Random Thoughts

I posted this 25 random things on Facebook today and thought I'd share here too...!

1. I'm writing this because I can no longer stave off all the requests.
2. When I was born, I was 25 inches long...that's more than 2 feet. Think about it...
3. I used to weigh 100 lbs more than I do right now.
4. I love boats but hate the ocean.
5. I'm a sucker for rhinestones and french poetry.
6. I have 6 brothers and 1 sister. and she's the baby.
7. At last count, I have 17 chest hairs...yet my face is covered. How does that happen?
8. Golf is my favorite hobby. I could golf all day and all night if they'd let me.
9. One day I will be on SportsCenter. Probably not as an athlete but in some other capacity...Yes, definitely!
10. I eat a lot of peanut butter. Sandwiches, shakes, dip for my gala apples.
11. Not only can I name the starting lineup for every NBA team, but I am confident that I can name at least 10 players on each team. Strictly from memory.
12. I have never been stumped when it comes to "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon."
13. I have the same phone that I did over 2 years ago. and NO it doesn't have a touch screen. Know what? I'm ok with it.
14. I went through a stretch in my life when all I listened to was Jay-Z. "Never been a playa this good for this long, this hood, or this pop, this hot or this strong" I can pretty much spit with the best of 'em.
15. My favorite Friends episode was that one with Brad Pitt. So funny.
16. When I go to a restaurant, I always order water. Not b/c I'm cheap but b/c I haven't had a soda going on 5 years. Can't let the streak end.
17. I love hustling on the basketball court. Make the people think I'm just another tall, uncoordinated schmo and then do my thing. :)
18. Not only have I interviewed Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan but Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, Carmello Anthony and Kobe Bryant.
19. I enjoy arguing/debating for sport. Not the mean kind when people get their feelings hurt but the "friendly" kind. :)
20. I've never been out of the United States. Spain and Italy top the list.
21. I have several "metro" attributes that include: dressing nicely, cooking and interior design.
22. The first time I met my lovely wife, she was sitting on a park bench outside the Huntsman Center.
23. Pizza is my weakness. There's only been one time, on record, when I was offered pizza and refused. I was then ridiculed and called "unmanly" I then had a slice.
24. I will never go skydiving. ever. not my thing and I have no desire.
25. The smell of fresh cut grass is my favorite.

There ya have it! You know me so much better now huh?

Sportin' some thoughts

It's been a minute since I've weighed in on the happenings of the sporting world. There has been a flurry of interesting topics recently and I thought I should give you my take...

This past summer, one man stole the heart of America. He had us all glued to our television sets ( I like to use old school terms like: television sets but that's neither here nor there) and made the Olympics relevant again. He achieved the daunting and nearly impossible task of winning 8 gold medals in a single games. Some of his races were so exciting that I literally jumped and screamed on more than one occasion...fingertips people! He had some calling him, "the greatest athlete of all time." We all loved him. If you say that you didn't...I don't believe you. Michael Phelps etched his name in sports history but after an unfortunate incident, people are quickly forgetting. The following photo was taken of our hero a few weeks ago...
When I first heard about this, I thought..."that sucks" but it didn't really change my opinion of the man. First of all, everyone makes mistakes...it's true...we do. And the guy is 24 years old and was just doing what any "regular" kid would do. Now, I'm not condoning his actions or saying that smoking anything is good, because it's not. but Phelps is getting a completely raw deal. A number of his sponsorship deals have been pulled and people are throwing him to the wolves. We have forgiven athletes for far worse offenses than this. Ray Lewis was accused of murder, Jason Kidd beat his wife, more players than I can count have been arrested for DUI's and cocaine seems to flow like sugar in professional sports. The point is...give the kid a break.

