New Years Blog 1: I Won A Bet With A CIA Agent

New Years Blog 1:I Won A Bet With A CIA Agent 

Before I actually this blog post I just wanted to update my previous blog, in case you didn’t see my Instagram/Facebook post. Kiera, a 13-year-old who went missing in my community, has been found! Thank you for all the support and please continue to send love and prayers to her family. Without further ado, let's get started.

My family decided that for the week between Christmas and New Years, we would drive down to Florida to see dad's side of the family. This worked ridiculously well for me, for a few reasons. Obviously, I got to see family and a few friends. We went to Epcot which was really fun, and I got to see my friends the Buckleys. An unintended side-effect of going to Florida was I was about to win a blizzard bet!

The girls I grew up with, who I call my “sisters” have had an incredible impact on my life, as you all know. But they're not the only ones in that family who have had such an impact. Their father let's call him Richard, has had a similar impact.

For one thing, Richard is the most sarcastic human being I've ever met. On top of this, he has what he would call in his own words a “sophomoric sense of humor”. If something funny comes into his head, he just says it. The resulting mixture causes some of the most epic dad jokes I've ever heard in my entire life. Being around him so much some of that humor has rubbed off on me.

While Richard’s sense of humor is a huge part of our friendship, we bond over something far bigger. He is an amazing person. Very kind, very understanding, and very humble. He was voted most outstanding Churchman of the year a few years back, and does a lot of charity work, through the Knights of Columbus, and other organizations. I view him as a mentor and someone I can talk to when I make really big mistakes (especially with his daughters, but that's a story for another time).

Richard works at a local bank… At least he claims to work at a local bank. I don't buy that story… I personally believe that he works for the CIA. My reasoning is as follows:

1. He worked as a park ranger when he was younger. I know for a fact he saw a lot of weird stuff, maybe he accidentally solved a case and the CIA was like, “Hey that kids pretty good!”

2. He literally knows everyone- Like if he needs a job done he knows the guy for it. And he's always getting used cars for his kids, from random friends. I feel like all these people he knows, are either people he works with, or people whose lives he has saved, and he is just calling in favors.

I know I have explained the concept of Blizzard bets before, but here's a little refresher. Basically, it's exactly what it sounds like. You make a bet on a Dairy Queen Blizzard.

About 4 years ago I was over at my “sisters” house and I was singing “Here Comes the Sun”. Richard asked me “Who sings that?” I energetically answered the Beatles, and without a second of hesitation Richard responded with, “well why don’t you let them!”

Over the next three years, the same situation happened over and over. By the time 2019 came around, I was starting to build up an immunity to it and in March I started getting really cocky.

“You’re never going to get me, old man!” I said dramatically after he failed in getting me to say it.

“I’ll tell you what Mitchell,” Richard said, “I don’t catch you for by January first I owe you a blizzard. But if I or one of my CIA operatives get you to say who wrote a song then you owe me a blizzard!”

It was 11:58 and I called Richard mostly to gloat. When the clock struck midnight, my family started wishing everyone a happy new year. While all this is going on Richard said over the phone, “see what you can do when you put your mind to it, you beat a CIA agent in a bet!” I chuckled to myself not only because I now have bragging rights, but also because I have an amazing friend and mentor in Richard Anderson. 

Have a Greattastic new year! 

J. Mitchie Ulibarri