Jody K Zimmer

Land of Giants

2011-02-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this on a website and thought it was pretty cool. Remember the old ones that looked like felix the cat (at least thats how I remember them). I think these are much cooler.

for more information check out this site - http://spacedid.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/the-land-of-giants/

Cross That Off The Bucket-list!

2010-12-10T01:18:00.000-08:00

This past summer I had the oppurttunity to mark off one more goal for the my bucket list - SKYDIVING! And it was AMAZING!!!

This is Joe Jones, a good friend of mine from one of my old areas of my mission. He spends day after day jumping out of planes and training to compete in Sky Diving competitions. He is one of the Golden Knights. And I always figured if I was going to let anyone throw me out a plane, then it would be him!

The Golden Knights are the guys you would call up if you were a past president, or famous celebrity, or the guy who would bring down the football for the Superbowl. Here are a few athletes and celebrities that have put there lives in the hand of good ol' Joe Jones.

Ever Heard of Actress Justing Bateman? She has starred in over 40 titles: including Desperate House Wives, Private Practice, Psych, Arrested Development, and more.

If you follow Nascar then I'm sure you'll recognize this gentleman. When he's not jumping out of planes he's driving the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1/Burger King Chevrolet Impala in the Nascar Sprint Cup Series.

Its a rough job when you have to take out the entire squad of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders on a skydiving adventure!

Don't mess with this guy! Its UFC Heavyweight Champ and Hall of Famer Randy Couture.

I'm sure you recognize this guy from Saturday Night Live, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Groundhogs Day, King Pin, The Man Who Knew To Little, Charlie's Angels, and much much more - Its BILL MURRAY!

And then their is me.....

And for someone who doesn't have as high a celebrity status as those described above - this is the kind of training you receive.

But it was all worth it!

We jumped from 13,500 feet

Dropping at speeds of 120 miles per hour

I actually happened to be Joe's 4,000th jump.
Thanks Joe for letting me have the time of my life!
Same time next year?

And just in case you think these pictures are photoshopped, be sure to check out the actual video footage below...

Next post I'll include some more still frame shots. I had an amazing photographer that jumped alongside with us.

So what do you think?! Do you see yourself jumping out a plane anytime soon?

Thumbs Up!

2010-12-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

This picture cracks me up! In the midst of taking some family pictures, Isaac still manages to sneak in one of his signature looks. I had to zoom in on the picture so you could get the full effect. What a funny little man...

THUMBS UP!

Luscious Locks ------> GONE!

2010-12-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

After about 10 months of avoiding the clippers I finally broke down and let dad cut off my beach-bum hair. I have to admit, long hair requires a lot of upkeep! Props to all you women out there with long locks! It is a lot of work! And I don't think I'm cut out for it. BUT..... it was fun while it lasted!

BEFORE

AFTER

What do think???

Return to Blogging...

2010-12-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

I'm back........... I just noticed the last time I posted was 9 months ago! Ridiculous I know. Especially since in the last post I said I was going to give a detailed summary of my trip across the U.S. Instead I think I'll sum it up with one picture and move on to some different topics. So here you go......

It was a loooooooooooong trip. And I would do it again in a heart beat!

Road trip...... Point A to Point B

2010-03-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

I've been kind of at a loss of topics to blog about for the past few days. I mean, all i've been doing is sitting at the beach, soaking up the sun and watching the dolphins swim up and down the beach. (I'll admit - it is a rough life!) Then I realized - I never blogged about this long trek i made back to the east coast. That was a pretty big deal! Cross that off the bucket list... Not to mention I made the trip with no cruise control. Now I have one extremely ripped right leg that can hardly fit in a pair of jeans while the left leg is just as skinny as ever. Ok, thats a bit of an exaggeration.

The map below shows the route i took to drive out to North Carolina. As you may have noticed it wasn't quite the most direct way to go. But i wanted to avoid all the snow and stick to the warmest weather possible. The rain however decided to follow me all six days of the trip.

These next few posts I decided to put up a few pictures from each day of the trip. Starting with point A to point B, Medford Oregon to Los Angeles California.

Originally I had planned on taking off on a monday, but as usual the passes were in terrible condition. Lots of snow, ice and the possibility of required chains, which i had no room in my car to pack (thats no exaggeration - that car was loaded up, to many clothes...) And why is the hardest part of any trip just getting out of Oregon. Y'all know what i mean if your from Oregon

But once your over the passes its smooth sailing. I have to be honest (and i might be slightly biased) but the pretties state i drove through was the one i left!

I didn't take much pictures in California. I was just ready to get out of all of that traffic. So i didn't stop for any pictures. Except for just east of LA. I was intrigued by the wind farm and must have take about a dozen pictures of it. I'll only bore you with few of them. I don't know why I was so fascinated with them. Maybe because i just recently became LEED accredited, or the fact that My brother Daniel and I always talked about driving up to the wind farm just outside of Idaho Falls, or maybe i just had to use the restroom and realized i hadn't really taken any pictures.....

The only bad thing (well one of the bad things) about traveling alone, is you have nobody to take your picture for you while your out seeing the sites. So every once in awhile i had to take a picture of me for proof that i made the trek across the states.

A special THANKS to my other big brother Stevie Nebeker for letting me crash on his couch for the night, and taking me to In And Out for dinner. Thanks for always looking out for me!

Next stop................ Phoenix, Arizona.

Straight Crazy or Really Talented?

2010-03-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

For Ben Folds concert this past weekend, he had a guy by the name of Zach Williams opening for him. Like Ben, he chose to go out and sing solo and play one instrument during his performance - the guitar. I thought he was awesome. So good that I decided to go home and download a few of his songs. (Isn't that the idea of a concert - make the fans like you so they will go home and buy there cd's - Well it worked) Unfortunately two of his songs, which I happened to like the most, were the ones that weren't available to buy. I guess there both fairly new - go figure! I did however find them live on youtube. There not the best quality, but there the only videos of the two songs that i love. Watch them and let me know what you think. By the end you'll either think he is really talented or really crazy. You'll know what i mean after you see this......