I love the NBA! Basketball is my sport, always has been, always will be. We are currently in a time with some absolutely amazing teams & players! The league is more competitive now than it has been, maybe ever. There has been a recent debate about who is the best player, currently in the league. Of course, 2 names come to everybody's mind....Kobe & LeBron.
Both players have legitimate arguments and you can't go wrong with either. Kobe is considered the ultimate offense player with a repertoire unlike any other. He can take you off the dribble, post-up, step back and nail the 3 and the statement that most people make is: "would you want anybody else taking a game winning shot?" LeBron is quickly becoming the most unstoppable force the game has ever seen. Most people don't realize that he is the size of Karl Malone with the quickness and finesse of Michael Jordan. His jump shot is getting better and better every game and his passing ability is unmatched. I dare say that LeBron is the best passer in the game, all point guards included. This past week, both players made visits to New York City and Madison Square Garden, the "mecca" of basketball. Kobe put up 61 points, 3 assists and 0 rebounds. An amazing offensive explosion and the most points ever scored in the garden. Two days later, LeBron visited NYC and dropped 52 points, dished out 11 assists and had 9 rebounds. It's safe to say that both players are special and will be considered top 5 talents when it's all said and done. If I had my choice....LeBron.

Speaking of basketball...you all know that I am the biggest Jazz fan in the entire world. I love them and have watched 95% of their games over the past 15 years. This was supposed to be our year to make some noise in the playoffs. Then injury caught up with us. D-Will started it all by spraining his ankle in the preseason and the team seemed to be cursed from there. Since, we have missed more than 150 man-games due to injury and haven't had our starting lineup or entire team healthy for a single game. I'm not gonna lie...it's very frustrating. We have so much talent and nobody out there knows it. BUT, there is still hope. We are still in the hunt for a playoff spot and as of right now, Boozer and Kirilenko should be back soon. IF we can be completely healthy come playoff time...watch out.

Question. Why is it that each and every time I hear about baseball, it's about steroids? This is coming from a person that watches a lot of ESPN. This sport is doomed. It seems as if every player, at some point, juiced themselves. I know that's not true but "reports" always seem to pop up about somebody else doping. Mark McGuire, the "savior" of baseball in the late 90's, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi and now...Alex Rodriguez. Apparently, he tested positive back in 2003 when he was still with the Texas Rangers. Another question. Why are we just hearing about this now?! Whoever had this knowledge decided to hang on to it for the past 6 years?
It looks like baseball will never get away from steroids. It's a shame too because it's a great sport with an amazing history. But now, the history books will have asterisks (*) all over it from here on out. Maybe they should just make steroids legal so nobody else will have an "advantage" and frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it. What I've been saying all along really is getting truer and truer, Ken Griffey Jr. is the best player in baseball history...

Til next time...

I Got the Hottest Chick in the Game, Wearin' My Chain

This post happens to be a few days early but I don't care!

My lovely wife will be celebrating her 23rd birthday, this Sunday February 8th!

Here's a little compilation as to why I love this lady...

I know our devoted readership is dying to read a post from Manda Bear. I always catch her saying things like..."I'm gonna blog about that!" I'll come back with, "I think our readers need to hear from you..." then she'll say something like, "I don't know if I can handle readers..." What do you guys think??

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVEY!

College

I am close to receiving that piece of paper. (Close is a term that I like to use that means: 1 year left).

The piece of paper, that declares to all the world that I have reached a certain "degree" in life.

Here's a short compilation of things I have "learned" while being a college student...
*Philosophy classes are not like normal classes. I am currently taking a "Philosophy of Law" class and my professor gave a 60-minute lecture on how laws are just like ducks. That's right...ducks.

*Bob Dylan & Bono are constantly fighting each other for the "greatest of all time" label.

*In reference to politics, anything conservative is bad.

*The term "I'm the cat's pajama's" is considered a good thing. It loosely means...I'm awesome.
*Even though the title sounds very fun, promising and rewarding...Anthropology is none of the above.

*In order to do well in college, there is one absolute rule to live by: Go to class.

