tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47291836082400065622024-03-05T04:20:44.138-07:00Steve-o's BlogSteve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-46308345274286582042009-03-09T13:42:00.003-06:002009-03-09T14:10:20.395-06:00Cover vs. Atonement<div>So, last night, I attended a fireside that was given by John Bytheway (JB). He is the MAN! Of course, normally when you think about John Bytheway, you think he's gonna give some talk about dating or missionary or the Book of Mormon. Last night, the he did not speak on dating, but he did speak on the other two.<br /><br />So, the premise of his talk was about many critics' views of the LDS church being "not Christian". In particular, he spoke on the "Gap-Jesus" idea. Let me explain. In the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:23 says, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." So, because of this scripture, many think that Latter-day Saints believe that we save ourselves through works, and then Jesus just kind of fills in the gaps.<br /><br />This statement is NOT what we believe, and it is false. Although, I think that at points in time, some of us FEEL that way. We feel that we HAVE to be perfect in order to merit the grace and mercy of the Savior. I'm what people call a "perfectionist". I'm very hard on myself and try to do everything in my power to live the gospel, and I often get frustrated because I'm not perfect and continuallly fall short. However, through different trials and experiences, I humbled again and again to realize that I can NEVER save myself or anyone else, for that matter. The only person with the power to save us is the SAVIOR. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311281971794193314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClINNiwBR6e45yjnvZir1FNiLR-EPWwQ8zC8IewG-cxypM2lj5oo27auC402trRP2MkDxph4BI-gvoIFNQdETVvvvjy8os34R8CaJoRb62EfsGwAQeS3Dr1ES4eUhOHj2pzXEg6GW0x8i/s320/jesus.jpg" border="0" /><br />The thing I liked most about last night was JB's emphasis on the word atonement. According to his talk, the word atonement was originally translated from the Hebrew word that means "to cover". Now, here's where I thought it was really cool.<br /><br />In the garden of Eden, Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, and Adam likewise partook of the fruit. By doing so, both were to be cast out of the Garden of Eden. Enter "Old Scratch" a.k.a. Satan. Satan, knowing what has just occured, tells Adam and Eve to hide and "cover" themselves becuase God will see their nakedness and won't like it. So, Adam and Eve freak out and grab a bunch of fig leaves and make coverings for themselves.<br /><br />Enter God. God asks Adam what has happened (even though He already knows, but He creates a learning opportunity for Adam). Adam explains what happened and then God talks about coats of skins to "cover" Adam and Eve. Garment are the coats of skins that were made to "cover" Adam and Eve. But, you might ask yourself, "Where did these coats come from if there was no death until after the Fall of Adam?" Well, JB suggested that there was an animal sacrifice made (probably a lamb) to obtain the coats of skin for Adam and Eve... symbolic of the "covering" of our sins by the Savior a.k.a "The Lamb of God".<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311282765454067330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 246px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85h-MEEQ9RzZ1fgcKx63l8IrKIgPq5Ffcvs59DfU15CWIMFMNp4WbFH8COuyLyMdAuQjzr4ejyEPrYwpAPrACW5c27gLWoDOyZXa2Ev55kDqUUVOC8s1ABmt9qoemkhNSfJSCB409OP5L/s320/Adam+and+Eve.bmp" border="0" /><br />What does this teach us? Well, I notice that Satan told Adam and Eve to "cover" themselves. Well, we know that this, like all of Satans other suggestions, is a lie. We cannot cover ourselves from the blood and sins of this world. No matter what we do, we cannot hide or "cover" our sins from God. The only possible "covering" we could hope to obtain is through the Savior. God has provided the world with His only-begotten son, to "cover" or atone for our sins if we will just repent. Everytime we put on our garments, it's a reminder that the Savior has "covered" for us, so to speak.<br /><br />I thought this idea was pretty darn cool. Hope you enjoyed it!Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-45504474276538330342009-02-24T14:07:00.004-07:002009-02-24T15:20:16.274-07:00Remember Lot's WifeThe other day I wanted to hear/read an uplifting message. So, as I sometimes do, I went to <a href="http://www.byu.edu/">http://www.byu.edu/</a>, and typed in "Speeches" into the search menu. This search will bring you to an archive of BYU devotionals, forums, etc. Having done so, one talk caught my eye in particular: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk entitled, "Remember Lot's Wife" (Here's the link for it if you're interested... and believe me... you should be <a href="http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1819&tid=5">http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1819&tid=5</a>). Anyway, this talk had a great impact on me. I was able to relate to several of the things he shared.<br /><br />We all are familiar with the story of Lot's wife. In short, the Lord commanded Lot and his family to leave Sodom and Gomorrah because it was about to be destroyed. As they were leaving, Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Likewise, in our day, the Savior has asked us to put off the things of the world (Babylon), follow him, and not look back (Luke 9:62). In particular, I love what Elder Holland said about Lot's wife:<br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em>"... what did Lot’s wife do that was so wrong? I have thought about that and offer this as a partial answer. Apparently what was wrong with Lot’s wife was that she wasn’t just LOOKING back; in her heart she wanted to GO back. It would appear that even before they were past the city limits, she was already missing what Sodom and Gomorrah had offered her. As Elder Maxwell once said, such people know they should have their primary residence in Zion, but they still hope to keep a summer cottage in Babylon."