So, You're Going to Be a Dad...

See that up there? That's my boy! In fact, it's my first boy (first child too) and here he is in all his ultrasound glory. Feel free to bask in the coolness of it all.

Last week, my sister posted her fantastic news on her blog, so I thought that I would follow suit. After all, in this case, THREE is better than one.

So, I'm sure you are wondering what we're going to name the child (or maybe you're not--Angela has been pregnant for a while now) and yes, we've selected a name.

It's Colin Andrew Parker.

Now, the Andrew part should be painfully obvious. If it isn't, then I don't know what I can do for you. As for the Colin part, the name is actually of Gaelic origin. It means peace or dove. In addition, it was a Gaelic nickname for St. Nick so we've named our child after Santa Claus. As someone who loves all things Christmas, I like that happy coincidence.

In any case, I'm getting more and more excited to be a dad everyday. At first I was a little apprehensive (who isn't?) but the closer it comes to little Colin's birth the better I feel about this dad thingy. After all, I had a great dad and so did Angela. All we have to do is follow their example and we'll be fine. Plus, I'm STOKED that I finally get to have a permanent video game partner--one who loves the little boy games as much as I do.

So, happy child birthing to all and to all a good night!

Christmas with the Choir

Wow! Take a look at that picture! It's of the Conference Center at the conclusion of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square's annual Christmas Concert. While, it's not the greatest picture in the world, it gives you some idea of the grandeur of the spectacle. This picture was taken shortly after we finished our final performance on Sunday morning.

This was my first Christmas with the choir (last year I was out sick and depressed) and let me tell you, this was the most exhausting thing I've done as a member. We've been rehearsing for three weeks for the show and of course I've been there every night this past week except Monday night. We even did a recording session on Saturday afternoon that took up nearly all of the day and then the Christmas concert at night! When it was all over, I took a deep breath and promptly fell asleep for hours.

However, there's nothing like a job well done. This year's concert (with special guests, the King's Singers) were wonderful. The music was phenomenal, the set design, as you can see with the picture above, was astounding and all the performers were splendid. The King's Singers especially were outstanding. I love A Cappella music anyway, so this was a treat for me. But, overall, the show was a resounding success. I was glad to be a part of it.

So, buy the DVD and CD when it comes out because you'll enjoy the show. I know I did!

Color Quiz

My good friend Dylan and his wife Sarah had this posted on their blog, so I thought I'd take the quiz. Take it and see how you fit in!

you are dodgerblue #1E90FF

Your dominant hues are cyan and blue. You like people and enjoy making friends. You're conservative and like to make sure things make sense before you step into them, especially in relationships. You are curious but respected for your opinions by people who you sometimes wouldn't even suspect. Your saturation level is high - you get into life and have a strong personality. Everyone you meet will either love you or hate you - either way, your goal is to get them to change the world with you. You are very hard working and don't have much patience for people without your initiative. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

I've Been Tagged

My sister has tagged me and essentially, what that means is that I now have to describe 6 things or habits about myself. I assume that means that I have to write down six things or habits that no one already knows, but I'm not really sure. As such, the first six things to pour forth from my fingers are what you get.

• I hate answering the phone. I think it has to do with the fact that when Angela and I were first living in our own house we got more telemarketing calls than a normal person gets (yes, even after we were on the do-not-call list for some reason.) So, I hate going to the phone to see who it is because nine times out of ten, someone just wants money.
• I have a deep and abiding addiction to toffee covered nuts. For some reason, they agree with my taste buds and I can't get enough of them. It's a strange thing to be addicted to, but there you have it. I first started my infatuation at BYU where they bring them in fresh everyday to the bookstore. Honestly, I couldn't not go in and get some. Especially since the student center was right next to the fine arts center (where most of my classes were) and it was so easy and convenient. Did I mention how good they tasted?
• I am fabulous with names. I can remember just about anyone's name even if I've only ever met them once. For some reason, it sticks in my head. Honestly, I think it stems from being on a mission and having to remember everyone's names in all the wards I was serving in. I found I got better response from the members if I remembered their names and their kids names. After all, if I ask brother so-and-so how his kids are and name them, he's a lot more likely to give me a referral. It's all about the networking.
• I love 14th century choral music. This probably doesn't come as a surprise to most of you since I sing with the Tab Choir, but the truth is that I'm very specific about the kind of choral music I listen to on my own time--and to be honest, I rarely listen to popular stuff (rock, pop, alternative) when I have a choice. It's all Palestrina, Josquain Depres, Viadano, and others. I'm not even that big a fan of 16th or 17th century choral music. I like my music light, fluffy and with clean, sonorous harmonies. Here, try some.
• I watch the Food Network with regularity. Honestly, it's scary how much I watch this channel. After Angela goes to sleep I switch between it and ESPN while I'm winding down. I loves me some Ace of Cakes, Emeril Live, Feasting on Asphault, Good Eats with Alton Brown and many others. You know, this is my second entry about food. I'm not sure what this says about me.
• I read in to stuff people say all the time. For some reason, being a writer has always made me more sensitive to the way words are used and how they're spoken or written. I'm sure my entire family, all of whom write to some degree or another, could attest to the same thing. The problem is that, as Freud has said, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. I usually have to remember that when people are talking and not to read into every little thing they say. It's a tough road for me, but I'll get over it.

