Opportunity Knocked Me Out!

Menacing Society #5: Keeping Quiet

2011-06-01T17:00:00.000-06:00

Up until now, my Menacing Society series has been focused on describing to the world what it’s like to be over 25 and single in the LDS culture. And if you’ve read my previous post, you’ll know that a majority of the things that bother me about it are all centered around conversations. So why not just stop the irritating conversations? A few years ago I did just that. And you know what? It worked! I picked out the biggest offenders (in my case, family), and officially stopped talking to them about my dating life – good or bad, crazy or quiet. And when they started playing detective, I stopped talking about my social life in general, as well as stop sharing details with anyone who was likely to inform the offenders. Since then, there have been times when they’ve suspected I had a girlfriend, when I wasn’t dating anyone. And there have also been several months of exclusive dating that my family knows nothing about.

The result? 100% pure awesomeness. After a couple months, they stopped nagging me with the most annoying questions. A few months later, they were so sick of trying to pry information from me, they pretty much gave up. Now I only have to deal with a fraction of the treatment they gave me. But it gets better than that – my dating life has actually improved! It turns out that it’s easier to date and be yourself when the idea of dating doesn’t bring up a bunch of negative feelings from a previous conversation. And when I'm NOT sharing details with others, the magic moments AREN'T KILLED by preempted conversations. That's right: for me, a lot of the magic in dating disappears when others become involved.

I’m not alone my decision to withhold these details either. I have several friends who also have some sort of policy on who they’re willing to share dating details with, and how much they’re willing to share. Everyone has justifiable reasons, too. Take my brother for example: He decided about 6 months ago to adopt my policy. He kept his girlfriend secret from the family for as long as he could, but it didn’t last forever. As soon as the family heard about it, the tormenting began. I was there a couple days after my family found out, and witnessed my brother weathering a rain of nosey questions, playful jabs, and inappropriate comments. After one particularly cruel comment, someone said, “no wonder Jon keeps quiet about his dating life.” The response was, “but we have to tease you: it’s our job,” as if the divinely appointed role of family members is to make life hard for each other. I took a mental note: my family is definitely NOT ready to meet anyone I might like to bring over. It didn’t help that the following week, everyone was planning my brother’s wedding on his behalf – even telling him when he can and can’t get married, so as to not cause them an inconvenience in scheduling.

The truth is, I’m legitimately afraid to introduce girls to the family. I’m sure my family doesn’t feel like they’re all that cruel to me. But I have a big enough family that if everyone only said one comment, I’d endure over a dozen on some days. And everyone always seems to have at least one thing to say to me. The other day, a family member made some comment to me about dating. I reacted, and he started to tell me he was intentionally teasing me. Someone else jumped in and said “you should be used to it by now.” I think I’m used to the teasing. I’ve been teased all my life. But there doesn’t seem to be any effective way to desensitize myself on the subject of dating. Like a bruise, the more you poke at it the worse it hurts. Besides, my family doesn’t seem to understand/care when they’ve crossed the line between playful joking and relentless torment.

All my life my family has taught me that if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. I’ve been staying out of the kitchen for a long time. But I know it can’t last forever. Unless I plan on eloping, I’m eventually going to get to the point where I need to introduce a girlfriend to my family. A couple months ago, a sister-in-law told me she didn’t expect to hear about me dating anyone until I was engaged. She joked that I’d say, “What are you doing next week? Can you come to my wedding?” I think my mom must have overheard that comment, because she called me a few days later and shared her nightmare that I would think about not introducing a girl to the family until I was that serious. But if things keep going the way they’re going, that might become a reality. I have gotten enough grief from my family about the girls they have met, it sometimes makes me want to be single forever. Since my family isn’t changing their behavior, the only solution I can come up with is to keep them out of the loop until I am ready to get married.

Family: If you’re reading this, don’t brush this off as not-a-big-deal-Jon's-just-overreacting. I don't care how well-meaning you might be: it’s a very sensitive topic to me (see the last 4 posts), and you’ve been very insensitive about it. The more you push for information, the more I’ll pull away from you.
Friends: Assuming I'm likely to experience the same thing my brother recently experienced, when and how do you think I should start involving my family in details about my dating life?

Menacing Society #4: Pet Peeves

2011-05-21T17:07:00.000-06:00

I've been putting off this post for a while because I knew once I posted it, I'd come up with a million more things to add to the post. But it's high time I write another post in this blog series, and there's only 2 subjects I have left to cover. I may list more pet peeves in another post later, so don't think this is a comprehensive list:

Being set up on a blind date, "because well, you're single, and she's single..." I don't mind blind dates, and I certainly hope everyone you set me up with is also single. But if that's all we have in common, please don't waste my time. You'd be surprised how often I hear that phrase. On a side note, it's also a pet peeve to be set up on a blind date with someone you think I need to learn major lessons from.
Having to explain what I'm looking for. I don't know anyone who has a specific list of requirements in a future spouse. Yes, I can probably name a few things that are important to me - testimony, physical attraction - but I always end up finding myself struggling to give them an adequate answer. It's as frustrating as trying to describe the taste of salt to someone who's never tasted it.
The jealous and snide comments people make about how I spend my money. Believe me, I'd rather be broke if it meant I was using my money to take care of a wife and kids. But I've got savings, and I no longer think I should punish myself for not having found "the one" yet. So I reserve the right to go on cool vacations, buy cool toys, etc.
Talking about my marital status at someone else's wedding. It's usually always accompanied with some form of "don't worry, you'll find her." The conversation is usually anything but comforting and, depending on my recent dating misadventures, just rubs salt in an open wound. And there comes a point when you become too old to participate in the boquet/garter toss. I'm here to support the bride and groom, see family/friends, and have a piece of cake. There's a reason I'm keeping a low profile, so can we NOT turn the focus on me?
Why is my dating life the only thing people want to talk about? I don't want people living vicariously through my love life. Most singles have pretty exciting lives - more frequent vacations, school, stories at work, etc. By the time I tell you about all my news in those departments, I've told you more about my life than you've told me about yours. Additionally, I feel like my life is exceptionally exciting - I'm frequently involved in a performance or two, I'm heavily involved with church, I find frequent volunteer opportunities, and I'm in an improv comedy troupe! I feel like I live out of my car more than my apartment. Apparently I'm the only one who thinks all that is conversation-worthy, though, since married people don't take much interest in those things at all.
Assumption of fault. I covered this one pretty well in a previous post. Just because I'm single, doesn't mean there's something so wrong with me that I can't find someone to marry. Yet I'm constantly bombarded with questions such as, "Why don't you want to get married?"
Prying questions about one's current relationship. I know you're only asking how serious we are so that you can try to predict when you might hear wedding bells. It's none of your business whether or not we've used the "L word." I understand many people just want to see us happy, and are looking for confirmation, but how awkward are those questions when the relationship isn't going well? The bottom line: please stay out of our relationship - three's company.
Advice. When it comes to dating, everyone suddenly becomes Dr. Phil. Since when are you the expert at dating? I recognize that you found a successful relationship, but who's to say your circumstances are like mine? Even well-intended advice can turn a good dating situation sour - I've seen it happen. I'm not you - different things make me happy, I handle situations differently, different people are going to attract me, and different issues are important. It's not that I don't value what you may want to say to me. It's just that my world isn't the same as your world. If I want your advice, I'll ask for it. And if red flags do come up, I'm much more likely to listen to you if you've respected the privacy of my relationship otherwise.
How married/engaged people seem to forget overnight what it's like to be single. I know I'm not alone in these pet peeves - in fact, most of my peers feel EXACTLY the same way. Yet, I've known newlyweds of less than a year that violate almost every one of these pet peeves. It's like there's a veil of forgetfulness that they pass through between their single life and their married life. And don't give me any cheek about some "awakening" that changes their mind about all these issues - if they truly remember what it's like being single, they would also remember the effect these things have on singles.

Another thing that bothers most singles my age (it's not a personal pet peeve of mine, but seemed appropriate to post here) is how people in the church treat singles. They talk about the singles ward as if it's the Island of Misfit Toys. Nobody wants them, and there's something wrong with each one. They just don't fit in, so let's send them somewhere that they don't bother us. I've had friends express frustration about how they don't feel welcome in family wards. There's a huge chunk of singles who fall away from the church; there's no need to put undue pressure on them to fit in. Why is it that so many people feel like there's no spot for singles in the church, when we preach that 2 out of 3 degrees of the Celestial Kingdom are for them? Just an observation...

Okay, for all you single people: what are some pet peeves of yours that I didn't put on the list? For you married people: I know not all of you are guilty of these things. And for those who have a differing opinion, I'm happy to hear your reasoning. :-)

Menacing Society #3: A Case for Discrimination?

2011-05-11T13:19:00.002-06:00

In case you haven't heard yet, I'm moving! I signed my new lease the other day, and will be out of my apartment by the end of the month. With finding a place to live fresh on my mind, I think it's a good time to talk about how I believe singles are being discriminated against in the housing market.

A year ago, while I was looking for a place to live with 2 of my friends, I was denied the opportunity to move into several homes because they were zoned as single-family units. Renters told me they wanted to rent the house to us, but didn't want to suffer any legal consequences due to violations of city ordinances. It turns out that there's a large number of cities which have single-family zoning ordinances that set a maximum number of unrelated people from living in a house - generally ranging from 2 to 4 unrelated people. Most of these ordinances are accompanied by local news articles citing the reasons for establishing the limitations: loud parties, unkempt yards, cars parked on the streets, and generally irresponsible singles moving into the neighborhood. In other words, unmarried people who live together are menaces to society.

It was always my understanding that zoning ordinances were supposed to prevent businesses from moving into residential areas, not singles. I always thought that loud parties could be stopped by noise ordinances, not housing ordinances. I always thought the law was meant to punish behavior, not people.

I understand that there is a large percent of greedy people who are overly concerned about neighbors bringing down the value of their homes. I understand that almost everyone wants their neighborhood to be nice. But based on my understanding of basic human rights, parking your car on your lawn is not a crime. And if you really don't want your neighbor's garbage can to show from the street, I think you're better off moving to a neighborhood with an HOA that has the appropriate bylaws (and I also think you're WAY too obsessed with trying to control your neighborhood).

I'm moving out of a place that has been discriminating against singles and multiple-family homes in a similar way. The community isn't zoned as single-family, but I've had to park a block away from home just to prevent my car from being towed, regardless of the number of empty visitor stalls in the community, OR the fact that I have a visitor parking tag.

I stand firm in my opinion that single-family zoning ordinances discriminate against my marital status. The ordinances are vaguely familiar to the literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses that were once put in place to prevent black people from voting. Not wanting to sound negative, I did a lot of research to find a positive source online that addresses the issue. Ironically, it comes from my least favorite city, in an effort to change the city ordinances to remove the cap on the number of unrelated people that can live in a house currently zoned as a single-family unit. Enjoy the read here and share your opinions with me.

Menacing Society #2: There Must Be Something Wrong...

2011-05-01T21:37:00.001-06:00

Admit it - you know you've said it (or at least thought it) at some point in your life: "Anyone that old and still single has something seriously wrong with him/her." I know I said it more than just a couple times when I was younger, before I really got to know anyone who was older and unmarried - back when dating and courtship seemed as easy to me as elementary school arithmetic. My equation went something like this:

Dating Efforts + Worthiness to marry = Happy Ending

There are way too many people who think it's that easy. Most married people I run into seem to have forgotten their dating lives, and revert to this equation, or a variation of it. And why not? It makes it easy to explain why people go unmarried for so many years. Either they're not trying hard enough/don't want it bad enough, or something is wrong with them that makes them unworthy of another's affections.

And suddenly people become my personal date doctor, and try to diagnose why I'm not married. After asking about my dating efforts, to make sure the efforts are healthy, I become the subject of a superficial psycho-analysis. I say superficial, because most people base their hypothesis on assumptions. Whether they say it directly to me or not, most people are terrible at keeping their thoughts off their faces. Suddenly their eyebrows will contort, and they'll look at me as if they're trying to read my soul for the answer. And here are the test results:

1 - "You're not physically attractive enough. You're just a sweet spirit."
My response: Looks may make a big impression, but if it were really about looks, then there are TONS of couples that should never have married, and several others that should be married.

2 - "You lack the necessary social skills."
My response: I may not be socially compatible with you, but trust me - I have WAY too many friends for you to be making that claim.

3 - "You're too picky."
My response: Are you seriously suggesting I marry someone I really don't want to? Really? So, you really don't care about my happiness...

4 - "You've got a skeleton in the closet."
My response: No. No, I don't. And it's offensive that you would automatically assume that of me, simply because I'm not married. I mean, what kind of skeleton is bad enough to keep every girl I'm interested in from getting close to me? And if it's that bad, how could you think I'm capable of it?

5 - "You must be gay."
My response: I don't even know where to start with this one. One of the most awesome people I know, Melissa, was asked if she was lesbian by an old acquaintance after revealing that she was 28 and unmarried (the other person didn't even ask Melissa if she was dating someone before asking this)! Her response blew my mind: "No. But if you need to tell people I'm lesbian because you're so embarrassed to know someone who's 28 and single, then you have my permission." I mean, really!

