"quote me on that"

that's what she said:

2010-10-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

you can get robyn's side of the story here.

i can't sleep until i tell you.

2010-10-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

as of just a little while ago i proposed to my best friend, robyn holland, and she accepted my proposal of marriage. here is how it went down. i know i haven't been very good at this blogging thing lately but this was definitely worthy of a post.

a little while ago i talked to robyn's dad about the pending engagement. it was a great talk filled with advice and help as well as a great talk about how amazing robyn is and that i, in essence, was asking to marry the greatest girl to ever walk the face of the earth. after the talk, i was wondering how i was going to actually prepare the date that would change the rest of my life for the better (and forever for that matter). i was kicking around a few ideas but settled on taking her on a gondola ride that i purchased from gondola adventures, they are a world class joint here in newport beach, ca (and have locations in las vegas and irving, tx). they offer an array of packages and options to personalize your trip. i wanted to do it right so i called them up and started to run down packages and prices until i found just the right thing for robyn and me. i got into a good time slot and then was satisfied with my efforts.

pre-departure happiness

but i still needed to see if robyn was available...

whether i forgot that she told me (or didn't pay attention in the first place due to excitement of planning) we had to wish this darling girl off to homecoming before we could head off for our gondola adventure.

the darling girl that was just mentioned

the darling girl with her date (so cute)

i felt like i was a good sport but i guess my nerves were showing through and robyn could tell when we were headed to newport that i was nervous about something. hmmm...i wonder what it could be? :)

we set sail a little after 6:30 on saturday, october 16th, and headed out around the newport harbor. along the ride we happened upon a corked wine bottle in the water "randomly" that had a very special message in it to her from me (we'll see if she lets me share it here). i had a little help with the right wording and sentiment but got it just right and sent off tuesday morning at 2:20 am. i had spent a lot of time trying to find the right words and felt i did a really good job, to toot my own horn. the gondolier was smooth about it and told robyn that it was a newport harbor law that if we found any trash in the harbor that we needed to pick it up and remove it. he asked robyn to pull it out of the water and she obliged. she realized that it was pretty snazzy once she pulled it out of the water and was curious as to what it said. so, she opened the bottle and pulled out the message. read it aloud, and then i got down on one knee and i asked her to marry me. SHE SAID YES!! so i slipped this baby on to make it official:

once we got back to the dock the gondolier presented robyn with this box

post engagement shot! check out the bottle and the ring all in one photo!

after the gondola ride was over i wanted to take her out to a nice relaxing dinner that would mean something. she took me out to dinner on my birthday and i figured it would be a great place to go back to. so, we headed over to ruth's chris and partook of their goodness!

mmm!! loaded potatoes!

another perfect filet!

since i made the reservation at the same time as i booked the gondola i told them that we would be celebrating our engagement and they hooked it up with a beautiful crème brûlée:

after all the festivities robyn wanted to just hang out for a little bit (just us two) and take some pictures before we started the onslaught of texts and phone calls. we went to chapman university where we knew some sweet lights were hanging outside (she loves those white lights strung up everywhere). it was nice to just chat, walk around a little, and take a few pictures before heading back to her house.

sorry if that triggered any gag reflex

while at chapman i had to try the ring on while she would still let me take it off of her finger.

hot!

all in all this was the greatest day in my life up until now and i couldn't be happier! there was a lot of worrying this last week and sleepless nights (all worth it). now i look forward to planning the wedding with robyn and making that another special day in our lives.

now off to bed!

since february 18th

2010-07-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

disclaimer: the photos in this post are just randomly placed throughout and courtesy of robyn.

well as some of you know (maybe most of you) i have been dating a girl named robyn holland since february 18th 2010. she and i have been spending a lot of time together and that has resulted in my lack of posting since 5 days before i met this amazing girl.

robyn holland, born in the year one thousand nine hundred and eighty four of our lord, she has graced this earth with her beauty and kindness ever since. hailing from southern california we share a lot of the same interests and ideas. we went the the same university and there we even took a few of the same classes (not at the same time) and one class together (unbeknownst to either of us at the time).

i was introduced on h er blog and since then we have been on many "adventures" together. we've been here, we've seen this, then we went here. we have also eaten here, we've seen them, and we've even done this more than a few times. all in all it is a busy life now. i love spending time with robyn and we are happily moving in our lives and making the most of this experience and time we have dating.

i know that this post has been a little vague so far but let me get real for you. now i am going to get specific with you instead of just "talking stuff" like matt pond pa would say. this is my version of how we met. it might differ from robyn's but i think we can both agree that we met.

now, it was a chilly thursday evening when danny, anne and i set out for a night underneath the stars of southern california and next to the fires of balboa island. it was like most nights with the sun setting and waxing crescent moon rising overhead at a mid-singles (25-35 year olds) bonfire. but there we a few things different about that night. for one thing, we were invited by my brother justin to the activity. two, when we arrived he had not and were unawares of where to meet up with the other singles. three, we parked on the street and not in the parking lot right next to the pits so we had to walk.

as the three of us (danny, anne, and i. are you keeping up?) approached the pit area of the beach there were others make their way like moths transfixed on the flames ahead. one such person was right in front of us and that is where this real epic begins. this person (after hearing the words "relief society") turns to us and asks us if we are going to the bonfire for the mid-singles. we say, "yes," introductions are made, and then we talk as we approach the pits where people are starting to gather and their are 'smores (so you know you are in the right place).

after making to the pits, and continuing the conversation for about 15 minutes, robyn and i are in a fierce best-two-out-of-three marshmallow roasting contest. i started off sluggish but still won round one after robyn's marshmallow was burnt into a crisp that smelled and tasted like burnt toast, not good. then we did it a few more times with me coming out victorious! but wait! what were the stakes you ask? we didn't know. different rewards were discussed and then the golden words were said, "maybe the winner should get a churro from disneyland?" after nods of agreement the prize was set. then i had to try and make this next part as smooth as possible. i said, "well, i have an annual pass to disneyland and so do you, so how about i pick you up on wednesday morning and then we can go to disneyland for me to collect my reward?"

"sure," she replied.

"great! how about you text me your address and then i will pick you up next wednesday?" said i.

"perfect!" was her reply.

so not only did i get her number, but i left that bonfire with an address and a date as well. pretty good if you ask me. the rest of the night was spent talking about anything and everything we felt we should talk about. creating a bond that would at least last us until the following wednesday when we were supposed to go out on our first date.

now i know what you are saying to yourselves, "but john, that is stupid! why would you wait to go on a date with such an amazing girl until almost a week later?!" my reply is this, "i wasn't thinking." so the next day (friday, if you are still with me) i texted her in the morning inviting her to a dance that i would be attending that night. she respectfully declined saying that she had a birthday party to go to. but then the conversation lead to saturday. she had plans with her cousin. i managed to wedge myself into her plans and then the date she had scheduled with her cousin hayley (wait that sounds weird and gross) we turned into a double date. robyn and i would be accompanied by her cousin, hayley, and hayley's husband josh. but why stop there? that turned into a triple date with hayley's sister, brenna, and brenna's date joining us for the festivities. we went to cafe rio for dinner and then saw avatar.

it was a lot better going out with robyn only two days after meeting her then waiting that week, trust me. i have to admit that i looked her up on facebook once i got home from the bonfire but didn't add her as a friend that night (because that could have been creepy after talking to her once). she added me as a friend between our first date and our disneyland date and the rest, as they say, is history. hopefully a history that i get around to sharing with you as things happen.

i was trying to find a way of showing her impact in my life and couldn't for the life of me think of something that would represent us with statistics until i realized my phone has been a constant companion with me ever since meeting her. so i crunched the numbers and this is what has happened since the february 18th in my phone life:

avg texts per month before feb. 18th - 594.6

avg texts per month after feb. 18th - 1,533.5

total number of texts (sent and received) to/from robyn in inbox right now - 307 out of 416

biggest texting month (sent and received) to/from robyn was february to march with 2247 texts

last time i texted robyn was at 6:44pm

biggest month talking to robyn on the phone was april to may with 2,283 minutes

total minutes spent talking on the phone with robyn since feb. 18th - 6,759 minutes

last time robyn and i talked was right now and has lasted for 43 minutes and 10 seconds so far

the longest uninterrupted call with robyn was 205 minutes and started at 9:44pm

the longest interrupted phone call with robyn was 275 minutes, started at 9:47am, and ended at 3:02pm

the latest started conversation at night was at 4:13am and lasted for 21 minutes

so there you have it. this is what has happened since february 18th.

(actual quotes and dialogue in the story are not real and are things i think happened and things i think were said. please don't quote me on those statements).

christmas presents

2010-02-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

i received an 8mm film camera for christmas this year and could not wait to get out and test it. here is the end result:

8mm Test Reel from John Holman on Vimeo.

i love the feel that is given with the grain and noise in the film reel. i look forward to using this in the future and creating more content for everyone.

crash and burn.

