The Big Eat Out

Day 283

It is no secret that I love to eat out. I could eat out almost everyday. I am definitely a burger and fries type of a guy but I really I can eat out anywhere. I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

Unfortunately my body cannot handle eating out as well as it did during my youth. My cholesterol is a bit high (but that shouldn't be too surprising since that does run in the Platis side of the family) and my love handles are no longer handles.

"Yo, Ding Dong, man, Ding Dong!"

One time in high school my friends were hanging out in Logan and we went out to eat. We used to go out and pig out all the time. One of our favorite places to go to was Garcia's and get the all-you-can-eat taco bar and all-you-can-drink daiquiris (fake of course since we were underage). This time we were craving pizza so Little Cesar's was our choice.

And if I did what I did then I am sure that my body would have exploded. My heart being the first organ to self-destruct. Back in the day when you went to Little Cesar's you would buy one pizza get one free. You know when that guy said "Pizza Pizza," he actually meant it. There were four of us, Kelly, Damond and Jester and I so we each got a full medium pizza to eat and a half bag of Crazy Bread. I was full after chowing down a full medium pizza and some Crazy Bread but apparently Kelly and Damond were not. They suggested that we go somewhere else to grab more food. 

So we went to A&W's to get some Big Blue Specials.  I have blogged about these things before, do I really need to remind you about the barfing incident? Big Blue's are HUGE burgers. It has three burger patties, tons of lettuce and sauce. It comes with a ton of curly fries and 2 large glasses of fresh A&W Root Beer.

Jester and I were already feeling stuffed so Jester and I just got a large thing of fries and a large root beer. I could barely fit in all the fries but even back then I could hold my soda do I had a refill of root beer. And I was dying.

"What are you looking at?"

This cat looked how I felt after eating so much food.

But Damond and Kelly were not done.

It was either Kelly or Damond that had coupons for buy-one-get-one-free Big Macs. So we all went to McDonald's and Jester and I watched Kelly and Damond pound a Big Mac away. It was obscene. Just how obscene? By going through some of the nutritional facts I calculated that eating all of this food comes to a whopping (what if they got a Burger King Whopper too?) 3,240 calories.

If you were to walk it off, you would have to walk 32.4 miles or 64,800 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

So if I did this today and the food didn't kill me, the walk would have finished the job.  Ah... to be young again.

School Daze: The Bully

Day 242

I was bullied in school quite a bit, especially grades 7-9. Those grades were absolutely hell for me and part of me doesn't even want to cover those years in this blog. When grade 10 rolled around I was surrounded by good friends and most of those bullies that bullied me had either matured a bit or moved on to other things.

Remember what happened to this bully?

In the 11th grade I managed to fight off my last bully for good. For some unknown reason this stupid kid with his stupid permed hair started to pick on me. I did my best to ignore him but he just kept on going. I remember during the winter he would always tackle me and throw me in the snow. This constantly went on and I just learned to deal with it. It was humiliating that I was in the 11th grade and I was being bullied by this preppy sophomore. So I decided to fight back.

This unfortunately worked both ways. He liked that I would fight back, it made him more sneaky in catching me off guard. But when I got the better of him all it did was make him mad and the incidents felt like they doubled.

So I took the initiative. I was walking through the Student Center and I spotted him walking towards the steel doors to get inside. I knew that if he saw me I would get harassed so I decided to get him before he got me. I ran to the steel doors and timed opening them perfectly. He was about to grab the handles and open the door when I tossed the door open hard.

I hit him square in the face with the door. The force knocked him to the floor and he immediately grasped his nose which was spitting out gobs of blood. He got up angrily and looked like he was going to tackle me when my friend came from behind me laughing and said "You want Matt to give you more than that?" I stood my ground and stared him down silently. He backed off and went to the bathroom.

I have to admit that I feared for my life for the rest of the day but I never saw or heard him. And I never had to deal with him again. I had a couple of classes with him and he was still a bit of a jerkhole but he never touched me again.

Sometimes you just have to take a stand. Like Marty's dad did to Biff in Back to the Future.

Congrats Jillian!

