Heaven knows I hardly post on this blog. However, I've decided to start another blog. Have a look:
connectingsynapses.blogspot.com
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Oh the weather outside is frightful
Hello friends! I just realized something about my blogging patterns. I have to have an inspiration to blog. I've had "Let it Snow" stuck in my head ALL morning, so that's the inspiration for today's random ramblings.
The weather outside in Provo is certainly frightful. It's been snowing and the roads are all freshly covered in ice. And it's bitter cold. Here's the view from my desk:
But, let it snow. However, we DO have a place to go. Tomorrow I'll be driving home to the motherland, California. The forecast: sunny in the mid to high 60's. Can life get any better? I submit that it cannot. For all my Bakersfield buddies... I'll be there for three days, then Tiffany and I are driving back on Monday morning. So if you want some Brian time, make sure to let me know and I'll try to pencil you in.
A very Happy Christmas to you all!
The weather outside in Provo is certainly frightful. It's been snowing and the roads are all freshly covered in ice. And it's bitter cold. Here's the view from my desk:
But, let it snow. However, we DO have a place to go. Tomorrow I'll be driving home to the motherland, California. The forecast: sunny in the mid to high 60's. Can life get any better? I submit that it cannot. For all my Bakersfield buddies... I'll be there for three days, then Tiffany and I are driving back on Monday morning. So if you want some Brian time, make sure to let me know and I'll try to pencil you in.
A very Happy Christmas to you all!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thankful for Craziness
Hey, remember that one time I was good at posting often? Nor do I. I won't bother you with details of how busy my life has been; If you're interested, read my last post and multiply the stress factor by 3.
Seeing as I have lots to be thankful for, I figured it might be appropriate as the Thanksgiving holiday approches to start thinking about those things. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and is not meant to be in order of importance. Just in the random order they come to mind. A-here we go!
Family - I really do appreciate my family. Let's not fool ourselves, most of the time it was rough growing up in such a special family situation. But I wouldn't trade it for the world! I'm so thankful that Shelby and Monica were willing and able to take in my sisters and me after our parents passed away, so that we could all live under one roof and have a strong family. Shelby and Monica have always been there as an example and a support. I know we don't agree on everything, but you guys gave me a great foundation and I know I'm a decent person now because of it. Tiffany and I used to fight like cats and dogs. I just always figured that we were too different to get along. The funny thing is, we were too alike to get along! I'm thankful that I have gotten to grow closer to her now that we're adults. She is always ready to listen, and she has never judged me or made me feel bad about myself for what I've done with my life. Keri was my example of christlike service. To this day, I don't know how that girl survived high school; she was always swamped with school and activities, and still managed to keep a smile on! I'm thankful for the time she would give to me so that we could have a life chat when I was down, and she would often go out of her way to make me feel better with little notes and what-not. I suppose Jacob and Ezra get a plug in here too. (Monica, make sure they get to read this, haha.) Jacob, you've always been an example to me of a good older brother. Most of the time you would do what Ezra wanted to, and you're a good kid. And I know Ezra can tell. Ezra, I'm thankful for the smiles you brought into the house when you were born. You are kind of a crazy daredevil, I'll admit :P but your energy and happy disposition rub off on other people.
Friends - I wish I had the time/space/energy to write about all of my friends. Alas, I have work in an hour. But... I'm so thankful that I have awesome friends. The best ones are the ones that need me sometimes, and I need them sometimes. Those relationships are my favorite. It's nice to have people that understand you and are there for you, whether you just need to hang out or chat or vent or have a deep soul-searching life-talk. Each friend fulfills certain needs in my life, and vice versa. I don't thank my friends nearly enough. So... here goes. THANKS! :)
School - Given the amount of complaining I do about school, you might be surprised that I actually like school. I love learning new things and opening up my mind, even if I don't particularly appreciate the workload the teachers burden we students with. I go to one of the best schools around yet my tuition is dirt cheap. That is a HUGE blessing. I don't subscribe to many aspects of the BYU environment, as most of you know, but I do love being here. I'm also thankful that I have a place in the world! That is, a major. I was accepted into the Spanish Teaching program last week, so I can finally start getting ready for a career.
Work - In this crappy economy, I am lucky enough to have two jobs. I love actually having enough money to pay my bills! It is often stressful when they overlap with school or each other, but I am thankful for work and especially the people in each job that make me want to go into work each day. I suppose they could go into the friends category too.
Speaking of work, look at the time! Time to jet! Here's a link to an old post with a similar list of things that make me happy.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and be sure to take a moment or two to reflect on what you're thankful for. It sounds cliché but I promise it's rewarding.
¡Ciao!
Seeing as I have lots to be thankful for, I figured it might be appropriate as the Thanksgiving holiday approches to start thinking about those things. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and is not meant to be in order of importance. Just in the random order they come to mind. A-here we go!
Family - I really do appreciate my family. Let's not fool ourselves, most of the time it was rough growing up in such a special family situation. But I wouldn't trade it for the world! I'm so thankful that Shelby and Monica were willing and able to take in my sisters and me after our parents passed away, so that we could all live under one roof and have a strong family. Shelby and Monica have always been there as an example and a support. I know we don't agree on everything, but you guys gave me a great foundation and I know I'm a decent person now because of it. Tiffany and I used to fight like cats and dogs. I just always figured that we were too different to get along. The funny thing is, we were too alike to get along! I'm thankful that I have gotten to grow closer to her now that we're adults. She is always ready to listen, and she has never judged me or made me feel bad about myself for what I've done with my life. Keri was my example of christlike service. To this day, I don't know how that girl survived high school; she was always swamped with school and activities, and still managed to keep a smile on! I'm thankful for the time she would give to me so that we could have a life chat when I was down, and she would often go out of her way to make me feel better with little notes and what-not. I suppose Jacob and Ezra get a plug in here too. (Monica, make sure they get to read this, haha.) Jacob, you've always been an example to me of a good older brother. Most of the time you would do what Ezra wanted to, and you're a good kid. And I know Ezra can tell. Ezra, I'm thankful for the smiles you brought into the house when you were born. You are kind of a crazy daredevil, I'll admit :P but your energy and happy disposition rub off on other people.