2010-01-20T14:20:00.004-08:00

some unsettling events happened this past thursday. i was on my computer and set up the posts that you see below. i was done at the time so i closed my computer to let it rest. upon returning to my computer a short time later i found that it was frozen and a weird clicking noise. i just thought that it was something wrong with the programs that i was running at the time so i reset the computer and then when it tried to boot again all i got was the same clicking and this screen:

now last time that i had heard this clicking from a hard drive i took it into the data recovery lab in the byu library only to have them tell me that my hard drive was shot, the data on there was on there but could not be saved unless i spent hundreds to thousands of dollars trying to recover the information, and even then they do not know how much (if any) would actually be recovered. at least this time i had an extended coverage on the computer and took it to the apple store where they promptly switched out the hard drives. i now have the task of remembering everything that i had on my computer to make it back to normal. but there are somethings that i will not be able to restore (like pictures, documents, and other things that i did not back-up on other hard drives). our technology, although it is great, can still fail us. remember to back-up your things that you care about so no matter what happens you will always have it with you.

playing ketchup: jobs.

2009-12-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

after the application and in between all of the shows that i went to i tried to find a job. there wasn't much luck there for awhile. then i got hired by the ups to be a driver helper during the holidays. but that never came to fruition. the only time i wore the uniform after trying it on:

after taking this picture i drove to the ups hub to turn it back into them.

well whatever, that wasn't going to keep me down. i kept looking and now i have a job with filml.a., inc. they permit people to film in los angeles city and county. i will be notifying people of the filming that will be taking place in the areas around the locations. i am super excited and will be driving around los angeles so much that i will know my city more intimately.

playing ketchup: shows.

2009-12-20T14:19:00.000-08:00

these are the various shows that i have been to since moving home. (one was in utah).

here we go.

the weekend that i moved home i got to see two sweet bands that i had yet to see. the first was the day after i got home: Band of Horses

on 8/29/09 i went to the fox theater in pomona, ca (near the famous or un-famous glass house)

they rocked it for a great set and a great summer evening back in southern california. i went with three of my younger sisters. they are amazing live and if you haven't had a chance to see them you totally should.

the following monday (8/31/09) i saw Bat For Lashes

at the music box @ the fonda in hollywood, ca.

wow. that is about all i can say about this performer. it reminded me of the time that i saw imogen heap in salt lake. i didn't know what to expect at either show. yeah they sound great on their albums and i love their music but it was amazing! they totally had me (and anne) blown away from the beginning all the way until the end of the night.

ps to this show. i think we saw amy madigan (the mom from field of dreams, and uncle buck) there. i don't know who else it could have been.

the next show that i went to cost less for me to travel all the way to salt lake then to see them in california. i wasn't quick enough to get tickets to see them here in california and it would have cost me more then $400 by the time i got around to getting the tickets. on 9/28/09 i returned to utah and saw Pearl Jam

at the e center.

I was a little hesitant but was quickly blown away by these guys. they had such great energy and eddie vedder's bottle of wine loosened him (and some lucky front row fans) up for the show. One good thing about the shows that they put on now is the fact that they have tons of material that they can play. on the setlist were some songs that you would expect and are almost staples to pearl jam; but they also hit you with some others that you wouldn't think would make the setlist. i went with jared shores and we were up the whole time and jamming with the pearl. great show.

october 10, 2009 was an amazing day in my concert going experience. i went with justin and anne to a MuteMath show at the new club nokia in downtown los angeles.

this was one of the most amazing shows in my life. they had me racking the whole time. and i didn't have to deal with all the little kids that were their to support there new favorite band just because they appeared on the twilight soundtrack.

okay. during the show. things like this were not uncommon:

also, at the end of the encore the drummer was going crazy and took his bass drum to the crowd and had them hold it. then he got on top of the drum, waved his arms around and hyped up the crowd (as if the gesture of him standing on his bass drum wasn't enough) and then he dove into the crowd. i mean, whoa! my mind is still blown every time that i think about the awesomeness.

the temper trap

at the roxy in hollywood was the next show.

they are of the "sweet disposition" fame that is on the soundtrack for the film (500) Days of Summer. They are an australian based band. they have been constantly making a name for themselves and have performed all over the world. check out their debut album entitled conditions. very good. i saw them with anne and afton. thanks to afton for getting the tickets and making it a special night with the two of them.

okay. the next show with anne was on the 23rd of october at the el rey theater

that featured ben gibbard (death cab for cutie, the postal service) and jay farrar (irving) performing songs from the film One Fast Move or I'm Gone.

it was a good show and they both performed solo stuff and stuff that they had written together for the film. a highlight for me was a non-electronic version of the song "couches in alleys" that ben gibbard did with a band called styrofoam off of their album nothing's lost. it was a very good show and was glad that i got to see one of the very special engagements of the tour.

next was the Pinback show that i saw on 11/14/09.

this was a return to the el rey and i have to admit that i was happy to return and see a show there because i knew the lay out and had a feel for the venue already. i went solo on this one, which was weird since it was the first time in a long time (if ever) that that had happened. they incorporated a lot of video to go with their show and even played some music vids in the background as they played their hearts out. they both have many side projects that it was a good thing i saw them now and didn't wait until the next album (because who knows when that will be).

high voltage rock was blasted into my ears on the 24th of november by an aussie band called Wolfmother

at the wiltern theater.

they played an awesome set and a few surprises hit me as i was at the show. there were some celebrities there. first there was slash:

you may have beaten him in the guitar hero game where he is one of the bosses. well, he and andrew stockdale (wolfmother vocalist) wrote a song for slash's upcoming album slash and friends they blasted our ears and shredded our faces better then the shredder even could have.

but that is not all. when i turned around to face the rear of the venue because there were some very friendly people next to me, i saw the man behind the rise of snowboarding success in the united states (if not the world).

yes, shaun white was there being shredded by guitars instead of shredding the mountains of the world. then, on new years eve this duo came full circle as i was watching travis pastrana jump a subaru in long beach they kept playing a promo for Project X and my ears were soothed by the sounds of wolfmother as i watched shaun white snowboard in his very own half-pipe. and the world was right again.

(that was a lot of talk of shredding. i am sorry)

the 9th show on this tour was a stop at the orpheum theater with anne again.

this time we were on our way to see Zero 7 for the first time.

after missing opportunities in the past to see them i could not let them come and go another time without me seeing them. they played for 2 hours straight almost and at one point went into a trance and played these groovy beats and electro-mental pieces that made even the oldest and most uncoordinated people stand up and dance. they also have the singers on their albums come with on the tours to support because the two guys that make up zero 7 usually just provide the music. but, we also showed up early to catch the openers and i was pleasantly surprised/blown away/awestruck/in love with Phantogram.

phantogram played a great set and really set the mood for zero 7. between performances i went out and bought the ep and have been listening to it ever since. their lp "eyelid movies" is coming out soon and you should really look into them.

so that is where i have been. the next show will be at the el rey theater (once again) on the 13th of february, but this time to support Sea Wolf and The Album Leaf who will both be touring together in select cities to support their new albums "white water, white bloom" (which is already out) and "a chorus of storytellers" (out the 2nd of february) respectfully.

sea wolf

the album leaf

playing ketchup: application.

2009-11-30T14:20:00.000-08:00

so i have been working on an application to the USC School of Cinematic Arts for the past few months and have had that consume my life. there was a lot of work that went into it but i am confident in the application and hope that i get in. i do not find out until march. i had to create a visual sample for the application and i would love for you to take a look at it.

Full Version: "Joe" from John Holman on Vimeo.

here is the link if it doesn't work. let me know what you think in the comments.

playing ketchup: moving home.

2009-09-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

i did it. i moved back to california from utah. there are quite a few things i miss (more people then places, and definitely not university ave). i hope that all is well with everyone that still reads this even after my many months of inactivity.

california, here i come.

2009-07-18T17:03:00.001-07:00

i decided (not too long ago) that i would be leaving the state of utah for the gorgeous state of california. it wasn't too hard of a decision. i need a change and i need to grow and gain more experience.

p.s. i leave the 28th of august on this endeavor.

50!

2009-07-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

me times 100 doesn't even equal xaque. http://www.vengeanceandfury.com/

scoot the loop

2009-07-18T14:03:00.001-07:00

today i set out on an adventure that took me may a place. i was bored and needed something to do so i got up and took a shower and then tried to figure out where i could go for the maiden voyage of me and my 20d. i also was looking to go someplace far so that i could road trip with my scooter (which had yet to be done). so i set off to eat before leaving and i stopped at wendy's for some deliciousness and while i was there i forgot my wallet but they gave me my food anyway, which was amazing. next i went back home only to discover that my wallet was in my scooter the whole time and so i semi-lied to the people at wendy's. after a few seconds of feeling guilty i finally decided that i was going to head up the canyon to see what it had in store for me. as i was scooting i remember the beloved spot stuart falls and decided that that is where i would be heading. as i made my way up the sundance canyon i thought to myself, "why stop at stuart falls when you can ride the alpine loop?" so it was then decided that i would spend my time riding the alpine loop instead. what a wonderful decision! i had an amazing time and even detoured to cascade springs but decided not to go all the way there. it was cool, sunny and lovely. here are some pictures from the trip (no captions):

i ended up listening to passion pit's album manners about three or four times total on this excursion and it made for great listening throughout the trip. i couldn't get enough!

road trip: oregon

2009-07-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

this is one of the sections of the trip that i took with greg, jacqui and anberlin. it was freaking awesome and so here we go on a trip through pictures (not in chronological order) but they have captions for added effect.

can you say "truffle shuffle?"

i made it to the goonies house that overlooks beautiful astoria.

anberlin and i having great conversation while we color in a restaurant.

not quite. i just needed the coin to line it up (and to be facing the right direction)

these people were true campers. they knew how to rough it with their christmas lights, televisions, ipods, and all that other stuff to help them become further removed from society.

oregon coastline. loved every second of it!

the beloved tillamook air museum that was totally visible from miles and miles away and equally closed when we tried to go to it.

more oregon coast with anberlin and jacqui.