There are other reasons people make up to explain why I'm still not married. They're pretty ridiculous excuses, and less believable than the ones I've listed. But even then, people still get married - every day - with any number of the reasons I listed above. So it's pretty clear that it's not that simple. Obviously I don't have it figured out yet, but I'm pretty sure the equation for marriage is better represented by the following:

My point is, finding the right person, and convincing them that you're the right person for them can be complicated. And sometimes, you can go a long time without finding that special someone through no fault of your own. Could it be that there's no simple explanation for why some people go unmarried for so long?

If you ask my opinion, I'd say that sometimes you have to consider divine providence. I look back at all the efforts I've made to get married, make myself more attractive, meet new people, etc. Then I look at all the other experiences I've had, and how it's changed my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I have grown and changed a TON each year, and my perspective is completely different than what it was just a few years ago. I'm grateful I didn't get married before turning 25 - there's a lot of me I wouldn't have discovered yet. Not only that, but I've had incredible experiences through service that I wouldn't have been exposed to had I been married. And the older I've gotten, the more comfort I find in my prayers that one day I'll be happily married to a woman who was absolutely worth the wait.

And let's face it - I'm not old by any means. Anywhere outside of Utah, no one would think twice about the fact I haven't "settled down" yet. But here, it's a social norm to be married by the time you turn 25. And since I'm outside of the norm, the Sociology text-books would call me deviant. Deviant sounds like a cross between defiant and devil, therefore I must be a menace to society.

Menacing Society #1: Thoughts on General Conference

2011-04-17T20:41:00.000-06:00

For those who may have missed General Conference this April, several of the talks directed some attention to the single men of the church, and their responsibility to get married. In fact, it stands out to most people as one of the prominent themes of Conference this year. So it comes as no surprise that I've been confronted several times about the topic. But I've also noticed that my conversations seem a little one-sided and presumptuous. Therefore, I've decided to write a series of blog entries from the perspective of a 25+ year-old priesthood holder. Comments are welcome as always, as I'd love to hear the opinions of all my blog readers.

First off, I want to say that I fully support the brethren, AND the message. Over the last several years, I've noticed how the family unit has become more and more attacked by the adversary. More and more families are victims of divorce, pornography, etc. The last several years have seen more and more negative reactions to the church's position on homosexuality and same gender marriage. The scriptures prophesy that in the last days women will refuse to have children (don't be surprised when the brethren focus on that at conference 5 years from now). It should come as no surprise that marriage is becoming a lower priority for an increasing number of people. And let's face it, society doesn't do much to support the concept of marriage. People in my generation have seen a greater number of broken marriages, cheating spouses, and expensive divorces than any generation in the past. Jaded people preach against marriage all over the world. The baby boomer generation has done well to teach the importance of education and financial success to their progeny. Not to mention, dating has taken on a whole different meaning - especially in Utah. The perception is that commitment is expected earlier and earlier. I can tell you from experience, that if I haven't kissed a girl by the 3rd date, she starts to wonder if I'm playing mind games with her, and she'll drop me for someone else. Knowing this, girls are much more afraid to accept a 3rd date with a guy they're undecided about - for fear he might pull a move on her before she's ready for it.

Yes, I've seen way too many peers procrastinate marriage, dating, etc. They put their primary focus on education and career. They hang out with girls so that they can get to know the girl before deciding whether to take that bold commitment and ask her out. Yes, asking a girl out is perceived by too many Utah singles as a commitment to pursue the girl. So I fully support the brethren in their challenge for the men of the church to change their priorities and just go for it.

HOWEVER, just because I fit the demographic - just because I'm a single, worthy priesthood holder over 25 years old - DOESN'T mean that the Conference teachings were directed toward me. Elder Holland even reminded everyone of the fact in his talk. Elder Oaks directed his comments toward those who are lacking the desire to marry. Elder Scott's talk was quite clearly meant to convince everyone in the church of the wonderful reasons that we value marriage. Let me spell it out for you: there was NO call to repentance toward those in my demographic who are earnestly trying to get married, and have been unsuccessful for several years. President Monson advised us to choose our wife wisely.

When people point a condescending finger at me in reaction to the words taught at Conference, it's a little painful - not because I'm guilty and need to repent. It's painful because they don't understand how much rejection I've faced over the last several years, and they assume it's all my fault.

10,000 Days of Awesomeness

2011-03-01T10:58:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, my friends and I were commenting on how we think it's weird when a mother says her child is 24 months old. You mean 2 years? When do you transition from weeks to months, and from months to years? That's when we decided to figure out how many days old we were. I was surprised to find out that today would be my ten thousandth day alive.

I've been able to do a lot of reflecting lately, and I've come to the conclusion that I have had a really awesome 10,000 days! I can't complain at all.

One thing I've learned that I'd like to pass on is that my life has been most enjoyable when I focus on growing. I have noticed too many people settle into a groove they like, and stop progressing. It's like they have defined themselves, and aren't able to admit that there might be more to life. Those tend to be the same people who like to define others. I have found that there is so much more that life has to offer when you are constantly redefining yourself. I also get a chuckle every time I reunite with someone from my past. I can tell exactly when I knew them based on our conversation. They'll ask, how's the piano coming? or, still singing in choirs/dancing/preparing taxes/etc? The answer is almost always yes, but there are several other things I'm doing as well. I have been happy most of my life, and usually very content with where I was. But when I'm reminded of where I've come in the last 10,000 days, I'm 100% glad I didn't become too content to redefine myself. For as awesome as my life was, I'm usually embarrassed now to think of who I was then. I don't like thinking that that's how people remember me. I feel like I'm a completely different person than I was 3 years ago, and both are completely different from who I was 6 years ago. I have a much better life now!

Here's to another 10,000 days of awesomeness!

Vivid Dream

2011-02-11T10:53:00.002-07:00

I was playing Clue with some friends. After a while, we went outside and found that we were in a really old-school town. It was as if we had travelled back in time to some colonial era township. We explored the uninhabited village, and I noticed that the layout of the buildings was exactly the same as the layout of the rooms on the Clue game board. We had been playing our game in the Dining Room, which was now some sort of Reception Hall. Suddenly I noticed there were all sorts of half-buried corpses all over the town. We went back to the game and played a few more rounds, when I found myself outside again. Only this time I discovered that the town was changing. There was a ghost-like shadow of the town, corpses, and everything else coming out of the physical versions at a 10 degree angle.
For some reason this was a tell-tale sign to me that we were playing a Jumanji-like variation of Clue that was causing Sleepy Hollow to raise from the dead around me. Everyone except my brother had disappeared, and it was up to us to finish the game! Finishing became especially difficult, as now we had to actually travel from building to building in the town square in order to solve the mystery. I did my best to avoid the mad carriage driver as he drove through the muddy streets at an incredible speed. But once or twice while I was walking down a muddy alley, my attempts to blend in with the wall weren't enough to go undetected from the skeleton sentinels. I was forced to use witty conversation to convince them I wasn't trying to finish any Clue jumanji games. Thankfully it worked.
For some reason it took me forever to figure out that it didn't matter whether me or my brother won the game. But I was deathly afraid of the consequences of cheating when the thought crossed my mind. I mean, what happened to everyone else who was playing Clue with us?
By some stroke of luck we figured out the location, and were about to solve the mystery. Good thing, too. The dead were raising all over town! Then, right at the climax, I woke up

Post #100: Before and After Pictures

2010-12-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

I'd have posted these earlier, but I realized that I was almost to my 100th post. So to celebrate the monumental occasion, I decided to make it a monumental post.

Okay, since you're not likely to read anything before looking at the pictures, I'll post the pictures first:

After 20 Weeks of Progress

I'm amazed at how different I look!

I only took 2 "before" pictures. Wish I'd taken some with these poses.

The Journey:
I'd been meaning to do something like this for the last 4-5 years. But I was never ready to commit to it. It's a HUGE lifestyle change! I've always had too much of a sweet tooth to have any motivation to fix my eating habits. And when you're out of shape, the gym never sounds fun. Not to mention, I'm constantly going out to eat with friends after rehearsals, or just because. But nevertheless, I've wanted to make this change. I even made it my New Year's resolution for 2010.

The big thing that got me to start was moving out, because it's MUCH less tempting to cheat when you can control what's in your pantry. So I started the week I got back from Europe. I paid my trainer in advance so that I had motivation not to back out.

It's incredibly surprising, but I wasn't tempted to cheat on my diet for most of my program. It may be because of my motivation to see results. Or it may be because I was eating WAY more food than I was used to previously. Yes, the grocery bills were EXPENSIVE. I can't say the same for my motivation at the gym. Yes, I was committed enough to do the full workouts. But there were several days when I would get to the gym and spend 10-20 minutes mentally convincing myself that I needed to just start and get it over with. Yet somehow I managed to give myself just enough motivation every night to put my all into the workout.

Several people asked me why I was trying to gain weight. It seems kind of obvious to me, especially when I look at the pictures. In fact, almost every time I was asked why I was doing this, I thought to myself, "are you daft?" Not only does exercise enhance your physical appearance, but it's been known to give people confidence. Why wouldn't I want to do this?

It's funny. Even now I can look down at my body and not see much of a change. From my point of view (without a mirror or pictures), I look the same as I always looked. I can't explain it, because I know of all sorts of changes my body has made recently. I definitely don't feel like I look the same when I'm looking in a mirror or at pictures. I guess this is a warning to you that your perception of yourself may fool you.

The best part about my journey was all the little discoveries I made along the way. I was constantly watching the progress of my pecs and biceps, but the changes were so gradual that I hardly noticed the change. However, I hardly gave thought to any of my other muscles because my focus was on just a couple muscles. So naturally, it seemed like they suddenly appeared out of nowhere. One day I tried to scratch my back, and noticed my lats! I went to lay down on my arm one day when I noticed it was MUCH more comfortable than usual. Then when I reached up for something, my shoulder flexed and my pillow disappeared - such an awesome discovery! One morning on my way to the shower I noticed my back had a much better shape. And it seemed like I grew a butt in a day. I discovered it just a few hours before bending over and ripping my pants.

As part of my program, I wanted to see how long it took for people to notice my changes. So I had to make sure I didn't tell everyone that I was working out and dieting. However, I also needed to have support in my diet from all around me. And since my friends and cast members would frequently go out to eat, I knew it was better to tell them and keep it secret from my family (since I typically only see my family about once a week). The first family member to notice was my sister-in-law. She told me I was getting fatter, but it was the good kind of fat that made me look better. I was tickled, and didn't tell her that it's because I was gaining muscle - not fat. After about 10 weeks, that was the only comment I received. Not to mention, my brother was coming in town (he hadn't seen me since before I started the program). I wanted him to say something, so I made sure to wear the smallest shirt I own when I had dinner with the family that day. Sure enough, he said something about it, followed by a couple other family members. That's when I decided it was okay to talk to them about my progress. My mom walked by as I was telling my brother how much I weighed. She overheard, and jiggled my pec. My brother said something like "can you believe how big Jon's pecs are?" Her classic response: "those aren't pecs - those are boobs." My brother corrected her and had me flex for her. After feeling that it was indeed muscle, she said "Hey Richard! Come grope Jon!"

I didn't lose all the fat I want to lose (still can't see my abs). But I'm giving myself a break for the holidays. I may gain a little fat over the next week or two. And I won't be so strict on my diet once I start up again. But I'm in this for the long run. You can count on it!

Cranberry Almond Trifle

2010-12-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

I made this for our family Christmas party. I had found the recipe while researching the feasibility of using cranberries as the featured ingredient for our ward Iron Chef FHE activity (which was a HUGE success, by the way). And so I decided to make it, with the help of Melissa!

It doesn't just look delicious - it tasted delicious too!

Amazing Weekend

2010-12-22T23:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know what else there is to say about it. I had somewhat close encounters with half of the 12, other general authorities, the guest artists, and other random half-celebrities. I wasn't a big fan of rehearsals this year - most of them left me feeling annoyed at all sorts of little things. But once we started performances, all that left. It was so much fun to perform in front of such a huge crowd! And I have to say, I was quite amazed at the response we got for the trick step I was in. I'm pretty sure that most of the audience didn't understand that the 3 solos before us required much more talent than our little move, because ours was the only one that got applause during the middle of the song. No complaints - it got us a nice photo in the newspaper.

Best part of the weekend was the part where a bunch of us checked into some hotel rooms and stayed downtown all weekend! Nothing but good times.

Marry Christmas

2010-12-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

I just received an email with a Christmas greeting from my mission president. He concluded it with the words, Marry Christmas. Was he thinking of me when he wrote it?

Am I The Only One...

2010-12-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

...who finds going to the dentist relaxing? I have to focus to stay awake during my appointments. I think this is why it's so relaxing to me:
1) Nice, comfortable chair to lay down in
2) Soft, soothing music in a quiet atmosphere
3) During cleanings, the polisher gently vibrates your head, while massaging your gums
4) You're tasked with doing nothing except keeping your mouth open. I think it's one of the only times I ever have nothing to do.
5) Even when you're having work done on your teeth, modern anesthetics make it so that you feel virtually nothing.