*The world is filled with many useless terms. For example: a man that is athletic, strong, "manly" as well as sensitive to the feelings of others, is not called "well-rounded." He is called "Androgynous." (an-draw-ja-nus)

*Henry David Thoreau was pretty much a crazy guy. But he may have been on to something with his whole "nature" thing.

*According to a diversity instructor, with my last name of Sanchez, I can officially call myself: Latino, Hispanic, Chicano or Spanish. Diversity? I think so.

*Black & White dramatic movies are supposed to be called, "Film Noirs."

*Whilst acting, it is ok and widely accepted if you face the audience during your performance.

*The Mitochondria is, in fact, the "Powerhouse of the cell."

*Aristotle was the absolute smartest person to ever walk the earth. Seriously, the man lived thousands of years ago. Yet, we are still learning his teachings. Here's one that I really like: Every human has a plant, animal and human soul. The plant deals with basic survival. Our animal soul controls our desires and animalistic instincts and our human soul is where we get our logic and decision making abilities. Smart guy.

*Commas, are sorely over-used, yet, they are very necessary for grammar, including news writing.

*Before a job interview, it's smart to practice what the interviewer might ask.

*The Eye is one of the most complex parts of the human body. However, we still use elementary terms like "rods" & "cones" to describe it.

*The Quest for Perfection really does look better in RED!
*Barrack Obama is going to save the world.

*The correct technique of a basketball jump-shot is to bend the knees, "spring" up and then release.

*Protein & Fiber are the most under-rated parts of any diet.

*If you take a group of 15 random strangers, there is a 100% chance that 2 of them will share the same birthday.

*Undergrad degrees are no longer valuable...now you must get a graduate degree to be truly successful.

*Though un-paid internships can be frustrating (no money) they are very rewarding and perhaps the key to success.

*Arguing/debating in class is all about sounding like you know what you're talking about. Actually knowing isn't important.

*Female professors are much more difficult than Male professors, no matter how much you smile at them.

*Though Internet classes seem cool, they are not and it's scary how easy it is not do any of the work.

*Making friends with your professor, will indeed help your grade.

*Christopher Columbus didn't really discover anything.

*John Hancock is really only famous because he signed his name rather largely.

*When reporting the news, it is entirely inappropriate to insert your personal opinion. (very hard for me not to do).

*They really do screw you with the cost of textbooks. and in most cases, you don't even need the $100 book.

*The longer the beard = the smarter the professor.

*Psychology is very frustrating...they don't have a single fact in the entire field of study!

*It's wise to take a class with your sister-in-law because being the very awesome person that she is, she will always give you her notes. (Kristin that B+ belongs to you!)

*Sitting in the front row is the best thing. I don't know what I was thinking in high school.
College really is a fun time and gives me many fun memories. This list could probably go on for a long time but I realize that your time is important, so I will end it here. Fill free to add to my list!

Cheers to another fun-filled year! I can see the light!

Wanna Watch Some Lost...?

This is an attempt to Inform & Persuade

I love Lost!

In honor of Season 5 starting tonight, January 21, 2009, I reminisce...

Back when I was living with the wonderful Jeff, Kristin and Mr. Goo, Jeff would always try and get me to watch Lost. He said things like, "You don't know what you're missing!" "It's unbelievable!" and "What the heck is wrong with you?!" I would shrug off his statements and say, "I'm too far behind to watch it...I'd be lost myself!" At this time, it was the middle of season 3 and I just didn't think I had the will to catch myself up on several seasons of a TV show.
Wednesday nights came and went and I continued the ludicrous act of not watching, even though I could see the obvious joy it brought to my brother's face. Then...I decided to give it a go. Little did I know that I would be engaging on an adventure that would change the course of time! The episode was "Tricia Tanaka is Dead." Not a particularly amazing episode but it was the one that got me hooked.

Up to this point in my life, I had only truly dedicated myself to a handful of TV shows. They included: Seinfeld, Friends, Home Improvement, Boy Meets World, CSI and ER. That's it. Anything else that I may have watched was simply a coincidence and nothing more. As you can see by my list of shows, it needed to be upgraded.


