An update, and an accounting of an amazing evening!

Hi friends! I know it's been a while since I've posted, so here's a general update. Thanksgiving was great! I went to my friend Chris' place and we had an awesome dinner, then watched some movies. Good times.

School has been really stressful. It's always so hard to come back to school after Thanksgiving because it's the hardest part of the semester, and there's so little time left that it's easy to just blow it all off. Anywho... I had my orchestra concert last Tuesday night. I had some great solos in "La Forza del Destino" by Verdi, and "Valse des Fleurs" from the Nutcracker. Good times! On Wednesday morning, I did my medals exams for Social dance. I got a 90 on cha cha, 90 on waltz, and 88 on triple swing. Then Thursday morning I did my Latin exams. Got a 89 on rumba and a 90 on samba. It was really hard doing samba because I twisted my knee doing triple swing the night before. So my TA and I had a little system. She would poke me whenever I was facing the judges so I could turn on my 100-watt smile, then when we were facing away, I could grimace as needed. Goes to show that sometimes you've gotta do whatcha gotta do!

Yesterday I had the funnest evening ever! I went to dinner with a lovely young woman from my dance class. We went to Brick Oven Pizza. (I'd never been there before. I fully endorse it.) Then we went to Christmas around the World, put on by the BYU dance department. It was awesome to see the folk dancers do different dances from all around the world. I think my favorite was either the Riverdancers, or the one from the Philippines. Or maybe the Ukranian one. Heck, they were all my favorite! So we did that, then went to a BYUSA-sponsored event (I know, that goes against all I stand for!) at Seven Peaks. They had ice skating, dancing, cookie decorating, among other activities. So we danced, then decorated cookies for each other, then skated. I LOVE ice skating! I'm moderately good at it... the only time I nearly fell was when I was doing the ice waltz, and tried to execute an open right turn. Not so graceful after all. All in all, it was an amazing evening! Thanks Allison! :D

I didn't have my real camera with me, so I didn't document much of it. But I do have some great pics of our cookies. You'll have to excuse the mediocre quality, as these pics are from my cell phone. Enjoy!

Me and my Oscar the Grouch cookie. I'm unsuccessfully trying to pull the same face.













A Christmas tree that I made.















3-D snowman cookie. Amazing!













Both of us with our finished confectionery creations!

Fun Fridays!

I love Fridays. There's the impending weekend in the air, we normally have food at work. And it's the day where I can justify not doing any homework. In any case, today has been a pretty good Friday.

Today we had our Triple Swing test in my Social Dance class, and our teacher Betsy asked me to help write down her comments. After a few couples danced, I mentioned that I felt like the American Idol panel, because it was me, Betsy, and our TA Jared. We decided it would be sweet to replicate AI, so we did. After the couple danced, I grabbed the microphone and said in my best Simon accent, "That was absolutely repellent." Betsy put on her Paula voice and said "OMG, that was the best dance ever! You are beautiful!" Then Jared pulled a Randy and said, "Yo yo dawg, that was awesome."

When I first spoke, I got a lot of dirty looks. But then when everyone figured out what we were doing, it was great.

That's my story.

DanceSport!

Well, I know you've all been waiting with anticipation for this post, so I shall deny you no further.

First of all, let me just reiterate how much I love DanceSport. Everybody that knows me knows that I haven't been able to shut up about it for weeks! Some historical commentary: I started dancing here at BYU in my 184 Beginning Standard class, and I never thought I would get into it. It was just a fun class to take to fulfill a general requirement. But, since then I've started to LOVE dancing. So yeah, I took Beginning Standard my freshman year, then took beginning Social my sophomore year. Absolutely loved that class! So, this semester I figured I'd be ambitious and decided to take two dance classes simultaneously: Intermediate Social and Beginning Latin. Anyways, on to this weekend's competition.

Last night (Friday) my partner and I danced the 380 Waltz (which was bold because we're 280 students). I thought we did really well, considering we were dancing different steps than everyone else, and we also had less experience. We made it to the second round! Yay! Then this morning, I did Samba and Triple Swing. It was kinda crazy after a while because I was dancing two events, and I had two different partners to coordinate with, and those partners both had two events and two partners. It was wild. But, we survived. I made it to 3 rounds of Samba and 3 rounds of Triple Swing. By the last rounds, we were both tired, so I think that's why we didn't go much further...on the video of the last triple swing, you can tell we're both just exhausted! Anyways, I've included some real-life footage of us dancing! (We're the couple wearing black and blue.) I apologize if it's hard to find us... the samba is a progressive dance, meaning we move across the floor. So sometimes other couples get in the way. Also, none of the triple swing videos turned out very well, so I've just got pictures of that. Enjoy!

1st round of Samba!


3rd round of Samba!


Triple Swing!




Joy and me:


A Bit Scandalous!

Update

Hi friends! It's been a while, and I feel like the last post's venting doesn't represent how I feel any longer. Soooo.....yay! Anyways, I thought I'd throw out how grateful I am to have awesome friends! I'm not referring to the friends that are there for you when it's convenient, or when they need something. I'm referring to the few friends that are there for me no matter what.

