Post trip # 2

What a week. . . I miss New York and yet I am so glad to be home. Here are some highlights:

The happy couple! They both looked so beautiful and everything was perfect. I was so happy to be there at the sealing.

 The reception was BEAUTIFUL. And delicious. We had our fair share of pina coladas, goat cheese stuffed tomatoes, filet mignon, brie, and shrimp cocktail. All right on the Hudson.

 So beautiful. In an artificial kind of way.

 I love diversity. Especially this lady.

 Architecture and history.

 Guys dressed as transformers.

 My favorite show ever.

 Broadway.

The best dang banana pudding ever imaginable.

Not pictured:

• sleeping on hardwood floors. 
• Metro fun. 
• Amazing restaurants and desserts. 
• Staten island ferry, ground zero, brooklyn bridge and much more. 
• A typical Manhattan YSA testimony meeting. 
• Fashion. 
• Emptying my bank account and loving it. 

Post trip # 1

Though I don't have any pictures, I had such a lovely time in the Pacific Northwest ( I always do.) Here are some of the things that I enjoyed: 

• a queen sized bed with covers that are so heavy they feel like a weight and you can't help but feel tucked in.
• Totally owning those blackberry bushes. 
• Roxy.
• Finding speculoos at Trader Joe's. (And let's be honest, Trader Joe's in general). 
• a beach walk on the sound with mom. 
• Speaking french to the chef of our amazing lunch (smoked salmon crepes, and goat cheese salad with creamy tarragon dressing!) 
• Pumpkin seed encrusted chicken on a sweet potato hash.
• Reading selections of church history from my extensive church library. 
• Just Dancing late at night.
•  Visiting my grandma on her mission in the mission office. 
• Hanging out with Alex and Ben in Eastern Washington.
• The rain.

this is mom at the french restaurant! 

No place like home

As much as I am obsessed about France, I do have a special sweet spot for my home state. I say state instead of town, because I am referring to Seattle which is 45 min away from me. But, in my defense, I have spend quite a bit of time in the city and I have loved the direction it is taking. I found these pictures when I was doing some research for some friends who are considering moving there. I feel that they give a pretty accurate representation of the place.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/seattle-area/553657-reasons-why-i-love-living-seattle.html

Leap This

This article seems like the PERFECT leap day, but alas, no one to do all of these things with. Maybe next (in four) year.

If we’ve learned anything from Leap Day William, the most amazing and well-known holiday representative in all the world, it’s that things done every February the 29^th do not count. It’s a freebie day, a time when inhibitions and societal norms are cast aside because you know what? Tomorrow it’ll be March. Sometimes, however, people don’t know what to do to commemorate Leap Day, as though it weren’t important at all. Come on, people; it’s Leap Day for Pete’s sake! Don’t just take a Xanax and forget about it. To help those poor souls who may be uncertain what possibilities await them, I’ve compiled a list of 29 things one could, hell, even SHOULD do today.

1) Kill two birds with one stone. Literally.

2) Run into a Mattress store and cut off all the tags. What are the authorities going to do? It’s Leap Day.

3) Go to a restaurant and when the server arrives with your food, bite them on the hand. If they’re well-read, they’ll understand the humorous irony.

4) Punch a cop while yelling “communist!” If they’re well-read, they’ll understand the humorous irony.

5) Vote for Ron Paul.

6) Buy a glass house and immediately start throwing stones at it.

7) Do Michael Jackson moves while crossing the street where you shouldn’t so that when a police officer stops you, you can say you were Moonwalking while Jaywalking.

8) Commit tax fraud. Several times.

9) Defy the explicit instructions of Elton John and Kiki Dee and go a-breaking their heart.

10) Drop a penny off of the Empire State Building. Take that, science!

11) Paint that one wall in your house you’ve been meaning to get to for ages but have been putting off because you said you haven’t had the time, but really it was because you were too lazy to get up and move the bookshelf across the room, again proving that you are incapable of enacting change in your own life, no matter how small, and each day you see the bookshelf and the unpainted wall it reminds you of just how much of your life you’ve wasted watching TV and drinking. Also, it’ll really brighten up the room.

These are just my suggestions. I’m sure each and every one of you could come up with 29 equally spectacular and useful Leap Day things to do to feel like a thing-doer. But do something today. Nothing counts and you certainly won’t get in trouble for any of it.

Happy Leap Day everyone!!

http://www.modernprimate.com/11-things-to-do-this-leap-day/

Here's to Spring

I bumped into some guys from my mission today, and we had a nice chat. I realized that I have loved being at BYU for that very reason - I can usually see or talk to around 4-5 people from my mission per day (I don't usually say hi unless I knew them quite well). I started thinking about my attitude lately, and I think I could use some more optimism. Not that I am a "the glass is half-empty" kind of guy, but I am a "I have got so many things to worry about, why are we talking about orange juice" kind of guy. So here is a list of things that have recently inspired me.

• the pajamajean commercial I am watching right now.
• the trashy swedish diet commercial I saw yesterday.
• seeing mission friends and maintaining those friendships.
• watching the food network, especially Giada and Laura Calder.
• the large bite of goat cheese I had in my vegetables for lunch.
• hugs.
• seeing the physics I am learning in my everyday world.
• history - I am especially obsessed with portraits of Napoléon right now.
• having frozen cookie dough so I can eat cookies every evening. (with milk).
• the dark chocolate almond milk I bought last night.
• well-written articles.
• unexpected good grades.
• compliments on my shoes.
• a new healthy pancake recipe.
• patriarchal blessings.
• temple sessions.
• and my list continues to grow.

To quote An Affair to Remember, "Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories."

So here's to spring!

Adele

I just watched this video, and I love the style. Plus the location!

a little treasure

I was just perusing careers in the medical field, and I fell upon this lovely picture of a respiratory therapist. I thought it was worth sharing. In other news, the rug in the entryway of my new apartment is 6 dogs playing poker. Oddly, one of the dogs has the exact same look on his face as this man.