recommended reading

today, i will defer to my brother's blog.  it's a long post, but expertly done all around.

general conference is this weekend.  oh boy.

all these things that i've done

happy birthday, sister. i love you.

they don't make them like they used to

around easter this year, a silent film theater in salt lake called "the organ loft" showed cecil b. demille's 1927 "King of kings." in their promotion, they said that when the lds church was preparing to make a movie about the Savior, the first presidency told the producers to "watch "the King of kings." it's the closest to getting it right." that's certainly enough to pique my interest.
the movie is made and directed by cecil b. demille, one of the great pioneers of early hollywood, of the era when producers were often more of an influence on a film than the director. it was also a time when hollywood was less concerned about box office marketability and when those in power sincerely wanted to tell good stories. this is evident from the opening titles of the silent movie, stating that the movie is a reverent effort to follow the command of taking the Gospel to all the earth.
i'm not looking to write a lengthy review of the movie (editor's note: this kind of turned into one; and if you do want a very good such one, click here), but i do want to say this is great. in light of the above-referrenced first presidency endorsement, it took me a little while to figure out what felt a bit odd about the movie: it really does feel like a church-produced story. or rather, it seems that this has influenced the church's work. certainly, it is most akin to "the Lamb of God", as that is also largely visual, with very little dialogue.
if the thought of this being a silent film makes you loose interest, this may actually be one to help break that phobia.  people generally have a hard time with silent films for a few reasons. one is the terrible "over-acting" that came to early film from theatre and an effort to convey without words. perhaps in respect to the sacredness of the story, the acting is much more subdued and realistic. the role of Jesus (played by h.b. warner, whom you know as mr. gower, the mean shopkeeper that young george bailey works for in "it's a wonderful life") is as good as can be, never melodramatic, never passively dull.
the other cause of silent-film-apprehensiveness is the melodramatic music. the original score had several melodies i recognized from the hymn book, invoking lyrics, associations, and familiarity. the movie comes with two other music options, a modern organ composition and a full-score, both of which are reported to be fantastic. if you are looking to give a silent movie a try, this may be the place to start. (actually, i'd recommend buster keaton, but this is good, too). as a bonus, you get something you usually don't see in silent movies: actual color! the resurrection is filmed in genuine color. who knew?
don't take it as an impeccable source of history, though. while demille was known for his attention to accurate detail, there are some interesting changes, most notably the expanded stories of mary magdalene and judas iscariot: she is well-known reveler of all things worldly, upset that her main squeeze judas has gone of following some Carpenter, while judas is hoping to follow the Master all the way to a possibly-shared kingship. further, several of the events that occur in the movie are not in the generally-agreed chronological order. the majority of the inter-titles are actual scripture quotes (with the references given at the bottom), which helps keep the story grounded in its source text. however,like the out-of-order events, many of the scriptural quotes were out of context (to my knowledge, anyway), but none of these things detract from the story or its impact. the purpose of the movie is not to replace a need to study the bible, but to tell the wonder, the grandeur, the spirit of the Son of Man. in that, they succeed.

sulfurous fall

i'm working on being more of an outdoors person.  with tim's help i bought a pair of hiking boots earlier this summer, and today took them on their inaugural journey, up spanish fork canyon.

the hike was planned by my hometeaching companion, an hour hike up the canyon to a group of natural springs and hot pots.  i thought those were only around yellowstone.

we couldn't have picked a better time to go; the trees and leaves all around were absolutely beautiful.  not since the mountains of kyoto japan (just around eight years ago) have i seen such vibrant and varied vegetation.  i didn't bring my camera because i was told to "plan to get wet", leaving me thinking we were hiking through waterfalls or fording rivers.  i regret not bringing it, because i could have easily taken a hundred pictures.  hooray for memories.

it is so choice.  if you have the means, i highly recommend it.

life is a contact sport

a few summers ago, i had the opportunity to work on what was known as "the rugby movie."  i saw it last summer at the crew premiere.  it was great, and i hoped it would get the national distribution it deserved.

if you've driven I-15 lately, the billboards will tell you that it indeed did get its chance.  i attended the official premiere tonight.  it's even better the second time around.

we americans never grow tired of the inspirational sports movie; it's a perennial favorite inside of us.  usually it's about football or boxing, sometimes baseball, and, occasionally, hockey.  but in a good sports movie, the actually sport is arbitrary.  like the sport itself, getting the ball from one end of the field to the other doesn't mean much compared to the stories of those who move it.

