Car Show

So I made the cover of this magazine. I guess I've made it in life.

Inauguration Day!

  I hope everyone got the chance to see the Inauguration of President Barack Obama today.  Personally, I can't remember the last time I felt this patriotic.  Even though our country has a lot of things that need fixing right now, today was a good time to be able to set those worries aside and feel patriotic and hopeful. Our country has truly come a long, long way.  It was merely 60 years ago when people couldn't eat in the same restaurants as other people just because of the color of their skin and now, we have a man of color in our nation's highest office.

   Sadly though, there was a sour note to today for me.  When my little sister came home from school, she told me about the attitudes of some of her fellow high schoolers on the subject of Barack Obama.  She told me that the majority of kids at her school were saying how upset they were about the situation and how much they hate Barack Obama.  These kids, no doubt, have been listening to their parents views on the subject.  I think it is sad that so many parents here in central Utah choose not to educate their kids and teach them to think for themselves.  It is also sad that these kids won't have any fond memories of today's historic events.  These high school kids didn't know anything about Obama's policies or stances on any issues.  They have no idea why they hate Barack Obama so much.  They simply hate him because their parents do.  I am very thankful that my parents have taught me to think for myself.  They have never tried to sway my political views.  They trust that I am smart enough and educated enough to form my own opinions.   

  Even if you didn't vote for President Obama and even if you don't agree with most of his policies, I hope that you will still support him as our president.  I, for one, am excited to see what the next few years will bring and I hope that when the next four years are up, President Obama will have given us all a reason to make us want to re-elect him. 

Dark Side of the Moon

I've been listening to some music for my History of Rock & Roll class and I have rediscovered one of my favorite albums of all time.  You guessed it, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon".  I know a lot of people think this album is weird and creepy but that is the beauty of it.  Have you ever really listened to the lyrics?  They're actually really insightful.  They're a heck of a lot better than most of the garbage that's being thrown around today.  One of my favorite songs from the album is called "Time".  It starts out with the sound of a bunch of clocks ticking and then chiming and alarms going off.  It is an awesome song.  Here are the lyrics.  

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but youre older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the english way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought Id something more to say

Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
Its good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells.

Don't these lyrics just make you want to kick yourself for all of the perfectly good time you've wasted doing nothing?  I know that's how I feel.  Now go and do yourselves a favor and do something worthwhile, like listen to this album.  You're welcome.

Nerd

I have recently decided that I am a nerd, a big one. I'm pretty obsessed with school and getting good grades. I love to read and spent most of my Christmas break reading. I have recently started re-reading my favorite books of all time, the Harry Potter series. I have read all of these books multiple times but I still can't get enough of them. Speaking of Harry Potter, have any of you read "The Tales of Beadle the Bard"? If you remember, in book 7, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", a wizard children's story book is mentioned called "The Tales of Beadle the Bard." J.K. Rowling has recently written this book and published it. I bought it when it first came out and I love it. For any Harry Potter fan it is a must-have. Also, all of the proceeds from buying the book go to one of Rowling's favorite charities. So, if you haven't bought it yet, go buy it. You'll love it.

Snowboarding

  Yesterday I went to Brighton for my first day of snowboarding this season and holy cow, it was fun.  Every summer I wait impatiently for snow so I can pull out my gear and head to the mountains and somehow, every first day of snowboarding, I have more fun than I ever remember it being.

  Last week I got a new board and bindings so I was way excited to try them out.  I waxed my board to perfection, played with my bindings until I had the perfect setup, and I was ready to go.  I woke up at 5:45 am yesterday morning (snowboarding is probably the only thing that can get me to willingly wake up that early) and I was off.   I went with one of my friends and a bunch of guys from the Snow College snowboarding club.  I had never been boarding with any of those guys except for my one friend and i was the only girl so I was happy to find out that i hadn't lost any of my ability since last winter and I wasn't slowing anybody down.   It was a beautiful day and the snow was good.  It got a little icy and there were a few bare spots in the later afternoon but overall it was great.  

  I would encourage anyone that has never gone snowboarding or skiing to give it a try.  It is one of the funnest things ever.  There is something about being at the top of a mountain and flying down it in a matter of minutes with only a board (or a couple of skis) carrying you that never ever gets old. Plus, it is good exercise and you can make lots of new friends in the process.

Dog

I decided that since this is my blog I should put a picture of me on it.  So here I am with my dog Jack.  Aren't we stunning?

The Hills

Many of you may have seen the popular MTV show "The Hills."  If you haven't seen it you probably have heard of it.  It documents the lives of rich, beautiful, young adults living in southern California.  Honestly, I think it is one of the most retarded compilations of video footage ever put together by humans.  The embarrassing thing about it though, is that I can't stop watching it.  What is it about this show that keeps me tuning in every week? 

 

  I think the reason I keep watching this show is I see these people and the jobs they have and I think "What qualifications do these people have that I don't have?" One example would be Audrina Partridge, one of the girls on the show.  She works for Epic Records.  She gets to go watch bands and see if they're good enough for a record deal, helps bands record in the studio, and does other rad stuff like that.  In my opinion, you couldn't ask for a cooler job.  Audrina doesn't have a college degree or any other special skills and from what I've seen of her on TV, she isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.  How then, did she get such an awesome job?  Chances are good that she got that job just because she is on this incredibly popular show.  Is this fair?  Probably not.  In fact, I think it sucks.  I could do this job just as well, if not better than Audrina.  Audrina isn't the only one with an awesome job.  Lauren and Whitney, two other characters on the show get to go to New York frequently for their jobs and they've even been able to go to Paris.  

  I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I watch this show because it makes me feel better that if these girls, who are no more smart or talented than I am, can be successful in what they want to do, surely I can be successful In what I want to do.  Take my advice though and don't get yourself caught in the trap of this television program.  It truly is a huge waste of time.