In any case, this weekend was actually pretty relaxing for me! It's still rough not having a car, but I'm adapting little by little. I also bought some of my outfit for DanceSport, which is this weekend. I'm SOOOO excited for it! I'm competing 380 Waltz on Friday night, and 280 Triple Swing and 185 Samba on Saturday morning. Now, I'm not the greatest dancer, but I still LOVE the competition, because I get to watch all the upper-level competitions.

So yeah, that's just a brief update of my life!

Life Drama...Ugh.

I know this blog is generally about happy happenings, but let's be honest: Nobody's life is comprised entirely of happy happenings. Unless, of course, you are a Disney character, in which case you should immediately kick yourself in the pants for giving children the false notion that life is always happy. Seeing as I'm not one o' those, once in a while I've gotta vent to my blog peeps about drama. So here goes. Deal with it.

1. My car, Baxter, has decided to completely crap out on me, an event that I foresaw coming for a long time. However, I did not expect it to be brought on prematurely by some idiot filling the gas tank with diesel fuel. And said idiot is refusing to pay for it. So, I'm at a loss for what to do. I don't have the money that I need to fix it, but I can't just leave it sitting there at the auto shop. I also have rent due today, and I have to pay a huge cell phone bill that T-Mobile screwed me over on. I have no idea how I'm gonna get out of this one. I hate money.
2. School is ridiculous. I studied long and hard for this D&C midterm, yet still walked away with a 57%. The teacher was so highly recommended by everyone I asked, yet this teacher seems to be consumed by a fit of ridiculousness. He doesn't go over anything in lecture, and he doesn't tell us what we're supposed to know for the exams. I suppose we're expected to memorize the entire D&C just in case something random appears on the midterm? Ugh. Also, there are only two grades for the entire class: the midterm, and the final. So I'm reasonably sure I'm going to fail this class. And English. I try to keep caught up, but it's hard to do without a textbook. The bookstore ordered the wrong ones, and now I'm expected to go spend $80 on another book. There's no way that's gonna happen given the current money quotient. I'm so burnt out from this semester. I'm vaguely thinking of deferring for a semester and just working here in Provo for a while. It might help refresh me and give me a chance to get my head on straight.
   
3. Prop 8. Despite several announcements, blog posts, facebook statuses, etc. that have expressed my non-desire to hear about it, people still seem to think that they're the exception. If you have an opinion about Prop 8, that's great. Keep it to yourself. If you're a California voter, vote accordingly. If you're not a California voter, get your nose out of our politics, and worry about your own state's affairs. Thanks! :D
4. Halloween. I love Halloween! I guess this one isn't so much venting as wondering. I still have no idea what I should dress up as. Any last-minute ideas?

If you've read this far, I applaud you. You're either a good friend, or really really bored. In either case, have a great day!

8 Things

8 Things

8 Favorite TV Shows

1. The Office
   
2. Futurama
   
3. My Name is Earl
   
4. That 70's Show
   
5. Psych
6. What Not To Wear
7. Will and Grace
   
8. Avatar :)

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. Bajio
2. Chen's Noodle House
   
3. Zupas
4. Goodwood
   
5. Panda Express
   
6. Taco Bell
   
7. Chilis
8. Rosa's

8 Things That Happened This Weekend

1. My car died.
   
2. I bought some hott new argyle shoes.
   
3. I made steak last night.
   
4. Watched Family Guy
5. Lots and Lots of homework!
   
6. Slept in on Sunday
   
7. Had a pumpkin pie shake from the Malt Shop. YUM!
8. Went shopping at Smith's.
   

8 Things to Look Forward To

1. Getting a hair cut.
   
2. Halloween movie night!
   
3. Social Dance lab.
   
4. Getting out of school...eventually...
   
5. A successful date. eventually.
   
6. Road trip to España
   
7. Samba!
   
8. Enjoying whatever life brings me

8 Things I Love About Fall

1. Argyle!!!
   
2. Hot cocoa
   
3. Pretty colors
   
4. The beginning of the holidays
5. The school semester goes faster
6. Crisp air.
   
7. The sunsets
8. It is my favorite time of year

8 Things On My Wishlist

1. A new laptop
   
2. A new car
   
3. A significant other
   
4. Trip to Spain
   
5. A break from school
6. A higher-paying job
   
7. A college degree
8. Every Star Wars Lego set ever!
   

8 People I am tagging...

1. Monica
2. Keri
3. Tiffany
   
4. Britney
5. Mike
6. Stacie
7. carla
   
8. Whoever else is bored enough!
   

So true!

I found this on PostSecret, and it basically describes my life:

=W=eezer describes my life!