After a few weeks of consistent watching...I decided it was time to take the plunge and get the first 2 seasons. It timed out perfectly because Jeff and Kristin had vacated their lovely home for a few days as they traveled to San Francisco. I had the house to myself and had no intentions of leaving 'til I was up to speed on all things Lost! I visited my local Hollywood Video and successfully rented 12 DVD's. I then proceeded to watch approx. 48 hrs of Lost over the next week.

I guess this came at a perfect time in my life when I was a bum that lived with my brother and I had no job, no prospects and nothing to do. Looking back at that extraordinary week in my life: the late nights, many many calories, nightmares of the LOST coming through my TV and attacking me, a beautiful beard that had appeared due to my lack of grooming and no longer being afraid of a plane crash...it was all worth it!

For those that have never seen the show, what are you waiting for? but here's a brief synopsis of the story....Plane full of "strangers" crashes on an island. The pilot said he lost power and the plane was 1,000 miles off course...well...just watch this season 1 trailer...


Without saying too much, Lost really does have it all! Take a gander at this list...

Adventure, Mystery, Comedy, "Others", Polar Bears, Love, Flashbacks, Flashforwards, YOU ALL EVERYBODY!, Islands, The Dharma Initiative, many renditions of the song, "downtown", fighting, revenge, suspense, Desmond, thinking to yourself "what the crap is going on??!!", survivin', Sawyer's nickname's, Love triangles, strange french women...the list goes on and on!

What makes Lost so great is the characters and how they learn to live together. Here's a couple clips of some great TV...



It's now been a couple of years since I became a Losty and since that time I've successfully helped 8 people find their love of lost. If you've never watched it, it's not too late. I'm not gonna lie, it'll take some work on your part but it's worth it!

I'm excited for tonight and I know I'm not the only one! My good friend Deron Williams even told us, at KFAN, how excited he is for the premiere tonight! Happy Watching!

Have you ever heard of...The Dead Sea??

This past Thursday, I was in between school and my job at the radio station. I had some time to kill and thought..."hmm...why don't I go to the mall and spend that gift card?!" My wonderful sister-in-law, Adrienne, gave me a gift card for Christmas and I wanted to make her proud by spending it.

Fashion Place was good and I did some very efficient shopping. On my way out, I was minding my own business and taking place in some first class people watching. Then...I hear a voice come from somewhere..."Excuse me sir?" I looked down and there was this very nice lady, who couldn't have been taller than 4'10". "Have you ever heard of the Dead Sea?!" she asked. I didn't know what was going on. I nodded, and uttered..."yyyeah." I think I answered because I have this need to be nice to everyone and I'm not gonna lie, I was a little frightened of my new friend. She said, "follow me" as she started walking away and motioned with her index finger. Then it hit me, she's gonna try and sell me something. I, of course, didn't want anything to do with the Dead Sea munchkin or whatever she was selling, but for no reason...I followed her.

She commanded me to show her my hands. I didn't want her to cast a spell on me, so I rolled up my sleeves and showed her my hands. She immediately started spraying them down with water and now I was stuck to hear her spiel. Once my hands were wet, she slapped on some salty concoction and told me to start rubbing my hands. "The Dead Sea is near Israel and I from Israel. The Dead Sea is special, very special. This soap is directly from inside the Dead Sea and has no added chemicals or anything else of the like. It is very special and everyone should be using it." My mind was racing, "how can I get out of this?" I thought. "Are you married?" she asked. As I nodded, I thought, "you idiot! now she can tell you your wife needs this crap!" Next, she proceeded to slather my hands with "boddy budder" and told me to take a giant "whif" of it. It may have been the worst smelling "budder" ever created. "This budder, is also straight from the Dead Sea! and is very special. Both of these usually cost $99.99 but I can give them to you today for $49.99, today only." I smiled and almost starting laughing. "Follow me" as she motioned to her cash register...


