blog is the new brown

Which would make me cooler?

2009-03-27T17:20:00.005-06:00

I know it's been a while since my last post. To be honest, I have just been lazy. But there is a good reason I am adding a new one.

The last little while, I have felt a little less cool. Granted, I've never been the coolest guy around, but I'd say that I have had times in the past where others might look at me and say, "hey, that guy is kind of cool." Well, those times are few and far between these days. So I want to do something that will make me cooler.

I have had tons of ideas. I thought of getting a bullet bike, a huge jacked up truck or hummer, some tattoos and/or piercings... but due to these tough economic times, all of those options were a little too expensive.

I have, however, narrowed the list down to two options that I can afford and that are sure to make me cooler.

Should I start popping my collar, or should I buy a flat billed baseball cap and keep the sticker on?

I know, I know...most of you are thinking "Why not do both?" Well, eventually I probably will, but I feel so uncool right now, that doing both at the same time might be a little overwhelming and make me cooler than I would know how to handle.

So if you would please let me know which of these would turn me into a cooler person, I would greatly appreciate it.

REDEMPTION!!!

2008-11-24T09:08:00.005-07:00

Two years ago, Jim and I got a hold of some tickets to the BYU/Utah game. We all know what happened then. BYU was down 4, and John Beck took the final snap of the game as time ran off the clock. Rather than putting pressure on him, Utah just panicked. Jim and I sat and watched as BYU completed the pass into the end zone that broke all of our hearts. We didn't say much during that drive home.

The next year the game was at BYU and there was no chance we were going to try to go to that one. Being surrounded by that many BYU fans would really be more than I could handle. So Jim and I watched the game with our Dad on the very couch the above picture took place. Again, it was a great game until the end. BYU was in trouble facing 4th and 18 with very little time left in the game. Due to Austin Collie living righteously on and off the field, they pulled another miracle play and, once again, ruined the day for Ute fans everywhere.

But this year was different. There has never been more on the line going into the final game of the season for both teams. The first 3 quarters were close. But Utah stepped on the gas scoring 21 in the 4th taking advantage of Max Hall's terrible game. Final Score 48-24 Utah. I can't think of a time in the recent past where I felt more satisfied. There have been some good wins this season, but this one takes the cake.

I just hope we get a good team this year for the likely BCS bowl game.

The Band

2008-11-18T20:30:00.004-07:00

This is Me, Jim, Rett, and Brady playing Wet Sand by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We played a small gig Saturday and this was one at one of three rehearsals we had. For how little we practiced, it all sounded pretty good. Those 3 guys are all REALLY good! I feel really lucky to be able to play with them.

Terrible Movies

2008-11-18T14:24:00.016-07:00

I am a big fan of movies. But unlike Danny, there are some movies that I don't love. I dare say there are some that I actually hate. There are even some that have made me furious beyond belief simply because I wasted my time watching or attempting to watch them.

For some reason, anytime somebody tells me that they saw a horrible movie, I almost feel obligated to tell them that I have seen one that is worse. That movie is "Mr. Woodcock." For some unexplainable reason, Derrick, Cassidee, and I went to go see Mr. Woodcock one lonely Saturday evening when it was in the theaters. I want to say it was about 2 years ago. In my entire life there have been maybe 5 movies that I have refused to finish. This was one of them. But what it unique about this movie experience is that walking out early (I'd say 35 minutes into the movie) just wasn't quite enough. I realized that there was no possible way to get my time back, but I'd be damned if I didn't at least attempt to recover my wasted funds. And that's exactly what I did. The three of us went back to the box office and expressed our disgust with the movie and demanded our money back. And as sure as I'm writing this blog, that $7.75 went back into my pocket.

The most recent terrible movie I saw was the new Indiana Jones film. Although I managed to sit through the entire movie, that does not mean it wasn't awful. What made it even worse is that I had actually anticipated seeing this one, much like the sequel to "The Matrix." But both movies were garbage. I'm sure the Producers/Directors knew they were working on CRAP but banked on the fact that the originals were so good that they'd make money because suckers like me would go see the new ones expecting the same movie experience. But that is not what I got. There is even a Southpark episode about how terrible the new Indiana Jones movie is.

