Sunday Confessional: Trailer Trash

Day 127

I have not done a Sunday Confessional for a long time. I am not counting the last one that was posted since that was when Kristy blognapped my blog. In all honesty she did do a pretty good job.

I lived in a trailer.

When Kristy and I were to be married we had to decide where we should live. We both wanted to live either on campus (we were both attending Utah State University) or close by it. My mom suggested that we purchase a trailer from the USU Trailer Park. My mom had five good reasons.

1) It was cheap.

2) It was on campus.

3) She knew someone that was selling one.

4) It would look good on our credit.

5) Deep down inside she always wanted to live in one.

Kristy's sister was living in a nice trailer so I was not opposed to living in one. We had enough money and I was making barely enough to cover the monthly pad and loan bill. My mom called her friend (it was her daughter's trailer) and we went and saw it. The only thing that I remember was how SMALL it was. But it was cute and it fit all the reasons above so we bought it and moved in after we were married.

Here is the outside of our trailer. We lived on the each of a block so we really only had one neighbor. The porch was awesome and was almost bigger than our living room.
This is the front of the trailer so now you get an idea of how wide it was. *Sigh* Such simpler times. Don't we look so young?
It was so small (how small was it?) it was so small that our double-sized bed took up 88% of our bedroom. In fact when we put our bed in that bedroom, we had to bend the walls to squeeze it through!

This is a picture of our kitchen taken from our living room.
This is a picture of our living room taken from our kitchen.
Both of those pictures were taken from the exact same spot.
That was our hallway. Behind me was our larger bedroom which we used as our computer room. I am standing right beside the entrance to our bathroom and the dark shadow on the right was our bedroom. It didn't have a door so we bought some beads instead.
Sadly, just a few weeks after we had redecorated it to our liking, Kristy got her first teaching job at South Hills Middle School down south and we had to sell our first home. Selling it was a horrible experience. We still had to pay for our pad fees even though we were not living there. And USU sent us a letter threatening to evict us if we couldn't prove that we were students at USU. Of course we weren't current students! We were not even living there! Finally we found someone to purchase our trailer and we made the deal at a McDonalds. How trailer trash did that sound?

I'll drive by the old trailer every once in a while. I really liked living there, I had some good neighbors and it was a great experience. I remember one time the wind was blowing so hard that you could feel it through the trailer. The wind would gust and our walls would move. Interestingly enough, I learned that during a terrible wind storm over thirty years ago, the trailer that was in my spot (#130) tipped over during a wind storm.

Another time our pipes froze. I sent Kristy to Lynn and Roger's to sleep and I called my dad and we hooked up an extension cord and a blow dryer and cradled it under a wooden box so the pipes would thaw out. We went and got some awesome hot chocolate and waited all through the night for the pipes to unthaw.

Good times.

A Tale of Two Dreams

Day 126

Last night I caught a case of the giggles while sleeping. Kristy woke me up by poking me and when I woke up I was still giggling.

Before I was waken up, I was dreaming that my family and I was watching America's Funniest Videos (a family favorite show to watch) and in my dream I was telling Kristy and Logan that they needed to pay special attention to the show. But Kristy kept getting up and going into the kitchen during the show and I was afraid that she was going to miss a certain video. I had taken a video camera and scared the crap out of Kristy. She was napping on the couch and I made this Donald Duck noise and she woke up screaming in fear and I got it all on video. And I had sent that video to AFV. We saw the video and I started to giggle. And then Kristy woke me up and I was totally giggling.

It's too bad that my other dream that I had was as terrifying as the last one was funny.

I have often thought about keeping a Dream Journal. Where I would wake up and the first thing I would do is write down any lingering thoughts or dreams. I know a lot of writers that do this and they take those dreams and make them into dreams.