*Choose a singer/band/group.
* Answer using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group.
* Tag 3 more people
Band: Weezer

1. Are you male or female? The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)
2. Describe yourself. My Name is Jonas
3. What do people feel when they're around you? We Are All on Drugs
4. How would you describe your previous relationship? Pink Triangle
5. Describe your current relationship. Waiting on You
6. Where would you want to be now? Island in the Sun
7. How do you feel about love? The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
8. What's your life like? Beverly Hills
9. What would you ask for if you had only one wish? Buddy Holly
10. Say something wise. Always

Autumn Ramblings

Hi everybody! It's been a while since I've posted. Here are some of the things on my mind:

1. Autumn -- Autumn is coming! I absolutely LOVE all the colors. In Bakersfield, it would switch from summer to autumn in about a day, so it's nice to actually have a few weeks where the leaves turn colors and the air is crisp and cool. However, I find myself unprepared for the impending cold. But, I'm very excited for the start of baking season! On Sunday, I made a pumpkin pie to celebrate. There's just something comforting about having the apartment smell like spices and other yummies. Also...hot cocoa. I had my first cup of the year yesterday. It was a hard choice; drinking cocoa means admitting that it's getting cold. But it was worth it. Every minty sip of it.
2. Proposition 8 -- This is some pretty hot news. Everywhere I turn people are clamoring for one side or the other. And to be honest, I'm sick of being attacked by both sides! I think that gay/lesbian couples should be allowed the same state AND federal civil rights as married couples. However, the separation of church and state should be maintained; i.e. it's not the government's business to tell churches they have to marry same-sex couples. In any case, if I know you well enough, I probably already know your opinion on it, and "what [you] would do if [you] were [me]." So enough already. I know what I'm going to vote, and I don't need people calling me at all hours soliciting votes. Thanks! :D
3. Dance -- When I started Ballroom Dance my freshman year at BYU, I didn't think I'd ever really get into it. I just wanted to fulfill my wellness credits. However, after taking a few dance classes, it turns out that I really enjoy it! So this semester, I'm taking beginning latin and intermediate social dance. I'm having lots of fun in Latin, although I'm not very good at it. I guess some peoples' hips are just not made for shakin'! In any case, we had the mock competition last Wednesday for Latin, and I was dancing the Rumba. I made it to a few rounds, so that was good! And we just started Samba, which I've decided is the hottest dance ever. Also, we're doing triple swing in my social class. Way fun! For the social dance lab, each 280 class has to do an exhibition, so our class is dancing the cha cha to none less than the Men in Black theme song. Huzzah. Should be interesting to see. More to follow.
4. Halloween -- Halloween is rapidly approaching! I was reminded of this when I got booed at work. (Someone left a little poem on my desk about getting booed, accompanied with a little ghost to hang that says "Brian was booed" and a small treat. It was precious.) Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I mean, what's more fun than putting on a costume and parading around the streets demanding candy? Yeah, good times. I need some input on this one: I don't know what I should be for Halloween. Any ideas?

So that's about all that's going on in my life at the moment. Drop a comment and let me know if you have any good Halloween ideas! BTW, the pic from the top is one I took myself around this time in 2006. Isn't Utah beautiful?!

Loves!

September 11th

Salutations! I just wanted to take a moment and reflect on this date 7 years back. I remember that morning pretty well...I was getting ready for school, and listening to NPR news. They announced that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers, but I didn't even know what those were or why it was so significant. So, I continued getting ready, and got on the morning bus. Everyone was wearing a somber face, and we were all listening to the radio, following the breaking news. I remember hearing that the second tower had been struck. At that moment I was actually scared, because by then I had realized the significance of all these things. When we arrived at school, the principal came around to all of the classrooms and talked a little about what all was going on. For some reason, I don't remember much else about that day, except that I was at soccer practice and it was hard for me to focus on the game because I was really worried about all the people in New York.

So, that's my memory from that day. Today in my Spanish class, I learned a cool bit of Chilean history. On September 11, 1973 there was a military coup, and several opposing people were kidnapped and never heard from again. That dictatorship remained in place until 1990. Wow. So y'all can stick that in your gee-whiz file!

First week of school!

Hello everyone! I apologize for the general lack of posts from me; I was kinda blindsided by the ridiculous amount of work that was required the first week of school!

But...first things first. Y'all remember my last post about my new glasses...well, I've got them. I actually got them later that day, but yeah. So... Here they are! (With my new hair...I'll discuss that later.)

What else is new? Hmmmm. This semester should be interesting. I thought it would be an easy workload: Spanish 206, Advanced Writing, clarinet lessons, University Orchestra, Beginning Latin Dance, Intermediate Social Dance, and D&C. I was mistaken. Juggling all that AND working 20 hours a week has proven to be quite a task!

My nephew Ezra was baptized yesterday. Weird. Well, not necessarily weird; it's just crazy that it's been 8 years! He is quite the active little dude! (Check out Monica's blog for more details.) To commemorate, I figured I'd share this gem with you all:

It was time to go to bed, but he was adamant that he was "SOOOO hungry!" So we gave him an apple, and he fell asleep with the first bite in his mouth. What a punk. BTW, this pic is dated 2 October 2005, shortly after his 5th birthday.