He chose to sing this song standing up when i saw him perform........

I'm going to go with STRAIGHT TALENTED!! I thought he was amazing. What do you think?

Ben Folds and a Piano

2010-03-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

Before I give you a quick little rundown of this past Saturday, I was wondering if somebody could clarify some Blogger etiquette for me. You see, I am really appreciative of everyone who has been checking my blog and leaving comments, and i was wondering........ what is the best way to respond to comments. As far as i know blogspot isn't quite set up like facebook where you can make comments to peoples comments. Right? Anyway, let me know what the best way is to respond, because i have been reading your comments and i really do appreciate them. Makes me want to be a better Blogger!

So Saturday....... It was about 70 degrees out, sunny, mild to low wind. (I know! my life is so tough right now. Sorry to all those in Idaho and Utah still braving the cold and snow.) My friends Rebecca, and Michael and I loaded into the car and drove down HERE............

Which happens to be Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Its just about an hour and half drive south of where i'm at right now. Wait, wait......... lets look at one more picture.

Sorry I had to rub it in........ While we were in Myrtle Beach we did a little shopping, did a little eating, did a little playing. And then we headed HERE..

The House of Blues, which is best described by there website:

House of Blues Myrtle Beach opened in 1997 and is located along the White Pointe Swash stretch of ocean thought to have been a favorite hiding spot for famous pirates such as Edward "Blackbeard" Teach and Anne Bonney. Home to unique pieces of folk art by Jimmy Lee Sudduth and Ruth Mae McCrane, House of Blues Myrtle Beach was built to resemble a Southern farmhouse with adjoining tobacco warehouse. The music hall is sheathed in authentic tin from an old tobacco barn from Jackson Mississippi. In keeping with tradition, the House of Blues Myrtle Beach displays the "Crazy Quilt" and keeps a metal box of mud from the Delta Mississippi underneath its stage

And we went to the house of blues to see Ben Folds play, and sing of course. But he really is AMAZING on the piano. He was playing so hard on the piano I thought he was going to break the keys right off the piano. It was a great show. It was just Ben Folds and the piano. No back up singers, no other instruments. Just a MAN AND HIS PIANO. Which happened to be the name of the concert.

Mid way into the concert a young man, still in high school. Reached up from the crowd and gave Ben a piece of paper with something written on it. After reading the note, Ben looks up at the crowd an says "Yeah, i can do that". And then he looks out and says "Jason wants to know if Rebecca will go with him to the prom" Talk about the ideal way to ask a girl to a prom. But even better is that Ben went back to the piano and wrote a song right at the piano about a girl named Jason asking Rebecca to the prom. And it was GOOD! There were parts in the song where the crowd would repeat what Ben sang so everyone was involved. It was awesome. Thats really the best word to describe the concert - AWESOME! Here are a few pics we snagged on our cell phones.

The opening act for Ben Folds was a guy names Zach Williams. Ever heard of him. He played the guitar and sang, and was awesome as well. I'll post something on him in the next few days.

Cabinet Art

2010-03-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks for everyone who commented on my last post. I guess this means I'll have to keep up my Blog since some people actually read it.

I've been meaning to create a post on a little craft project i had back in Rexburg, Idaho when i was working in the paint shop for the school. We had these cabinets that lined a couple of the walls and, this being a paint shop, some of the students a few years back each left a little piece of art on each of the door fronts. I have to be honest, there artwork wasn't the greatest. Notice the pictures below......

So my last semester of my school experience at BYU-Idaho i decided to update the cabinets a little. I figured it would be a good way to leave my mark on the paint shop when i left. I painted each cabinet a different paint shop tool we frequently used and on the other wall i did a painting of a gator. Take a look at the after pictures........

Sorry, this is such a late post. but better later then never i guess.

Its Been Awhile.........

2010-03-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

You might be wondering...... Is Jody Zimmer still alive? Did he forget about his blogspot account? Does he have an extremely boring life with nothing to post about? Is he without internet and can't update his blog? All these questions and more i'm sure your wondering about, and the truth is, i'm just plain awful at keeping this blog updated. But since I am many many miles away from the west coast since moving to North Carolina - i should probably keep you all updated on all of life's little happenings. I have to be honest, i'm a little intimidated to create posts cause i feel like they have to be funny, and everything correctly spelled, and formatted just right. Thats normally why i don't feel like posting. But as you can already tell, i haven't capitalized my "i"s. I'm not even quite sure that punctuation thing i did with the plural "i" is correct. So if you want me to post, and i will be better about it, don't expect it to be spellchecked or punctuated. The posts are mostly going to be focussed around pictures of the days events. So i'll start with some AMAZING sunsets on the east coast. I forgot how pretty they are out here. so ENJOY!

Oh........ and another reason i don't care to post sometimes... Is when i don't get any comments on a past post. Then whats the point i figure. So leave some comments and i'll keep this updated. Thanks everyone. Sorry about the lack of posting. I'll try my best to do better!

Its a Nintendo Halloween

2009-11-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween! And thank you Dan and Cat for cleaning out my pumpkin guts. I hate scooping out the insides of a pumpkin, its like playing with throw up. This year I decided to carve a little nintendo action - Mario and Luigi. I had the pumpkins up on Dan and Cat's front steps so all the trick or treaters could see them. We got quite a few compliments, even a few pictures. Even better - we had mario and luigi trick or treat our house. I think they got a kick out of there own personal pumpkins.

No stencils used......