Ok, so that's it! Now, I'm supposed to tag six other people, but I don't know six other people. Sad, I know. So, I'm going to tag a few people that I know and hopefully that will suffice. My dad, Zuke, cousin William, Matt and that's it.

By the way, I'm almost done with school and the choir Christmas concerts are coming up so I may be incognito over the next few weeks. Not like that's different from any other time, but now I have a reason. I'll try to post before Christmas about what's going on. Oh, and Angela is getting huge! I'll have pictures of that soon too.

USC is Pandemonium!

As usual, Angela and I made our annual trip to Los Angeles to take in a USC Football game and to enjoy the good weather. We do so enjoy going to L.A. and going to the games. They truly are a huge party!

On campus, it's a complete circus. There are people everywhere, there are lines to get into the bookstore (yes, lines) and everyone has these enormous set-ups complete with big-screen TVs, stoves, refrigerators and more food than you can shake a stick at. I even saw one tent with a chandelier. A chandelier I tell you!

On the way into the stadium, you pass the USC rose garden and let me tell you, it is stunning. The picture above doesn't do it any justice, but it is gorgeous. It's a surprisingly peaceful setting what with all the hoopla just on the border of the garden.

Once you step into the L.A. Colosseum (that's where USC plays it's football games) the one thing that I marvel at is it's size. The stadium seats about 100,000 people which is enormous. As a point of reference, The Old Mile High Stadium in Denver sat a little less than 70,000 and the Delta Center in Salt Lake seats about 17,000. So, yeah, it's huge.

But the picture of me above is in the famous arch ways at the north end of the stadium. Outside the archways are images of famous sports people in America (Knute Rockne, Pop Warner, and a few others) as well as a wall of all the winners during the 1984 Olympics. It was cool to walk around and see that.

As we got to our seats, we gave the traditional Trojan hand symbol for their motto which is "Fight On!" It's essentially a peace sign, but at USC it's meant to be a V which, as you might guess, stands for victory. Fortunately, the football team does a lot of that victory-ing.

When night falls on the stadium, the lights come on and combined with all the smoke from all the grills that surround the stadium because of the tailgating parties, an eerie look surrounds the field. It's almost surreal--as if you were watching something that wasn't happening. It's tough to describe unless you're there, but man is it an odd site.

The game was a blast (we played Oregon State and won, 24-3) and we enjoyed being back in California together. We visited a couple of our favorite eatery's (dad will be jealous that we had the Japanese curry--yum!) and just soaked up the California sun. While it was a short trip, it was most enjoyable and I, for one, can't wait to get back.

My Office Does "The Office"

So, I'm sure you've heard of the NBC Sitcom "The Office." It's a hilarious spoof on modern office life and everyone who I work with at my own office loves it. In fact, we love it so much, that we decided to dress up as characters from the show for Halloween. And someone was nice enough to take a picture of us, in our warehouse, ironically enough, stuffed with printed paper products.

To add to the merriment, we also decorated our office space with pictures from The Office including a "World's Best Boss" mug and Official Seiko Timepiece Certification for our Michael Scott, a Dwight Bobble-head for our Dwight Schrute and more cat pictures than I could even imagine for our Angela. We even had the whole thing topped off with sign at the entrance to our area of the building that said "Welcome to Dunder Mifflin Scranton."

While we didn't have all the characters (we're missing a Kevin, an Oscar, a Creed, a Stanley and a Toby) we do have several. See if you can name them! That is if you watch The Office. And if you don't you really should. It's hilarious.

By the way, I'm including a picture of the real characters so you can see the comparison. Some of our characters are pretty close. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

Angela and I carved our annual Halloween pumpkin last night. While it's a bit hard to see based on the photos, the pumpkin is supposed to be a singing pumpkin. As usual, we watched Nightmare Before Christmas and enjoyed pulling guts out of the pumpkin.

I'll have some pictures up from today's activities at work. I dressed up like Dwight from the NBC sitcom "The Office" as part of my entire department's efforts to turn our part of the building into the Dunder Mifflin Branch depicted on the show. It's hilarious.

Anyway, enjoy and have a spooky halloween!

Do You See What I See?