My next dream was not a happy one. I was on a pretty big boat in the middle of the ocean. I was with my dad and a set of guys I didn't know. There was a couple of kids with us. One of the kids was my neighbor and it was my job to watch her. They were all watching the news but I wouldn't. I was getting Krissy a drink of Kool-Aid when the boat was hit by this wave. It totally destroyed the boat and swept was all out. I tried to hold on to Krissy but she was swept out of my arms. I must have lost consciousness because the next thing I know I am waking up next to this island. I looked around to get my bearings and noticed that I was laying on a bunch of dead bodies. I walked on top of them closer to the beach and saw even more bodies. Some were sticking out of the sand. I then heard this horrible crunching noise and I knew that another wave was coming. I ran up the hill but I kept sinking into the mud so I had to use the dead bodies to steady myself. I made it up the hill and my dad was there. He helped me up and I asked him about the crew and he said he has not seen anyone. He broke down and said that he lost his kid (I guess we all had a kid we had to take care of) and we hiked up further on the hill. The crunching noise got louder and the island was hit by another wave. At this point I am not entirely sure if the wave was even water. But it hit the island hard and knocked us off our feet. We looked down and saw the water rise with all the mud and bodies and it crept closer to us. And then I woke up.

What the heck is up with that?

I don't mean to be so depressing but I thought it would be interesting to write these down.

And by the way, a did dream of tornadoes about a week or so ago. I think it would be interesting to see if I do dream of tornadoes monthly.

List-Mania: What's in your iTunes?

Day 125

Another Friday, another List-Mania!

A few years ago I joined the Joe Quesada message board under the name argent28. Quesada was a comic book artist and also Editor-in-Chief for Marvel Comics. I was a member for years and made a lot of good friends and did some Q&A's for Joe himself and also Marvel's Trades Department. Of course there were some that liked to poop on the parade but I still had a great time there. Unfortunately that place closed down but a few of us made a new home called the Bad Genious. And I have been there since and I am very good friends with the small group of people there. In fact, that is how I met my fellow blogger Sarah.

One of the cool things that we did on the Quesada boards and also on the BG boards is we had a music club. The rules were simple. You made a mixtape (CD) of music you like and you mail it to anyone that signed up and you would do this each month. So each month I would get a CD of new music. And one of those months it would be my turn to send out a CD.

I recieved about 30 of them. Each CD was a lot of fun to listen to because it gave me an opportunity to not only get new music but also to get to know that person a little bit more. Get a peek inside of what makes them tick. But what I didn't expect was to find a gem off of almost every CD I got. Some of the CD's, well, they weren't my cup of tea but most of them I got a kick out of at least one of the songs.

So here are 7 songs that I got from these CD clubs that get the most play on my iPod.

Propane Nightmares by Pendulum
This is a relatively new-comer on my iPod but one that has gotten tons of plays. I got this from my friend Tim over in England. It was so good that I went and got the album that this song comes off of and I was disappointed. I love songs that have a good beat and tons of bass. This really makes me want to run.


Electric Worry by Clutch
From the moment I heard this song I loved it. In fact, Liana guaranteed that I would love this song and she was right. It has a real Southern rock feel to it. And I love hearing harmonicas rock out. Very catchy tune.


Breathe Me by Sia
Another song that I have not had long but has gotten a ton of plays. Her rough yet soft voice just sings right into my mind. This is one of the few songs that I have to stop and listen to, I cannot have it playing in the background. And I am a fan of pianos in songs. I got this from my friend Tyler in Seattle. You can see this video here: YouTube will not let me embed it.

Common People by William Shatner
I know what you are thinking. William Shatner? I thought the same thing until I listened to the song. This is a fantastic cover of the Pulp's awesome song. But Shatner really takes this song to a different level. Yes, Shatner rocks this song. I got this song from Rory from New York. You can see his awesome New Jersey Nets blog 'Slippery When Nets' here.

So Not Over by Big Sugar
Just quirky enough for me to really dig it. Just a fun and silly song. I couldn't get this one out of my head the first time I heard it. I got this song from fellow Edmontonian Jon. I could only find the live version on YouTube.


Perfect by The Lightning Seeds
I have three or four CD's from Sarah and we match a lot. She likes cheesy 80's music and so do I. So instead of liking one or two songs, usually I like the whole thing. There is just something about this song that makes me look at life positively and with hopeful eyes. Not really sure what hits me with this song but I love it. There is this river trial that I used to walk/run after work during the summer times and I would listen to this song. It totally takes me back to those days.


