Resolution!

I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions. Mostly because people make them about trying to be less fat. Perhaps, I'm jealous. After much thought of what I'd really like to accomplish this year I think I've finally got it. I want to learn to sing.

Yep, you heard it from me. I want to learn to sing. While I was growing up I always linked singing with prancing about on a stage and all the stuff that went with that. The people involved in choir at my high school, were, not my type of people. For some reason fun, to them, was dressing up in a costume and singing some weird song with the hopes of kissing a girl or boy that was also prancing about in a costume. Because of this I've always thought singing was weird and never really have tried to sing.

I think this Christmas was also an eye opener/unspeakable abomination. I attempted to sing for our family talent show it was bad! I even have proof. It was recorded. Admittedly, it was half in jest. However, there was more truth to my performance than I would like to admit. Hence, my motivation to stretch my vocal chords and a new found burning desire to find and destroy that tape.

Going to church has helped, I know what music is suppose to sound like. Not enough, but it has helped. I figure if I try to sing one song and maybe even start going to ward choir, I might get better. I think I might even have a pretty good singing voice if I train a little bit. Here's to 2010 and Tyler "Dylan" Smith.

Reading for fun.

Now that I'm a college grad I find I have more time to read for, you guessed it, fun. I enjoy the Dune series. The current book I just finished, the fourth includes: clones; giant man-worm that can see through time, because he did a lot of drugs, and has all the voices of his ancestors in his head; war; business people; creepy old ladies; etc. Basically, the perfect book. I highly recommend the books.

I'm still trying to find a full time job, until I start grad school in the fall. I've applied for all kinds of jobs. It is taking all of my strenght not to go apply at the slaughter house. However, sometimes you gots to do what you gots to do. I've heard stories, and I'm not entirely sure slaughtering animals for 8 hours a day is a healthy mental activity. I bet I'd have some good stories.

For the first time in a long time I'm at a loss because school is starting. It doesn't really affect me. I don't have to registar for classes, weird. However, I am going to take two institute classes this winter. They should be fairly interesting, and at least keep me social.

Becca is also leaving the MTC pretty soon. I'm excited to start hearing some of her mission stories. Assuming she's a better writer than I was. Sorry family, I guess I just figured you could read my mind and know what was going on. Anyway, I'm excited to see how it goes for her.

Graduated!

I'm finally done. Five years later and I'm done. I ended up finishing with degrees in Economics(Managerial) and Spanish. I've been applying for full time jobs, but as of yet nothing.

I am just waiting for all the grads schools I applied to, to tell me how much they love me and want me to go there. I think the school that I want to go to the most is Brandeis University. It's in Waltham, MA. The university is a Jewish university. I seem to fit their guidelines for being admitted. However, I really need to get some funding from them as well. I guess if some company offered me an awesome job I take that instead. At this point that doesn't look like it is going to happen.

Life is pretty good. The snow is now covering the ground and it's looking like it might be a White Christmas. I also need to grab my skis so the winter is doable. It's not bad right now. Come mid-March, it is extremely important to have something you enjoy doing in the winter, otherwise you go nuts. I'm excited to see what's up next in life. Either way, it should be fun.

Just filling the time.

Becca has officially left. I will miss her, a lot. The circumstances of our parting are not that common, at least for guys. That is what frustrates me the most, I'm in fairly uncharted waters. I don't know the future and I can't plan for it. For those of you that know me fairly well, you know I like to plan. At this point I will date more, but as I told Becca, the next lady I date has a lot to live up to.

Eighteen months isn't too long, but I don't know exactly where I'll be in eighteen months. Plus, Becca will be crazy when she gets back; most missionaries are. People try to cheer me up with success stories of women or men that ended up waiting for their boyfriend or girlfriend. I don't know if I have the time to wait. However, I might end up unintentionally waiting for her. The only thing I'm afraid of is that I won't find anyone else equally suited to my special needs, plus I loved her. In the end it will work out as it should, I know this. Knowing this doesn't make it easier. She will be a great missionary and I wish I could go again. When I think about it, I would make the same choice she made.

My next big life event is the GRE on the 24th. I'm not too worried about it. I know my life is great. I see blessing in it.