Well, I've gotta get back to the mounting pile of homework. More to follow later! Loves!

20 years old!

¡Hola todos! So, as the title states, I'm now a whopping 20 years old. I know, be amazed. How did I ever make it this far? I have no idea. I certainly didn't make it unscathed, but here I stand. Or, more appropriately, sit. I'm at work, as usual.

Anyways, apart from my birthday on Monday, not a whole lot has happened since my last post. My birthday was alright; I stopped into work to drop off some cookies that I didn't want to deal with, then some coworkers took me to lunch at Burger Supreme. Yum! (For my Provo friends, that's the place on the corner of University Parkway and Freedom Blvd. For my Bakersfield peeps, it is comparable in nature and ambience to Pop's Drive-In on Niles Street.) After that, I went to the duck pond with my friend Therman and we fed the ducks, then went to my place and hung out. Our friend Sean picked us up and we went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get him some decor for his new place. As is customary, I ended up getting some sweet stuff. Like stripey kitchen towels and a mini-bar. I know. It's great. Anyways, after that Therman and I watched Beauty Shop (featuring Queen Latifah -- Always a great movie if she's involved!) I took a nap, then hung out at my place all night and watched trashy TV. Yay for being 20!

On Tuesday I woke up late, made myself a tortilla española, (you might recall the reference in an earlier post; it's basically the best food ever!) lazed about all morning, then went in for an eye exam. The good news: my eyes aren't getting as bad as fast. The bad news: my eyes are really photosensitive, so I have to be really careful and always wear sunglasses outside. Sad day. On the bright side, I did get some new spectacles. Check them out here! (For the record, I did not get them from Lens Crafters and I didn't pay nearly that much for them.) Those are in the process of being made, and I should get them sometime next week!

Sad news: Unfortunately, I will NOT be receiving my laptop this week. Or next week. Or ever, for that matter. HP has once again proven their incompetence. They said that they had the part (a new motherboard, of all things) in stock, and that there was no shortage of labor, so I would receive my laptop on the 22nd (today). I called them this morning to confirm that it had been shipped, and they said that the delivery date had been moved to September 5th. So, after several minutes of being transferred to different departments, I finally got to speak with a supervisor, who proved to be most unhelpful. So I basically had to be all mean and unpleasant, but I told him that if I have not received my laptop (repaired or replaced) by next Friday, then they will give me a refund for the value of the laptop. Ugh, I hate the whole situation. I guess what I'm basically trying to say is... avoid HP like the plague.

It's quittin' time here at the place of employment, so I'll give y'all another update at some future point in time. Loves!

Weekend Happenings

'Ello everyone! This past weekend was pretty interesting. First news: I got a new keyboard! I figured I'd outgrown the previous one, so through some finagling I managed to get a-hold of a Yamaha DGX-505. She's a beauty! This keyboard is basically the coolest thing ever! If you're into that kind of thing, check out this link to see the specs:

In other news: My laptop is dead. Again. Sir Felix was working just fine yesterday afternoon, then I came home and it wouldn't turn on... It just turns the fan on, stays on the HP logo screen, and does weird things with the power, charging, and "thinking" lights. Ugh. So I have to send it off to HP, where they'll probably lose it, then I'll spend a whole month bugging them to get me a new laptop. Grrrr. Oh well, that's just another frustrating part of life.

Also: I spent last night and will spend tonight packing. Why? Because I'm moving tomorrow! Nowhere far away, just down the street. I'm really excited for this new apartment. Reasons:
1. I get to have my own room again. I haven't minded sharing a room since freshman year, because I had the best roomie in the world! But, it will be nice to have my own space again, just like when I was growing up.
2. New roomies. I like meeting new people, it should be an adventure.
3. Proximity to campus. This new place is just 2 1/2 blocks south of campus.
4. Proximity to friends. It's just half a block away from my old place, so I'll still be around. I just don't have to deal with crappy management.

So, that's my life at the moment. I'm not looking forward to spending all night packing, but once I get settled into the new crib it should be all good. Anyways, keep on the edge of your seat for the next exhilarating installment of my life!

Crazy Weekend!

Hello all! You are about to go on a textual journey through the craziest weekend of my life!

Thursday morning (as I was in the middle of writing the previous post, actually), my supervisor Coral came up to us and was like "Everyone shut your windows, forward the phones. Emergency meeting right now!" So, we did as told and gathered in the receptionist's area. Apparently, the moving process that wasn't supposed to begin for a week or so was spurred on by the BYU Moving Dept. They just showed up with a bunch of furniture and wanted to kick us out! So, we put everything on hold and moved out all morning. Since we had to close down the office, we all got to leave early at 12:15-ish. (And we got paid til 5!)

