Senioritis & Saigon Café

I've always been a "good" student. You know the kind, the ones that work hard on their papers and projects so that they are the best they possibly can be. I wasn't a total recluse, though; I've had my late papers and stuff like that. But overall, I've been a very conscientious student.

That student died a few weeks ago.

Now I find myself sitting here, with two papers and an exam looming over my head, writing a blog post. Me!! Of all people!! I hardly ever blog!! But Senioritis has now stepped into my life with a horrible vengeance. And as such, this seemed to be a perfectly good time to write some stuff down about what I've been doing.

Today I went to Saigon Café with Anthony, Angie, and my friend Kristin. I have to tell you - it's certainly not the best Chinese food you'll ever find, nor is it the most charming of locations and decor. But for the price...it's the best value around. Looking at different reviews from the Google search page, Saigon Café actually has gotten about an average of 4 out of 5 stars! Pretty impressive, eh?

As you probably saw on my previous post (#38), we go there often. It's just such a nice place to get cheap food that's not bad at all. In fact, combos are only $4.95 for the Chinese-style chips and dip, soup, entree with fried rice, and an eggroll. It's difficult to argue with that. BUT, every day they have one of their combos for only $3.95. So take a dollar off, and then it's almost impossible to say no! It has been a much cherished lunch locale for many years now.

Anyway, that's my little spiel about Saigon Café. For those of you still in Provo, please go enjoy it while you can. For those of you that have left - hold on to the memories!

A post for BYU-bound students

My little sister is about to come out here and start her college career at BYU! How exciting! There's a big part of me that's wishing I would be here for just one more year to enjoy it with her. Alas, that is not to be. So, instead, I've thought of something that should help out.

Here is a list of 50* things that I thought my little sister should do. Some of these simply can't be done in her freshman year (like #32), but many of them can. And, by the way, I've done each one of these things listed. There's a heck of a lot more that I could put on here, but I either couldn't think of them or I forgot. Hahaa...they're both kind of the same reason.

Anyway, let me know what you think of these! And see if they bring back any good memories. Or bad ones. ;-)

Things you need to do at BYU:
1. Hike the Y.
2. Stay up all night just talking to somebody (preferably of the opposite sex).
3. ALWAYS stop the car on 8th North for the ducks.
4. Play Frisbee at night with a light-up Frisbee.
5. Remember to sell back your books.
6. Read your textbooks.
7. Read something other than your textbooks.
8. Do not do homework on Sundays. Ever. Don’t even worry about it. Trust me.
9. Let your room become a pigsty at least once.
10. Now clean your room.
11. Participate in at least one performing group, officially BYU or not.
12. Participate in at least one athletic team, officially BYU or not.
13. Take an exercise class just for fun (Trevor’s hint: try Flexibility).
14. Speak to each of your professors at least once throughout the semester.
15. Get a job on campus.
16. Stay in the library until it closes at midnight – and enjoy the music.
17. Go night-skiing at Brighton.
18. Drop everything to go help a friend.
19. Play night games.
20. ALWAYS respect curfew. You signed your name and agreed to it.
21. Randomly burst out in song in the middle of Brigham’s Square.
22. Go camping.
23. Longboard down Provo Canyon (you’ll need 2 cars – try Nun’s Park).
24. Drop a bucket of bouncy balls down the SWKT stairwell. OR…
25. Drop/roll a bucket of bouncy balls down the spiral staircase in the JFSB. They’re both fun.
26. Laugh with a group of people until you all nearly pass out.
27. Go to the BYU Christmas Concert. Every year if you can.
28. Strike up a conversation with a completely random stranger.
29. Get lost in the basement of the HFAC.
30. Try out all the hands-on stuff in the ESC.
31. Go to J Dawgs.
32. Be a part of a dinner group.
33. Explore Salt Lake City Cemetery in the dark. Find Pres. Hinckley’s tombstone.
34. Start calling the Mormon Tabernacle Choir the “MoTab.”
35. Attend the MoTab Christmas Concert at least once.
36. Keep a picture of your family in your room.
37. Buy fudge from the BYU Bookstore.
38. Go to the Saigon Cafe for lunch. Often.
39. Keep a plant.
40. Attend a session of General Conference at the Conference Center.
41. Magnify your church calling.
42. Go to a midnight movie. Or a lot of them.
43. Go to the Holi Festival of Colors.
44. Don’t trust everything in Mormon Doctrine, no matter what other students may tell you.
45. Go and develop your own opinion of Sub Zero Ice Cream.
46. Stay at BYU for Spring/Summer Terms.
47. Drive through the Alpine Loop.
48. Get your car booted only once.
49. Take your friends and occasional date to lunch/dinner with your meal plan.
50. Go to the Bean Life Science Museum.
51. Go to the Skyroom with your friends at least once a semester.
52. Go to the Cracker Barrel every semester during reading days. Pajamas are necessary.
53. Take advantage of two-for-one massages at the school of massage therapy! Get a masseuse preferably of your own sex.
54. Break down BAWLING in front of someone at least once (preferably not in your family).
55. Have a picnic in the mountains.
56. Get ice cream at the BYU creamery. At least monthly.
57. After a huge snowstorm, observe the naked Indian.
58. Scream yourself hoarse rooting for BYU at the BYU-Utah game.
59. Go sledding at Rock Canyon.
60. Start cleaning for cleaning checks EARLY (and don't ask your mom or aunt for help).
61. You MUST go to a cornmaze during Halloween. At least once, preferably multiple times.
62. Take complete advantage of the BYU Lost & Found sale. Just get there a couple hours early and wait in line.
63. Have several DTRs. OR...
64. Have as many DTRs as would result in maximized utility, as circumstances may require.
65. Buy clothing from the BYU Bookstore (Becca's hint: shoes).
66. Volunteer at the TRC.
67. Attend the temple regularly. You will literally NEVER live that close to a temple again.
68. Live in the FLSR.
69. Stay up all night to write a paper.
70. Stay up all night studying with a friend of the opposite sex. At Denny’s.

