2014, a mixed bag

Well, this is the post I think about all year, in which I remember everything that happened over the course of the last twelve months.

And what an unusual year it has been, with graduation, jobs, trips (of both the vacation and injury variety), and more. I'll let the months speak for themselves.

January. I began my final semester at BYU, taking a fairly easy load. I worked at my BYU Studies internship for credit. I also helped out on some student journals, Schwa (linguistics) and Chiasm (neuroscience) for credit. I took beginning weight training and a weekly geology seminar. I took an unusual class called the Publishing Industry, which only met once a week and had guest speakers, some of them local authors like Brandon Mull and Brandon Sanderson. My most intensive class was French 322, Advanced French 2, which I took with my roommate Jordan. We had to deal with new apartment management, which led to us having our power cut off one night. We had to walk around with flashlights, which cast interesting shadows.

February. What a crazy month. I got a little annoyed with some Facebook fads:

After applying for a job with the Joseph Smith Papers in January, I went to Salt Lake and interviewed, but I didn't get the job. On Valentine's Day, I went home to visit. When I got home, my mom told me that my dad had fainted at work and had had to go to the ER. In celebration of the day, we got Papa Murphy's pizza, and my mom was carrying it downstairs when she misstepped on the bottom step and broke her leg. Well, she didn't just break it. She massacred it. I tried not to look, but I could tell that her foot was not at the angle it was supposed to be. One of her bones was shattered; the other was intact, but it detached from all the ligaments and broke through the skin. I had to clean up the blood. I still have not seen the gory picture my sister took. I don't need to. The following week, I got a call from Reid Neilson, the managing director of the Church History Department, who had received my resume from the JSP. He wanted to hire me as his editorial assistant intern, and I accepted. I therefore had to quit working for BYU Studies.

March. I began official work for Reid. I began to see the joys of trail running, and on March 14, I got my wisdom teeth out. They were already sticking out, so it was a very uneventful procedure. All I had to do was have some gauze for a few hours. Apparently the only image I have from the month of March is one where I was amused that Jeffrey R. Holland had more Facebook likes than the other Apostles.

April. On the day after Easter, construction began on my family's basement. They tore down the old wallpaper and the flimsy ceiling and installed new lights. I went to my commencement and convocation meetings. After commencement, as I walked home in my cap and gown, thinking how I didn't have creative graduation pictures, I had a crazy idea. I had never hiked to the Y before, and here I was graduated. So what if I had my graduation pictures taken from the Y?

I was officially no longer a student. But my boss allowed me to keep working remotely through the rest of the summer, so I didn't have to move yet. My sweet-bro roommate Chad was replaced by an even bigger sweet-bro, Jon, who was rarely around. My roommate Scott at this point had decided he was too good for us, so Jordan was really my only roommate. (He hiked the Y with me.)

May. At Mother's Day, my sister's husband left them. My dad had to get a pacemaker after his Valentine's Day fainting spell. But besides these unfortunate events, May was an outdoorsy month! I fell in love with The National Parks after seeing them at Provo's Rooftop Concert. I began running to Rock Canyon; there I could identify the Mineral Fork Tillite, Tintic Quartzite, and Maxfield Limestone. Memorial Day weekend, I went to Yellowstone National Park with my grandparents, aunts and cousins. We stayed in a nice little rented cabin, and we saw six bears. I made a little joke that stopping to take pictures of buffalo in Yellowstone is like taking pictures of cactuses in the desert, so we began calling buffalos cactuses.
The following weekend, my Provo ward went to Capitol Reef National Park. The other car in our caravan hit a deer on the way there, so they had to turn around. Capitol Reef is probably Utah's least famous national park, even though it may be its best.

June. At the beginning of the month, I went to another Rooftop Concert. On a rainy, unseasonably cold day, I drove up to Salt Lake for my cousin Quin's setting apart for a mission--he was the first person to go on a mission from that side of the family since I got home. That week my family headed to California to visit my nephews and their parents. We met them in Lassen Volcanic National Park. I only got one hilarious, unflattering picture of all three nephews at the same time:

We then went to Mount Shasta before going to my brother's apartment in the Bay Area. We visited several other places in California, including Big Basin Redwood State Park, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve's tidal pools, a Petrified Forest, and the Charles M. Schulz Museum. On all these trips, Franklin (6) and Nathaniel (4) enjoyed asking me questions that got continually more bizarre, culminating in "What was your favorite leaf when you were a little baby?" My dad, sister, and I drove home, leaving my mom and niece in California. I had to prepare for my apartment to get painted.