(read above to see where i was)

the tillamook cheese factory/processing plant/creamery/store/self-guided tours/made for tourists to think that they actually got to see cheese get made.

jumping for joy at multnomah falls. i cut myself in the landing.

the beginning of a very good talk with anberlin. i explained to her why waterfalls were so rad and she explained to me the meaning of life.

multnomah falls.

the great company that i went with/they drove.

my home for a few nights of the trip/all of oregon.

thanks for this one greg.

the lovely anberlin. who loved the tent. her mom can tell you how much though.

joy. laughter. long drives. short sleeps. fun. fun. fun.

we headed out to the oregon coast after a stop in portland but went to tillamook first in stead of astoria like we planned. but that was okay. i think everyone enjoyed the trip and we made it through that leg of the oregon coast so quick that we had an opportunity to head up to the great state of washington for the second half of the trip. highlights: the 45th parallel, trees, the coast, seaside, boardman, the columbia river, cannon beach, astoria, portland, rei, and much more.

road trip: washington

2009-07-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

part two. washington state and seattle. because we went the wrong way in oregon and started from the bottom of the state and went to the top we were able to visit washington. i had never been there but i heard great things. so we went and i had a blast. here we go through these pictures.

panoramic of seattle from the gas works park on the north end of the city. (hope this gets biggie size when you click on it).

our chariot that was packed to the gills. by this point we were on our way home and had a little more room than usual because we had eaten some food.

snoqualmie falls. on the final leg of our journey. it was a very powerful fall. and i just had to jump in. not!

snoqualmie again.

pike place market. way cool even though i am not into seafood at all.

we had to stop of in renton and see the jimi hendrix memorial.

his herbie.

c-attle

just outside of the key arena, and northwest of the needle this sweet fountain sits welcoming all on a hot summers day.

needle.

hendrix memorial.

long beach. this is seriously a freaking long beach, and as they claim the "world's longest beac" (driving pictures down a little further)

our exit to chehalis to visit jacqui's family and get a good nights rest at her house instead of getting rained on again in the tents.

driving on the "world's longest beac"

our trusty steed! this car was a trooper and took us a total of 1,500 miles (give or take).

seattle and washington were amazing and i could not ask for a better way to end the trip and a better way of spending time with greg, jacqui and anberlin. they were all so fantastic to be around and we all got along well for being in the car for that long.

thanks to the tingey's, subaru, the great states of oregon and washington, the jakobeck family, joe morgan, the other places we stayed, and everyone that helped out along the way.

no animals were harmed in the making of these memories.

i love california

2009-07-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

i have to go in to the dmv this time to get my licensed renewed. as i was searching the site to make sure i had everything before i go i found this little diddy on the website:

let's go in for a closer look:

tyler's room

2009-04-16T11:38:00.001-07:00

my roommate and i got bored one night and i had some equipment at home. this is the end result:

pilates

2009-04-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

what a crazy few weeks it has been. i have undertaken a project that has come to fruition after much blood, sweat and (just one) tear. i embarked on this project with liz jones and allison jensen. it is titled full body pilates and they are the lovely hosts. i happened to shoot edit and create the dvd and it's menus and many other things. i would like to share a little of this with you so i will enclose it at the bottom with pics and other such things that happened because of this project. we started a little before valentine's day and i just dropped off the dvds in order for them to get replicated and then sold. it is crazy that i have put so much time into this project and learned many new things; among them photoshop, dvd programs, and final cut a little more. i am very happy that i did this and much happier now that it is over and i can move onto other projects to learn and grow from them as well.

enjoy:

that is how you get (and maintain) "sleek, sexy arms!"

good 'ol cobra.

"you ladies feelin' it?! i don't want to be the only one"

"10 more."

this is the finished dvd cover that will go along with the other project parts.

here is what the dvd looks like in side:

main menu:

chapter screens:

the end. but if you would like to know more or even buy a dvd to support go to: pojofitness.blogspot.com

kbyu commercials

2009-04-02T18:10:00.001-07:00

i know, i know. i wrote about these last summer. but things happen and people get engaged so without further adieu the kbyu commercials that should have aired many moons ago:

ps shout out to amanda who debuts in the first two commercials.

baseball 1:

baseball 2:

lacrosse 1:

lacrosse 2:

latest project

2009-01-20T16:06:00.001-08:00

i have recently moved rooms in the same house to accommodate new roommates and to get myself into a private room where i could relax. i loved my last roommate and we got along fine but i am just partial to a private room ever since i tasted of its sweetness not long ago.

i have been looking for different ways to spice up the room because of the plentiful bare walls that it has located in it. the last person had enough to make the room look lived in while (in an effort to reduce what i had) did not have even enough to cover one wall. there have been several ideas pitched and i am working on one currently to make an entire wall a huge mosaic of different pictures that i have taken but never printed. i am also trying to find the cheapest (and the ugliest) frames that i can to add some life to the boring white walls that currently enclose me at night.

here is a picture of the progress:

but this brings me to my next point. for months there has been a car sitting in the field outside of our house. after one roommates suggestion we all decided to see what hidden treasures we could find within it. we opened it and found that there was not a whole lot in it and deterred from taking too much out. but we did find some sweet fabric. i then had the idea "well if nobody is going to be using this car it has seats and i can take one out to have a chair in my room." well it did not take long for that chair to be out, and realizing what a great thing it was the drivers seat was then removed too. they were a little dirty so we thought to ourselves "let us get some seat covers for it." the idea turned into me (and others) thinking that instead of buying seat covers i could sew a couple of seat covers to cover them and also to use the fabric that was just sitting there not being used. after a few hours i had a pattern and then got to cutting and sewing. the end result:

and who thought that the hfl department does not have practical classes?

bride-le your passions!

2009-01-20T16:05:00.004-08:00

so after visiting the salt lake temple and watching another friend get married (brendon alexander getting married to shaylar crump) i was waiting for him to come out of the temple and the couple that was right before him was a very nice couple and i congratulated them on their recent marriage. and being the helpful person that i am, i took the liberty of helping him put on his boutonniere so that he could be ready for his pictures while someone else was making sure the bride looked great. he was in a bit of a daze and thanked me for the help.

i thought nothing of the couple until later. we passed them several times as we both made our ways to various spots on, and around, the temple grounds. it was only after the time we passed in the joseph smith memorial building that the story gets really juicy.

my comrade and i had just finished shooting our portions of the wedding video of the friends we were there to see and packed up and headed toward the elevator to leave the building. as we arrive at the elevator one came and inside was the couple that i helped out in the temple. i greeted them and asked them if everything was going good and made small talk so that it wasn't too awkward in the elevator. after my foolish attempts the groom said to me that they were in the elevator because their photographer was waiting for them to come down and as the doors opened they were going to get pictures taken of them. he told me that it would be funny to have me stand in his place and give the photographers a little laugh. i was a little reluctant but obliged this request and then the reaction i did not really expect from the bride. she grabbed me and agreed that it would be funny to see the photographers faces. she held me on her hip as though she was gripping my hand in order for her not to plummet to her death. we descended the rest of the floors and i put a smile on my face for the cameras. the doors opened and the photographers started snapping away. they then realized that we were not kissing and that i was in no way, shape or form the groom of such a lovely bride.

we all had a good laugh in the elevator and then my comrade and i stepped out and left the scene. we discussed how that was such a weird request and how awkward it was for the bride to be all in and grab me so tight around the waist. i wish i had the picture to prove it, but you will just have to take my word for it.

the price of food

2009-01-20T16:05:00.001-08:00

my cousin got married the thirteenth of december and it was quite a fun day filled with family, food and love. but this story, however, starts the following week.

my cousin jade works for ksl radio, and actually works with one of my former companions from the mission. he invited some of us family members to see a screening of yes man (jim carry, the mask). i was very happy about this because i wanted to see the movie but seeing the movie for free makes it ten thousand times better. i went with my brother and his friend, jake, to see the movie but they had the good idea of making it a day event and just take in the atmosphere of salt lake.

like any good trip you need good food in order for it to make or break it. so i had a few restaurants in mind and spat them out at the fellow trippers and the one that we decided on was the pie pizzaria. now for those of you who frequent this blog know that the pie is near and dear to my heart and that it seems like i am always talking about it, but that is because it is the stuff memories are made of. anyway, we went and had a delicious time at the pie and then headed down to the gateway in order to do a little christmas shopping and to get things taken care of for the upcoming holiday season.

we arrived at the shopping center and i told my brother just to park in the underground parking structure. we went around looking at different stores for present for family members and for ourselves and then decided that we needed to head over to the cinema if we were going to see the movie. we watched a very delightful movie (some parts we could have done without) and then proceeded to thank our cousin and his family for the evening and then parted ways. we then went back to the car, got in and headed toward the booth to pay for the time that we had spent there. i thought that i had grabbed enough vouchers but that was not the case as our total came to five dollars. combined total of cash in the car out of three people: two dollars. what were we going to do? what could we sell her that would make up the difference and then she would let us out and on our merry way?

i then had a flash of genius and informed the spokesperson of the car that we did have leftovers from the pie that could satisfy the mightiest of hungers. the following dialogue was uttered (to the best of my recollection):

spokesperson: we only have two dollars but we do have some leftovers from the pie.

attendant: really? well, what kind of leftovers?

s: there is cheese pull-a-parts and pizza.

a: what kind of pizza?

s: pepperoni

a: well, i usually don't accept anything but cash for the parking fee but i am really hungary and the pie does have excellent food. (pensive hesitation) okay! i'll take the leftovers. i am starving!

s: thank you, enjoy the food.

a: thank you and i know i will.