Shimmy and Shake

2009-10-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

Whenever I'm watching my niece and nephews, we occasionally take a trip down to the dollar tree to pick out one toy each or go get some ice cream at McDonalds. It has become a rule that whenever you ride with uncle Jody and the music is bumpin then you better be dancing! During one of these trips I looked back and noticed that Isaac wasn't dancing. I asked him why he wasn't dancing, and in his little italian accent (don't know where the accent came from) he said, "I can't dance, I don't know how to". So we practiced a few moves on our way home. You know the classics - the head bob, the sway, maybe even a little shimmy. Now, he is a dancing machine. There was a dance party on main street during the dance festival this summer. Check out lil' John Travolta now....

If the music is bumpin - you best be dancing...

Not your average outhouse...

2009-10-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

Got to love Google Images..... I came across this modern take on an outhouse and thought it was pretty cool. Not very private, but maybe that helps with ventilation. Overall - awesome design.

Painting at high heights...

2009-10-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

I've been painting at BYU-Idaho for two years now. And as time goes on, my supervisors tend to save me the jobs that involve painting at various heights...

It started off with the stilts. Ok..... so its not very high, but those are tricky to operate.

Next, they had me take my crew onto the top of the library to paint some metal caps. Now were getting a little higher...

Don't worry, we were safe. My boss even came up to check on us to make sure we were alright.

Over the break, they had me operating several different lifts. Those things like to wobble, sway, wiggle, and lean...

When the weather was warm, I stained this ropes course tower. Then I struck up a deal with Outdoor Recreation Center to let us play on the tower for the day after we were done. My arms have never been so sore!

But the most exciting work order my boss has saved for me so far was doing some touch-ups on the ceiling of one of our concert halls.

They harnessed me up and dangled me out of a little hole in the ceiling to touch-up some of the ceiling.

I'm not going to lie, that harness isn't very comfortable...

Still hanging...

I wonder what kind of work order they'll have for me next time...

"Reunited and it feels so good....."

2009-10-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

This past friday I decided to skip my classes and go to a mission reunion. I've been home two years now and still and have never had the chance to go to one. It was great to see old companions, friends, and my mission president and his wife. I never got around to taking any pictures, probably because I was visiting so much I never thought to get my camera out. I think i'm becoming more and more like my parents. I was pretty much the last elder to leave.

Since I didn't get take any pictures while I was there I decided to post some pictures from my mission. Its always fun to take a trip down memory lane......

Late nights and lots of Horkleys...

2009-07-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

The spring semester is finally over. I spent many nights in the lab coloring, working on the computer, coloring, printing, pounding the keyboard of the computer cause my project wouldn't print, more coloring, and so on. One saturday afternoon I went in around 11:30 in the after noon and didn't get home till 6:00 the following morning. Needless to say i haven't had much sleep lately but now that the semester is over i plan on frequent naps to get caught up before my final semester here at BYU-Idaho.

Here are a few pictures of some of the project I have been working on this semester:

An exterior rendering of the rec. center I designed

An interior shot in the lobby area from the second level

Another interior shot from a on the same level from a a different angle

Basketball court with suspended running track. I don't know know where the basketball court lines went. they disappeared on me...

Another shot of the basketball court and running track

Pool area

Pool shot take from observation area

We had to make a short walkthrough of our building for our last day of class. The video involves some inside jokes so it might not be that interesting....

This was another students design for an art gallery. He was a first year student and i was responsible for producing an interior and exterior rendering for his presentation.

Interior of art gallery

This rendering was done all by hand. We were given a set of plans of the Rexburg temple during the middle of the semester and we re to produce a 3D rendering to scale of the temple. This was probably the hardest part of the semester.

It may not look like a lot - but it was enough to keep me busy, VERY BUSY! I was also taking a specification class and statics and strengths class. A little bit of poor planning on my part when it came to scheduling classes for this semester. I think i learned my lesson. Now finally....... I get to sleep!

Wish List

2009-07-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

I like to think of myself of somewhat of a cologne connoisseur. I have a small variety of different colognes for different occasions . And I always seem to have one or two on my wish list. Right now I have three: YSL, GUCCI, and Clinique - Happy.

KEN LEEEEE

2009-07-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not a die-hard American Idol fan. But I will admit (and I think a lot of people would agree with me) that it is extremely entertaining to watch some of the hopeful singers audition for American Idol. As we watch I think we all wonder, "Why hasn't somebody told them they sound like nails on a chalkboard when they sing?" or "Why didn't somebody stop them before they left the house wearing that patent leather jumpsuit and dyed green hair?" or more simply "Do they really think they sing well enough to be the next American Idol?" I know at least one of those thoughts has crossed our minds as we watch singer after singer embarrass themselves on national television in hopes of being launched into world wide fame for there singing ability. And like I said for some reason it is extremely entertaining.

Who could forget William Hung?! "SHE BANG, SHE BANG!" The sad thing is, that his awful performance actually brought him fame and fortune. Maybe not quite as much as any winner of American Idol, but he has starred in movies, appeared on episodes of MTV's celebrity death match, was offered a record deal for 25,000$, released 3 CD's, and even better featured in a documentary titled Hangin' with Hung. Not to bad for your average 15 minutes of fame.

Do you remember this guy? Renaldo Lapuz auditioned for the seventh season of American Idol wearing what appears to be a polar bear cape with matching hat. He may not have had the best voice of the group but his self written song "We're Brothers Forever" was a hit with judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. And why wouldn't it be. The song simply repeated "I am your brother, your best friend forever......" over and over. Needless to say, he wasn't offered a recording deal like Mr. Hung.

How about this guy? Keith Beukelaer recieved the title of "The Worst Singer in the World" from Judge Simon Cowell. I don't know, I think he gave Madonna a run for her money with his version of Like a Virgin and I Want to Dance With Somebody. The audition even included some of Madonna's typical moves: a toss of the hair, a sorry attempt at a body-roll and several winks directed at the audience or in this case, Randy Jackson.