So, um, yeah. This post has been up here forever without any supporting text. I should probably put some in, so here goes:

This picture was taken before the weekly, Thursday night rehearsal of the Tabernacle Choir. As you can (or maybe can't) see, the orchestra is rehearsing and Craig, as usual, is telling all the arriving choir members to please be quiet. Boisterous group that Tabernacle Choir.

Since I usually arrive pretty early (my office is about 15 minutes from the Tabernacle) I get to sit there and soak in the spirit of the empty tabernacle. Well, not completely empty, but not filled with people either. It's a fun experience to just sit there and ponder. And for anyone who knows me, they know I like to ponder.

Anyway, thought you'd like to see this. I'll be posting about our trip to L.A. next weekend (Go Trojans!) and then about the Holiday Concert with the choir. Since the King's Singers are coming, I hope to snap a few fun pics for all of you to see.

Eat. See a Show. Repeat.

As I'm sure all four of my faithful readers know, Angela and I visit New York every year. We love it. It's where we went for our honeymoon and we go back every year to enjoy the sights, sounds, food and wonder of the big city. The smells...not so much.

But before we get to all the hippity-do in the city, we usually spend a few days with Angela's sister Heather and her family on Long Island. Heather and Daniel have two children, Isabel and Aubree. Aubree is 2 and a half and is the wildest, craziest little girl I've ever met. She's also lots of fun and she and I got along famously, as you can see by the picture below.

While on Long Island, we also visited the beach near Heather and Daniel's home. I've never been to a beach this far north, and it was interesting to note just how rocky the shores are and how cold the water was at first (you get used to it after a while.) Yes, that means I spent some time in the water.

Daniel and I went out and did some light body surfing in the waves and that was fun. At one point, I was even brave enough to dive head first into the oncoming wave and swim through it. However, when we tried to get Angela into the water, she came out for a little bit and we discovered that she was, um, too short to stand up to the oncoming water. So, we tried to get her back to shore, but unfortunately we were slightly washed under by the water and she was driven into the rocky ground, scraping up her leg. As I tried to pick her up, another wave hit and slammed my head directly into Angela's back. Fortunately, that got Angela moving and she was able to get out of the water without further incident. Unfortunately for me, I was a little dazed for the rest of the day, but I'm still in full control of my faculties. I think.

The beach was also significant as the memorial for TWA flight 800 is located at the beach. It was just off the shore that we were swimming in where the plane went down. As usual, the memorial was solemn, but it was also quite interesting. The entire story of the flight was etched into the marble along several different panels giving it a certain permanence.

Upon leaving Long Island, we made the trek into the city where it was our plan to see three shows and eat at three different restaurants. On our first night, we visited Serendipity. This is also tradition for us as we discovered this place a few years ago on a trip and must return each year. They are famous for their desserts (including the Golden Opulence Sundae. Cost: $1000) as well as their Frozen Hot Chocolate. But the best part? They have this remarkable open-faced turkey sandwich that is divine. It has brie cheese, russian dressing, fresh apples, sprouts all on raisin-pumpernickel bread. Oh yeah, it's so good.

The statue below was looming over us while we were eating. It's kitschy (you know, like most modern restaurants, the walls are decorated with stylized junk) and this particular head was our dinner companion. Plus, it's got a vine coming out it's nose, because, dinner isn't complete unless it comes complete with a giant stone head that has foliage protruding from it's orifices

After Serendipity, we saw the revival of Les Miserables. It's by far the best Les Miz cast I've ever seen. The show had a life and vitality that I had not really seen before. Not to mention the fact that Lea Salonga (the original Eponine on the London Cast Recording) was now playing Fantine so that made it really fun to watch. I was truly stunned at how good this show was.

The next day, we had lunch at Trattoria Trecolori (below) an Italian joint just off Times Square. It. Was. Awesome. It's the best Italian I've ever had. As usual, I had my shrimp fettucine alfredo, and at this restaurant, they actually butterfly the shrimp and remove the inedible tails. Amazing! Plus, it was fresh, savory and reasonably priced. I would go back in a heartbeat. As you can tell, Angela really enjoyed her meal as well.

Following lunch at the Italian joint, we went to see "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." For the most part, it was hilarious. The best part of the show was that as the fictional contestants were given a word, they would almost always ask for the definition and for the use of the word in a sentence. For example, one of the words was "jihad." When asked for a definition, the judge gave the answer: "any vigorous, emotional crusade for an idea or principle." When asked to use it in a sentence, the judge replied: "Billy, let's get away from this wailing wall. There is a jihad about to begin on the other side."

However, the show did have some parts that were over-the-top and, I thought, inappropriate for a family show, but that's just me. Later on in the show, it tries to delve into the psyche of children and comes off a little sanctimonious. But hey, the definitions and sentences were funny.