Yep, I've almost fallen asleep at the dentist's several times - without the aid of laughing gas. Anyone else have this kind of experience at the dentist?

Queasy at the Sight

2010-11-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get queasy at the sight of blood? I'm talking about queasy to the point where you feel like you're either going to pass out or throw up - not just being grossed out by blood. I don't get grossed out by blood, but it has made me queasy on a few rare occasions in my lifetime. Up until this weekend, I only got queasy at the sight of real blood. I was watching a televised C-section once and had to lay on the ground to keep from passing out. There was once a reality show where they made multiple piercings in a contestant's arm that made me feel sick to my stomach. The only other times I remember being sick at the sight of blood are when I've donated blood and watched the needle stick into my arm.

As I said, this weekend was the first time I have ever been queasy at the sight of fake blood. And I'm not the only one. I watched the movie 127 Hours with some friends. I knew it was rated R, and I fully expected it to be because of the graphic nature of the main character cutting off his arm (with a potential for offensive language). Yes, there was offensive language. And yes, the arm scene is incredibly graphic. I'm not the only one who had an involuntary physical reaction to the sight of blood. Several theater patrons left the theater because they felt sick, including one of my friends. When the movie ended and we left the theater, we found out that the paramedics had been called (apparently someone did pass out). So if you're thinking of watching this movie, consider yourself warned. You may not make it to the end.

Bah Humbug!

2010-11-15T13:51:00.003-07:00

It happened again! Christmas fanatics have outdone themselves, just like last year. And once again, I've lost the Christmas spirit before the season has even begun! Listen, I get the fact that it might be your favorite holiday. But when was it ever appropriate to celebrate a holiday for 3 months straight??? I know for a fact I'm not the only one who thinks people start decorating for Christmas WAY TOO EARLY. Not only do I have to put blinders on when I go shopping, and avoid certain radio stations. I have to completely avoid State Street in Murray thanks to whichever local government officials think it's time to line the road with bright red and green Christmas lights.

What happened to the brown, yellow, and orange that's synonymous with November? Do these people even remember the point of Thanksgiving?

The big excuse someone gave me this year was "Thanksgiving - what better time to be grateful for Christ's birth?" My response to that is this: What does an 8-foot tall evergreen in your living room have to do with Christ's birth, anyways?

So until next year, Bah Humbug!

Composite Faces

2010-11-11T20:49:00.004-07:00

I just recently discovered how much fun composite faces can be to play with. A composite face is exactly what the name implies - it's a combination of multiple faces. In my humble internet research, I've discovered that composite faces tend to be more attractive than the individual faces that were used to make up the composite. This is because average is considered attractive. But that's not all - anthropologists have done many studies with composite faces, revealing some interesting facts. For example, one scientist presented people with a series of faces, and asked them to identify those they considered to be dominant. When he made composites separating the faces based on his survey, he found that those faces considered to be dominant all had similar characteristics (large jaw, thick eyebrows, etc), while the remaining pictures exhibited more passive looks.

I decided to do my own experiment - for fun - and see what the average guy and girl in my ward look like. I just used the ward directory, so there were several factors that contributed to fuzziness. But it turned out clear enough, so I'm posting the pictures. Here are the results based on the combination of 35 girls and 32 guys:

The girls

The guys

As you can see, they're quite beautiful. It was actually fun to combine just a few faces at a time - I could pick out individual faces in the composite face.

Best Horoscope Ever

2010-11-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of horoscopes and fortune cookies. I don't put much stock into what they say, but I still enjoy reading them. I mean, there's something exciting about pretending - just for a moment - that the stars have aligned to dictate what's in store for you. Just for a moment, the central focus of the universe is you - and you can predict your future by simply reading the stars correctly.

As fun as that is, I am even more entertained by misfortune cookies, horrorscopes, and any horoscope that doesn't take astrology too seriously.

While I was hanging out with a friend this weekend, we picked up a City Weekly magazine. While we were flipping through it, we found the horoscopes. We're both Libras, so we enjoy reading our horoscopes together. City Weekly publishes horoscopes from a source that takes astrology seriously. So imagine my surprise, and utter amusement, when I read this:

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Check out this haiku by Mizuhara Shuoshi, translated from the Japanese by William J. Higginson: “stuck in a vase/ deep mountain magnolia/ blossoms open.” Does that remind you of anyone? It should. I think it pretty much sums up your current situation. More accurately, it captures the best possible scenario you can strive to achieve, given your circumstances. Yes, there are limitations you have to deal with right now: being in the vase. And yet there’s no reason you can’t bloom like a deep mountain magnolia.

This is by far the best horoscope I've ever had. We were laughing so hard my stomach hurt!

How Much Do You Care?

2010-11-02T10:51:00.000-06:00

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the deterioration of the English language? I'm not talking about slang and internet lingo - they actually add words to our language (lol has become the common courtesy laugh of the day). What I'm talking about is how people don't seem to care about what they say, as long as the general idea comes across.

For example, I always hear people say, "I could care less," when they really mean "I couldn't care less." Logically, if you were to look at a scale from 1 to 10 on how much you care, saying "I could care less" means you are ANYWHERE on the scale except the bottom. Yet, while both phrases have completely opposite meanings, they're generally accepted to mean the same thing.

Speaking of language nuances, it used to bug me when people tried to compliment me on a "wonderful gift" I had, when I considered it to be a talent. The way I see it, a talent is something you have to work hard at, like singing (I was pretty much tone deaf when I was 12); whereas, a gift is something that comes naturally, like my ability to creep people out. Eventually I figured out that it doesn't matter whether people see something as a gift or a talent.

To Beard, or Not to Beard

2010-10-28T10:02:00.000-06:00

I haven't shaved for about 2 weeks now, and I've got a decent amount of facial hair. I've been growing it out for a production I'm going to be in for Christmas. But I just found out that the decision to have us in facial hair has been revoked. Now they're telling us that we CAN'T wear facial hair for the performance.

So that leaves me with the dilemma: what should I do with my facial hair now that I have it? I wondered about whether or not to celebrate Movember, but decided I will want to shave LONG before the end of November. Instead, I think I'll trim my face down for a Halloween costume and shave it all off after that. But I don't know what I want to dress as for Halloween anymore. I was going to be a werewolf, but I had a bad experience with the costume at Monday's Halloween dance. The hair kept getting all in my eyes, nose, and mouth - and when I went to wipe it away, the hair on my face kept tickling me. Also, I found myself "shedding" within 2 hours." Here's a picture of me at the end of the night:

So I want to be something else. Problem is, I don't know what. What costumes can you think of that would incorporate some facial hair? Also, what should I shave off first? Should I get a good picture of myself with a child molester porn-stache? or should I sport the Brigham chinstrap? Knowing that it'll only last a day or two, I'm willing to go crazy with it. So please! Tell me your thoughts!

Sticky note prank

2010-10-26T11:26:00.001-06:00

My birthday was about 2 weeks ago. I don't announce my birthday to people; I don't see the need. It's just another day to me, and has been for years. Besides, if someone doesn't know when my birthday is, I don't have to feel bad when they either don't remember, or don't treat me any differently. Imagine my surprise when I left for work on my birthday, only to be stopped in the parking lot. Apparently someone knew when my birthday was, and wanted to make sure I celebrated it - with Post-It notes.

That's right - sticky notes all over the car! Quite a good prank if you ask me. I thought it was a work of art.

About an hour and a half later, I finally showed up to the office. I only worked half a day that day, because of a trip I had planned to go down to Cedar City (yes, on my birthday) for an improv festival. I had an enjoyable weekend. When I came home, I had a second surprise:

About 30 gallons later, I was finally able to go to bed. So to the person who left these birthday presents for me: watch your back. I know who you are and am waiting for the perfect time to strike back! To everyone else: I'm open for ideas.

Summer European Tour: Austria

2010-10-25T12:25:00.000-06:00

The last country we visited on our tour was Austria, home of the delicious soda, Almdudler:

Almdudler isn't the only good thing to appreciate in Austria. Here are a few other things you can find in Austria:

Water! The first stop was the city of Bregenz, which is located on the shore of Lake Konstanz (Constance). The lake borders Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.

Opera! Bregenz is known for its unique Opera House, where the stage is located on the water (it was used for a scene in James Bond). Aida was just opening
Don't ask me why they used pieces of the Statue of Liberty as the focus of their set, painted blue with stars. They wouldn't let us in to see the show, even though we were willing to pay (it was a preview night for the sponsors). From what I could see from further along the shore, Aida was dressed as a nun, there was a warlock scene, and the actors got rides from the cranes.

Statues!

Mozart! Mozart was born in this building...

...in this city (Salzburg):

Higher Learning: We stopped at Melk Abbey, a monastery/school that had some really cool things:

the Holy Grail

the "beautiful blue" Danube

this library has secret passages in the bookcases

this skeleton on display is REAL

Style! Our first place to eat in Vienna was a restaurant in which they gave everyone a hat to wear. Nobody chose their own hat, which made it even more awesome!

The High Life! Schonbrunn Palace is in Vienna, where the Hapsburg monarchy lived. The Hapsburg family is still alive, but due to events surrounding the World War, they're not allowed into the country. So the Palace is now a major tourist attraction.

Smart People! Don't know if you can see it, but all these people are playing chess against one woman, who didn't seem to spend more than 5 seconds coming up with a move as she went down the row.

Architecture! The streets of Vienna were awesome.

Mozart ended his career performing regularly at this church:

Other Composers! Mozart isn't the only classical musician to come out of Vienna. Here's a picture of our tour guide at one of Beethoven's homes:
And here's our entire tour group posing in front of the Strauss monument.
Other Pictures: Just for fun I included another picture of the "beautiful blue" Danube as it runs through Vienna. Also is the best picture I got of the city of Vienna (it was an overcast day, so you really couldn't see much).

Re: Dear Autumn

2010-10-25T10:05:00.000-06:00

What happened? Was it something I said? I was so excited for Fall. But instead of being able to enjoy the season I've longed all year for, Summer lingered a little too long and BAM! This is what I see when I wake up:

It's not fair. The average temperature didn't make a gradual drop to cold weather. One minute it's warm enough to wear shorts, the next minute it's snowing! I'm pretty sure Autumn is supposed to come between Summer and Winter. I'm also pretty sure that it goes like this (at least, as far as my opinion counts):

Winter < Spring < Summer < Autumn

So why did we only get 2 days of real Autumn? I feel cheated.

Summer European Tour: Germany

2010-10-06T09:39:00.000-06:00

On to Germany! Our first German stop was the Wieskirche. It was a fun little stop.

On to Neuschwanstein Castle! On the way, I started to see how the Grimm Brothers were so inspired to write fairy tale after fairy tale. In fact, I started wondering myself how many trolls lived in the many forests that surrounded Bavaria.

I took this picture of the bridge from Neuschwanstein Castle. Then I made my way over to the bridge to get a good shot of the castle and surrounding area.

Soon I started climbing the mountain opposite the castle, to see how high I could go.

Our other stop in Germany was Mt. Kehlstein, where the Eagle's Nest sits. Nicknamed "Hitler's Teahouse," this building was meant for a 50th birthday present to Hitler, designed as a vacation spot and place for him to entertain guests. The building is at the very top of a really really steep mountain. One wrong move, and it's very likely you could roll all the way to the bottom of the mountain before stopping.

Conclusion: I love Germany!

Summer European Tour: Switzerland

2010-10-02T18:00:00.000-06:00

I know it's been 2 months since I went to Europe, but I'm finally getting around to uploading photos. The first part of our trip to Europe took us to Switzerland! Switzerland is popularly known for the Alps, cuckoo clocks, watches, knives, cheese, and of course chocolate! We landed in Zurich and spent half a day exploring the city. I climbed one of the towers of the Grossmunster Church, where Huldrych Zwingli preached, to get some pictures of the city:

After leaving Zurich, we went to Lucerne. Probably the biggest landmark in Lucerne is this water tower, that was once used as a prison:
But one of the biggest tourist attractions in Lucerne is Lake Lucerne. Check out these pictures I took on a ferry ride through the lake:

(Cliffs of Insanity?)

At the end of the ferry ride, we rode a cable car up to the top of the very steep Mt. Pilatus. The top 1000 feet were immersed in clouds, so I'm glad I got these pictures when I did:

Going down the other side of the mountain, we stopped to spend a little time at a fun tourist trap. They had a real Alpine slide in the real Alps. It was funner and cheaper than the one in Park City, and they dragged you and your toboggan up to the top when you were done:

Back down the mountain.
Exploring the city, we found a way to get up on top of the city wall, where there were more incredible pictures to be taken:

Our last stop in Switzerland was Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe (it's measured by gallons that go through it, which is why the waterfall isn't very high):

Yes, I made it out to the little island in the middle of the falls.
Switzerland was a great country, with wonderful food and great people. He's one of my favorites:

Dear Autumn

2010-09-22T11:22:00.000-06:00

Dear Autumn,

On your first official day here I'd just like to say, welcome back! I've missed you for a long time now. I know your visits are brief--sometimes as short as only a few weeks. Perhaps you don't feel welcome in Utah? I admit, there are a lot of people who wish that Summer would linger a little longer. And I'm sure that Utah's reputation of having the "greatest snow on earth" makes you feel as if people are only enduring your stay in anticipation of an early arrival from Winter. But I, for one, am a true fan of yours.