*This is the updated post, including the additional items from comments. Feel free to keep adding! :-D

Happy Father's Day!

So this is going to be a simple post. No pictures, no links to various pages or Wikipedia articles (okay, maybe just that one). One of the reasons I've been avoiding posting for a while is because I just don't have any very good pictures, or funny little stories, or engaging debates that I've had recently. But after reading a bunch of other blogs, I have realized that I don't really care whether or not a friend has any pictures up. Or funny little stories, or even engaging debates they've had recently. I like knowing what's going on.

So here's where I stand right now. Summer term starts tomorrow (!!), my last little taste of BYU before I head out. Where to, do you ask? Why, the great Florida State University! About as different from BYU as you can get. Well...maybe not the most different from any other university, but pretty close. I've already found a couple places to live (hopefully in this one house with a bunch of other LDS guys...), and I can feel the end coming closer and closer.

Interestingly...as I get closer to the end of my time at BYU, I have started realizing how absolutely beautiful BYU is during the summer time! I also noticed in my pictures how gorgeous BYU is during this winter time! And during fall, when the leaves are changing color! And during spring, when everything is starting to bud and bloom!! I live in beauty!!!

Kind of funny how it's taken me all of five years here at this university to figure that out. Now I have the rest of these eight weeks (slightly less, actually) to completely soak in the essence of Brigham Young University. Then, when I begin my time at FSU, I can still bleed true-blue among all of that garnet.

A post!

A post, a post! My kingdom for a post!

Yeah yeah, here is my dinky little excuse for contact with anybody who happens to read this thing. This poor, dilapidated thing that used to be a weblog. Anyway - today I leave the country with BYU Singers to spread choral and gospel cheer throughout Ireland, Wales, and England! How cool!



So...if you want to keep on top of my doings along with the rest of Singers, go to the Singers' blog to follow along with our tour. It's going to be great!

:-D

My first post! In how long...hmm...oh dear...

So, in case people have been hanging on my blog for the sake of my continued existence - I'm still alive and breathing. You may rest easy.

My life has been pretty up and around and across the western hemisphere these last few months. While I don't have the time or space to detail my decisions, travels, hopes, and dreams that have occurred recently, I'll try to get the main point across.

A number of months ago I finally made the decision to pursue music as a grad degree and career instead of law. That was a pretty tough decision. Once it was made I spent a lot more time (and a lot more money) than I ever had before singing and studying up for auditions and stuff. I can't even begin to describe the anxiety I've felt during this time. Not simply because auditions are scary things, and changing your life's plans are simply horrific to me, but also because I have no idea if I'll even be able to support a family well in my future musical career. Thankfully, I do have the greatest assurance in the world: the Spirit (not to get spiritual on y'all). My decision was based on study and prayer (D&C 9:7-8), and now I know that this is the right thing for me to be doing in my life at this moment. In fact, it took me 8 months to get any answer to my question at all.

So this past month has been full of auditions. In order of weekends:
1a. New England Conservatory (Boston, MA)
1b. San Francisco Conservatory (San Francisco, CA)
2a. Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL)
2b. Brigham Young University (Provo, UT)
3. Mannes Conservatory (New York, NY)

Simply for clarification, that Boston audition and the San Fran one were in the same weekend. But I'm not complaining that much. I actually got to spend an hour with Becca and Tyler when I was stuck in the Philly airport for 4 hours that weekend! My stupid connecting flight through Philadelphia was horribly delayed, but it was a blessing in disguise since it placed me in the exact position I needed to be in to see a well-missed friend.

Ooooh, I wanted to post the airports that I've been through this last month as well! In weekend order too. It gives a better understanding as to why I've been so exhausted lately...
1a. Salt Lake City
1b. Denver
1c. Boston Logan (audition city)
1d. Philadelphia
1e. San Francisco (audition city)
1f. Salt Lake City
2a. Salt Lake City
2b. Memphis
2c. Tallahassee (audition city)
2d. Atlanta
2e. Denver
2f. Salt Lake City
3a. Salt Lake City
3b. Phoenix Sky Harbor
3c. New York JFK (audition city)
3d. Minneapolis/Saint Paul
3e. Salt Lake City

What a list! Eleven different airports!

Alright, I can see that now I'm just rambling about things that aggravated me a bit, but really don't have that much bearing or interest to other people outside of myself. Not that I have anyone else inside of me.

And now, with such a lame post, you can be guaranteed that I will write again soon! If for no other reason than to have a different post at the top of my page. ;-)