(okay i might have added those last two lines, but it makes for a better ending)

how amazing is that though? i was going to give the leftovers to my roommates because i know they are in love with the pie just as much as i am. but, what can you do with two dollars, leftovers, a starving attendant, and a five dollar fee? i thought all parties involved made the right decision and now i have this story to tell.

giving thanks to human kindness

2009-01-20T16:04:00.000-08:00

this thanksgiving was one that i will never forget.

first of all, i was not planning on going home for thanksgiving until a week before the holiday. second, i had to work until right before thanksgiving. third, i left the day of thanksgiving. and forth, i had never driven with a dear friend (jill marie haar) from utah to california.

the real meat of the story comes into play on the day of thanksgiving. after much deliberation i left for the thanksgiving break on thanksgiving due to work factors for me and my traveling companion. we were planning on leaving around noon that day so that we could make it home in a decent hour. after much texting, calling and waiting for other people to do what they said they were going to, jill showed up around 2:30 - 3:00 to pick me up for our adventure home.

we started the journey late, yes, but that didn't deter us from attempting to get to at least las vegas before stopping at some friends house out there to sleep. everything was going great. we were making great time and made it to saint george at a decent hour for the car that we were in (7:30 - 8:00). after stopping for gas and getting a chance to look around for some food we decided to head on to vegas to eat because it is more of a tourist location and the chance that restaurants were open was greater there then in saint george. as we started to head off in that direction there was a peace officer on the highway that got off the freeway, and i am always paranoid that they are going to get right back on the freeway to catch people that are speeding. i made sure that he exited but drifted into the rumble strip (that thing that makes your car vibrate on the side of the freeway) and then proceeded further after seeing him turn to not come back on the freeway. however, a short distance later the car started to shake so i got off the road at the port of entry exit to see what the matter was. the car has a little smoke coming from it and then i was informed that the fluids that needed to be checked before the trip had not been. thinking the worst i opened the hood and then proceeded to check the various reserves and fluids. all the levels were low and made us think that we had done something terrible to the car.

i called my dad to see if there was anyone in the saint george area that he knew and he informed me of two families that were friends and then i proceeded to call them as jill called aaa to see if we could get someone to come out with fluids. i reached one of the families and then we cancelled the tow truck because we did not want to pay for a tow truck to come out and help if someone would do it for free. i reached a family friend that offered to help and he told us that it would be thirty minutes before he got there and that we should just sit there and wait. we obliged and then (seeing as how it was thanksgiving) he asked us if we had had anything to eat. we told him no and then said that he would bring us food so that we could at least have a little thanksgiving and salvage all the time that was left in the day.

thirty minutes later he showed up with fluids for the car. but he also brought turkey sandwiches, celery, peppers, carrots, candy, pumpkin pie, and a half a gallon of milk to wash it all down. we gratefully accepted the meal and were stoked to receive such a bounty for our troubles. we then toped off the fluids and told the family to go home but they said they would follow us to make sure that the car was running properly at least until the next exit because you cannot return on the port of entry exits. we then travelled a total of three feet before i realized that nothing had changed and that the shaking was actually worse off. i got out of the car and inspected the tire to find that we had a flat. all that waiting and we could have just changed a tire. stupid me! but in my defense i have never gotten a flat tire before so i didn't even think of checking it.

after i got the tire changed we attempted to make it to the next exit to turn around and head back to saint george to get the tire fixed to finish the trip the next day. after all that was said and done we started to drive and realized that we were not going to make it to the next exit and had to call aaa again to have them send out a tow truck. we were on the phone with them and family for the next little while explaining the situation. no matter what we did dick morgan (the family friend) offered to stay with us until all the problems were resolved, and once things went south, he offered us a place to stay for the night so that we didn't have to stay anywhere else that night.

well, long story a little shorter, we stayed at dick's house but didn't even make it there until 11 something. three plus hours after arriving in saint george. we entered the home to find beds made for us and then in the morning an amazing breakfast laid out for us and we were obligated to eat it before we could leave. we accepted and ate our hearts out and then got on the road and made it home safely the next day, but we (jill and i) could not have seen this love and kindness from a family that, really, neither one of us met.

pictorals:

i was not even kidding about the milk.

why would you ever joke about a thing like that!

"beautiful, beautiful zion"

2008-11-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

i think lauryn hill said it best (the title). i had the opportunity to visit some more of southern utah's finest landscape this past week and this is what i came out with:

the music featured in this video was:

sigur ros - takk - saeglopur

eddie vedder -into the wild soundtrack - guaranteed

it was hard for me to cut out any parts of the trip because it was so amazing.

here are some pics from the trip to bryce canyon and zion canyon national parks:

all credit goes to aldo quiroga who took them.

this is the car that i had to get upgraded to from a ford focus style car.

sad huh?

this is the cabin that we stayed at overnight at zion ponderosa ranch.

i swear i worked. this is proof.

to explain this shot. the times that it looks like i am shooting handheld out of the sun roof of the car in the video is because i am actually doing just that. i am sorry those shots weren't steadier but i am not a rock, and the car was moving pretty fast.

the north face

2008-11-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

a little while ago now, i bought the most perfectest jacket from the sports authority. it is amazing all two jackets! yeah baby, i went in looking for a soft shell and then i left with a brown soft shell and a green snowboarding jacket with a powder skirt. pictures:

as you will see in later posts i am wearing it all over the place. and it is perfect for scooter rides in the winter, you should try it out.

sorry about the pictures. after i return to utah i will post better pictures.

byub part 2

2008-10-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

so, it was taking forever. here is the second part of the byub post.

week 2: sea wolf - leaves in the river - leaves in the river

this one is about the leaves changing colors

i had to dumb down the quality so that it would fit. other than that i am all ears for your suggestions.

John Holman is...

2008-10-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

off and on life, forever!

i have decided to get rid of my facebook account and get on with my life. it is a social networking site that doesn't socially network me with anyone. i also believe that you just update it with pictures but you do not get the stories behind the pictures so i have decided to get back to my roots in the blogging world and hook it up. i am going to be updating this regularly and sending out an email letting people know that it is updated. and i am going to try and give you as much of the story of my life that i can so that we can really be involved in each others lives and bring it back home so, 'i choo choo choose you':

p.s. if you have a blog give me the address so that i can keep up with you as well. loves.

body art

2008-10-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

wow. this last weekend was awesome. i made it on tv during a volleyball game and then saturday i went up to salt lake to see a friend that was long overdue.

we went to a little exhibit called 'body worlds 3'. here are some pictures of what we saw:

i am super glad that i went and michelle and i were blown away by the amazing ability to extract all the different pieces of the body. so dope. i actually came away with a bigger and better testimony of the creative power and also of the body as a work of art set here by god. it was truly amazing and i recommend it to anyone that is contemplating going to it, do it you will not be disappointed.

after the exhibit we went and picked up katie and then headed off to the pie pizzeria for some delicious food after looking at cadavers all night long. it was delicious as always and well worth it to spend time with those girls and here some sweet jams like 'my michelle' by guns and roses, 'last dance with mary jane' by tom petty and the heartbreakers and then 'in the air tonight' by phil collins.

after the pie we relaxed and let our food digest over one of the greatest movies of all time. 'so get off your ath let's do some math'. yep you guessed it 'school of rock'

scoot scoot

2008-10-19T23:20:00.001-07:00

there i finally did it! i got a freaking scooter and just in time for winter! i have it all registered and am loving every second of it. no matter the weather (unless dangerous) i am going to ride this puppy. it is so fun. i am glad that i got it and am really excited to ride it until it poops out on me. i got a genuine buddy 125. after registration and a few things for the scooter itself i am happy with where it is and am looking forward to riding it all over the world. and by world i mean states. and by states i mean the streets by where i live. no freeway with this little guy.

here is a picture.

special thanks to toast for making it all happen. i love you.

byub

2008-10-19T23:19:00.001-07:00

i have had the opportunity to work at byub for a few years now and i just thought i would post a few things that i have done. i have also worked on some commercials but they have not been finished yet but i will post them when they are done. please leave me some feedback on these minute pieces and let me know what you think of them. the edit is simple but any feedback would be loved.

week 1: the album leaf - into the blue again - the light

this one is on the buildings on campus and how they inspire us (or something like that)

4 years later

2008-10-19T23:17:00.001-07:00

so every time i think about my oldest brothers birthday i cannot help but think of my return home from the mission. in this next post i will take you down photo lane for the last four years that have passed since my return home to the united states of america (in no particular order):

snowboarding and sundance and photos. yeah!

although these photos didn't win the contest they were worth every footstep and jump to get them just right (2007).