"forever strong" is about rugby, which is new and cool, but it's about honor, diligence, purity, hard work, sacrifice, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent; that kind of stuff.  in the great pantheon of "inspirational sports movies", it's perhaps my favorite.  it makes me want to work hard.  to hold to honorable principles.  to be the best that i can be.  check it out when you're looking for something to see.  not only will you be supporting utah filmmaking, you'll come out a better person.

it also makes me wish i'd played sports in high school.

kia kaha

oedipus ego

you are lucky team

it was one year ago today that i wandered into a concert for a band i didn't know and my life was changed forever.

kristin said it best earlier this year:

Ten reasons I like Tally Hall so much?
1-Clean, creative music: My mom even likes them!
2-Musicianship: they are incredibly musically talented--amazingly tight harmonies--which sounds silly considering they're a band, but it's shocking how many artists are out there these days with not a lick of real talent.
3-Variety: with some of their songs, if you were to randomly listen to two or three different parts of the song, chances are you might just think it's a couple different songs. Then they have totally crazy songs, then super chill songs.
4-Uniform: they don't need retro sequin jackets or skinny pants to be cool. They have their own style, and it has become their trademark.
5-They share: Their shows aren't monopolized by just one band member. They all have little spotlights and recognize everyone as a part of the whole (or, the Hall).
6-The guys: SO personable. I love just talking to them--they are so chill, and don't stick themselves up on a pedestal. They are just normal guys who happen to travel everywhere and do what they love, and do it well.
7-Bongos, xylophones, and other various percussion instruments (the names of which still elude me)
8-Their frequent use of a megaphone.
9-Whiteboy rap? Heck yes. And whistling solos.
10-They like to kick it at the university, but all work and no play makes them crazy, so...they jump in the bumpin SUV.

Honestly, who could argue with that?

to the original tallyheads and those who've joined us along the way, i'm so glad you even really truly came.

jellicle joy

tonight i saw CATS at the capitol theatre in salt lake.  it was my fifth time seeing the show, my second at that theatre.  i first saw it when i suggested to my dad ten years ago that it was coming to a nearby city and it'd be a fun family event.  he bought the idea and bought us tickets; he and i got our faces painted before the show.  we laughed.  we cried.  nothing is better than CATS.  a month later we were in iowa for thanksgiving and noticed that it was playing in des moines.  dad and tim and i ducked out of the family gathering and went to see it again.  just as good.  and i got to meet macavity afterward.  in japan on my mission, i saw signs that it was coming and lamented that i wouldn't be able to see it.   yet i was back in town on a study abroad and managed to find tickets to the show in osaka.  it was in japanese, which was a twist.  i saw it at the capitol theatre in salt lake a few years later- nosebleed seats and a small stage:  in my pantheon of viewings, that was my least favorite.

tonight we were in row D on the orchestra floor.  mr. mistoffelees was lamentably somewhat lackluster, but everything else was spot on, including the most important part of the whole show: grizabella nailed "touch me!"  and the jellicle ball is fifteen minutes of sheer joy and perfection.

it happened the very first time i saw it and it continues to happen: i have to hold back tears of beauty at the start of the show.  it's the greatest thing to ever be on stage.  the end.

read directions carefully before operating

last week i was down in moab on a subaru commercial.  beautiful, beautiful place down there.  it was the first time i've ever felt a self-originated desire to go biking.

in navigating who was riding in what van, why the japanese guys got to ride in the motorhome, or what was the reasoning with some of us having to change motel rooms over the two nights we were there, we looked to john, our production manager.  and he did have all the answers for us.  at one point, he reprimanded us in desperation, reminding us that he had explained all of this in the e-mails he'd sent out--and why didn't we read them?!  well, we all got the e-mails and read them; i guess everyone kind of skimmed over them like i did (which is why i ended up at the "red rock inn," only to find that i was staying at the "red stone inn" and had to walk two miles down the road.)