To conclude our trip, we ate a the famous Johnny and Frankie's Steakhouse (good, not great) and saw the wonderful Curtains with David Hyde Pierce. The show is a murder mystery, but gosh darn it, if it isn't so upbeat and pleasant that I found myself enjoying every minute of it. And David Hyde Pierce is so excellent that the stage simply lights up whenever he's on it. Here's hoping he stays on Broadway for a while.

So, there you have it. Next year, I think we may do something very similar...

I'm a Web 2.0 Junkie

So, I'm scouring the web for all the fun little bells and whistles I can post on my blog. You'll notice now that you can see my mood and my facebook page (you must get on facebook--I have so few friends on there now) and other fun stuff may show up in the future. Mostly, it's a way to keep me entertained on a boring Friday afternoon where I am LITERALLY one of two people here. Hopefully, you can peruse and enjoy. And add me to your facebook friends list. I seriously need some more friends.

August 16, 2002. Five Years Ago Today.

It's been five years since I took my sweetheart Angela to the temple to be married. I remember the day vividly as I count it as the most memorable day of my life, if not the most memorable for plenty of reasons, but mostly because I don't think I've been happier than on that day.

As a memory, here are five things I remember about that day, and five things I love about Angela (that you may or may not know about.)

About that day:

• Sitting in the Celestial Room waiting to go in - I remember Angie and I sitting in there and just talking about whatever. We were, as per our usual, checking out all the other couples to be married. Many of them were very quiet and one couple in particular looked as though they hadn't spoken, let alone to each other, for many years. We marveled that you could be that stoic on your wedding day.
• Picking up McDonald's on the way to the temple - Anyone who knows me, knows I have a weakness for breakfast sandwiches. Angie and I drove together downtown and on the way stopped at McDonald's for breakfast. If I remember correctly, we had a coupon to use and it expired on our wedding day.
  
• Waiting in the "Groom's Hall" for Angie - Before you go outside to get your picture taken, there's a hall where all the grooms sit and wait for their new brides. I remember sitting in there and seeing Angie come down the hall and having the older brother who was watching the hall say "Whoo! Caught a good one, didn't ya?"
• The infamous garter scandal - You may remember that I had a bit of a time trying to take Angela's garter off to do the customary throwing. In fact, one of my favorite pictures has me with head stuck up under the dress, Angela laughing her head off and her brothers Mark and Trent howling in the background. I'm not sure I'll ever live that down.
• Don't drop the glass - When we did the arm linking and drinking of the customary sparkling apple cider, the only thing I could think was: "don't spill! don't spill! don't spill! don't spill! don't spill!" Fortunately, I didn't spill.
  

About Angela:

• Angela is one of the kindest people I know. More than willing to help out with anything, she's routinely taking on more than she needs to, just to help family, friends and even people she doesn't know. She's always considerate of others feelings (especially mine) and always shows forth a great deal of compassion.
• We love the same things. Angela is essentially me in girl form. The fact that we love doing the same things together really strengthens our relationship. We never fight about how to spend our free time together and it's usually very easy for us to decide what to do.
  
• Her priorities. Angela has always had them straight, which really helps me. I've never doubted for a second that I'm the most important person in her life and that she cares about me more than she cares about herself. She's routinely spoiling me with gifts and other things, but more than that, she's always considerate of my requests and my idiosyncrasies.
  
• Her energy. Since I'm such a low energy guy, Angela brings a great deal of balance to my life. She's always had an effervescent personality, but her energy and excitement and bubbliness (if that's a word) always keep me in positive spirits. And for a slightly brooding and serious person like myself, it's refreshing to spend so much time with someone with a little more bounce in their step.
• Her curiosity. Since Angela comes from a small town in rural Utah, it's been fun for me to educate her about city life. For example, I've been able to introduce her to all sorts of new cuisine that she had never considered and she's almost always tried it, if not enjoyed it (sushi notwithstanding.) But watching her maintain an almost child-like curiosity about things has really opened my eyes and made me look at things with a new point of view.

I love you sweetie! Happy Anniversary!

It's Up to You New York

This blurry picture was taken of Heather, Daniel and Aubree Adams as we went to visit them at their home on Long Island. Every year, we head out to their place to spend a couple days and then head into the city to catch a few shows. This year, we started off our trip with a visit to Cozymel--apparently, the only Mexican Restaurant on Long Island that's worth eating. The food was great! After hours of airplane fare, it felt like a real meal.

I have several more photos to post about this trip later, but suffice it to say, we had a great time.

Harry Potter Madness

As a devoted Potter-crazed maniac, Angela and I of course attended the midnight purchasing party for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." As usual, it was a complete circus--full of the usual weirdos, comings, goings, and generally idiotic people who want to butt in front of you--but hey! It's still fun to hang out with the crazies every now and again.

