Because I'm Tight Like Rope

Rain Drops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens

2010-11-30T22:03:00.002-07:00

My little sister Johanna started a blog recently and reminded me that I have not blogged here in quite some time. So in order to catch people up on what I've been up to I thought I'd post a list of some of my current favorite things.

1- Bowling. I had forgotten how much I love bowling until I recently began going again with my friend Jason. I'm not the greatest bowler, but I'm not too bad either. I feel like it's an actual sport that I can relate to and actually excel in if I wanted to. It's awesome. We go to Fat Cats when they have Thunder Alley since you can pay ten bucks for a whole hour of bowling. With just two of us we usually can get in about 4 to 5 games in that hour. It's awesome.

2- This song and music video. I know Katy Perry can get overplayed but I love it and listen to it like crazy.

3- Kurt Vonnegut. I've now read 3 of his novels: Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, and The Sirens of Titan. Well, I'm half way through the third and loving it. He's a science fiction writer of a sort with his own fascinating and strange way of telling the story. It takes some adjusting to understand the humor and style of his story telling. He's one of the best examples of satire that I've read and really easy to read.

4- 21 Jumpstreet. My friend Ben introduced me to this horribly amazing show from the late 80's and early 90's a while ago. Then I found season 1 for like five bucks at Walmart and just had to buy it. It is so fun to watch. The clothes remind you of how strange fashion was back then with denim everything, mullets on guys, and bangs up the wazzoo on girls. What were people thinking. There is also a strong propaganda overtone for teenagers, sometimes to the point of bluntness. The acting is not good, even with Johnny Depp, but you know their trying and you cannot help but laugh. It's one of those shows you watch to make fun of. It's so bad that its good to watch.

5- And I know it's cliche and cheesy, but lastly is my amazing friends and family. You all make my life better and I love all of you. I would go crazy without all of you. I'm such a social person. I hope you all know and feel how much I appreciate everything you do.

Well, that's what I'm loving right now. Enjoy.

Funny Crossover

2010-07-26T19:42:00.000-06:00

So I'm both a movie and literature fan so this just cracks me up every time I watch it.

Conquered

2010-06-02T16:31:00.000-06:00

Today, after twenty three years of living in Utah County I finally did something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while; I hiked to the Y.

This is meant to signify the trail being conquered, not to warn against taking this hike.

Okay, so some of you may have been expecting something more grandiose and fancy, but for me this was a huge thing. I am no longer one of those people who have lived in a place and never taken advantage of the opportunities there. Like the people who live in New York State and have never been to New York City ( I saw tons of people like that on my mission), or people who live in San Francisco and have never taken the tour of Alcatraz. I don’t want to be one of those people. So, I decided to take the hike today.

Growing up in Pleasant Grove I have hiked to the G many times. It’s a nice hike with some steep parts and some flat parts for variety. It’s something I did often as a kid. But, all I’ve heard about the Y hike was that it was “intense” and a tough hike to go on. Nobody seems to really want to hike it. But on Monday I was with my sister Louise and we saw so many cars headed up to the Y trail head, and I suddenly resolved that I was going to hike that trail, and soon. So, this morning I woke up and said to myself, “Today is the day. I’m gonna do it.” I packed a lunch and invited my roommate (he declined) and set out for the trail.

For me, this hike was exactly what everyone said it’d be; intense. I am not in the best shape (unless you count round as a shape) and have been working on that. I knew this would be a challenge, but I was determined to do it.

Well, it turns out that it’s really a short trail to the top; it’s just steep the whole way up. When I say steep I really mean it. It’s almost like climbing stairs the whole way up. There are ten turns mapped out and marked on the trail. I stopped at every turn, rested, and then determined that I could at least make it to the next turn. I went this way for all ten of the turns.

This was taken at turn 8. I was so close, yet had more uphill to go.

Finally I reached the top. It was such an amazing view, and so worth it. I sat up there gazing out at the awesome view of Utah Valley. It was wonderful. I’m so glad I pushed myself and did it. It feels really great.

This is what the Y looks like from the bottom. Not that impressive.

You can easily see the parking lot over my shoulder.

And here is the marvelous view from the Y. You can see the whole valley from here.

Posh People

2010-05-11T22:38:00.000-06:00

I don't really have much to write about, but I found this video today that I just felt like sharing.

Hope you liked it.

Quotable Quotes

2010-04-26T01:46:00.000-06:00

In a few days I will be graduating from Utah Valley University with a BA in English. I'm really excited.

This is the announcement for my graduation that my wonderful sister Louise made. I was really impressed. In making the announcement my mother wanted to have a nice quote of some kind on the invitation. She sent some suggestions and had me look for others. I really struggled with this. I felt as if any quote on my announcement was suppose to summarize my education experience so far. What a difficult task, to sum up four years of my life into a few simple words. Anyway, we ended up not using a quote due to lack of space on the card. But I didn't want all my searching to go to waste so I thought it'd be fun to share the few that I found. They might come in handy to someone else.

These are the three my mother sent me:
Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. - William Jennings Bryan

To reach a great height a person needs to have great depth. - Anonymous

When a man feels throbbing within him the power to do what he undertakes as well as it can possibly be done, this is happiness, this is success. - Orison Swett Marden

And these are the ones I found myself:
"Books swept me away, this way and that, one after the other; I made endless vows according to their lights for I believed them" - Annie Dillard

"There comes a time in a man’s life when to get where he has to go, if there are no doors or windows, he must walk through a wall." - Bernard Malamud

"The dedicated life is the life worth living. You must give with your whole heart." - Annie Dillard

"You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down." - Annie Dillard

"This is an interesting planet. It deserves all the attention you can give it." - Marilynne Robinson

"There are a thousand thousand reasons to live this life, everyone of them sufficient" - Marilynne Robinson

"The world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don't know." - Sherman Alexie

"If you're good at it, and you love it, and it helps you navigate the river of the world, then it can't be wrong." - Sherman Alexie

"Anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days." - Flannery O'Connor

"At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint, or even remember it. It is enough." - Toni Morrison

And these two are jokes:
"I am grateful for all those dark years, even though in retrospect they seem like a long, bitter prayer that was answered finally." - Marilynne Robinson

"Why do we people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute?" - Annie Dillard

An Ethical Dilemma

2010-04-21T23:45:00.000-06:00

What do you do when your pet Beta Fish is suicidal? Yup, you heard right, I think Rupert is trying to kill himself. I haven’t actually seen him attempt it, but occasionally I hear a large splash in his bowl and when I look over he’s bobbing around as if he has tried to jump out of the water. He currently isn't in any really danger; it would be a miracle if he could jump high enough to get out of the bowl. But the whole thing concerns me. It started the other day after I had cleaned and changed the water in his bowl. You’d think he’d be happier, but instead he’s doing this. To be honest, this isn't the first time he’s tried. Probably around six or seven months ago he was doing the exact same thing. I just don’t know what to do to help him. I’d get him a companion of some sort, but he’d probably kill it (it’s his fighting fish instincts and all). I just hope he gets better. I’d welcome any advice on the subject.

Sandwich Anyone?

2010-03-27T16:50:00.000-06:00

This is my first endorsement for a product, and I have to say, it’s totally worth checking out.

