Yuka......GEEZ!

Movies That I Want to See

2010-12-16T09:36:00.003-07:00

Here is a list of upcoming movies that I think would be interesting to watch:

Water for Elephants

The Tree of Life

Shoah

Tron

Pirates of the Caribbean 4

Fast Five

Two or three of these are kind of Indy films. But they looks pretty interesting. I highly suggest watching these Trailers on Youtube or trailers.apple.com.

A Future Project

2010-11-22T18:06:00.002-07:00

I want to write a book about Utah Valley. I want it to be about the hidden culture of tattoos that exists among the predominant culture. I don't know how long it will take, and I don't know if I will even be able to do it, but I want to do it.

And I want to take pictures of a lot of people here in the valley that have tattoos so that I can portray their stories and experiences here. I want this to become a culture that gets exposure.

I personally don't have any tattoos, but I really enjoy seeing them on other people. I appreciate good body art. Is it weird for a person who has no tattoos to write a book about people with them? Should this book be written by a person who is actually a part of the culture?

Believe in God

2010-11-14T16:05:00.002-07:00

I found a verse of scripture today that I had read before, and I loved it all over again.

"Believe in God;

Believe that He is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth;

Believe that he has all wisdom and all power, both in heaven and in earth;

Believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."

-Mosiah 4:9

I believe in God, and that He lives, and that He knows who I am.

And He knows all of you, too, even if you may not know Him yet.

No Holds Barred

2010-11-12T11:45:00.002-07:00

So, last week I went to the BYU Football Game. They played against UNLV. I usually drive down the Macey's near the hospital and park near there. Then I want to the stadium. It's a 10-15 minute walk, but when we leave there is hardly any traffic where we are.

So I drove down last week and parked in the same spot. I was with my brother Davide and we got our stuff and headed to the stadium. We walked across Freedom BLVD and to the stadium. As we're approaching I check for my ticket and.....it's gone!! WTF?? In all my years of going to football games I have never lost a ticket except for today!

So I start walking back to the car, checking every piece of ground along the way. Nothing. I walk back to the stadium and still nothing. So I go to the ticket office in the West parking lot and say, "Hey, my family is season ticket holders and I lost my ticket."

They ask what seat the ticket was. I tell them. Now that they have the fancy scanners for every ticket, they can see which tickets have been used so far.

Well...........SOMEONE FOUND AND USED MY TICKET!!!! Can you believe that crap?!?! I would have thought that since it was BYU that someone would have done the right thing and returned the ticket to lost and found or something. But NO! They USED it!

So I payed $5 for a crappy seat and just sat with my family anyway. This just goes to show that when it comes to BYU football tickets that the gloves come off, there are no fouls, and it's no holds barred to get into the stadium.

One Year Older and.... Wiser?

2010-11-03T09:29:00.002-06:00

As the song goes, we are supposed to be "one year older and wiser, too". I guess it is implied that if you live a year then you are that much wiser?

I don't believe that, at least for myself, I can honestly say if I am any wiser than I was the last year. I think that an honest measure of how wise you are is the people around you, and how they respond and treat you. I believe that the wiser a person gets, the more respect and admiration they receive from those around them.

Whatever the case may be, I had a great birthday. I had breakfast with my wonderful wife and some friends at Denny's in AF, my night class at the U of U was released early so I could get home earlier than 8:30, Live and I went out to dinner to La Dolce Vita in Provo (some of the best Italian food in the state), and then we had cake with Emily and Zander in the evening. It was a great day.

What was interesting was that whenever I was in the car listening to the radio (and yes, I still listen to the radio for music) it seemed as though all the songs that played that day were songs that I loved! Almost like the universe knew..... haha

Here's to one more year, wiser or not.

I love being scared

2010-10-29T18:03:00.003-06:00

I LOVE being scared for some odd reason. And this is the perfect time of the year to be scared. I've been watching horror movies since last weekend. I enjoy the thrill of not knowing what nasty thing is gonna pop out at me next.

Last year Live and I went with some people to the Haunted Forest/Insane Asylum. I thought it was really fun! Live....well, she grabbed my hand so hard and for so long that I thought I was gonna need a cast on my wrist. She's not to prone to scariness like I am. But that's okay.

I want to know from you guys: do you enjoy getting scared every now and then? What do you like about it? How often do you enjoy getting freaked out?