July. My nephews, niece, mom, and sister-in-law and her niece came in from California just in time to celebrate the Fourth of July. Did you see the above link to Reid Neilson's Wikipedia page? I made it in July. My apartment got all out of order from the painting, but I was gone from it a lot. I would go to my apartment on the weekends but spend time at home, visiting my nephews, during the week. On one occasion, I prevented Ya-ping's niece from going out in public wearing a shirt that said "Pervert." Nathaniel loved telling us about his hundreds of moms and dads, who lived in a variety of houses, including jello and candy houses. I was released from my calling as ward clerk, and on a weekend when the rest of my family went to Yellowstone without me (since there wasn't any more room in the vehicle), I climbed Mount Timpanogos with my Provo ward.

Being afraid of heights and not in as good of shape as I thought, I don't have a great need to hike Timp again. My nephews left the day after Pioneer Day, and I returned to Provo. But they were doing more renovations on our apartment, so Jordan and I had to stay in a hotel for a week (they paid for our stay there). The timing worked out nicely, because that was a time when I needed to work in BYU's Harold B. Lee Library.

August. On August 1, I went to a Cherie Call concert and my final Rooftop Concert. On August 2, we were allowed to move back in our apartment. There was an incredibly rainy day that caused a landslide in North Salt Lake, and I cooked up some fresh vegetables from the Jensen family (the first counselor in my Provo ward). My final fling in my Provo ward was a trip to our Bishop's cabin near Yellowstone. This trip was much more enjoyable than the one with my relatives because there was no bickering; we boated on a Montana lake and I went into the park twice (with different people). We attended the West Yellowstone ward. Then I had to leave Provo and the apartment where I had lived for more than two and a half years. I moved back home, and I got my own cubicle in the Church History Library, no longer working remotely. I began attending the North Park YSA Ward. At the end of the month, my parents and I took a trip up to Idaho to see where Lake Bonneville drained out.

September. On September 1, I went running by the North Salt Lake landslide (since it's not far from my house).

I also discovered the Wild Rose Trail for running, and I went to the Utah State Fair. I helped out with a service project for the North Park Ward (remodeling a house) the same week that my grandparents moved from Salt Lake to Centerville. We see them a lot more now that they are closer. At the end of the month, I turned 26 and therefore had to get health insurance.

October. I attended general conference in the Conference Center with my friend Emily, and also taught her third-graders about the Mesozoic Era. We also went to a Lower Lights concert. I viewed a partial solar eclipse and examined the springs in Warm Springs Park in northern Salt Lake (but not quite in North Salt Lake). My parents took me on a trip to Capitol Reef and Goblin Valley State Park, my first time visiting Goblin Valley.

I had a satisfying Halloween, listening to a Dracula audiobook and running on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail on a cool, spooky evening.

November. I had fun putting my Thanksgiving decorations out in the yard, even though I didn't really decorate for Thanksgiving. I didn't want to decorate because we weren't going to be home for Thanksgiving, since my parents and I were driving to California again to see my nephews for the holiday. It was an enjoyable trip, although I left my pumpkin pie dish (meaning a pie dish that looks like a pumpkin) there. The boys loved having us there, and Nathaniel especially seemed to like it. He loves climbing things, a hobby that made me a little nervous. 

We went to Six Flags and to the Point Reyes National Seashore.

December. I went to lots of Christmas events--first a work Christmas devotional/lunch, then four concerts: Cherie Call, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Lower Lights, and Piano Guys. We simply had a wonderful Christmastime on a snowy December 25, and I got some awesomely random Christmas gifts.

"The unicorn of the sea helps at home."

I got to hear President Henry B. Eyring speak twice in my ward. It was an unusually warm and dry December until Christmas. 

I hope 2015 has no broken bones or broken relationships, but I would be just fine with new jobs and more trips!

Happy New Year!

The Modern Yuletide Carols

This has been a month of Christmas concerts. Earlier in the month I went to a Cherie Call Christmas concert and to the Tabernacle broadcast of the MoTab's Christmas concert.

This week, I went to two more Christmas concerts--The Lower Lights and the Piano Guys.

This year, the Lower Lights did seven Christmas concerts, each with a special guest. One of their guests was the National Parks, who I grew to like this spring, so I got tickets for that show. I went with my mom, sister, and niece. (Another guest this week was Neon Trees, disguised as "The Christmas Trees," but even though I knew who they were, we already had tickets for Piano Guys. Between National Parks and Neon Trees, I prefer the Parks; but I don't know who I'd pick between Neon Trees and Piano Guys.)

I was a little disappointed, because the National Parks only sang three songs, and it was very stripped down. They got to sing later with the Lower Lights, and they were, after all, not the main act. I own two of the songs they sang. They sang a new Christmas song--I don't own it because it's only available on a Provo Christmas CD, and I didn't feel like getting it if I don't live in Provo anymore.