The Sandwich: one of the most common and delicious lunch foods available. It’s one of the foods that has defined America. They’re one of the easiest things to make; you take a slice of bread, add whatever you could possibly feel like at the time, and top it all off with another slice. This simple recipe has created millions of possibilities. Every once in a while when I’m fed up with fatty burgers and fries, gassy inducing burritos and tacos, or cheesy greasy pizzas I realize that all I want is a simple and light sandwich. Whenever I get in this mood there is one sandwich shop that instantly comes to my mind. Tucked into the strip mall on the corner of State and University Pkwy in Orem is Sensuous Sandwich.

When you enter Sensuous Sandwich you know you’re entering a local shop. Everything seems to tell you that the sandwich experience is highest in priority. Their sandwiches are outstanding. With names like The Stimulator, The Bodacious, and The Super Saucy you know that these are going to be amazing. In actuality these sandwiches are really simplistic. It’s basically a hogi roll cut to various sizes from 4” to 24” according to how much you can eat (I prefer to order twice as much as I can and take the remainder home for later) then various meats, cheeses, and toppings according to your fancy and pallet. If you don’t see a sandwich you like you can always order The Figmentation which is whatever sandwich concoction you can imagine.

From what I’ve describe so far this could easily seem like a general Subway or Hogi Yogi, but there is something amazing about these sandwiches that’s hard to really pin down. I’ve tried many of their sandwiches and it’s as if each slice of bread, or topping, or sauce is infused with deliciousness.

Take for instance my favorite sandwich The Super Saucy. Their menu describes it as Roast Beef Smothered in Barbecue Sauce with Your Choice of Cheese. Sounds simple enough, but I cannot begin to explain how amazing this sandwich really tastes. First off for my choice of cheese I go with either Jack cheese, or Cream Cheese. Yes, that’s right, you hear me cream cheese. Since it’s served hot you get all that gooey cheesiness to smother every bit of the rest of the sandwich. Right in with the amazing cheese is their outstanding barbecue sauce. Man if I could order this sauce by the gallon to smother over everything I ate I would order it today. I wish I had at least a recipe for this sauce (I don’t dare ask them for it for fear that I might find out it’s a bottled sauce). The sauce is very sweet with just the right amount of barbeque punch to it. It makes the rest of the sandwich complete (Just thinking about it is making me crave the second half of my sandwich sitting in the fridge from this afternoon’s trip to the shop).

I’m gonna be upfront with you. This is neither the nicest looking sandwich shops nor the prettiest sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. They don’t add any extra frills, but with outstanding service and delicious food it’s no wonder I cannot keep myself away from the Sensuous Sandwich.

Poetry

2010-03-21T22:10:00.001-06:00

This last Christmas I received two gifts that, until today, have been under-appreciated. From my good friend I received 101 Famous Poems and from Santa I received the two volume set American Poetry: The Twentieth Century. This weekend I was feeling a bit melancholy or pensive. While in this mood I decided it was about time to crack open those books. I rarely get to read anything for pleasure and since poems are generally shorter than novels I thought I'd give it a shot. Wow! I really loved delving into these poems. I have to say that I even took the poems to church and sneaked reading them in between the lulls. It was while reading Robert Frost's poems that I re-stumbled upon one of my favorite poems The Tuft of Flowers. I know I have shared this poem with some of you before individually, but here it is again.

The Tuft of Flowers by Robert Frost

I went to turn the grass once after one

Who mowed it in the dew before the sun.

The dew was gone that made his blade so keen

Before I came to view the levelled scene.

I looked for him behind an isle of trees;

I listened for his whetstone on the breeze.

But he had gone his way, the grass all mown,

And I must be, as he had been,--alone,

`As all must be,' I said within my heart,

`Whether they work together or apart.'

But as I said it, swift there passed me by

On noiseless wing a 'wildered butterfly,

Seeking with memories grown dim o'er night

Some resting flower of yesterday's delight.

And once I marked his flight go round and round,

As where some flower lay withering on the ground.

And then he flew as far as eye could see,

And then on tremulous wing came back to me.

I thought of questions that have no reply,

And would have turned to toss the grass to dry;

But he turned first, and led my eye to look

At a tall tuft of flowers beside a brook,

A leaping tongue of bloom the scythe had spared

Beside a reedy brook the scythe had bared.

I left my place to know them by their name,

Finding them butterfly weed when I came.

The mower in the dew had loved them thus,

By leaving them to flourish, not for us,

Nor yet to draw one thought of ours to him.

But from sheer morning gladness at the brim.

The butterfly and I had lit upon,

Nevertheless, a message from the dawn,

That made me hear the wakening birds around,

And hear his long scythe whispering to the ground,

And feel a spirit kindred to my own;

So that henceforth I worked no more alone;

But glad with him, I worked as with his aid,

And weary, sought at noon with him the shade;

And dreaming, as it were, held brotherly speech

With one whose thought I had not hoped to reach.

`Men work together,' I told him from the heart,

`Whether they work together or apart.'

(Not my image)

I really love the message in this poem. To be honest this poem mostly comes to mind those many hot summer days that I mow my parents lawn. For those of you who didn't see my parent's back yard last summer, my dad kept mowing around a small patch of wildflowers that had sprung up in the middle of the lawn. I thought of that poem and decided to continue to mow around them as well. But, this poem has spiritual and social aspect to it too. I have had a great experience re-realizing that I do not have to go through life alone. That there are people around me and people I do not see who impact my life for good and make the world as a whole a better place to be in.

Stars

2010-03-16T01:40:00.002-06:00

I took a walk tonight. It was 10:30 and I just had an urge to go out and walk around the neighborhood; it’s something I do sometimes. So I put on a hoodie and grabbed a flashlight from my car, just in case. It was a really beautiful night. The air was crisp and cool. There is something so wonderful about the breeze gently brushing against my cheeks as I walked, and the warmth of a good hoodie to bundle up in. The trees were barren of leaves and there were small patches of snow in places. It felt like a brisk autumn instead of an early spring. I took a deep breath and inhaled the smells of the cool night air. It invigorates my senses.

I don’t really know what prompted this walk, I just left my house and started walking, letting myself go wherever on a whim. I often bring along my ipod to listen to music, or an audio book, but tonight I was just enjoying the silence. I walked through the neighborhood absorbing the stillness. The sounds of my breathing and footsteps seemed to puncture the calm of the night air. I’d stop from time to time to take in the noises of nature. I could hear someone’s wind chimes in the distance as the sound of the breeze whispered through the trees. I really felt at peace as I kept walking.

As it sometimes happens, I ended up in Rock Canyon again. (You all might be sick of me talking about this canyon but for me it’s nice to have a place where I can go and be alone and think. I think that being in nature inspires me to write.) At the mouth of the canyon is a small outdoor theater; It’s simply a few benches and a cement platform. I decided to sit down on a bench and gaze at the stars. The moon was nowhere to be seen and the lights from the city drown out most of the stars in the night sky, but still as I gazed up I could clearly see the big dipper right between the two rock walls of the canyon. There I was feeling, hearing, and smelling such a wonderful night, and as I stared at the stars I suddenly I felt a disconnect from this nature experience. Ever since I got glasses when I was fifteen I’ve always felt like I wasn’t able to fully enjoy staring up at the stars. Although everything else looks clear to me with my glasses, the stars always seem out of focus and distant. It’s probably all in my head, but I remember times before my glasses when the stars felt so wonderful. Looking at the stars tonight reminded me of a trip to Snow Canyon in southern Utah and actually being able to see the purple and blue hues of the Milky Way. I also remembered many summer nights as a child sleeping out on our trampoline and gazing up at the stars and learning about the different constellations. The stars seemed so close and personal then. I think that as I have grown older I’ve neglected the stars more and more. Even without the moon tonight the stars offered all the light I needed. They offer me a glimpse into mighty expanse of space, and testify of the power, wonder, and awe of nature.