</em></span><br /><br />I've thought about how much I am like that. I love the Lord and want to follow Him; however, there are times when I am tempted to keep my own summer cottage in Babylon. Why is it so hard to lay aside every sin and follow the Lord, not looking back? It's hard, but it'd doable. I was listening to a talk by Elder D. Todd Chirstopherson this morning, and he said that it (losing the desire for sin) is a life long process. But, we can't just coast along; we have to try our best.<br /><br />Elder Holland goes on:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#000000;">"It is possible that Lot’s wife looked back with resentment toward the Lord for what He was asking her to leave behind. We certainly know that Laman and Lemuel were resentful when Lehi and his family were commanded to leave Jerusalem. So it isn’t just that she looked back; she looked back LONGINGLY. In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future. That, apparently, was at least part of her sin."</span></em><br /><br />Elder Holland's quote reminded me of an experience I had two days ago, during church. I had a great day at church. In particular, I really enjoyed our Elders Quorum lesson. Keith (one of the guys in our quorum) made a comment that really struck my brother, Ben, and me. It went something like, "You know, I think that the times when I am unhappy or when I feel the most pain are either because I'm too focused on the things I've done in the past or because of anxitey about the future. Rarely do I feel this way because of what is happening right now" I've found this to be true of myself.<br /><br />Elder Holland:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#000000;">"I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead, we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives."</span></em><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I really loved how he puts it into words. Wallowing in regrets of the past are not what the Lord desires for us. God cares so much more about where we are going that where we've been.</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Elder Holland explains:</span><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#000000;">"There is something in us, at least in too many of us, that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life—either mistakes we ourselves have made or the mistakes of others. That is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes—our own or other people’s—is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist."</span></em><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">To paraphrase, not forgiving ourselves or others is un-Christian.</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Elder Holland furthers this with a great analogy to playing in the sand:</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em>"Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve. Is that faith? Yes! Is that hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all, it is charity, the pure love of Christ. If something is buried in the past, leave it buried. Don’t keep going back with your little sand pail and beach shovel to dig it up, wave it around, and then throw it at someone, saying, "Hey! Do you remember this?" Splat! </em></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Well, guess what? That is probably going to result in some ugly morsel being dug up out of your landfill with the reply, "Yeah, I remember it. Do you remember this?" Splat.<br /><br />And soon enough everyone comes out of that exchange dirty and muddy and unhappy and hurt, when what God, our Father in Heaven, pleads for is cleanliness and kindness and happiness and healing.</em></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Such dwelling on past lives, including past mistakes, is just not right! It is not the gospel of Jesus Christ."</em></span><br /><br />Now, I'm not writing this to tell you guys that I'm wallowing in regret of the past. I just really like what Elder Holland said. I have a testimony that the things he spoke of are true. The gospel of Jesus Christ is all about moving forward. Christianity means forgiving and moving on, putting off the things of man, picking up our own cross, and following the Savior. I know that when I follow these teachings, I am truly happy. It works! And it can work for everyone of us if we will follow Him.Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-32277539576294025412009-02-20T10:40:00.003-07:002009-02-20T11:24:31.984-07:00ImprovI'm really excited to be getting into improv comedy. If you've ever seen the show "Who's Line Is It Anyway?", that's what I'm talking about. But, wait a minute. I'm pretty sure that some of you haven't. So, in improv comedy, usually there is a host and two teams, that improvise scenes or games based on the suggestions of an audience. For example, one of my favorite games is "Pieces of Paper". So, in Pieces of Paper, the host asks for suggestions from the audience as a scene and maybe a character each player should be. In addition, the audience writes down somewhere between 6-9 lines on pieces of paper. As the scene progresses, the players have to incorporate these lines into the scene. It makes it pretty funny, and the audience enjoys being part of the scene.