General Conference Predictions

[SCcoug]

Anyone else shocked Nik didn't like conference?

[Pheidippides]

The style of speaking never seemed strange to you before?

It did, but nowhere near as much as it does now.

This aspect of our culture fascinates me.

Our current chaplain in our Battalion is not LDS. I love the prayers that he gives, which are very very different than what I hear in our church. And he's a very genuine and genuinely good person. I find that I can learn about the attributes of Christ by watching him.

The first time I heard a non-Mormon but Christian prayer (and I mean live, not like on TV or something) I was blown away by the informality and the sincerity. I was touched. But that will start me down a narrative path that I don't think anybody here would like.

Anyone else shocked Nik didn't like conference?

Actually, I was pretty neutral. I hated Anderson and Ballard, I liked Holland and Oaks, so that's a wash. And the rest were meh. That's only from two sessions, though - I have no idea what happened in the rest.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Did I ever tell you my story about judging him for hitting on a girl at Rubio's in Provo?

I searched on here and I can't find it. I'm guessing I've never shared it here.

Anyway, about 2000 or 2001, my wife and I, childless at the time, were having a discussion in the car over where we wanted to go for dinner. We had both finished work and were riding around while she said "No" to everywhere I suggested. This game, which I called "Fonnesbecking things up" in honor of her maiden name, went on for a long time until she finally suggested Wendy's at Canyon Rd and Bulldog. We had eaten there in recent memory at the time, and I was secretly seething, assuming that this is where she'd wanted to go all along. My wife is not much of a risk taker when it comes to food. It took a good 10 years of marriage for her to lighten up a little and try Mediterranean food. If Mrs. Fonnesbeck didn't cook it for them as a child, then it wasn't on the menu at my house unless I made it.

Well, I was pissed and didn't order anything. But, I never show my anger to her, trying not to be like my parents who just fought openly in front of us kids. I decided not to be that way, so I just grumbled in my soul. So, she gets her food at the drive-thru, and I wordlessly drive to Rubio's. It's not there anymore, but it used to be on the corner of Bulldog and Freedom next to that millstone thing. Anyway, I go inside looking at the floor, but I do notice a family of about eight sitting at a table to my right when I walk in. I go up to the counter to order and the girl behind the counter is a stunner, drop-dead gorgeous, nothing-she-doesn't-have-she-won't-ever-even-need kind of hot. I probably stammered my way through my order (3 fish tacos), and then I stood over to the side while they made them. The entire time I'm gloomily looking at the floor and thinking about how aggravating picking a restaurant with my wife can be and how I hate that she does that and all the other stupid shit we tell ourselves when we get upset over something that's not that upsetting.

Anyway, about two minutes go by, and this older man comes up the counter. I'm looking at the floor, but I'm listening to the conversation and I can hear him being super-duper-holy-crap-he's-over-the-top-nice-to-her nice. Surprisingly, she's gushing over the attentions of this guy. Not only that, but another girl comes out of the back (also gorgeous) and starts listening and talking to him. He's got his back to me but I'm pretty close by, and I'm just stealing glances and thinking, "Who is this joker standing here flirting with this absolutely smoking hot 19 y/o when his family is sitting right there?" But, I keep staring at the floor, listening to him speak, and I realize that maybe he's just being nice. The cues I was looking for in his conversation to sound like hitting on/zooming (in the Mormon sense) weren't there. I started feeling a little bad for judging him and probably for getting twitterpated as a married man, and then he takes out his wallet to pay for the extra "fish taco that my family says I've just got to try" and he sets his wallet down and I see his photograph on his drivers license and then I realized it was Elder Holland. I couldn't believe it. I was standing there, metaphorically sitting in judgment over an Apostle of Jesus Christ, just because I was pissed at my wife and more than a little uncomfortable at how uncomfortable the beauty of the girl who took my order was making me. I was too ashamed to say anything to him, so I just left. When I got in the car, I told my wife I loved her and that I was sorry, and then I recounted this story to her, including how I thought the woman was beautiful and how it probably influenced my thinking. I keep nothing back from her, good or bad. Anyway, I've used that story a few times in sacrament meeting since then. But, it still doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy his talk as much as Solon.

That's one of my three stories about running into GA's in Utah. The other two also do not make me look very good.

Interesting story.

For the record, there isn't, and never has been a Rubio's at that location in Provo. Or anywhere in Provo. There is one in Orem, but it is only about five years old.

[Moliere]

Interesting story.

For the record, there isn't, and never has been a Rubio's at that location in Provo. Or anywhere in Provo. There is one in Orem, but it is only about five years old.

Snopified!

[Commando]

It did, but nowhere near as much as it does now.

The first time I heard a non-Mormon but Christian prayer (and I mean live, not like on TV or something) I was blown away by the informality and the sincerity. I was touched. But that will start me down a narrative path that I don't think anybody here would like.

I agree the vocal affectation is funny, but I guess I'm used to it enough to not have it bother me. As for non-Mormon Christian prayers, I was likewise blown away, but not in a complimentary way. I guess I've offended others quite profoundly on this topic when allowed to speak openly.

[falafel]

Interesting story.

For the record, there isn't, and never has been a Rubio's at that location in Provo. Or anywhere in Provo. There is one in Orem, but it is only about five years old.

Uh, yes there was. I think there's an L&L Hawaiian BBQ there now.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Uh, yes there was. I think there's an L&L Hawaiian BBQ there now.

You are correct. My bad.

Sorry, wuap. I thought you referring to the other mexican place that was by McDonald's at the time.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

So you didn't recognize the very distinctive voice of Holland, despite being close enough to see his drivers license? Also what is the purpose of sharing this story in sacrament?

[The_Douger]

Interesting story.

For the record, there isn't, and never has been a Rubio's at that location in Provo. Or anywhere in Provo. There is one in Orem, but it is only about five years old.

There was one in Provo. I used to eat there all the time with my roommate. We used to gorge ourselves there on Taco Tuesdays back in 1999 or so. The L and L Hawaiian BBQ is in the current location.

Edit: Hack

[creekster]

So you didn't recognize the very distinctive voice of Holland, despite being close enough to see his drivers license? Also what is the purpose of sharing this story in sacrament?

Moral of the story: Don't let attractive young women cloud your judgment.

[wuapinmon]

Interesting story.

For the record, there isn't, and never has been a Rubio's at that location in Provo. Or anywhere in Provo. There is one in Orem, but it is only about five years old.

You are correct. My bad.

Sorry, wuap. I thought you referring to the other mexican place that was by McDonald's at the time.

I'm glad I waited and read your second post before responding to your first one.

[RC Vikings]

So was he hitting on the girl?

[Mormon Red Death]

So was he hitting on the girl?

it was just a test of her faithfulness.

[Commando]

So was he hitting on the girl?

No- he was ordering and she engaged very quickly and was clearly starstruck b/c it's Elder Holland, which explains the other girl coming up from the back and also engaging. Wuap's sitting there thinking WHO IS THIS PIMP?!? Then he notices... oh.

Did I get that right?

[clackamascoug]

Regardless of Elder Holland's purpose, Waup's message came through clear to me. He's got game, but chooses to use it for the purposes of the Lord.