Now that you're here, let me tell you of some of the things I hope we can do together. After all, I plan to make the most of every minute we have together.

I used to always love when school was starting, and I have a suspicion that it had to do with your arrival. Remember how I used to try doing my homework outside under the trees? Haha! The homework was so boring it would often put me to sleep. But you always had a bed of leaves for me to nap in. I think this year I need to read a good book under a tree again, for old times' sake.
Speaking of leaves, before it gets too cold we should go on a hike. I've been getting better at my photography. We'll do a photo shoot up in the mountains. But you're so photogenic, I can't imagine one picture not turning out perfect.
I promise we'll do another murder mystery this year. They're loads of fun! I know I could do them in other times of the year, but they're funnest with you around. Maybe that's because of all the spooks of
Halloween! This has to be the best time of the year (better than Christmas). I plan to spend all October enjoying this holiday. Remember when I was 10 and Grant Gordon and I would read each other scary stories? I think that might be part of the reason I love all the ghosts, goblins, witches, mummies, vampires, werewolves, zombies, skeletons, and other spooks of Halloween. It's time for haunted houses and scary movies! And who can deny the joy of dressing up in obscure, eccentric, scary, or funny costumes, parading through the school (0r the office), and going to fun parties?
I'll go to a corn maze this year, and try to get lost. It's always funner when you're legitimately lost. Besides, I'm in no rush to go back inside and get out of the perfectly chilled air, that smells of harvest.
You bring the best food. I love your tomatoes, zucchini, herbs, pumpkins, apples, and of course sweet potatoes. You always give us plenty of excuses to eat delicious soups and chili. There are tons of good recipes to enjoy while you're around.

There are plenty of other reasons I hope you'll stick around this year. I love your visits, and hate it when you leave early. I hope this year you'll stay for Thanksgiving. You're a much better guest than Winter (who's always cold and impersonal). But either way, I'll make the most of the time I have with you.

Sincerely,

Jon

Free Money!

2010-09-13T12:19:00.001-06:00

You know it's a good day when you check your messages at work to find out that you won a $100 gift card from a local grocery store! You should go enter your name - they're running this promotion until Saturday. You could be as lucky as me!

Conference Calls Gone Wrong

2010-09-10T13:33:00.003-06:00

Sometimes people struggle because they don't understand the technology they're using. I often feel that's the case with some of the equipment we use at my office. We're a satellite location of corporate headquarters, which is located in New York (surprise, surprise). So we often have meetings in which we video conference into New York. I'm always entertained at how long it takes them to troubleshoot what's wrong with the video conference - why we can hear them but not see them, etc.

Sometimes people are just idiots, and are oblivious to the impact that their use of technology affects those around them. I experienced one of these moments yesterday. The CEO in New York was speaking to the company. Big deal. Our office wasn't the only office video conferencing, and many others were calling in to listen from various parts of the country. About halfway through the meeting we heard a phone ring from one of the many lines connected to the mothersource. For the next few minutes, I was treated to one half of a personal phone call. Following that, we heard a baby crying, and somebody moving things. This went on for a good 30 minutes while the CEO (whose receiver was silent, and was therefore unable to hear the background noise) went on with his presentation, unaware of the problem. Multiple times, someone from another line voiced in to request that the person put their phone on mute. But the efforts were futile. The guilty party was obviously not paying any attention to the meeting.

On the other hand, it did break up the monotony. So thank you, anonymous stranger.

It's a Poll!

2010-08-27T11:46:00.003-06:00

So I've decided that I don't blog often enough because I can't think of things to say, am waiting to upload pictures, or just sometimes don't care. I know the disappointment that comes when you go to someone's blog and nothing has been updated. So I think it may be time to start a blog series or two. I've seen some pretty fun blog series other people have done. And I think if I had a repeating subject, it would make it easier to update the blog once in a while when I otherwise wouldn't be posting anything.

And since you are my loyal readers, I figure there might be something you are more interested in reading on my blog. So what kind of blog series should I start? I may start a couple, depending on if I really want to write a series on any particular subject. But please give me your input. Vote on the poll to the side----> and feel free to add comments if there's anything else you'd like to suggest.

Okay, several of these ideas are stolen from other blogs. So what?

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

2010-08-18T13:40:00.002-06:00

That's right! It's opening night! I'm so excited to be performing in front of live audiences! This show has been a lot of work for me, and I really think it's paid off. I work with the best cast I've ever worked with, I have a TON of stage time (I almost never get a break backstage between costume changes, etc.), and most importantly, I LOVE this show. The story is fun, the music is catchy, and the choreography is definitely challenging and fun.

So if you can make it, I definitely suggest it. You can find details by clicking on the Upcoming Peformances tab at the top of this page. :-)

I'm back!

2010-07-28T13:03:00.002-06:00

I promise I'll get some pictures posted up here as soon as I can. Please be patient. I took over 400 pictures in Europe and am having a hard time deciding which ones to post. Plus it takes a while to upload pictures, so I'm not so thrilled about taking the time to do it.

A Little Less Conversation

2010-07-12T11:05:00.002-06:00

Can we get some better conversation starters? Everybody uses the same ones so many times a day that it almost makes me sick. Think about it: How many times do you find yourself giving the same generic answer to "How's it going?" (granted, that's become more of a greeting than a conversation starter these days). And how many times DON'T you say "nothing" when someone asks "What's new?" "How was your day?" usually results in a one word adjective, with the question being returned to the asker. The conversation starter usually gets nowhere, and people resort to their backup conversation starters: asking about work (it's a 4-letter word), family/dating life (thank you for reminding me that I'm single), or any hobbies of yours that they're aware of (which always risks being out-of-date). When all else fails, people resort to their favorite topic--themselves. You know someone is really grasping for topics when they bring up the weather (unless there's something extreme, like a hurricane).

I'm guilty of these conversation starters just like everyone else. But I try to mix things up every once in a while by asking a random question in place of "How's it going?" For example, a few weeks ago I started asking people "What made you decide not to become a teacher?" I was surprised at how effective of a conversation starter that was. Turns out nearly everyone considered teaching at some point in their lives, and many of their reasons for not choosing the career touch on controversial issues, such as government pay and benefits, disagreements with state-mandated curriculums, and even gender bias and stereotyping in the workplace. Needless to say it was an effective conversation starter, and I had many conversations that were much more interesting than the typical "life is okay. you?"

I've also tried to throw off the generic conversation by having something to say when people ask me "What's new?" In case you're not aware yet, I am obsessed with being busy. If I ever end up sitting at home doing nothing one night, I add something else to my already-busy schedule. So there's usually something new in my life to talk about. But I've found myself resorting to the default "nothing" in two situations: 1) if I can't remember what I've already told you about, or 2) if my life is so focused on one thing and I'm think I'd bore you if I brought up the topic. Such is the case right now in my life. While I could talk about my new home, my roommate's new dog, my upcoming trip to Europe, or the upcoming wedding of one of my best friends, I find myself really only wanting to talk about Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which has consumed my life lately. I'm incredibly excited about it, and could talk anybody's ear off, but I'm generally concerned that I'll bore the other party, so I resort to the "nothing" that leads to nothing in a conversation.

Confession: Funny Office Behavior

2010-06-11T14:56:00.002-06:00

Working in an office building can be pretty rough sometimes. Lots of people seem to agree that they drain you of your personality--being forced to spend 8 hours a day in a small cube, knowing that 5 people will hear everything you say (that's just one example). If you're lucky, you have something worth walking outside for on your breaks (such as evenly spaced trees and an untouched stretch of lawn). Some of us look for ways to escape the daily humdrum cycle that seems to suck our lives away at times. I've realized my escapes are not so ordinary. But then, who doesn't have their own office behavior that others question right? Right? Maybe you shouldn't answer that and leave me believing that at least I have company in my awkwardness. Here's a couple of things I do that fall under the "not-so-normal ways to escape the office" category.

I tap dance in the elevator, but only when I'm the only one in the elevator (it's a rare time when I don't want an audience). Although it's really funny when the door opens and I see a bewildered look on someone's face, wondering if it's safe to enter the elevator after all that noise they heard.

My other funny office quirk has a story that comes with it: Every once in a while I get tired at the office. So tired I need a quick nap to rebound and start working again. But there's no couch in our break room. In fact, there's no break room at all, since they recently tore down the wall separating it from the rest of the office. I can't nap at my desk and be accused of sleeping on the job, even if I was on break. So I go to the next best place: since our office is on the 5th of 6 floors, there's a spot in the stairwell that is virtually never seen by anyone--except one desperate napper. Very rarely has a health-oriented 6th floor employee opened the door and caused me to pretend I wasn't taking a nap. I'm only ever there for a maximum of 15 minutes, after all. And yet one day I was interrupted 4 times, culminating in my favorite interview ever: "Are you homeless?" Yes, I'm a homeless kid who wears business casual and climbs office buildings for a nap. Seriously???

So what about you? Do you have any unusual habits at work? Or do you think I'm just that much crazier?

Spring Runoff Ran Off With My Flip Flops!

2010-06-07T10:08:00.006-06:00

It's been an incredibly hot June compared to the cold and snowy May we had this year. As a result, all the snow in the mountains decided to melt all in one day--or so it would seem. And this year's runoff was quite an adventure.

Last night at about 8:00 my brother left because he had been asked to help put sandbags by the river at Wheeler Farm. Had I known how serious of a problem it was, I would have joined him. It wasn't until later when my roommates told me I was needed that I went to help keep the river in check.

We went to 53rd South, right by Murray Park. In the shallowest part of the street, the water covered my ankles. I was made keenly aware that I was in flip flops when I stepped into the water and froze my feet. But it turned out to be a blessing, as I was able to detect major breaches in the sand wall that was being built next to the sidewalk. When it seemed like the river was under control there, we ventured into Murray Park to see the impact. The river was running across the entire parking lot at Parkside Elementary. The pond had become a lake. And some of the picnic tables were completely submerged, except for just enough of the tabletops to be able to recognize what they were.

My flip flops broke early on, so I set them down and went barefoot the rest of the night. We did really well, all except for one shack/guest house/whatever that was flooded by the time we got there. When I went back to retrieve my flip flops, I discovered that a channel had been built right on top of where they were. So they were carried away from the side of the street and taken back to the river. If anyone finds them downstream, feel free to keep them.

It was fun to keep running into people I know, including my uncle. I was impressed at how the community came together to help their neighbors. At the end of the night someone told me that I had been passing sandbags to Shawn Bradley (makes sense--he was TALL).

I have been around this river almost my whole life. When I was growing up, I knew it as the river in the gully. I've had 3 jobs in the Union Park area, where the river runs. I lived with my parents near the river by Wheeler Farm. And I currently spend lots of time by the river as it runs through Murray. This summer I'll be performing a show in the amphitheater right next to the river in Murray Park. So this river is like a home to me.

I used to spend hours in the river with my friend, who I always teased about being obsessed with the river. Truth be told, I loved the river almost as much as he did. So today at lunch I went to the gully to see how it looks in the place I've known the longest. I've always loved seeing the river during spring runoff. Today was no exception. Although I have to say that it's twice as big as I've ever seen it during runoff before. There are 3 rows of rock barricades, and only the top one is visible right now. I'm reminded of the time my friend and I thought it was a good idea to ride down the river during runoff on some inflatable pool mattresses. The plan was to jump out just before we got to the waterfall at the bridge. I'm lucky to have made it out of there without getting hurt, considering the slippery rocks and unexpectedly strong current. Although now, the waterfall would be nothing more than a quick rapid.

I'm glad I "got my feet wet" and helped out last night. It was a really good experience.

Moving Out

2010-05-12T13:53:00.003-06:00

It's official! I'm moving out on the 1st of June. I've got two friends I'm going to live with, and we found a place that we all like. I'll be staying in the ward boundaries, too!

In Bb

2010-04-17T11:39:00.002-06:00

So I just discovered a really, really, really cool website. I'll let you look at it for yourself and decide what you will about it. Let me know what you think!

http://inbflat.net/

Taking Care of Business...While Taking Care of Business

2010-03-03T16:09:00.002-07:00

Within seconds of walking in the bathroom today, I realized that the man in the occupied stall was having a conversation--on his phone. C'mon people! Who uses the restroom while talking on the phone??? What's worse is that he was on a business call and his voice indicated that, while not old enough to be going senile, he was no spring chicken. I'm sure he was at least 40 years old. He should know better! The only way I might excuse him is if he was thinking "I'm gonna take our conversation into the bathroom so that I can tell you what I really think of your presentation."

My regret is that I was so torn on deciding whether I should laugh or be disgusted that I didn't think fast enough to just flush the toilet and turn his conversation into an awkward conversation.