<br /><br />Anyway, my sister, Biz, and my brother, Jon a.k.a. Paco, began doing improv workshops three or four years ago. As a result, both became involved with the comedy group, Comedy Sportz (Biz is a regular player and Paco does "Mr. Voice"). If you haven't seen Comedy Sportz, you really should. They are hilarious, and I always have a good experience (i.e. laugh until it hurts). Here's their website in case you wanna check it out: <a href="http://comedysportzutah.com/">http://comedysportzutah.com/</a><br /><br />Anyway, so Biz is pretty darn good at imrov, and she (and a few other people) decided to get a group together up in Davis County. So, they created (or maybe re-created) the group The Impovables, which performs at Rodger's Memorial Theater in Bountiful/Centerville.<br /><br />Anyway, I think I'm a marginal actor at best, but Biz and Paco have been encouraging me to come and do improv with them. So, over the last two months or so, I've been learning some of the improv games, and I've even performed in improv two or three times. It's very difficult, but tons of fun. I know that I'm getting better, but right now I'd rate performance as somewhere in between really crappy and terrible. Not really sure. But, anyway, it's a ton of fun learning how to do all this stuff.<br /><br />I won't tell you the details (i.e. Time, Place, etc) yet because, I wanna wait until my skillz are just a little better. But if you must know it's Friday nights at 10:30 at Rodger's Memorial Theater. I usually do it every other week, so just let me know if you're interested in coming. Tickets are $5 but I usually get a couple of comp tickets.Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-60214236291171252882009-02-20T10:04:00.009-07:002009-02-21T01:09:07.081-07:00Joining the Work ForceSo, after finally graduating college, I finally sold my soul to... I mean... joined the work force. Actually, I am very glad to be working right now. With today's economy, I'm lucky to have a great job. I work as Staff 1 Auditor for the Salt Lake City office of Ernst & Young, LLP (EY). Some of you may already know about EY, but for those of you that haven't, here goes.<br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>What is EY?</strong></div><br /><div></div><div>So, in the world (not just the US, mind you), there are 4 internationally-recognized, public accounting firms: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, KPMG, and EY. These four firms have been dubbed, "The Big 4". Each firm has an office in just about every major city in the world and has a great reputation for integrity and ethics in the accounting practice. So, working for one of these companies (here, I'll just say it)... is a big deal. Working for any of these firms looks great on a resume, and the experiences you getting really learning accounting are incredible.</div><br /><div></div><div>Each of these firms focuses most of its work on either Auditing or Tax. In addition to these two practices, each firm has elements of consulting, IT auditing, transaction service, etc. But, I work in EY's audit practice.</div><div></div><br /><div><strong>What is Auditing?</strong></div><br /><div></div><div>When most of you hear the word "audit", the hair on your neck stands up, and all you can think of is the IRS coming to hunt you down for tax avoidance. Rightfully so. I thought the same thing myself. But, that is not what auditing is in my case.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304933933652823170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 244px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlW2PrmpWKLZUFc8oAfdTKyIVzK7z4xI-Q8I19KaQDKjKjjN5V3ivJzRjVrkCAukl03NmD09xBIY8fv4tyEeKrm333iXaERlEctx5jAUeNUNkNCnvahPfxlQi3z0LdOOOO8aQt1raRtVLP/s320/chief_wiggum.png" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>Think about your policemen. They're kind of annoying when you are breaking the law: speeding, vandalism, etc. Nobody likes policemen when they, themselves, are doing something bad. However, everyone appreciates policement because they protect us from harm. They hunt down the bad guys so to speak. Well, I am a financial policeman, or as one of my colleagues put it, I am a "defender of the capital markets".</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>Auditing is a necessary evil in the world we live in. If everyone did everything right and made no mistakes (fraud or error), my job wouldn't be that necessary, I'll admit it. But, because we don't live in a perfect world, my job is very necessary. </div><div></div><br /><div>So, auditors are needed for three reasons:</div><br /><div></div><div>1. Public Companies</div><br /><div></div><div>Any company that is listed on a stock exchange (the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, etc), needs to have auditors to report on the company's financial statements. Unfortunately, companies can't just come out and say, "Yeah, we did really well this year. We have 50 million of assets on our books, no debt, and we made eleventy-billion dollars." Why? Well... Enron... Worldcom... you can't just trust the company. Therefore, auditors from a public accounting firm come in and look those financial statements (and all the underlying documentation) and decide if those financial statements are legit or not. So, as investors are trying to decide which companies to invest in, knowing that each company's books are beeing audited by a reputable firm helps provide some comfort that the investment would be a good idea. Therefore, the investors choose to buy or sell shares in the company. Hope that helped.</div><div></div><br /><div>2. Private Companies</div><br /><div></div><div>Just as public companies need auditors to look at their books, private companies (not on a stock exchange) do as well. In some cases, private companies are also owned by shareholders, and need an audit for the same purpose as a public company. However, other instances are for banks. Banks lend money to private companies, and want to know that the money borrowed will be repaid. So, if a company's books have been audited, it gives the banks comfort that they will collect the loan and interest.