Our odyssey began early Friday morning as we ventured out at an unholy hour to wait in line for wristbands at our local Barnes and Noble. Like a rock concert, these wrist bands essentially get you in line to buy the book first. After waiting in line for what seemed like forever, we got our wristbands as part of "Group B." That meant, that we were between 101 and 200 in line. That ended up making the second leg of our odyssey, much easier.

Here's our view from the middle of the line which, believe it or not, was moving fairly fast. There were balloons, wrappers, papers and evidences of games long since been played, but the hush inside the store was pretty surprising. Amazingly, everyone was fairly subdued once in the store and on the way up to the cash register--as if taking a walk with a friend for the last time.

Wow! Look at all those books! We'd finally reached the counter where we could purchase our books and boy were there a ton of them (as you can see.) Our purchase was made swiftly and we were out the door only 20 minutes after getting in line. The waiting in line earlier that day certainly helped.

Of course we ran directly home and...fell asleep. But most of the next day and into Sunday was spent reading. I finished the book early, early Monday morning, but I really enjoyed it. I'll post a more final reaction later.

Andrew Parker and the Wait of Death

Hello. My name is Andrew Parker. I'm 29 years-old and I'm a Potter-holic.

"Hello Andrew."

Today is July 20, 2007. It's one day before the final Harry Potter book is released in the United States and I'm sitting here at work being completely useless. I'm trying to work, and getting a few things done, but the fact that over the next couple of days I will find out Harry's fate is never far from my mind.

Adults aren't supposed to obsess about this stuff, right? Especially those with advanced schooling, right? We're supposed to be excited, but not stoked. Happy, but not delirious. And only mildly interested and not completely and wholly obsessed. After all, there are more important things to worry about, right?

Well, there are more important things, but few things that are more fun. And how does the saying go? Men are that they might have joy?

Ok, so maybe that's stretching it a little bit, but Harry Potter brings a certain level of joy into my life. It's certainly not the type of joy family or righteous living brings, but the tale of The Boy Who Lived is, in my mind, a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. After all, the main theme of the Harry Potter books, that our lives are not bound by fate but rather by choice, is a truth. And since we are all seekers of truth, why not have a little fun while you find that out?

In any case, it is now less than eleven hours until the release and I couldn't be more excited. And to help you get through the waining hours, I've posted a few morsels and tid-bits of theory about what I think is going to happen. You know. For fun.

Keep in mind THESE ARE NOT SPOILERS. This is just my opinion.

• Snape Dies - Along with many others, I'm sure. But this one seems written in the cards. He's a double agent, his motives have always been in question and all that will finally be revealed in this book. As such, I think he's a good person at heart and will willingly sacrifice himself for Harry's benefit. He's the redemptive figure in the story (literary speaking) and should fulfill his destiny to help bring down the Dark Lord.
• Ron and Hermione, um, "hook up" - This is a duh. Unless you've not been paying attention, this one's a no-brainer.
• Peter Pettigrew's debt to Harry comes due - I'm not sure if Peter sacrifices himself or if he merely saves Harry's life (possibly from Greyback) in this book, but one thing is for certain. However Peter Pettigrew figures in, you better believe he's toast.
• Neville vs. Bellatrix - Since Frank and Alice Longbottom were tortured and murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange, I imagine we'll see Neville have it out with Bellatrix. My hope is that with Neville having a wand of his own now, he'll be more effective as a wizard.
• The Giants to the Rescue - In Order of the Phoenix, it's mentioned that Voldemort had the command of not just corrupt wizards and witches, but loads of magical creatures as well. In the same book, Hagrid was off recruiting the Giants for the upcoming war. We don't know yet if he was successful, but I imagine his labors will provide fruit in this book. Since we know that Giants can't be stunned by standard spells, expect them to make a big impact in the war.
• The Return of Dumbledore - His symbol has always been a Phoenix, a rather curious symbol seeing that Phoenix's can rise from the ashes after they die. Dumbledore still has a part to play in this book and I think it will revolve around him directing Harry where the remaining Horcruxes are.
  
• Harry is NOT a horcrux - I thought this at first too, but now I don't think it points to that at all. Rather, since Harry has been marked by Voldemort, Harry simply has Voldemort's powers and not his soul. To carry two souls would be rather difficult.
• Aunt Petunia holds the key - Since Lily Potter's blood flows in Petunia's veins, Harry has always been protected from the Dark Lord when he returns to Little Whinging each summer. And even though his Aunt despises him, her blood, which is also Lily's blood, protects Harry because he is protected by the love of his mother. As such, I wonder who Aunt Petunia really is. Is she a squib? Possibly. Or, more likely, she was given this assignment by Dumbledore who has something on her and told her not to fail. It's possible then, that because she hates carrying this burden, she's taken it out on Harry and enlisted her family in the process. Either way, Aunt Petunia is more than meets the eye, and I think she'll be more than important to the stories end.

