The Pilot Episode

Good evening.  My name is Todd Partridge, and I will be your host today.

I've always been a pretty private person.  Sure, I will break out of my shell and do crazy things with crazy friends (and even instigate those adventures most of the time), but as far as my own personal life, I generally keep to myself.  I have always coveted the ability some people have to be an open book.  I don't seem to have the capacity.  But this is me trying.  More than likely, it will just become a log of my adventures rather than how I feel, but opening myself up is the goal.

Also, I've always found it amusing when obscure people start a blog in the hopes that the whole world will begin to read it.  I find comfort in the thought that I can pretend I'm going public, when in all actuality I may have an audience of 2 or something.

And so, we begin with the Pilot episode, where I vomit all the basic information I can on you so we can move on from there with some good character progression.  (I suddenly feel like blogs have the potential to create great drama in one's personal life if their close friends read it...is this safe?  They've got to have made a movie about these perils by now.)

Since I am sure I will expound as the posts go on, let's use nutshell sentences:

• Growing up, I was a pretty shy, nerdy, mostly unnoticed child.
• It wasn't until my Junior year of high school that I was somehow (it all seems so surreal) tricked into auditioning for the school musical.  I suddenly learned that I could meet new people, and that some of them might like me!
• Since probably sixth grade, I have had a group of faithful friends that have invited me to everything for the past ten years up to now even while I am caught up in other commitments and social circles.  I don't know why they have so graciously insisted on being friends with me, but I am grateful for it.
• This musical thing quickly snowballed into my being Drama President during my Senior year of high school.  The nickname on the back of my Letterman jacket is "Shmallow."
• I am in a performing missionary choir called Latter-day Voices.  We sing for the sole purpose of bringing others unto Christ.  It is the most rewarding experience I have been able to have through my college experience.
• I went on an LDS mission for two years to the Charleston West Virginia Mission, which covered West Virginia, half of Virginia, a third of Kentucky, a good chunk of Ohio, and a sliver of Pennsylvania and Maryland.  While there, I was able to see many people converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I miss it terribly.
• I read my scriptures every day.  Many of my posts will probably have religious ponderings in them.  I love to learn of spiritual things.  I yearn for it!
• I am taking sixteen credit hours at Utah State University, working ten hours a week, performing in Latter-day Voices (often referred to as LDV), regulating a weekly newsletter, participating in the Foreign Student English Language Partner program on campus, and taking four other classes at the Logan LDS Institute of Religion.  As you can see, I really don't have time to be making a blog.
• I am double-majoring in Psychology and Computer Science.  I plan to further the research done on creating computer programs that can accurately understand and react to signals sent from a human brain...particularly increasing the accessibility gained through things like prosthetic limbs or wheelchairs.
• I'm a kind of anti-touchy person...but I will give you a warm, heartfelt embrace any time, because I most likely really love you.  :)
• I hate being near bare feet.  They give me the heebie-jeebies.
• I live at home with my family of seven:  Dad, Mom, me, sisters Kelby and McKenna, brothers Conner and Ty.  Kelby and McKenna are both going to school at USU with me.
• I can't sit still for very long.  My body has way too much energy.  I almost always look like I need to go to the bathroom...but that really is just my body being really bored.
• I sleep, on average, about 4 hours a night.
• My blog is named "Bouncing Todd" both because it is a synonym for "PogoFox," which is my username and phone number, and because that is exactly what I do in two senses of the word.  My body is always bouncing (see two bullets above), and also that I bounce from hobby to hobby and lifestyle to lifestyle very quickly.  In fact, the likelihood of this blog lasting very long is low...because I will have done it and be ready to move on to another adventure in life.  I'm just always bouncing from place to place.  Always have.
• I have lived my life as a chameleon.  It's how most people in my family work.  Our personalities are modeled in large measure after those we spend time with.  And we can somehow settle into any group.  As such, while many people like me and consider me their friend, not many would consider me a close friend they would hang out with frequently.  It just doesn't happen very often.
• I thrive off of seeing people's dreams come true.  So, I have a habit of taking any kind of "I wish we could..." or "I've always wanted to..." statement and make it happen in any way I can.  It's a lot of fun.  You'll see.
• I am completely and utterly addicted to sugar.  I don't know how to stop.
• I never have any money or any belongings because I always spend what money I obtain on other people.

Whew.  There's your Pilot episode.  I hope you enjoyed it at least enough to consider reading episode two.  I really can't believe I've even considered this, but a friend of mine has recently chosen to start a blog, and it inspired me to do the same.  Way to go, Ryan.

Until next time, this is your captain, signing off.  Prepare for a bumpy ride!