Going Green with Style

Maybe it was the Democrats I lived with from September '06 to August '07.



It could have been the shock I experienced when I witnessed American consumption as an outsider (recent RM).



Or was it going from the fairly green state of California to the barely green state of Utah?



Whatever it was, slowly but surely I've been adding some yellow to my blue.



It started in my apartment with some of these.



My next step was doing more of this.



Then I thought why even recycle these,



when I could just use one of these?



I drive this car, which is pretty green.



But there was something more I needed to do...



Lately, this has become a big motivator for change.



I did some thinking, and found my alternative to buying gas...the bicycle!


In a world with so many bikes, however, I had to narrow the selection.



I thought,



"I don't do this (yet),



and I haven't gotten into this (yet),



and this almost feels right, but not quite what I'm looking for."



Then finally I stumbled upon the emerging world of commuter bikes, and it just seemed to fit.



With a bike in sight, I found some dealers, and even test rode a few.



I debated going here to buy one, but quickly ruled that out for its lack of practicality.



Finally I found the bike of my dreams here (in the city, not the water treatment plant).



It's been mine for two glorious days, and we've already become practically inseparable. She even sleeps next to my bed at night (I'm not leaving her in the garage to be pillaged or plundered or whatever goes on down there after dark).



Last night I dreamt about her,



and today I couldn't wait to leave here,


so that I could hit this.



For some cool statistics, visit this site.



Now, this is my next step.



I'll let you know how it goes.



Stay green!

My Life's Mixtape!

My sister Kimberly recently posted her life's musical. I think music has always been a huge part of all our lives, and like smells for other people, I have made memories that are perfectly paired with certain songs. Here are just a few of those memories.

Fifth and Sixth Grade:
Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
Glycerine - Bush
Spiderwebs - No Doubt
Love Fool - The Cardigans
...and anything by Greenday or Weezer

Listening to my Discman in my Room:
The Blue Album (Album) - Weezer
No Need to Argue (Album) - The Cranberries

Driving to Elementary School with Mom:
I'm In A Hurry (And Don't Know Why) - Alabama

Family Roadtrips to Utah:
Outside - From the Redwoods (Album) - Kenny Loggins
Greatest Hits (Album) - Gloria Estefan
...and anything else of Kenny Loggins', Gloria Estefan's, or Celine Dion's

Driving to and from Yellowstone:
Return to Pooh Corner (Album) - Kenny Loggins

Middle School:
Now 1 (Album)
...thanks Kimberly for that one.

Two Songs Directly Connected to Robyn Waking Me Up in the Summer:
Pepper - (Explicit band name)
..."I don't mind the sun sometimes..."
If It Makes You Happy - Sheryl Crow

Hiking to Scout Camp on Catalina Island:
Pinkerton (Album) - Weezer

Driving with Friends in High School:
Is This It (Album) - The Strokes

High School Dances/Freshman Year of College:
Party (Up In Here) - DMX
Senorita - Justin Timberlake
Hey Ya! - Outkast
Dirrty - Christina Aguilera
Jenny from the Block - Jennifer Lopez
It's My Life - No Doubt
...and anything by Coldplay

My Current Playlist:
M79 - Vampire Weekend
Swedes in Stockholm - Tokyo Police Club
Pork and Beans - Weezer (their new single!)
Time to Pretend - MGMT
Read my Mind - The Killers
Handlebars - Flobots
Young Bride - Midlake
Great DJ - The Ting Tings
Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) - Wyclef Jean
Unissassi Laulelet - The Dø

This list was hard to make, 'cause I had to leave out about 3,000 songs. I hope you enjoy/know at least one or two of the bands I posted about. The more recent ones are pretty obscure.

Music City, USA

I got to spend the week with this one,


this one,


this one,


these ones,


and these ones (I know I already put a picture of the baby, but...)!



It was a lot of fun being on "the other coast." I wish I was still there.

Too bad I wasn't there while this one was.



Thanks, mom and dad, for having us.

New Weezer Single!

I'm so excited, I had a dream I went back to the band's trashy apartment after a show and ate tacos with them. Rivers himself invited me!

FINAL-LY!

I think my class was officially the last class taking a test on the last night of the last day of finals.

I took my first two on Saturday. The first one was at 2:00 PM (Poli Sci) and then the next one was at 5:00 PM (Spanish). There was no break.

I took the next one on Monday (Geography).

And tonight I took the last one...at the last hour...of the last day (Management Communications).

Did I mention that in the last week I've written over thirty pages...15 of those today?

I hate finals.

PS

Adam is moving out. You've never met him, but now that he's leaving, here's a picture.


We almost deleted it because we (he and I) thought his mouth was too big, but...