Don't forget about James Lewis! This tour guide from Phillidelphia was encouraged by his coworkers to tryout for the show. Which leads me back to my original question - Why hasn't somebody told them they sound like nails on a chalkboard when they sing? In this case, they encouraged him. WHY? Instead of nails on a chalkboard James sounded more like a tape deck running low on batteries. If i was him I would be planning some office pranks myself to get even. Maybe even put a coworkers stapler in some jello...

And then you get people like this. Slightly funny, but mostly disturbing. I don't know his name. I have no desire to

find out his name. And even if i had the name of this bizarre participant i wouldn't dare enter it into a Wikipedia search like i have with the previous participant to find out what kind of fame and fortune he might have received for wearing a number like this to onto the show. Like Back to another one of my original questions - Who lets somebody leave the house looking like this. Especially when there about to do a perform a fashion show in-front of national television. Do us a favor and mail that outfit back to Princess Leah or Shakira.

Now, this post is getting a little more in depth then I had planned. The reason I started this entry was because of a video clip I saw on YouTube. As you may all know America isn't the only place featuring aspiring singers to become famous billboard topping celebrities. A show titled "Music Idol", the Bulgarian equivalent of American Idol, features the world's next Mariah Carey. Enjoy.......

KEN LEEEEEEE............

YELLOWSTONE

2009-07-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Fourth of July this year. I was lucky enough to have thursday and friday off from school this week and do a little playing. I probably should have spent the time doing homework since there is only two weeks left in this semester and many projects are currently left unfinished. Instead, my buddy Derek came up from Provo and we spent all day Thursday at Yellowstone. It rained off and on but was still well worth the trip. I forget how amazing Yellowstone is. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD!!!

2009-06-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

(I don't really have any pictures of us on my computer, so I did a little editing. Its amazing the things you can do with a MAC. Love you dad)

Happy Fathers Day Dad! I wish I was back in Oregon to celebrate this special day with you. But since I'm not, I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated you with a list of ten reason why I love you and am glad you are my father:

1. You can fix ANYTHING ! And I mean anything. We never had a repair man around the house fixing stuff for us. Cause we already had our own personal repair man - and it was you!

2. You always kept the pool crystal clear and ready for swimming every summer.

3. You never let us start another year, or even a semester without a fathers blessing.

4. You taught me how to load a car and use every square inch of usable space.

5. Your a spiritual giant and have always been an example to me of a worthy priesthood holder.

6. You taught me to always be prepared. We never left anything at home when it came to camping or traveling. We were always ready for anything.

7. Your the best barbecuer in the world and I can always count on having the most delicious burgers when I come home to visit.

8. Your the perfect example of hard work. Even when you've already worked a full day at work, you still have time and energy to come home and play with the family.

9. Your patient with me eve. when I go through my many moods and struggles and still love me despite my imperfections.

10. Your a great listener and I know that I go to you whenever I'm having a hard time or just need to talk.

I love you Dad and I hope you have a wonderful fathers day. Thanks for everything. You really are the WORLDS greatest Dad, and you don't need a cheesy mug with a sticker slapped on it to know that your the greatest.

Ouch!!!

2009-06-10T17:17:00.001-07:00

I don't know why, but this picture always makes me laugh. The expression on her face is priceless.

Enjoying Summer...

2009-06-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Isn't that the cutest boy you've ever seen. This is my nephew Aiden enjoying the swing in our back yard.

2009-06-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Finally we get to use our outrageously expensive colored pencils and markers to do a little bit of coloring in my Rendering and Perspective class. But I have to admit its harder then I remember to color within the lines. I guess I never really mastered that when I was younger. Here's my second chance I guess.....

Ok, So I'm no Bob Ross! But as the semester goes on I'm sure I can make my trees and bushes look just as "happy" as those little trees and bushes bob painted for many years on PBS. Thanks for the inspiration Bob!

"Ronald McDonald, take the night off!"

2009-06-01T22:39:00.001-07:00

Now I know to most this isn't all that impressive. But for those who really know me might find this a little surprising. First of all I have to admit that I'm not like most guys who enjoy going out and shooting Bambi and putting its head on their wall next to the poster of a lifted Chevy with complimentary raccoon tail tied to its antenna. Instead I enjoy a shopping spree to Ikea and weekly rounds to the home decor section in K-mart. My walls are hung with pictures of cafes and diners. And instead of DEAD animal remains surrounding the room I enjoy LIVE plants which I ocassionally give names. So naturally one would think that with this interest in decorating I would also be a fantastic chef in the kitchen. WRONG! Most of my meals are made by Ronald McDonald, or the little redhead named Wendy. I also enjoy an occasional meal prepared by the man with the oversized, perfectly round head named Jack, and I will even go as far as to have a meal prepared by an animal. Thats right, a Chihuahua to be exact (yo quiero taco bell). But tonight I decided to give all those chefs a break and prepare a meal at home. And I have to admit - it wasn't half bad. But i still think the Chihuahua can do it better.

An Evening Out on the Veranda

2009-05-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

Now that warm weather has arrived i've focussed a little more attention on the outside space rather then the inside. Cat and I just planted some flowers in pots yesterday and hopefully they will survive (I get a lot of shade down here). This is my second hammock, I'm still trying to find one that is comfortable and affordable - is that possible (thanks daniel for setting them up and constantly adjusting them). The best apart about this patio is at night when we light lots of candles and bring out all the throw pillows and blankets. Were going to start watching movies out here at night. We've already played some card games and just sat and visited as we enjoyed the outdoors. It reminds me of home and how we used to live outside and mom decorated the patio to make it feel like the backyard was an extension of our living space. Thanks mom for the inspiration. Enjoy your summer everyone and feel free to stop by for a movie night out on the veranda!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIMEE!!!

2009-05-16T21:24:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS! I'm so lucky to have you as a sister. Thanks for always looking out for me, and taking care of me. I know I can always count on you when I just need to talk/vent. Your the best and I love you. Happy Birthday!

Reminds Me of the Younger Years........