Just the Same Old Excitement

2010-02-23T14:01:00.003-07:00

So I haven't been able to come up with anything to blog about lately. I had been attributing it to the fact that I have nothing exciting to blog about, which makes me think that life isn't exciting. Then I realized that just because I'm doing the same things doesn't mean they're not exciting.

I always have a performance I'm looking forward to, whether it's improv comedy, tap dancing, or sometimes a stage production (and sometimes all 3). I meet new people every week, go on lots of dates, and continually develop some really incredible friendships. I have 4 vacations this year that I'm planning, and many other goals on my bucket list I've been working on as well. I have a great job with incredible benefits.

So the fact that I can't come up with any stories I think are noteworthy doesn't mean that I'm bored with my life. I'm quite the opposite. I may be too busy to post something, or I may not feel like my stories are fit for the blogging world. But life is still amazing!

I Need Your Votes!

2010-02-01T09:51:00.002-07:00

My dating competition just ended, and it's time to vote! Please, everyone, go to thedatingrace.blogspot.com and vote for who you think I should go on the group 2nd date with. Vote for whomever you want--they're all really good choices. It's been such a fun thing and I'm glad I had a chance to go out with so many awesome girls last month.

The Dating Race

2010-01-25T09:15:00.002-07:00

I hope anyone reading this blog has had a chance to look at The Dating Race. If you haven't, go to thedatingrace.blogspot.com and check it out. It's what's kept me most busy this month (I've had about 3 dates for every 4 days so far). It's been a really fun month, and I'm closer to winning than I expected (I still think Shayla's gonna win in the end, but I'm trying to catch her). This is an especially good week to read the blog, as there will be a vote at the end of the month for which girl you think I should take on the group date (between me, Eric, and Shayla). Anyways, I hope you're all doing as well as I am.

My Bucket List

2010-01-06T09:04:00.001-07:00

Instead of posting my New Year's Resolutions (I have them), I thought it would be more fun to post my bucket list. These are things I would like to do at some point in my life. Some of them have already been accomplished. But it seems that when I experience one thrill (like skydiving) I feel like I need to have another, bigger thrill (like flying a wingsuit). At the bottom you can see things that are commonly on people's bucket lists that I've already experienced. So here's my bucket list:

Visit all 50 States
Visit 7 Wonders of the World
Visit all 7 continents
Audition for a Broadway show
Vacation in the Bahamas
Be in a movie
Go bungie jumping
Ride a camel in the desert
Go cliff diving
Go deep sea fishing
Go dog sledding
Drive across the country
Write a song
Ride an elephant
Visit the Grand Canyon
Visit the Great Wall of China
Go hang gliding
Learn a second language
Ride a hot air balloon
Visit Ireland
Learn to improvise jazz piano
Learn to juggle
Go kayaking
Attend a black tie event in NYC
See the Louvre
Run a marathon
Get married
Have kids
Own my own house
Go parasailing
Participate in a multi-day murder mystery (at a hotel or on a cruise)
Play the tabernacle organ
See the pyramids
Visit a South American or African rainforest
Go sailing
Ride a San Fransisco cable car
Go scuba diving
Create a short film
Go snowboarding
Go snow skiing
Fly in a wingsuit (sometimes called squirrel suits)
Go surfing
Swim with dolphins
Cross a tightrope
Ride a train (Heber Creeper doesn't count)
Go trapeze flying
Watch a rocket blastoff
Experience weightlessness
Write a book

Things I've already done:

Appear on Reality TV
Climb a mountain
Go on a cruise
Go to Disneyland or Disneyworld (I've done both)
Drink water directly from a glacier
Watch a glacier calf
Ride a helicopter
Go horseback riding
Kiss under a mistletoe
Swim in the ocean
Attend an Olympic event
See whales swimming in the ocean
Go skydiving
Go snorkeling
Go snowmobiling
Visit the Statue of Liberty
Ride in a subway
Go tap dancing
Go waterskiing
Go whitewater rafting
Ride a zipline

Reminiscent to any gamers?

2010-01-05T12:54:00.002-07:00

Before they take down these Christmas lights I had to take a picture of my neighbor's house. Every time I drive by at night, I'm reminded of a video game that used to be way popular called Gauntlet Legends. We never owned the game, but enough other people did that we played it a lot.

It Could Be Reality TV!

2009-12-28T15:07:00.006-07:00

Some of you might be aware that for nearly a year (Nov 08 to about Sept 09) I didn't share any details about my dating life with nearly anyone. Now, for one month, I'm going public! I decided to do a little friendly competition with some friends to see who can go on the most dates in January. We're tracking our dates on a joint blog and have a little reward for the winner. Not only that, but we decided that after the month is over, our blog readers will decide who we go out with a second time, and we're going on a group date with the fan favorites. Oh--and if any of you have been thinking of setting me up with someone (for a first date), now's a great time!

The Dating Race

A B C D Oops!

2009-12-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

I'm quite used to hearing the sound of sirens from my office. We have a police department and fire department not too far from where I work. I guess that's a good thing, because most of the time they stop to sort out a traffic accident right outside my office. I'd say the intersection gets an accident about once a week (seriously). I work on the 5th floor, so that's usually about the only thing I can hear. Imagine my surprise when today I heard a screech and a slam. The whole office got up and immediately went to the window to determine how the accident happened, and whether or not everyone involved survived.

You'll be happy to hear that all 4 drivers in today's accident were protected enough to be able to get out and inspect their cars. But it was a lot harder than usual to figure out exactly how it happened. I'm still not sure how it happened. Maybe you can help. I've used my incredible artistic abilities to recreate the scene for your own benefit. To protect the identities of those involved (thereby avoiding much embarassment), I've drawn their vehicles in a generic color, so as to prevent them from being recognized.

The red arrows indicate which direction the car was facing at the end of the accident. It's a 4-way intersection, but should be treated as a 3-way intersection, as cars entering and exiting the west side are extremely rare. I don't believe I've seen an accident in that intersection involving a car from the west. To the east is a huge shopping area, and lots of traffic is generated there. There is a light almost immediately south of the intersection (as well as another large shopping area), causing southbound traffic to back up through this intersection quite often. The intersection directly north of this intersection runs through a cycle that takes about 2 minutes instead of 1 to run through. This tends to cause impatient drivers to put the pedal to the metal.

There was some question at first as to whether or not vehicle A was even involved in the accident. However, after the cops showed up, it became apparent that vehicle A ran into vehicle B. The glass on the road most likely came from the driver's side of vehicle D, unless driver D just had those windows rolled down. I didn't see any other broken glass on any of the vehicles. In fact, the only other damage visible from my office was on the front end of car D (hood was sticking up). I'll give you 4 possible scenarios, and you can let me know how you think it happened by voting in my poll:

Scenario A: Car C was making a left turn to head east as the light changed. Car D, heading north, sped through the intersection in hopes of catching the light. Realizing he would run into C, D slammed on the breaks, causing the skid marks. Since the light had turned green, A and B had started moving forward. C had been pushed over by D, and B ran into C, after which D wasn't able to stop soon enough.

Scenario B: It was car D that was making the left turn to head east. C came flying through the intersection northbound and when they hit each other, they spun into their final positions.

Scenario C: C was heading from the west side of the intersection to the east while B was pulling forward for a left turn. D didn't realize there was a stop light until too late. Came skidding in, hit the south side of C, which had tried moving out of the way, but instead ran head on into B.

Scenario D: D was suicidal, drunk, or just not paying attention and ran into a pole at the southeast corner of the intersection. C, watching the whole thing, slammed on his breaks and just happened to run into B. A went into a fit of rage and hit the gas pedal to blow off some steam, running into B.

Well, which is it?

Lousy Thanksgiving Ingrates Did It Again

2009-11-25T09:20:00.005-07:00

That's it! I've had enough! Don't expect me to be holly OR jolly this Christmas. Too many people have started Christmas
WAY too early this year, and they've driven me mad!

Imagine a bunch of kids taking a class picture. When the snapshot is taken, Christmas is the disrespectful kid who is pushing over the kids to his right and left and hogging all of the attention. Thanksgiving is so timid by nature that you barely even see her behind Christmas's arm. New Years has his back to Christmas, but has still been knocked over a little bit. He'd be knocked over if he didn't have his resolutions crutch to lean on. This year Christmas smashed Halloween's jack-o-lantern--before October was over! And for me, Christmas even cast his shadow over September (no joke).

I know some of you are thinking "why do you go to rehearsals for 2 months for a Christmas show?" The funny thing is, those rehearsals don't bother me at all. My mind can distinguish the difference between a needed rehearsal and a blatant attempt to make Christmas last half a year long. I'm talking about people who set up their Christmas lights in October--and insist on turning them on every night. I'm talking about people who constantly talk about the upcoming Christmas, and plan their Christmas gifts months in advance. I'm talking about stores that gear up for Christmas WAY too early. And most especially, I'm talking about those people who sing or play Christmas songs unabashedly out of season.

To those who are guilty of any of these things, you claim it's because Christmas is the Season of Giving, which always brings out the best in people. If it truly was about giving, you would understand that it doesn't need to be Christmas in order to give and serve others. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the point of Thanksgiving based on the pilgrims and indians breaking race barriers, coming together, and sharing with each other? No, you're not excited about the Season of Giving. You're excited about the season of Santa: the Season of Getting. I'll be fair and show you the same appreciation toward Christmas that you've shown toward my favorite season. Looks like you've made a scrooge out of me this year. Maybe next December I'll have avoided all of you so that I can enjoy Christmas (I doubt it). But until then, Bah Humbug!!!

High Hopes Let Down

2009-11-18T09:45:00.004-07:00

At this moment, I can't think of anything more disappointing than biting into a donut only to find out that the center of the donut doesn't have any of the jelly advertised by the deceptively luring exterior. I think I'm gonna cry.

Will You Take Me Out?

2009-11-16T14:53:00.001-07:00

So, I'm just gonna throw this out there...

When is it okay to ask someone out on a date, set the date, time, activity, etc., and then ask them to pay? This just happened to me, and I feel like I got suckered into taking someone out.

Too Tired to Get Dressed Properly

2009-11-04T14:58:00.001-07:00

Do you ever get through most of your day before you look down and realize that your sock is inside out?

Wanna Play? Or Are You Afraid of the Commitment?

2009-11-03T13:06:00.004-07:00

I spend several lunch breaks walking through the gully where I used to grow up. It feels like I spent half my life in the gully. Every time I go there, I'm reminded of some new memory that took place down there. Today as I looked up at the homes of some of my earliest friends, I was surprised at how many memories popped into my head at once.

Then I started thinking about how back then we never planned any activities. We just called each other up and asked "Wanna play?" It wasn't until we got together that we talked about what we were actually going to do. And even on days when we couldn't think of something to do, we still had more fun than we would have had we stayed at our own homes.

Why is it different now? It seems like most friends want to know exactly what we're doing before we get together. And even when you have a plan, it can be hard to get people to commit to anything. I think the problems may have started when it became politically incorrect to say "play." I realize that "playing" sounds childish, but doesn't "hanging out" sound like you're gonna sit in a room and be boring? Go ahead and get rid of the term "playing," but replace it with something that at least sounds enticing. Next, why do you always need to know exactly what we're gonna do before committing? Are you holding out for a better offer? And if you do get a better offer, I'm I uninvited? Because to me, that sounds more childish than offering to "play." Why not help me come up with something fun to do? We might actually come up with something that you'd enjoy if you contribute some ideas.

I always seem to have more fun when I'm around people I like than on my own--even if the activity isn't anything I care about doing. I think that's why there are so many childhood memories I love. I don't understand the need to prescreen all "hang outs" for optimum entertainment.

Morning Blues

2009-11-02T08:53:00.003-07:00

I'm not sure which I don't like more--the fact that I have to wake up in the morning, or the fact that I have to work in the office when--now that I'm awake--I could be enjoying the beautiful morning outside. To make matters worse, my desk faces away from all the windows.

No time to lose

2009-10-22T09:48:00.003-06:00

Okay, I have to be careful about the way that I word this so that I don't get in trouble. Please do the same.

I'm rehearsing for a new Christmas production. This one is a very high-profile production, which is why I could get in trouble if I post the name of it anywhere. But I want you all to come, and you have to register for your tickets NOW in order to get them. If you don't register by Monday night, you won't get any tickets to the show. Go to this website to register for tickets (and to find out what this is about if you haven't already figured it out).

Come See My Musical!

2009-10-14T09:02:00.002-06:00

Many hours of hard work are about to be put to rest as my Stake Music Revue opens this weekend. For those of you who don't know, I took on the role of director for this production. But that's not all. I also choreographed a couple of the numbers (mainly the tap dances). And there were a couple of issues with minus tracks, so I made my own arrangement of a few songs and recorded them for the accompaniment. As you can imagine, I've been incredibly busy with this show (last night I didn't get home from rehearsal until after midnight). So please show your support and come to the show. It's this Friday (the 16th) and next Monday (the 19th) at 7:00 at my church (160 E 4600 S). Here's the best part: It's FREE!!!!

