El Dia de Accion de Gracias

In case you were wondering, the title is how you say Thanksgiving Day in Spain, the country where I hope to live someday.  So today is Thanksgiving.  I wanted to copy Kendall (actually I had the idea first, or maybe the light bulbs that dwell floating above each of our heads turned on simultaneously) and declare some of the things for which I'm thankful.  I'm not usually like this, so excuse the sentimentality.  This may appear similar to Kendall's post (maybe because I'm using his as a template...jk), but these are actually my thoughts.

1. My family - the one and only true constant in my life.  These guys are always there when I need them and I know that they always want me around, me and all of my weirdness.  I am so happy to be here in Denver with almost my entire maternal extended family.  It's going to be a catastrophically gigantic thanksgiving dinner to which I think more than thirty people are going to attend.  It's so large that we're going to be eating at a church and all I can say is: oh man...I can't wait to eat.  
2. My beard - I've been given a lot of strange looks from the members of my family due to my large beard, and some have even come up with nicknames or things that I remind them of.  One cousin came in and said, "Who's the bear sitting on my mom's couch." I've been called grizz (short for Grizzly Adams) by more than one person independent of the others.  My mom and uncle called me a hippie (because yesterday I had on my tie dye) and everyone else just laughs at me - a reiteration of why I'm grateful for my family... 
3. The Gospel - the older I get and the more I experience life has made me truly appreciate having the gospel in my life.  I love being a Christian!  I love my Savior! And my knowledge of the Atonement is priceless!
4. My dad - I don't know if you can read blogs over there Dad, but I miss you so much!  Thank you for all of the things that you taught me and for somehow continuing to teach me through the way you lived your life and the lessons you taught me.  I love you!
5. Music - this includes so many things.  Music is the greatest escape that I have been given.  Anytime I need to get away from life, I either pull out my guitar and play (which is everyday!), turn on my iPod or push play on my computer, or drive over to the church (since I don't own a piano yet) and play until my fingers bleed.  Music has also brought me closer to friends.
6. Sitting and listening to music with a friend, watching the iTunes visualizer, talking and falling asleep during those unspoken hours of the night. :)
7. My friends - I could list you each by name, but I don't want to leave anyone out, and plus, I don't want to misspell anyone's name.  But this includes, but is clearly not limited to, my roommates and the ice cream that they all owe me, that girl that likes Dashboard in number 8, Mojito and the Shrivner, the guys that practically live in their apartment (the Taiwanese apartment) who are also co-emperors in the fish bowl (wait, did they die?), old roommates, my crazy friends who were our downstairs neighbors in Continental 22 a few years ago, my second cousin once removed and her awesome roommates, Snake, GWARD, my friend who made plans to go to Styx with me months in advance and who introduced me to the office and the concept of Alpha-males, my sister, the dudes that I grew up with (and apparently our friendship is so tight now that one of them had a baby and told me about it 4 days later on a whim), mission pals, the blonde girl from Bear Lake who has captivated me every time we have hung out for the past 5.5 years, my summer of '07 friends, the girl who doesn't like cheese, all of the people that call me Quertis, and the list goes on towards infinity.  Everyone of you has helped me in someway at different times, and you may not know it!  You've gotten me through the worst times and turned the good times into the best times.  And please, excuse the cheese!
8. Cheese (both literal and figurative).
9. Food - this truly brings people together, and I met so many of my friends as a result of BBQ's, Paella nights, etc.
10. Mountain Dew (orange, yellow, red, etc.), Diet Dr. Pepper, and Guarana - self explanatory - the hardest things I can drink to escape! :)
11. Video games - another great escape.  Lately I've had such a hugh Jones for Final Fantasy that it's about all I want to do anymore.  I'm grateful for this, but I also wish the Jones would go away so I could get my thesis done.
12. TV shows and movies - prolly the biggest reason I can say I'm grateful for these things is the social aspect of it.  I love getting big groups together and watching a movie, or having a couple of friends over and watching Arrested Development.  Also it's another way I can turn off the world and embrace...the world...
13. Scooter rides and drives - whenever I'm having a bad day and just need to think, meditate, pray, etc., these are always incredibly helpful.  Scooter rides with a passenger are good too because they enable others to get off steam and sometimes they're like a [insert time, in minutes]-minute hug. Uhh, but only when it's a girl on the back. Sorry, Seth. :)
14. Ostinato.