</div><br /><div></div><div>3. Count ballots at the Oscars or the Miss America pageant.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong>My Clients</strong></div><br /><div></div><div>I'm lucky to work on a wide variety of clients. </div><br /><div></div><div><em>Public Companies</em></div><br /><div></div><div>I work on one public company, which is a construction company. It is a rather large and complex client. It is headquartered in Salt Lake City, with subsidiaries in San Diego, Houston, Detroit, etc. I spend about half of the year on this client.</div><br /><div></div><div><em>Private Companies</em></div><br /><div></div><div>The rest of my time I spend working smaller, private companies in the insruarnce, venture capital, and pharmaceutical industries. </div>Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-30266355911673182202009-02-20T09:47:00.007-07:002009-02-24T14:06:43.607-07:00CPA ExamThe CPA exam has been one of the biggest items on my plate as of late. For those of you that don't know what it is, let me explain. Well, all lawyers need to take a difficult test called the BAR exam to be licensed as a lawyer. Well the CPA exam is to accountants as the BAR exam is to lawyers. Make sense?<br /><br />The exam has four sections: Audit, Business and Economic Concepts (BEC), Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR), and Regulation (REG). So, Each of these exams has about 90 multiple choice questions and 2 long essay questions (with the exception of BEC, which has only 90 multiple choice questions and no essays. Also, the REG exam has only 72 questions).<br /><br />Each section of the exam is difficult, and you have to know your stuff. Basically, they test you on and ask you to remember EVERYTHING you ever learned in college (some of the material I never learned in college). I went through BYU's accounting program (#1 in the country), and through studying for and taking the CPA exam, I learned just how great of a program it is. The exam was mostly a review. In fact, I believe that most of the tests were easier than anything I was ever tested on at BYU.<br /><br />So in preparation for each section of the exam, I studied, on average, about 75 hours per exam. I studied more for certain sections depending on the difficulty (Audit (60 hours), BEC (60 hours), REG (90 hours), and FAR (100 hours). I was fortunate to use the Becker CPA Review course, which was incredible. It is a GREAT review for the exam, and I would recommend it to anyone. The prepare you really well for the exam.<br /><br />I have officially passed each section of the exam. For the Audit, BEC, FAR, and REG sections, I got a 93, 82, 89, and 85, respectively (75 is a passing score). Now that I've passed each section, my firm (Ernst & Young, LLP) has agreed to give me a $5,000 bonus. Not a bad prize if you asked me. Also, I will have a certification that will bless me and my family for the rest of my life.Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-55247376116797815672008-07-31T09:16:00.017-06:002008-07-31T10:24:57.259-06:00American Idol Auditions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBxQpBSWWZ4rJ6kyzFLLF16i0Zx9e7tWRi27rIJPDbhTgEr5IlQjBOIpOAU8m3tscg2B_sBZ4xuSbRXw-UruuB3vsPvsKQhbL8glEly5fiqCvetN7yV3_xw3Tdv3JN_nq0Vmq4cdqnnMK/s1600-h/american-idol-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229207470130499074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBxQpBSWWZ4rJ6kyzFLLF16i0Zx9e7tWRi27rIJPDbhTgEr5IlQjBOIpOAU8m3tscg2B_sBZ4xuSbRXw-UruuB3vsPvsKQhbL8glEly5fiqCvetN7yV3_xw3Tdv3JN_nq0Vmq4cdqnnMK/s320/american-idol-1.jpg" border="0" /></a> That's right... I auditioned for American Idol... Just another thing to add to my resume... "American Idol Contestant", which is true, but probably deceptive, since some of the biggest morons in the world also can say that they were American Idol contestants.<br /><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229197982349379058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKoeG6aPLjPl28wYFVzB8eQc_wt2wwv80OUZ9JboKjGsOzBvyB134QLEAWfl33t2uIxF-IW7Fibe7iUhZYbq6FMBWHd5-YpKE53QEN6BHNkFxeL0SxnS88CAs1Ivja0whH9bCZrTftw9x/s320/william-hung.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229201662873338482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyXxMVoa85rY47Rz2d1Xtv2HvPRutfCKAEH6nMVvz-oYer-oG7k1lKTXLbjzMk_6IHk0WXE5QKZ448x9UR2k0419Kq7GZFl2JpAdIuwCvzg59Xy6cUNuOROM9ik2VaVKIMWORY6B4UlYD/s320/birdman-cometh.jpg" border="0" /><br />So, here's a story of how it all went down. In order to audition for American Idol, you first had to obtain a number. So, on Sunday (July 27) morning, I went with my cousin, Chantel, and her mom, Claudia, to the Energy Solutions arena in Salt Lake City. We got there at 6:30 in the morning, which put us probably the 1000th in line out of 6,000 or so. They gave us a wristband and a ticket for our reserved seat/place in line.</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229207890777327330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lHnu8VrndxMJQZ6T12GJxkA9A_TkRgF8IMkYhEobt6YVd8ZB3a88tZpjzeg0wY37nnZtX9KitXQVDbcIL2NKDTHEtOUSUfT4zjjJeNVyDUNpsExJNNTzmeuZ39Nx7pRlrYqqQ7xEX7z6/s320/Me+and+Channi.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229208106308738258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ClZpS0Q-y01F5gAmyEDtL5OgoueqpmNCkCIKxQbj9SidUnScNSpdNooWnVZqf5ApbAjNDrA3W_5ZtcY-qYWXs-6Y_mWU0KBTK99NZR6uBRJdphexN2QCUtlZK8XN5y9QhxXfLMk74Rpd/s320/camera.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>We came back on Tuesday (July 29). They told everyone to come back at 5:00 AM. But the thing they don't tell you is, you really don't need to be there until noon. The reason they want you there early is to film all the crowd shots. Also, it gives them time so they can pick out who the freaks are.