That's it for now. May your butterbeer be frothy (and alcohol free) and your fizzing whiz-bangs be mighty indeed.

French Ambiance

For those of you who think we did nothing on this trip but eat...you might be right. However, we did ride rides and see shows and host of other things. We just happened to take a lot of pictures of the restaurants because that's where we had the most fun.

Above, I'm holding my dinner at the French Bistro in Epcot. The portions may look small (and they are) but this is the fourth course of a 5 course meal. Before the main dish, there was fish, salad, soup and some yummy chocolate drink. The best part about dining french is that nothing ever feels overwhelming--it's all bits and tastes and not a slab of meat the size of my head. That's very refreshing. And it makes for a far more enjoyable and diverse meal.

One of the fun parts about this meal was that we ordered a bottle of Evian water by mistake. Our waiter, who was from France and had a very thick accent, asked if we wanted water that was sparkling or still. I said still and he brought out the Evian which surprised me because I just expected water from a pitcher. In any case, this is the greatest water I've ever had. Smooth and clean, I never knew water could be so awesome. However, I couldn't drink as much as I normally did when we sat down to eat (I was downing between 5-7 glasses of water per meal per day because of the heat) but man, was the water good.

Here's the view from our seat. It looks out across the lake that sits in the middle of Epcot. If you look closely, you can see a bit of the huge ball in the background.

As a fun side note, our waiter was astounded when we didn't want any wine and we told him that we didn't drink. He asked where we were from and we said Utah, and he said: "Oh! You're Mormon!" But say that with a French accent. It's a lot more fun. We've been saying "Mormon" with a French accent since!

Morrocan Food!

Angela will laugh because I put the belly dancer first, but hey...it was pretty cool! In any case, here we are at Restaurant Marrakesh...the same place that I ate at with my family when we visited Disney World nearly 20 years ago. At that time, the restaurant was still relatively new. But now, after 20 years, it remains much the same as I remember it. The belly dancing, the music and the food! Oh, did I mention how good the food was?

I had a dish of authentic shish kebob and Angela actually had a leg of lamb (which she enjoyed!) The food was wonderful, but the dessert was better. It was a nice flaky, caramel-y concoction that literally melted in your mouth. Mmmmm....I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. But, believe it or not, this was not our favorite restaurant of our trip. It lands in third behind the Irish Pub and the French Bistro. But still, it was wonderful.

One of the great parts of the restaurant is the live authentic music. The musicians and dancers are all very proud of their culture and it shows. That makes for a "real" experience--as real as can be in Florida--and truly adds to the uniqueness of our trip. An interesting fact that I learned while reading the menu: Morocco has the longest unbroken treaty with the United States...dating back to 1791. Who knew?

Wilkommen!

For dinner one night, we went the German restaurant named Biergarten (gee, I wonder what that translates into?) In any case, this was most definitely our least favorite of the restaurants that we visited. Fortunately, though, it wasn't because of the lack of entertainment or the tremendous atmosphere. As you can see from the picture above, we had a great time taking in authentic German music and dancing--complete with liederhosen! In addition, everyone, and I do mean everyone, drank beer at this place. How do we know?

Well, this restaurant does buffet style dining along with forced socialization--meaning that you have to eat your meal with complete strangers. And since we don't drink, we were immediately asked why. This of course gives you a great opening to talk about the gospel (which we did to a small degree) but mostly they're surprised that anyone could live without beer. I'm wondering how anyone can live with it.

In any case, the folks we met were all nice (one was a Broncos fan from Ohio or something--the other was from Gaithersburg, Maryland. And yes, Catherine. We did talk about you quite a bit. :)

But even though this was by far the worst food, we still enjoyed ourselves. The entire inside is decorated to appear as if it's Oktoberfest--with the leaves on the trees being the appropriate colors. In addition, they invite everyone up for dancing during your meal. Mostly the kids go up there and strut their stuff and that's fun to watch. And while it was still fun, we know that we won't be going back.

On Safari

One of the coolest things about Disney's new Wild Animal Kingdom is the Safari ride they have in the park. They've re-created a version of the Serengheti Plains in Africa and the result is stunning. As you can see from the picture above, it's almost as if you were really in Africa and watching all the wild animals! What's even more amazing is that the preserve allows all the animals to roam freely and interact as they would in the wild--which means that lions and other carnivores hunt the other animals in the park just like normal. And, just like normal, there is little human interference in the area. There's certainly a road for the safari to go through, but that's it for man made structures. It's truly an awesome sight.

Here's an ostrich that was brave enough to come up near the bus. As there are no fences throughout the area, you can see most of the animals right up close. But be careful! Since this is the wild, many of them don't know how to act around humans. It is fun to see them this close though.