2009-05-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my assignments from my Rendering and Perspective class this semester. Its always fun to get back to your roots and break out the colored pencils. Although I have to admit, I'm still trying to figure out how to color within the lines. Oh........ and a side-note, we can't use rulers in this class.

WELCOME SUMMERTIME

2009-05-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

We finally had some decent weather here in Rexburg over the weekend. And when the weather heats up that means its time for yard work, barbeques, bounce house, more yard work, smores, and otter pops. Which is what are weekend consisted of. Were looking forward to a summer full of weekends like these. These pictures explain it all...

Lets start with my favorite picture. The fact that Isaac wears his helmet everywhere adds to the effect of this graphic tee. It really looks like thats Isaac's robotic body. "SAFETY FIRST"

Cat did an excellent job redesigning the front yard. And Aimee and Ila lent a helping hand in the planting phase.

Uncle Jody let me wear his shirts after getting soaked by the unexpected sprinkler test. Thanks dad and uncle Dan.

We played in the bounce house.

Uncle Jody put bandanas on our head. According to Ila they are called hobo-bandanas.

We ate delicious food that was barbecued on the fire pit.

We replanted in the front yard and watered all the plants.

We roasted s'mores and experimented with coconut marshmallows, and reeses peanut butter cups.

We built planter boxes for the soon to be planted garden. Aiden approved

We played with sidewalk chalk.

We gardened - well...... played in the dirt. Pretty much the same thing right?

We helped uncle Daniel mow the lawn.

We ate otter pops and lounged in uncle Jody's sun bathing chair.

...............and many more weekends like this to come.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

2009-05-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Reasons Why I Love My Mom:

1. She's hip! She's up on pop culture and knows how to text.

2. She raised FOUR BOYS! Which I imagine can be quite difficult, but she did an excellent job doing it.

3. She taught me how to be a gentleman and have respect for others.

4. She loves my input on furniture, decor and clothing and always makes me feel needed.

5. She created an environment at home that was always comfortable, fun, and full of love.

6. She always had fresh baked treats waiting for us when we got home from school, and still has them ready when we come back from college.

7. She loves to be outdoors, whether its camping or swimming in the backyard, you made us all appreciate outdoor activities.

8. She has a very strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and loves to serve the Lord.

9. She helps me deal with stress and reminds of the importance of taking time to relax.

10. She loves me and never lets me forget it.

I love you Mom! Hope you have a special Mothers Day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIEL!!!

2009-05-03T14:45:00.001-07:00

Memories of growing up with my big-brother Daniel:

*Remember sitting at opposite sides of the living room and sliding our hot wheels back and forth to each other. We even had nicknames for the cars that we would yell out as we pushed them to the other side of the room. "Here comes Meatloaf!"

*Remember getting into fights in the pool because i thought you were showing off to whosever friends were over at the time and we nearly drowned each other in the pool. (not the greatest memory but it just came to my mind)

*Remember going with mom to pick up all the film at the airport and we used to walk around with each others arms slung over each others shoulder. We looked liked the best of friends until you saw us from behind and noticed that we were pinching each others neck.

*Remember how I was the interior design enthusiast at age 8 and would rearrange the bedroom at least twice a week. I know you hated that - but the room always ended up clean in the end didn't it?

*Remember playing hot lava monster on the bunk beds. We would gather up all the pillows and blankets and pile them on the floor in front of the beds so when we fell off the top we would land on something soft rather then the hardwood floors.

*Remember making forts out of sheets and blankets hung from the walls and bunk-beds in our room.

*Remember taking that extra long sheet and stretching it over the floor vents and cranking up the AC and climbing inside so we could stay cool during the summer.

*Remember walking over to Planet Video renting Mortal Kombat almost every weekend and watching it over and over. We could have saved a lot of money if we just bought it.

*Remember when Pogs were cool, and we would walk to Bruno's Pizza Parlor and play that game where you direct the crane arm to pick up as many Pogs as it could get.

*And remember how cold you like the room to be when you sleep so you would have the fan on high and the window open in the middle of the winter, meanwhile your partially ethiopian brother (ME) sleeping in the bed below you had to sleep with at least 8 blankets and still never stayed warm during the night.

Anyway, I hope you have an awesome birthday big brother. Let me know if you ever get the urge to play with some hot-wheels cause there all down here in the basement. Thanks for all the memories over the years. Happy Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAXON!!!

2009-04-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

Wow! One years old already! I hope you had a Happy Birthday Jaxon. Thanks for letting me come play before heading back to school. I miss you, but i'll come visit soon. I'm saving that one birthday spanking for my next visit, so beware. Love you.

-Uncle Jody

Looking To Save On Gas This Year...

2009-01-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

So I had a day off today. And when I have the day off I like to make my rounds. You know Ross, TJ-Maxx, maybe even the mall. When on my way to TJ-Maxx I was stunned to see what appears to be a car, maybe even a souped up golf-cart, or most likely one of those jazzy scooters with a cool hard-shell enclosure around it. Whatever it was, does it really need an entire parking space. I mean, you should be able to park that thing anywhere. I'd leave it by the front door of a store like the japanese leave there slippers outside the front shoji screen of there house, or however that works. Notice the shopping cart in front of the extremely compact car takes up more space then the car itself. If were still calling this car. This thing is tiny. So I had to pull over and take a picture of this ultra-mini cooper or what ever you want to call it. I guess if your looking to save on gas this year, check into one of these slightly larger then a hot-wheels car.

What's Your Desktop Wallpaper?