Upon some research, this is actual Dead Sea Mud. I'm sorry, this photo is not too attractive but I think it tells quite a story!

"I've gotta stop you right there. I have no intention of buying this." "But why?! It is very special and can be used on more than your hands" she responded. "Be that as it may, I don't think I would ever use it" I said. "You might not, but your wife would love it! It's no joke, this is very special!" She was starting to play with my emotions and started to look sad. I knew that I couldn't let this tactic get to me. "I appreciate your performance and what you are trying to do, but I need to go." She gave me a very cold look and said, "you may leave."

I escaped and left the mall. I knew I needed to share this story with any and everyone. If I can say "no" so can you!

Tis the Season!

~This really is the best time of year. Although, I hate the cold weather and snow, I love Christmas time. It's fun to get together with family, reminisce on the old days and share fun stories. Traditions galore fill the air: Christmas Vacation, snow angels, hot cocoa, chex-mix(mmmm), snuggling up under a warm blanket, snow ball fights, staying up late, going to movies, fighting off the crowds at the mall, holiday pick-up basketball...and much much more.
This is also the time of year for watching fun holiday movies. Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, The Family Man. I got to thinkin...Home Alone 2 really gets the shaft. Nobody remembers this holiday treat and I think it's even better than the original. Nod if you agree....here's a fun clip from the movie..."little moe with the gimpy leg!"


MANDA & I WISH ALL OF YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

~This has been a crazy and fun NFL season. It's been filled with injuries, surprises and disappointments. Who would have thought the Miami Dolphins would be at 9-5 when the same team went 1-15 last year. Also, the Atlanta Falcons have bounced back from the Michael Vick dragging them down. Tom Brady's injury shook up everything but the Patriots are still sitting atop their division. In short...FOOTBALL IS GREAT! We're coming down to the home stretch and I thought now is a great time to make my predictions. As you know, I'm big on predictions and like to put them out there before the rest of the world does. (Phillies!)

Parody is the name of the game and it is tough to pick winners in the NFL but I feel the Carolina Panthers will beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. They both have excellent defenses but Carolina is clicking on all cylinders, at the right time. I just don't think they are going to lose. Take it to Vegas now!

~Colin Cowherd, of ESPN Radio, had the following to say about what's a sure thing to make a woman look good. I thought it was funny..."I love a woman in a cowboy hat. Every woman out there if you're wondering..'do I look good?' Go buy a cowboy hat! I guarantee you will turn heads. There's nothing better. Honestly. Nothing."

~Alec Greven is a 4th grader from Colorado and he has written an ingenious book, "how to talk to girls." I first saw him on the Today Show and his stuff is brilliant! It's basically a book filled with "what and what not to do" advice. Here's a sample: Comb your hair and don't wear sweat pants when you talk to a girl. Act smart and they'll like you. Really pretty girls are like cars that need a lot of oil...just stay away. Needless to say, his stuff is hilarious! If you haven't heard about him or his book then check out this video.

~One of my most favorite hobbies is going to the gym and exercising. I've been accused of having a disorder for the amount of time I work out. Although I spend a lot of time there, I assure you...It's a healthy hobby. Anyway...being at the gym allows many opportunities for some great people watching. I have many funny stories I could share but I want to focus on just a few...

The other day I was jogging on the treadmill and a very nice lady was about to get on the machine right next to me. I thought it was odd because she started the treadmill before she got on and stretched for a minute. After her stretch session, she stood on the platforms while the belt ran underneath her....I thought to myself..."what the?" She then hopped on and fell face first to the floor! I suppose the speed exceeded her ability and I'm sure she was pretty embarrassed. I remember my natural instinct was to reach down and try and catch her. I stopped her treadmill and she looked up at me with a look that can only be classified as..."do you think anyone saw that?"