The Lower Lights, as always, were great. They sang their Christmas songs and some songs from their latest album. There were about twenty of them total. They always put on a good show. I don't like most of the vocals by the men of the group, especially not Ryan Tanner, but they have a bunch of super-talented male instrumentalists, such as Ryan Tilby and Ryan Shupe. (I just had to make sure that I wasn't confusing their names; there really are that many Ryans!) The three primary female soloists, however, are great. Sarah Sample is good, but a little generic. Debra Fotheringham has a powerful voice and amazing range. When I went to see Cherie Call's CD release concert in March, I was sad to see Debra had a ring on her finger. And the last singer is Cherie Call, who is of course my favorite, but she's only my favorite when she's singing her own songs.


The Lower Lights concert was held at the Masonic temple, which was an interesting, intimate place. It was a far cry from where the Piano Guys concert was, at the Energy Solutions Arena, formerly known as the Delta Center. (Why'd they have to go and make the name twice as long?) The Piano Guys tickets had been purchased months ago, because my aunt and cousin from Delta wanted to go and invited me and my mom as well. At the beginning of the show, I was thinking it just didn't work--all I could hear was a muffled cacaphony; that music just didn't work in such a huge area. But then the sound guy woke up and it got better.

I find it strange that the Piano Guys filled such a huge arena. First of all, I think the Piano Guys are extremely talented, and their mashups are incredible, but I think they're a little overrated. There are lots of piano and cello virtuosos, although most of them aren't as creative. I'm surprised that classical-ish music can fill a stadium. (They sold concessions for the concert, but the beer stands were closed.) Second, I think it's weird Jon Schmidt has done world tours, when he's practically a neighbor, just living in Bountiful. He performed at several South Davis Junior High assemblies when I was there. I think he was on the high council in my YSA stake a few years ago. And last year at a Cherie Call concert on Temple Square, he was sitting right behind us.

I am glad that Alex Boyé didn't make an appearance, because I find him annoying. I feel like the Church uses him a lot to show we are diverse--but it's not diversity if you use the same person over and over.

Last year, Jan Terri released a new album called No Rules, which included her own version of "Ave Maria." She recorded it as a dance number because she had a voice instructor tell her it couldn't be done. Her music video of the song debuted yesterday. I put it on Facebook briefly, but then I took it down. With everyone sharing thoughtful videos to #ShareGoodness and #SharetheGift, I thought it would be in poor taste. Although the messages of peace and love in the video are the essence of the gospel, the half-naked Gabriel and the Mary and Joseph dance party are a little blasphemous. Sacrilege aside, it was a typical hilarious Jan Terri video--but I think the ridiculousness in this one was deliberate, unlike the others. (I also don't approve of the language in the scene after the credits, but no one seems to bat an eye when Taylor Swift sings it on the radio.)

One thing that bugs me about Christmas songs is the tradition of singing "Silent Night" at the end of meetings. I guess it may be the most peaceful Christmas song, but by no means is it the best. I like "It Came upon the Midnight Clear" and several others more. Another recent tradition has been to close church meetings with "Joy to the World" on the piano and organ. "Joy to the World" may be the least interesting of the 14 Christmas songs in the hymnbook (with the exception of "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks," which nobody sings). Not to mention that the lyrics of "Joy to the World" are the least Christmassy Christmas lyrics ever.

I had to give one of the prayers in church today. That's a little nerve-wracking when your bishop's dad is the presiding authority, and your bishop's last name is Eyring.

One Christmas season! Ah ah ah. [Thunder]

What a joyous time of the year!

On Thursday this week, my mom and I went downtown to try for standby tickets to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert. We didn't get tickets, but we got to watch the broadcast in the Tabernacle, which is just fine by me--in fact, the Tabernacle is more historic and iconic.

Since 2007, the Choir has released CD albums of their Christmas concert from the previous year. I have collected all of these, and some of them are wonderful. But their guests for 2011, 2012, and 2013 were all opera singers. But no one likes opera! The only people who like opera are people who were told they should like it. And last year's guest, Deborah Voigt, is the most opera-y, horrible of them all. I only got the CD to keep my collection complete. Her singing is terrible.

Therefore, I was delighted that this year's guest was not another opera singer. The singing guest was Santino Fontana, who was Prince Hans in Frozen. But he didn't sing any Frozen songs because he doesn't want to be remembered as a villain. I thought he was a little bit hammy, but he was good--especially compared to opera.

The main charm, however, was the Sesame Street characters. I was so glad that they didn't take themselves so seriously that they had such beloved characters. They had Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Count Von Count, Cookie Monster, Grover, Elmo, Rosita, and Abby Cadabby (who was not a Sesame Street character when I was a kid). I was disappointed they didn't have Oscar the Grouch, but oh well. It was just so charming. My eye literally teared up a little because I was so happy the MoTab/Sesame Street mashup happened. I loved the Count helping with the organ solo of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

However, it was more of a performance than a concert, so I'm not sure how well it will work as a music CD next year. But I'm so glad I got to see it. I haven't been to one of their concerts since 2005, when they had another terrible opera singer, Renee Fleming. Of course, I'm not sure this year counts as getting to go, since I only watched it from the Tabernacle.