2009-01-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been the most diligent in keeping up with my blog, and it was a part of my New Years goal to keep up with everyone else and there blogging, so I better improve. But you know how you realize you need to be better at blogging but realize your life is pretty dull at the moment and can't really think of anything great to blog about. Story of my life. Then I decided anything is better than nothing. so these next few postings might be kind of random, and not very interesting, but who cares right. At least I'm blogging. So this posting is simply "What's Your Desktop Wallpaper". Maybe I'll keep this as a monthly deal since i change my background regularly. Currnently my wallpaper is this:

I'm sure most of you know I'm studying architecture in school, and pictures like these are my absolute favorite. Last week my wallpaper was the image below with the pool extending beyond the wall of the building. How would you like to go swimming in that. Its honestly my dream to one day own a fixer-upper loft in a somewhat big city (not to big), and renovate it into a hip livable place. One can dream right?

So what's your desktop wallpaper?

What's in Jody's Cell Phone???

2009-01-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

How many of you enjoy the pictures in a book or magazine? I have to admit that when I select a book to read, I go for the one with the most pictures. And chances are I won't even read the book, i'll just look at the pictures. Same goes with magazines, newspapers, and even blogs. Yes, i'm sorry but I have to admit that even sometimes when i'm checking out everyones blog, I tend to skip the literature and go straight for the pictures.

So for this posting I had decided to create a posting of nothing but pictures. And there all coming from my cell phone. Its about that time, the memory in the ol' cell phone is starting to fill up and its time to delete some of those pictures. But before I get rid of the collective array of photos, I had decided to share some of them with you all. So in no particular order here they are:

Lets start this posting of pictures off with my favorite and most cherished picture taken with my cell phone, the mullet shot. I couldn't resist getting a picture of this young, little hispanic boy playing with some second hand toy at the local D.I., I mean look at the that mullet. Perfectly feathered on top with a nice wave structure all the way down to the end. That is the best looking mullet I have ever seen, so I had to get a picture. That was an awkward experience trying to capture that scene on my cell phone in the middle of D.I.

Since I have this winter semester off, and work doesn't start for another week, this has been the common position for me over the past few weeks. Legs elevated, remote resting on stomach for easy access, and TV on. A.K.A. the couch potato position.

My brother and his wife have chosen the "nose on the wall" method for those times that their children are acting up. Aiden who is only a year old, recently experienced his first nose on the wall.

These were the road conditions 85% of the way home from Rexburg to Medford.

Christmas in Rexburg. That was my Christmas tree for a short period of time before moving back home. Not your traditional tree. The star was a prop i made for Jason and Aimee's ward christmas party.

There were some amazing sunsets in Rexburg right before the winter break, which made fro great photo opportunities in front of the Rexburg temple.

Christmas in the Zimmer home. You can tell the Zimmer family is growing, check out all those stockings on the mantle. All made by nana herself.

Has anyone ever been to Brookings before? They have that old museum inside a boat called Ship Ashore. Anyway, I was single, and there was a good looking indian woman outside just standing be herself. so we decided to get our pictures taken with each other.

My nephew Isaac was spiderman for halloween. I took them all out trick or treating, that was quite an experience (another blog posting for another time)

This was my pumpkin this year. It was a haunted house, can you tell? And for some odd reason grocery stores decided to start selling egg nog in october this year. notice the witch on the carton. I guess that makes it ok to see a christmas drink during the halloween holiday.

I love this picture. Jeff could find anything entertaining in whatever store you take him to. Such as the big and tall store. Never a dull moment with Jeff around.

The first picture is a typical scene you would find when you step out your front door in the middle of winter in Rexburg, Idaho. The second picture is what you would see in the middle of winter in Oregon. I like option 2 a lot more.

Its always fun to get picture texts from your buddies. These are a couple of my friends from Medford Derek and David.

This is me at work. I paint for the school at BYU-Idaho. I guess they were concerned about possible asbestos. Ok not really, there was just a lot of dust. I was sanding.

Ok, so majority of my pictures are of my niece and nephews. But how could I resist, just look how cute they are.

These are my sweet rides at work back in Rexburg. The one without a top can be pretty chilly in the winter, but a blast to drive on the snow.

My buddy Derek and I were feeling rather ritzy and had dinner up at Beasleys by the river in Ashland on new years eve. I felt especially ritzy sporting the cabby hat.

This is my nephew Aiden, and that boy will sleep anywhere. As you can tell.

Here are a couple of Autocad projects i had this semester. The first was house was a basic 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house. The second plan was a beach house I picked out.

As you can tell it was about time to delete some photos from the cell phone. Now I have plenty of room to capture some more memories from the new year - 2009. So HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY. And we'll do this again at the end of the year, or at least until I run out of memory on my phone again.

The New J-Lounge

2009-01-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

I recently moved home in December and am still adjusting to only having one bedroom to myself. This past year I was living below my brother and sister-in-law in a basement apartment in Rexburg, Idaho. It was great! I had three bedrooms, one bathroom, a full kitchen, a little patio, and a huge living room with a fireplace. Since I moved home I downsized to simply one bedroom. Its been a hard adjustment, but maybe it will help me save some money and stop buying furniture. I mean how much furniture does a 22 year old single male need. It was getting kind of ridiculous. But on the the other hand, I'm basically move in ready, and available. So if anyone is looking to get hitched, I already got the furniture. The offers on the table (i've got one of those too).

Anyway, if I was going to be moving home for the next four months, I decided that I was going to personalize the space and make it feel a little bit like the basement (also known as the J-lounge) that I had left behind. Here are a few pictures of the new and improved bedroom back below the parents roof.

I was going for the hotel feel, lots of whites and big comfy pillows. The only thing missing is a few mints for the pillows

As for the closet, can you tell that I've worked way to many years in retail.

Card Games and Candy Canes

2009-01-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

It was fun to sit around the table during Christmas and play some card games and sip hot chocolate. And a cup of hot chocolate just wouldn't be complete with whip cream and chocolate sprinkles. We even picked up some candy cane sippers from Harry and Davids. All in all i like to think I make a mean cup of hot cocoa.