The Devil's Plaything by Backworld
I'm not sure where I got this song. I want to say it was from Yassir in England but I am not positive. At first I disliked this song because it was just weird. But the more I listened to it the more addicted I got to it. It is a strange haunting song that is almost magical.


I have no idea what the videos are like. I am sure you can just search for most of them on iTunes.

Blog Crossover

Day 124

Last night we had a small blog meet-up with some fellow bloggers.

My cousin and fellow blogger Jaimee and her family came over to my sister and fellow blogger's home and we had a nice live visit. My wife and fellow blogger and my family attended as well as my mom and future fellow blogger. (Yes, I like to say 'fellow blogger')

Fellow bloggers Jennifer, Jaimee, Me and Kristy
I didn't have many expectations when I started this blog. It was merely an attempt to chronicle my life so Logan can get to know me. Like he was reading a personal journal. But it has grown way beyond what I initially thought. Through this challenge I have gotten to know so many people and really get to know them. When we visited with Jaimee and her family it felt like we have known each other for years. Well, I have known them for years but this time I felt like I really knew them. They are more friends than just family. It was fun to see her cute children Matteah and Casey in person. Such sweet and fun kids. Daniel and Jaimee were fun as always but it seemed different this time since I felt like I have been in their daily lives for the last couple of months. It was awesome and I wished we lived closer so we could do this more often. Thanks for driving from Colorado Springs and up to Logan so we could spend some time together.

Matteah, Daniel, Jaimee and CaseyMatteah, Logan, Dax and Jace
While it was great to talk with them it made me miss the rest of the Case Clan. So if any members of the Case Clan are reading, it is not too late to take my challenge and BLOG! This has been a rewarding experience. You have been put on notice.

One thing I did notice about this whole blogging thing I started. I am the ONLY guy doing it. I guess I should count myself lucky. I have gotten to know some awesome women. Which reminds me, I am not only pleased about getting to know my side of the family but that also extends to my sister-in-law and fellow blogger Andrea and her family and also to my friend across the ocean and fellow blogger Sarah and her awesome family (which should be expecting a new shiny member any moment!). It has been fantastic getting to know you folks too. So how many people are doing this challenge anyway?

Thanks Jennifer for hosting a great blog meet-up.

Andrea it is your turn next. ;)

What Pushes Your Button?

Day 123

Oh the meltdown on this week's Celebrity Fit Club was awesome and scary. Man oh man did Sebastian lose his cool. And partly I don't blame him. He was doing so good in the beginning of the Fit Club Challenge and then the rain hit and his teammates were annoying him and HalfFat Girl (Tanisha) said something not nice to him and the crap hit the fan.

Tanisha pushed his button.

So my blog today asks What Pushes Your Button?

I admit that I have a little bit of a temper but I think for the most part I have it under control. But there is something that sends me postal and Sebastian-like.

I hate to be finger poked in the chest. It absolutely makes my blood boil. I can handle pretty much anything else but this. You want to start something? Poke me in my chest. Even if you do it accidentally it still sends shivers up my spine. But do it on purpose? LOOK OUT!

I remember the last time someone did this to me on purpose. I was working as a lumper for Motor Cargo. My station was at Pepperidge Farms and my job was to load boxes of cookies/crackers into trucks. One day a certain truck was very late. The trucker (whom we ALL hated) came in expecting that we would load his crap and send him on his way. Unfortunately I was assigned to lump his trailer. He came in and demanded that he speak to his team of loaders. I explained it to him calmly that he was extremely late and that he would have to wait a bit before we start his truck. Since we knew that we would have to deal with him, we went ahead and pulled his whole stock beforehand. That way it would take us about twenty minutes to load his truck so we were doing him a HUGE favor. He didn't see it this way. He continued to be a complete idiot.

So we finished up another truck and hurried to start his. He watched us the whole time, getting in our way and it aggravated us. I told him to take a seat in the break room and get a Coke and we would have everything all ready for him in twenty minutes. Then he started to berate me and my driver. He called us every dirty name his feeble mind could come up with. And I had enough. I stopped loading and told him to knock it off or we will take our time loading his truck. He got into my face and told me to get back to work and I told him to waddle his way back to the break room and we will get back to work (my forklift driver fully backing me up).