As I've been listening to Christmas music, I have noticed just how bad the lyrics to "The First Noel" are. Seriously. I have thought and thought about those lyrics, and have tried to grammatically parse them, but I just don't get it! Does it mean "The angels did say that the first Noel" or "The first Noel that the angels did say was to..." Regardless, it still doesn't make sense. The first Christmas was to shepherds? It makes zero. sense. And "a cold winter's night that was so deep"? What does that even mean? The tune is pretty and makes me feel Christmassy, but the lyrics are pure garbage. "Once in Royal David's City" and "It Came upon a Midnight Clear" have better words.

Yesterday, we finally got our artificial ten-foot tree up. The Christmas season got off to a slow start for us, since we were out of town for Thanksgiving. But yesterday I also put up a six-foot tree in our basement, a five-foot tree in my bedroom, and a three-foot pink tree in our TV room. It is fun to do those things.

Sometimes I worry I won't get all the things done for Christmas that I want. But this week I read a Christmas talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf in which he likens those things to Jenga--we have these ideas about all these things and where they should go, but when they aren't right, everything comes crashing down and we are disappointed. But we shouldn't let those things disappoint us, because that makes us miss the essence of Christmas.

Happy Holidays! (You see, I said that, and I still celebrate Christmas. If you got offended, you are a rotten person.)

Delight in fatness

It's that time of year for gaining weight. I gained a few pounds over Thanksgiving, since there were plenty of goodies and I didn't exercise and spent entire days riding in a car

There's sort of a double whammy when it comes to getting fat at this time of year. For one thing, there are plenty of goodies: pies, pumpkin spice, and candy corn at Thanksgiving; candy canes, gingerbread, and eggnog at Christmas; everything at New Year's. For another thing, it is difficult to exercise at this time of year: it may be icy and snowy; and if it's not icy and snowy, it's smoggy; and if it's dry and clear, then there are lots of seasonal obligations (this week I went to the Festival of Trees and a Cherie Call Christmas concert); and it gets dark early.

Actually, this week it has been dry and warm for December--warm enough that I wore a short-sleeved shirt to church and was able to wash the crabapples off my car. (One of the problems of parking under a tree.) A few weeks ago, I thought I would have my last trail run of the year, but I was actually able to do so again yesterday. Unfortunately, I felt the effects of Thanksgiving, although there may have been other factors at work. After less than fifteen minutes, I was quite exhausted and didn't think I would be able to finish my typical hour of running, so I had to stop and walk. But since I was walking, I figured I might as well use the opportunity to explore some new trails, ones that looked very steep. And they were very steep! Steep is not fun going up nor is it fun coming down. I'm not sure whether I'll go on the steep trails again, although they would probably be more beautiful and rewarding in October than in December. On one trail, I found a plastic water bottle just lying in the middle of the trail, and I couldn't just let it stay there, so I picked it up and took it home to recycle it. Yet another reason I don't believe in bottled water.

I had an unintended exercise this week. Work held a Christmas lunch/devotional on the 26th floor of the Church Office Building. The nature of my job is that I work by myself, so I really don't know many people, so it wasn't like I could go there with someone else. (Well, I could, but I'm very introverted.) In general I don't use elevators when I don't need to, but I didn't think I could do 26 floors of stairs, and I didn't want to get lost. So I got on one elevator, not knowing where I was supposed to go, and I realized the elevator only went to the 14th floor. Another rider told me I should take it to the 14th floor and then go find the elevators that go up. So when I got out on the 14th, I didn't know where the elevators were, but I found one. I think it might actually have been a freight elevator, and it was extremely slow. I got tired of waiting, so I just decided to take the stairs up the remaining twelve floors. It probably would have been faster than that elevator (but slower than the elevator I should have taken). When I came out of the stair door, a man was sitting there, and he asked, "Does that mean you climbed all the way up here?" I was a little ashamed to tell him, "No, I only climbed from the fourteenth floor." But he still said he was impressed. For dessert, there were brownies with Christmas sprinkles that I could eat--but what about the cookies with cranberries? After a quick look at Wikipedia on my phone, which said that cranberries generally sell at Christmastime, I decided that cranberry cookies counted as a seasonal dessert, and therefore I could eat them. (Although I probably shouldn't have, as I didn't realize how many brownies I was eating.)

(I think the cranberry thing is reasonable, as I see them for sale around Christmastime, and one of my earliest Christmas memories is stringing cranberries into a garland. The next Christmas I was disappointed that I couldn't find it in our decorations.)

I'm not sure I ever totally lost the weight I gained last Christmas. But now that I'm not in school anymore, I hope to be able to be better at that.