Friends - I wish I had the time/space/energy to write about all of my friends. Alas, I have work in an hour. But... I'm so thankful that I have awesome friends. The best ones are the ones that need me sometimes, and I need them sometimes. Those relationships are my favorite. It's nice to have people that understand you and are there for you, whether you just need to hang out or chat or vent or have a deep soul-searching life-talk. Each friend fulfills certain needs in my life, and vice versa. I don't thank my friends nearly enough. So... here goes. THANKS! :)
School - Given the amount of complaining I do about school, you might be surprised that I actually like school. I love learning new things and opening up my mind, even if I don't particularly appreciate the workload the teachers burden we students with. I go to one of the best schools around yet my tuition is dirt cheap. That is a HUGE blessing. I don't subscribe to many aspects of the BYU environment, as most of you know, but I do love being here. I'm also thankful that I have a place in the world! That is, a major. I was accepted into the Spanish Teaching program last week, so I can finally start getting ready for a career.
Work - In this crappy economy, I am lucky enough to have two jobs. I love actually having enough money to pay my bills! It is often stressful when they overlap with school or each other, but I am thankful for work and especially the people in each job that make me want to go into work each day. I suppose they could go into the friends category too.
Speaking of work, look at the time! Time to jet! Here's a link to an old post with a similar list of things that make me happy.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and be sure to take a moment or two to reflect on what you're thankful for. It sounds cliché but I promise it's rewarding.
¡Ciao!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Back-to-School Bedlam!
Wow, it has been a long time since my last post. My neglect of this blog can be mostly attributed to the beginning of a new semester, yet another chapter in the randomness that is my life!
What, you might ask, have I been up to since the last update?
This is the first semester in my new major, Spanish Teaching. I'm taking an Intro to Foreign Language Teaching class. This class is unfortunately held at 8 AM daily, so that's kept me pretty exhausted. Thankfully, it's only for the first half of the semester. Every other week we go out and about to different schools to observe classrooms. This past week, my group and I went to a junior high school in Lindon every day to watch Spanish 1-3 classes. It's been a pretty enlightening experience. But I am becoming more excited about getting out there and teaching!
I'm also taking Spanish Composition and Literature classes, re-taking Sociology (Ugh!) On the fun side, I'm taking Gold-level Social Dance and I'm in University Orchestra. I've also got to start applying for my major, and getting things in line to go to Spain next spring or fall. Should keep me busy!
The time has come for me to catch some sweet Z's, so I'll give you more updates later. Cheers!
What, you might ask, have I been up to since the last update?
This is the first semester in my new major, Spanish Teaching. I'm taking an Intro to Foreign Language Teaching class. This class is unfortunately held at 8 AM daily, so that's kept me pretty exhausted. Thankfully, it's only for the first half of the semester. Every other week we go out and about to different schools to observe classrooms. This past week, my group and I went to a junior high school in Lindon every day to watch Spanish 1-3 classes. It's been a pretty enlightening experience. But I am becoming more excited about getting out there and teaching!
I'm also taking Spanish Composition and Literature classes, re-taking Sociology (Ugh!) On the fun side, I'm taking Gold-level Social Dance and I'm in University Orchestra. I've also got to start applying for my major, and getting things in line to go to Spain next spring or fall. Should keep me busy!
The time has come for me to catch some sweet Z's, so I'll give you more updates later. Cheers!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Ridiculously Sweet Music Video
Hey all. Check this video out. It's one of the most creative ones I've seen in a while.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY
Enjoy!
BTW, my blog is no longer private. I've fixed the problem with stalking, so feel free to read to your heart's content.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY
Enjoy!
BTW, my blog is no longer private. I've fixed the problem with stalking, so feel free to read to your heart's content.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Oh, you just have to wait.
I know you've all been waiting with bated breath for my next blog post. So here goes:
I had a fortune cookie the other day. I was expecting the standard post-meal fortune cookie to contain some sort of life-changing advice, perhaps something along the lines of "You make happy-happy eat at Chen's Noodle House!" Instead, the message inside read: "HAVE PATIENCE - IT WILL BENEFIT YOU." This fell perfectly in line with some good advice from my buddy Diana Ross, encapsulated in the timeless classic "Can't Hurry Love."
I have the tendency to be very impatient with everything. I think this fast-paced world we live in has given me the expectation that I can have anything almost immediately. Which is true in some regards. I can have my Pop-Tarts warmed to perfection in like 30 seconds. Neat-o! But there are some things in life that you just have to be patient with. Like love. It gets frustrating sometimes, but I guess there's nothing to do but "keep on waiting, anticipating."
Those are my thoughts at the moment. Maybe most of you already know these things and are now regretting that you won't get the one minute back that you spent reading this post. But yeah. Hopefully you gleaned something from that. Have a great week, everyone!
I had a fortune cookie the other day. I was expecting the standard post-meal fortune cookie to contain some sort of life-changing advice, perhaps something along the lines of "You make happy-happy eat at Chen's Noodle House!" Instead, the message inside read: "HAVE PATIENCE - IT WILL BENEFIT YOU." This fell perfectly in line with some good advice from my buddy Diana Ross, encapsulated in the timeless classic "Can't Hurry Love."
I have the tendency to be very impatient with everything. I think this fast-paced world we live in has given me the expectation that I can have anything almost immediately. Which is true in some regards. I can have my Pop-Tarts warmed to perfection in like 30 seconds. Neat-o! But there are some things in life that you just have to be patient with. Like love. It gets frustrating sometimes, but I guess there's nothing to do but "keep on waiting, anticipating."
Those are my thoughts at the moment. Maybe most of you already know these things and are now regretting that you won't get the one minute back that you spent reading this post. But yeah. Hopefully you gleaned something from that. Have a great week, everyone!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
My life, turned upside down
Everyone is familiar with nursery rhymes, right? They are a precious part of everyone's childhood. Well, not anymore. Have you ever stopped to realize just how sinister and morbid their origins are? I already knew that "Ring around the rosy" refers to the Plague. But there are so many other gems. "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary"? Let's have a look at the original words:
"Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row."
Pretty innocent. And downright precious, right? Well, let's place it in historical context: Bloody Mary, Queen of England and daughter of Henry VIII, mercilessly killed many Protestants. Silver bells and cockle shells sound nice. But they were instruments of torture. And maids in a row? The Maiden is another name for a guillotine.
Aren't you so glad your childhood was enriched by these happy lines? If you'd like to check out more, here's a sweet website:
http://rhymes.org.uk/
Enjoy!
"Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row."
Pretty innocent. And downright precious, right? Well, let's place it in historical context: Bloody Mary, Queen of England and daughter of Henry VIII, mercilessly killed many Protestants. Silver bells and cockle shells sound nice. But they were instruments of torture. And maids in a row? The Maiden is another name for a guillotine.
Aren't you so glad your childhood was enriched by these happy lines? If you'd like to check out more, here's a sweet website:
http://rhymes.org.uk/
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Some thoughts
Hi friends! I started this blog as a way to put out all my amazing intellectual ideas. However, I've only been using it like a Mormon housewife (meaning it's just a place to put up pics and talk about myself, haha). So, here are some things I've been thinking about lately.