As I walked home from the canyon and thought about all that had transpired tonight, a song popped into my head. It’s from the musical Songs for a New World. The chorus goes:

"I'll give you stars and the moon and the open highway

And a river beneath your feet

I'll give you days full of dreams if you travel my way

And a summer you can't repeat.

I'll give you nights full of passion and days of adventure,

No strings, just warm summer rain."

-"Stars & the Moon" by Jason Robert Brown

Like the woman in the song I don’t want to grow old and realize that all that I have with me are material possessions. There is so much more that Nature can offer to my life, if I let it.

Discontent

2010-03-06T18:54:00.001-07:00

“Now is the winter of our discontent” this is the famous line that begins Shakespeare’s Richard III.

How fitting is it of Shakespeare to pair winter with discontent. With all the snow on the ground and the leaves and flowers hidden beneath a blanket of white; winter is painted with a pallet of brown, white, and grays, with just the occasional hint of green. Lately the weather has been teasing us; giving us just a taste of what spring will afford, and then covering it all over again with a blanket of white. Don’t get me wrong, I love winter. I love the feeling of warmth in my bed when I know it’s surrounded by the cool winters morning. I love the traditions of winter as my family goes hiking through the woods to hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. And I love the exhilaration that comes from hurling down a hill with nothing between you and the ground but a thin sheet of plastic. But I’m done with all that now. I AM filled with discontent. I want spring to come so I can see the world transform from the dull pallet of winter to the vibrant rainbow of spring.

Winter is now in the stage where the snow is all soggy and slushy and I don’t really want to go outside anymore, so today I decided to get off my butt and go walk around. I decided to go take a small walk back up Rock Canyon. I went there in the fall a few times and have avoided it in winter because of the snow. It was actually a really nice day today. There was just a little chill, but I wore my coat. I didn’t have my normal camera so I thought I’d test out my new phone’s camera and see what kind of shots I could get. I’m actually really impresses with the pictures I got.

So, in order to further chase away this feeling of discontent I share my photos with all of you, my readers. I hope you enjoy them.

Opp...I forgot to mention, I grew a beard this winter as well.

Like I said before, there's not a lot to see in Winter, so I tried to focus on what I could.

Oh I almost forgot, I was walking along the path and I noticed that there was a trail up the side of this hill. It looked as though it lead to a cave.

I debated whether to rekindle my childhood and go and explore the cave, or to shy away knowing what shady things can go on inside a cave. I finally climbed up and had a look around. The cave was very shallow but it had a really nice view. So a snapped a few pics.

And back to the trail for one last picture.

Technology! (fist shaking in the air)

2010-01-25T00:55:00.000-07:00

So I just got a new smart phone the other day (this was written on my phone BTW). I was so excited that I spent practically a whole day just exploring it. Now I'm in sacrement trying to concentrate and all I can think about is my new phone, how horrible is that. It makes me really think about technology and how it both makes life more convenient while also more complex. The real question is whether I really need more complexity in my life? The Gospel centers on simple truths and doctrines. Shouldn't I be patterning my life after that instead of a complex world of technology. I know that is is ridiculous to escape technology, but at least I'm aware of the situatuion. That's at least something.

1 Corinthians 14:10 "There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification."

What does being aware of something do to us? And can/will the holy ghost work with us to bypass the noise of our own technology? These are questions I've been pondering lately. I really don't know the answers though. I guess it's something for me to continue to work on. Yay! Another goal and concept for me to work on! (Sarcastic Voice). No, but this is important and can be good for me to understand.

Compassion for the Self

2009-12-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

My perspective of myself had changed lately. The other day I was driving to school filled with all my worries and saying to myself how much I hated my life right now. Suddenly a spoken line came into my mind from a song I had listened to a week before. It says, “So I was sitting at the bar and this guy came up to me and said ‘my life stinks’ and I saw his gold credit card and I saw the way that he was looking at people across the room and I looked at his face and you know…what a good looking face, and I just said ‘dude, your perspective on life sucks!’” (Blame it on the Girls---Mika). I realized that my perspective on life sucks. I had been dwelling in self pity instead of giving myself a break---Finals week can do that to you---I really do have so much to offer the world. I've come to realize I don’t need to lump negativity on myself. I’m beginning to allow myself to work out the issues that have been bothering me instead of letting them fester. But the biggest change I’ve made is simply not allowing me to think the phrase “I hate my life” or “my life sucks.” I don’t really mean them anyway, they just became a habit. This small difference has changed my outlook and actions. I’m beginning to tackle issues instead of worrying about them. I really am making a change in my perspective.

Laughter- The Best Medicine

2009-12-14T21:45:00.001-07:00

I don’t know why, but I’ve always gotten great pleasure from chaotic or frustrating circumstances. For example, when I was a child and I had done something wrong, my mother would find me and explain what I did and how it had hurt others Instead of being scared, defiant, or sorrowful as most other children would, I would laugh. This may sound crazy, and I don’t know exactly what I was thinking at the time, but there was something about the situation that always made me laugh. Don’t for an instance assume that I didn't regret what I had done, or that I found pleasure in my disobedient actions. It just that, in that moment when my mom was frustrated and mad, and the chaos of the situation was overwhelming everyone and everything, I couldn't help but laugh. Instinctively I'd find anything in the moment to find funny and have a good time with it. My mom would get so frustrated when I did this. She'd yell at me, "Don't laugh when I'm trying to punish you!" which of course, made me laugh even harder. Obviously I have grown up since then, but I have still retained that ability in the face of chaos to laugh in order to cope with the situation.

Unconditional Love

2009-12-04T00:50:00.001-07:00

I'm reading The Maytrees by Annie Dillard and she quotes a poem that really stuck out to me. As the character Lou looks into her son's eyes these words come to her mind. I thought they were very beautiful and poignant.

"...if I don't talk about your hair, your lips, your eyes,
still your face that I keep within my heart,
the sound of your voice that I keep within my mind,
the days of September rising in my dreams,
give shape and colour to my words, my sentences,
whatever theme I touch, whatever thought I utter."
-CP Cavafy, December, 1903

I just thought I'd share it with y'all. Hope you enjoy it.

My Grandmother

2009-11-20T01:32:00.004-07:00

I feel like writing in a fancy voice tonight. I don’t know why exactly, but I think it’s rather enjoyable and refreshing.

Tonight I had a really great time getting to know my Grandma Hofheins. She’s been sick of late and since I live beneath her I try to check in on her from time to time. This evening as I was going out I ran into her neighbor and best friend Nancy, who was leaving my grandma’s front porch. She was wearing a robe and slippers, her usual attire. Nancy had gone to visit with her and my grandma didn’t answer. There were lights on in the house and she thought maybe she’d fallen asleep and forgotten about the lights. I thought it’d be a good thing if my grandma had fallen asleep since she’d been sick. I reassured Nancy that I would check on my grandma when I got back and turn off the lights if she were sleeping.