Day 216

Last night I attended my niece's high school graduation. I can't believe I just typed that just now. My little niece Jillian graduated from high school!

Didn't I just graduate from high school?

In fact I graduated from high school around the same time that Jill was born.

My mom came over and we drove up to the USU campus and entered the Spectrum and took some seats. We scanned the crowd looking for my sister and the family coming with them. I finally located them on the other side of us and I don't think I would have found them without the use of the opera glasses my mom had.

The graduation was very nice. There were some very good talks and I personally thought that the music was the best part of the program. The choir was good but the orchestra was really great. The music was very uplifting. Time flew by very fast that was until they read the names of the 500 students that graduated.

Then it was Jill's turn and mom and I cheered loudly. After she sat down we snuck out and walked around the stadium to meet with Jennifer and the rest of the crew. We then met up with Jill for some pictures and hugs. She looked so awesome in her graduation cap and gown.

It is hard for me to believe that Jill is old enough to graduate.

It just seems like yesterday that she was dressed up as Batman.I am very proud of her. She was a great student and she has grown into a beautiful young woman. I am sad that she is no longer that cute little girl but I couldn't have asked for a better and older niece.

Congrats Jill!

This is my favorite picture of Jill

I was hoping that she would pull this face and be this excited at her graduation but sadly she wasn't

List-Mania: Cool Teachers!

Day 174

So far most of my columns that I write about school have usually been about how I hated it or some of the funny things that happened or about how I didn't get along with authority figures. And so far my List-Mania columns have been devoted to more fun things that I enjoy in life but this time both columns (to be combined into one) will be much different. Looking back I have found teachers that I have had that had a positive impact on me and today, I am honoring them. They are not listed in any particular order.

Ms. Archer (Sifton Elementary School)

I was fortunate to have Ms. Archer for 2 years straight. I had her in Sifton for grades 5 and 6. Not only did I think she was an excellent teacher but I felt that she cared more for me than just making sure I got good grades. Towards the end of the 5th grade I began to hang out with this other kid in my class and he was not the nicest kid. He would threaten other kids and bully some of them and threaten beatings and I wanted to be like this kid. Ms. Archer noticed this too and saw that I was changing and not for the good. So she made the decision to move my desk away from him and back to some of my other friends. And she asked me to stay after school for a couple of minutes. She told me after school that I was not being true to myself and that I should stop trying to be like this kid. She then told me that I was not being nice and I would lose people's respect and friendship. At the time those words hurt since I liked Ms. Archer a lot but walking home and thinking about it, I knew she made sense. So I eventually stopped hanging around this kid and went back to my normal circle of friends. What she did had nothing to do with school work, nothing at all to do with my grades. But she cared enough about me to take the time to set me straight. Something I will never forget.

Mrs. Baugh/Letham (North Cache Middle School/Sky View High School)
After Killarney I moved to the United States and I had to start the 8th grade in a new school and a new country. I tried to fit in but unfortunately the U.S. also had its share of bullies. But this grade was much better than Killarney and I made some good friends but more importantly I had some good teachers. My favorite was Ms. Baugh, my English teacher. I had no problems in reading plays and characters in class which made me one of her favorites. But it was the writing assignments that I really liked and she knew I liked. One assignment that I had was to write about an invention. I thought about some sort of sorting vacuum cleaner and eventually the story morphed into something completely different. Something that I was really proud of. I handed it in and a few days later she wanted to speak to me privately. She handed me back my story and explained the assignment and I realized that I screwed up. My story was completely different from the assignment. I felt like such an idiot but she told me it was the best story she had read in years. Then she told me not to worry about the assignment, I wrote a story that I should be proud of and that she would reward me extra credit for going all out on a story. She asked if she could keep a copy of the story so she could read it to her 6th graders as an example of how to write creatively. I was honored. Later on I became her assistant my senior year and she still remembered my story and encouraged me to try to get it published. I still have that story and I have worked on it occasionally and I think it would make a great children's book. Ms. Baugh (later it became Mrs. Letham) really knew how to push me creatively and taught me to embrace it instead of shy away from it.