weddings: this is of greg and jacqui. how i love them and their daughter anberlin. they are amazing and i look forward to anytime that i can spend with them and in boise. loves. (2006)

more snowboarding, this one is of zack, greg and i. i loved riding with these guys because they pushed me and i feel like i learned a lot and advanced in my boarding because of them. (2007)

night, exposure, and long = fun. these were done on a whim and i freaking love them. go spotlights! (2005ish)

yep. this is the one that was on the cover of the daily universe. sewing away. (2008)

california, beach and clouds. three more things i love. the sun came roaring out right after this shot and made it a wonderful day. (2007)

death cab for cutie at thanksgiving point. third time i saw them live and it was a miracle that i made it to this one. this is an imitation of this kid who was super-stoked to be there and it made me and my comrades smile. (2008)

timp. great mountain, great company. the cave is awesome and i believe that peeps should make it there to take in the beauty. bring hiking shoes (or vans). (2008)

the alpine loop. love it. picturesque. snagged this one just before sunset and then hung around for the stars which were actually out-shone by the city lights. (2008)

this is travis. he surfs. i picture. this wave killed me and paddling out sucked after that but i got the shot which makes me smile. (2007)

meadow on the back side of squaw peak. amazing. (2008)

cooking. a lot of girls. but well worth it for food every week and friends made. (2007)

heidi. scuba buddy. certified and haven't been since. (2008)

bbq for st patricks day. richie! and latin kids were fun too. (2007)

four states. two feet. one dream. (2008)

same trip. delicate arch. license plate. (2008)

pt dume. (2006)

dress-up day. canyons. (2007)

work, this is my life right now and i love it, but it can be burdensome when you have to do the jobs of three different people.

hari krishna temple.

goorin pass out in park city. this is where i got my beloved sweatshirt that i still wear as often as possible. (2007)

me and alison sudol. the singer of a fine frenzy. she blew my mind, my head and my brain. she didn't kiss me though (april fools?) (2008)

surf and sun. (2008)

newport/huntington. (2008)

same day. (2008)

the aston martin v12 vanquish. driven by me. so dope. better then bonds latest car and the one handsome rob wanted to drive in the italian job. (2007)

reams. hatred. scars. ask me about it sometime. (2006)

rad house. destruction. fun. "six foot flames" (2006)

wedding for zack and linda. awesome. denver. the tattered cover. (2008)

california summer vacation. (2006)

family photo. love em. (2006)

coming back from boise. broken down on the side of the road. family stops. saves us after towing us off road into a field. brother. sobe. zack barely made the flight out that night. all for stephanie! (2007)

although not my major i have been heavily involved with the advertising program and with zack in his endeavors and now rebbie (congrats). some 489 posters that we manipulated. (2007)

same trip as break down but we jammed all the boys back together again. (2007)

house boarding. zacks bloody finger and pictures. (2006)

sleeping with toast (ryan) in order to get breakfast. it was worth it. (2006)

more work and play. (2008)

same alpine loop different day. (2006)

this reminds me of the bay bridge, oh wait it is. yeah for katie edwards (but not edwards anymore). wedding 2008, picture 2006.

me? director? commercials.

lacrosse. again. (2008)

that my friends is one "popular" band. nada surf. front row. free. (2008).

sam cowley. tommy guns. camera assist. (2008)

bullet shells are hot and fall from the sky. (2008)

happy.

sad after this random lady goes to town on my hair and then hatred fills my veins. (2008)

all in all that was an amazing ride and i would not change anything for it. it has made me who i am and finding new friends and keeping old ones were awesome. i hope that you were able to remember some of those things if you were there at the locales. thank you to everyone i have interacted with in the past four years. i love you and send my love to your families as well. oh, and here are a few nuggets pulled from the vault.

zack, you remember this?

so the second wouldn't work so if you remember at the jazz game one time an old lady doing the splits yeah that was awesome.

semester grades

2008-05-01T12:57:00.002-07:00

i would have to say that this last winter semester was my best semester academically ever in college. i know that there are many other people that can get straight a's like (insert something easy here). i on the other hand finally had some classes that i really enjoyed and really wanted to learn from. here is the reflection of the grades:

exsc 175 beginning scuba diving: a

hfl 185r beginning clothing construction: b

mfhd 240 parenting & child guidance: a

soc 460 issues in family sociology: a

soc 497r directed research in sociology: a

i would say that that was pretty impressive with a full schedule of school and then monday, wednesday and friday snowboarding as much as i could. and then adding work on top of that. that made me happy that i could finish strong.

final grade

2008-05-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

so for the last skirt that i sewed for my sister i would just like to say that i received an a+ (100%). so there you have it, i am awesome.

sewing may-hem

2008-04-02T01:17:00.000-07:00

sew, i have been in a beginning clothing construction class for this last semester and i am now seeing my accomplishments after an entire semester. in the class we have four projects: pajama pants, skirt, shirt, and the fourth for our choosing. here is a recap of each project with pictures.

pajama pants:

what a disaster! i thought that this was going to be an easy project, and it was until i tried to sew the crotch seams together. that is when i found out that i was sewing it wrong all along. i accidentally sewed the front left panel to the back right leaving the top all skewed and was unable to finnish it without forcing the waistband to be all jacked up. but i finished the project and received a score of 74.

skirt 1:

after the disaster of the pajama pants i was told to just do better on the second project. so i started out with getting a fabric that actually had a right and wrong side so that i can tell which side were the left and right panels to set up the skirt right. after trying to put the lapped zipper in a few times i was able to finish the skirt up until the waistband. after i was working on the waistband for weeks i finally got it to work out and was able to score an 80 on this project.

shirt:

my shirt...where do i begin? i got the pattern and the fabric at wal-mart at midnight and so i was left without options. because i went to wal-mart, there were no fabrics that were made for men, but for girls and little girls. this is where the shirt started to go bad. the actual putting of it together was easy but look at it! it is hideous and i hated making it. but i am super glad that i was able to finally make a man shirt that was a lot easier than an article that a girl would wear. but i was able to finish it on time and get ahead of everyone else for the final project. i got a 92 on this project.

skirt 2:

this skirt is for my sister. it took all of three class periods to finish it. on the first class period i got the zipper half-way in and got it all stay-stitched to set the tone for the rest of the project. day two i got there and put the zipper all the way in and then kept jammin on the project and go the facing put in so all that i had to do was get my sister to try it on and then get the hem lined up for the next time that i went to class. on the third day i was able to finish the project really quick and then actually add a slit in the skirt that i made earlier so that the girl in class i made it for (jenna garns) could actually walk with the skirt on. i don't know what score i got on this project just yet but i have to say that i totally rocked it and am proud that i don't have to stress over the project for the next couple of class periods.

and as i was there one day minding my own business i was asked by a daily universe photog if he could snap some pics about a story that they were doing. i relented and this is what happened: www.newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/68170. since then i have not been able to keep the ladies off of me. here is what it looked like in the paper.

just to give you perspective of how big it was on the front page.

there is also one typo, if you caught that from the earlier pictures, said skirt is not my final project, but is my second project. just fyi.

the finest frenzy

2008-03-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

yesterday the first of april was filled with cruel jokes and lots of love. the cruel jokes played by those i love and the love given by those that i really don't know. my roommate roman actually told me that my trip to guatemala was cancelled, i hated him for that but had to admit that it was a good one. and then after an amazing show someone gave me a "treat" and i ate pretty much cooked flour and salt.

"but in the mean time the in between time" i was able to see a dear, dear girl sing her heart out to me, rebbie, kerali, brienne, afton and anne. i know, i know, once again a poliga-date with some hot girls with my sister as a chaperone, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the music.

she played a lot of good stuff by herself and then hit us with a little number called "i will follow you into the dark" by one of her favorites death cab for cutie and then during the encore she played another cover of "across the universe" originally performed by the beatles. she did an amazing job and i was blown away. during "i will follow you into the dark" i had the sniggles (shivers running up and down my spine). wow what an amazing singer.

but that's not all, she played this instrumental song that "[took] my breath away." i don't know what it is about instrumentals but i just feel more connection and depth to those songs then i do some with lyrics. i have noticed this more and more with the album leaf, sigur ros, tristeza, mute math, ambulance ltd, third eye blind, and acceptance to name a few. but then i am also touched by songs that have long introductions like "brothers on a hotel bed" and "i will possess your heart" (both by death cab for cutie).

she played songs such as "rangers," "come on, come out," "almost lovers," "you picked me," and "near to you" to name a few. pictures:

and then the best part, getting my ticket signed and my picture taken with alison sudol of a fine frenzy. after my first picture i asked for another one actually with her kissing me on the cheek; but the guy guiding the line wouldn't have it and said "i think that is enough sir" and asked me to leave.

work and where to find it

2008-03-30T23:32:00.003-07:00

so work has been going super great recently after a terrible screw up that almost cost me a lot of work. my back focus was off on a shoot that made all the material that we shot un-usable and then they had to re-shoot those host stand-ups all over again. after that mess up i was determined not to make it again.

i shot this interstitial awhile ago and then thought that i would share it with you. it is about the cougar kids club activity that is coming up here in a little bit:

so this past week i have had two packages (stories with b-roll) on two different shows and have received compliments on both of them. first, a couple of weeks ago i shot a story that talked about the rubber duckies, an inner tube water polo team that dominates in the water and has a good following to help them succeed in all there matches. that story can be found at byub.org/trueblue. after reaching the website, launch the true blue player and then click on the date at the top of the player that says episode 30 dated 3/26/08 and then go to the segment titled "intramural inner tube water polo" and enjoy (hopefully). and i will try to get it posted here as soon as i can sorry.

the second story was done for the television show byu weekly. this one was about a photography exhibit in the moa (museum of art) on campus. the photo exhibit is about the dismantling of geneva steel and has some pretty cool shots. that story can be found at byuweekly.byu.edu then access the show title "week of 3/29/2008" and check out the weekly focus story.