And then he poked me with his chubby finger. And the blood began to boil. I warned him not to do that again. And he said "What are you going to do about it kid?" And he poked me again.

So I grabbed that finger and off my chest and twisted it back. I was having a Sebastian moment. He tried to yell at me and fight back but I was pushing his finger back so much that he could barely breath. I finally released his finger and pointed to the break room in which he hastily retreated to.

So that is my biggest button. Just don't poke it.

And for a happier ending, Sebastian and Tanisha did patch things up. Which was followed by Sebastian trying to dance. He knew he looked like an idiot and he didn't disappoint. Gotta give him props for trying.

Logan and Balloonie

Day 122

Yesterday, my wife Kristy chronicled Logan losing another tooth in her blog. This time he lost his other top middle tooth so now he has a big gap that is so cute.

Kristy took a picture for the blog and the picture turned out pretty awesome. He was wearing a black shirt and the background was all black so all you could see was his head.

It reminded us of Balloonie. Who is Balloonie you ask?

BACK STORY!

To find out the true origin of Balloonie, you will have to watch this episode of Phineas and Ferb.





Trust me.

My First Ticket

Day 121

I got my driver's license when I was a little older and I pride myself on being a good driver. One day I was returning home from USU (Utah State University) and I had a fantastic day. I got an 'A' on my PoliSci test and things were looking up. I was coming home because I had to go to work. I had the radio on and I was just happy.

I was leaving Smithfield when I looked on the right and saw that I had passed a police car who was using his radar to snag speeders. I looked down to see how fast I was going and I was going pretty fast. I looked in my rear view mirror and sure enough the cop was after me. I pulled over and he asked me why he pulled me over. I told him that I had a great day at school, was singing along with the radio and just didn't watch my speed. He told me that he appreciated my honesty and that he instead of giving me a ticket would issue me a summons to appear in court in front of the judge. I think I would rather have the ticket. He also lowered my official speed, which was very nice considering I was doing 56 MPH in a 25 MPH zone. So I had to come back to Smithfield in two weeks and appear in court.

Finally the day of my court appearance arrived. I was pretty nervous. I dressed very nicely, splashed on some cologne and went to court.

Apparently that cop must have caught a ton if us speeding because the first three people ahead of me were in there for that. And the cop was there as well as a witness.

I sat down and listened to the judge talk to each offender. Then he called up some kid who looked around the same age as me. He asked him for his story and the kid told him that he was pulled over for speeding. His story was very much like mine, he was coming home from USU, going to work and was not paying attention. The judge also commended him for telling the truth. The judge was very understanding and kind, since it was his first ticket as well, he offered to cut the fine and points in half. He asked the kid what he thought about that. And the stupid kid says "I think I should be let off since it was my first time!" The judge was not too pleased. He offered again to cut the fine and points in half and again the kid said he should be let off. Then the judge got angry. He yelled "How about DOUBLE the fine and points?" The kid just stared at him stunned. "80 dollars and full points!" And he banged his gavel. The kid then said he didn't have the money to pay that. So the judge replies "You better call your mommy or daddy. You will remain under our custody until you pay!" Then he ordered the bailiff to take him away. The judge then was telling the cop how disrespectful that young man was and how angry it made him. Suddenly he yelled out, "Matthew Platis? Come on up!"

I was petrified.

The judge asked for my story and I told him the truth even though my story was much like the kid in front of me. He also commended me for my honesty and asked if this was my first ticket too. I told him that it was and I braced myself. He looked at me and asked me, "Since this is your first offense, how does NO points and a $40 fine sound?" I was surprised, I thought for sure he was going to nail me. I told the judge that would be fantastic and I thanked him. The judge then looked over at the other kid and said "You should have been respectful like this outstanding young man. But instead you acted like the world owes you something." He then turned to me and said "If you don't have the money we will issue you a ticket so you can mail it in anytime." I told him I had the money and would be happy to pay up, so I did.

The kid was not happy at all. I was happy though, no points on my insurance and only forty bucks? Lesson learned!