Other movies that were so crappy that I either fell asleep in the theater of just walked out include: Mafia (Danny remembers this one), Alexander, Wanted, and The Benchwarmers. I'm sure there are more, but these are all that come to mind right now.

There is another category of terrible movies. I'm referring to those that look so incredibly terrible that there is NO way I would ever put myself through the misery of attempting to watch them. Joining this list is any movie about a black man that dresses up like a woman and actually fools people. (i.e. Big Mama's House, Juwanna Man, White Chicks, any Tyler Perry movie, etc.) It blow my mind that there are enough idiots out there that eat these movies up to the point that they just won't stop making them. We can also include any Wayan's brothers movie. Also joining this list and probably topping it are the LDS comedy movies. You know...Home Teachers, Church Ball, The RM. I can deal with the common public misconceptions of Polygamy and countless other negative stereotypes that the church carries, but these movies are the only thing that make me ashamed to be Mormon.

If you would like to add to the list of terrible movies, please pipe up in the comments section.

Crappy Halloween

2008-10-30T15:54:00.004-06:00

Why the long face you ask? Well, I'll tell you. I found out about a week ago that I have to spend Halloween weekend in San Antonio. And I couldn't go two blogs in a row without pictures, so I snapped this beauty to illustrate my frustration with my current situation. Here is why I'm upset that I have to go:

1) It is during Halloween weekend I will be missing out on numerous festivities, namely Guido's party.

2) I won't be traveling with anybody that I know from work.

3) I fly out Friday morning and get home Sunday evening. "Wow, you must be working for 3 days in San Antionio," one might ask. Nope. I am working from 4:00pm - 6:00pm on Saturday evening shooting video for some small event. I still don't quite understand why I will be there for over 48 hours.

4) I will be missing the Utah/ New Mexico game and possibly missing history as they attempt to be the only team to bust the BCS twice.

So if anyone wants to send their sympathies, please do so in the comment section.

First Sub-80 Round

2008-10-28T08:25:00.003-06:00

I'll apologize right now for not having a picture with this one. I know that most people will just move on to the next blog and not bother reading my latest accomplishment sans complimenting graphic. It has been my goal for the past 3 summers to shoot under 80 on 18 holes of golf. I have come really close numerous times, but anytime I'm going to that last hole with a shot at it, I blow it!

A few days ago I was golfing at Murray and I shot a 79. It was one of the best rounds of golf I have ever played. The bad thing is that even though this is my best ever score, I could have shot so much better. I missed 5-6 very makable birdie putts. I did end up with 2 birdies and I missed an eagle putt by about 2 inches. Alright, I'll work on thinking of another thing I hate (shouldn't be hard) and try to get another post up soon.

Love/Hate #2

2008-10-08T14:11:00.004-06:00

Today's Love/Hate is one sure to make a few people mad. The "Hate" portion is something that I will never understand. I hate when people go for a casual stroll on their road bicycle and insist on wearing a spandex racing suit. It's just retarded to me. I realize that Lance Armstrong probably benefits from wearing one... but why does every person that owns a bike think that they need one? They are so fruity looking, especially on guys. You are bound to see about 50 of these guys any time you pass through Sugarhouse. I don't feel like even saying something that I love, but I will anyway. But this Love/Hate post thing will eventually probably just turn into a hate post.

I love it when you wake up dreading going to work and hop out of bed and then look at your clock, only to realize that you can still sleep for a few more hours.

Funniest Man Alive!

2008-10-04T12:00:00.003-06:00

I really don't know what to say about Norm MacDonald. We went and saw his stand-up act at the Ogden Wiseguys last night. I laughed so hard that I literally couldn't laugh anymore after the show. I had nothing left in me. The man is an absolute genius. Anybody that doesn't think he's the funniest man alive just plain doesn't get it. I'm sure the same people think that Larry the Cable Guy and Dane Cook are the only real comedians out there. Idiots.

We actually got to meet Norm before the show, and there isn't a nicer person alive. To have the amount of success he's had and to still be so down to earth is pretty unbelievable. It was one of the best nights ever.