</div><br /><p>At 8:00 AM, they finally started letting us all into the arena. Upon entrance, the filmed the crowd for about an hour and a half or so. They filmed us doing the same thing over and over again. They'd have someone in the audience say "This is American Idol" or "Welcome to Salt Lake City" or "Welcome to Happy Valley" (which I just about refused to say), and then we'd all have to scream and cheer, destroying our voices.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229208495498061634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcU6_roR3VqqwaxPn_RI3FgK-mILVFCv2TuJyIuYRYdwz4O990-1uHHNWweu329dWY6eKcSOg-eo9RYkzuTSoycU-P7bSxEByj9yY50exh6-6FsW52m1i2J62Y14FRx8XkqjcZZ2JlITrG/s320/crowd.jpg" border="0" /> <p>Ryan Seacrest finally showed up (which was a miracle, since, apparently, he was recently bitten by a shark), and then we had to do the stupid crowd shots over and over again, but this time, he was saying all the lines. All the girls were fainting and trying to give him hugs and stuff. All for a guy who is only like 5'6" and weighs maybe 140.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229200677846452738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvU27L7r5SXpcbomJH6L3O50lc5RyG6MXjWOuCMGje8FgFhftTBnZCQDned4xeA_ZPHccMWRV4iD9zfTCSQVyx2NXOTQi05jgJwMy0bSYCEpcjVMHIyt-8qXhsuPVfWewTs0JY1RwbyQM2/s320/ryan-seacrest.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229208733840224098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0c3eVSfxUH3hE8-ipRuC5G4lTy6eq51qatsHQr5fG70smuQuhwAkJuFgYzSgL5HgHQrt60W1cgBadb07XuRed79mAgJzsGPhQxmmRnB6qtp-i2X3wPoWIZyocUjUnbfWI4llDb8eFdXx/s320/crazy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229208913350649170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh41LW17JpnxbojIvJK3OHTUbAbg9h5JWMz-1QUu8HvGLCn_Mctl71UOoXCL_QWD3oT4eV5mY1MZJKYU3lJKaZaw35Ts4EsvdO5HB0G2gFaemD-fS0lYZPVW2XdBC6Nps4i0fk2tVmqOpN/s320/rs.jpg" border="0" />Then the auditions started. Your initial audition was in front of everyone. They set up 10 judges tables on the arena floor. Four people at a time came down and stood in front of a judges' table. Then, they called you forward one at a time, and they had you sing until they said, "Stop". Sometimes, they would ask people to sing again if they wanted to hear you sing a different style. After you were finished singing, they would tell you either, "Yes" or "No". Those that were told "Yes" walked out the "Winner's Exit" and stayed for the next round. Those that were told "No", had their wristbands cut off and were shown to the "Non-Winner's Exit". From what I could see, it looked like maybe 2 or 3 percent of the people that auditioned were put through to the 2nd round (Randy, Paula, and Simon were at the 3rd round). </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229209177492366786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXpJ-ciWkXa0RXekuUbaPjsOOcDfcPFFIQNdqU2oYMI7RkxMchuy_HKv12ekOL3vgWh5htL9rVspf65G_-nx12_Dc1K_Vr4Qh2BxWXlZujfykBa0lXUBmiq_zB6HDtxrwYaAI6NZrpQm6/s320/judges.jpg" border="0" /> </p><p>We waited for FOREVER. I was starting to get a headache because I was so hungry, so I went out to get a hot dog at the concessions. I waited in line for an hour, and I was two people away from ordering when Claudia called me and told me that it was our turn to line up for the tryout. So, I waited all that time for NOTHING.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229206165395952130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBpSRLzO_o5M4I1QrTed4v1MT5sB8wMcpeLzFHpOTc5Qrs_2Tj74QUYyBvrLOqFzfuy55zOXNefh_4d5e6ThgUMsVIOLinlPM0H8lKR5Ka_8Qg_Lnns9DUzfXKvfwaO2uoRZjUmnjMrX-/s320/1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229206290980039458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-d5y7HyC1NwwurDU_IAAZQT4QFYM3PsgcrnB_KZEK703UPIxdzojuCgwjlNjVbMtpnq-fof5_5c4sluL5_nreIJzO3VR7px7ddA_Xsl-JeNc4gkY9SASStN_p-19cGyWEuXnzDTVwm62/s320/2.jpg" border="0" /> Finally, we got on the floor. It was interesting, because once we got down there I wasn't nervous at all. I was just so sick of waiting that I pretty much just wanted to get it over with. So, finally we had our chance to sing. My cousin, Chantel (a.k.a. Channi) did a really good job. She sang, "Can't Help Falling In Love".<br /><br /><p>Then it was MY turn. I sang, "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx. There were two judges, one British lady, and another Asian-looking lady. The British lady didn't seem too impressed, but the Asian lady liked me a lot, I could tell. After I sang, instead of calling for the next person, they talked with each other behind their clipboards. Then they asked me to sing something else. My mind went totally blank, and they told me I could think about what I'd sing while the next person went. Then, I decided to sing Brian McKnight's "One" (It's funny, because I never practiced it really, but it came to me as something good to sing. A couple weeks previously, my friend, Rhett Richins, and I would sing it as a joke while warming up for the musical, Little Women, mainly to annoy one of the other actors).</p><p>Once we were finally all done singing, they told us that they weren't going to put any of us through to the next round. As I was leaving, they told me that they like my voice, but that I needed to work on my stage presence. I'm not sure how I could have shown my stage presence in a matter of 30 seconds, but I did my best. After the auditions, we were all SO HUNGRY, so we went to the Gateway and ate at Biaggi's... one of my new favorite restaurants. Overall it was a fun experience. I know what I'd do differenlty next time, and it gives me a year to work on my "stage presence". If anything, I had fun hanging out with Claudia and Channi. Better luck next year, I guess.