it feels appropriate to pay homage to the Bayside graduation song - although it causes my buried feelings for Kelly Kapowski to rise to the surface (although Lauren feels the same when she sees AC Slater in his red leotard).

I officially graduated from BYU on Friday morning. My family - except for Kristina - along with Lauren’s dad and his family, were able to come to Provo and celebrate with us. It was the first university convocation I have ever attended, so I honestly cannot compare it to others - however I thought everything went well.  

Everyone woke up early Saturday morning and hiked Y Mountain. Some, who will remain nameless, struggled more than others but everyone made it to the top without the need of respirators or too much trouble. The remainder of the time was spent eating and playing kubb [special thanks to a Mr. Stewart Sucher, for whittling our set with only a pocket knife] - which is a game you need to learn about if you haven’t played yet. All in all it was a great weekend made even better with all of the family!

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At 2:30 PM I left the BYU Testing Center for the last time in my collegiate career. Finals officially began and ended today for me, which means I have completed my graduate degree and am now done with college ... forever. While it is true I began far too long ago - a lot has happened since I first lived in Heritage Halls and Deseret Towers as a freshman. Specifically serving a two year mission in Las Vegas, and marrying Lauren in 2007. I could not be more excited about moving to the next stage of our young lives. 

But truth be told I will miss BYU. I owe so much to this great university. The quality of education is superb - especially when you consider the low costs of tuition and living expenses. It is humbling that so many people have sacrificed to help make my education affordable. Because of those sacrifices [and the financing from a brilliant wife] I am able to graduate debt free - which alleviates so much pressure. There are several universities that can teach its students and prepare them for the world - BYU has done so much more. Because of its faculty, peers and the spirit around the campus my personal testimony has strengthened. I came to BYU as a young adult who had piggy-backed on the testimony of youth leaders and parents. I am leaving with a strong faith in Christ and the principles of the gospel. 

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The first day of searching for a home had its moments here in Dallas. We met with our realtor early in the morning and after briefly reviewing some contracts and housing jargon we went to work. We quickly learned shopping for homes online is very different than the real thing. The first home we looked at was our favorite coming into the day - it was priced well and looked to have several nice updates. When we arrived at the home we soon saw why it was priced so well ... there were major foundation problems. Although the foundation had been ‘fixed’ the floor was uneven at several spots and there were several cracks in the wall showing inadequate repair. 

We ended up seeing eighteen homes throughout the day - only two of the homes were possibilities. 

We looked at approximately seventeen homes on the second day. Of these only one was a contender.  We saw many of the same issues in homes as the day before but overall there were much better quality of homes on the second day.  

After seeing that many homes we got dinner at a small taco place located in a gas station [we read about it in the Wall Street Journal] - which was really great and then came home and tried to sleep.  Steven has been sick since lunch the first day so he passed out almost immediately.  I however could not sleep and tossed and turned about our decision.  I really wanted to make the right choice. We narrowed it down to two homes and went to both houses on the third day to walk around one more time. We decided the home we found on the first day would be the home that we would buy. 

We love our new home! We came here expecting to find a home that would be adequate for our needs and fit our low budget. We found when we raised our budget a little that we could get a house that we loved.  Here are some of our favorite features

    -the kitchen is open to the living room and has two large windows to let in natural light

    -the mater bedroom feels like a suite - it even comes with a nice sitting area beside its window

    -four bedrooms - we do not need it now, but it gives us plenty of space to grow into

The list could go on - we feel so lucky and fortunate to have found our home. It was only on the market for a total of 6 days and already had a competing offer - so our timing could not have been better. We are excited about the location and all the adventures that accompany home ownership!

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We are in the city of Carrollton - which is about 25-35 minutes away from Dallas

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