STANFORD

now that i'm in college, i finally understand the concept of a campus. that might sound funny, but i never really got it until spending time on byu's campus. so visiting another university's campus was a kinda fun. especially one so prestigious as stanford. it is beautiful. if i don't end up doing something in the computer/technology industry i will be an architect. i've always loved and appreciated good architecture and great design.

PASTA POMODORO

blogging is hard. especially while traveling. i'm home now, but i'll be posting all morning trying to catch you up on my adventures in california. first up: pasta pomodoro. my dad and i met a few of his friends for lunch the first day, they brought us here. it was absolutely, fantastically, magnificently delicious. i've always thought of myself as a pasta and seafood kind of guy- don't get me wrong, i love a good steak, but pasta just does it for me. ever since meeting Kate last semester when she took me to tomasito's, i've had pasta every day for lunch. so at pasta pomodoro i happily ordered the conchiglie gamberi. mmmm, a perfect mix of pasta and seafood. the atmosphere in the restaurant was great. if you're ever in san jose, definitely check it out.

ROBOTS

this was our last stop today, the tech museum. it was really cool and had some interesting exhibits. it reminded me of field trips to some museum that i can only barely remember in elementary when i lived in san antonio. there were so many kids there. i wanted so badly to make them see what was around them and to help them appreciate science and learning more. kids in california are totally different than kids in utah. they don't understand the concept of standing in a line or even personal space. three kids touched my butt today as they pushed me aside. i mean, i have a great backside and all (ha!) but a simple compliment will do just fine! they have time to learn. but even that makes me question a few things: do we really need to learn to stand in lines? what makes us stand in lines? is it a process/procedure that we've just developed after failed attempts of created organization- like a mini-evolutionary process? i know there are organized and unorganized people in the world, so why did an organized process win out- could we have had an unorganized process that worked just as well as lines? or is it something else entirely? but i know one thing, we aren't robots. we can make choices. that's what makes us amazing. our agency, which is the basis of Heavenly Father's Plan, lets us choose and think for ourselves. what an amazing gift that is. but robots are still pretty cool!

i'd say it did a pretty good job, seeing as it's a robot and all.

life expectancy

illiteracy rates, black is completely illiterate.

this was shocking to me. i mean, we all know about the situation in africa, but each time you see the numbers you have to stand back and be humbled a bit. it's so sad to see the illiteracy rate of africa. growing up, reading books created other worlds for me! if i was ever having a bad day i knew that i could pick up a book and be taken somewhere completely new. you would think that out of all of the things that a starving african child could use the most it would be a little hope in the world, a chance to experience something new, to be taken out of their situation by their own imagination. every child should have that. that's why it's so sad to see that they can't read- they can't experience the magic of a book! if i could change that i would.

today was a great day.

MUSIC WALL

another cool exhibit at the tech museum. 

i think i want need one of these.

GARAGE

it all started here.

kind of hard to believe.

anything is possible.

AIRPLANE MODE

woah. what's this? i neglected to mention that for christmas i got a trip to (warning, nerdy destination ahead) cupertino, california. what's so nerdy about that you ask? why it's the home of Apple HQ and the birth place of all things technology of course! i'm such a nerd. but you know you love it. stay tuned for my first 'on the road' blog posts.

oh by the way, i guess i have to thank gogo inflight internet for making this possible. we are totally in the future! i remember one day at a football game i just stood there staring at the sky for about five minutes and then zach asked if everything was okay. and i just replied, 'have you looked up in the sky lately?' he returned a very confused and very blank stare. 'we're in the future, man! just look at all of the contrails!' at least five jets had been over us in the past ten minutes leaving behind their white streaks against the deep blue autumn sky. i mean, when's the last time you stopped to think about the things we have? today, kirsten came over and at the end of the day we watched tron (one of my all-time favorite movies, by the way.) it made me think about the future a lot. it's sad that a lot of people imagine the future as something out of tron. i would be devastated to see the future as something so lifeless and detached. i like to imagine the future just as it is right now. Kate and i were talking once over thanksgiving break about wall-e (another favorite) and she made a good point about our interactions with people. she said 'i get worried that a day will come when no one will read actual books, or interact in person anymore.' i worry about that sometimes, too. i dislike texting- it's emotionless, really. so i try to call as often as i can. but even then, there are some things that shouldn't be left up to virtual conversations. some words weren't meant to be carried over airwaves or telephone wires, but by voice straight to the heart.

i appreciate funny people because they say what we're all thinking better than we can. and they make you laugh while along the way- which is always a good thing. so to sum things up, and to make you laugh, here's a little louis c.k.