i wonder if God feels the same way with us and the scriptures...

yes, but does it suck?

a few weeks ago i bought a new couch. it's beautiful--i love it. in preparing my old leather couches to be sold, i was vacuuming them out, and in the process, sucked up a nickel. this wreaked havoc upon my cleaner to the point that the belt broke and it sounded like it was ready to explode.

i chose my repair place based on the yellow page ads: "orem vacuum" had the largest, and the guy had a nice smile. i dropped it off and eyed the other vacuums on my way out. they had a decent-looking panasonic (they make vacuums?) for $416. suddenly i wasn't so interested in that anymore.

i was working on a subaru commercial on the salt flats when i got a call from the repairman: the broken part of my vacuum is one that the company does not make, and my best hope is that they'll give me a $25 trade-in credit.
i suspected it was time for a new cleaner (mine always gave off a slightly funny smell when i used it), and decided i could budget about $100 for one. if i wanted to be really frugal, wal-mart had some for as low as $38. on the other end, a website ("vacuumwizard.com", i believe) rated a $1,000 model as the best choice. that seemed obscenely expensive, but i've learned a little about vacuum cleaners since then. gather 'round, and hear my tale....

• while i did not do an exhaustive search of utah valley, i did scope out a few specialty shops. any fear of the fast-talking vacuum salesman was unfounded; instead, i learned a lot of what to look for as i went back and forth between "A-1 vacuums" and "orem vacuums", both on state street. the two stores are friendly with one another, which is something i appreciated.
  
• "orem vacuums" had a nice old guy who sounded like president packer and who threw the vacuum--one-handed--across the room, to show how tough it was. "a-1" has a friendly lady who took off the bag and vacuumed over several cloth balls, shooting them across the room as a demonstration of how the system works.

• if you love buying a vacuum cleaner, go to wal-mart or target, because you'll be buying one every few years from them. they've got hoover, eureka, and dirt devil: all names that i recognize from the price is right. and they look like they could be transformers, in bright colors and with lots of stickers pointing out all that they can do. they're also as must plastic as they can be, and belong in oversize cracker jack boxes.

• never get "bagless"/"dirt cup" models, no matter who makes them. they're the worst.

• in contrast to the superstore rainbow-colored models, the pricey ones at the vacuum stores looked, well, boring and old fashioned. of course, that's what i thought about criterion's dvd cover art when i first discovered them. let that be a lesson: the quality speaks for itself. between the one that resembles your grandmother's and the one that looks like it possibly runs on nuclear fission, trust grandma.  (during my journey, i deduced that kirby's are about the best around, which explains why my parents' have had it about as long as they've had me.  that's a seriously good machine.)

• vacuum cleaners work in one of two ways: those without attachments use "direct air flow", meaning that the dust goes straight from the carpet through the fan into the bag. the other kind--dang, i forget what it's called--is utilized in cleaners with the attachments (the cleaning hose) built in. the air flow completely bypasses the fan area and travels through the hose into the bag. some say that this prevents dust from getting into the fan and motor, although it's minimal in the direct flow models. 
• the direct flow system gives you more suction for much less electricity. those with a hose give you the option of not needing a secondary vacuum for the difficult to reach areas. the highest-end cleaners have two motors and utilize both systems; if you've got $1,000 to spend, this will speed up your cleaning.

• go metal over plastic. metal floor plates can get bent out of shape, but definitely get a metal roller: they last longer and the brushes can be individually replaced.

• the best brands i saw were sanitaire, panasonic, and solitary. leave the plastic stuff to the kids.
  

at a dry cleaner's near centennial apartments, i saw a sign that said "the sting of poor quality lasts long after the sweetness of a good deal has faded away."
in the end, i bought a solitary for just over $300. i love it.

rotting apples

having extensive experience as a young, unmarried mormon in utah valley, i have played "apples to apples" quite a lot. and i've gotten pretty good at it. that is, if there is any strategy to the game. as much as anything, the biggest factor is how well you know the person choosing the card. many years ago, jenny ricks and i would almost always choose the other's card, just because we knew each other that well. i wonder what she's up to...