I've noticed recently that a lot of the little insecurities I've had about myself have started to resurface, to become big insecurities. They're things that I was always aware of, but never really gave much thought to. But, for whatever reason, they've begun to take up a bigger space in my mind. I've just been worried about some of my shortcomings and/or deficiencies.
Thankfully, somebody pointed out to me that I should spend more time thinking about the strengths that I have, and how I can use those to work on my weaknesses. Then came the question: What are my strengths? I was directed to this awesome website by the University of Pennsylvania where you can take a survey and it will tell you, out of 24 characteristics, which are your strongest. The survey is really long (240 questions) but I feel like it was worth it. The results were pretty accurate; nothing came as a surprise to me, but it was more like a reassurance of things I already knew about myself.
One of the points of this survey is to focus on your top 5 and bottom 5 strengths. Here are my results:
Top 5:
1. Humor and Playfulness
2. Kindness and Generosity
3. Judgment, Critical Thinking, and Open-mindedness
4. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
5. Citizenship, Teamwork, and Loyalty
Bottom 5:
24. Self-control and Self-regulation
23. Industry, Diligence, and Perseverance
22. Bravery and Valor
21. Spirituality, Sense of Purpose, and Faith
20. Honesty, Authenticity, and Genuineness
So yeah... this survey was a great way for me to do some reflection and self-inventory. I'd recommend it to anyone. The person that showed it to me suggested taking the top 5 strengths and seeing how I could apply them to different aspects of my life, like my friendships, my career, etc. Doing that has helped me to regain some perspective on things.
Click here to check out this survey. Click on the "VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire" link.
Just thought I'd share that experience with you!
I've noticed recently that a lot of the little insecurities I've had about myself have started to resurface, to become big insecurities. They're things that I was always aware of, but never really gave much thought to. But, for whatever reason, they've begun to take up a bigger space in my mind. I've just been worried about some of my shortcomings and/or deficiencies.
Thankfully, somebody pointed out to me that I should spend more time thinking about the strengths that I have, and how I can use those to work on my weaknesses. Then came the question: What are my strengths? I was directed to this awesome website by the University of Pennsylvania where you can take a survey and it will tell you, out of 24 characteristics, which are your strongest. The survey is really long (240 questions) but I feel like it was worth it. The results were pretty accurate; nothing came as a surprise to me, but it was more like a reassurance of things I already knew about myself.
One of the points of this survey is to focus on your top 5 and bottom 5 strengths. Here are my results:
Top 5:
1. Humor and Playfulness
2. Kindness and Generosity
3. Judgment, Critical Thinking, and Open-mindedness
4. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
5. Citizenship, Teamwork, and Loyalty
Bottom 5:
24. Self-control and Self-regulation
23. Industry, Diligence, and Perseverance
22. Bravery and Valor
21. Spirituality, Sense of Purpose, and Faith
20. Honesty, Authenticity, and Genuineness
So yeah... this survey was a great way for me to do some reflection and self-inventory. I'd recommend it to anyone. The person that showed it to me suggested taking the top 5 strengths and seeing how I could apply them to different aspects of my life, like my friendships, my career, etc. Doing that has helped me to regain some perspective on things.
Click here to check out this survey. Click on the "VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire" link.
Just thought I'd share that experience with you!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Random Ramblings.
Well, another semester has ended. I survived, relatively unscathed. A lot of stuff happened between January and now! A brief recap:
* New major (and new life plan)
* New car
* Sprained an ankle (and still danced a mean tango in competition)
* Okay, so nothing else comes to mind at the moment.
But still, it seems like just yesta-noon I was starting out a new year. Today is graduation here at BYU. I'm excited that so many people are moving on in their lives, but it also makes me kind of sad that I'm not getting anywhere in mine. Sure, I've changed my major and I'm on my way there. But I feel like I've been slaving away at school for the past 3 years, and have hardly anything to show for it. (Except for a bunch of general courses, haha.) Anyways, enough about the past. What does the future hold for me?
I'll be working at the Recorstration Office throughout the summer. However, I am getting cut to half-time. Gotta find an afternoon gig. Any suggestions? I won't be taking classes. However, I do plan on trying out for the summer ballroom team again. So in the rare circumstance that I get on the team, I'll have to take that class from 7-8 AM every day. Nasty.
What else is happening this summer? I'm trying to plan some road trips to make up for the depressing lack of them last summer. Hopefully things will work out and I can go to California for a bit!
In the near future:
I'm moving into a new apartment on Monday. I still don't know how that's all going to work out, because I can't move into the new place until 9 AM but I also have to be out of the old place that day. And I couldn't find anybody to cover my shift at work. Ugh! Hopefully that goes over well. I'm excited to have the customary housewarming fiesta once I move in. I think this time will be Mexican-themed, i.e. mojitos and enchiladas. Like nobody's business. ¡Será una fiesta muy muy sabrosa para mi boca!
Anyways, that's my life at the moment.
* New major (and new life plan)
* New car
* Sprained an ankle (and still danced a mean tango in competition)
* Okay, so nothing else comes to mind at the moment.
But still, it seems like just yesta-noon I was starting out a new year. Today is graduation here at BYU. I'm excited that so many people are moving on in their lives, but it also makes me kind of sad that I'm not getting anywhere in mine. Sure, I've changed my major and I'm on my way there. But I feel like I've been slaving away at school for the past 3 years, and have hardly anything to show for it. (Except for a bunch of general courses, haha.) Anyways, enough about the past. What does the future hold for me?
I'll be working at the Recorstration Office throughout the summer. However, I am getting cut to half-time. Gotta find an afternoon gig. Any suggestions? I won't be taking classes. However, I do plan on trying out for the summer ballroom team again. So in the rare circumstance that I get on the team, I'll have to take that class from 7-8 AM every day. Nasty.
What else is happening this summer? I'm trying to plan some road trips to make up for the depressing lack of them last summer. Hopefully things will work out and I can go to California for a bit!
In the near future:
I'm moving into a new apartment on Monday. I still don't know how that's all going to work out, because I can't move into the new place until 9 AM but I also have to be out of the old place that day. And I couldn't find anybody to cover my shift at work. Ugh! Hopefully that goes over well. I'm excited to have the customary housewarming fiesta once I move in. I think this time will be Mexican-themed, i.e. mojitos and enchiladas. Like nobody's business. ¡Será una fiesta muy muy sabrosa para mi boca!
Anyways, that's my life at the moment.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Dancesport Pics and the Festival of Colors
Hi peoples! I've finally gotten a hold of the videos from Dancesport, and have decided to post them here for your viewing pleasure!