The Great Outdoors

2008-10-02T10:47:00.012-06:00

Since Justin just got back from a crazy summer selling security systems, we decided that we had better get out for one last backpacking trip. We decided that we wanted to try a new hike, so Joe did some research online and came up with a hike that leads you up to Lake Catherine in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The Hike actually starts right at the base of Brighton ski resort. The first half mile sucks because you are literally hiking up the slopes. It gets much more scenic once you get deeper into the woods. The first lake we passed was Lake Mary where we stopped to take our first break.

After we hit the trail again, we came to a smaller lake that we thought was the destination. We asked some people we ran into if this was Lake Catherine. They told us that it was actually Lake Martha and that Catherine was another mile up the trail. So off we went.

When we got up to Lake Catherine, it started to rain a little bit so we hurried and set up our tents because we knew it would be a miserable freezing cold night if we got wet. So we set up our tents and took a quick nap. Let me tell you, it was the best nap ever. I have never slept so well in a tent.

After we woke up I decided to dip the old fishing pole in the lake. I offered to let the other two jokers bring up my other pole before we left but they declined. And of course the second I started fishing, Joe says something like "I wish you would have let me bring up your other pole." Typical. I've told Joe before that he will only ever do anything if it's in his best interest. Carrying up the tiny bit of extra weight of a rod and reel in his pack would not fit in that category. However, using mine that I had carried would suit his needs just fine. So I caught a few fish and let the other two catch a few of their own.

When the sun dropped over the mountain, we were catching more fish than we could handle, so we just started letting them go. I kid you not that we would cast out the line and within 5 seconds we would have a bite. It was insane.

We kept 4 fish and cooked them up for dinner. They weren't huge, but they tasted great. We also had a freeze-dried mountain house dinner each. They really taste pretty good, but they tear apart your insides. Joe and I shared a tent that night, and let's just say that I was jealous of Justin for having his own.

So after dinner we collected a ton of firewood and just sat around the fire eating delicious treats like gushers, rice-crispy treats, and fruit roll ups. We got tired around 11:00 and went to sleep. It got pretty cold at night, but I got a new sleeping bag that kept me pretty warm.

We got up at about 9:00 and took a small walk up on top of a hill that overlooked the lake. Then we hiked back down the mountain and went home. It was a lot of fun.

Love/Hate #1

2008-09-26T18:40:00.005-06:00

VANITY BELTS

This is a big moment for me. It's the first issue of my Love/Hate post. Since I've decided to just jump into the whole blogging thing rather than shamefully sneak in like I did with myspace, I need something that will make my blog worth reading. This is where the Love/Hate posts come into play.

Most Love/Hate posts will be shorter than this one, but I have to explain what it is and why I will be posting them. As Jim once told me, "Every blog needs it's own "hook" - something that will make people want to visit it regularly." His is the Daily Spotlight, which is a terrific idea. I can't wait until the day I visit his page and see some stupid looking picture of myself and learn that it's my day!

My initial idea was to have a re-occurring "Things I Hate" post. The consensus among today's lunch group (Natalie, Jim, Danny, and Me) was that I might come off as someone a bit negative if all I talked about were things I hate. So to resolve this problem, "Things I Love" will also be added in. Granted, I will probably elaborate much more on the things I hate, but I'll try to keep the lists even. And to keep the title from reading "Things I Love and Things I Hate" - Love/Hate will be the name of my blog's hook.

Now let me explain what you will be in store for - First off, I can't promise how often the posts will appear. That is entirely up to how much I'm hating things in any given day. But when I do post them, here is what you can expect:

1) The Love/Hate of the day may be something that I love AND that I hate depending on the circumstance. This will be the type you will see the least. Since I can't think of a good example, here is a stupid one: My cell phone. I love having a phone. Sure, talking and texting are great, but one of the real reasons I love my phone is because I can play bejeweled anytime, day or night. (just a side note - I just beat Jim's high score last week and he wasn't happy about it). But back to the point. I love my cell phone. I also hate the stupid thing. if it even slightly bumps a hard surface it displays a message that says, "check sim card." Oh great! My sim card is behind my stupid battery which is behind some stupid panel I have to take off. And every time I remove the panel a little piece falls on the floor that I need in order to put it back together. Even when I remove and re-insert the sim card, I have to put my battery back in and the damn things takes a good minute to re-boot. I could expand on this, but to keep this post from being too long, I'll stop there

2) The Love/Hate of the day may be two related items. (this one was Danny's idea) - example: I absolutely hate when girls wear belts that don't hold up their pants... "vanity belts" as Jim calls them. You all know what I'm talking about. The belts that just go around the bottom of their shirt. What is the point? But I Love Capris. I can't elaborate on this one. I'm not really sure why. I just do.

