SoCo in SoCal

Alright ya'll. I'm going to attempt to add photos to a blog post. This is huge for me.

Last weekend, I went on an epic road trip with two of my dearest friends (who just happen to me brother and sister). Melissa, my c
oworker, and Richard, my roommate, accompanied me on the best road trip ever. Our final destination was the Bamboozle Festival at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, featuring Story of the Year, Orianthe, and most importantly - Something Corporate. My friends and I are starting to make a habit out of travelling to see any concert involving Andrew McMahon (Something Corporate's frontman).
I will now walk you through our trip.
Day 0ne:
We started our drive. My new car did a great job. We met up with Richard's coworker and her husband (who I went to high school with) in Scipio and caravaned with walkie-talkies the rest of the way to Vegas. Alissa was kind enough to let us stay at her parents house in LV. Her dad entertained us with some brilliant piano playing and singing.
That night, we wandered the strip aimlessly and ended up buying discount tickets to see the Blue Man Group. This show is amazing. Period. During our time on the strip, we made sure to catch a Bellagio water show. The song they played was "Singin' in the Rain." For whatever reason, it made me really emotional. I remember thinking that if the song went on any longer I might have shed a solitary tear.
Day Two:
The next day was Friday. We hit the road early so we could soak up as much of the California sun as possible. We drove straight to Newport beach. Melissa and Richard set up a blanket and played frisbee for a bit while I walked up and down the shops at Newport. I bought a t-shirt, a shot glass, flip-flops and a towel. You know, beach essentials. Unfortunately, none of us planned to bring our camera to the beach so we don't have any pictures. My favorite part about the beach was walking by myself into the water fully clothed and letting the waves hit me. It was an incredible experience. I only regretted it a little bit when I couldn't wear those clothes again for the rest of the trip.

Friday night we just played in our hotel room. Other pictures were taken involving make-up that I will not be posting. If you are curious enough, check facebook. I was mercilessly tagged in all of them.

Day Three:
Saturday was the day we had all been waiting for. We woke up early, enjoyed our continental breakfast, then hit the streets on our way to DISNEYLAND!!!
We were masters of the fast pass and had knocked many of the classic rides off of our list by the time the crowds arrived. It was enjoyable, of course. Unfortunately, my lame, old-man-ness made me get a little bit sick. I endured as long as I could, long enough to ride the Tower of Terror. Then we decided to call it a day.

Day Four: Sunday was the day of the Bamboozle festival. Late Saturday night, we were joined in our hotel room by a couple of friends or Richard. The next morning, we all woke up and showered. Then we checked out of the hotel room and went to a park to hang out. I stopped at Target and purchased a book to read. "The Cather in the Rye" is the book I bought and I immediately fell in love with it. I lounged on the blanket with my cheez-its, ipod, blackberry, and book and was undisturbed for a good portion of the time.
Since I only went to the festival to see Something Corporate, I spent most of the time there reading my new book. I was definitely the only person at this punk-rock festival rockin' it with a classic novel. Something Corporate performed and is was incredible. Then we hit the road for our thru-the-night drive home. We got back to SLC at 9 the next morning.
The trip was exhausting but we did SO much. I had a wonderful time and am grateful for such great, adventurous friends. This is the sort of thing people my age are supposed to do. I liked it.

Ten Things I Couldn't Live Without

I apologize in advance. . . I was ambitious with the font size on this one. . . Still haven't mastered this website. . .
Okay, I admit it. . . . I stole this idea from the blog that I stalk the most (thank you Mrs. Jones).
Since, I suck at blogging of my own accord, I thought it wise to borrow someone else's idea. . . So here it is. . . My detailed list of the Top Ten Things I couldn't live without in no particular order:

1. Independence. . . not in a Glenn-Beck-creepy-patriotic way (don't get me wrong, I love America). . . but the independence to which I refer is on a much more personal level. I have finally reached a point in my life where I can say that I am completely independent.

1. Music. . . Without it, my heart has no beat.

1. Family. . . My new-found independence has helped me realize that my family is incredible! I have recently dropped some bombshells on my dear parents. Fortunately, their soft hearts have muffled any explosions.