Here's the Tango. We made it to the 3rd round. We're couple 534, in case you have trouble spotting us.
And a Rumba. Again, 3 rounds. Sorry the video is kinda jumpy.
Finally, the Waltz. We made it to 4 rounds. Hott-dang!
So yeah, that was Dancesport. Here's a shout-out to Jannelle and Kami, my two amazing partners! *Air five*
Last Saturday I decided to go with some friends to the Festival of Colors at the Krishna temple in Spanish Fork. It's a celebration to bring in Spring. Basically... at a specified time, pandemonium begins to ensue and everybody throws different colors of chalk dust at each other. Then, about 2 minutes later, it's over. And there's just some random band singing 8 million different versions of the Hare Krishna song. It was a good time though! :D Here's a pic:
I always thought I'd look better in green!
Here's the Tango. We made it to the 3rd round. We're couple 534, in case you have trouble spotting us.
And a Rumba. Again, 3 rounds. Sorry the video is kinda jumpy.
Finally, the Waltz. We made it to 4 rounds. Hott-dang!
So yeah, that was Dancesport. Here's a shout-out to Jannelle and Kami, my two amazing partners! *Air five*
Last Saturday I decided to go with some friends to the Festival of Colors at the Krishna temple in Spanish Fork. It's a celebration to bring in Spring. Basically... at a specified time, pandemonium begins to ensue and everybody throws different colors of chalk dust at each other. Then, about 2 minutes later, it's over. And there's just some random band singing 8 million different versions of the Hare Krishna song. It was a good time though! :D Here's a pic:
I always thought I'd look better in green!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Spelling Fail
Today's priceless gem is brought to you by the Daily Universe, BYU's newspaper.
FRONT-PAGE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR CAUSES MASSIVE LAUGHTER.
Enjoy!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Cute Video!
You all have to watch this video. If you've got 12 minutes to spare, it will make your day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0HNWto0UY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0HNWto0UY
Friday, March 20, 2009
Life!
'Ello everyone! I know I'm LONG overdue for an update, so here goes:
I've been sick since about Sunday. No fun. I was watching Mean Girls at Chris' place, then suddenly I felt like I was having an emphysema attack! I was couging and congested all Monday and Tuesday, then I woke up on Wednesday and felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I came to work but stayed home from classes. Yesterday was worse. I woke up and had a fever and no voice. No work OR school. I took an 8 hour nap and felt a little better. Today is a bit better... hopefully I'm on the upside of this nasty business!
School has been kind of crazy lately. I've officially changed my major to Spanish, and my minor to Music. The operation was nearly painless. Except for the part when the music advisement centre completely deleted my major and minor. But it's fixed now. I have to apply next fall for the teaching program, and for an ESL minor. I'll get there... eventually. Classes are pretty stressful too. I had a D&C midterm this week, and got a 76, better than I expected! I'm not TOO worried about it, seeing as the professor completely canceled the first midterm and gave us all 100%. That should help boost up my grade, hehe! I'm worried about band. Because of being sick I've missed three rehearsals and 2 clarinet lessons. NOT easy to make up. Yikes. Spanish is going pretty well, I got a 91% on the last exam. Yay. As for ASL, life is good. I got 100% on my midterm. You can see the video of it on Facebook.
Dance classes are going well. Dancesport was this past weekend, I did Silver Rumba and Gold Tango on Thursday, then Silver Waltz on Saturday. We danced 3 rounds of Rumba and Tango, and 4 of Waltz. Got cut right before the quarter-finals in every event! Grrrr. Oh well. I am super proud of our dancing. I'll have some pics/vids up once my partners get them to me.
What else? I am super stressed out about this summer. I have to find housing and a job before April. Then I get to do the whole thing over again for August. Ugh. If you have any leads, let me know! :) BTW, I have new hair. You'll all just have to wait til I get a pic up to see it!
I've been sick since about Sunday. No fun. I was watching Mean Girls at Chris' place, then suddenly I felt like I was having an emphysema attack! I was couging and congested all Monday and Tuesday, then I woke up on Wednesday and felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I came to work but stayed home from classes. Yesterday was worse. I woke up and had a fever and no voice. No work OR school. I took an 8 hour nap and felt a little better. Today is a bit better... hopefully I'm on the upside of this nasty business!
School has been kind of crazy lately. I've officially changed my major to Spanish, and my minor to Music. The operation was nearly painless. Except for the part when the music advisement centre completely deleted my major and minor. But it's fixed now. I have to apply next fall for the teaching program, and for an ESL minor. I'll get there... eventually. Classes are pretty stressful too. I had a D&C midterm this week, and got a 76, better than I expected! I'm not TOO worried about it, seeing as the professor completely canceled the first midterm and gave us all 100%. That should help boost up my grade, hehe! I'm worried about band. Because of being sick I've missed three rehearsals and 2 clarinet lessons. NOT easy to make up. Yikes. Spanish is going pretty well, I got a 91% on the last exam. Yay. As for ASL, life is good. I got 100% on my midterm. You can see the video of it on Facebook.
Dance classes are going well. Dancesport was this past weekend, I did Silver Rumba and Gold Tango on Thursday, then Silver Waltz on Saturday. We danced 3 rounds of Rumba and Tango, and 4 of Waltz. Got cut right before the quarter-finals in every event! Grrrr. Oh well. I am super proud of our dancing. I'll have some pics/vids up once my partners get them to me.
What else? I am super stressed out about this summer. I have to find housing and a job before April. Then I get to do the whole thing over again for August. Ugh. If you have any leads, let me know! :) BTW, I have new hair. You'll all just have to wait til I get a pic up to see it!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
The semester thus far:
Hi everyone! It's been an eternity since I've posted on here, so I figured I'd let everyone know what's going on in my life these days!
Where to start?
Well, I had the worst weekend ever two weeks ago. On Friday afternoon I was in my dance class doing the tango when I slipped and rolled my ankle. It was SUPER swollen, so I went to Urgent Care to make sure it wasn't broken. Luckily it wasn't but the nurse told me that I'd be on crutches for a week, and using an ankle brace for at least 6 weeks. That was terrible news, considering I was getting ready for a dance competition the following Wednesday, and I had a clarinet audition the following day! Oh well. The next morning, I hobbled to my clarinet audition the next morning. I got there 40 minutes early so I took some time to warm up and practice, and I thought I was playing really well. Then I went into my audition... and bombed it. They asked me to play 2 easy scales (Ab major and F# minor) but my fingers completely forgot what they were doing. The pieces I performed were okay. Maybe mediocre at best. They didn't even want to hear my sight reading. So, I hobbled home dejectedly.