in fact, i'm getting a little tired of the game. don't get me wrong: it's wonderful. mensa has endorsed it. there's an "apples to apples: jewish version." it's just that it was cool and new to me in 2002, and now i get a slight nausea at any game night whenever it's suggested, because, being the great game that it is, it is invariably selected.
such was the case at the game night i went to tonight. but i smiled and played anyway.
as i said, the trick is knowing the crowd. for example, i will choose the "charging rhino" card every time, no matter what, because charging rhinos are so great. the scort could be counted on to choose "a barrel of monkeys." and so forth. tonight i was with a group of mostly hyper-active byu theatre students, and was soon befuddled when their choices... made sense. i was sure my "the inside of the sun" was a lock for "glitzy", but it was passed up for something that i've already forgotten.
oh well, you win some, you lose some.
all the same, i won three in a row, and went on to win the game.

before and after the game, i talked with a girl who said she is thinking about illustration as a major, and offered to show me her sketchbook. in the process, i realized that i am fascinated by such objects. i'd like to have a beaten and battered, tattered and torn, ink, glued, and painted sketchbook of my own someday. i have a few moleskines, one that has primarily become a record of my favorite text messages, and a larger one in which i keep lines and scene ideas that i have for movies, but it has yet to yield much. but a black book filled with pictures, clippings, drawings, notes, ideas, markings, color, and doodles, is sheerly fascinating.

note to self: draw cool things in my big moleskine.

lucky shirts

at both tally hall concerts in provo, i've had them sign my shirts.  despite the permanent power of sharpies, washing machines also have power, and i've been afraid to wash my shirts for fear of extra strength tide winning, or at least fading the beloved signatures.

but when one wears these shirts to concerts and expresses excitement as best as one can, well, one's shirts begin to become "less aromatic".  and so one is left with a dilemma.

at the risk of consigning my treasured shirts to moments when the smells would be difficult to trace (i.e. other concerts), i gambled on the "delicate setting."

in the end, everyone won.

in other t-shirt news, when cleaning out my closet and getting rid of those i didn't wear anymore, i made the following stats:

35 t-shirts in regular rotation

9 are hard rock cafe shirts
7 are music/band shirts (2 r.e.m., 2 tmbg, 2 tally hall, and a bnl)
8 i would consider 'in style' to one degree or another (usually from express)
the remaining 11 are shirts i just like (homsar, thailand, pink, bizarre chinese-english, etc.)

provo's greatest secret

if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

-joseph smith 

the thirteenth article of faith

by beloved family and friends aside, the best part of living in provo is byu's international cinema.  in a town known for (insert adjective here) "mormon culture," happy valley is home to "the world's longest running international film program."  it is wonderful: during the fall and winter semesters, september through april, two to three foreign films are shown repeatedly throughout the week, free of charge.  i discovered it early in my first semester at college, when i innocently walked in to a movie called to live and was left emotionally drained and completely astonished.  it immediately became my dream job.  a year and a half later i was a projectionist there.  (and, five months later, i was fired, leaving me devastated until i talked my way back on and did a much better job).  at first, i would do my homework and occasionally watch a movie.  near the end of my time at school, i realized that this was a unique opportunity--to see such a wide variety of films projected in a theater--that homework became a secondary priority.  it was here that i first saw the rules of the game, fanny and alexander, not one less, stalker, and many more that have deepened my love for the cinema.

while the orem public library's near-complete dvd collection is another great perk of living in the valley, the opportunity to see a bergman or renoir movie projected from a film print is becoming rarer, making byu's i.c. such a treasure.

the schedule for the upcoming fall semester is now available.

be excited.

in other news...

i suppose i should mention that my sister had a baby a few weeks ago.  on august 13, 2008, 1:59 p.m., my little sister becky, with whom i've ridden elephants and tapped danced on temple square, became a mom to a little boy named caleb.  he's got the greatest mom and bestest dad i can imagine, and not only does he look less like a lizard every time i see him, i think he's wonderful.

as an honorable mention, jack and natalie also how have a son, appropriately named "jackson."  i've only met him once; he's great.

let's hear it for the boyz

i was asked a few weeks ago if i wanted to go see "boyz II men" perform at the scera shell in orem and declined; though a mission companion in japan was a big fan of theirs and helped me appreciate their talent, i was never really a fan and didn't feel like handing over $15 for an evening. i hadn't even really heard from them since high school; evidently they were still around, but had moved from playing sold out arenas to outdoor parks in suburban utah.
but when i was offered a free ticket this afternoon, i figured what the heck.