We were closed Friday too (and still got paid for 8 hours of work!) so I slept in. Woke up at 10 and made some key lime bars for our supervisors (who still had to be here at work.) I went to lunch at a little Ma-&-Pa burger place called Rocky Mountain Burger Joint. It was pretty good. Then we went to the Provo Towne Centre mall and window-shopped a bit. I came home, worked out for a bit, then did some more shopping with my two home-jiggas Cami and Shawna. I went to Plato's Closet and traded in an old peacoat that was 2 sizes too big for a Perry Ellis track jacket. Haut couture at its best! I made a Target run and found a hand-cranked ice shaver, just like we had back home in the day. Later that night, I went to my friend Chris' house and we had a movie night. We watched Talladega Nights on his huge 50-something-inch TV (that I may or may not have helped persuade him to purchase, haha.)

Saturday was pretty boring, I'd already run all my errands on Thursday and Friday. In fact, I don't even remember what I did half the day! I did manage to go to Bath and Body works and use my sweet coupon! I spent $15 on some aromatherapy stress-relief foot soak, and got a free sleep-conducive pillow spray. Delicious! Funny story: I spent about 30 minutes talking to the sales associate, trying to figure out what I wanted. Afterwards she was like "Is this for someone special?" I replied, "Umm, I'm special...It's for me." Awkward. But she told me it's awesome that I'm like the only guy in the world that would come into B&BW for myself. I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not...whatev's.

Yesta-noon I skipped out on my own ward and decided to hit up my friend Therman's ward. It was...interesting. Some girl got up and talked about how we're all so beautiful, and the anatomy class she's been taking has made her realize how beautiful our bodies are, especially our livers? Random. After church I came home and made some cookies for a ward break-the-fast. Tangent: Break-the-fast. I think it's the stupidest social function ever invented by singles wards. It's almost like a Super-Bowl party, minus the football. Gross. Anyways, back to my narrative... We went to break-the-fast, then I went to my friend Robyn's house to watch Anne of Green Gables. Yay!

So, that was my c-razy weekend. Deal with it!

Random Ramblings

Hello, my avid readers! I know all of you just can't bear the thought of waiting any longer for a new post, so I've decided to satiate your innate need to hear my words of wisdom and/or random ramblings.

What's on my mind at the moment? Bridges. Random, granted. I just read an article in the Daily Universe (BYU's newspaper) about how most of the highway bridges across the US are sub-standard. Not that they're all structurally unsound, just that they fail to meet safety guidelines. That thought kinda scares me, to be quite honest. Nothing could be more fun than driving across a bridge and having it fall down on you! Anyways, it turns out that about 3% of bridges in Utah are classified as "structurally deficient." However, the state is doing a really good job of keeping up with maintenance and replacement. And here's something for your gee-whiz file: Most of the bridges/overpasses they're putting up on I-80 are constructed off-site, then rolled in on African ironwood logs greased with dish soap. COOL!

Enough about that. I'm pretty excited at the prospect of road-trippin' it home sometime in August. I've secured the time off work, made the appropriate living accommodations, etc. Now I just need to generate some funds. In any case, that week is going to be absolutely wild! On Thursday I'll be moving out of the current apartment and into the new one, then probably driving up to Ogden to grab Tiffany. Friday morning, we'll drive down to Bakersfield. Saturday is my roomie Jonathan's wedding reception in Santa Barbara, so I'll be driving to Valencia, meeting up with my friend Nicole (yay!) and we'll carpool to the SB. Monday is my 20th birthday...Huzzah! I'll be heading back up to Utah on Thursday the 21st.

So yeah, those are my random ramblings.

Mamma Mia!

Yesterday I was having a pretty down day, so one of my friends decided to take me to see Mamma Mia. It was a SUPER fun movie! Or, as one of my friends would say, it was mayjah! :D

Normally when you write a musical, you develop a story line, then write the music to fit. However, for this particular musical, they decided to take a bunch of ABBA songs and write a storyline around it. It made for a reasonably abstract plot, but the music was amazing! (Come on, this is ABBA!) Check out the movie website and trailer here. Anyways, the inclusion of Meryl Streep into the mix made it an overall success. I recommend it to anyone that needs a good laugh, and/or a road-trip to the 70's with ABBA.

Editorial

Hey everyone! I opened up the Daily Universe (the BYU newspaper) and was surprised to find that my letter to the editor had been printed in today's edition. Several people have asked to read it, so I figured I'd just post it on here for everyone.

JUDGE NOT (The original title I put was "Christ Loves Them, You Should Too" but they changed it)

This is in response to the June 26^th letter, “Those who believe, follow.”

Just a quick thought. You might recall the story in John 8 about the woman that was taken in adultery and brought before the Savior. The scribes and the Pharisees were looking for the Savior to condemn this woman, yet he gave this simple reply: “Let he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). It is neither your place nor mine to judge those who deal with same-gender attraction. Would you like to have your peers judge you for your problems? I would think not.

You might also recall the Savior’s response to this woman: “Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more” (John 8:11). There are countless members of the Church that struggle with same-gender attraction, yet choose to press forward in the Gospel, take the sacrament, and are temple worthy. In the Church, there are no “gay” members or “straight” members, only those who are trying to live the Gospel, and those who aren’t.