Anyways, my ankle was doing a bit better, so one of my dance partners wrapped up my ankle and I got to dance at the dance lab on Wednesday. I danced 2 rounds of Paso Doble, and made it to the semi-finals for Tango. Sprained ankle and all. Woot woot!
Here are the two Paso Doble videos. Sorry they're not that great, I'm not the best at it.
And here's a Tango video:
So things continued to pick up a bit. My D&C teacher completely canceled our first exam, and gave us all 100% on it. Way better than I could have done!
Anyways... So last Monday I got an email from the School of Music, letting me know that I was not accepted into the Music program. (I've gotten three of these during the past three years.) So I kinda had a breakdown and started making plans to transfer schools. It sucked.
But, things have already been looking up a bit. I changed my major to Spanish on Thursday. I think it's time to hit up my back-up plan and become a Spanish Teacher. I have an appointment with an adviser to make sure it's a good idea and it's really what I want to do.
Anyways, that's where my life is at now. Still no concrete plan, but at least I have some prospects now. And, a car update: I successfully and without *too* much trouble managed to replace the nasty blown speakers and the cassette deck stereo in Esteban (the new ride). I'm so proud! And it sounds great.
I'll try to be a bit more consistent with my blog posts! Valentine's Day is completely superfluous and commercialized, but I hope you all have a great one anyways! :D
Where to start?
Well, I had the worst weekend ever two weeks ago. On Friday afternoon I was in my dance class doing the tango when I slipped and rolled my ankle. It was SUPER swollen, so I went to Urgent Care to make sure it wasn't broken. Luckily it wasn't but the nurse told me that I'd be on crutches for a week, and using an ankle brace for at least 6 weeks. That was terrible news, considering I was getting ready for a dance competition the following Wednesday, and I had a clarinet audition the following day! Oh well. The next morning, I hobbled to my clarinet audition the next morning. I got there 40 minutes early so I took some time to warm up and practice, and I thought I was playing really well. Then I went into my audition... and bombed it. They asked me to play 2 easy scales (Ab major and F# minor) but my fingers completely forgot what they were doing. The pieces I performed were okay. Maybe mediocre at best. They didn't even want to hear my sight reading. So, I hobbled home dejectedly.
Anyways, my ankle was doing a bit better, so one of my dance partners wrapped up my ankle and I got to dance at the dance lab on Wednesday. I danced 2 rounds of Paso Doble, and made it to the semi-finals for Tango. Sprained ankle and all. Woot woot!
Here are the two Paso Doble videos. Sorry they're not that great, I'm not the best at it.
And here's a Tango video:
So things continued to pick up a bit. My D&C teacher completely canceled our first exam, and gave us all 100% on it. Way better than I could have done!
Anyways... So last Monday I got an email from the School of Music, letting me know that I was not accepted into the Music program. (I've gotten three of these during the past three years.) So I kinda had a breakdown and started making plans to transfer schools. It sucked.
But, things have already been looking up a bit. I changed my major to Spanish on Thursday. I think it's time to hit up my back-up plan and become a Spanish Teacher. I have an appointment with an adviser to make sure it's a good idea and it's really what I want to do.
Anyways, that's where my life is at now. Still no concrete plan, but at least I have some prospects now. And, a car update: I successfully and without *too* much trouble managed to replace the nasty blown speakers and the cassette deck stereo in Esteban (the new ride). I'm so proud! And it sounds great.
I'll try to be a bit more consistent with my blog posts! Valentine's Day is completely superfluous and commercialized, but I hope you all have a great one anyways! :D
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The Alphabet of Me!
This is a little som'n-som'n I posted on Facebook, so I figured I'd copy/paste it here for your enjoyment and wonderment. Hopefully it'll hold y'all over until I eventually feel like doing a legitimate post! :D
A
- Available: I'm not sure.
- Age: 20 1/2
- Annoyance: People walking, driving, or talking slowly. Get a freakin' move on!
- Animal: Puppy!
B
- Beer: No thanks. It's gross.
- Birthday/Birthplace: 18 August 1988. Bakersfield, CA
- Best Friends: Chris, Marcus, Jane, Julie. (Not in any particular order, haha)
- Body Part on opposite sex: I won't lie... I'm a sucker for pretty eyes.
- Best feeling in the world: Making someone's day. Or somebody making my day.
- Been on stage?: Countless times.
- Been beaten up?: A few times. But I can hold my own pretty well :)
- Believe in yourself? Most of the time.
- Believe in life on other planets: I'm not sure. It really doesn't affect my life, so I don't think about it too much.
- Believe in miracles: A resounding yes!
- Believe in magic: No. But the world of Harry Potter is amazing.
- Believe in God: Yes. We are sometimes not on good terms, but he's definitely there.
- Believe in Satan: Yes. He's a tricky little blighter.
- Believe in Santa: Not since I was 5 or 6.
- Believe in Ghosts/spirits: Not in the spooky Halloween sense. But yes.
- Believe in Evolution: Yes. I don' think that's the beginning though.
C
- Car: 2001 Chevrolet Blazer. His name is Esteban.
- Color: Blue and green.
- Cried in school: Yeah, all the time!
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Chocolate, please. But vanilla is good too!
- Chinese/Mexican: Let's put it this way: I'd rather be Mexican than Chinese.
- Cake or pie: Depends on the flavor / quality. And my current mood.
- Country to visit: Spain. ¡Viva España!
- Comedian: Brian Regan or Dane Cook.
D
- Day or Night: Definitely day.
- Dream vehicle: A Beemer. (BMW)
- Dance: Yes!!! I love ballroom dance.
- Dance in the rain?: Yes, but only in warm tropical rain.
E
- Eggs: Yum. I like them.
- Eyes: Blue. I think they're my best feature :)
- Everyone has: a secret.
- Ever failed a class?: Heh. I could go on and on about it.
F
- First crush: I don't remember.
- Full name: Brian Robert Munn
- First thoughts waking up: Gross. I have to wake up.
- Food: I like orange chicken and ice cream. But not together. Eeeew.
G
- Greatest Fear: Being rejected. It's a legitimate fear, it happens all the time :(
- Goals: To be a better person every day. It takes me a while to get there.
- Gum: Only if I need a last-minute breath-neutralizer!
- Get along with your parents?: We get along, but I'm not very close with them these days.
- Good luck charm: Luck happens, you don't summon it with inanimate objects.
H
- Hair Color: Brown but with blond undertones. I'm getting that one fixed today. Darker brown, here I come! :D
- Height: 5'10". I wish I were 6', I've always thought that would be the perfect height. Oh well.
- Happy: Nearly always!