the evening started off with what was almost a minor "tally hall" moment. as an opening act, we were treated to the finalists of another variant of "utah idol star search" or whatever it was called this time. a couple of moderately talented late teenage guys were followed by a girl who looked no more than 14 and gave a strong performance of a country song with great attitude. and i forget the others that came after, until a little girl who looked like she was twelve walked out to sing "i will always love you." at her first note, we were all amazed. she was actually 11, but sang like she was 25. she was incredible, holding everyone in the grassy arena in awe from start to finish, politely leaving to a standing ovation. in fact, i felt bad for the 30-looking guy who came last; after an 11-year old girl like that, only david archuletta could have topped it for that crowd.
as the judges tallied their votes, i started gathering a posse to help me riot if little kalli jackson didn't win. not only did i not need to riot, but it turned out her family was sitting a few people down from us. when she returned to her mom as winner of the competition, i congratulated her and asked for a personalize autograph. and a high five.

among the six of us, we could only name about three of their songs anyway; we figured they'd start with "motownphilly" and end with "end of the road," the staple slow song of any dance in the nineties. the little girl was so good that, like the guster concert nigh unto a year ago, i would have preferred to hear more from the opening instead of boyz II men.

at least, that was my presupposition. the main event began with a video montage reminding us that these guys used to be big, until the venues got small.
but the beats of "motownphilly" sounded forth, and boyz II men burst on the stage with all the funk, fire, and power of the most successful male r&b group of all time.

the whole place went crazy, and those three on stage (yeah, there's only three now) were in complete control. in fact, i hardly danced--i was in mild shock. appearing in sleek, classy suits, they were as good as i ever would have imagined them at their worldwide peak; their harmonies were as smooth, solid, and intermingled as ever, they danced with equal joy and skill. the crowd loved it.
yet what was cooler still was how much they seemed to enjoy it. this was not a "we-haven't-had-a-#1-in-a-while-and-need-to-tour" tour. or maybe it was, which is what made this so great, because they did not seem to expect this much love and appreciation. they burst onto the stage and gave their all, and, immediately, utah valley gave their all right back: a symbiotic love that circulated all night.

it turned out we knew more songs that we remembered, and they also sang some good ol' motown songs, complete with wonderful choreography. amidst all the trends of hip hop, the boys have scrupulously maintained their clean-cut gentleman personas, which is very cool (and certainly helps with their long-lasting appeal around here). except for "motownphilly", all of their songs are slow and soulful ballads, which is great for dances and the like, but i was wishing i had been less "startled" and more "dancing" at the thumping start of the concert. they closed with "end of the road", to which everyone sang along and swayed.
evidently, the crowd's enthusiasm left them also realizing that you can't end a concert like that. (who knows-- in reality, they probably had the encore planned out. still, i like to think they were inspired; it's the romantic in me) they came back out and declared that you can't end on a low note like that; that you need to end on a high note. as such, we were treated to the opening song once again, with even more fervor, no doubt due to their delight at orem's perpetual love of boyz II men. whatever it was, the thousands in the park danced with pure joy. never in my entire life did i think i would have that much fun dancing to "motownphilly."

for what it's worth: boyz II men's "end of the road" spent 13 weeks at number one on the charts, beating elvis's 1956 "hound dog/ don't be cruel." their record was later beat that year by whitney houston's "i will always love you."

wishing this was more creative

on wednesday, i was beginning to wonder if this was a dumb idea: i was going down to texas for allison's wedding and reception.  

perhaps not "dumb", but maybe "overzealous".  

i have two personal faults that gnaw at me, and one is my general non-participation in wedding receptions.  (the other fault is that i borrow things from people and keep them for far too long; i don't forget i have them, i just don't return them.  phil, if you're reading this, i have your seasons of "24" for you).  my fridge has been decorated numerous times with invitations from friends whom i like and love, yet the day comes and the day goes, and i don't go.  so, if i've missed so many, both far (the scort) and near (countless), why was i flying to texas?  (texas, of all states!)