As a final thought, think of the words of Alma at the waters of Mormon. This “gay-bashing” letter is probably not conducive to “[bearing] one another’s burdens that they may be light” (Mosiah 18:10). We should help and support our brothers and sisters in their efforts to live the Gospel, whatever their struggles may be.

Brian Munn
Bakersfield, CA

¡Viva el español!

Hi everyone! I've decided to list some of the ways in which learning Spanish has blessed my life.

1. I can communicate with so many more people.
2. I can sing along to Enrique Iglesias' song "Dimelo" (That's "Do You Know" in English.)
3. One day I can go to Spain, and I'll be able to survive there!
4. Understanding Spanish really makes it easier to understand most of the Romance languages. (ie, French, Italian, Portuguese)
5. Tortilla Española. I don't know what this has to do with the language, but this yummy Spanish goodness has provided many a yummy meal! (Check it out here)

Happy Birthday Sisters!

I know it's a little belated, but I just wanted to drop a holla to my two beautiful sisters, Tiffany and Keri!

Handy Latin Phrases.

So I know all of you are just desperately wanting to learn Latin. Stop denying it. So I've compiled a list of some handy Latin phrases. Use them whenever you get a chance!

Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare.
I think some people in togas are plotting against me.

Sona si Latine loqueris.
Honk if you speak Latin.

Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes.
If you can read this you're over-educated.

Vacca foeda.
Stupid cow.

Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo.
Don't call me, I'll call you.

Non curo. Si metrum non habet, non est poema.
I don't care. If it doesn't rhyme, it isn't a poem.

Fac ut gaudeam.
Make my day.

Visne saltare? Viam Latam Fungosam scio.
Do you want to dance? I know the Funky Broadway.

Re vera, potas bene.
Say, you sure are drinking a lot.

Utinam barbari spatium proprium tuum invadant!
May barbarians invade your personal space!

Utinam coniurati te in foro interficiant!
May conspirators assassinate you in the mall!

Quo signo nata es?
What's your sign?

Tam exanimis quam tunica nehru fio.
I am as dead as the nehru jacket.

Magister Mundi sum!
I am the Master of the Universe!

Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure.
I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.

Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?
Is that a scroll in your toga, or are you just happy to see me?

Vescere bracis meis.
Eat my shorts.

Sic faciunt omnes.
Everyone is doing it.

Fac ut vivas.
Get a life.

Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
Let's all wear mood rings!

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.

I hope you all feel a little bit more cultured after that. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to insult people in a dead language!

Jim and Pam

So good story. My coworker Stacie found this online and set it as the wallpaper for one of our computers. But we could never find the file again! After literally months of searaching, I have found the file. Feel free to use it as a desktop background! :D

Typing Test.

Go ahead. Be amazed.

84 words

Speed test

Figure 8

8 Things I am passionate about:

• Music
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
  
• Family
• Spanish
• =W=eezer!
• The Office
• That 70's Show
  
• Strawberries
  

8 past books I've read:

• Harry Potter (All 7)
  
• The Phantom of the Opera
  
• Pride and Prejudice
• Green Eggs and Ham
  
• Artemis Fowl
  
• Cat's Eye
  
• The Book of Mormon
  
• The Insult and Curse Book
  

8 things I often say:

• What the random?!
• Heck to the yes!
  
• Hells no!
  
• That's what he/she said
• What the ho?!
• Ugh!
  
• What is this business?!
  
• And how!
  

8 things I look for in a friend:

• Random sense of humor!
  
• Intelligence
  
• Respects other points of view
  
• Good taste in music
• Honesty
• Integrity
  
• Sense of adventure
  
• Optimistic

8 things I want to do before I die:

• Sky dive
• Become a music teacher
  
• Go to Spain ¡Viva España!
  
• Compose a symphony
  
• Own a grand piano
  
• Go backpacking in Europe
  
• Get thin. Eventually!
• Own and operate a bakery
  

8 things I have learned this past year:

• You have to be really careful about who your friends are. Even the good influences can hurt you.
  
• California is indescribably better than Utah.
  
• When speaking Castellano, the theta only happens on z's and c's between 2 vowels. Anything else and you sound retarded. Whoops!
  
• Sea turtles are mean. Don't be fooled by Finding Nemo.
  
• Always look for ways that you can be the answer to someone's prayer.
  
• I really don't actually hate anyone or anything at all. (I copied this from Britney, but it's so true! Nevertheless, I will continue to express my hatred for certain things.)
  
• Baboons don't have blue bums. They're red.
  
• If you think you can, then you can. If you think you can't, then you're probably right.
  

8 people to do the 8 things:
Okay, I changed my mind.

• Monica
• Julie
  
• Keri
• Tiffany
• Stacie?
• Carla
• I don't know anyone else that blogs, haha!
  