- Holiday: OMG, Christmas!!!
- How do you want to die: Well, I generally try to avoid it, but if it does happen I want it to be quick and moderately painless.
- Health Freak: Anybody that knows me knows the answer to this question. No way! I don't want to die with the guilt that I pushed away that plate of cookies!
- Hate: When people are intolerant in the name of the Church!
- Heart Broken/when/who?: Oh, it's so hard to narrow it down to one.
I
- Ice Cream: Mint chip.
- Instrument: Ready? Clarinet, piano, guitar, saxophone, oboe, and i'm working on flute, ukulele and violin. I also play some mean spoons. (Cue bluegrass music)
J
- Jewelry: I won't even wear a watch.
- Job: Recorstration. Best coworkers ever! :D
K
- Kids: Not sure. Probably not, given the circumstances.
- Kick boxing or karate: No, thanks.
- Keep a journal?: Not anymore.
L
- Longest Car Ride: California to Tennessee. But the stretch from Bakersfield to Little Rock was made without interruption. Ugh.
- Love: Friends, family, chocolate. A few others too.
- Laughed so hard you cried: All the time!
- Love at first sight: Heh. Sometimes I'm not even sure about love, period.
LAST PERSON WHO...
1.Slept in a bed beside you?: I have no idea. It's been forever.
2.Saw you cry?: Some random guy who was nice enough to help me down the stairs the day after I sprained my ankle and bombed my clarinet audition.
3.Went to the movies with you?: Chad, today.
4.You went to the mall with?: Chad.
5.You went to dinner with?: Chad.
6.You talked to on the phone?: Chad. Haha.
7.Made you laugh?: "He's Just Not That Into You"
8.Made you cry?: Myself.
9.Broke your heart?: You know who you are.
10.You vented to about a boy/girl?: Chris. As always, haha!
M
- Milk flavor: 1%, please.
- Movie: Juno.
- Mooned anyone?: I doubt it.
- Marriage?: I doubt that too.
- Motion sickness?: Generally no.
- McD's or BK: Eeeew. Neither!
- Memory: Soaking up the sun at Hapuna Beach in Hawaii.
N
- Number of Siblings: A brother, a sister-in-law, two sisters, and two nephews. Weird family situation, as most of you know.
- Number of Piercings: Never.
- Number: I like 7. Or 27. Not sure why.
O
- Overused Phrases: "Shut up!" when used as an interjection of amazement or surprise.
- Odd phobia: Asphyxiation. Although, it's not so much a phobia as a desire to live! Haha.
P
- Place you'd like to live: The beach. Probably in California.
- Pizza: Sausage and olive. Or Brick Oven's garlic chicken pizza. Yum!
- Pepsi/Coke: Mountain Dew.
- Person you miss: Julie!
Q
- Quail: California's state bird.
- Quiet music or loud: Whatever is appropriate to the situation...
R
- Reason to cry: Frustration.
- Reality TV: God, I hope nobody's reality is like that! So fake.
- Radio Station: Whatever station I create in Pandora. Love it!
- Roll your tongue in a circle?: Yes. Thanks Mom and Dad for that completely superfluous genetic trait.
S
- Song: Seasons of Love
- Shoe size: 9 1/2 or 10.
- Salad Dressing: Honey mustard.
- Sushi: Never tried.
- Scent: Coconut Lime Verbena. Delicious!
- Skipped class: Like nobody's business!
- Seen a dead body?: Yeah. Doesn't really phase me. So long as said body does not become reanimated.
- Smoke?: Hell-to-the-no! Biggest turn-off ever.
- Skinny dipped?: Admittedly, yes.
- Shower daily?: Yes. Daily showering should be mandatory.
- Sing well?: Depends on the day. I think I can hold my own though.
- In the shower?: Yes. What could be more fun than belting out Michael Buble's latest and greatest while wet and naked?!
- Swear?: Like a sailor. Some days I think it's a bad habit. But most of the time, when used tastefully it can greatly enrich my lexicon.
- Stuffed Animals?: Nope. But there is a huge collection of Beanie Babies somewhere back home that is clearly wishing to be shot at.
- Single/Group dates: The whole dating thing is overrated anyways.
- Strawberries/Blueberries: Blueberries. Yum!
-Sport: Blah. I have better things to do.
T
- Time for bed: SUPPOSED to be 11:30. Hardly ever works out that way though, haha.
- Thunderstorms: Nasty.
- TV: The Office.
- Touch your tongue to your nose?: Yes! I'll show you some day.
- Tattoos?: Nope. My body is a temple, no graffiti allowed.
U
- Unpredictable: Nope. Anyone that knows me well enough can predict my every move. I'm working on being more spontaneous.
- Used to play: Soccer and baseball.
V
- Vegetable you hate: Lima beans. Icky poo-crap.
- Vegetable you love: I don't actively love any vegetables, haha.
- Vacation spot: Last one? Hawaii. Eventually, Spain!
W
- Weakness: I have horrible sweet teeth!
- When you grow up: I want to be British.
- Which one of your friends knows the most about you: Probably Chris. Then maybe Jane.
- Who makes you laugh the most: I laugh a lot anyways, so it's hard to tell.
- Worst feeling: Knowing that I F*d up something really badly.
- Want to be a model?: I'll take the body, but hold the arrogance.
X
- X-Rays: A few times.
Y
-Year it is now: 2009
-Yellow: Aurora!
Z
- Zoo animal: Panda! I love you!
- Zodiac sign: Leo. Rawr.
A
- Available: I'm not sure.
- Age: 20 1/2
- Annoyance: People walking, driving, or talking slowly. Get a freakin' move on!
- Animal: Puppy!
B
- Beer: No thanks. It's gross.
- Birthday/Birthplace: 18 August 1988. Bakersfield, CA
- Best Friends: Chris, Marcus, Jane, Julie. (Not in any particular order, haha)
- Body Part on opposite sex: I won't lie... I'm a sucker for pretty eyes.
- Best feeling in the world: Making someone's day. Or somebody making my day.
- Been on stage?: Countless times.
- Been beaten up?: A few times. But I can hold my own pretty well :)
- Believe in yourself? Most of the time.
- Believe in life on other planets: I'm not sure. It really doesn't affect my life, so I don't think about it too much.
- Believe in miracles: A resounding yes!
- Believe in magic: No. But the world of Harry Potter is amazing.
- Believe in God: Yes. We are sometimes not on good terms, but he's definitely there.
- Believe in Satan: Yes. He's a tricky little blighter.
- Believe in Santa: Not since I was 5 or 6.
- Believe in Ghosts/spirits: Not in the spooky Halloween sense. But yes.