When I got back about a half hour later I noticed the lights were still on. I went upstairs and found my grandma in the kitchen. She was surprised to see me and told me she had just recently woken up. This was at 10 pm. She had taken a nap at 3pm and slept the whole afternoon. She didn’t have her hearing aids in so she couldn’t hear Nancy at the door. I asked about her health and we began to have a very pleasant conversation. I really love talking to my grandma; she gets very lively and we laugh and talk about our lives and things. It’s really been fun to see and talk to her more since I moved down below her.

She had a little game of cards with questions on it on her counter. I asked her about it and she said it was given to her by my Aunt Debbie but my grandma had never played it. I thought it’d be fun to ask these “getting to know you” type questions to my grandma. Although I’ve known her my whole life I really don’t think I could answer many of those questions about her. I recently had a discussion in one of my classes about how you can know a person your whole life and think that you really know them, yet they can always surprise you.

Anyway, it was really fun to talk to my grandma and to hear her stories about the vacations they went on as a family, and how she met my grandpa. It turns out that the luckiest thing that ever happened to my grandma was catching her first glimpse of my grandpa hiding under a table in school. She couldn’t remember why he was hiding under the table, but she knew then that she wanted to meet him. As it turns out, it was my grandma who asked my grandpa to a girl’s choice dance as their first date. In fact, she said she had to ask him to three more dances before grandpa had asked her on a date. I thought that was just so cute, and it says a lot about the strength of my grandma.

I really enjoyed sharing with her some of my experiences too. We both took turns answering each question. She really became interested in what I had been learning about in school. I was able to share with her some of the things I’ve enjoyed, specifically in my Chaos and Compassion Literature class. I had recently read Holy the Firm by Annie Dillard. In it Annie Dillard talks about God and our relationship to him. It addresses the age old question of “why do bad things happen to good people” and how we can be sanctified by our trials and grief to find joy in life. She was interested so I got the book and read some passages and we talked about what it all meant. It was really amazing to get my grandma’s perspective on things.

One passage that we enjoyed says:

"Every day is a god, each day is a god, and holiness holds forth in time. I worship each god, I praise each day splintered down, splintered down and wrapped in time like a husk, a husk of many colors spreading, at dawn fast over the mountains split…I open my eyes. The god lifts from the water. His head fills the bay. He is Puget Sound, the Pacific; his breast rises from pastures; his fingers are firs; islands slide wet down his shoulders… Today’s god rises, his long eyes flecked in clouds. He flings his arms, spreading colors; he arches, cupping sky in his belly; he vaults, vaulting and spread, holding all and spread on me like skin."

Although this is about the sunrise and greeting a new day it reminded my grandma of the sunsets that she loves to see from her window; the rays of light shooting into the sky and reflecting off the mountains. It was really cool to hear my grandma talk about these things. Mostly it was nice to just sit and talk to her on equal level. I increased my love and admiration for her today.

Squaw Peak

2009-10-14T19:33:00.029-06:00

So the other day I got into a conversation with my sister about my social habits. She couldn’t understand that I rarely, if ever, prefer to be alone. I love being with people. That being said, I’ve realized that there are some things that are best done alone. Today, for instance, I decided to go on a drive up the canyon to the Squaw Peak overlook. Now, obviously people go there for other “activities,” but I just love the scenery. It’s so amazing up there and I went up rather spontaneously.

After going to the peak I drove up to some campgrounds and along the way I got to see some of the most beautiful scenes. There’s something great about not being able to see the city and submersing yourself into the nature around you.

So here’s a little history about the peak: Squaw Peak is said to take its name from an incident following an 1850 battle between Mormon settlers and Ute Indians led by Big Elk. When the chief was slain, many in his band fled into Rock Canyon. Big Elk's wife died when she fell off a slippery cliff during the winter escape.

It was still sort of raining when I began the drive up, but I thought it’d make for some great color contrasts. The different colors of leaves really stuck out amidst the post rain midst. And as the sun came out and the rain stopped it made some great light effects.

What really surprised me was how the mist from the rain caused the clouds to swirl around and cover the mountains. It was magnificent.

I even got to see some animals. I saw three wild turkeys. They ran across the path and I couldn’t get a picture in time. And I saw four deer. Two of them let me get really close as I drove past them. We were probably like ten feet away from each other.

I ended the drive by going back to the lookout. It was amazing. The sun was poking through and shinning down on the city. There was no one else around and it was great to just lookout and think about my life and the beauty I was witness to. I really was a great moment. I hope everyone takes an opportunity like this to reacquaint themselves with nature. It’s a beautiful thing.

Rock Canyon

2009-10-07T00:45:00.002-06:00

So I went on a walk up Rock Canyon after school and I brought my camera along with me. It was really beautiful since the colors of the leaves were beginning to turn. I took some great pictures and thought I'd share them with you.

I really loved the contrast between the greenery and then these vibrant burst of orange, red, and yellows. It was such a great day, the weather was perfect and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

As I was walking back down the trail I was amazed at how grand the view of the mountains, valleys, and Utah Lake. It really was a great day.

Perceptions

2009-10-05T23:33:00.004-06:00

So I was writing a paper tonight about Nietzsche and the way that words are perceived and understood in the world. I use an example from my childhood. It's a little weird to understand but can raise a lot of interesting questions and points so I thought I'd share an excerpt from my paper with you. Let me know what you think and if it made sense. Here goes:

(Not my Photo)

As I was trying to understand this concept it reminded me of some ideas I had when I was probably fourteen years old. I was very interested in the way in which people see things- their sense of vision and how that is interpreted and expressed to each other. I had recently done a career research paper on ophthalmologists and read how they examined the eyes and performed eye surgeries. In my research I learned how one actually is able to see things, the image being translated in the eye and then sent as a visual electric stimulus to the brain. At one point I began to wonder if everyone saw the world exactly as I did. For example, say I am looking at the sky and I see the color “blue” as signified by its hue, saturation, and brightness, and a friend of mine is also looking at the sky and seeing what he calls “blue.” I wondered if I were to switch consciousness with him in some way so that I could see out his eyes yet translate the color with my own brain would I still identify that color as “blue” or would it suddenly appear to have a different hue, saturation, and brightness so that I would call it turquoise or even green. As a fourteen year old I came to terms with the fact that I would probably never know if my theory was true, but I never forgot how intriguing it was to try to understand another’s perceptions of reality. I think this is what Nietzsche is trying to express.

On Friendships

2009-10-05T00:55:00.001-06:00

So I’ve been thinking a lot about friendships lately, how they’re defined, what they entail, and what you can get and receive out of them. It’s been really interesting to look back and see the many different types of relationships we have.

One of the most interesting things for me are these Facebook Friends that everyone has too many of. I mean, I am actually taking the time (just one simple click…but still) to say that ‘yes this person is my friend. I want them to be able to keep in touch with me and see what is going on in my life.’ The only problem is that these Facebook friends can range from my sisters and brothers to the person in one of my classes that I talk to every once in a while. There are no real electronic distinctions between the two. Honestly if I hardly know the person I’ll just contemplate if I get a positive feeling about them, and if so I accept their invite (I don’t normally add people I don’t really know). I have exactly 554 friends on Facebook but I probably only hang out with like 20 of them on a regular basis. And those ones I really don’t need to be Facebook friends with since I know what’s going on in their lives. It’s just interesting.