• 
  

200 Things

It is a list of 200 things. The ones in bold are the things I have done.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars - I recommend it.
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it - I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise - So beautiful!
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game - Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium!
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables - Tomatoes!
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - That happens at least once a day.
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill - Bi-weekly occurrence at ModusLink last summer :D
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun - We do that all the time at work!
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment - These moments are fleeting, but they make the rest of life worth it.
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - I've come to learn I'm never satisfied with money, haha.
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach - This is definitely going on the list!
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight - Do I need to answer that?
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke - Loud and proud, baby!
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't - So many. Where to begin?
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie - Investidating!
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch - It truly is the only way to make them.
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently - I can speak Spanish reasonably well. I suppose that counts for something.
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check - I am horrible about watching my bank statements.
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy - Jenga!
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over - Probably gonna happen sooner than later.
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph - Baxter can go 125 mph. (This has been verified.) Yee-haw!
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover - Yeah, and a lot of good that did me!
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school - I've never left school. Depressing.
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch - Most of my hobbies I learned from scratch.
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair - The results were horrendous. Yet, I'm planning on doing it again come fall. Go figure.
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four - Heh. Heh.
106. Raked your carpet - What the random?
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring - Those things are a load of crap!
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe - Several ones. Enchiladas, pumpkin roll, chocolate chip cookies (I will never tell my secret!)
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco - Does the roller-disco count?
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum - I highly recommend the Red Butte Gardens at the University of Utah
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need - SO many times!
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in a historic place - Depends on how historic. Evey place has history!
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating - I used to be a carhop at Sonic.
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf - Eventually...
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem - I prefer to set them to music. But then they become songs.
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission - Nope.
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks - I live 2 blocks from a duck pond. YAY!
164. Gone to the opera - I'm a music major. How have I missed out on this?!
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz - Waltz, quickstep, cha cha, foxtrot, swing. Soon to include samba and rumba. And I can dance a MEAN stricken chicken! :)
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog - I'm trying!
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR - I'd better take a refresher course before I try it again, haha!
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

My Look-Alikes

Friends List

Hey all! I'm making a list of my friends' blog links...don't be offended if I haven't added you yet, I'm working on adding people. If you want your name to grace the list, just lemme know! :D

Very British Afternoon

Rule Britannia! In an effort to add some diversion to our office, we decided to designate today as our "Very British Afternoon." Thusly, we brought an assortment of delectable delights, such as trifle, biscuits (cookies), and tea. We've also provided a selection of British hits from various artists, such as The Beatles, Queen, and David Bowie. We've even compiled a "Registry of British Names" so students coming to our window can create their very own British name! My British name for the day is Reginald Baxter-Kensington.

Plus, this morning, we had an Office Mini-Golf Tournament. So today has just been a fun day in general! I'm happy!

Simple Pleasures

Hi everyone! I know you're all sitting on the edge of your seats anxiously awaiting the next installment of my Hawaii trip, but I guess you'll all just have to wait. It really is a pain trying to upload pictures of my trip from work, and seeing as that's where I spend most of my day, it's going to take me a while to get Aloha part two going. In the meantime, here's a small list of the simple pleasures in my life. Disclaimer: This list is in no particular order and is not meant to be exhaustive.

· Sinking my toes into wet sand on the beach

· Warm cookies and milk

· Robyn hugs

· Puppy noses

· Puppies that walk all lopsided and clumsily

· Heck, puppies in general! J

· Goldfish crackers

· That warm tingly feeling you get when you hold hands for the first time. (Hear the song “Bubbly” by Colbie Callait for a more detailed description)

· Getting the first whiff of soup in a thermos

· Sunsets over the mountains

· Cold watermelon in the middle of the summer

· Blowing bubbles into milk

· Picnics with friends. Preferably at Hart Park. During school hours. *Devious chortle*

· Being warm under the covers on a cold morning

· Hearing your favorite song on the radio

· Food samples at Costco

· Driving with the windows rolled down on the first warm day in spring

· The first snowfall of the winter

· Tropical rain

· The earthy smell of planting a garden.

· Window-shopping at the mall with my friends.

· Flying a kite

· The really pulpy feel of high-pulp orange juice on my tongue

· Cold apple juice

· Walking into a warm room on a cold day. Except when I’m wearing glasses, cuz then they fog up.

· Being barefoot in a park with really nice grass.

To be continued…

Aloha!

Well, here I am in Hawai'i, which is God's green gift to man. Seriously. I've been here 3 days and I'm still not over how beautiful it is! We're in Kailua-Kona (which is on the big island, Hawai'i). Not to be confused with O'ahu, which is the smaller island where Honolulu is. Anywho, life has been great. I flew in on Thursday morning, after 8 hours of traveling it was great to get up and do something! We settled into our room (more like condo, actually) and took a little nap, then decided to go rent a car and go to dinner. It took us over an hour to find the restaurant...thanks to GPS lying to us, and the most intense outpouring of rain I've ever seen in my life! But we finally arrived at Fish Hoppers, and the mahi-mahi (a deep-water fish aka dolphin-fish...NOT a dolphin, haha...served on a bed of sweet potatoes and steamed vegetables, topped with a fresh mango salsa...YUM!) made it all better!