1. Sandstone. . . Random addition to the list? I don't think so. . . Without sandstone, there would be no Zion National Park. . . without ZNP, there would be no holiday from real :)

1. Bowling. . . There are few games involving balls at which I excel. . . bowling is a part of this elite club.

1. The Beatles. . . Since the release of The Beatles Rock Band, I have taken my respect for the Fab Four to a new level. . . I could try to explain further, but you wouldn't understand.

1. Billy Joel and Elton John. . . My first memory of music that wasn't country goes like this. . . On several occasions, I would ride in the back seat of my dad's old chevy pick-up. (It had wooden drink holders, and a sticky spot on the passenger seat where he spilled a Dr. Pepper.) My dad had a Billy Joel cassette. The album was "the River of Dreams." Track number 9 ends with an inspiring rapid drum-fire. My dad would always make sure to halt whatever conversation was going on just in time to turn the radio up so we could feel the drum solo. I recently had the opportunity to attend the Billy Joel/Elton John concert. . . It changed my life, but not how you think it would. Billy didn't play the song that I remember most, but being there made me go back to that truck to salvage the memory. I have since purchased the CD of that album and I refuse to allow conversation for the last 30 seconds of track #9.

1. My feet. . . I've had to be quick on them a lot lately.

1. Brothers. . . a.k.a. best friends.

1. Minds (both open and closed). . . You can learn a lot about somebody by throwing something big at their head and waiting to see if the thing you threw is welcomed into their brain, or if it just bounces off a closed door.

Captain Jack & Tiny Dancer

This weekend, I achieved one of my life goals. There are few things that I absolutely have to do before I die and I did one of them this weekend.
I saw Billy Joel and Elton John in concert on Friday night and my life will forever be changed. To be in the same room, no matter how large, with people who have shaped music so much was amazing. To see the two gods of piano rock sit key-to-key was incredible.
To make things even cooler, I got to see the concert from a sweet suite directly above the stage. I have never been in one of those little-rich-people-boxes before and I'm sorry to say that I hope to never have to sit anywhere else at the Energy Solutions Arena. The seats had cushions, the view was incredible, and there was an unlimited supply of mozzarella sticks and coke.
Since my ticket was gifted to me, I justified the expense of buying a concert t-shirt ($40 . . . ) and a Billy Joel keychain ($10 . . . ). Expensive? yes. Worth it? yes again.
I am sorry that I never post pictures on my blog because the shirt is pretty sweet.
On my way to the concert, I mentioned that the only concert that could possibly top this would have to be Michael Jackson, after his death. Since that's never going to happen, I can officially say that I have seen the best concert imaginable.
Unfortunately, this means that all concerts from here on out will pale in comparison to my heroes: Elton and Billy.

I told you you'd miss me. . .

Dear Everyone,
I apologize for leaving you all hanging out there in the blogosphere. My bad for not posting for about nine months.
Here is a quick update on my life since we last spoke:
In April, I moved out of my parents house and down to Provo.
In May, I kept living in Provo and still liked it.
In June, I vacationed in my new favorite city - Seattle. It is seriously one of the coolest places I have ever been. I would love to settle in Seattle someday.
In July, I lit some fireworks and went on a blind date with a girl who was incredibly tall. It's sad, but that's all I remember from July. Oh yeah, my best buddy, BigCat (Jordan) came home from his mission in July. That was good for me.
In August, I turned 21 (finally) and moved into another apartment in Provo with said best buddy. I also began taking classes at UVU. I declared myself as a Communication major but didn't take any comm classes.
In September, I started liking Provo again. . . briefly.
In October, I had the honor of travelling to Denver with a coworker and some new friends to see one of my all-time favorite performers :Andrew McMahon (lead singer of Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate). My friends and I won a contest where we got to go in early to the show and meet the star.
October held other great things for me. After my car broke down, preventing me from a trip to Idaho, I got roped into playing the keyboard in a band for the play "Little Shop of Horrors." It was a great experience and reminded me how much I love performing.
I also bought a new car in October. (apparently it was a big month)
In November, my dislike for Provo returned with a vengeance. I decided to throw in the towel and began searching for someone to buy my contract.
In December, I did my best to get through Christmas without beating anybody up. I decided this year to give the holidays a second chance. It really wasn't too bad. Some of the highlights include: helping the Burgeners decorate their Christmas tree, drinking sparkling cider, and playing Santa Clause at the Trayner family Christmas Eve party.
Now that it is January, I find myself in an entirely different place. I moved home temporarily and now I live on my own again. I am renting a room in a house with 5 guys in South Salt Lake (Millcreek). One of my roommates is a new friend from 2009 and I'm enjoying my time here. Rent is super cheap and I have my own room. The best part is that I don't live in Provo anymore.