I think Jeff and Aimie approve

My Buddy Isaac

2009-01-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

This picture says it all. My little nephew Isaac is hilarious. Let me share with you a little story that gives me a good chuckle every once in awhile. The setting is Walmart, and as a family we were given the task by Nana and Poopa to split into teams and find school supplies that would eventually be loaded into a backpack and donated to local schools for the new school year. We were all pretty excited, this is an activity similar to one that we do every christmas for a local family in the area. So I think the grandkids were somewhat familiar with this exercise. So no need for any other explanation we split into teams and began to shop for colored pencils, crayons, scissors and the usual array of school supplies. My team simply consisted of Isaac and I. Isaac insisted on holding the list and would pretend to read off supplies to me as i would pull them from the shelves. He was pretty good at making up supplies, at least he kept to the school theme. I would ask him what was next on the list, secretly peeking over his shoulder to see what was next, and soon we had a shopping cart full of scissors, pencils and more. Everyone else in the family was wrapping up there list and just for fun I ask Isaac if anything else was left on the list, already knowing the list was complete. Isaac stops in the middle of the isle and focus' on his list and then says.............................. A SLIP N' SLIDE! The entire shopping trip he had been reading (pretending to read, a.k.a. - making up) school supplies but he still thought he could stump me with a shot at getting a slip n' slide. If I had made that list myself then a slip n' slide might have been the last object to place in the backpack. But Nana had created that list and so I knew Isaac was just pulling my leg. What a funny kid.

New Auditorium

2009-01-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

At the very end of the semester I had the opportunity to take a tour of the new auditorium and MC addition on the campus of BYU-Idaho. I didn't take any picture while on tour of the new facilities but I was able to get a few renderings of the buildings once completed. Hope you enjoy.

Section-cut of the new auditorium

Exterior view of new auditorium

Exterior view of Manwaring Center addition. Notice the sky-walk connecting the second story of the MC to the third story of the library.

IT'S DONE!!!

2008-07-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

Alright i really don't have time to create an amazing blog entry. Its about 2 o'clock in the morning and I still have ot present this project in about 6 hours, so i better get some sleep so i can be on my "A" game. But for now i'll just post some pictures. lets be honest, i know that all you want to see. I mean, who really even reads the postings. I go straight for the pictures. Same with People magazine, its all the same, and its all about the pictures. SO ENJOY!

Main level and second level floor plans

600 seat auditorium and main entrance/lobby

Indoor play area and preschool labs, and basically the rest of the building

Full size baskeball court. More labs and conference rooms

Formal patio and kitchen. Second floor lecture halls.

"Is that a new haircut or did your ears get lowered?"

2008-06-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

Before shots of all the shaggy kids.

"Is that a new haircut or did your ears lowered?" An old family friend, Clayton Newberry, used to ask me that question everytime after i got a haircut from dad. It took me awhile before i knew what he was actually asking me. This weekend all the kids (i'm going to include myself in this group) got our ears lowered.

Ila and I made an entire day out of it, coomplete with icecream and shopping. Let me give you a play by play account of the day becasue it was pretty comical when you spend it with a four year old girl.

First we got before photos of what are hair looked like before we were to get our haircut (as seen above). Isaac didn't go with us, but he insisted in being in our picture. next we loaded up into the exploder and drove down to a local salon where we had appointments with Sheryl and Candice. Yes, Ila has her own hairdresser, her name is Candice and Ila just thinks her name is "sooooooooo pretty."

On our way over i told Ila that she was going to have to sit very still as she got her haircut. We even practiced in the exploder before we went in. She said she would sit still. And sure enough once we got into the salon and sat on our chairs she never moved an inch. I would ask her a question and she wouldn't even look over to answer me, She wouldn't even speak, casue that would mean her face would move. Finally Candice turnded her seat towards me so we could talk to each other while we got our ears lowered. Eventually Ila became more comfortable, maybe a little tot comfortable. Towards the end of her haircut she was getting pretty bored and would lean forward and rest her head in her elbows against her knees. Finally the haircuts were finished and Ila couldn't stop whipping her head around and strutting up and down the salon to show off her new summer cut.

As i promised after our haircuts we went to McDonalds for a hot fudge sunday followed by some shopping at Wal-Mart and K-Mart (the only two stores in Rexburg who carries kids clothing). Before heading home to show Jason and Aimee we had to stop off at Dan and Cat's to once again let ila toss her head around and strutt around to show off the new style. Ila kept saying throughout the day' "check out my barb." I had to constantly remind her that her haircut was a "bob" not a barb.

So at the end of the day our ears had been lowered and we never looked so good. Our after pictures our below. We'll let you be the judge.

However Ila and I weren't the only ones to recieves a new summer cut this weekend. Isaac said goodbye to his mohawk and hello to a short buzzcut. It looks really good. And Aiden got his first haircut ever, Not quite a buzzcut like his older brother but short enough to keep cool in the summer and long enough to comb it with a part and impress all those relief society women at church. He is a handsome little guy. And I've got pictures to prove it.

"Dairy Queen"

2008-03-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

from left to right: Aiden Zimmer, Jessica Oliver, Isaac Zimmer, Ila Zimmer, Jody Zimmer, and Sarah Oliver

I know its a little late to be making Valentines day posting but this one is worth mentioning. Isaac (my 2 and a half year old nephew) and I went on a double date with some lovely ladies. My date stood at roughly 2 feet 11 inches, just celebrated her fourth birthday, and most likely wore a top from the Mary-Kate and Ashley line. Her name is Ila Nicole Zimmer, and the one that is sitting in my lap in the picture above.

Isaac's date is about ready to graduate from college with a degree in construction management, likes to dance the night away, and is 20 years older than him (he likes the older women). her name is Jessica Oliver and has been a good friend of mine since my freshman year here at BYU-I. But here comes the real kicker. But it gets better, cause Isaac actually had two dates for the evening. Jessica's sister Sarah was also charmed by the two year old, mac and cheese lover who has a bit of an Italian accent, Isaac Joseph Zimmer.