Friday we woke up early in the morning, ran some errands / got food, and packed a lunch. We drove up the coast to Hapuna Beach State Park, which is said to be the best beach in the state of Hawai'i. Which I believe. It was beautiful. White sand, and turquoise water. We played on the beach for about 4 hours, then headed home and I cooked dinner...tortellini and crescent rolls.

Today, we woke up early again and went down to some bay (whose name escapes me) and got on a boat for a snorkel tour. We went out and stopped in some other bay whose name I couldn't spell anyways, and got to snorkel around for a bit. I got to touch a sea turtle!!! It was exhilarating. Really. Then we hopped back in the boat and went to another bay (where the Captain Cook Monument is) and did some more snorkeling. That bay is a marine sanctuary, and the cliffs around it are where most of the Hawaiian royalty are entombed, so you're not alowed to walk there, you have to come in by boat. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Well, I'll have more updates later; in the mean time, enjoy some of these pics I took! Aloha and mahalo!

Random Ramblings

Hi everyone! So, I know I promised pictures, music, and dancing midgets, but I just don't have those types of things here at work! So you'll just have to keep on the edge of your seats. 'Cuz when it comes, it's coming big!

Anyways, I'm SO glad school is over. It's been great not having to worry about finals and papers and all that business! I think I did reasonably well this semester...Or at least I'd like to think so! In any case, the semester is over, and I get to spend the summer relaxing, working at the best job ever (BYU Registration), and doing all that fun summer stuff. I'm trying out for the summer ballroom team, I think that would be way fun. I love dancing, and I've decided it's time to put myself out there and see where it goes. But yeah, I was at the audition at 7, ready to go, but they didn't end up getting to everyone so I have to show up again at 7 tomorrow morning. Grrrr. Oh well. If I make it that's great, if not, then I have that much extra free time all to myself! :D

What else? ... OH! I'm counting down the days until May 8th. What is so special about that day, you ask? I'm going to Hawaii! Amazing tan, here I come! I'll be there from the 8th to the 16th. Going with friend Julie. I'm so excited! I've never really traveled anywhere before (Moving to Utard does NOT count!) So yeah, I'm totally ready for a vacation.

I moved into a new apartment last Thursday. It's been great, the roomie situation is a lot better, it's a nicer apartment (I don't have to live in a cave, YESSSSS!) I was so excited yesta-noon. I was at WalMart and noted that flowers were on sale! So I got tulips for 60c apiece, and a huge pot of 10 daffodils for $3.50. I'm gonna find some place to put them, haha. I kinda didn't think about the fact that I'm not allowed to plant flowers outside. :( Oh well.

I'm pretty happy about Saturday, I went to DI with my roomie Marc to get a TV, and walked out with a flute, and no TV. This kind of thing happens to me all the time! So yeah, this flute is definitely worth about $300, and I got it for $65. Huzzah for Israel! Not that I'm any good at the flute, but hey, who knows, I could become a maestro!

Well folks, I'm outta here! Stay tuned for the next update!

Almost Done!

Hey all! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, life has been pretty raucous what with finals and working! I promise eventually I'll have another post, complete with pictures, music, and dancing midgets. Well, maybe not dancing midgets, but it'll be amazing. Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment of "Life of Brian"

All Thing Bright and Beautiful

Hey all! Thought I'd take a minute and update everyone! Well, I'm at work right now, which is kind of unfortunate because it's bright and sunny outside and I can't be out there enjoying it! Plus, I've got a cold right now, so I have to stay inside.

Other than that, life is pretty good. I didn't get into the School of Music, but I'm appealing. I submitted some of my compositions to the Composition and Media Music departments, so if they like them then I might have a chance! If not, then Spanish is a good major too.

First week of school

Well, my first week back at school is winding down. I've been REALLY tired lately, school hit me harder than I thought it would. Plus, with work thrown in, it makes for a really long schedule. Oh well, It's almost the weekend, and I can relax a bit and catch up on all the homework I didn't get around to. Oh, and an update on trying to add that Mission Prep class: I've decided to just keep the class I was registered for, on Tuesday night. But yeah, other than being really tired, things are going okay.

Happy Happenin's

Hello everybody!!! Here's the latest update:

For New Year's I went with my friend Robyn up to her grandparents' cabin at Sundance, we played in the snow, had hot cocoa, I fell down the stairs while trying to choreograph a musical.... all sorts of joyness. It beats my original plans... sitting in the corner in the fetal position, crying and wishing I was in Bakersfield! :) But yeah, I had a lot of fun.

Now for school. I've been trying for a week to get into Mission Prep with Randy Bott, who I hear is the best teacher. Only problem is, every time I go to add it, between the time that I click "Add" and it processes, the spot is already gone! It's SO frustrating! Oh well. I hate registration. Oh, and I'd better clarify, as Jane pointed out. I don't hate Registration as in the Registration Office (which is where I work and I love it!) I hate the act of registering.

Oh well. I'd better get back to work. (And to trying to add Mission Prep!)

Stay up, players!