I could go on for a lifetime, but I've listed the stuff that I'm most grateful for, along with some silly ones, one that you'll most likely google or wiki.  And then you'll wonder why I'm grateful for that and I hope you do, and comment on it for crying out loud!  So if I were to go on, there would be heaps more silly ones and things that I would have to explain.  Also, I need to get ready. :)

Peace.

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Tomwom

It's 2 a.m. Again.  And I'm still up.  Again.  And i'm leaving for Denver.  At 7.  Tomwom [tomorrow].  Which means I need to get up at 6:30.  In the morning.  Because I need to make sure I'm ready.  And I'll have to take a shower.  And I'm driving.  My grandma's Camry.  It's new.  I hope it goes fast.  And oh man I'm not at all tired and I should already be asleep and I'm listening to this really good music right now and I can't stop because I love it and yeah I think I'm going to bed now because my iPod just got done updating and is charged so now I can turn my MacBook off.  

Just so everyone out there knows, this blog post was inspired by my good friend Sarah, whose blog can be found here.  It's seriously the funniest blog on the web.  Go there.  Now.

Peace.

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Untitled

Instead of a repeat of last night, I am starting a little earlier when I may (or may not) have a couple of lingering rational thoughts.  To be quite honest, I have a head full of thoughts tonight, and I'm not sure I like it.  In fact, I don't like it at all.  I truly miss the summer time, when I needn't think about anything too much; before my life got busy and stressful and complicated, etc. These things just fill my head with unnecessary thoughts, and as I said before, I don't like it at all.  

So I went to a dance [performance] tonight put on by Full Circle and the hip hop dance company to finally get the chance to watch my friends perform and support them, and I'm so glad I went.  A little side note: it is one of my very favorite things in life when I meet a person who is passionate about their hobbies, interests, or talents.  A lot of things can fall into this category, such as photography, music, sports, hunting, stats, and the list could and does go on.  Tonight's show exemplified this to the tee.  Some of the performances were OK, and I saw them as nothing more than a talent show, as they didn't exactly peak my interest.  

And then there were the other performances: the ones my friends danced in and the reason I went to the show.  I didn't realize that I could be inspired by a dance performance.  But I saw my friends (among others) not dancing just to dance, but because they love it and wanted to shout to the world that they love it.  It must have taken so much hard work and I could tell that they are passionate about it to the point that they live for dance.  And guys, you were so, so good!  And I loved it.  It was a truly inspiring show: it has made me want to work on my talents, to choose one or two things that I like to do (i.e. photography and guitar), practice every day, work really hard to get better, and give my life some meaning!  So, my friends, I thank you.  

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My Morning Coke

If you're a true fan of Resplendent Sunrise, you know that I've uploaded a couple of videos recently.  Since I got my new phone, I've been having a lot of fun making these short and silly videos.  Today (yesterday) was no exception to this norm that I've normalized at this moment in my not so normal life.  

In short, I filmed my 44 oz. mug (I've mentioned this beast before) walking, so to speak, across the Utah State University campus, from my office and back, in one cut.  Clearly you can imagine the looks I got, strolling along with my phone in the right hand aimed continuously at my 44 oz. mug in the left hand.  I learned a few things during this experiment:  

1. It takes me 15 minutes to walk from my office, to the TSC, fill up my mug, pay, and walk back to my office, with minimal stopping and talking to friends or cool people in the USU Quik Stop, mind.  And that's walking fast!
2. A mug is (statistically) significantly lighter when empty.
3. Carrying a full, 44 oz. mug with your arm extended for 7 minutes causes fatigue and "arm-shakes."
4. My arm is sore.

I'm sure I learned more than this, but given that it's 3:00 AM, I feel that I'm exempt from rational thought.  