i first met allison when she moved into the ward a year and a half ago.  she was a tiny little 17-year old who was one of four people in our "gospel essentials" class, and i kind of took it upon myself to watch out for her in this new ward.  we went on a date to the premiere of "turnaround," which was a heck of a lot of fun, albeit a little odd when i realized that she remembered the 90s like i remember the 80s, and that she never saw "fellowship of the ring" in theaters because she was too young.  being her hometeacher and good friend was a much better fit.  she was also one of the original tally hall fans.  

i took her engagement pictures and also her bridals (jaime, thank you for your help, both during and afterward).  as she was getting ready to go home for the summer, i mentioned that i would probably have some money saved and some time off, and maybe i could come down for her wedding.  characteristically, she got very excited at the whole idea, and a few months later, i had an announcement with a second invitation to the temple ceremony itself.

so, what the heck.  am i crazy?  perhaps a little.

mostly,  i wondered, would i be in the way?  would i be awkwardly out of place?  it was possible, but i had the ticket, and they were expecting me, so wednesday was not the time to ponder this.

my flight was delayed out of salt lake, which i a) minded, because i only had a ninety-minute layover in denver, and an hour and forty-five minute delay causes problems, and b) didn't mind, because i had borrowed tim's gameboy and was overjoyed to rediscover "dragon warrior 3."

still, i've flown on enough planes to know that nothing is for naught, and soon a helpful lady had me on another flight.   ...that was also delayed.  i further considered taking the "bump" plea concerning our full flight and getting a free ticket, but the family in texas had enough stress without me messing up their schedule.

so far, i remembered why i loved "dragon warrior 3" and why i didn't fly united much anymore.

in texas, everything was great.  i had always connoted a barren land of dusty oil derricks and cattle skulls, which i'm sure are just beyond the city limits.  in town, it looks more like the midwest than the southwest, with open grassy plains, and a wide variety of big and spacious church.  a lot of them.

pulling into the parking lot, everyone came out to greet us, with allison squealing and jumping onto me.  the house was like being at the weasley's "burrow," with all sorts of people going every which way, yet everyone getting along and having their place.  all the beds and cots were full, so much that her brother had been sleeping on an office floor for a while, and any more guests would require us to build bunk beds in the broom closet.

i'd met allison's mom before, and her grandparents (seeing as she lived with them in provo), thus reducing the mild xenophobia that came and went.  in a whirlwind, i was introduced to all sorts of other relatives and friends, during which was suffixed as "the hometeacher."  this introduction would continue through the following day's wedding itself and into the reception, and would always bring a look of dawning comprehension from to whomever i was being introduced.  apparently, the talk of "allison's hometeacher" coming to texas circulated amongst friends and family thoroughly.  sometimes i would explain that i wasn't "just" her hometeacher, that we were also very good friends, and that i don't do this for all my hometeachees.  and, other times, i'd let it go, content with them thinking i was some seriously stellar guy.

the dallas temple looks similar to the chicago and las vegas temples, with a slanted look and the six spires being placed close to the temple and not directly on it.  the ceremony went wonderfully and smoothly, as did the picture-taking afterward.  allison bought me a red bow-tie, to match everyone else.  and, despite forgetting my cuff links, i looked sharp.  the lunch (or is it a "luncheon"?) at olive garden allowed me to make some more friends there, and by the evening's reception, i felt like i fit in down there.

despite my above confession about having missed a great many wedding receptions, i've also been to a lot over the years, and have learned a few things.  if you are at a reception for the duration of the event (for a family member, lifelong best friend, hometeachee in another state, etc.), it's best to get yourself a job.  me, i made myself useful in the kitchen.  (the "oh, the hometeacher!" exclamations continued in abundance here) 

 as evidence of allison's lifelong knack for planning elaborate events, the reception looked more like a senior prom of black, white, and red.  another trait of hers is to be exaggerated and grandiose without being over the top; i've been to a few wedding receptions that seem more like mtv parties than a way to remember the sacredness of being married in the temple.  there was a dj and a dance, but it was classy music and a big band jazz dance.  and i do regret not taking the opportunity to ask a nice girl or two for dance, as i do like to dance.