Now that I’m done with my Facebook rant there are other things I find intriguing about real friends. We all know that friends are extremely important to us. They make up a large part of our emotional lives. Yet different people seem to treat their friendships differently. For example, I love to share my friends. If I have someone that I love I want them to meet other people that I also love. I like them to get to know each other, and if there are differences between two friends I will share them with other friends instead. I love large groups of friends. But there are other people I know who seem to hoard their friendships. It’s not that I think this is bad; it’s just that I don’t understand this. People hoard their friends when they cannot mix friendships with others and groups. They have different groups that they hang out with and it’s not that they can’t have their friends mix, they just don’t think to do it, or would prefer not to mix friendships. This just frustrates me because I don’t understand why they wouldn’t want to share their friendships, and it can cause feelings of exclusion.

Anyway I don’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers with this. It’s just something I noticed and have been thinking about lately.

Chaos and Compassion

2009-09-30T21:23:00.000-06:00

So I'm in a class called Themes in Literature: Chaos and Compassion and I thought I'd share some thoughts on the subject.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the chasm where chaos and compassion meet; the mixing ground for the two opposing slopes. I feel like that is where change, growth, life happens. They’re linked, chaos and compassion. The chaos will either cause destruction or construction to us. And the compassion is what helps us to get through it, grow from it, and find joy in it. It’s when we are stagnant that we’re not embracing both sides of the spectrum, and that we aren’t really living.

This is what life is. This is how we deal, by allowing both forces into our lives. Otherwise we’re boring people. We’re not living, we’re just being. I think we are not meant to sit still, we are rising and falling and that is life. It’s taken me a while to relearn this and my chaos is not as great as others but I’m learning to embrace it and hold on for the ride.

Secret #30 The Grand Finale

2009-09-16T01:10:00.001-06:00

So I understand that I never really finished my 30 Secrets project (until today) and I want to explain what my thoughts about that were. In a strange way it turned out to be accidentaly perfect. I'll admit that for the longest time I had severe writers block and couldn't think of any secrets I was willing to divulge to the masses. I mean we all have those secrets we'd prefer to keep private, and I feel I've unloaded myself with a few secrets that were hard to let go. Anyway back to the explaination, this last secret is simply that I still have many secrets in my life. I like that about me. Secret 30 represents all the things you might be able to squeeze out of me, or random things you might discover when I feel like it. I like to think of myself as a well rounded yet interesting person and I love that people can learn something new and random about me whenever they come in contact with me. I'm often reminded by other of some crazy thing that I did once and I love that. Who cares if I remember them they are for you just as they are for me.

So, If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to have anyone who knows me and who reads this page to please leave a comment about something that I did or said or taught them that perhaps made you laugh or think or impressed you. Think of this as you adding to my secret collection. It will now be our secrets that we share with others.

p.s. the picture is suppose to represent mystery and the many sides of me, even though I'm pulling the same face in every one.

Secret # 29 Office Supplies

2009-07-15T00:10:00.000-06:00

So it has been a while and I feel really guilty about not posting these last two secrets, but it was pointed out that my posts were getting slightly depressing. This is most likely because I usually think of these things when I'm alone and bored, which is not the best state of mind to be in. So, with that in mind I've found a happy secret that I decided to share. I am in love with office supplies. I love to fiddle with them. Tape, post-its, and paper clips are my favorite. I love taking these very simple ordinary things and creating things out of them. Sometimes is as simple as making a paper crane from a post-it or a yellow electric tape mustache. On occasion I have made more complicated creations. I once made a collection of historic figure finger puppets out of office supplies. They're small things that give me tons of joy.

Now I only have one secret left!

Secret #28 Alone

2009-06-17T22:44:00.000-06:00

One of my biggest and most frequent fears is that my life is empty and that I will end up alone and friendless. I'm sure many people experience this fear, but I always seem to think that I feel it more than others. This may be because I am a social person and there are days when I do not see anybody that I know. Those days suck for me. Now I do not want this to be a pity party, because in some way I know I'm sort of overreacting, but I have had days when I do not even get a call or text message from anyone. This does not mean that everyday is like this, it's just that I really hate those few lonely days when they occur. I do have this feeling, however, that I am not alone in feeling alone. If you share my feeling today or any day, just give me a call or text and I will see what I can do for you.

Secret #27 Joke Snob

2009-05-15T17:18:00.001-06:00

So I've always enjoyed being a funny person (even if it is just me laughing at my jokes), and I'm pretty proud of my sense of humor; For instance, I find it the greatest compliment when I say something funny and people ask me where that joke was from. I just tell them it came from me. But, one of my biggest annoyances is when I've said something funny and someone repeats it, and then they are the ones who get the credit for my joke.

Secret #26 Shhh

2009-05-11T00:32:00.000-06:00

I really shouldn't be posting this as a secret, but I've sort of run out of secrets to give. I have four more after this and I really don't know what they will be. You should know that when I started this project I only had about five secrets planned. I've done those five and more have come to me, but right now I cannot think of a single secret to write. Most likely this is just writers block. It's a challenge to think of 30 secrets about yourself with pictures to represent them, but I've tried. This isn't my first bit of secret writers block, so I'm not too worried about it. I always end up thinking of some secret later on. Plus I only have four more to go.

Secret #25 Podcasts

2009-05-07T00:18:00.000-06:00

I listen to probably 2 hours of podcasts a day. I use them to stay informed about the world and what is going on in it. It's better than reading a newspaper. I use my ipod for podcasts more than for listening to music. Most of my listening occurs when I'm driving alone. I've learned a lot and I feel like a well rounded person because of it, and the best part is that they're all free from itunes. Some of my favorite pocasts are:
This American Life
NPR: Fresh Air
NPR: Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
PRI: Selected Shorts
The Moth Podcast
New Yorker: Fiction

Secret #24 May

2009-05-05T20:37:00.001-06:00

May is my unlucky month. It seems that every year in May I have a lot of problems: either something bad happens, or what I have planned that month falls through. I specifically noticed this trend when I bought my first car. I bought it in May and it didn't make it out of that month before I had a $750 repair I had to make. Now every year I have to take my car in for registration, and every year there is something that needs to be fixed, and every year I have to struggle with the money to pay the repairs. It's not just the car has problems. My plans seems to often fall through in May. I don't know what it is about this month in particular, but I do know that I have already started to see the bad luck of May. I just hope I can make it to June. Everything is much better in June.

Secret #23 Dr Pepper

2009-05-04T21:47:00.000-06:00

Hey, sorry it's been a while. I was stressed with finals, then after finals I just didn't want to write anything anymore (since I wrote like 50 pages of stuff for school in the last two weeks), but I'm back now.

Dr Pepper is the only soda pop that I truly enjoy drinking. (I may be addicted) I've gone through spurts where I've enjoyed other soda's (Welch's Grape, Sunkist, and Ruby Red Squirt), but I always come back to my Dr Pepper. The amazing thing about Dr P is that it has no taste...that's right; you heard me. Instead, it has a delicious after taste. When you drink it, see if you taste the soda. then, wait just a second afterwards and opp...there it is, cool smooth deliciousness. That's what makes Dr P so great. My brother is trying to get me to drink Diet Dr Pepper, but I feel like the diet and the Dr P aftertastes would compete with each other and I just don't want that. So, I stick to what I love, the original Dr P.