and stay tuned because in two weeks i will be headed to guatemala to shoot for a show called "living essentials" but the spanish version. i am loving my job more and more now and will be sad to have to leave it all behind at the end of the semester. i hope that i can continue in production, whether in my own terms or on projects for other people.

jose gonzalez and last weekend

2008-03-30T23:32:00.001-07:00

so recently i have been able to have a lot of fun with the family and to see some amazing people perform and have found more things that i need to combine to make the ultimate show experience.

but first, the weekend of the 21st to the 23rd of march my brother came down from idaho. during his

stay here in utah i saw "be kind rewind":

then the next day, i saw "horton hears a who" with jarron and anne:

then on saturday i was able to have two great things happen to me. first, i ate at the rodizio grill in trolley square. delicious. meat. pineapple. after that i went with jarron, anne and brian to the university of utah for the jose gonzalez show that took place that saturday night.

i forgot my camera so picture him performing:

but with this hair:

the show was absolutely amazing, and let me tell you why. with a full belly from rodizio's we go to the union ballroom and the venue was not very deep and there were chairs set up to sit, jam, and listen. i ran outside to move my brother's truck and while gone my family moves a couch into prime watching position. so we were on a couch, a few steps above everyone in the back so we didn't have to stand and then we sat and listened to jose gonzalez blow our minds with his voice and music. it was definitely worth every penny. so in order to have the best show ever i would add a couch.

here is the set list:

1. deadweight on velveteen

2. hints

3. instrumental

4. heartbeats

5. all you deliver

6. stay in the shade

7. in our nature

8. how low

9. thinest

10. lovestain

11. remain

12. down the line

13. abram

14. time to send someone away

15. teardrop

encore:

16. fold

17. crosses

18. down the hillside

19. killing for love

20. being gay in a small town

then easter was spent with family and was actually really relaxing and nice to be with family to make it all that more enjoyable.

the weak-end

2008-03-30T21:57:00.001-07:00

this past weekend i went to the lesser known brigham young university in rexburg, idaho. what was i doing there? well i was visiting my older brother brian. i was a little hesitant to go out there because he (and other people) told me that it is a bitter cold in winter. there is ice everywhere and my little exploder would not fair so well with its two wheel drive glory. but, my sister and i set a date to go, and we did.

we first tried to finish a thorn that has been in both of our sides, namely the independent study class of hfl 260. this class needs to be completed in order for both of us to finish our minors and take another step closer to graduation. all we had to do was pass the final in order to pass the class, and to our surprise the final was comprehensive (oops). after entering the testing center in the harmon building we took our tests and then exited about an hour after entering. a sixty percent is all we needed to pass and when our tests were graded we both received not that. my sister needed only two more questions right to be done and i only four. so, we had to pay fifteen bucks each in order to take the final again, but our grades reflected our studying, so i guess i can't complain too much.

after that we listened to some rage to get the rage out of our system and then headed up to idaho to spend some time with my brother and hopefully get some good quality time in with others that i know are living up there.

friday: late evening we pull into town and find that there really isn't anything there and there is no skyline except for the temple and the mcdonald's sign that displays the golden arches at least fifty feet above everything else. we meet up with the brother and then immediately head out to the local where a pit has been dug and a pile of wood fifteen feet wide by nine feet tall has been stacked for our burning pleasure. see here. we jammed there until late (and by late i mean early because of the curfew policy).

i really liked this door sitting on a barn next to the fire and the lighting was irresistible, so i took a few pictures, here is one.

saturday: morning was spent sleeping, but once up we went to a quaint little bagel spot called uptown bagels and had breakfast. one thing that my sister and i thought amusing is that they advertised that it was a great local for group meetings and that you should do your studying there. fine. but, how about we get some tables that sit more than two and then not have a bar seating area so that the members of the group can actually face each other? let's be honest.

afternoon was spent driving and checking out the towns that have less than a thousand people in them and then being stopped on the road leading to the hot springs because of snow drift. so we had to just turn around and head back to rexburg and chill and nap before heading out to the night scene.

night scene was spent out in a suburb of a town called mud lake (simmons shout-out). after a hearty home-cooked meal we hit the streets to find us some bunnies to shoot. with a one-million candle power spotlight, a carbon dioxide canister, pink paintballs and a paintball gun we loaded up in my brothers truck and searched the roads for those animals that seem to spawn in seconds. after sighting them and spot lighting them we one-by-one unleashed a barrage of paintballs at the animals and shot our fair share. it was fun actually and i had a good time trying to find things to do to keep us entertained for the evening.

late night: with curfew fast approaching i set out for my friends house to speak and catch up with him and his wife. after beating the traffic in rexburg (one stoplight), i pulled up to his lovely town home. my sister and i entered and then we began to trade stories, futures, and goals. there was the one about the milk (a classic in our minds) and others. yes, you guessed it, i was in the presence of dave and ash lawson. they are great with child and i was able to see his wiener. after much more talk and fun i rolled out of there after two o'clock in the morning and rolled back up to my brothers place for a nights rest.

the next morning my sister and i woke up, got our things together, and then headed out to make in back to provo and get somethings done for preparation for this next week. after much driving we needed to stop for gas and so we stopped in the thriving town of pocatello, idaho. we gassed up and then hit the local j-i-b in order to fuel our bodies for the rest of the trip. oh, so good! why does provo not have one of these? they need the ninety-nine cent tacos and chicken sandwich, the french toast sticks and the shakes made with real ice cream! oh how i missed you mr. jack in the box.

after making it home, we quickly changed and then hit the road to sandy to spent the evening with friends and loved ones. dinner and dessert were delicious as always and i was happy that we were able to spent time with them, and my oldest brother. fond memories. afton, you were right.

release date!

2008-03-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

so the new death cab for cutie album, "narrow stairs," will be released on may 13th 2008. i know that it is still a little ways away but there is a new single on itunes (here) (or here) or just click on the song on the right hand side of this page and listen to all 8 plus minutes of super goodness. you can also take a gander at this little nugget that i happened to run into (here). take a listen and see what you think about the new material (so far) and then if you like what you hear get the single somewhere else and then pick up the entire album in stores or on-line at your local retailers.

track listing:

1. bixby canyon bridge

2. i will possess your heart

3. no sunlight

4. cath...

5. talking bird

6. you can do better than me

7. grapevine fires

8. your new twin sized bed

9. long division

10. pity and fear

11. the ice is getting thinner

unhinged

2008-02-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

the last two weekends in february were spent at two different locations to film the student project for one of my co-workers. it is titled "unhinged" and is now completely shot (hopefully). but the work neither began last thursday, nor ended this past saturday. i have been working on this project since november/december when i was approached to be the department of craft services. i then started to go around to the various restaurants around the provo/orem area asking them for any donations that they could give, seeing as how we have no budget for food. it sucked! after a few months i only had one place for one of the six days that we needed food for.

after a little more work (and going around to the more local restaurants) i was able to get four donated meals and two donated desserts. noodles and company, gloria's little italy, costa vida, and the thai kitchen all donated meals to us. and then gandolfo's and pudding on the rice donated dessert to us. i cannot praise these businesses enough. they were amazing and donated food for 35 - 40 people.

the movie will continue to be worked on, but at least i don't have to provide anymore food. i loved the experience and now have more respect for a lot of the people that work on movies in the craft services department. pictures were taken of the events, and without further adieu:

part of a superior race

2008-02-24T14:10:00.000-08:00

on the 23rd of february i had another chance to see an amazing show. last year i was able to see imogen heap with some amazing girls and so it was only fitting that this year i do it again, but this time the i went with one other guy (john anderson) and then a few other girl friends. this year the entertain-tress was sia furler. you might have heard her distinct voice with her work from zero 7. she also has some solo stuff under the name of sia. one of her most well known songs is called breathe me.

but, sia was amazing. she was funny and interacted a lot with the crowd and told us stories behind songs and everything. she was disappointed, however, that the venue didn't allow her to have alcohol on stage with her. she spoke her mind a ittle and then at the end came a declaration about the people there at the venue. to paraphrase sia: i believe that anyone who can be entertained sober is part of a superior race.

so just in case you missed the show, here is the set list from her performance on the 23rd at the avalon theatre in salt lake city.