If you look in the upper right hand corner of this picture you'll see the nose and ears of a hippopotamus peeking out from under the lake. As it was June when we visited, the temperature was extremely hot and so the hippos are doing their best to keep cool. Personally, I think they have the right idea, although I'm not sure I'd want to go swimming in that lake.

Here's another animal keeping cool in the shade--an Antelope. We saw several out on the open plains, but only this one was lounging about. We took this safari in the late afternoon, when it's the hottest during the day, and of course, none of the animals were out. We did see some elephants very far away (including a cute little baby elephant!) but the pictures were so bad since all the animals were hanging out in the shade, that I can't even tell why I took some of them.

Finally, we had a female giraffe come out into the middle of the road and stop our bus as it sat there. We waited and marveled at the beast (yeah, it's huge in real life) and then saw it's baby come out and get in a good meal as you can see from the picture above. The amazing part? I could have reached out and touched them they were so close. This safari was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

Disney's Wild Animal Kingdom

I know this is a little hard to see, but this is Angela with her "Bug Eyed 3-D Glasses." The reason she has them on is because we're about to go into "A Bug's Life 3-D Adventure." It's a really cool show that is totally interactive and loads of fun. Essentially, you sit there while certain bugs "show off" their stuff for you in the hopes that we humans will better understand them and then, not kill them. Of course, things go a little haywire and you get sprayed with "bug spray" and smells and nearly get stung by a swarm of bees. But that's not the worst of it. At the end, they ask that you remain seated so all the "grubs and other young bugs can exit the theater first." They then do something in your seat so it feels like several little bugs are crawling all over you. It's most disconcerting.

Following a ride on the wild roller coaster at Mount Everest (the most freak roller coaster I've ever been on--it goes backwards to avoid the abominable snow man at one point) we went to see Finding Nemo: The Musical. Since I'm such a huge fan of the Nemo movie, I thought the musical might be a bit of a cheap thrill and possibly some corny fun. Nope.

It. Was. AWFUL. So bad, in fact, that I actually fell asleep at one point. The only good thing (besides when it ended) was listening to the audience react to the enormous set pieces that were trotted out during the show. They would "ooo" and "ahh" as if they'd just seen something amazing. Maybe it's just me, but I've seen amazing stuff on stage, and this musical was not it.

As you can see, Angela felt the same way. She at least stayed awake.

Lunch at the Rose & Crown Pub

Here's a picture of me outside the Rose and Crown Pub in the recreation of an English village at Epcot Center in Disney World. Of course, during our trip to Disney World, we ate at as many of the countries' restaurants as we could. It made traveling back and forth to Epcot for lunch AND dinner every day a bit of a trial--but the food made it worth it.

This is my plate of Bangers and Mash--that's Sausage and Mashed Potatoes to you. It was quite good and was, as far as I could tell, rather authentic. We even had a fruit and cheese plate for desert--complete with stinky and totally inedible cheese!

Angela, of course, went with fish and chips. At the time, this was our second meal that contained one of us eating a fish and chips meal. By the time the trip ended, we had fish and chips on three separate occasions. And, while this set of fish and chips was the largest, it was by far our least favorite. The other two times took place at Raglin' Road--an Irish Pub located in Downtown Disney. We ate there twice (the bread pudding is TO-DIE-FOR) and had fish and chips there both times. Believe it or not, Irish fish and chips are better than the English version--at least in Disney World.

Hi-Ho! Hi-Ho! It's Off to Disneyworld We Go!

Here's Angela on the Ferry (yes, ferry) into Disney World. Obviously, the Florida park is built a little different than the California park, but our initial initiation into the transportation around the park was this ferry. When you first arrive at Disney World, you're taken to the ticketing and transportation center--a massive structure that has bus stops, monorail stations, walking trails, ticket booths and this ferry that crosses the lake and dumps you right into the Magic Kingdom. It's by far the best way to get into the park (the line for the monorail was infinitely larger) and it's kind of fun to cross this huge lake and watch Cinderella's Castle float towards you through the mist of the humidity. It's, well, kind of magical.

Anyway, more in posts to follow.

Dads

You know how sometimes, you just get the need to write? Well, maybe not everyone. But for someone like me, who writes for a living, I get that need often--especially when I read something that inspires me. After all, people who write a lot tend to read a lot too. And while I've never read a lot of novels per se, I do read an enormous amount of textbooks, magazine and newspaper articles, web features and a host of other avenues in which to read. After all, books aren't the only things worth reading.

That said, I read this article on my lunch break today. It's from ESPN.com and it's about a father and son who have a great relationship. The son is a writer (like me) and his father has spent a lot of time battling cancer (like mine) and they have a shared love of a particular sport (in mine and my father's case, a love of Denver Broncos football.) The only difference? My father survived cancer. And boy do I feel lucky for that.