You may be worried that I'm going to ask you to watch a 15.5 minute video clip of a cup's perspective of USU campus, though you worry in vain.  I'm asking you to watch a 4.5 minute video clip of a cup's perspective of USU campus, and for your enjoyment, I've overlaid some nice, happy, chill, etc. music.  And I'll make you a deal: if you can tell me (without google or help from Seth) the band name, album and song title of the song in the clip, I'll buy you dinner at Juniper Takeout (or a restaurant of equal or lesser value).  Know that this offer is only valid for the first person to get it right.  After this event, the offer is null and void.  What do you say?  And YES, Seth, you can play too.  Here it is at it's finest, the Coke Walk.  Enjoy.

Peace.

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A Strange House

There are no words in elvish, entish or the tongues of me that can explain the influence Alfred Hitchcock has had on our society.  Strangely enough, this post has nothing to do with him.  One reason for this is because, as said before, there are simply no words.  The other reason is because this post is directed towards a strange house in a strange dream.  

I came home (Idaho) this weekend to hang with the family.  I can usually leave the guest room (since I'm a guest in the Bell household) and walk into a hallway, which leads to the living room, kitchen, etc.  But I had this strange dream that I left the guest room, and somehow ended up in the garage.  This turned into the laundry room, where I was suddenly given an orange Creamie.  The room somehow flipped on it's side and I was given the ability to walk through walls.  And then my truck turned into a rose on a door and then I woke up trying to get back into my house.  The background music made me feel as though I was a sleuth, doing my damnedest to figure out the mystery of this strange house, somehow getting trapped outside and waking up before I was able to solve the puzzle.  Puzzling.  Curious.

Curiously enough, and fortunately for us, I hooked my brain up to my MacBook via bluetooth and was able to "record" my dream.  Due to the technology being extremely new and somewhat limited, the resolution is quite low and the video pixelated.  

As you can see, it was a strange dream.  

Peace.

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Raining

In lieu of writing my thesis this morning, I'd like to take a moment to write a few thoughts.  I'm not sure if you heard me right or not, but yes, I did say thesis.  I've finally arrived at the point of my graduate studies, specifically my research, to start writing my thesis.  I'm scared to death about it.  I've never written a 50 page document that has to be formatted in a certain way with the very probable possibility (redundant?) of being published.  I know what you're all thinking.  Yee-haw!  Right? Right?  

So I've made the goal to get the first draft done by Thanksgiving.  This would enable me to revise it during Christmas break and get prepared for my defense in the beginning of Spring semester.  The thought of getting this all done and out of the way makes me very happy!

Some other things that make me happy:

1. Rain.  I rode my scooter to school today in the rain.  I was soaked!  Apart from the brain cells that I lost on the way due to the brain freeze I get every time I ride it in the cold, it was a really great time and it put a large, creepy smile on my face.
2. Jal.  I've been going through a strange, rough patch of life these past few weeks.  I'm not sure exactly what's been causing it, but I've been stuck in this rut, and it seems impossible to dig my way out.  Jalene, thanks for talking to me about it.  You're a great, great friend!!!  I've been feeling much better and I woke up today thinking, "It's going to be a great day!"  It has so far!  
3. Creepy secret admirers.  I don't want one, mind.  Yesterday, something pretty funny happened to Kendall.  Apparently, he has a secret admirer that has a seemingly twisted sense of humor.  See here for more info and the chance to earn $10!  Sorry for laughing at this whole rollo and thanks for being an awesome friend and telling me what I need to hear.  I'm feeling much better about life and I know what I have to do.  Oh, and hey, good luck tonight! Sin!!!
4. The Shrivner.  This is someone who truly cares about people and leaves the comfort of the Shrivner's natural habitat to help out a friend.  Thanks for listening!
5. All of my friends!
6. Amber.  My sister.  You are the best!  I'm so happy for you guys and I can't wait to be done with school, move to Denver and be close to you!!!  It should be pretty rockin'.
7. Diet Dr. Pepper.  I think I might be addicted.
8. Family Guy.  It's strange, but when I watch this terrible show, everything bad about life floats away and I laugh.  Hysterically.
9. School friends.  
10. Of Montreal, Libbie Linton, Chairlift, Jem, Ingrid, Dashboard, Taken By Trees, A Bird's Bird, etc.
11. KSM guitars.  These guys are awesome.  Yesterday they replaced my guitar string for free, added a guitar strap, and sold me some .38mm picks.  
12. .38mm picks.  
13. Lists that go on way too long.

Well guys, have a good day.  

Peace.