Dating Fun

It has been awhile since I have written. I blame dating. Don't get me wrong I'd rather date than write, but if you must know I haven't written because I've been doing other things, wink. Anyway, Becca is great. However, she will soon be gone to California. She will be an excellent missionary.

Many of the dates we have been on have been great: we went to Bear Lake and floated around on an inflatable raft, hikes, Halloween stuff, diners, read to cats, and the list goes on. One of the most memorable was the reading to cats. First of all, I'm allergic to cats and I don't really like them. However, Becca saw something in the paper about reading to cats so we went. It was crazy. We showed up to animal shelter. I think it is important to the story that you realize I had a mustache at the time, which I still have. When we walked into the room there were about eight six to nine year old girls. I felt like a real creeper. If Becca wouldn't have been there I think the people in charge would have called the cops. Basically we got to hold a bunch of kittens while one of the employees read a story.

Another funny part of the date was a little girl that entered that cat cage and almost didn't leave it. The cats apparently didn't take kindly to strangers in their cat cage. There was a lot of hissing but the girl avoided catastrophe.

Also look for more post in the future; Becca will be gone come November, so I'll need to occupy myself somehow.

Lets be intamate!

I recently got a new job. I'll admit it's pretty sweet. I'll be able to go to school and maybe even study a little bit at work. This past week I've been training in West Jordan and reliving the good old days of living in my parents basement, I know, I'm a few steps away from being that creepy guy. As a note, my mom would never let this happen, so I'll never reach that last step. Knock on wood.

Training for my new job was a blast, slightly inappropriate, but a blast none the less. To start off with my training group had 5 guys and 1 girl. Let the hilarity begin. In reality there are almost too many funny experiences to list, so I'll write up one of my favorites. Also, don't worry I haven't quit my translating job. The allure of another opportunity to translate about breast feeding is just too great.

As we all know customer service is important. We don't want to shun the customer or they'll shun us, or rob us, or kidnap us, or stab us, well you get the idea. In order to have the best customer service around the company that hired me wanted us to get creative. Our task was to come up with a "signature". Basically something we did that made the members feel loved. One guy in the group said winking. I said crazy ties. It was pointed out that I should only wear appropriate ones. I guess I'll have to leave my naked lady riding a dragon with a Confederate Flag background tie at home, it's kind of a shame, but rules is rules.

One of my favorite "signatures" was eye contact. I believe in eye contact, just ask any of my past conquests. They loved it. The explanation sealed eye contact as my favorite. It appears that eye contact is the most intimate a person can be with a customer without touching them. In my past jobs I've always wondered how I could be more intimate. I finally have the answer. Staring into someones eyes will give me the ability to get closer to customers without doing things that would normally get me fired. Now, when I see a creepy guy that holds eye contact too long, I'll just say to myself, "He cares and I want to shop here more!"

Bum rush the stage!

I went and saw Styks, the band, live in concert this past weekend at Rio Tinto stadium. Along with 38 Special and REO Speedwagon. The music was good but the show was better. There were a lot of burned out rockers from the 80's, you know it's going to be good. Before the concert even started one of our seat buddies showed up drunk. He really liked the music and had no shame in letting you know it. There was also another lady. About 2 rows up that got progressively worse, or I guess progressively more party like, as the night progressed. If you made eye contact with her she'd tell you to get up and enjoy the music. Midway through the concert this made sense. Near the end of the concert, not so much. As the night progressed she stood as a bastion to true rockers, she never would sit down and was stammering out the lyrics like a trooper.

I also would wager a great deal of money that the next unabomber was sitting in front of us. He had a camo hat, long hair, and a garbage bag poncho. He was also balding and had some really powerful binoculars. He was the type of man that inspires fear when you meet him in a dark alley, or as he drives past you in his windowless panel van. It just goes to show, the 80's hair bands bring all sorts of people together.

Perhaps my favorite part of the evening was when some of the boozed up audience members gave a true salute to the spirit of rock and rushed onto the grass of the stadium. It was impressive. The police and stadium security where promptly on the scene and tackling the rockers. Those rockers, with too much responsibility, voiced, safely from their seats, their protest of state intervention by screaming obscenities and showing their favorite finger to the man. The smell of hops, the incoherent babel, and the screaming music combined to make for the quintessential rock atmosphere, I'd definitely do it again.