Secret #22 Bookstore

2009-04-24T22:43:00.001-06:00

Every time I go to Barnes and Noble I take a deep breath and inhale that lovely new book smell and say, "Oh, if I could live in a bookstore my whole life, I would." and I mean it. I love going to the bookstore. Usually I do one of two things. Either I will find a book or two really quick and grab a chair and read for a bit (these are usually short books or graphic novels or humor books), or I will spend time browsing through all the books and taking pictures with my camera phone of the ones I'm considering buying. The pictures allow me to think about the books for a few days and if I still want it I will buy it or add it to my amazon wish list. Anyway, I usually end up spending 2 to 3 hours and no money in the store. I just love the smell, feel, and experience of brand new books. Libraries just cannot compete for me.

p.s. the books in the pictures are all books that I would love to have.

Secret #21 Head Gear

2009-04-20T23:20:00.000-06:00

I hate wearing hats! (let alone bandannas) I hate how they ruin your hair, how they make your head so hot, and how bad they look on me. I've just never loved having something on my head. I only wear them to protect my head from sunburns. (I often forget to even wear it for those) Now, people tell me that I look okay with a hat, but I cannot stand to put them on... Oh and I forgot that when I wear my Tilly hat I look even more like my dad. In fact, one time I was going to a family picnic and some of my nieces and nephews came running for me saying, "look! It's Grandpa! Grandpa's here." It sort of freaked me out.

Secret #20 My Dad

2009-04-16T23:52:00.001-06:00

My Father intrigues me so much. I wish I could observe him in his natural setting without having to engage him. I'd be like that women who studied gorillas (I forgot her name), just weirder. Now, do not get me wrong, I think he is one of the greatest men that I know, but he is also one of the most peculiar. He has so many quirks. For instance, he rarely wears shoes. Usually he walks around in socks and sandals. And unlike me, he is a natural introvert and can spend a lot of time by himself and not mind. He sometimes does the strangest things though....oh the stories I could tell. He is so weird, but I love him anyway.

p.s. I'm going on a vacation for the weekend. I'll be back soon.

Secret #19 Wipers

2009-04-15T00:11:00.000-06:00

I cannot stand the sound that windshield wipers make when the windshield is not wet. It is my biggest personal pet peeve when driving. I would rather wait till the windshield is wet enough and then wipe manually than depend on my automated wipers to do the job for me. It is one of the top three worst sounds in the world. It's up there with scratching chalkboards and rubbing Styrofoam together. Ugh! Just thinking about those sounds gives me the chills.

Secret #18 Secret Secrets

2009-04-12T23:11:00.000-06:00

"Secret secrets are no fun...Secret secrets hurt someone"

So I've been hesitant to put this out there, but I feel I need to confess that I am extremely bugged that hardly anyone comments on my blog. I understand that it's easy to just read the blog and think about it and go on with your life, but I feel left out when you do that. I'm not only bothered by the lack of comments, but I'm developing this paranoia about whether people are even reading the blog or not. I feel like I have to instigate talk about my blog, even with people I know who've read it. Now, I want to thank those who have commented and those I've talked to. I appreciate you. I guess I was hoping this would be more of a conversation piece than it turned out to be. Anyway, I feel a little awkward having now posted this....but I guess I am that vain.

Secret #17 Fire

2009-04-12T00:09:00.001-06:00

For those of you who don't know, my family loves to have a huge bonfire every year during burn season in our city. We collect abandoned Christmas trees after the holidays and then burn them in the spring. I love to stare into that gigantic fire, it's mesmerizing. And when these trees go up in a burst of flames it is wild. I can see why in olden time people thought that fire was a god. It can seem alive as it chooses it's path to burn and consumes everything it touches. It's performing a dance of destruction. I feel like the whole of the universe is put into perspective as you stare into a fire. Nothing else matters, everything disappears, and I loose myself as the fire dances.

Secret #16 Tears

2009-04-09T22:10:00.001-06:00

I cried today in class... I'd rather not get into details about why I was crying or anything like that (you could try asking me personally if you really must know). The point is, it is extremely rare for me to shed a tear at all, but especially in front of other people. Now some of you readers might think that I'm heartless since I don't cry, but I just don't. I just handle sadness differently. I've always been this way.

Secret #15 My Song

2009-04-09T15:03:00.000-06:00

I could not imagine a picture that could go with this post.

So first of all, it is important to understand that I do not write poetry. The few times I have were for school assignments. I do not profess to be a poet, or even a "creative writer." Most of my writing is done through papers about things that I am reading. But, through a series of circumstances, I have written a personal poem. You may not see this as a "secret," but to me it is. Here it is:

My Song

It is difficult to celebrate myself; to sing my song…
All of myself,
The big expanse of white, bursting, expanding, growing,
And the small dark knot locked away.

I am you…and yet… am I?
I am the comedian on stage, the death mourner left alone, the soldier’s wife…and soldier too.
The child playing, running, filled with immense color…
The artist, secretary, and steel worker.

I am many faces, I touch them all.
I feel them come out of me… into me.

I touch the grass and feel the universe, its massive light and feeling.
All of me is felt in that grass…almost.

What is this thing I’m looking at, feeling, touching… realizing?
Can I fully celebrate when I cannot let this go?
This hurts, its stings, I feel it hide again…and I am calm.

But I will smile… I will assume the role… I will look whole.
I will celebrate all that you see…while cherishing that knot.
~

I hope you liked it. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Secret #14 "Lookout" Point

2009-04-07T23:18:00.000-06:00

I love going to "lookout" points. When I've had a bad day, and I just need to relax and enjoy life, I love to drive up to Squaw Peak and enjoy the scenery. I roll down the windows and feel the wind rush on my face as I drive the long winding road to the summit. Of course for me I am alone and actually enjoying scenery, unlike most people who go there; they're looking at a whole different kind of "scenery". Currently, Squaw Peak is closed because of snow, but I discovered a nice lookout point just two blocks from my apartment (photo above, and yes it is photoshopped, see Secret 6). So now, when I have writers block, or life has gotten me down, I just take my knife (just in case there's deer or wild dogs) and go walk quietly to the look-out. The walking really lets me get my creative juices flowing (no pun intended). I talk out-loud too to organize my thoughts and figure out my problems. It's very therapeutic. Every time I go I receive a cool calming peace...Oh, I also enjoy noticing all of the "makey-outers."

Secret #13 Facial Hair

2009-04-06T23:44:00.000-06:00

Okay so this isn't the biggest secret. I love my facial hair. I hate shaving and put it off as long as possible (sometimes a bit too long). But, I just can't stand it. Even when I had jobs where I had to shave I would prolong the inevitable as long as I could. I'd go just as long as I could without it showing too much and then I shave it off. Currently I have an nice patch under my mouth and some long chops (sometimes they get too bushy when I haven't had a hair cut in a while). I'm also upset that I have only 2 months till I have to shave it all off to work at EFY...sniff, sniff...tear. But, I think I'll push through and be okay.

Secret #12 Moobs

2009-04-02T22:54:00.001-06:00

I am so afraid of getting moobs. I know I need to work out and all, but it's hard sometimes. It's not so much that I want to be skinnier, but mostly I want to be healthier. But the moobs are another issue.

Secret #11 Design

2009-03-31T22:25:00.000-06:00

So many don't know this but I love looking at the design and decor of homes and apartments. Ikea is one of my favorite stores because it often blends New Age looks with a Natural flare. It may sound kind of gay but I really love it. I subscribe to a few blogs that really let me see whats interesting and cool. Most of the items on these blogs are either way too "out there" or too expensive. But occasionally there is that item I see that I just love and want. Above are two examples. If I just had a little money I would totally get these for my apt. the wheels are 80 dollars for eleven vinyl wheels in different colors. And the squares are 60 dollars for 12. I got them from this website:

http://www.loxii.com/index.php?act=17

and they have some other cool things. Anyway it's fun to dream at least.