One Reason I No Longer Like Peanut Butter

2009-10-07T11:06:00.001-06:00

Peanut butter leaves me feeling unsatiated.

Be Polite, Pinky

2009-09-30T09:00:00.003-06:00

This morning as I was logging into my computer, I realized that for years my subconscious has been telling me that there's a rude way of typing. When you learn to type, you're taught to shift with the opposite hand than the one typing the capital letter. For some reason a part of me has always thought it was bad manners to shift with the same hand that is typing the letter.

Where did I come up with an idea like that?

My Life as a Movie

2009-09-16T18:51:00.008-06:00

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Would the Soundtrack be?

How to do it:
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc).
2. Put it on Shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.
6. Be honest.

OPENING CREDITS
When Tomorrow Comes, Pillar

WAKING UP
Life in Tenement Square, Flogging Molly

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
In The End, Linkin Park

FALLING IN LOVE
Babylon, Unwritten Law

FIGHT SONG
I Hate Myself for Losing You, Kelly Clarkson

BREAKING UP
Sayonara Senorita, Reel Big Fish

PROM
Wanna Be, Ninedays

LIFE IS GOOD
Somebody Hates Me, Reel Big Fish

DRIVING
Several Ways to Die Trying, Dashboard Confessional

MENTAL BREAKDOWN
Lobotomy for Dummies, Zebrahead

FLASHBACK
Now or Never, Zebrahead

GETTING BACK TOGETHER
We're So Far Away, Mae

WEDDING
Mambo Swing, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

FINAL BATTLE
It's Warmer in the Basement, Cobra Starship

DEATH SCENE
Build God, Then We'll Talk, Panic at the Disco

FUNERAL SONG
Too Far Gone, The All-American Rejects

END CREDITS
Last Summer, Lost Prophets

Help me decide which actor will play me:

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Seussical the Musical

2009-08-13T13:25:00.003-06:00

Hey everybody, get the word out! I've been working hard on a musical lately and would like all of you to come. Seussical the Musical at the Sandy amphitheater!

We open tomorrow night (the 14th) and run through the 22nd. Tickets--buy them here--range anywhere from $8-$16 depending on where you sit (yes, it's reserved seating). The theater is on the corner of 94th S. and 13th E.

Bring your kids! They will love it! Especially if they're familiar with Dr. Seuss books. Read the books to them before you come so that they can recognize all their favorite characters on stage. It's really a fun show with lots of color and can entertain kids of ALL ages.

For those of you who don't know the musical, it follows the story lines of:
Horton Hears a Who
Horton Hatches an Egg, and
The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz

But it also has songs, characters, and other surprises inspired by the following Dr. Seuss books (in order of prominence in the show):
The Cat in the Hat
Amazing Gertrude
Oh the Thinks You Can Think
Green Eggs and Ham
I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
It's Possible
Hunches in Bunches
If I Ran the Circus
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
McElligot's Pool
The Butter Battle Book
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
The Lorax
The Sneetches and Other Stories
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Oh the Places You'll Go

So come see me! It's a fun show for all!

P.S. I have pictures from Hawaii--I'll post them when I have time...eventually...

Wish You Were Here

2009-08-02T18:58:00.001-06:00

Having a blast! I'll be home soon.

Nunsense!

2009-07-28T08:47:00.004-06:00

Hey everybody. Many of you probably don't know this, but I choreographed a dance number for Nunsense this summer. It's playing at the Murray amphitheater (in Murray Park) on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of this week and next week. That's right, the show opens tonight! So if you get a chance, head over to Murray Park and check it out. I choreographed the Act I finale (Tackle that Temptation with a Timestep). But you should also go to see my friends Larissa and Leah perform.

Alaska Highlights

2009-07-22T13:30:00.000-06:00

Here's a few highlights from my Alaska trip:

I love Seattle every time I visit. It was great spending time with my dad there.

If you look closely, you can see the mother eagle on the branch, and the baby eagle in the nest. These wildlife pictures were taken in Ketchikan.

This was a picture of a sunset taken somewhere between 10:30 and 11:00. I was never up to see the sunrise, but I was told it was rising between 3:30 and 4:00.

Up by Hubbard Glacier, the ship drove through a field of icebergs. Sometimes there would be animals (like seals and otters) sitting on them.

When the boat stopped by the glacier, so did the wind. Pretty soon I decided it was too warm to wear my jacket. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

I'm really glad I paid the extra money to take the helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier (outside Juneau) and hike around for a few hours. The ice climbing was way fun!

I'm kinda frustrated with how the picture above turned out. The sunlight was reflecting off the ice, so it looks a lot lighter than it was. It was pretty much the color of the blue water in the picture below. I thought my mind was playing tricks with me, because from my perspective it looked like I was walking on water. I was partly concerned that I'd fall through a thin layer of ice into a pool of extremely cold water!

This vacation was definitely worth it!

Alaqxaq

2009-07-13T23:17:00.001-06:00

I'm back from Alaska, or as I've been corrected: Alaqxaq (the earliest name for Alaska). I don't have time to post lots of pictures tonight, but here's a sample of what my trip was like (yes, that's me):

And to show you just how steep that ice wall was, here's a picture of the same wall from the side:

Bon Voyage

2009-07-02T08:42:00.002-06:00

Well, so much for getting the last of my Philippines pictures up before going to Alaska. I'll be too busy between now and then. I have to be honest--I'm PUMPED about this! I've always wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise.

I'm Not Dead

2009-06-23T09:12:00.002-06:00

Okay, okay. I know I've been a bad blogger lately. I'm not dead, and I haven't given up on my blog either. I've been wanting to post my Philippines Part 3 entry for a while, but haven't uploaded the pictures yet--and that requires spending a few minutes at home (something I haven't done in weeks, it seems).

I just finished spending a week as an EFY counselor. It was amazing! It's incredibly rewarding to see someone's testimony grow in the week that you are their mentor. It was fortunate that I did EFY last week, too. It kept me out of the house while Richard was home with the swine flu. At least, if it was the swine flu, I'm glad I wasn't around.

More to come, I promise (even if I have to upload my pictures after my Alaskan cruise).

The Little Mermaid

2009-06-04T15:01:00.002-06:00

So I've been way too busy the last week to post anything. But I wanted to let you know about a performance I have tomorrow (Friday). I was asked by a friend to be Prince Eric in her dance studio's year-end concert. She teaches dance classes to kids from 3 years old all the way up to high school students. So if you're interested in coming, be aware that it's going to be in the style of a recital (only along with the story of the Little Mermaid). I dance two Pas De Deux's (I'm not sure how to make that plural), which is the first time I've ever done any ballet. I also have a tap solo, and some other appearances (such as Kiss the Girl).

The show is at the Covey Center on Center Street in Provo. We are performing at 4:00 and 7:00. The best part--it's free!

I also found out that my tap company was invited to perform a few dances in between the two performances (about 6:00). If you're at all interested in seeing what I've been doing, this is your last chance to see my tap company for the rest of the summer. We'll be taking a break until September.

Then hopefully I'll be able to sleep in on the occasional Saturday.

Old Memory

2009-05-23T21:19:00.000-06:00

An old memory recently emerged from the recesses of my brain:

I must have been somewhere between the ages of 4 and 6. I had been over to my friend's house, and we'd had a fight. I remember that we were both biting down on each others' thumbs as hard as we could. I went home crying because it hurt so much. I don't know how long I'd been sulking--probably only a few minutes--when the phone rang. I picked it up, assuming it was my friend, and rudely said "What do YOU want?" The reply was was something like "How did you know it was me?" I recognized my grandmother's voice immediately, and was embarrassed.

I miss my grandma. She died 6 years ago today. In addition to helping to teach me phone manners, she spent a ton of time teaching me to play the piano. I love my grandma!

Philippines Part 2: Isdaan and the Wedding

2009-05-23T00:26:00.001-06:00

On the way back from lunch, we stopped at the internet cafe to find some sheet music for me to play at the wedding. The internet cafe was nice (it was actually air conditioned). Plus, there was a wonderful view of a field in the backyard. Joyce told me that the plants in the field are the same as the leaves that I ate at lunch earlier (crispified into a nice chip).

Matt and Jonah left us at the hotel to rest for a bit while they picked up Jonah's mother. Then we went to dinner at the Isdaan Floating Restaurant. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me. Imagine a bamboo hut with a grass roof, floating on a bamboo raft. Now put a table inside of the hut, and that's where we ate--right on the water, in a little hut. Nothing was served on plates or platters. The restaurant uses banana leaves. We were also taught to eat our food in the traditional Filipino way--with our bare hands (after sanitizing them with Calimansi--a citrus fruit comparable to a small lime--first). The restaurant had tons of statues, and other artistic stuff all around, including a bicycle made of water faucets. There was also a wall to help release any anger you might have. You decide what the target of your anger is, then you yell "Tacsiyapo!" and throw a ceramic plate at it. I didn't have any built up anger, so I just did it for fun. I think I threw the plate at the media. I would have to say the Isdaan Floating Restaurant was definitely a slice of paradise.

The next day was the wedding. Matt and Jonah had asked me to play Pachelbel's Canon for the wedding march. It was nice to be involved, and I was grateful for the opportunity. The wedding had a couple of speakers, who spake in "Taglish"--a cross between English and Taglish. I later asked why, wondering if it might have anything to do with being sensitive to those who only understood one language. I was told that it's easier to speak in Taglish than just speaking in Tagalog or English, and they usually speak in Taglish at church and other places. With what seemed like every other word being spoken in English, I had a pretty good idea of what was spoken the whole time, and even laughed at some of the humorous comments.

I was in for more surprises when we got to the reception. I felt quite honored to lead the toast as the best man. I was only nervous about what dark liquid was in the glass that I was handed, but was relieved to taste that it was just coke. Instead of tossing the garter and boquet, the people in charge of the reception have a tradition where you pass it around like a game of hot potato. It was about the time that I won it that I suspected the game might have been staged to land on me and the maid of honor, Joyce. So, we had to play a game where we mimic the bride and groom as they demonstrate the 3 levels of a kiss. My mom took a video with her camera about halfway through. You'll have to watch the video to see if the emcee really made us go through with the last kiss (this version is a little longer than the one on Matt and Jonah's blog).

All in all, the wedding day was a really great day. Jonah was glowing every time I looked at her, and she looked very beautiful. Matt looked as happy as I've ever seen him. I was very glad to be a part of the whole thing.

Waiting For Pictures...

2009-05-20T11:55:00.004-06:00

My brother still hasn't made the rest of my pictures available to me, so we have to wait for part 2 of the Philippines stories. In the mean time, here's a little something else that's going on in my life:

If any of you are interested in seeing my performance as Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, we open the show this Friday at the Sorensen Unity Center on 900 W 1300 S in Salt Lake. The show has two casts, so make sure you come to one of the shows I'll actually be performing in. I perform the 22nd, 26th, 28th, 30th, and the matinee on the 23rd. Tickets are cheaper online here than they are if you buy them in person at the box office. Hope to see you there!

Philippines Part 1

2009-05-17T18:30:00.005-06:00

I'm back! Before I go into anything else, I have to say, the trip was AWESOME!!! I had lots of trepidation about it before going, but I'm definitely glad I went. I had the time of my life.

The adventures started before we even got to Manila--we were in for a surprise at the Tokyo airport. I'm not sure if it's been on the news or not, but getting off an airplane in Japan can take 15 to 30 minutes longer due to the Swine Flu scare. Before we landed, each passenger was asked to fill out a Health Questionnaire (which was poorly translated, with slightly humorous results). Then when the plane landed we were told to stay in our seats while a group of "quarantine officials" boarded the plane and reviewed our paperwork--one at a time. I didn't take a picture, but I found this picture online that was taken at the same airport. The plane fell into an eerie silence when the first official stepped onto the aircraft pointing his heat sensor at everyone. My throat suddenly went dry and I felt like a cough was coming. I drank the last of my water--but it didn't help! It seemed like an eternity before they gave us the all-clear.

We landed in Manila and had to find my brother, who was going to pick us up from the airport. Once we got our luggage and went through customs, we were not only greeted by the humidity, but a crowd of people waiting for their travelers in a designated waiting area. My brother found us and we were on our way--or so I thought. We couldn't go to Tarlac until we found a mechanic (at about midnight) to fix the van my brother had rented for the week. After about an hour, we were on our way to Tarlac.

We stayed at La Maja Rica Hotel, which my brother said is the nicest hotel in the province. There were no box springs in the beds, but other than that I didn't have a problem with it.

In the morning, we went to run a few errands. The van was at another mechanic for a more permanent fix-up, so we rode tricycles instead! It's like a taxi, only more fun. I rode on the inside of one with Jonah and her sister Jingle. Joyce was on the back, behind the driver, and the others were in another tricycle. P.S. no seatbelts, so hold on!

Matt pointed out this store as the place where they got Jonah's wedding dress.