So that's my update. I will try to blog more frequently in the coming months but I can't make any promises. My life just isn't that exciting.

Praying for Tuberculosis?

As you all know, I have been suffering from a mysterious medical conditon for well over a year now. It has been seven months since I last saw a doctor for it, so I decided to find a new urologist to get a fresh perspective.
My search was made surprisingly easy when I received a list of health care providers from my insurance company. I randomly chose a urologist in the valley.
My appointment was today. I was really nervous because these things usually involve some awkward moments. Strange enough, the doctor just talked to me. He looked over my history and is pretty sure he knows what is wrong. His guess? tuberculosis. That's right. . . TB. The same disease that claimed the lives of thousands of people in the 18 century. Just my luck, right? To be honest with you, I'm relieved. They still have more tests to run, but I really hope they have finally found out what is wrong. I'm ready to move on.

Ode to February

February has always boggled my mind. It's probably the coolest month out there. It just does what it wants. It's noticably shorter than all the other months but is filled to the brim with awesomeness. The word "february" alone is evidence enough of its greatness. Just to make sure February stays cool, every once in a while it decides to have an extra day. I think we could all learn some valuable lessons from the month of February.
You likely didn't notice, but I haven't blogged since the first of February. Being that it is now the first of March, I think I will just touch on the highlights of my favorite month.

• I was in training all month long for my new position at the bank. The training takes place at a big building out by the airport. This building just happens to be home to the best *cafeteria ever.
• President's Day always happens in February. Question: Who doesn't love President's Day? Answer: Wells Fargo (we were the only bank open).
• Valentine's Day is another holiday that calls February "home." This year all my friends that are around happened to be girls. They decided to have a "Anti-Valentine" Party (more accurately named "Party of Hate"). I'll admit, I was a little depressed that I was potentially going to have to spend the day alone. Instead of being pathetic, I took the high road. I spent the morning working with the missionaries. Then I took a break and Gavin DiFran and I went laser-tagging. After that, I went with some different missionaries to the temple open-house. It was a great Valentine's Day.
• February 23rd was my half birthday. Since I am so much younger than everybody else in my class, I have always openly observed my half birthday.
• The best part about February 2009 has got to be my NEW CAR!!!! I bought a 2008 Dodge Caliber. It's sexy silver with black trim. Inside it has tons of room (I can even sit all the way up and not touch the ceiling with my head). The coolest feature of my new car? Inside the glove box there are grooves where you put up to four beverages. The air-conditioning then kicks in and cools the beverages. That's right. There is a cooler in my glove box.

Ideally, all of this information would have been spread out over the last four weeks. But I'm lazy, and a procrastinator. So here it is.

*No weight was lost during the month of February.

Landmarks

In the last month, I have reached a lot of interesting landmarks in my life.

• My car reached 100,000 miles. My little Hyundai that could. . . did.
• I finally weigh 200 lbs. Who is the biggest loser now, suckas?
• January 30th was the anniversary of my first documented evidence of any sort of medical condition. I remember it like is was yesterday. My companion, Elder Clements, and I were walking through the foggy Belgian streets. We were heading to a dinner appointment with the nicest family ever. I remember turning to Elder Clements and saying, "Elder, righty doesn't feel so hot." Happy anniversary.