After meeting the parents and discussing appropriate curfew times we loaded into Jessica's car and went out for ice cream. As we were driving down the icy Rexburg roads, I was discussing with ONE OF Isaac's dates as to which fine establishment would be best to enjoy some frozen dairy, when from the backseat came a request for................................Dairy Queen. That request came from my date for the evening, miss Ila Nicole Zimmer. I was thinking more like Mcdonalds or Wendys, but i was not about to let my date down, and i do love a woman who knows what she wants. So Dairy Queen it was.

The evening was wonderful we all squished into a booth at Dairy Queen and enjoyed a scrumptious ice cream cone while romantic music from artists like T-pain, Kelly Clarkson, and Taylor swift played in the background. I couldn't ask for a better Valentines date.

It's a Jungle in the Basement

2008-02-24T20:54:00.000-08:00

You can call me Tarzan, cause this basement is beginning to look more and more like a jungle. You can thank Catherine for that. She has gotten me hooked on plant life since she is a horticulture major. Now, everytime I go to Walmart I can't help but find myself pulling plants off the shelves and setting them on the ground and examining them from all different angles. What's even worse is that once I get them home I give them a name. Its kind of like having room mates only you don't have to get after them to wash there dishes, or find out who finished your bag of Marshmallow Mateys. So all in all there pretty good room mates. I think next step will be a fish. I'll blog it when it happens. And your right, i need to get out and socialize more often. If your curious, here are there names:

This first ones name is "Linus". Don't ask me why. it really has nothing to do with the type of species of plant it is or anything (which is normally how I come up with there names). But to be honest, I think our inspiration for this name came after watching Oceans 13. I think Matt Damon's character's name is Linus. Anyway, this is a jade plant and supposedly really hard to kill. That's my kind of plant.

This next plant was purchased at the plant shop up on campus, which Cat worked at during the fall semester. This is a money tree. So naturally his name is "Cash-Money". He almost didn't make it over the christmas break. When we came back in January his leaves were all yellow and falling off. But i nursed him back to health and now he is healthy and has tons of new growth. I was pretty lucky with this one. I wish i could say i've never killed a plant yet. But i wasn't so lucky with my first plant. It was a present from Catherine, a love fern.

On the bright side, I just recently got a new love fern. Its an asparagus fern. And her name is "Fran Fern-inand". You can also call her Franny or even just Fran for short. She sits above the bathroom sink and enjoys the warm steam from a mornings shower. Catherine and Daniel HAD an asparagus fern also, but i'm not the only one whose killed a plant before. There fern died over the christmas break. Its good to know that even a horticulture major sometimes kills a houseplant or two. But thanks to Walmart they got another one for just a couple of bucks. Catherine swears we keep the plant section of Walmart in business. I'm beginning to think we really do.

To be honest with you I can't remember what type of plant this is. I could run upstairs and ask Catherine, but I'm just to lazy to do that so I'll just let you know what her name is. Like Linus this plant is named after a famous person, the one and only Amanda Bynes. Have you watched "She's the Man". If not, you should, its hilarious. So in memory of the great Amanda Bynes I named this plant after her. The plant sits on my bed side table (ok, its a tv tray table but I'm using it as a bed side table). Anyway, every morning I have the privilege of waking up next to Amanda Bynes. I bet you wish you were so lucky. Ok, your right, its only a plant. But a pretty cool plant at that.

And this last plant is called a snake plant. Now when I think of snakes I think of..................... Slytherin, off of Harry Potter. And when I think of Slytherin I think of....................... Draco Malfoy. So we call this one Draco. Pretty fitting i think. its my biggest plant, but one day I plan to go bigger. Maybe a nice palm or crotan.

Well that's all of them: Linus, Cash-Money, Fran Fern-inand, Amanda, and Draco. I know its against the honor code to be living with girls, but there only plants, so I think I'm safe. I bet your beginning to think I'm losing my mind down here in this basement. But i'm only naming the plants. Its one thing to name a plant, but its another to talk to one and...................... i do both. So I guess that makes me crazy. sounds like its time to get out and talk to some REAL people.

Until next post - Sincerely,
Tarzan

Ringing in the New Year with a Little Bit of Bubbly

2008-02-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

Well its goodbye 2007 and hello 2008. We decided to have a pretty low key new years celebration at the Zimmer home. Low key until we cracked the bottles of Marteneli's sparkling cider open. We had three flavors to choose from. I think the best was the original. We even finally got to put those wine glasses to use. I think this picture proves how classy we Zimmers can be. Happy New Year everyone!

Rexburg Temple

2007-11-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

Alright my very first posting. And I promise its a good one. Daniel and I were offered the task of cleaning up the grounds outside the temple. In return we would get the oppurtunity to have our own little private tour of the inside of the temple. We didn't want to tour this big temple on our own so we gave Catherine a call and had her join us at the temple.

Catherine and I wiping down the fence on the temple grounds

We wiped down the entire fence with a water and vinegar mix, moved extremely heavy benches (of course not on my own, there were six of us and i'm sure i hardly contributed to the move) and we picked up trash and took tags of trees which we later found out were supposed to stay on the tree. Ooops, God will forgive, but i don't think that supervisor will. After all the hard work we finally got to take the tour. Which lasted 2 hours and covered every floor and almost every room of the temple. It was amazing. All the wood was brought in from Africa and alot of the stone is from Jerusalem. The Rexburg temple also features the Church's largest ceiling room along with four additional sealing rooms. Of course we have to have five sealing rooms, were in Rexburg where every wedding takes place after a two week engagement or your kitchen aid is free.

Rexburg Temple

But all joking aside, the Rexburg Temple is amazing and a blessing to have so close. I'm allready signed up to put booties on visitors feet for the open house. Good thing i got some practice in during the medford temple dedication. Consider me a bootie man! (mom, I mean in the sense that I put booties on peoples feet and thats it!)