We drove to an all-you-can-eat buffet in Angeles for lunch. This was definitely an adventure (those are snails in the top right corner, not mushrooms). Nobody really explained what any of the food was until after I ate it. As soon as I brought
this plate back from the table, everyone gasped and asked if I was really going to eat the black stuff. It was probably the stuff I liked the most that meal(turned out to be a dish made out of pig's blood). Dessert was a Halo Halo (Tagalog for "mix mix"). Basically, you put a ton of stuff into a glass, add shaved ice and milk, and mix it up. I decided not to put any beans in mine, or most of the gelatin options. This one has sweet potato-like vegetable chunks, bananas, crispy rice, tapioca, and some sort of coconut gelatin stuff.

It was about this point that I realized that my camera came with a really small memory card. Matt had a memory card that I borrowed, but I can't post any of those pictures until I get them from him. So this is the end of post #1. More to come!

I'm Gone!

2009-05-11T01:28:00.002-06:00

Chances are, if you read this post sometime on Monday or even Tuesday morning, I'll be traveling to the Philippines. For any who don't know, I'm going to see my brother's wedding. I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to log in at his internet cafe, so I may have no new posts until I get back.

Good thing I got my passport a few days ago!

My First Picture

2009-05-09T15:26:00.002-06:00

After 25 years of surviving without a digital camera (okay, they haven't been around that long, but still...), I finally bought one. This is the first picture I took with it:

I then found the flash and took this as my second picture:

I think this will work nicely for my upcoming trip.

The Party Never Ends

2009-05-08T09:26:00.002-06:00

Have you noticed that people like to have a reason to celebrate? I think I'm reminded of it every time Mother's Day comes around. It was a holiday created by retail stores to sell more merchandise. I don't disagree with the holiday; I think all caring mothers (as if any aren't caring) deserve special recognition. I think it's funny that we are willing to make up a holiday just because we want to celebrate.

A better example is the fact that I've been celebrating variations of Cinco de Mayo for almost a week. It all started on Sunday when my mom served enchiladas and said we could call it our Tress de Mayo celebration. Family Home Evening on Monday was a Cuatro de Mayo celebration in which we ate nachos and learned to salsa dance. Then of course there was an official Cinco de Mayo day on the 5th (when it should be). Wednesday night I went to a party that was also Mexican themed--hence, Seis de Mayo. Finally, yesterday at work our office had a Siete de Mayo taco potluck for lunch. I find it ironic that I celebrated the holiday for 5 days, when it's not even a big deal in Mexico.

Some people have actually decided every day should be a holiday. You can find all sorts of calendars on the web, such as this one, letting you know what fun holiday it is today. So if you're ever looking for a theme for your next party, don't forget that someone has made up a holiday for whatever day you're throwing your party.

Happy Anniversary...I Guess?

2009-05-04T15:14:00.002-06:00

I have officially been in the ward for a year now. And while I may not be proud of the fact that I'm still single, I love where I am right now. I've made tons of really great friendships, and met some really amazing people with incredible stories. I admit that I was a ward hopper a year ago, but as soon as I came to church at this ward, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Here's a shout out to the 30th ward! You guys all rock!

We Got Signed! (So to Speak)

2009-04-30T08:51:00.002-06:00

Great news everybody! And...Go! Improv is going to be seen regularly at the Showtime Utah Theater at 20 S Main Street in Pleasant Grove! I just confirmed it with the Theater Director last night. We'll definitely be performing every month that has 5 weekends, but the theater director said that if this other act falls through, we'll have a spot once a month at the theater.

The best part? We're performing tomorrow night. So if you're looking for a funny night, our show starts at 9:30. See you there!

Work

2009-04-28T10:01:00.003-06:00

You ever have one of those days at work when you feel like you've accomplished a month's worth of work, and it's only 10:00 am? Boy does it feel good!

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T23:02:00.001-06:00

So I failed to mention this morning that it's Earth Day! It's been a great Earth Day, too. Boondocks was awesome--I think we should do that every week. I got home early and enjoyed the beautiful weather in the backyard. And tonight I had a very successful improv show. It was a new breakthrough for me on the comedy thing. I was especially funny in areas I haven't been funny at in the past, so I hope it means I'm getting better (and that it wasn't just luck).

So as part of Earth Day celebration, my office is collecting "E-waste" to be recycled or disposed of properly. This includes any old computer parts, phones, or other electronic devices that are broken, obsolete, or otherwise unused. We'll be collecting items for donation over the next 2 weeks so that we can get them disposed of properly. If any of you happen to have anything you want to donate, great! Just let me know. Happy Earth Day!

Great Job!

2009-04-22T08:48:00.002-06:00

I know I probably brag about my job too much, but that's because it's an awesome place to work. Everyone is leaving the office at 11:30 today to go to Boondocks! Last year our boss promised an off-site event if we could raise $5000 for the American Heart Association. We met our goal in September, and now that it's warm again, we're reaping the reward. So instead of working this afternoon, I can add 4 1/2 hours to my timesheet for playing laser tag, mini golf, and other fun things!

Just another reason why I love my job.

Where's the Leading Man?

2009-04-18T13:35:00.001-06:00

For those of you who don't know, I'm currently rehearsing for a stage production of Pride and Prejudice. I was cast in March, and we perform in May. However, I'm really bothered by the fact that nobody has been cast as Darcy yet.

I'm pretty sure it has everything to do with the fact that the director is a 19 year-old girl who grew up reading Pride and Prejudice and watching the movies over and over again. She's got very strong opinions of what makes Darcy a perfect character, and she was probably hoping that Colin Firth would show up and audition for the play. But he didn't. I didn't initially audition for it myself--her sister asked me to show up to the callbacks because they needed men. I was one of 3 guys at the callback. She had me read lines for Collins and wasn't interested in having me read lines for anyone else--I knew then that I would be cast as Collins. Over the next few weeks, I was amazed at the number of men that were added to the cast. I didn't think men could be recruited in such large numbers for a play. All of the roles are now double cast, except for the fact that we still don't have a Darcy. This is what bugs me so much.

With only a month left of rehearsals (mind you, rehearsals are only 3 nights a week), you'd think our director would be desperate for a Darcy. And yet in that desperation, she still doesn't ask any of the men who are double cast to learn the part of Darcy. It's as if she's saying we're all incapable of playing the lead. That's a slap in the face to all of us. It's community theater for crying out loud!!!

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being the only funny character in the whole show. I like being comic relief. But Collins is funny because he doesn't realize he's a bumbling idiot, socially awkward, pompous, and disliked. Part of me wonders if that's why the director says I'm "perfect" for this role. After all, I did try dating her sister, and don't know what caused her to lose interest. My director may have an opinion of me based on that.

This is where type-casting gets offensive. The fact that our director can't find a Darcy out of the 20 men willing to do the show says that she is a very critical judge when it comes to type-casting. Therefore, it's another slap in the face for her to say that I make the "perfect" Collins.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T08:29:00.003-06:00

I hope you had a wonderful Easter. I sure did. I actually got to sleep in, I took a nap, I ate a Cadbury creme egg, and I relaxed most of the day. I love days like that. Too bad they are pretty non-existant lately.

I got some organ music for Easter, and it was fun to sightread yesterday as I was playing prelude music. Some people even commented on how nice it sounded. I'm a fan.

Moving Up in the World

2009-04-06T09:23:00.004-06:00

Friday night my improv group (And...Go!) performed at the theater in Pleasant Grove. It turned out to be such a big success, that the manager offered to have us return on a monthly basis. We'll get a cut of the profits and they'll do our marketing for us. She said of all the comedy groups she's seen perform there, we're the funniest, have the highest energy, and are well organized. I haven't heard if the group has accepted the offer, but I'm pretty sure we will. I never expected the group to make it this far, so it's awesome that we're here!

I know several of you haven't seen us perform yet. I don't know if it's because you have low expectations of the show or if you just haven't been able to coordinate your schedules to see us perform. But apparently we're getting funnier and funnier with each performance. So for those of you who haven't seen my group perform yet, it's only a matter of time before you'll lose your chances to see us perform for free. I'm not sure when our next show is going to be, but keep checking the side of my blog for upcoming performances. Or you can also check out the And...Go! blog at andgoimprov.blogspot.com.

General Conference

2009-03-30T07:36:00.003-06:00

Guess what everybody! I'm singing at General Conference this weekend! I haven't told many people about it because of the constant threat of being kicked out of the choir due to attendance, but if you've been paying attention to the upcoming performances listed on my blog, you probably figured it out by now. There has always been a constant threat of being kicked out of the choir by missing just one rehearsal. Now that there's only one more rehearsal left, I think it's safe to announce that I'll be singing this weekend.

So make sure to watch for me during the Saturday afternoon session. I feel really lucky to be singing at this session, as it's my favorite session all year (the one where they read the church statistics and sustain a whole bunch of new officers--including, most likely, the new apostle this Saturday).

I've got even better news! The church is giving everyone in the choir one single, solitary ticket to the session for a friend/family member. If one of you independent individuals would like to attend the session and silently cheer me on, let me know. :-) If you let me know before Wednesday night, I might even be able to get you a parking pass for the parking lot underneath the conference center--no guarantee, though. Hope to hear from you soon!

New Desk

2009-03-25T23:27:00.002-06:00

So I moved to a new desk today at work. I didn't really want to, but I didn't feel like I had much choice in the matter. The island I previously sat at was where all the "talkers" worked--meaning, we're all quite social. Since the rest of the office is quiet people, anyone in the office could hear when we were talking. While he's never said anything to me, I think my boss was under the impression that my talking has led to lower productivity. I don't ever want my boss thinking that of me. So when he asked me to move, I felt like I needed to in order to prove that I don't have productivity issues.

The two big selling points of the new desk are that it's in a more private area and that my neighbors actually have the same type of accounts to work on (so they can answer any questions I have). However, there are some things I don't like about it. The new desk is right by my boss, so he can see whenever I stand up and talk to my new neighbors. Speaking of neighbors, my new neighbors are not likely to joke around with me like the old ones. I no longer face the windows, so I feel quite closed in. It's in the "quiet zone," and everyone around me can hear any conversation I have on the phone (I've tried talking quieter, but the person on the other end of the phone invariably asks if something is wrong because I'm talking so quietly).

I'm sure not all will be bad about this position. I'll get to make new friends in the office. It will please the boss, which is always a good thing. Besides, sooner or later another desk will open up and I'll be able to move again (there is really only one desk I wouldn't prefer to my new desk, and I'll never be asked to move there).

Spanglish

2009-03-24T09:46:00.000-06:00

I know very little Spanish. I took German in school, and don't expect to study any Latin-based languages any time soon. But, seeing as I've had 3 roommates at different points in my life that were native Mexicans who didn't really speak English, I've had to use Spanglish to communicate with them.

The first bit of Spanglish I made up was the useful phrase that I'm sure most of you have heard me say before: No nintendo. Those two words say everything I need to say. First, it sounds like "no intiendo," which means something to the effect of "I don't understand you." But by saying "no nintendo," I'm also telling the Spanish speaker, "I'm a gringo. I do very American things like play nintendo, and am hopeless at learning your language." And hopefully the Spanish speaker will also see that I have a sense of humor.

Last night, I performed at my stake "Taliente" show--at least, I'd been calling it the taliente show before last night (for those of you who can't figure out what I'm talking about, it's a cross between talent and caliente). Turns out that for the most part, the show was boring. There were a few acts with "taliente," but that was about it.

Anybody have any good words to share?

Mr. Personality

2009-03-20T13:04:00.000-06:00

So I spent the last couple days sitting through a seminar at work. We talked about where we fit on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and how that can affect our relationships. Then we spent the rest of the time talking about effective communication skills--especially in situations where there is conflict.

Turns out my personality is ESTP. You can find out what each letter means by doing a google search on Myers Briggs Types (and might even be able to take the test to see what you are). According to the info in my seminar and wikipedia, it means that I'm spontaneous, easy going, outgoing, charming, witty, fun, generous, observant, socially sophisticated, resourceful, a troubleshooter, unpredictable, action oriented, clever, "most adept among the types at manipulating other people," and one who "sees life as it is." Other ESTPs include Winston Churchill, Eddie Murphy, John Wayne, James Bond, and Heathcliff.

While I'm pretty sure this doesn't apply 100% to me exactly, I think it's fun to look at. Plus, it justifies why I have such a messy desk--the piles represent my "to do list." Do any of you know your Myers-Briggs type?

Luck of the Irish

2009-03-17T08:53:00.002-06:00

Happy St. Patty's Day! Wear green, listen to Flogging Molly (or other Irish music), and dance a jig. I hope you all find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, or at least a lucky clover. And watch out for drunk drivers (you better not be one)!

A Laugh and a Half

2009-03-13T08:46:00.001-06:00

Hey all,

If you get this before tonight, don't forget to come to my improv comedy show. I've been told that we've gotten funnier and funnier with each performance, and tonight's games are especially among my favorites.

Temple Controversy Gets Limelight

2009-03-11T13:24:00.002-06:00

I received an email today asking me to write to HBO and Time-Warner in protest to a controversial episode of Big Love to be aired this weekend. It will basically recreate the temple ceremony as accurately as possible. I was mollified a little when I read this statement by the church on the issue; now I don't plan on writing a letter. However, it still bothers me.