Secret #10 Eruct

2009-03-29T22:49:00.000-06:00

Okay, this one requires an explanation. Please don't judge me. So, I'm a pretty normal guy, all things considered, right? One day, when I was living in New York as a missionary, I woke up and had to really burp. So I did. Then I had to do it again. And again. And AGAIN! I could not stop burping. It drove my comp. crazy. It began to drive me crazy. I talked to a doctor and he said there was nothing wrong with me, but I couldn't stop. Now I don't burp all the time, but I would say that I burp more than the average person. It mostly happens in the mornings and at night just before bed, which is not that bad. Anyway right now I just live with it, I wish it would stop but I'm getting use to it. Once again, please don't judge.

Secret #9 Cooking

2009-03-26T18:52:00.001-06:00

I really love cooking. I can't say that I'm an amazing cook or anything- in fact, most of my recipes are remakes of my mom's recipes. My most recent dish was spaghetti. It turned out pretty good too. It's been really fun. I've been trying to cook or bake something every week. It's really been fun. I especially love making desserts. It turns out that desserts are my specialty- only problem is, I can't make too many desserts since I'm trying to eat healthy- try making two dozen cookies and then having to find someone to eat them before you gobble them up yourself. Anybody want some spaghetti sauce?

Secret #8 Tina Fey

2009-03-24T16:39:00.000-06:00

If I could marry any movie star I wanted I would marry Tina Fey from 30 Rock, or even Liz Lemon (Tina Fey's character on 30 Rock). I just think that she is so beautiful and talented. She not only is a great actor but she's the head writer for 30 Rock, she wrote Baby Mama with Amy Poehler, and was head writer at SNL while she was there. She's smart, funny, witty, and all around an amazing woman. It's just too bad she's allready married and has kids. But hey! A guy can dream can't he?

Secret #7 Rupert

2009-03-23T23:08:00.000-06:00

Okay this may sound creepy to some people (it does to me and I'm the one experiencing it), but I have never felt so connected to any of my pets as I do now to my Betta Fish Rupert. I can sit in front of his bowl for hours just staring at him. he's mesmerizing. I know that he can sense me personally (even though fishes brains are tiny and have short attention spans). When he looks right at me, like in the second picture, I feel as if we are sharing that moment together. He sees me and I see him and we are linked for that time. Remember, I am not into weird stuff, I have never experienced this with any other pet, and yet I cannot explain how it happens. I know it's ridiculous and that I should get a life or at least a girlfriend, but I really feel a vibe with Rupert. Anyway, judge me if you want but I challenge you to come stare at that fish for just ten minutes and tell me you feel nothing mesmerizing or hypnotic. It will blow your mind. Consider your mind blown.

Secret #6 Photoshop

2009-03-22T23:08:00.001-06:00

Original Photoshoped

I've given up trying to take really good pictures. It use to be that I would see something beautiful and think "Man! If only I had my camera here to capture this moment. It would be so amazing!" So one day I decided to pack my camera along with me. I saw some nice things and felt so lucky I had my camera with me. (Now, granted I am not a professional photographer. I've had not training of any kind. I just like to take pictures.) The problem is that nothing seemed to turn out the way I wanted it to. My eyes cannot seem to transfer to the camera. Now I just take decent pictures (like the one on the top) and edit them in Photoshop to be slightly better (hence the one on the bottom). I prefer this method right now, but I am still slightly perturbed that, although the Photoshoped picture looks better, it still cannot capture completely the image as my eye saw it. Usually it's a completely different image.

secret #5 Noses

2009-03-21T00:00:00.000-06:00

I hate noses! I think that of all the parts of the face, when it comes to looks, that the nose is the most disgusting. It's not even that I hate my nose all that much... I just don't like them in general. Understandably I can see benefits to the nose: being able to breath in a second location, adding a nice balance between the eyes, and filling up dead space in the face (there is a lot when you look at the edited picture of myself). But they protrude out in such a fashion that a nose by itself is simply ugly. Granted people can have a nice looking face, and the nose can fit that face perfectly, but the nose by itself is still ugly to me. That's how it is. It's just how I feel.

Secret #4 Dear at Night

2009-03-19T00:59:00.000-06:00

(First of all this is not my picture. I got it off the internet. It's best if you open up the picture to get the full effect)
Just as this picture could freak you out, I get freaked out by deer at night. I now live in a basement apt. in Provo above the temple and there are deer everywhere. It freaks me out because they sneak up on you. Suddenly you turn a corner and there are like six deer walking across the road. And it doesn't matter if you are driving or walking, the minute you see those deer they feel your presence and stair you back. Imagine twelve freaky reflective eyes staring back at you. It feels like they look through your soul.
At night when I come home. I have to walk all the way around the house to enter our apt. and even though there are gates keeping deer out of the back yard, I still get so creeped out that there will be deer back there. DEER, not someone breaking in to the house, or a mugger, or anything else. I worry about the deer staring at me. It's so unnerving.

p.s. sorry this post is late. I need to be better at that.

Secret #3 Road Rage

2009-03-17T19:41:00.000-06:00

I get intense road rage when I'm driving in the car by myself. I know that it's not good and worrisome but I control it pretty good. It's not like I always have road rage when I drive. It just happens occasionally. In some ways I find it a nice release since driving in the car is one of the only times that I think about my life and work through any problems I have. I've been able to figure out a lot of things in my life while driving around. I think sometimes I'm screaming at my problems more than I am the people who cut me off.

Secret #2 Taco Bell

2009-03-16T15:08:00.000-06:00

I am in love with Taco Bell. Specifically I love their 7 layer burritos. The problem is that when I am with friends and we're trying to decide where to eat I usually do not suggest Taco Bell because I think other people consider it a "second rate" fast food place. As if Wendy's and such are better than it and only trashy people eat there. So I eat there usually by myself and feel slightly guilty for loving a "second rate" restaurant.

30 Secrets in 30 Days

2009-03-15T22:53:00.000-06:00

So I found out about this real cool thing that people are doing. It's not one of those tag things where since I did it now you have to do it, it's just a fun thing to let people in on who you are. So this is how it goes. Each day you post a secret and a picture (simple or not) that represents that secret on your blog. You do this every day for a month or 30 days. It can be a huge secret, or a small simple secret. People will find out about me and I have fun thinking of secrets and ways to reveal them. Now, I cannot promise that I will have a secret everyday. I'm just not that diligent, but I will promise that eventually I will have 30 secrets on my blog. So here we go:

Secret #1

Often I am amazed at the way I deal with the people around me. I was an actor for a while and I have a talent for figuring out what people are like and mimicking their personalities while still attempting to maintain my own. It has occasionally gone so far as to "adopt" their political or moral beliefs. I have found myself wondering at times if I did what I did because of who I am, or if it was to appeal to the people around me. I question who I really am if I am constantly adapting to please others. Sometimes it scares me.

What Kind of Bread is This?