3) The Love/Hate of the day may be two TOTALLY unrelated items. - example: I hate it when your server at a restaurant will not leave you alone. You all know what I'm talking about. From the moment you walk in he acts like he's your best friend. He'll laugh the fakest laugh if he over hears an inside joke between you and your buddy. He'll kneel down and put his elbows on your table while you are ordering. This is the same guy that will ask you every 2 minutes if you are doing okay. When it comes time to pay your bill and get the hell away from this guy, he'll ask "Did WE (not you) save any room for desert?" When you answer "No," He'll have some stupid comment like, "Well good. that means we did our job." and then he'll give you some gay looking smile. It's debatable whether this guy is worse than the server that minds his business but never gives you a drink refill. On Love/Hate posts like this one, I'll usually just throw in something I love so I don't sound like a terrible person. So I'll just say something like...I love paychecks.

If you are offended during the Love/Hate posts, I'll apologize right now. If you wear vanity belts, however, I would strongly encourage you to stop doing that today.

Who decided to call it a blog?

2008-09-26T13:13:00.000-06:00

I have to start by saying that when I read Jim's blog a few days ago, I liked it. But I'll be damned if that meant I was going to immediately start my own. I think that to a point everyone has at least a little bit of that stubbornness embedded somewhere in their brain. If you disagree with me, ask yourself the following question: Have you ever refused to like a band or even just a song because so many other people seem to be such a fan? Case in point - The Grateful Dead. Now I'm going to be completely honest and even make myself look a little stupid just for the sake of my argument.

I hate Bill Walton. He is a true douche. I honestly believe that the only reason he has a job is because people hate hearing him talk so much that they will listen to him just so that they can hate him even more. Anyway, he is always wearing tie dye shirts and making it known that he loves the Grateful Dead. His stupid son Luke has a Grateful Dead tattoo. Where I'm going with this is that I hated that stupid band because of Bill Walton and countless other stupid looking stoners always wearing stupid looking clothes. However, I had NEVER even heard one of their songs. Well, I couldn't identify any of them anyway.

I'm not a huge Grateful Dead fan. I'll say that right now. But thanks to the wonderful and late TV show, "Freaks and Geeks," I really like a song called Ripple, that happens to be a Grateful Dead song. I had to swallow my pride and admit to myself that I liked it - going as far as putting it on my ipod, even if Bill Walton is a freaking idiot.

Another example - Myspace. I think that all of us who have, or have had, a myspace account have been through this dilemma.

When myspace hit the scene a few years ago, I instantly hated it. I would talk to friends about how stupid it was and how stupid everyone was who had an account. Well, as time went on...one by one...they all slowly started creating their own myspace accounts. This made me furious. I believe that I rebuked Joe with a great rebuking for walking down the popular road called myspace. Eventually, damn near everyone I knew had an account. But not this guy! I wouldn't cave. However, I did create a fake account under a fake name with no profile information or pictures or anything. Why you ask? Well, in order to see what pictures other people were putting on, you had to be signed in. So basically I needed an account to properly mock them. This was my justification.

One problem. My curiosity started calling my stubbornness into question. I think that my downfall was searching for people from my high school in Las Vegas, Palo Verde. I found a few of them that I hadn't talked to in years! So I decided that I'd create a real profile, but ONLY so I could sent them a message and get their e-mail addresses to keep in touch.

Well, I think we all know where this story is going. Little by little, I'd dip my feet a little deeper in the waters of myspace until I was a full fledged member, checking to see if I had a new message or picture comment sometimes up to 10 times a day.

This brings us back to Jim's blog. I thought to myself , "Maybe I'll slowly join the blogging community...one step at a time." Then I remembered my stubbornness in the myspace incident and the embarrassment that followed when I finally cracked.

So here it is. It's my very own blog. And I hope you enjoy it.