This week has been a particularly nasty one, so until next time enjoy this favorite song of mine.
Home: 10 days
Home: 10 days
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Countdowns...
Let the countdowns begin...
Days until classes end: 14
Days until I'm no longer an RA: 16
Days until I go home: 19
Days until I leave for Jerusalem: 35
Days until I'm no longer an RA: 16
Days until I go home: 19
Days until I leave for Jerusalem: 35
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Dinosaurs
Tonight, there was a lot of stuff I could have done.
I need to do my final revisions of my social research methods research paper.
I need to start three other 8-10 page research papers.
I have about five short 3-5 page papers I need to think about.
I need to complete 8 more service hours for BYUHSA and then about 4 more for IPB.
I need to practice my presentation for the Board of Psychology that I'm presenting next week.
I need to rehearse the presentation I'll be giving in two weeks that is completely in French.
And the list goes on...
Did I do any of those things, you may ask?
Why no, I did not.
I chose to go to a good friends orchestra concert.
Do I regret doing that, one might ask?
Why no, I do not.
To make a long story short, the director got kids from the local elementary school involved in the concert. He gave the kids a certain topic and had them write a poem, come up with a simple melody, or draw a picture to illustrate that topic. The poems were recited, the melodies played, and pictures shown in a slide show while the orchestra was performing.
Oh, did I mention that the topic was dinosaurs?
Here are a few of my favorite drawings from the night (sorry for the terrible quality. My phone has been my camera for the past year since my actual camera broke).
All of the pictures were hilarious, as were the melodies.
Tonight was just what I needed.
No, none of those particular things on my dreadful "to do" list were completed.
But sometimes, just sometimes, life is more than lists.
Video.
I need to start three other 8-10 page research papers.
I have about five short 3-5 page papers I need to think about.
I need to complete 8 more service hours for BYUHSA and then about 4 more for IPB.
I need to practice my presentation for the Board of Psychology that I'm presenting next week.
I need to rehearse the presentation I'll be giving in two weeks that is completely in French.
And the list goes on...
Did I do any of those things, you may ask?
Why no, I did not.
I chose to go to a good friends orchestra concert.
Do I regret doing that, one might ask?
Why no, I do not.
To make a long story short, the director got kids from the local elementary school involved in the concert. He gave the kids a certain topic and had them write a poem, come up with a simple melody, or draw a picture to illustrate that topic. The poems were recited, the melodies played, and pictures shown in a slide show while the orchestra was performing.
Oh, did I mention that the topic was dinosaurs?
Here are a few of my favorite drawings from the night (sorry for the terrible quality. My phone has been my camera for the past year since my actual camera broke).
All of the pictures were hilarious, as were the melodies.Tonight was just what I needed.
No, none of those particular things on my dreadful "to do" list were completed.
But sometimes, just sometimes, life is more than lists.
Video.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Oh, the places you'll go...
Last night I watched Eat Pray Love for the first time. For those who don't know the story, it's about a woman who wanted to rediscover herself so she took a year off to live in Italy, India, and then Bali. The movie had stunning images of all three places. I can't help but be extremely excited that I get to live in the Middle East in just 43 short days. While I won't be able to spend a whole year there, four months is more than I ever thought I would get.This movie reminded me of one of my favorite books ever. Though it may be written by Dr. Seuss, tell me it's dumb after you read it.
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
As of late
A group of friends went out for a scrumptious dinner to celebrate a few birthdays. Good company combined with good food makes for one great dinner. The two hour wait to seat 17 people was well worth it. (Not pictured: Kent Carollo. He gets a special shout out because he was the one taking the picture, and because he's the only one that actually reads my blog).
Speaking of birthdays, my dentist here in Hawaii so kindly sent me a postcard to say happy birthday. While I genuinely appreciate the thought, I had a good laugh at how badly my name was butchered in the process. 
This HUGE heart was left in between hale 3 and 5 in the middle of the night. Just to give you an idea of about how big it was - when standing next to it, I reached about the halfway mark. This was all part of an elaborate plan of 4 young college boys trying to show women that they are loved and should be treated appropriately. However, I think that plan somewhat backfired when other people discovered that the heart was only made out of cardboard and they were able to break into it. Before the night was over, the heart had to be taken down due to the fact that people were climbing inside of it and scaring innocent people walking by.
A few select friends have started getting together on the weekends to make some sort of goodie and to play games. We played The Last Word recently, which is a game guaranteed to make everyone look like a dork. If you're ok with that, I would highly recommend playing it.
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