- Believe in Evolution: Yes. I don' think that's the beginning though.
C
- Car: 2001 Chevrolet Blazer. His name is Esteban.
- Color: Blue and green.
- Cried in school: Yeah, all the time!
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Chocolate, please. But vanilla is good too!
- Chinese/Mexican: Let's put it this way: I'd rather be Mexican than Chinese.
- Cake or pie: Depends on the flavor / quality. And my current mood.
- Country to visit: Spain. ¡Viva España!
- Comedian: Brian Regan or Dane Cook.
D
- Day or Night: Definitely day.
- Dream vehicle: A Beemer. (BMW)
- Dance: Yes!!! I love ballroom dance.
- Dance in the rain?: Yes, but only in warm tropical rain.
E
- Eggs: Yum. I like them.
- Eyes: Blue. I think they're my best feature :)
- Everyone has: a secret.
- Ever failed a class?: Heh. I could go on and on about it.
F
- First crush: I don't remember.
- Full name: Brian Robert Munn
- First thoughts waking up: Gross. I have to wake up.
- Food: I like orange chicken and ice cream. But not together. Eeeew.
G
- Greatest Fear: Being rejected. It's a legitimate fear, it happens all the time :(
- Goals: To be a better person every day. It takes me a while to get there.
- Gum: Only if I need a last-minute breath-neutralizer!
- Get along with your parents?: We get along, but I'm not very close with them these days.
- Good luck charm: Luck happens, you don't summon it with inanimate objects.
H
- Hair Color: Brown but with blond undertones. I'm getting that one fixed today. Darker brown, here I come! :D
- Height: 5'10". I wish I were 6', I've always thought that would be the perfect height. Oh well.
- Happy: Nearly always!
- Holiday: OMG, Christmas!!!
- How do you want to die: Well, I generally try to avoid it, but if it does happen I want it to be quick and moderately painless.
- Health Freak: Anybody that knows me knows the answer to this question. No way! I don't want to die with the guilt that I pushed away that plate of cookies!
- Hate: When people are intolerant in the name of the Church!
- Heart Broken/when/who?: Oh, it's so hard to narrow it down to one.
I
- Ice Cream: Mint chip.
- Instrument: Ready? Clarinet, piano, guitar, saxophone, oboe, and i'm working on flute, ukulele and violin. I also play some mean spoons. (Cue bluegrass music)
J
- Jewelry: I won't even wear a watch.
- Job: Recorstration. Best coworkers ever! :D
K
- Kids: Not sure. Probably not, given the circumstances.
- Kick boxing or karate: No, thanks.
- Keep a journal?: Not anymore.
L
- Longest Car Ride: California to Tennessee. But the stretch from Bakersfield to Little Rock was made without interruption. Ugh.
- Love: Friends, family, chocolate. A few others too.
- Laughed so hard you cried: All the time!
- Love at first sight: Heh. Sometimes I'm not even sure about love, period.
LAST PERSON WHO...
1.Slept in a bed beside you?: I have no idea. It's been forever.
2.Saw you cry?: Some random guy who was nice enough to help me down the stairs the day after I sprained my ankle and bombed my clarinet audition.
3.Went to the movies with you?: Chad, today.
4.You went to the mall with?: Chad.
5.You went to dinner with?: Chad.
6.You talked to on the phone?: Chad. Haha.
7.Made you laugh?: "He's Just Not That Into You"
8.Made you cry?: Myself.
9.Broke your heart?: You know who you are.
10.You vented to about a boy/girl?: Chris. As always, haha!
M
- Milk flavor: 1%, please.
- Movie: Juno.
- Mooned anyone?: I doubt it.
- Marriage?: I doubt that too.
- Motion sickness?: Generally no.
- McD's or BK: Eeeew. Neither!
- Memory: Soaking up the sun at Hapuna Beach in Hawaii.
N
- Number of Siblings: A brother, a sister-in-law, two sisters, and two nephews. Weird family situation, as most of you know.
- Number of Piercings: Never.
- Number: I like 7. Or 27. Not sure why.
O
- Overused Phrases: "Shut up!" when used as an interjection of amazement or surprise.
- Odd phobia: Asphyxiation. Although, it's not so much a phobia as a desire to live! Haha.
P
- Place you'd like to live: The beach. Probably in California.
- Pizza: Sausage and olive. Or Brick Oven's garlic chicken pizza. Yum!
- Pepsi/Coke: Mountain Dew.
- Person you miss: Julie!
Q
- Quail: California's state bird.
- Quiet music or loud: Whatever is appropriate to the situation...
R
- Reason to cry: Frustration.
- Reality TV: God, I hope nobody's reality is like that! So fake.
- Radio Station: Whatever station I create in Pandora. Love it!
- Roll your tongue in a circle?: Yes. Thanks Mom and Dad for that completely superfluous genetic trait.
S
- Song: Seasons of Love
- Shoe size: 9 1/2 or 10.
- Salad Dressing: Honey mustard.
- Sushi: Never tried.
- Scent: Coconut Lime Verbena. Delicious!
- Skipped class: Like nobody's business!
- Seen a dead body?: Yeah. Doesn't really phase me. So long as said body does not become reanimated.
- Smoke?: Hell-to-the-no! Biggest turn-off ever.
- Skinny dipped?: Admittedly, yes.
- Shower daily?: Yes. Daily showering should be mandatory.
- Sing well?: Depends on the day. I think I can hold my own though.
- In the shower?: Yes. What could be more fun than belting out Michael Buble's latest and greatest while wet and naked?!
- Swear?: Like a sailor. Some days I think it's a bad habit. But most of the time, when used tastefully it can greatly enrich my lexicon.
- Stuffed Animals?: Nope. But there is a huge collection of Beanie Babies somewhere back home that is clearly wishing to be shot at.
- Single/Group dates: The whole dating thing is overrated anyways.
- Strawberries/Blueberries: Blueberries. Yum!
-Sport: Blah. I have better things to do.
T
- Time for bed: SUPPOSED to be 11:30. Hardly ever works out that way though, haha.
- Thunderstorms: Nasty.
- TV: The Office.
- Touch your tongue to your nose?: Yes! I'll show you some day.
- Tattoos?: Nope. My body is a temple, no graffiti allowed.
U
- Unpredictable: Nope. Anyone that knows me well enough can predict my every move. I'm working on being more spontaneous.
- Used to play: Soccer and baseball.
V
- Vegetable you hate: Lima beans. Icky poo-crap.
- Vegetable you love: I don't actively love any vegetables, haha.
- Vacation spot: Last one? Hawaii. Eventually, Spain!
W
- Weakness: I have horrible sweet teeth!