Also, I just downloaded that picture from my camera, and found some secret pictures that Marianne and Audrey took without me knowing...unless I just forgot that they had my camera. Anyway, they deserve to be published...mainly because I think it will be best for them to find out by reading my blog that I found them.


Okay, I knew about this one, but it's kinda embarrassing for Marianne, Sam, and Audrey. I was doing homework or something and they came walking by my window, so I took a picture of them.


This is The Truman. It's a creepy, small version of the Tower of Terror located conveniently in historic Provo, Utah. Very creepy, indeed.


Marianne and Audrey scootered over to The Truman the other night while I was at work. They apparently took my camera.


And as far as I can tell, Marianne went inside and took a creepy picture from the haunted stairwell.


And then they scootered over to a memorial park and took pictures with WWII stuff. I heard that they scootered around a giant obelisk, but there is no photo evidence of that...

Their secret picture frenzy has been published.

And finals are over...WOO HOO.

Mom's 28!

I guess I had to steal the title from dad's post to mom. Mom has been 28 my whole life, and probably will be forever. Not only has she stayed young at heart over the years, but she still looks young. It must've been that salty California air. On this, mom's 28th birthday, I'd like to share a little about why I love her and why she deserves this very-happy-birthday post.

Mom loves music. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of me singing along to the Judds with mom. I was convinced that mom and my sisters were going to be famous country-music stars, and I still think they could've been. Maybe mom should try out for Idol next year. They allow 28-year-olds on that show, don't they? I thank mom for my love of music, singing, etc., even if it has evolved into a love for bands like Vampire Weekend and Yacht.


Mom, with their ex-neighbor's CD



Mom and the gang at the Bluebird Cafe


Mom is a very nice person and always taught me to be nice to others. I have been blessed and cursed with that practice my whole life, starting in the first grade. Mom always remains cool and collected in stressful situations, and has taught me to think before I speak, because once I've said something, I can't take it back. Those are words to live by.


After (or before--I wasn't there) dad was called to the stake presidency



On "Dumbo" right after I got home from the mish


Mom worries about her kids and loves to hear from us regularly. From a very young age, I started the habit of checking in with mom when I got home from school, or dances, or smoke-filled honky tonks, no matter what the hour. I'm glad that I have always been able to call mom and talk to her about life or talk to her about nothing at all. To this day, there is rarely a day when I don't call mom to "check in" and talk about things. I'm glad she's there for me.


Once again, mom at my favorite restaurant, Lucille's



And eating somewhere else for dad's/my birthday last year


Mom is generous. We joke about it now (and we joked about it at the time), but mom and I always said that it wasn't "her" checking account, but it was "our" checking account, and deep down inside I don't know if mom would have had it any other way. It is much easier for mom to spend money on others than it is for her to spend money on herself. If she didn't have dad to dress her and take care of her, she'd probably be fine living in a box and wearing burlap. Okay, she might not be okay with that, but she always puts her kids before herself, and I hope to be just as selfless as she is when I'm a parent.

Mom loves dad. She has been dad's silent supporter all of my life. She supported dad in all his Church callings and still supports him in his very hectic life. She always made sure that we supported dad, and taught us (the kids) to always speak highly of our family to others.

I owe my mom for who I am, and I'm okay with that. I hope she knows how much I love her, appreciate her, and admire her. She is a Christlike woman who serves for the sake of serving and does good without seeking recognition. The world would be a better place if everyone had a mother like her.

Oh, and I really think it's cool that she's been to an Alice Cooper/Santana concert.


Happy birthday, mom!

Vampire Weekend!

I am slowly but surely infiltrating the Salt Lake/Provo indie music scene. I think I like indie music because it is raw compared to the overly computerized, edited, and perfected Britney Spearses that dominate the radio now. That doesn't mean I don't like that stuff, either. I still very much like pop music.

Anyway, I redeemed some points from my Visa and got some tickets to the Vampire Weekend show last Monday in SLC. It was a great show, and confirmed to Marianne and me that we do have a certain appreciation for the unique--more me than her, I think.

Vampire Weekend was actually pretty normal, but the band that opened for them was anything but what we expected.


Marianne and me at the show



The opening band, Yacht







Notice the girl's (Claire Evans') Nintendo shirt.


Yacht may have been different, but they were a lot of fun to listen to, and even more fun to watch. They can be filed with the great entertainers.


After their set, we took some pictures.



I told them they had to give a thumbs up!



And they did, for three consecutive pictures...

Vampire Weekend was next. They're like a mix between Bob Marley, the Boston Pops, and some distant African tribes. A strange, but successful mix. They put on a good show. Thanks, Visa!


The band!



Again...



It was pretty hot and sweaty in there, as my forehead in this picture can attest. It was a relief to get out into the cold March/April air.

Will it ever get warm? I just realized that today, April General Conference starts. It has been icy-cold since October General Conference. That makes at least six months of COLD weather.