</p>Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-92233196810375510312008-07-08T11:51:00.006-06:002008-07-10T09:08:26.421-06:00The Alarm ClockSo all of us are different when it comes to sleeping. Some of us are heavy sleepers and could sleep through an earthquake. Some of us are light sleepers and wake up to a pin dropping. Some of us snore, some of us drool, etc. I know that none of us are perfect, but I have a bone to pick with one particular individual. <div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220708973641020002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 228px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 138px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="201" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7pA5biV5cu2gCTCpcUCRHZfxdPNotrj-USicI61ckVEcb-oj9MnpUl_v75GbVoSjeD8Qp6_CxsdTgTmuQB0bo2cRJhSsnEqcTUmsOh4VWUilbyaCa0TS85rDaoOsJ-6yBrwQmmTmjsDg/s320/homer_drool.gif" width="272" border="0" /> <div></div><div></div><br /><div>Many of you noticed on my Facebook profile a few days ago that I had put "Steve Plowman wonders whose freakin' alarm keeps going of at 4:00 AM... SHUT IF OFF ALREADY!" as my status. Well, here's the thing. So, a few weeks ago, and 6 or 7 times since then, I was trying to sleep (one of my favorite things in the world), and I was awakened by a beep... beep... beep... beep... beep, beep... beep, beep... beep, beep... beep, beep... beep, beep... beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep... you know what I'm talking about. One of THOSE kinda alarm clocks. At first I thought it was the dudes above me, so I banged on the ceiling, and the alarm turned off shortly thereafter. Thinking it was coming from THEM, I went back to sleep. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220709782531881634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdTENQRkjj_Rv8RBQ8yf4UkFEeLBnPqxwE8nJbzdojRujf07rQovIZ92GS9EUt2mMv4EhLJQL0jjkYD3j_81hYFY24lTR54GGOrB9N6oavmj2Zn5uupHpUVYOU7F6L2BpdX06ivsxCMKR/s320/alarm.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div>A few days later, it happened again, only the alarm didn't turn off when I banged on the celing. It kept on beeping, for like 20 minutes! My brother, who usually never hears the alarm, but hears me banging on the ceiling, went upstairs and rang the door bell and asked the dudes above us to turn off their alarm. But... it wasn't them! So, I called the dudes that live next to me (I know it was 4:00 AM, but I was TICKED!). They said they couldn't hear the alarm. So, I just tried to go back to sleep.</div><br /><div></div><div>The next day, I went around to all of the apartments on my side of the complex and asked if anyone was getting up at 4:00 AM and wasn't shutting off their alarm. They all said, "No" and that they would let me know should they find out anything.</div><div></div><br /><div>Then... on Sunday, I was walking to Church, and one of the dudes that lives next door (Dave) told me that the other night, after I called them at 4:00 AM and asked about the alarm, they finally heard it and found that it was their roommate's alarm. I won't tell you who it is, but I'll say that his name starts with a "W" and rhymes with Beston. Anyway, so now I know who the freakin' alarm clock belongs to. And believe you me, they I will what it takes to make sure that they suffer (You know, in a non-threatening, revengeful kinda way)!</div></div>Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-12359857771009493592008-06-12T11:48:00.009-06:002008-07-10T09:16:47.961-06:00Mexican Cruise on the Carnival ElationAn update on my life wouldn't be complete without mentioning the Mexican cruise I went on right after Graduation. It was pretty much the best vacation EVER. Accordingly some of the best things about the cruise:<br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211063209630074386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8H_LObExamXgEc5ju-5Oh1pVgi3z1TqLFV6j4VHZbf29Z7c5586jdS5pZwucpcZBfIjtERa_OL08gjpUb8mTARxPDb67wfChgylELgPYL8a071vCn-RnCOaKGz89cHoVlQESylkvAH-K/s320/co+ed.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">Tara, Rachael, Dale, Cohan, me, Brodie, Whitney, and Leisa in the Mikado Lounge</p><p align="left">The first day of the cruise, we noticed these four girls several times on the ship (they were stalking us). Finally, at the evening show, we saw them looking for a place, so we just motioned for them to sit by us. We were all instant friends. And what do you know? They all live in Provo. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211067148144979842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2jq7HQltdzBFuEN_-zxd0WZZ76SIlYzyJ9gVwR8CCwNhLWfGI56BnAGTifcYlZWZUAlU4DSb1fyzdJIlW7aoV3Q-s9pZzCXQ568BR3RsFsNQG_2YTKM-gcbfnCBVLxCRPlqcj7v5R4Bz/s320/the+boys.jpg" border="0" />On the second day of the cruise, we were on the deck and there was a South African chick asking for volunteers. We all went to volunteer without knowing that we were entering the hairy chest competition. It was pretty embarassing... they had us all do this sexy dance, take off our shirt, and then go up on stage. I figured it was going to be awkward anyway, so I had fun with it. The crowd like it enough that I ended up winning second place, even though my chest really isn't that hairy.</p><p>I ended up winning the "Name That Song" competition. They played a list of 20 songs. You got a point for guessing the song title, and one for the singer. You could also get extra points if you sang, danced, or did something else embarassing... right, Dale?</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211059179919287138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxYA_t8xF39JaDd9SrR7kZu5QEHN_d6XnkqRNHk0mJjjl0t0yB8lRTWLcNUHanrI6wnGVpPJoMLgH8hDt39jERe6-l6aHqu4aLNMVaV3VkR9ZVrCbIcbQDbo6jYP99X_VG2poKJTTa3yr/s320/so+and+edmond.jpg" border="0" />This is pic of the boys at dinner with our servers, Sau (from Myanmar) and Edmond (from the Phillipines). They were really funny. The dinners were incredible. Every night we had the choice of some great meals: Salmon, Steak, Duck, Lamb, Veal, etc. We could also pick all the appetizers we wanted every night. We each had about 10 shrimp every night. We also tried a bunch of fruist, escargot, etc. The desserts were awesome too. The other food on the ship was great... they had all-you-can-eat burger bars, pasta, breakfast, etc. It was so great to never have to worry about food.