Mrs. Burningham (Sky View High School)
I had Mrs. Burningham for two classes my senior year in high school (it was her first year teaching at Sky View) and they were my favorite classes. I had her for Painting and also for AP Art and AP Art is where I learned the most. At this point I wanted to be a comic book artist and she really helped me understand that I need to know and learn all forms of art so I can be a complete comic book artist. But she really knew me as a person and understood when I was not feeling art. Every once in awhile I would just sit and talk quietly with my friends or do some reading and she never bugged me about getting my projects done. She knew it was more important to recharge batteries and she trusted me enough that I would get my stuff done.

Ms. Spicer (Killarney Junior High School)

I didn't have too many bright spots when I attended Killarney Junior High but she was one of them. She was a great teacher that tried her hardest to not only teach but also to help us form our own opinions. She appreciated what each student had to say and she went out of her way to make all of us comfortable so we would give our opinion. I was mostly a quiet student but in her class I felt like I could talk and add to the discussion. She cared about her students as well, I remember a couple of times where she could see that I was struggling and she would talk to me personally. There were many times that I was threatened to get beat up and she would always allow me to come to her class after school so I could escape. She made such an impression that she was a character in my first novel. She of course was a teacher that helped one of students choose a better life.


Mr. Churchill (Sky View High School)
I know a lot of people didn't like him but I really did. I had him for a variety of classes from Driver's Ed to Sociology to Weight Training. He demanded a lot from you in class and made sure you succeeded. I remember in Weight Training he gave me a goal of how much weight I could bench and he kept trying to add more weight and demand more from me. I eventually ended up going over my goal by 16 pounds because he kept driving me. What I respected about him the most was that he told it like it was. He himself was never disrespectful but when he was (or any of us) were disrespected he really would hit you over the head. One time in weight training some kid put in a tape (Guns and Roses Use Your Illusion II) for use to listen to when we were lifting. Now Mr. Churchill was not a fan of profanity and when a song came on that was loaded with it he stopped lifting and ran and got the tape and broke it in half and threw it outside. He did warn us in advance that he doesn't tolerate that sort of stuff. And he did exactly what he said he would do.

There were other teachers I had throughout my life that made an impact on me too but these teachers stood out the most. I appreciate that they took the time to be an example to me and taught me more than what was expected in the classroom.

School Daze: Stolen Hall Pass

Day 144

I was thumbing through my file cabinet to find things I can blog about and I came across this.

I forgot how this came in my possession but I know I used it all my Senior year at Sky View. Seeing that also reminds me that I had a whole pad of those blue papers that the office would use to get students out of class. Those certainly came in handy. I never got along with that lady that ran the Writing Center and I am sure that is one of the reasons why I have this.

Finding that also reminds me of that show Hoarders. I think I must be a Hoarder of some sort. I rarely throw anything like this away. I guess that is a good thing since I still have 221 days left to blog.

School Daze: Roll Call

Day 88

As you might have guessed it, authority and I have never really gotten along. Especially when the one in authority really gets his jollies by pushing people around. For the most part I got along with my teachers throughout my schooling but there were a few teachers that I did not see eye to eye with.

I admit it, I was never good at math, especially algebra. I struggled to learn the concepts and it was generally a hard subject. My teachers were no help either. I only had one good math teacher while I was in high school. But one teacher in particular I absolutely had problems with. Unfortunately I had this guy twice and the second time around was horrible.


Because I struggled with learning the concepts I didn't do that great on my tests, quizzes and homework. At first he tried to help but when I was not picking up on it, he decided that ridicule would be the best way to motivate me. He would pick on my on purpose during class time to humiliate me. I don't know if that was his true intent but at the time it sure seemed that way.

During my second class with me I decided that I have had enough. Every day at the beginning of class he did this annoying tradition. He would announce that he was going to call roll and then he would say "Here Roll!" for a cheap laugh. Now it may have been funny the first time but day in day out hearing him say this grated my nerves. So one day my friend Forrest and I decided it was time for some payback. When he made his little pun, Forrest and I laughed as loud as we could and then I tipped my desk over pretending to be laughing so hard.