The controversial debates caused by this have raised several questions about what we do in the temple and why it's a big deal to broadcast it on TV. There isn't anything that would embarrass or compromise us. There's no skeleton in the closet we don't want out. I'm pretty sure anyone hoping to find something like that in the ceremony would be quite bored with it. Simply put, I feel like you've stripped me naked and are broadcasting my private parts on TV against my will. It's something church members feel is just as private--or more--as their bodies.

So if you are unfamiliar with our temple ceremonies, please don't watch Big Love.

Frog and Toad the musical

2009-03-09T09:18:00.003-06:00

My best friend and I got to relive some of our childhood this weekend when we saw a stage production of Frog and Toad at the SCERA Theater in Orem. I loved reading the books when I was a kid. They had little conflict and represented true friendship very well. I was excited to see that there is a musical based on the stories, and so was my friend, so we went. It turned out to be surprisingly fun. The music was fun and the main characters were extremely talented. I think the show closes this weekend, so get your tickets fast.

I think it was appropriate that I went with my best friend since childhood. It was as if we saw ourselves on the stage telling scary stories, baking cookies, swimming, and sledding. There's something special about having a friendship where everything you do seems like an adventure. Here's to you, Chism!

What do we have for him, Johnny?

2009-03-05T09:12:00.005-07:00

IT'S A NEW CAR! This 1999 Honda Civic coupe comes complete with side airbags, 130horse power, and only 97000 miles. Its manual transmission and sunroom make this a fun ride. And this car can be yours if the price is right!

I bought a new car yesterday. During my lunch break I started noticing some electrical problems in the White Dragon (lovingly named for the burning oil smoking out of the hood). Last time I had these electrical symptoms, my alternator died within about 10-20 miles. Add electrical problems to my burning oil, major oil leak, bald tires, dead break light bulb (in the back window), timing belt that needs replacing, check engine light, and who knows what other problems the White Dragon had. I decided I shouldn't waste any more time in that car, so I took the rest of the day off to go car shopping.

So a few car lots and test drives later, I found myself negotiating a price on this Honda Civic. I can't explain how I did it, but I was able to negotiate the price down $4000 from their original asking price! So I feel good knowing that I'm not the sucker they originally took me for.

Yes, the car is a 2-door, which is one of the reasons I don't plan on driving it for years to come. But the bright side is that I don't have to worry as much that my car won't live through my next commute. Plus, people will be less inclined to pressure me into driving when it's time to carpool. :)

Cookie Season

2009-03-03T09:30:00.002-07:00

It's that time of year again! All over the country you can find girls running from door to door and setting up shop in public places to sell girl scout cookies. And while budget cuts have made the cookies smaller, these are still a novelty that nearly everyone loves. True, the Trefoils don't taste nearly as good as they did before they changed the recipe. And I've found better chocolate mint cookies than the universally appraised Thin Mints. But I still love buying girl scout cookies. And nothing beats a good Samoa. I think there's something really rewarding when you buy a box of cookies from a girl, knowing I'm contributing to her girl scout experience.

Over-scheduled?

2009-02-28T13:39:00.003-07:00

A friend made a comment this week about how I over-schedule myself. For those of you who aren't aware, I'm busy 98% of my time or more. Between ward activities, my calling, improv comedy, tap dancing, Institute, dating, and other social activities, I'm pretty lucky to spend more than an hour at home most days before going to bed--and I never get to bed before midnight anymore. But I don't see anything wrong with that. I've always been of the opinion that it's the extra things I've done that have brought me the most joy. Plus I'm not often stressed out anymore. There are times when one thing requires a sacrifice from one of the others (such as a mandatory meeting/rehearsal or a performance), but it seems like everything makes room for everything else.

Friends have been trying to convince me for a while to get a Facebook account. But among several reasons I've chosen not to get an account, time is one of the most prominent. They say it just takes 10 minutes to check it, but that 10 minutes is valuable rare time I'd rather not spend online. Besides, I'm not hurting on the social networking side of things (I love my social life, and I meet new people every week). Am I really missing out?

No, I don't think I'm over-scheduled. I've got myself scheduled just enough to suit what I want to be doing right now. Oh, and for those of you wondering when I'm going to be in another musical? Not anytime soon...I've got other things I'm involved with right now. :)

It's a Contest!

2009-02-23T08:59:00.002-07:00

I found this on my friend's blog and thought I'd give it a try. And yes, the first 5 to respond to this will win something from me! But...you have to follow the instructions:

Repost this to your own blog and offer the same thing to your first 5 responders.
The first 5 who repost it to their own blog will get something made by me! My choice. For you!
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make
2.What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year-no guarantees on when this year, but sometime in 2009!
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. the possibilities are endless.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The first 5 people post this on their blog and leave a me comment telling me they did, win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it! Sounds like fun right?!? So let's PLAY!

Breaking and Entering

2009-02-18T08:41:00.003-07:00

Last night I got out of a meeting early and realized I had a little time to kill before going to improv. My mind started wandering, and I remembered my friend, thinking, "I wonder how he's doing right now." Just then, he called me. He had locked himself out of his car in Provo and was wondering if I could bring his spare key to him. I agreed, and proceeded to his house to get his spare key.

After wandering around his neighborhood, I finally identified which house was his. I opened the garage door with his key code and went in. However, the door from his garage was locked too. I called my friend back and he was way confused, since they "never" lock that door. He told me he would have to call his roommate to see what other options we had.

A minute later he calls back and asks, "Do you have a credit card?" I couldn't believe it! That was his ingenious solution--just break into the house. So here I am, jiggling the door knob, shoving my credit card into the door, and slamming my body against the door. I was sure that anyone would have known just by glancing at me that I was trying to break into the house, so I kept looking behind me to make sure I hadn't been spotted. After a few minutes, the door opened! I can't believe it--I totally carded the door!

I eventually found his room and the spare key, and was able to deliver it to him. But now I can add one more skill to my resume--breaking in!

Upcoming Performances

2009-02-17T13:42:00.031-07:00

Okay, so until I can come up with a way of adding a dynamic list to my blog that will show all my upcoming performances, I've decided to post them all in a blog entry. I'll put a link on the side of my blog that will take you to this entry, so that as I have shows, I can just update this entry and the link will be up to date. I'd love to see you at any of my shows.

Unless otherwise noted--Improv Comedy. All shows will be at the church at 365 E Vine St at 7:00.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T16:14:00.003-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Or, if you're single, happy Singles Awareness Day! I hope no one's hopes for the day are disappointed.

Upcoming Events, Anyone?

2009-02-12T13:53:00.003-07:00

Hey, I'm looking for a way to display on the side of my blog upcoming events, so that I can advertise all my future performances. I found a few gadgets that pull the information from your Google calendar and convert it into a list of events, but I couldn't get the feed to work. Any ideas?

By the way, while I was looking, I saw a gadget for blogs called an Ovulation Calendar. Who in their right mind would post that on their blog for the world to see? Still, it made me giggle at the thought.

Country Swing

2009-02-10T09:20:00.002-07:00

Last night I went to FHE which was advertised as dinner and dancing. It wasn't until I showed up that I learned it would be Country swing dancing. I have to say, I was pretty bummed to find out. Of all forms of swing, Country is my least favorite--and it's not just because I hate country music. Country swing is basic and bland in comparison to other forms of swing. The basic step only has two counts! Step, step. That's it. Give me a 6- or 8-count basic with some form. Country swing isn't nearly as fun to dance or watch, as say East Coast, West Coast, Jitterbug, Charleston, Jive, Triple swing, or Lindy Hop.

So why is Country the most popular form of swing? I submit that it's because it's the dance for people who can't dance. Don't expect to see me to put on a pair of boots and wranglers to go dancing.

Breakfast Surprise!

2009-02-05T10:01:00.001-07:00

So I showed up to work today and they had a heart-healthy breakfast for everyone in honor of National Wear Red Day (our company celebrates things on Thursday because so many people are gone on Fridays). So in addition to the regular yogurt that's available, I was able to eat a bowl of Cheerios with a sliced banana in it. It's just another nice reminder of how lucky I am to have my job.

Have a great day everyone!

Good Morning, Sun

2009-02-04T08:53:00.004-07:00

I am by no means a morning person, but I love sunrises. It's the only thing that makes mornings worthwhile.

My desk is in the southeast corner of the office, so I get to see the sun rise every morning, unless it's snowing. Most people close the blinds so that the sun doesn't bug them, but the blinds are only slightly closed at the window closest to my desk. I think it's nice to have the filtered sunlight in my eyes. The blinds block out just enough of the light to make the sun not too bright. Since everyone is still waking up, the office is always very quiet. The sunlight warms me up and helps me relax my muscles. I forget momentarily about my stress. It's generally the one time of the day that I feel completely at peace.

Here's to the sun!

Contratulations or Condolences?

2009-02-02T09:03:00.002-07:00

Why is it that people get excited for you when you receive a high-profile calling? Yesterday I was set apart as the new elder's quorum president, and for the rest of the day I was bombarded with congratulations and other comments such as "hey prez." I do have to say, my favorite comment of the day BY FAR was when someone said "When I first heard you were released from your other calling, I thought it was because you had worthiness issues. Then I went to Priesthood Meeting and found out it's because you're too worthy."

I've gotta be honest--I don't know how to react to all this attention. I just got released from my favorite calling of all time, only to be called to a calling I didn't want, that will likely be the cause of several stomache-aches and will take up an incredible amount of my personal time. I only accepted the calling because deep down I have received a testimony that it's right, even if I don't want it. Because of my mixed feelings, I really don't know how to react to all the attention I've been getting. Suggestions?

So again I ask, why is it that people are excited for me? I asked one girl and she said "I'm excited because you get to have all sorts of growing experiences through the trials your going to face." It's true, but I didn't buy it as a valid reason that she's excited. I've thought about it, and realize that I've been excited in the past when a new bishop has been called. But I can't explain the excitement, other than that it's fun to see who the new person called is. Any ideas?

Fair Weather Fan

2009-01-28T08:58:00.003-07:00

In college sports, I've always said that I root for both BYU and Utah except when they play each other. The truth is, I really don't care who wins most games, but when there's a home team to root for, it's fun to side with them. So last night when I went to the BYU vs. Utah basketball game, I found myself in a little dilemma: who do I root for?

I ended up rooting for both teams (at the risk of being beaten up by everyone around me), and had a really fun time doing so--especially since it was a close game from start to finish. It was really fun to celebrate every basket that was made, and to boo at every foul. But I'm curious now to see how many of my blog readers would root for BYU vs. Utah. So I decided to set up a poll. Let me know if your blood is red or blue. Also, if you want, let me know how you would have reacted if you'd been sitting next to me at the game.

"In Like A Lion (Always Winter)"

2009-01-26T09:25:00.004-07:00

Here are the lyrics to a song by Relient K that I really like, because it describes perfectly how I feel about winter. Plus I like it when artists put Christian messages in their songs (see the last 2 stanzas). If you haven't heard this song, I suggest you look it up.

It's always nice to look out the window
And see those very first few flakes of snow
And later on we can go outside
And create the impression of an angel that just fell from the sky

When February rolls around I'll roll my eyes
Turn a cold shoulder to these even colder skies
And by the fire my heart it heaves a sigh
For the green grass waiting on the other side

It's always winter but never Christmas
It seems this curse just can't be lifted
Yet in the midst of all this ice and snow
Our hearts stay warm cause they are filled with hope

It'd be so nice to look out the window
And see the leaves on the trees begin to show
The birds would congregate and sing
A song of birth a song of newer things

The wind would calm and the sun would shine
I'd go outside and I'd squint my eyes
But for now I will simply just withdraw
Sit here and wish for this world to thaw

And everything it changed overnight
This dying world you brought it back to life
And deep inside I felt things
Shifting everything was melting
Away oh away
And you gave us the most beautiful of days

Cause when it's always winter but never Christmas
Sometimes it feels like you're not with us
But deep inside our hearts we know
That you are here and we will not lose hope

Improv Comedy

2009-01-23T08:46:00.002-07:00

Hey everybody. I know this is late, but I have an improv comedy show tonight at 7:00. It's free and will be held at my church (150 E 4600 S). If you can't make it to tonight's performance, we'll be doing it again next month. I'll be sure to post an announcement earlier next time.

I'm Warm!!!

2009-01-21T15:55:00.003-07:00

Last night was the best night's sleep that I've had in a long time--our furnace was up and running again!! We just noticed the other day that the furnace had been down. Before that, I had just assumed that the man who pays the heating bill kept turning down the thermostat whenever I had turned it up. I never spent enough time in the basement to realize that the heater never worked. But now that it works, it's made a world of a difference in my sleep. I didn't wake up once during the night! My blankets didn't freeze me every time I moved. I could actually crawl out of bed this morning without too much trauma. If only I'd actually gotten more than 6 hours of sleep last night. But then, that would have meant I would have had to come home earlier, and I was having way too much fun to come home.