1 - buttons: from the album some people have real problems

2 - little black sandals: from the album some people have real problems

3 - lentil: from the album some people have real problems

4 - day too soon: from the album some people have real problems

5 - the co-dependent: from an album coming out in the future

6 - sunday: from the album colour the small ones

7 - destiny: from the album simple things (zero 7)

8 - academia: from the album some people have real problems

9 - the girl you lost to cocaine: from the album some people have real problems

10 - you have been loved: from the album some people have real problems

11 - playground: from the album some people have real problems

12 - soon we'll be found: from the album some people have real problems

encore:

13 - breathe me: from the album colour the small ones

14 - death by chocolate: from the album some people have real problems

15 - somersault: from the album when it falls (zero 7)

throughout all this photos were obviously taken and here is the proof:

recent updates

2008-02-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

just two days ago i went to the clark planetarium and the discovery gateway museum to watch a movie about the human body and then explore an exhibit by sesame street that focused on the body. what an amazing movie and display. i was very pleased that it all worked out fine and that we were able to go in and have a chance to experience the exhibit first hand. it was also great to spend time with a person that i enjoy being around and her two wonderful kids. here are some pictures of the festivities:

two weekends ago i went skating at the gallivan center in salt lake city. it is a quaint little rink located outside in the heart of downtown and it was fun. it looked as though the zamboni machine hadn't been there in ages and so it provided a bumpy and choppy ride for all. but before we went to the ice skating rink we decided to go to the pi and have some delicious pizza to make our skating more enjoyable. at the pi i saw other friends that ust happened to be in salt lake at the time (brian, bew bew). all in all i had fun with friends and got to know more friends as the night progressed making it one of the best weekends of my school year so far. enjoy:

sundance has been good to me this year. the snow in general have been super consistent and i am happy that i have a pass to a resort that is so close and sucks so much. besides the slow lifts and the fact that it takes less time to drive there then it does to ride the lift all the way to the top of the back mountain, i have been pleased with the snow and the amount of times that i have been able to go. but with that is going good, it makes me sad that i don't have three people here to savour it with. they have graduated and moved on to their new lives and i wish them all the best, but at times i miss them on the slopes pushing me to get better. so in order to pay tribute, a few photos:

scuba steve

2008-02-17T17:31:00.001-08:00

as of the 20th of february i will officially be scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) certified! for the past 6 weeks i have been going to a class off campus for class credit and have been loving every second of it (except for the times that i had to pay for the charges).

i have been going to the pool sessions for 4 weeks and then these last two weeks i have gone to midway, utah to perform two open water dives at the homestead crater. after successfully completing these dives, i will pick up my card on wednesday and then be on my way to dive all over the world for life.

and now for a little video-age-ness to end it.

last semester

2008-02-17T17:30:00.000-08:00

yeah baby! this is the last semester i am at byu, and i am stoked! i am a little scared to because i do not know what is going to happen to me after this semester. but i will be happy to be done with this place and move on!

"the land of port"

2008-02-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

so for three weeks in a row i traveled with kbyu to exotic locations around the west beginning with las vegas and then the next two locations one, portland, and two, salt lake city.

so off to the land of port! it was a very awesome, and very quick trip to portland and we didn't get to see much other than the airport, the venue and the hotel. we got to sit on the tarmac at the salt lake airport for a couple hours waiting for the deicers to finish with the other planes. after all that we ended up getting in to portland a little late. we had time to get some food and run over to the arena to set up and get all the cameras faxed and prepared for the game later that night.

during the game the men's basketball team spanked the portland pilots the entire game. but the two highlights for me were that lee cummard and ben murdock both ran into me under the basket after being fouled by the pilots. and because of it i was mentioned twice in the program true blue that highlights the sports around the provo campus. (please see episode 14 dated 12/05/07). after the game we got to the hotel around midnight and then had to wake up at 4 am to make it to the airport in time for our flight back to salt lake city.

the next weekend we go to travel all the way to the energy solutions arena in salt lake city for the byu men's basketball team to take on #9 michigan state. we had to wake up early and travel all the way to salt lake during a snow storm. it took a couple hours but we made it and set up shot the game and then made the trip back home. nothing really exciting happened that weekend either because we needed to get back in time for another byu game (women's basketball). but the best thing to come out of that game were highlights from my camera that were shown on fsn west, espn sportscenter and a few other channels that covered the game with highlights.

i love my job and i love the fact that i have gone to places that i haven't ever been and experience different cities.

giving thanks in a different place

2007-11-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

this year's thanksgiving was exactly what the title entails, giving thanks but i was traveling all over the place. thanksgiving was spent at home with the fam, which is always good. after the festivities at home with the family i was rushed off to the airport to catch my flight out to sin city to shoot a basketball game for kbyu.

there was a chance that they could play two games that weekend and we would shoot them both. they first played #6 louisville and if they beat them we would not shoot the second game because they would play #1 unc for the championship game. many people (i included) did not believe that byu would be able to pull the upset and so we planned on being there for both games.

byu actually pulled the upset and so we just spent a night on the town and then went to our hotel for a nap until the next morning where we got up and then went to the airport to fly back home.

i spent a lot of time traveling that weekend but i feel it was definitely worth it. so i drove from provo to california, flew from california to las vegas and back, and then ended up driving back up to provo to get to school for monday classes. the trip was exhausting and amazing to sum it up in two words.

it is not our fault

2007-11-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

there is much talk about all things bad in the world and the two parties that receive most of the blame in this area are the advertising and film industries (with the double dose of these in the television industry). there is a lot of media out there that is terrible and isn't worth watching based solely on the fact that it just has terrible acting, video/cinematography, no story, and a bad message. i wish that people could separate those things into different aspects of media and advertising.

i know a few people in the advertising industry and they are not bad people (and i love them), nor are the companies that they work for. i happen to work with a television station and associate with people (and love them as well) that have been in many other companies over there tenure in the film and television industries. being in those industries it is easy to point at all the bad things that are portrayed and then to generalize. i say stop generalizing! it bothers me and it makes you look dumb and not know what you are talking about. i love when people get on there soapboxes and rant and rave (wait a second, this seems familiar) about things that are so important to them but have little evidence to back it up.

the greatest thing that i hear almost on a monthly basis is the fact that there is nothing good on television and everyone should abstain from watching television because of the content on it. i particularly like hearing it from the people that i associate with on a daily basis. but i can think of some great programs that are on annually, semi-annually, monthly, weekly, and even daily. it is because of television and the advancements made therein that millions of people worldwide can be enlightened and know exactly what is happening in the here and now.

what we do with our time on the internet also needs to be monitored this day and age. the media that we do not consume on the radio, on television, in magazines, and in the multiplexes can now be brought to us on the internet. we now do not have to leave our households, but we can get our media from clicking a few links, whether we want that media or not.

i am not condoning all the programs or people that put media out there for us to consume, that would be ludicrous, and a generalization, but i am saying that we should all be more thoughtful of the media that we consume and also you may think about what media you would like to consume in order to let these people put food on the table and a roof over their families head.

work: a chore or a choice?

2007-11-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

my job is amazing and takes me the places that i want and need to be. first of all, this fall i had the opportunity to be inches away from the prophet gordon b. hinkley (well, technically he was further away but i was in the kbyu truck staring at 10 monitors of him). i love the ability that i have to transmit these things to the world. it really makes me happy that i am able to give millions of people around the world that closeness to things that move and inspire them.

for the prophet.

also with these little badges you can get anywhere you want to in the facility that is hosting your event. hence this video about the energysolutions arena in salt lake city, utah. there i had the opportunity to work with tc smith at the jazz game. he runs the jib for the pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows. with one little pass i got into the game for free, entered the halls down in the "belly of the beast," ate free catered food and got to go out to the floor for some of the game. here is a little video, but it was during a time out so the guards were out and that is why i was still in the tunnel. enjoy.

the "golden ticket".

picture of the set of the show.

(but zack you still do better things more consistently, i love you).

this past weekend i had yet another chance to be with the "big wigs" of the brigham young university sports teams. i got into the women's volleyball game, for free (and actually got payed to be there). and then i shot a press conference immediately following the game. then on saturday i was able to attend the brigham young university game against the university of nevada, las vegas for the mountain west conference championship game. after this game we interviewed the mountain west conference most valuable player (katie fellows). it was awesome to be there and watch the cougars win their first championship in the past few years that they have been in the championship game.

here is the press pass for the soccer game, and the photo sticker (makes it very professional).

true blue is what has given me the opportunity to go to the volleyball and soccer games. i love the opportunity that i have to work for them and get into these events and hone my skills to be able to fill up my resume and get the experience i need to pursue my dreams.

but seriously, let's be honest. is this a chore? no; this is awesome, i love it and want to do it so much more. beautiful, beautiful "work"!

good ch-ch-changes

2007-09-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

change is good and as some say "the only constant" so i thought that i would show some new things that are changing the way that i look at things. first off i would like to add that i am using a better machine that is helping me complete my schooling, blog, and future endeavors. i am the proud owner of a macbook. i am happy and i am also very thankful that i have had the opportunity to use this new computer to get school work done. second, i am living in a new place called pioneer. i have a very large room and i even have a sink in my room, kinda random but i love it. thirdly, the new semester starts with new classes and new opportunities to learn about subjects. the following is a photo essay about these new changes:

even instant potatoes from there are good

2007-09-05T17:15:00.001-07:00

even though it wasn't the first plan, it turned out to be the best plan. this last weekend we (anne and i) went up to the beloved boise idaho to visit some friends, yep you guessed it greg and jacqui. i love them so much and it was good to see them this trip, i will also get to see them in a couple weekends when an excursion is made for steph-butt's farewell talk. but this past weekend we went camping and just hung out and made the most of the weekend. here are some pics to demonstrate:

hawaii

2007-09-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

hawaii is officially my love. what a beautiful state and there is so much to do even if you just stay on one island. my trip consisted of oahu. we (david, danny, their dad, and i) stayed at the marriot in waikiki and had such a fantastic-ly amazing view that it was really hard to say goodbye. we went all over the island and visited a few people that my friends knew out in hawaii. highlights: snorkeling at shark's cove, north shore, waimeia bay, laie, surfing, the arizona, pearl harbor, and much more that happened in the short time that we were there. pictures:

if i had to live in any other state i would definitely live in hawaii, i just haven't made up my mind on which island yet; i need further trips back to determine that.

