RedBlog

It’s probably time to admit to myself that I’m just not going to keep this blog updated at this point in my life. Perhaps in the future. Possibly even in a few months. But not now. I’d much rather talk to people live and in-person. If someone wants to have a completely impersonal relationship with me but somehow still know what’s going on in my life, they can try Facebook. Well, later.

Let’s see… My mom got her PhD and we had a killer party back on the 24th.  I did a photo booth - pictures posted here.  Brad, my brother, wrote an absolutely amazing poem that I still need to transcribe.  Saw Taken and really liked it.  Although the thought of body trafficking is disturbing.  Watched Hercules Unchained, the MST3K version - funny stuff.  Got snowshoes.  Will photograph a roller derby scrimmage next weekend.  Contemplated changes with school - it could be a big change for me.  I’m excited and scared, but unexpectedly calm at the same time.  Thankful for blessings.

Aaugh!  My blog name has been taken!  Redbox has a blog called Redblog.  Good name, huh?  Yeah, I thought so too when I named MY blog RedBlog!  Apparently they didn’t get the message that the name was already taken by an immensely popular and hugely interesting blog by the same name.  However, as my readership currently tops out somewhere above 2.87 people, I’m not sure that there is going to be a big backlash.  Unless of course you count the backlash from me, and that is going to shake the very foundations of their world!  What you got, Redbox!!? Bring it! 

As an aside, I think Redbox is pretty cool (when considered apart from the horrible, name-stealing, unfeeling, soulless shells that came up with Redblog - although I do like the reviews as they are refreshingly honest).  I signed up here to get SMS updates and I get a free rental code every Monday.  Pretty sweet if you ask me.  And for your information 1 of my readers has asked me - and I mentioned the sweetness.

I shot some quick Christmas photos for some friends last night.  Check out the flickr site to see them.  They  happen to be a total mockery of the traditional Christmas card, which was one reason I wanted to be involved.  It was a lot of fun.

Posted some photos from ward activities up here.  Saw Momix, a dance troupe, up at Kingsbury Hall.  The performance was just okay, but the girl I went with was really cool.  And gorgeous, I might add.  School keeps me busy, but it’s going well.  Oh, and the $700+ billion bailout passed today.  Nobody knows if it will actually “save” us from total ruin, but apparently we can’t just do nothing.  Apparently.  I guess we’ll see.

FHE last night was great. Anna taught us how to blow fire. And I had my camera on hand. Very good times.

An urgent whisper, “I need you guys right now!”  The first thing that ran through my mind was that someone must be really sick if they are calling this early.  ”I heard glass breaking!”  That jolted me awake.  I glanced at the clock - 5:27AM - not as early as I had thought, but not when I like to get up.  We all threw on whatever clothes we had nearby.  ”Where’s my bat?!” Shawn kept asking, searching as quickly as he could, while I searched for my shoes to no avail.  Seth was looking for something to throw.  ”Let’s go!”  called Shawn.  He found his bat.  

We ran out the door.  Shawn barefoot, holding a bat and wearing his pajama bottoms.  Seth in shoes but with nothing to throw, and me barefoot, half-blind and clutching my phone.  One guy was still trying to grab stuff out of the car they had broken into, a taxicab parked just outside Shawn’s open window.  One of his friends had started yelling “Hurry up, my nigga, hurry up! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”  The tires squealed as they pulled out of the empty parking spot they had backed into.  Two were already in the car, the third guy was running from the side of the taxi to jump in the white Mitsubishi (Galant or Lancer, I couldn’t say).  They almost took off without him, but must’ve slowed a little to let him get in.  He would’ve been in trouble if he was left behind.  Shawn is no benchwarmer when it comes to swinging baseball bats

Seth and Shawn tore after them, with me yelling out “License plate, license plate!”  I knew I had no chance of catching up - without contacts in I would’ve had to be within ten feet to make out the license plate, and they weren’t about to slow down for me.  Seth ran all the way to the exit on 13th, where they took off to the north.  I caught up with Shawn standing in the parking lot, holding his pajamas up with one hand and the bat with the other.  From the look on his face I knew we didn’t get a license plate number.  

Going back we found a screwdriver they had dropped in their rush to get away.  When we showed it to the officer 20 minutes later he wasn’t too impressed.  ”We can’t get prints off of that.”  Dang, and we thought we might have had something.  Oh well.

Jenn was watching from her window this whole time, getting a pretty good description of the theives.  Unfortunately, without a way to track them down, there isn’t much hope of nabbing the 3 guys that did it.  ”It could’ve been anyone,” as the officer said.

If they try it again, we’ll be ready.

Progress is boring sometimes.  I got a new phone - a BlackBerry Pearl.  School starts up soon, and I’ll be going; electrical engineering at BYU - sounds like buckets of fun, right?  Got a new desk (okay, it’s actually a dining room table, but it works).  My hair is getting longer, I think the whole going-as-Conan-O’Brien-for-halloween thing will work out.  Well, I told you it was boring.  Time to go camping!

In Flagstaff, AZ working for the weekend.  I’m editing a corporate video for a non-profit.  It’s more fun than I expected.  The lady I’m working with drove me out to Sunset Crater, which is pretty cool.  There are pinetrees everywhere, growing out of the cinder from a volcano that erupted around the year 1100.  The lava flows were probably my favorite, but I doubt any of the pictures I took of them came out.  The contrast of the blue sky and the black lava rock is a little too much for the camera, especially when I’m just using my point-and-shoot.

I uploaded that picture of Kristina that I mentioned.  It’s not the best I’ve ever done, but I’m impressed with how much some of my pictures have improved.  A little over a year ago, there is no way I could’ve done that photo.  I love it when I can see my skills improve, whether it’s in sports, photography, or anything else.  It inspires me to keep pressing forward.

So, in Utah, the 24th of July is Pioneer Day.  Since anyone that is reading this probably knows this already, I won’t elaborate on everything that means.  However, one thing it does mean is that financial institutions are closed.  I had the day off and it was a lot of fun.  In the morning I had breakfast over at Jen,Teresa and Allison’s place.  I cooked up omeletes, which I quite enjoy doing.  Before going over to my family barbecue I was able to clean up my room a bit - I put my bed up on cinder blocks, which I don’t love doing, but I needed the storage space. 

The barbecue was quite enjoyable.  Sid showed me a couple of tricks on a skateboard which I bought a few days ago.  The food was good.  I got electrocuted, but it was by choice.  Pepper has a little machine with four electrodes that you hook up and it is supposed to help relax your muscles.  It felt pretty cool, but I’m sore today.  Apparently it works really well for her, I don’t know that I had the positioning quite right, though. 

Hit the Bees game at night.  It was a good game, pretty close the whole time, and the Bees won 9-8 in the end.  The fireworks show was 20 minutes long and the best I’ve ever seen.  Very well planned, lots of really loud explosions, and some colors and firework types I’ve never seen before.  We went to Village Inn afterward because a few of us were hungry.  Eating a whole chicken-fried steak, potatoes, fruit, a salad, and a half slice of pie isn’t something I’d recommend at 11:45 at night, though.  Live and learn I guess. 

No new photos up yet, although I did a portrait for a friend last Sunday.  I’ll see if she minds me posting that.