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211062587389811666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgy6VOeroz3Uymotxr8Te1M73i-CrEwu7WIsYO0XH7GXbLWpZWYqBvHse0027Y1703kpy5JgUf3gE5MHoRBVHagTT21lVX72BceMZups8McSHyOGyfuBbUxQGBGDuE40EXd3oFZtdgPU6g/s320/Aretha.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>During Karaoke, Whitney did such a good job that they asked her to be in the cruise ship variety show. She played the role of Aretha Franklin. She sang "Respect", of course. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211067548283585682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2gZ9tEamnYpq6rlaDz3WOH5EufThGfNyIGS9oLkySounhLGHmqCfoEMKJpdLRvsYu1yQzbmXVx_V1SwHj9-GNMdP-GKK2Ppl638S6AVokfqB9lmMGMl5KNl1h4wZRxkAFEudzP92a7Ce/s320/dance.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211067806626543090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSsdmMAWMy4uUUN_TFR-05NushyytRHTaJPxpzR5EdyXs104ld060l5d346B2plYJFKof0lh8hqjMVd2pRPJ_WFW9alLIcLFqjHcR2LEXHpl4kbR_HpDA4DuACNyvHiDOqcTeToJUeJJM/s320/bath+robe.jpg" border="0" /> One day, we just decided to wear our bathrobes all day... with swimming suits under, of course. It was a ton of fun... and, as the cruise went on, we saw more and more people doing it.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211069084374324098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8agmULAwW2TuI6JtPgINHvP6pfwmn0CnFjTZr56u1Y4Btl5kojwbP03a01QZ20e4hoVWgYHFUguxoNWHxfgrEZ7p0-72KpKMor44T70t9J4S9N_UzaMjDnRBBNaKbHQVnEyWNtS5-cze5/s320/para.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Yeah, I ended up throwing up twice while parasailing. Can't say I'm EVER gonna do it again.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211061868628967154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvmZLR1UEh_1s6xsDZ4mml8XN_IDcL_OkN6DnndE6AcPFV68sHMrXla3jNcBSnm0ljsRl93scxTwUF9aGoSPt31Nz07yvz9mD2RrMy3NynAP1fAqRSL9TguqU3fHKQ1PmkYFBA9JBhDlY/s320/horse.jpg" border="0" />While in Ensenada, we got to do some horseback riding. We went for about 30 minutes on the beach there. My horse was totally crazy so that had this Mexican kid named Abram stay walk alongside me the whole time. We crossed past a deal dolphin and seal... pretty crazy. <p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211060333189547842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHV-L8DEhTBHOX7ZPJlh-GuBPDL2pVRBKdmOTP2s-HybcSny0tU4oj4KpxJgyBGOlTJT9h57RdiSXX1tb4FU-RTFhAPx4l2Kbju8sGIoIIwjSu19w-0G96mvv13evGH0CVUA7GS5n-tB-6/s320/La+Bufadora.jpg" border="0" /></p><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><p>This is a pic of us in front of La Bufadora. For those of you that don't speak Espanol... La Bufadora is Spanish for... The Bufadora... Actually it means blowhole. There's only three of 'em in the world (one in Australia, one in Ensenada, and one... somewhere else... I wasn't really listening). The blowhole is created when a bunch of water is trapped in a cave. As the water is trapped, it builds up a lot of pressure until, eventually, the water is blown through the cracks. It can rise up to 120 feet... pretty amazing </p><p><strong>Funny Quotes</strong></p><p>"So... are you guys on a cruise?" (Chick from Iowa that knows Dan Evans)</p><p>"Ladies, and gentlemen... welcome, to the Mikado Lounge." (Stu)</p><p>"Stick around for R-rated, adult humor." (Stu)</p><p>"What time is it, Cohan?" "Holy Cow... it's 10:15" (Steve and Cohan)</p><p>"Holy Crap, guys, we're on a cruise" (All)</p><p>"There's nothing like karaoke... especially when it's from a naked guy in a bathrobe." (Jeff)</p><ul><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211068294037432482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWVElrW-kWscgSViGskyYvGMBbHcay2fSQ5arni6DhclVUbfh0ghuQMWiZ0wkp-U0WJQACRztKYzoUxEE1WrLcgSoLQIudyFb1YuAtMv6IKyV5pMIC-Up9RyPhFeoHnuJYnyI_Sjrp05-/s320/nertz+1.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211068079455123490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVV7hH13m0ssshnoYCG5s7WAvkppKDNrV11e524FNyF-C8nvo-reG6Y5lFmp6m6elMkF6rtD2yKW0wN00VLJgkakZEy9K1NL6bE9vXw2UJI9paqhuE840jcJLKeF_q51GurX6nZ_XJdSjx/s320/svetlana.jpg" border="0" /></ul>Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-19682643894023204162008-06-12T11:14:00.013-06:002008-07-25T12:31:44.100-06:00Little WomenIf I haven't told you yet, I'm peforming in the musical, Little Women, at the Hale Center Theater in Orem. It's a ton of fun. It's being directed by Chris Clark and the music/choreography is by Korianne Orton-Johnson. The cast is amazing, most of them are MDT or acting majors at BYU. I'm playing the roles of John Brooke and Braxton Prendergast. Mr. Brooke is the tutor of Laurie, the neighbor. John marries Meg, the oldest of the March sisters. Braxton is the villain in Jo's operatic tragedies, which are probably the funnest part of the show. Here's a couple of pics:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211046251600378658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 356px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="240" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzOE6G7H1vRkOBSo12lcgMqLH91w5gMjrlfPKxFkfW_jYJHEmONA1cqbO9yLGt2ciPnnkyAH-jBoRsPWaTMl93_puETfBIjIbdgSVH4NrIKpMtx7X-GwqZNBl7IR-eYAzVtU5dtu7t4ii/s320/operatic+tragedy.jpg" width="363" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">This is part of the operatic tragedy called: The Weekly Volcano Press</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211046895960151698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lWef4-m26ygduaJXNZBWNAKhpKa8sfgyV2AQCIIW4X8jV_wI2u8sFOuK3akhZxs24OyeqGsue4MnCKNxGuhnwytfIys8I-amRQHKmSxNKG8FHYejCVOl148U8dLClg67-deZL1v6Xe-X/s320/more+than+I+am.jpg" border="0" /> <p></p><p align="center">Meg (Laurel Lowe) and Mr. Brooke (I) performing the song "More Than I Am"<br /></p>Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-86428236194120749722008-03-17T16:58:00.001-06:002008-03-25T13:56:46.236-06:00St. Patrick's Day!So, I received an order to update my blog (Thanks, Dani). But in all honesty, it was needed. My family usually says they don't know what's going on in my life, so my friends are probably in the dark too. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I've posted the following picture:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVdCbk32b4ETSG60ECfX1mbaQFte5IpXQOnUQEgYD1zFnGmBVY6gNAdzDEvZgdN1JP8wGQAMuZr43rRT6zL3vDrAE6E6MMoXFruHH3IRCSWjA0YxAEesmdtXsi4kX2OndEgMNNU1vbmzS/s1600-h/leprachaun.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178850182645072082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVdCbk32b4ETSG60ECfX1mbaQFte5IpXQOnUQEgYD1zFnGmBVY6gNAdzDEvZgdN1JP8wGQAMuZr43rRT6zL3vDrAE6E6MMoXFruHH3IRCSWjA0YxAEesmdtXsi4kX2OndEgMNNU1vbmzS/s320/leprachaun.jpg" border="0" /></a> This picture is actually from Halloween, where my buddy, Abe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Neiderhauser</span>, and I went to the ward party as two trees and a hammock. We did, however, get people that thought we were leprechauns... probably due to the beard I was growing for an upcoming musical (Christmas Carol). It seems interesting, however, that they ignored the hammock that we carried in between each other the whole night and the fact that people were sitting in it from time to time. I guess if people are going to pick a spot to sit, it would have to be in a hammock and in between two leprechauns, right? Go figure. Here's another pic from three years ago (hard to believe).<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178855796167327970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_O1OB0nw3vPZO_ZgiHfP80fdz4iUIYjRepQYgOVLjaPmpKj44Mddo56Bsvctu_HwKmbWgo0SG5wZTWlMV53nSBpYnD6R5D8YuBfOP7MkRTqugGE3aKLb83ZQ7VTSUiODvex9UdM31NX8/s320/burp.jpg" border="0" />The girls in Virginia (Liberty Square) invited us over for some green apple soda. After we had a burping contest that I'm pretty sure I dominated. Something you wanna brag about, right?<br /><br />Anyway, what else is new? Ah... <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Intramurals</span>. So this week is the start of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">intramurals</span> tournaments at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">BYU</span>. I'll be pretty busy; I'm currently on basketball, co-ed soccer (Ward Team), and inter tube water-polo teams. I think we should do pretty well. I'll have my hands full, that's for sure.<br /><br />It's hard to believe that I'm finally graduating from college next month. After a couple weeks of midterms, it feels like it shouldn't be that bad, but the Accounting program has always surprised me with how much "fun" things can become real fast.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I'm just enjoying life. I've started going country dancing in Provo about every other week. I've only dropped one girl so far, and luckily I didn't break her. I'm also trying to learn just about every Nickel Creek song on the guitar that I can. I was pretty stoked when I learned "When You Come Back Down" (probably the best song... EVER) yesterday.<br /><br />I'm proud to say, I'm reading books that aren't required of me right now. I've got about 50 pages left in President Gordon B. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Hinckley's</span> biography... an amazing book. I've got so much respect for him. What a perfect example of doing what's right no matter what. I think my next book will be Rich Dad, Poor Dad. That's been on the list of "To Read" for quite some time now.Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729183608240006562.post-43861058910468171982007-11-14T08:18:00.001-07:002008-03-25T13:57:25.956-06:00So I've conformed to bloggery...<div align="left">Actually, this blog thing seems pretty sweet. Hopefully I'll be able to stay in touch better with my peeps.<br /><br />I'm doing well right now. I'm graduating from BYU this April (2008) with a masters degree in Accounting. After that I'll start working for Ernst & Young in Salt Lake City. I'm pretty stoked for that. I did an internship with them during the winter of 2007, and I loved it!<br /><br />But, for now I've just got to survive my classes. Meanwhile, I'm having fun with my last year. I'm also doing a musical at the Hale Center Theater in Orem. I'm playing the part of Young Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol". Here's some pics from the show:</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179947373946179506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrN5Kf9yPntyJWkk2ZSvXT9xWlnMsTrIuxgG2zrXtIJjUYW_jrFZu0PYMyPUN3J3nz7-1pFIbyVTZAy3j3A4EUX5dnaZXMcXEYIj1eMFsTpNQCxT3pyg3q6V9Vxphb-0OZqQ4c8fEdPqQ/s320/topper.jpg" border="0" /> This is a pic of the actors in the "Topper Scene", the party where everyone makes fun of Ebeneezer Scrooge.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179947657414021058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyq0MOqp_Qv3QonUYWb_lyIueLVAXaMsEDMDTBT5E8U_ANZE79duVfSHpPvwprJDCZzoAU95uCNIpDTWYLMfcvdJl0DcfeMpsOho_l5QibR95mLiXAQ2TLO7V97Bnxp1_p_dMGHs7FUDb-/s320/belle.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p></p><p align="center">This pic is of Katy Stratford (Belle) and me (Young Scrooge)<br /><br /></p>Steve-ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058764774420285139noreply@blogger.com4