New York Eve

Tomorrow will mark an interesting day for me. It will be the day that I first set foot in New York, New York. I have never traveled much, but when I do it is almost always related somehow to being involved in band. Band has taken me from my podunk home in Utah to San Diego, Greensboro, Phoenix, Anaheim, Reno, Chicago, and Oklahoma City. And, very soon to NYC. I'll be chaperoning with the American Fork High School Marching Band. They have been invited to perform in the annual Macy*s Thanksgiving Day parade. I'm so excited to see the city! I'll most likely be in shock for a few days, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

October

You know, fall always seems to be busy. School is underway, new television shows begin and marching band season is in full swing. This fall I volunteered a little for the Mountain Crest High School Marching Band. It's been fun, but it reinforces the idea that I'm not much of a marching band person. I see it's benefits, but wonder about the motives and the sanity of those involved.

This month one of my friends leaves to serve a mission for the LDS church in Poland. My little brother is waiting for a call, and my older brother is thinking about attending a university. It seems funny to think that they will all soon be gone away from home. I've been buying my little brother ties at a local secondhand store. I have about 10 or so in varying colors and patterns.

Well, I suppose that's all for now.

School has begun...

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." - Joe Fox

So school started this week, on Monday. My band kids are back in the mix already, they have books, instruments, and music to practice and only some of them are doing it. So now that the first week is over some are already playing catch-up. Silly kids.

Even though the summer seemed quite short I was quite ready to return (except for the earlier mornings). Most of my friends have 'real' jobs and have to work a full year and couldn't go out and play with me. Boring friends, sheesh! Ah, well, I am looking forward to having something entertaining to do, football season, and the upcoming season premieres of my favorite television shows. It's a good life.

America the Beautiful

So this last week seemed busier than most. I worked, saw the new Harry Potter flick, drove to Wyoming, and then drove to Highland, UT and back home again. I got to see the Teton mountains, Yellowstone, and a concert with John Schmidt, Peter Breinholt and Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband. The picture here of the Tetons - I'm not sure which peaks, but I think Grand Teton and Mount Owen. There's a fair chance I'm wrong, though. Jenna might be able to identify them. She was our tour guide on the trip because she was the only one out of our trio that had been there before.

I learned on this trip that tourists are kinda dumb. While on our way through the Tetons we saw a black bear. It was just strolling through the trees toward the road. There were people everywhere trying to take photos of it and they kept stepping just a little closer. Some were less than 10 yards from it. I was on the far edge of the crowd. I am quite satisfied with my picture using the zoom on my camera and knowing that if the bear had attacked I wasn't in target distance. This was true all through Yellowstone as well, people everywhere approaching bison, elk, coyotes. It's like saying, "Hey! Over here! I'll bug you with my camera flash and you can stab me with your magnificent antlers!"

This is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. I'd post the Old Faithful video, but I'm not sure how to do that yet. We saw this just before sunset. It was absolutely amazing to see. It is a shame that more people don't witness the wild beauty that the National Park System has to offer. Sure, they get thousands of visitors every season, and so do many other parks, but how many people can say they've seen bison swim the Yellowstone River? Or hiked Angel's Landing in Zion National Park? How many have seen Delicate Arch in person or eaten the fruit from Capitol Reef? Ah, well, I expect I'll have more to say on this later.

Wonderful Summertime

You ever have that feeling that everything just keeps flying by? It seems to me that the last few months have been that. It's been five months since my last post and tons of stuff has happened; none of it terribly substantial. One of those things has been my introduction to radio guy Glenn Beck. That guy's funny, and he makes sense. Like him lots. I cannot listen to his show, though, because I am a school teacher and can't listen to the radio while I teach. Something about distracting the kids... I might just have to become an Insider and download his podcasts.


Summertime for me is like having so much of something good you can't get rid of it. I have so much time that I had to find a part-time job to fill it. I have to convince my friends to take time off to come play with me. Just this last week Ally (roomie) and I went to This is the Place Heritage Park to check out some state history and to see Glenn Beck film his CNN show. That night (Independence Day) Ally played with the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds at Sugarhouse Park. Then we stayed to watch one of the largest firework shows in the state. What a great day. I've got some pics posted around. they're not that great because I was too distracted by the live fireworks to look at the camera and see what it was taking. I love July, this is the best month because it's warm and because the people of our nation seem unite even though our opinions differ so greatly. But then, that's part of what makes America so wonderful.

The Game Everyone Needs To See

Sometimes it really pays to be a band nerd. Yesterday was one of those days. Last night was the night the Aggies from Utah State played the Nevada Wolfpack (ranked no. 10) and won. I had decided to go to the game, but was unsure how to get in, because I am not a student and would likely have to pay out my nose to get a ticket. Luckily I ran into a friend of mine in the parking lot who was in the pep band. He was leaving early for a rehearsal and asked me if I would sub for him, handed me his trumpet, and left. Now all I had to do was walk in. "Hey, I'm in the band." Magic words to whisk you into courtside seats at any homegame. Not only did I get free admission and great seats, I got to witness local basketball history live.

The game was amazing. Many will talk of how college hoops are better to watch simply because the heart the players put into their performance draws in the crowd and before you realize it everyone has emotion invested in the game. When the game's close and you're playin' "Hey Baby" and the crowd's singing along there is palpable energy. Growing energy that translates into vocal energy. That energy left my ears ringing for hours after the game. Everyone needs to experience that kind of setting; everyone needs to see their team slay Goliath.

I've posted some pictures. I apologize for the quality. I took them from my phone with my left hand while playing the fight song and "Scotsman" with my right. The first is the score at the end of the second half, one is the final score, and another the crowd rushing the floor after the win.