I guess it's Time for an Update...

2010-10-21T16:51:00.002-06:00

So!........It's been a while since my last post. Let me catch people up on what the heck has been going on in my life since who-knows-when.

First, I started dating an awesome girl: Live. We were in the same singles ward.

Then, I started school at the University of Utah for my Masters of Education degree in Professional Counseling. The first year of that kicked my butt! But I survived it pretty well. I'm now in my second year in my degree and the workload is lighter. I'm seeing volunteer clients at the University Psych Clinic. That's been a lot of fun and I've learned a lot about counseling, myself, and the clients by going through it.

Back-tracking a bit, Live and I got married!! It was May 21, 2010. If you're wondering if the day had any particular meaning to it, it's because it is Live's sister's birthday. She thought it was fitting because her sister got married on HER birthday. haha Gotta love it.

I'm working at UVU right now in two capacities. First, I part-time teach a psychology class on Tuesdays. I am also an intern advisor in one of the departments on campus. I meet with students and help them to get what they need for their future graduations. Both are very fulfilling positions.

Finally, and probably the most awesome, is that Live and I are PREGNANT! She is due around May 23. Live is hoping for a June birthday because no one on either side of our families has a birthday in June. I don't think Live will be able to keep the baby in for that long though.

Anywho, that's the update. I'm gonna try to keep this updated more often now, and I'll probably get Live to help me do that.

Before I go to work..

2009-06-16T09:51:00.002-06:00

I've been trying to eat healthier as of late, so I've gotten into the habit of going to the store before work and picking up some fruit and some healthy foods to munch on for work. I go and look at fruits and veggies, and wander the store looking for other things. I give myself enough time that I don't feel rushed when I do this.

I am thoroughly enjoying it because it gives me a bit of a sense of going to a market as if I was in Europe and looking around a bit at the fresh produce and foods brought to the center of town.

If I could, I would own a home in Italy, and go visit a few times a year for a month at a time. I would go to the markets and get fresh cheese and bread, and fruit. I would sit outside of my house and watch kids play in the street, and old people walking arm in arm down the street. And that's how I would like to live.

I looked into the mirror...

2009-05-13T18:20:00.002-06:00

....and it wasn't pretty. I decided that its time for me to eat a bit healthier and watch my portions so that I lose a few pounds and get a bit healthier. I've been eating lots of fruits and veggies the past few days and I've been on the bike everyday.

It feels good so far. I'm looking forward to the results.

2 Months of Nothing.

2009-05-05T17:42:00.003-06:00

I had a dream about Luci last night. We were still together. We were somewhere that felt familiar, and we were having a good time together, laughing, joking around. There were others there too, but I don't remember their faces. I awoke from the dream expecting to feel sad, depressed, or otherwise down. Surprisingly, I didn't really feel anything. No sadness, no depression, no longing for her, not even joy that we are not together anymore. The only feeling that I remember is the feeling of surprise that I had actually had a dream about Luci.

I'm not sure what it means. Yet.

Acceptance

2009-03-11T09:32:00.002-06:00

So yesterday I'm rushing home from work because I was going to go to the Draper Temple open house. I saw that there was mail in the box so I decided to pick it up on the way inside. For weeks previous to this, I would check the mail and find my hopes preserved but my patience growing thin when I didn't see a letter from any university. But yesterday I reached inside, grabbed the wad of letters, and low-and-behold there was a letter from the University of Utah on the top!

I was so excited! I rushed into the house so that I could open it. As I reached for a knife I thought that the letter seemed a bit thin... I expressed this outloud and my brother responded with, "It's only an acceptance letter. How thick could it be?" Thanks, Dav...

So I open it and the first thing I read is, "It is our great pleasure.....". I didn't need to read anymore. I was in! Success!! After rejoicing, I then continued to read the letter. I wasn't offered any scholarships or anything like that, but we'll see what happens when I apply for financial aid.

I'm sick....

2009-03-09T13:22:00.003-06:00

.....and I hate it. I feel so lazy and worthless when I'm sick. But oh well. I'll just stay home and do nothing. haha

Getting a new phone.