it sounds so sweet, i'd sure like to go

2007-09-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

if you don't know james taylor then you wouldn't get the title. but anyway, for vacation this past year my family and i went to cabo san lucas mexico. it was not as relaxing as i had originally planned but all in all it was fun. i think the big thing about getting 10 people to decide on doing the same thing is that no one cared what we did but everyone had an opinion that they didn't want over looked. we stayed at the sheraton down there and i would not recommend it to anyone that wants 3 or more people to go to mexico with them. they have to queen sized beds in the rooms but they are "only equipped for two people." ridiculous when you can book up to five people in each room on-line. they also are very misleading about a couple other things from their website but i will just leave it at that. another thing about staying at the sheraton hacienda del mar was the un-proximity to cabo from the hotel. anyway it was fun aside from everything hotel related. we went parasailing, snorkeling, and went to lovers beach where the pacific ocean meets the sea of cortez. cabo is actually a clean place near the harbor and was very pleasant to walk around at night after it had cooled off a bit from the scorching sun. here are some pics of the trip, hope you enjoy:

underwater love

2007-07-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

plus

equals underwater love

never had i been so in love with a purchase as i have been with this one. it was frustrating getting it delivered to me but in the end, it was worth it. with a bonfire and surf trip this last weekend to test it out the waterproof case i was excited and nervous and then elation as the pictures revealed a new side of the ability to take pictures while in the comfort of the riotous ocean. looking at the last pictures and then these is like night and day. i love this purchase and suggest that if anyone thinks they will get their money's worth out of a waterproof case then you need to get online go to canon.com and then search for one by the camera that you have. amazing. love. beauty. the end.

travis jensen (no zoom, okay maybe a little)

my new fish eye's (view) lens

why do humans act this way

2007-06-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

i really don't know why it took so long to publish this.

i wish i had a dog like mcgruff.

do these two look the same?

i just witnessed something that disappoints me about how we interact as human beings. let me explain, my work has a "dog-friendly workplace policy" and so dogs are here at least one day out of the week, today being one of those days. when they come in the office gives them their attention and talks to them in that higher-toned voice that i guess the dogs hear and are able to understand, right (cesar millan, the dog whisperer, would be highly offended). but let me get to the point. a woman just brought in her child to work today and the same high-toned voice was used to address the child. compliments like "he's bigger than mine," "oh my gosh," and "he's so cute" were all given to him in that voice that is used to talk to small children and dogs. the boy is three now and hasn't been to the office that much, but i feel sorry for him as he is going to go throughout the day being talked to like the dog that is present. names are another thing about children these days that boggles my mind. we are starting to name them after objects, seasons, and other pet names. the child that was brought in today was named sky, and the dog that was brought in today is called mundo (world in spanish). what are we doing to our children, when will it stop, and whatever happened to traditional names like bartholomew, maximus, and zeus?

new name

2007-06-19T11:14:00.001-07:00

i have now figured out what to call this blog as you can see above.

hi my name is john, and i'm a work-aholic

2007-06-19T10:25:00.002-07:00

some people will tell you that “work sucks (i know)” but my job/internship is great. first, i get to wear whatever i want to work, jeans, t-shirts, shorts it doesn’t matter to them. next, i have the two best bosses in the world. we chat over lunch and every once in awhile we will even go out to lunch, on them. one of them tells me all about her daughter that is the same age as one of my sisters. we also talk about politics and other things, as well as how we are going to get the office running a little smoother day by day. with the other, we talk a lot about music, bands, and upcoming shows and who we are into at the moment and what shows we are going to and have been to in the past. we have had a few changes in the past few years but the biggest I would have to say is the name change and location change of the office. formally known as eidc, the entertainment industry development corporation, we are know known as filml.a., inc. we moved from hollywood to downtown los angeles, in which i played a major role in the coordination of the move. and not to boast or brag, but everyone loves me around here, so that is always nice. once again i love my job, and if you ever need to film in los angeles city or county (for commercial purposes) then don’t hesitate to call us, we’ll get everything lined up for you and release the permit from the city to you. you can also check us out on the web at www.filmla.com.

temple tour 2007-2008

2007-06-19T10:25:00.001-07:00

so as previously discussed (not blogged), i am embarking on a journey or spiritual proportions. as this next year passes (school year that is) i will have gone to all the temples in southern california and all the temples in the state of utah, and maybe even the boise, idaho temple so that would make the newport beach and fresno temples in southern california, and the st. george, monticello, manti, vernal, salt lake, bountiful, ogden, and logan temples in utah and the boise temple in idaho. i have had the pleasure of visiting the provo, jordan river,

and mount timpanogos temples in utah already and the los angeles,

san diego, and redlands temples in california. Internationally I have been to both the campinas and sao paulo brasil temples. i hope that i am able to reach my goal and that the friends that i have this goal set with are able to accomplish it with me.

fare thee well michael

2007-06-19T10:23:00.001-07:00

so my little brother has officially left for the brasil recife mission and is actually in sao paulo brasil learning fundamentals to the portuguese language so that he can communicate with the people there. i am very proud of him and know that he will make a great missionary and will survive the two years of intense ups and downs before coming home and telling us all about it. Here is a picture of him in the airport (probably the last one while in the u.s.).

here a little joy. but total confusion here.

angels (baseball) and demons

2007-06-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

to show lincoln and mimi that i am better than them/a more devoted fan, and to show to the world (aka those limited few who read this) that i am amazing i have pictures to prove it. i went to a los angeles angels of anaheim baseball game with my father, brother daniel, and sister anne. we sat in the front row, only six seats away from the dugout and enjoyed ourselves as the saturday afternoon sun roasted our bodies. the angles we defeated that day but the thing that bothered me the most was the size of the all-important hot dog. i ordered a “jumbo” hot dog from the concession stand, and in return got a little thing that was barely even able to be called a hot dog. the dodgers, on the other hand, have what is known as a “dodger dog.” for those of you who have not had this experience yet, you must. they measure about a foot long and the bun cannot contain the amount of juicy hot dog that is spewing over the ends of the bun. you can even get them two different ways, grilled or boiled. furthermore, this season the outfield pavilion is sponsored by am/pm (a convenience store for those who are not cultured) where there is all you can eat dodger dogs, popcorn, peanuts, soda, water, nachos and more from when the gates open for the game until two hours after the game begins. this proves that not only do the dodgers give you a superior hot dog (excuse me dodger dog) they are also the better team in the southern california region but who is gonna pass up free tickets to a baseball game especially when they are in the front row.

zoomed in on the third baseman. no zoom on the sd450.

surf, sand and insurance

2007-06-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

me again, surfing more than the internet

the past few weekends have been filled with beach volleyball and surfing at sunset, huntington and bolsa chica beaches. this past weekend was a little different though. after surfing an intense volleyball game ensued on the sand, as in past excursions. after a thrilling come-from-behind victory (not made by my team) i was left hacking up a lung and sat out yet another marvelous game. after that it was time to go so we strapped the three longboards on the top of the car and headed out for a bite to eat. tommy's was were we ended up eating at and then check the boards one more time and then hopped on the freeway to get home and take naps. about 15 to 20 minutes away from my house an unfortunate accident occurred leaving us three frustrated and confused. the straps that were holding the surfboards on top of the car somehow gave way and sent the boards end over end through the air and into traffic behind us. after a brief moment of disbelief, we proceeded to get off the freeway and one vehicle followed us and got our information. after that ordeal we ended up going back to find no one else around the boards, which were moved over to the shoulder and discarded. the journey home turned into a discussion of how's and why's. i am glad that everyone was okay and that the owners of the boards and car were very understanding and knew that we did not set out (deliberately) to harm anyone in anyway this weekend, who really wants to shell out a few hundred bones to replace a surf board? i don't. who will shell out a few hundred bones to replace a surf board? i will. but it is not a total loss because i will be one of the people using that board on further surfing trips (with the boards being safely transported in the car).

cloudy, yet beautiful!

2007-04-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

this past weekend i had the opportunity to go home and visit my family and see one of my companions get sealed (for time and all eternity) in the san diego temple. it started out like any other weekend with my mother's birthday on thursday and my sister's birthday on saturday (really celebrated on friday and sunday) and a lot of festivities with the fam. on thursday we (me and my brother michael and sister anne) arrived in the los angeles international airport and were then taken to in-n-out for our first meal back in the state. after that we went home and chatted until the early hours of the morning. waking up friday, i was greeted by the beautiful smell of bacon and french toast. later going to in-n-out with my friends to eat and talk about life, my arteries and heart filled that much more with fat and i love it. then that night i felt like i had travelled back in time with the party at boomer's for my sister's birthday party. we played cosmic miniature golf and had a blast. then i proceeded to go to huntington beach for a young single adult dance where i danced the night away and forgot about the task of the next day. getting home late, i set my alarm for a few hours later and got up to drive for two hours to san diego (but i made it in an hour and twenty minutes) for my friends (paul and sarah egbert's) sealing in the temple. after that we went to california pizza kitchen and sat, talked and enjoyed each others company. the rest of that day was filled with much of the same taking us to the easter sabbath morning. after church my family talked about various things that make us who we are and what has molded us into the beings that we are. i then proceeded to catch my flight back to salt lake city and later drove to provo to catch half of the first (and all of the second) episode of planet earth (the eleven part mini-series on the discovery channel about how our world is seriously the best around).

all in all the weekend was one of the better ones this semester because of so much love and catching up with friends and family and getting to know them a little better and a little more intimate. i love people and the way that each of us are different. i am excited to see what the summer brings and the new relationships that i will establish and reconnect the old friendships and relationships back in california that i cherish so much.