however, i did get to dance with the bride herself.  a nice slow dance was what i was expecting, but rather than setting aside a song for me, she said "well join in!" in the middle of some song i don't remember, and before i knew it, there was a circle of people around us as she and i danced like a couple of wild pioneers.

until just over a year ago, i had never caught a garter. since then, i have caught the pinata-garter at jack and natalie's reception (love the idea), as well as the one that brady threw at me. in texas i fought off a decent crowd (including mildly yanking it from her brother's hands amidst the frenzy of it all) to win allison's, which i wore proudly on my arm like an old timey saloon owner (it looked pretty cool on my black and grey shirt, if i may say).

despite having enough leftover croissants to supply most of texas in event of a food shortage, we caught our breath from the day and had the house looking presentable again.  allison's mom noted that nothing really went wrong that day, though she related a near-disasterous scheduling conflict at the temple earlier in the week.  as the last of us were going to bed, i genuinely felt like one of the gang down there.  which was nice, because in order to make it to aaron's wedding the next morning, my flight left at 6 a.m.  there aren't a lot of people i'd feel comfortable asking to for a ride to the airport at 4 a.m. the morning after their oldest daughter's wedding, but i had two in texas, now.

my new favorite music video

when it feels real good

like a feeling should

when it's understood

gotta *unh unh* pass it on!

--the fraggles

my mom just e-mailed this one on to me.  

happy day to you all.

(make sure the sound is on)

i think the plural of moose should be "moosen."

remember that one time?

i pruned this from the jamhall, as i thought it was a rather fun idea. it's also a quick way to get a post up, seeing as none of the topics on my "to write" list are feeling particularly generative this sabbath afternoon.

1.  as a blog comment, post one memory that you and i have together.  be there multitudes to choose from, or only one at all, please share it.

2.  do the same on your blog.  i'll write.  

3. good times had by all.

photographic doodling

mark is good about calling me up and suggesting we go out and take some pictures.  and, while the 2:00 afternoon sun is about the poor light of the whole day, we went just the same.

friends on the blogotubes

these are my friends.  chances are, you read some of them, too.

"a window into the williams' world"--my dear sister and her stellar husband.  originally they had two blogs, but, like so many other things in their lives, they became one.  lately, it's often been about be about impending babies, because that's what's going on.

"that's enough out of you, capt. amazing"--my brother himself.  good stories and life lessons about working in an office and videos of kittens.  may or may not be done by a monkey.

"lucky shirts"--jack and natalie.  sometimes about babies (and the frequency will probably increase), sometimes about other stuff, including mountains, families, and broken windows.  and, recently, i heard "the eels" on there.  now i like that.

"cafe rock"--the chris and alyssa.  and a kid rock.  and a pet rock.  and movie talk.  yet not on blogger.  weird.

"pretty much great"--by bekahjo.  the title says it all.

"one happy family"--beej waited until later than most of his friends to get married.  now he's got a wife and three kids.  i like their stories.

"jam hall"--jared and marvia, my favorite people in the state of north dakota.  no relation to tally hall; more like pb&j but for real.

"ready for my close-up mr. demille"--emily and renn and oliver flinders.  like a good documentarian, em has taken a seemingly common subject (be a young wife and mother) and has crafted a wonderful blog.  i haven't been a regular reader in a while, but it was her ingenuity that made me want to get a blog of my own.

"all the world"--leith(al), my favorite person from africa.  i just recently rediscovered her blog.

"spark plug in the sea"--kristin.  she doesn't write often, but i will reference her site when i finally post my tally hall review--she captured the second concert beautifully.

"ramblings and randomness"--laurie jayne.  i put laurie jayne last because i check her last.  i check her last because she is usually the most prolific.  and, as an aspiring writer, she's getting really darn good.  like, seriously dang.

non-blogs that like:

the criterion collection-- this is where i spend my free time.  i've compiled a list to rent from the orem library and am working on it.  i just can't get enough.

they shoot pictures, don't they?-- the best "serious film" site i've found.  the layout/design is horrendous, but for lists and rankings, this is close to definitive.

sight and sound top 10-- a shorter definitive list.  i follow it.

homestarrunner-- always a fan.  meh!

lds.org-- the most correct of any site on earth.