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This Is Patti

I found the following video on a website for the new ad campaign for Coca Cola, specifically Diet Coke.  Apparently they've decided to go low quality, cellular phone style filming and editing.  I thought it was a pretty funny, short and happy commercial.  Good job Coke!

On another note, I've learned a new word (actually I learned it a few months ago) from my friend Seth, and I've truly felt like one lately around certain people.  Today was one of those days where I've definitely felt like one.  Oh well, life goes on, right?  The picture below represents this word, since I will not say the word on my blog.

Peace.

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Doors: Better Door or Doorway?

Funny Story.  This is actually for you Kristin, since I told you I would tell you a funny story, but there was no time on the phone, and well, I think I tell stories better in writing than on the phone or in person.  This is also for all of my avid blog fans who have just been dying for a new post from me.  I'm not sure why I'm confessing this in public, but it's a funny story...to me at least.

Around earlier today, I was in my office.  Yes, that's right, my office.  In case you didn't know, I have an office.  A shared office, but nonetheless, an office.  On campus.  And yes, I'm a grad student.  [Smack!]  

Sorry about that.

Around earlier today, I was on campus about ready to go to a meeting with my group.  You see, we're presenting our group project on Friday, something that I am indeed frightened of, yet it is inevitable.  I don't really do well in front of people.  I get, what is word...stage fright.  It's something that I've had my whole life.  I really don't mind doing a presentation, and once it's over I always think, "That was it? That's what I've been stressing over for the past 72 days?"  Although this may not seem relevant to the story I'm trying to tell...no no...actually it's not relevant.  I will now move on with the story.

I was in my office about ready to go to the meeting that I described, or intended to describe in the paragraph directly preceding this one.  Well, maybe I had no real intention of describing the meeting for which I was preparing to leave.  I did, however, have every intention of not describing said meeting and I have a really bad case of the ADD's right now so nothing I'm actually writing is going to make sense.  

As I was leaving to go to my meeting with the group for the group project that we're presenting on Friday, I turned to say something to Corlan, a fair-mannered young buck, unless you call him Cory.  You know the Incredible Hulk?  It's nothing like that at all.  Something just snaps in his brain and he'll throw his backpack at your legs, which of course won't phase you.  But if you were paying attention, you would have noticed the bulge in the front pocket of his backpack, which is curiously in the shape of a grape soda can, which of course is under a lot of pressure and the tiniest impact, such as hitting a pair of shins made out of bone with plenty of calcium at a velocity at which only Mad Cory can launch projectiles, tends to explode the can filling his backpack with grape soda which soaks his Stat 5120 homework and causes him to make up an excuse as to why he cannot turn it in today.  Not a pretty picture, I don't recommend it...unless you would like to see the funniest thing since sliced bread...

Again...ADD.

So as I'm saying something to him, I attempt to make it out the doorway, not noting that the door is not wide open, but instead partially closed.  [Smack!] This time, the smack in square brackets represents me, hitting the door, not even close to ever so softly.  The strange thing is, I felt nothing.  No pain in my leg, where the majority of the impact took place, and no pain in my heart when I realized that the screen on my phone was smashed by the impact, meaning I now have a good excuse to switch to AT&T and leave my nemesis (Verizon) in the shattered pieces that now make up the front screen of my orange phone.  The broken LCD display looked neat, but I soon came to grips with the fact that switching to AT&T, creating an early termination with Verizon, implying an early termination fee will be billed to my current address and signing a new contract with my nemesis's nemesis would be cheaper and better in the long run than replacing my orange brick and staying with my nemesis's nemesis's nemesis.  I'm done.

So that's how I got a new phone.  I really enjoy it.  It's dark red, sexy, I can use it as a remote control for my MacBook, I got an $80 bluetooth headset for $5 and I'm really going to enjoy using the bluetooth to it's full capacity and having a phone that doubles as a maid that will make me eggs over medium in the mornings to come.  

I sure hope you enjoyed my story.  I apologize for the ADD.  Sometimes I just want people to understand what I go through every day, not being able to focus on one thing for just one...hey who wants to go to Beto's?  Next time, I will demonstrate how to make a wet computer out of Strong Bad's computer!  

Peace.

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I've been doing well from what they say.

Yep.

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