'i'm in a chair. in the sky!'

SKI DAY

  

today was, as ski bums say, 'the bomb'. well, i don't know if they say that or not, but it seems like a dude thing to say. zach, kevin, dylan, alyssa, and i went skiing today. it was so much fun! i haven't been in two years. it was like meeting a long lost brother, or finding an old toy, or maybe even (i don't know how this feels yet, but i imagine it will feel like today) eating your favorite meal your mom makes after coming home from a mission. i had such a good time. kevin is unreal! zach is a dare devil. dylan is a speed demon. alyssa never fell. and me, i just have a good time. if you haven't gone this season, go! you won't be sorry.

my apologies on not posting in forever. i decided that while i'm on break i deserve a break- from everything. i miss sharing every thought with all of you so maybe i'll post more during the break, but i'm not making any promises. oh also... Christmas is almost here!! (i never do double exclamation marks, so it's a huge deal. be ever so stoked with me.)

SEA OF PIANOS

J'adore cette vidéo. ce ne serait pas la vie? vivent dans une rue de pianos en France et de fixation des images de dessin avec un stylo à bille. Je doute que l'homme s'inquiète toujours au sujet de sa vie. J'aime le piano. mes parents ont toujours eu un piano. Je me souviens quand j'étais jeune, je ne lève les yeux vers elle dans la crainte. tard dans la nuit, quand il juste moi et mon frère aîné, Austin dans la maison, ma mère allait jouer les plus belles chansons que vous avez jamais entendu. Je suis allé au lit l'écoute de ballades et des morceaux classiques des années. Alors, quand j'ai commencé à jouer dans la cinquième année, j'ai instantanément tombé en amour avec elle. J'ai commencé à apprendre d'une dame de notre paroisse, je lui dois beaucoup pour m'avoir aidé à trouver ce talent. après que nous ayons déménagé à utah ma mère a trouvé un grand professeur qui viendrait à notre maison après l'école et nous enseigner. il était dans la septième année que je passe vraiment. J'ai arrêté de prendre des leçons parce que j'ai commencé de s'aventurer sur le mien. J'ai commencé à écrire de la musique et de tomber en amour avec la musique avec un sens. lorsque vous commencez à écrire votre propre musique vous gagnez ce pouvoir d'exprimer l'émotion d'une manière non possilbe avant. J'ai toujours aimé écouter de la musique jouent aux autres qu'ils ont écrit. Je me souviens quand j'ai entendu Kate jouer une chanson qu'elle a écrit à la guitare, c'était différent de tout ce que j'ai jamais entendu. il était superbe. vous devriez l'écouter chanter, aussi. si jamais vous avez l'occasion, demandez-elle de jouer quelque chose pour vous. elle ne sera pas décevoir!

go off and discover good music! find your talents and make something great! and then share it with the world!

thank you, google translate!

if you get weird translations,

oh well! obladi oblada!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BACON

get. in. my. belly!

cpbb recipe

SILLY ZACH

disclaimer: i have nothing against diabetes and/or those who have it. it's just a long standing joke in our apartment.

i'm gonna miss this kid when he leaves.

MISSING THEM

ECON

it's over.

i feel like i just got out of an abusive relationship with someone i never loved in the first place.

i vow to never take an economics class again so long as i walk the face of this planet.

just watch- that will come back to bite me in the butt.

i just finished my econ final. i felt neutral about it. and i won't know my score for a few days so i don't have to worry. it was a tough test. and like every test, it covered everything we didn't learn in class or in the readings, and covered next to nothing that we did learn. cool. this class was a doozy. but i'd still recommend it. this class had the worst homework. it wasn't odd to have sixteen page assignments... ugh. oh well, sunk costs, right?