2009-03-06T09:03:00.003-07:00

So I've been thinking about getting a new phone lately. I just came up this week as having $150 towards a new phone with Sprint. I've been looking at lots of phones. The Instinct is cool cuz it's a touch screen, web capable, email, Sprint TV, music, and a bunch of other stuff. But, I decided I wasn't a fan of touch screens. I was looking at a Blackberry for a while, which would have been pretty cool, but it costs a lot more due to the specific Blackberry plan.

So here is what I'm looking at: the Sanyo Katana Eclipse. This is about two steps up from the phone that I currently have. It's also got lots of features: web capable, emails, GPS, music player on the outside, AND! there are two strips along the sides that light up with flashing colors (probably one of my favorite parts).

Since I work for Sprint now, I'll be on a dealer plan where I only pay like 20 bucks a month for this phone. It would have been about the same for the other phones, but since I know that I won't be with this job forever, I was thinking about what my rates would be after I got off the dealer plan. I think this is the best option for me. Plus, I really enjoy having a phone that actually looks like a phone, instead of a computer.

I'll probably order this next week. I'll let you all know how it goes!

Gooey Goodness

2009-02-12T07:37:00.003-07:00

This is by far my most favorite indulgence ever. Becca just gave me a small bag of frozen Cinnabons on Sunday, and right now I'm cooking up the rest of them.

I remember when Cinnabon used to be in the University mall. Remember that? When the mall still had carpet in it instead of tile? You could smell Cinnabon from the other end of the building, it was so good.

Now the only one in Utah is at the Salt Lake Int'l Airport. Can you believe that? It's okay though, because I have their number programmed into my cell phone. This way if I'm ever up there people watching, or maybe even picking up someone or dropping them off, I can have a cinnabon delivered to me from beyond the security check.

Please don't judge me... :)

House, M.D.

2009-02-10T10:13:00.003-07:00

This is pretty much my favorite show. It combines my favorite things: medical stuff, sarcastic humor, and a bit of psychological warfare.

I love this thing...

2009-02-04T11:40:00.003-07:00

So....I don't usually blog twice in the same day. But I'm finding myself with lots of time on my hands at work. And this is like the best thing ever. You can come up with your very own church signs. You should check it out. http://www.churchsigngenerator.com

Late night IHOP

2009-02-04T10:21:00.003-07:00

The Top Ten reasons why IHOP is so freaking awesome.

10. They're open all the time so it's a cure for the late night munchies.
9. They have whatever you want.
8. Sometimes the waiters are stoned, and that's great entertainment.
7. Breakfast. Mmmmmmm................
6. If you get there at the right times, you can do some spectacular people watching.
5. The acronym of the name sounds like genuine restaurant name.
4. You can put a different flavor of syrup on each of your pancakes if you wish.
3. Getting hot chocolate from here entitles everyone around you to dip their finger in the whipped cream.
2. Just about half of the items on the menu can be stuffed in some way.
1. When you go, you know you're going with friends who really care about you. Cuz if you're gonna be seen at IHOP, then it's gonna be with your closest friends.

Can't Sleep..

2009-02-01T08:17:00.003-07:00

I can't sleep. There are times in the middle of the night when I wake up and I can't go back to sleep. I don't need to pee, I don't feel sick, I didn't forget to lock my car doors or put something back in the fridge, or anything like that. I just wake up. And then I can't get back to sleep. My body won't let me.

I can't sleep in. Ever. It does't even matter when I go to sleep. I always wake up between 7:30 and 8:15 every morning. Weekends, holidays, and days I don't work doens't matter. I still wake up at those times. And I'm afraid it'll kill me some day.

Politik by Coldplay

2009-01-31T09:03:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorites. Just wanted to share the lyrics with ya:

Look at earth from outer space

Everyone must find the place

Give me time and give me space

Give me real, don't give me fake

Give me strength, reserve control

Give me heart and give me soul

Give me time give us a kiss

Tell me your own Politik

Open up your eyes

Give me one, cause one is best

And in confusion, confidence

Give me peace of mind and trust

And don't forget the rest of us

Give me strength, reserve control

Give me heart and give me soul

Wounds that heal and cracks that fix

Oh Love, tell me your own politik

Open up your eyes

Just open up your eyes

And give me love over, love over, love over this ( ah...)

Quantum of Solace is....

2008-11-15T08:48:00.005-07:00

....the bomb diggity! I thought it was such a good movie, and a classic James Bond film. The story line was interesting, the fight scenes were well put together and intense, and the bond girls were hot (of course). I definitely recommend seeing this movie.