2009-02-21T23:58:00.000-07:00

So often, when I'm bored, I try to think about what it is that I could post here on my blog. I usually come up with a great idea- The only problem is I'm usually not at home and by the time I get there I have completely forgotten what it was I wanted to say- This is not the case today. I have, however, altered what I was originally going to say.
Originally I wanted to rave about my favorite bread. I love Grandma Sycamore's Bread. It far exceeds the quality and taste of other breads. Even those that are cheaper knock-offs of the bread, like the Macey's Farm Bread or others, can never reach the quality that good old Granny Sycamore has produced. But, like I said, that was my original intent. It wasn't till I was staring at my fresh new loaf and admiring it's squishy yet light fluffiness that I realized there is a flaw in this bread!!!
Sure it tastes good and sure it's like heaven on the mouth, but how can they get away with labeling this bread as "home-maid"? What does that even mean? First I thought that it was queer that they would have that dash, or dot, or diamond in the middle of the word. Isn't homemaid one word? Well, it turns out it's not even a real word-I know, it's shocking! The correct word is "homemade" or "home-made" the use of "maid" in this sense would be completely wrong...unless it was intentional.
I've decided that it was clear that sweet innocent GS (that's Grandma Sycamore) was trying to pull one on the American public. She knew that most ignorant people would look over her slight misprint in a name and assume that this bread was made at home, or locally. Those that would question could easily think that it was just a cuter form of the word and therefore more marketable. It's only those who really want to look into something- probably more than they should- my case in point- that could see the harsh undertones that this word produces. It's clear to me know that GS is making a statement with this word. Maids are female servants- we're not a gender biased nation so she's referring to both men and women- servants and the lowest of the low- who is often referred to as a servant? Slaves! GS is making a statement for slavery. She wants the old ways of mass producing to return so that she can profit more by reducing production cost. This is not a single instance where these statements are being made in food. Look at Mrs. Butterworth? and Aunt Jamima. There is a conspiracy in the food industry to subtly bring the issue of slavery back into our nation, and I will not stand for it.

That is why (and it pains me to say it) I am boycotting Grandma Sycamore's Bread and all other products that I can somehow relate to Slavery. I will not, no I cannot stand for this kind of treatment in our country! My hope is that all American's all over the world will gather together and rise up in defiance of these corporations that are trying to change our way of life! Stand free Americans! Stand Free!

My Favorite Songs Right Now

2009-02-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

SNL Skit

2009-02-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite video from SNL. I wish these were real sports. I think I'd totally rock at hat balancing.

I Just Can't Get Enough

2008-11-12T01:28:00.000-07:00

So I never can seem to stop using myself as a medium... This first one is simply one of my favorite pictures of myself.

I thought it'd be cool to try to make a pumkin carving of myself. I failed but instead made this nice picture of myself.

Andy Warhol seems to still influence me still. I think this one is more like his pictures than the last one.

More stuff from Photoshop!

2008-05-05T16:22:00.000-06:00

So I decide to do some more stuff with Photoshop. Just so you know I'm not a vain person, it's just that I don't have any pictures of other people on my computer.

This is one of my favorites:

I liked it so much that I thought I'd make multiples of it. Andy Warhol eat your heart out!

This one is cool because it looks like a colored pencil drawing up close. I really liked the effect, and the face I'm making as well.

Oh! Where'd I go? It's like I blend into the background.

That's all for now. I'll probably have more later.

A Bit on the Creepy Side

2008-04-08T23:47:00.000-06:00

I'm having way too much fun with Photoshop today.
Here is my favorite picture of my niece Kate
Before:

After:

And Again:

Even More

2008-04-08T23:09:00.000-06:00

Here is another one I made for Jinj because she liked them so much.

Photoshop Fun

2008-04-05T00:24:00.000-06:00

So I decide to play around with some pictures on Adobe Photoshop using a picture I got from Jinjer that I think makes me look good. Anyway here are the results. Tell me what you think.

About my life...

2008-03-10T22:00:00.000-06:00

So It's been a while since I wrote and alot has happened. First of all we got our whole kitchen and living room painted. It's a project that expanded from November last year till this Feburary. We did the whole living room at once in November and bought the paint for the kitchen in December. The kitchen went in stages. Every once in a while we'd get a whim and paint one wall at a time till it was all done.

Here is the living room in Witchazel Green:

Our kitchen in Burnt Brick:

Here you can see both colors togeather:

The last wall of the kitchen was the funnest because before we painted it we decided to vandalize it with "Art Sucks" because it was a mystery to my roomate Art whether it was about him or art as in a work of art.

In more recent news, we had an international break-the-fast in my ward. My neighbor and I decided to make a Scottish Trifle. It looked and tasted amazing.

Emma and others asked for the recipe. It's simple ingredients just aranged in layers:

Angle food cake on the bottom

Then rasberry jam

Angle food cake again

Vanilla Pudding

Peaches and kiwi

Vanilla Pudding

Rasberries (frozen or fresh depending)

The last of the cake

The last of the pudding

Strawberries

Whipcream

Finally chocolate shavings in top.

It's that easy. the key is presentation. arange the fruit so you can see it on the outside and fill in the middle with more of the same fruit.

Changes

2008-01-23T00:08:00.000-07:00

So I decided to get my hair cut on sunday. It was really in need of a trim. As you can see from the pictures it had become very shaggy and began to curl. I'd been wanting a change and decided to have it all shaved off.

My mom thought it'd be awesome if she shaved a mohawk first and took some pictures and then shaved it all off.

I really kind of liked the mohawk from the back and thought it would be awesome to leave it for a day or so just to freak people out. But I chickened out and stuck with just a buzz. I really like the way it all turned out though.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

So for New Years Eve this year I went to a Party at Jinjer and Peter's House. All the family was there along with my cousin Cynthia and their family. We had alot of fun and played some games. It was really nice.

We went home and celebrated the new year jamming out to Celebration and learning how to "Mash Potato" and "Charleston" from my mother.

Afterwards Marcus, Amy (Marcus' friend), Johanna, Louise, Ty (Lou's friend), Jesse (Lou's friend), and I went to some hot springs and had a wonderful relaxing dip. That was till we got out and practically froze. All the hair on my body had frozen water on it. Here are some pictures of us freezing our tushies off. It was a new and fun experience. Overall it was an awesome New Year's Eve. Probably one of the best I've had.

So I'm a bit bored today.

2007-12-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

So my school is pretty much over and I don't have alot to do to prep for my finals so things are going easy for me today. I went to work and it was good, nothing really eventful happened. Now I'm home and there's really not alot going on tonight.

Every time I sit down to write on my Blog I seem to realize that nothing eventful really happened. It's like I need something spectacular to happen to me today or nobody will really care about what I'm reading. I would love it if more people read my blog and commented. I actually think that I'm the only one who does read it. Oh well.

It's somewhat theraputic to write on this and just let my thoughts be out there. If you're one of the few who are reading this then you've probably notice how incoheasive this is. I'm just writting what comes to mind so in a way it only makes sense in my mind. Anyway that's me today. Thanks for listening.

2007-12-04T00:18:00.000-07:00

I like this photo of myself.

so...

2007-11-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

I wrote a witty post and lost it so here is my new first post. It's kind of lame.

Hey Look!

2007-11-15T01:51:00.000-07:00

So I felt like getting a blog today. It's like 1 in the morning and my roomates are cleaning our apartment for cleaning checks. (I should clarify that only Art, Chad, and Clint are cleaning since Joey and Kyle struggle in that area) I of course finished cleaning and hence have time to blog. Things are ok for me today. I have a 120 person Thanksgiving ward activity tommorow but I'm amazingly chill today. (we'll see how I am in the morning) Anyway this is my first post. So...there you go.