MY MIND

NEW YORK

okay, okay- i'll stop posting today.

i just had to share this one. it's great.

UNWIND

after i finished studying last night i decided to watch some short documentaries. i came across this one and fell in love with it. i've always loved the small-town atmosphere (though, i have to admit, i don't think i'd be content staying in a small town. i need to be involved, i need to make a difference and leave a mark.) i especially love old people. by now you're all probably sick of hearing me talk about Apple this, Apple that- well, hang in there for one more time. right when i started last year it hit me that hundreds (if not thousands) of people would walk through our store every single day. they were coming not only to buy things and see the latest and greatest, but to talk to real people about how technology could enable them to do more, share more, and be more. i got to spend all day talking with people and solving problems. right off the bat i decided that my goal in working there would be this:

meet one new person a day and do everything in my power to help them.

i adopted that as personal mission statement. i knew that every single day at least one person would come to me and in that moment i could decide to shrug them off and be impersonal, do the bare minimum and send them on their way- or i could connect with them, form a relationship, get to know their goals and teach them everything i know to make them more successful so that when i gave them a fond farewell as i walked them to their car, i would know that i would see them again because they would be back. and when they came back, they would request me by name and i could smile back and greet them with their name and ask them how life has been, and we would laugh and be happy to see each other again.

that's what i learned at Apple. i learned how to be caring person. i learned to love people. i learned that we only have a short time with some of the people we meet and we have to do everything we can to make sure that the time we're given is well spent with laughter and smiles. but i also learned that we can have all the time in the world with other people. we can have as long as we want. i met couple after couple after couple who had been together for decades. whenever i had the chance to teach an older couple, i would put everything aside, clean up my schedule and let my floor leaders know that i was going to be a while as i would be spending the rest of the night teaching Dee and Delma Darling (they were my absolute favorites.) they were the sweetest couple. they were so old but so young. they wanted me to set up facebook profiles for them so they could 'look hip for their younger grandchildren'. we would laugh and share stories all afternoon, sometimes until after the store had closed. we would make movies together and upload old family photos. i even helped put together a slide show of their life together that they would be showing at their sixtieth! wedding anniversary with their family. i miss them so much. i would drop everything to spend another afternoon with them. they were so in love. one day.

i just felt like i should share that. this video reminded me of the good times that come when spent with the elderly. i've had a lot on my mind as of late. the best way to unwind is to share and remember. cherish the people around you. don't waste any time. every second spent with someone you care about is worth everything.

KING TUTTING

so cool!

it reminds me of this:

(but mixed with stop motion, which makes it fifty times cooler!)

i'm telling you- i need to learn how to do this stuff. so. cool.

WAKE UP IN THE MORNING

i woke up this morning and flipped out.

i was going to be late to my lab.

oh wait, nope.

classes are over.

mind. blown.

that went by way too fast.

DESIGN

STAY CLASSY, LADIES

last night was our ward's christmas party.

we had hobo stew,

doesn't that just look delicious?

it was actually pretty good.

and a white elephant gift exchange.

zach made the worst white elephant gift known to man.

i was pretty embarrassed.

but i do like that suit...

i got a sweet giant crayon piggy bank.

BEAR WITH ME

i love the cinematography in this.

my apologies, i haven't been posting too much of my life right now.

i just feel like these videos are more entertaining than anything i have to say right now.

 bear with me. (hah!)

PATIENCE

think you have patience?

think again.

IF I WERE A PAINTER

i've been listening to norah jones a lot lately.

bike rides are much better when enjoyed with music.

THIRD ROCK

it's His world.
we're just living in it.

or universe for that matter...

EYE SIGHT

see anything wrong with this picture?

they aren't on my face!

i'm wearing contacts for the first time in one hundred and fifty two days!

NOT EVEN SURPRISED

not even a little bit.

never, never, never,

use this.