I only had two problems with last night, and neither had to do with the movie itself. First, even though we got there 30 minutes before the show, we could still only find seats in the first few rows (opening night and all). Second, there were two ladies behind us that would not stop talking! WTF?! It was bad, and you know it's bad when people around you are saying, "Why won't they stop talking?"

The new theater in Orem is pretty nice too. I'd equate it with the Provo Towne Centre theaters only a bit smaller, but still really nice. Watch out for the popcorn lines though. They're a killer.

Bond...James Bond.

2008-11-12T08:36:00.002-07:00

So I decided that I wanted to see the new James Bond movie, and then I decided that I wanted to see it in the new theater that they built in Orem. So I was able to buy tickets yesterday for a Friday showing of it, 7:20 to be precise. I will definitely be posting about how it went. I am hoping that it's good, cuz I hate wasting money on crappy movies (please never watch The Darjeeling Limited...).

Still Figuring It Out

2008-11-11T17:29:00.002-07:00

So I've been changing my blog templates lately to try and see which ones I like the most. This one is pretty good. I'll probably stick with this for a while.

But I do like the ones where the blogs can be scrolled, but the sides of the blog itself remain stationary. Anyone got any hints? I know they exist, but I can't find them.

Thanks guys.

Lots of Dancing

2008-11-09T08:01:00.004-07:00

Kassandra and I went to the American Indian Pow Wow yesterday that was held at the UVU Grand Ballroom. I thought it was so awesome! I love the combination of pow wow singing and all the dancers in their traditional dress. There were older men and women all the way down to young 3 and 4 year olds dancing around. They were also selling a whole bunch of the jewelry and crafts that they make. I'm not sure what it is about the American Indian cultures, but I feel drawn to them every time I hear a pow wow song or see anything like this.

Just A Bit Older

2008-11-07T06:22:00.002-07:00

This was all of us at Happy Sumo last Saturday for my 25th Birthday. It was so much fun. Rochelle loved seeing and playing with my new camera, Becca told me that I was going to die soon, Bob was funny and being a good friend, Kassandra was being hot and sexy as usual, and Kevin kept me updated on the BYU football game (which, apparently, I react to rather loudly I have figured out...).

One of the best birthdays that I have had in a long time. Thanks everyone!

And the winner is....

2008-11-05T10:25:00.002-07:00

...the person that I didn't vote for. Oh well. I am still an optimist and will hope for good things to come out of this new presidency.

And if nothing good comes out, it's okay. I can always complain about it and post a blog. ;)

One Good Krazy Night!

2008-11-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

Halloween night was so much fun! I loved going around with all of my friends and seeing all of my other friends. Kassandra and I dressed up as a mobster couple, Nicole was a sexy po-po, her sister Erica was a pirate, Stephanie was cat woman (I do beleive), and Marshal was Tom Cruise from Risky Business (the best costume of all).

We went to a few different parties, including the one at Emily and Zander's place out in Lehi. I especially enjoyed the one we walked into where none of us knew anyone at the party, but we were still going to it. It was a crazy fun night.

2008-07-15T08:20:00.000-06:00

Well, I was tagged...So I guess it's my turn.

Joys
All my good friends
Family members
Food (especially the good kind)
People watching (the bestest activity)

Fears
Spiders
Ending up alone

Goals
Finishing school (sometime before the year 2084)
Seeing the world
Living a good life

Obessions
Europe (mostly Italy)
SOCCER!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!
Pretty much all sports

Random Facts
Fear of dogs since kindergarten, but has resolved since.
One of my mom's cousin is a Catholic priest in The Vatican
I've had stitches in 4 places, broken 3 bones (all on my left arm), and have had one major surgery.

I tag....Rochelle

I'm dead sexy

2008-06-24T08:15:00.000-06:00

Life doesn't get much better when you have a handlebar mustache. Yeah baby. And I don't even care if it's white trash. :)

Eat some Freaking Cheerios!

2008-05-28T09:41:00.000-06:00

This blog is dedicated to Becca, since she loves Cheerios so much:

How I love the Cheerios: the crunchiness on my teeth, the texture on my tongue, the reduction of cholesterol which makes for a healthier body. How I wish I could swim in an olympic sized pool full of cheerios and 2% milk (because it's the best milk). I could drown in them and be happy about it.