I had just finished up a work out and was gathering my belongings in the locker room. I was just about to leave when I noticed a man, about 35 years old and in good shape, sitting on a bench near me in only a towel. He was shaking and started shouting! "Hey! You! Do you have any crackers?! I'm about to pass out!" I turned and was blank. "I have some water!" I uttered. He said..."No, I have water! I need carbs!" He was clenching his fists and looked as if he was in real pain. I didn't know what was going on. He started yelling louder. I grabbed my stuff and ran out to the front desk. Explained the situation and a bunch of Gold's gym workers ran to the locker room. One of them looked completely horrified. Now, I can only assume everything went ok with the mystery towel guy but I didn't really want to go back there again. (I did the right thing. right?)

Another instance...I was minding my own business...like I always do....and was stretching. I noticed a nice old lady trying to get my attention. Once I looked at her, she was pointing at the stair master, the kind that is a revolving stair case...ya know...the one that I made famous? anyway...I, being the nice person that I am walked over to her. She pointed again and said, "what does this thing do?" "I said, it's a stair master." "A stair what?" she said. "It's a machine you use to work your cardio system." I said. She looked at it up and down and then let out a very subdued chuckle.

...til next time...

Enchant Your Soul

Music is one of those powerful things that can touch your emotions unlike anything else. It can bring tears to your eyes, love to your heart, passion to a workout or peace to your mind. In short...it's a great thing!


If you haven't already noticed, this blog features an ever-changing array of music. We have the music to (a) make your sanchezthoughts experience more enjoyable and (2) show you the music that we enjoy and just maybe persuade you to like it for yourself.

This is our personal invitation to you....Turn up your volume, check out the playlist on the right hand side and have a listen. It may change your life. and as always, feel free to comment as to what tunes you like and/or any you suggest.



Spread the love...

A Utah Man Am I

This post is about a week over due but nevertheless...here it is...

This college football season has been classic. Probably the most enjoyable I've ever been a part of. When the season started, everyone was on the BYU bandwagon and thinking they were going to go undefeated and the whole "quest for perfection" thing. Now, I could use this lovely blog as a platform for dogging cougar fans...but...that's not my style. Plus, I remember "Harline open in the endzone" and "4th and 18". Oh, the sadness! Instead, I'll just revel in the Utes Success.

The Utes had a few close calls throughout the season but overcame everything on their way to a perfect season.

First, there was Oregon State and the Utes scoring 11 points in the final two minutes to win the game!

Manda and I after the game. We were practically forced to rush the field by all the crazy fans. Probably the most exciting game I've ever been to.

Next, there was the game against TCU. They had just blown out BYU and nobody was giving the Utes a chance to win this game. It was the blackout game and the crowd looked awesome sporting their black gear. I had 4 near coronaries throughout the game but the Utes did it again and won in the end!
The game against BYU could have been the biggest game in the world. But,the Cougs had to go and lose to TCU and take a little umph out of this match up. But, it was still fun. Here's a few pictorials that tell the story...
Manda with her game face on before our walk to the stadium...

To keep fans happy random things get thrown into the crowd. Despite the cold, Amanda really wanted some Ice Cream. We screamed and screamed then they threw us some ice cream. and look how happy she is! Lt. Dan..ICE CREAM! (I'll take any chance I get to quote the amazing Forrest Gump.)

It gold cold in a hurry...good thing I was there or she would've froze completely. The game was close throughout the first half and then Max Hall decided he was tired of being good. He threw 5 Interceptions and had 6 turnovers in all. It was so exciting and fun to be there. One of the best parts is when the BYU fans headed for the exits at the start of the 4th quarter. Sweet Redemption!

Doug and Molly...our MUSS buddies!

In the end...the Utes dominated 48-24 and went undefeated, again. Bring on Texas!

Quote of the day

Our fridge wasn't working for about a week and all of our food went bad. Not fun. Not fun at all. Anyway, we needed to go to the store so we could replenish our barren fridge...

An exchange of dialogue between Amanda and I...

"Honey, we definitely need to get milk and eggs. What else can you think of?"

"Umm, toilet paper and gum..."

Gotta love it!