- When you grow up: I want to be British.
- Which one of your friends knows the most about you: Probably Chris. Then maybe Jane.
- Who makes you laugh the most: I laugh a lot anyways, so it's hard to tell.
- Worst feeling: Knowing that I F*d up something really badly.
- Want to be a model?: I'll take the body, but hold the arrogance.
X
- X-Rays: A few times.
Y
-Year it is now: 2009
-Yellow: Aurora!
Z
- Zoo animal: Panda! I love you!
- Zodiac sign: Leo. Rawr.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009!
Hi friends! I know I'm very overdue for a post, so here goes. I finished out the semester and got by with 3 A's, 2 B's, a C, and an E from a very ridiculous teacher. Not bad. I worked the first week of the break, then flew home with Tiffany on Christmas Eve. Shelby came and picked us up from the airport and we made it into Bakersfield about 9:30-ish. I stayed up and helped prepare for the Christmas festivities, then finally went to bed at 1:45-ish. I was awakened at a ridiculously early hour by the sound of the nephews anticipating their Christmas gifts. There's a funny story to insert here about Monica's secret plot to fool Jacob and Ezra into thinking the Wii Rock Band was for Tiffany and me. I'm too tired to write it all out, so feel free to read about it on Monica's Blog.
I got to hang out with some great friends, and it was sad that the vacation was so short-lived, but it was a good time all the same. We all piled into the Suburban and drove to Utah on Monday. It was a bit stressful, so I came home on Wednesday and had various people over at different times throughout the evening. I rang in the new year, had a glass of sparkling grape juice, and went to bed! I don't recall doing anything very substantative on New Year's Day, I think I just kinda chilled.
On Friday my loans finally came to me, so I went up to Salt Lake to buy my new car! Here are some pics!
It's a 2001 Chevrolet Blazer, complete with 4x4, awesome upholstery, a 12-disc changer, and, the best part... a working engine! The dealer was great, he ran a CarFax for me, and apparently it used to be owned by Enterprise rentals. So that explains the immaculate condition. On the other hand, all of the speakers are blown. So I fixed that today. Anyways...
I ended up getting another new toy the same day. I had T-Mobile for years, and they were always great to me, until recently. They've screwed up my bill one too many times! So, when my contract ended in December, I vowed it was time to change it up a bit. I was planning on holding off until January or February, but the heavens aligned and my SIM card died. T-Mobile wanted me to extend to another 2-year contract and buy a new phone to give me a new SIM card. Wasn't gonna happen. So... long story short: I have AT&T now. And an iPhone. I used to think they were overrated, ridiculous, and for nerds. In fact, I still feel that way about most of Apple's products. Anyways, several friends have been trying to persuade me for months to make the switch. And it has been great. I now have a phone and an iPod all in one. And the App Store is amazing. I won't go on rambling about how great my new phone is. You'll just have to join the rest of the world and get a sweet phone/iPod/camera/GPS/slicer-dicer. Check it out here:
School. It's always stressful during the start of a new semester. It's hard to adjust to a new schedule, new classes, new teachers. Plus, I work at the Records/Registration (Recorstration) Office, so I get to deal with the influx of students adding classes or wanting transcripts, or blaming me for them dropping their own classes. Good times. But, the first week of this semester has been surprisingly bearable. Granted, work is never as bad as I make it out to be because I work with some of the best people ever and they make it awesome. Classes are going well. I'm taking an easy semester this time around a) because I need to get my GPA up with some easy classes, and b) because I'm kind of in a rut with the whole music program thing. So this semester, I am taking Spanish 321, ASL 101, Symphonic Band (of which I am 5th chair. I'm so proud!), Clarinet Lessons, Intermediate Latin Dance, Intermediate Standard Dance (ballroom), and D&C 325 (the second half). It's been so long since I've enjoyed going to classes every day, so this semester should do me some good.
Well, as Bret would say, "I think I might go to bed, I've got work in the morning." However, it is NOT Business Time, it's really sleep time.
I got to hang out with some great friends, and it was sad that the vacation was so short-lived, but it was a good time all the same. We all piled into the Suburban and drove to Utah on Monday. It was a bit stressful, so I came home on Wednesday and had various people over at different times throughout the evening. I rang in the new year, had a glass of sparkling grape juice, and went to bed! I don't recall doing anything very substantative on New Year's Day, I think I just kinda chilled.
On Friday my loans finally came to me, so I went up to Salt Lake to buy my new car! Here are some pics!
It's a 2001 Chevrolet Blazer, complete with 4x4, awesome upholstery, a 12-disc changer, and, the best part... a working engine! The dealer was great, he ran a CarFax for me, and apparently it used to be owned by Enterprise rentals. So that explains the immaculate condition. On the other hand, all of the speakers are blown. So I fixed that today. Anyways...
I ended up getting another new toy the same day. I had T-Mobile for years, and they were always great to me, until recently. They've screwed up my bill one too many times! So, when my contract ended in December, I vowed it was time to change it up a bit. I was planning on holding off until January or February, but the heavens aligned and my SIM card died. T-Mobile wanted me to extend to another 2-year contract and buy a new phone to give me a new SIM card. Wasn't gonna happen. So... long story short: I have AT&T now. And an iPhone. I used to think they were overrated, ridiculous, and for nerds. In fact, I still feel that way about most of Apple's products. Anyways, several friends have been trying to persuade me for months to make the switch. And it has been great. I now have a phone and an iPod all in one. And the App Store is amazing. I won't go on rambling about how great my new phone is. You'll just have to join the rest of the world and get a sweet phone/iPod/camera/GPS/slicer-dicer. Check it out here:
School. It's always stressful during the start of a new semester. It's hard to adjust to a new schedule, new classes, new teachers. Plus, I work at the Records/Registration (Recorstration) Office, so I get to deal with the influx of students adding classes or wanting transcripts, or blaming me for them dropping their own classes. Good times. But, the first week of this semester has been surprisingly bearable. Granted, work is never as bad as I make it out to be because I work with some of the best people ever and they make it awesome. Classes are going well. I'm taking an easy semester this time around a) because I need to get my GPA up with some easy classes, and b) because I'm kind of in a rut with the whole music program thing. So this semester, I am taking Spanish 321, ASL 101, Symphonic Band (of which I am 5th chair. I'm so proud!), Clarinet Lessons, Intermediate Latin Dance, Intermediate Standard Dance (ballroom), and D&C 325 (the second half). It's been so long since I've enjoyed going to classes every day, so this semester should do me some good.
Well, as Bret would say, "I think I might go to bed, I've got work in the morning." However, it is NOT Business Time, it's really sleep time.
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