Ah the Cheerios, with its circular shape and beautiful packaging, I don't know that there is any cereal out there better than you.

2008-05-13T08:30:00.000-06:00

So I don't typically recommend buying CDs. Everyone has an iPod these days so they can get whatever music they want. But I love every single song on this album. The tone of the album is clam and relaxing, yet the messages that are sent in the lyrics portray serious messages sent in an intimate relationship. Basically, it's one of the greatest vegging CDs I've ever listened to.

2008-04-30T12:21:00.000-06:00

So I was looking around on the internet and I found these posters from the Ocean's movies. I thought they looked pretty good, but I wasn't sure that I had ever seen them before. Has anyone seen these posters before?

2008-04-25T15:33:00.000-06:00

So...this is how all Monday's feel. It doesn't even matter if it's actually Monday, but if it is the equivalent of your Working Monday, then this is how it feels.

So anyway, I'm done with the semester now! Thank goodness I only have one more to go....minus grad school. I'll get my grades on Tuesday but I'm pretty sure I'll have 2 As and 2 Bs. Pretty darn good I would say.

I apologize for the millions of days without a blog, but now I can do it more frequently (if I remember to do it).

Asian Cuisine

2008-03-28T16:51:00.000-06:00

The only problem is, this dish isn't served in too many places.

Is it summer yet?

2008-03-26T16:26:00.000-06:00

I really want Spring and Summer to come faster! Then the real eating can begin!

My Favorite Dogs...

2008-03-14T16:06:00.000-06:00

...are the narcoleptic ones. If I was to ever own a dog I would want it to be narcoleptic because it would keep me entertained for hours on end.

Rusty the Narcoleptic Dog

I could do that.

2008-03-11T16:09:00.000-06:00

So I'm sitting at home before I have to go to work today. I had just eaten lunch and was feeling pretty sleepy. You know how that goes: eat some left over lasagna and you're ready to hit the hay for a while. Anyway, I'm watching Law & Order because it's the best show ever. It's commercial so I'm flipping through the stations. I see that a Champions League soccer match between Inter Milan and Liverpool will begin in a few minutes so I get excited about it (I know, it's soccer, I love it, get over it).

After a few minutes they show the teams lined up on either side of the three referees for the day. The refs are in yellow, Milan is in blue, and Liverpool is in red. The announcers start to talk about the starting line-up for both teams. After that they announce the referees. "And here we have the head referee Yadda-yadda, a psychologist from Norway..."

Really? A psychologist? You mean he's not actually an official soccer referee for any organization? He's simply a psychologist from Scandanavia? Because if that's the case. . . I'll Do It!!

Heck I'm studying to be a psychologist anyway, and I know most if not all of the rules for soccer (there aren't that many anyway). If some middle-aged fellow from the North can be a soccer ref as well as have a psychological profession, then sign me up! Plus I really want to give someone a red card and kick them out of a game. :)

The Things You'll See....

2008-03-10T16:29:00.000-06:00

Holy Horses. . . Can you believe the kinds of crap that we have now? By crap I mean technology (if anyone was curious).

I was sitting there at work doing what I usually do (which is tutoring, mentoring, homework, or making fun about the amount of racial differences that exist there). Typically I'm at a computer working on a paper or some form of assesment for a class. I'd like to think that I'm a pretty focused person most of the time, or at least whenever I'm trying to get something accomplished. But this day I was like, "Alright, it's time to get distracted by something on the internet." And I found my new favorite internet toy.

I typed in the URL for Google Maps and started browsing various locations in the state and around the country. I like to explore different locales and see the hybrid maps that are provided. Suddenly I saw it: a button that I had never used before but that kept drawing my attention like a kid to an ice cream truck. The button was labeled "Street View". . .

"What is this strange new feature," I wondering to myself. I pushed the button and the streets turned blue and a little guy popped up. I placed the guy on a street and actual pictures of houses popped up! Dang, Gina! I can actually look at buildings from the street!

This new tool became an addiction rather quickly. So far I've seen Ground Zero, the Sears Tower, and the beach at San Diego, and the possibilities are endless. . . except for streets that aren't blue. But for now, I can take mini-vacations whenever I want from the luxury of my own office on school campus.