He was not amused. Forrest and I were amused as were some of our fellow classmates but our teacher was not amused. He promptly kicked us out. He slammed the door behind us and we high-fived each other and laughed not knowing he was right behind us. And boy did he let us have it. When he was done I said, "Respect? It goes both ways. And have a nice day!" We left the school and treated us to some donuts. Surprisingly he was much nicer to me the next day. I found out a few years after I graduated that he lost his teaching license.

School Daze: That's Not So Smart

Day 40

There are some things that I just cannot forget. Some of them important but most of them very silly. Case in point:

I remember sitting in Mr. Cantwell's English class at Sky View High School reading. I was reading this horrible novel I got from the school library. It was called Midnight Express and it was based on a true story of a man who was sent to a Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of Turkey to the United States. Talk about a true horror story!

But that was not what I remember this time. I was sitting, reading in disgust when I looked over at one of my friends. He was crunching up some Smarties on his desk and was snorting them like cocaine. I couldn't believe my eyes, it was not surprising that he was doing it, I was just surprised that he was doing it in class. I looked over at Mr. Cantwell and he was staring at my friend as well. Dave, (my friend) looked up and saw us both staring at him and he laughed. And when he did, this large Smartie cloud burst from his nose. I about died laughing and even Mr. Cantwell tried his hardest not to laugh.


Now answer me this, why in the world do I remember that? I am certain I have better memories of high school. And before you ask, no. I never snorted Smarties.

School Daze: Wrestling with Intimidation

Day 16

I loved elementary school but hated my junior high and middle dchool years but when I got into high school it became a little better. It was not like the good old days but I did have some fun times.

I didn't hate high school ALL the time but looking back it sure felt like I hated it at least half the time. But when it was good, it was great! I had some fantastic teachers that I owe and I made some fantastic friends too. But there were some altercations in high school that made it horrible.

I had a teacher at high school that I thought I got along with. He was my Weight Lifting Coach and that is when I liked him. He really helped my try my hardest in that class but it was his Economics class that I really had a hard time getting along with him.

He was rather intimidating in his class. He tried really hard to push his way onto people. At first I tolerated it because there was really nothing I could do about it. But the final straw came when he made one of the girls in class cry. I didn't even know her all that well but I was pretty mad.

I got smart with him one day and he kicked me out of class. I forgot how it all went down but I was talking to a friend of mine a little louder than I should have (even though I wanted him to overhear it) and he was pretty mad. I came to class the next day and everything seemed to be back to normal.

At the end of the semester he invited us to give him a review of the class. It was to be completely anonymous. Now to be honest, I liked the class as far as what he was teaching. But I didn't like him and the way he taught. So I took that opportunity to let him know. I had nothing to lose. Or at least I thought I didn't have anything to lose.

I handed it in and went my way. During my 4th grade class he comes in to talk with Mr. Churchill and I didn't think anything. Then Churchill calls me out of class and tells me to go with the other teacher. I looked at his hand and saw he was holding a couple of those teacher reviews. "Let's go take a walk Matt." he said and we walked to his classroom. He had a class in there and he dismissed them and told them to take the extra lunch. Then he took me into his office and sat me down. As he circled to his desk he showed me my paper and asked if it was mine. I should have lied but I was feeling cornered. I said that it was and then he threw it toward me as he sat down and said, "You want to change anything?"


I wonder if this had anything to do with me being snagged out of class.

I sat there and read my paper. I got a little nervous and laughed a bit at what I wrote. I was much nicer than I remembered until I got to the second page. After I finished I looked up and tossed the paper back and said, "Nope. I said all I wanted too." My brain was screaming at me to shut up but I didn't have anything to lose. What was he going to do? Beat me up? He looked at the paper and looked at me for what seemed forever. "Why do you think this way?" he asked. And we hammered it out. I told him that I thought it was awful to make that girl cry and that he shouldn't try to intimidate people. This was not weight lifting class, this was not wrestling, this was Economics. I was with him for about an hour but I think I must have earned his respect. He was totally nice to me after and even told me that he was proud that I stood up to him. And my final grade out of that class was a B+. Better than I thought I would get.

He didn't want to keep the paper so he gave it back to me. And after how many years, I still have it. I wonder what my old Coach is up to now?