The article also talks a lot about the transition from being a son to being a father. I've been reflecting on that a lot lately, as my time to become a father is starting to approach (no Angela is not pregnant) so this article really spoke to my own situation. It's as if I was reading my own experiences and fears.

I remember as a young man growing up in Denver when John Elway was drafted and then traded to the Broncos for Guard Chris Hinton, Quarterback Mark Hermann and Guard Ron Solt. I remember my dad bringing me into the front room when John Elway first suited up for the Broncos and telling me -- "You should watch this guy. He'll be a legend someday." From that moment, I was hooked.

In my house, we lived and died by Broncos football. I remember vividly sitting at at the house of one of the people in our neighborhood as dad and I watched John Elway engineer "The Drive." I remember the subsequent jubilation when we led Super Bowl XXI at halftime, 10-9. I also remember the crushing blow when Phil Simms came out and threw the Giants to a blow-out victory. I remember dad and I sitting there in stunned silence--all our expectations dashed.

I remember more of the same next year as we lucked out against Cleveland with "The Fumble" and I remember the complete frustration watching Doug Williams pick the Denver defense apart for 4 touchdowns in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXII. Again, my dad and I sat crushed.

One of my earliest memories was how we reacted during the blow-out loss of Super Bowl XXIV. After getting whacked early on, my dad and I retreated into his office to play an early version of virtual golf on the computer. I remember that we would come out periodically to check how bad it was, but never stopped just playing games together. That's always had a bit of significance for me. No matter how bad things got, my dad and I were still family and that made everything ok.

Years later, after I had grown up and John Elway was nearing the end of his career, I left home to serve a mission for the church in Arizona. During that time, the Broncos enjoyed their best two seasons ever winning back-to-back Super Bowls. Since I was concentrating on the work at hand, I was not able to watch either Super Bowl, nor was I able to enjoy the famed "revenge tour of '97" nor the total domination of the 98 season. However, every week, my dad would send me articles about the games, what was happening and how well everything was going. It was like we were talking about what was happening just like normal, and home never felt closer.

Over the years, my dad has taught me a lot and imparted much of his wisdom to me on everything from dealing with women to how to handle a frustrating co-worker. He's been there for me when I've had professional and personal questions, and has never been afraid to talk about it. He's taught me about hard work, having fun and most of all a love for family. And while we still discuss Broncos football (much to Angela's chagrin) what we're really doing is showing our love and respect for each other. I hope, that when I have a son, I can teach him the same values of respect, hard work and love that my father has taught me. I know that it would make any Bronco fan proud.

The Sun Sets on Finals

I took this picture as I was driving off the hill--just after I had finished my second final of the week. I thought it appropriate as the sun is starting to set on this, my third semester of my MBA program. It was a peaceful setting (and feeling for that matter) to know that school is on the downhill slope.

I still have one class this semester, but it's over on July 17 and then I have a month off before school starts up again in earnest. In addition, the class I still have left is my product and brand management class, and I'm really enjoying it. It's stuff I get, stuff I care about and most of all, my teacher is a lot of fun to listen to. He's been around (he worked for Disney at one point) and has a wealth of experience to share. I think it's been my favorite class of my entire program. But the good news is that I can finally take a break and relax a bit.

As I look back on the last year of my schooling, I've figured out a lot of things. Number one, don't try and do too much (school + work + Mormon Tabernacle Choir + no wife = no sleep*stress) and in order to get good grades in something you haven't studied your whole life (like, let's say music) you've really got to put in the time. I've finally figured that out, and my grades are improving because of it. Thank goodness for that because they probably would have kicked me out had I not figured it out. Plus, now that Angela has returned home (yay!) she keeps me on a more stringent sleep schedule. Thank goodness for that too.

In any case, I've learned a great deal about business in this last year and stuff that I think will make me more marketable in the future. The best part? I'm mostly done with my "required" classes and now I get to start taking all my electives. I'm really excited about that because I don't have to take any more math intensive courses, which I've discovered, I can do, but not without a great deal of perspiration and frustration.

Anyway, a break is coming and I am now officially a second year MBA student. Gotta love that.

Capsule Reviews: Spider-man 3, Shrek 3, Pirates 3

Spider-man 3


The third, and presumably last movie in the venerable franchise, Spider-man 3 brings the trilogy to a satisfying, if somewhat over-packed, conclusion. In this tale, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has the girl and the love of all New York City. But after losing touch with his long-suffering love Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) he must not only battle his crumbling relationship, but also the Sandman--now escaped from prison and presumed to be Ben Parker's real killer--as well as the black suited Venom (Topher Grace). Not to mention mending fences with his old friend Harry who has suited up as the Green Goblin and is out for revenge.

If that sounds like A LOT of story to get through in 2 and 1/2 hours, you're not alone. Amazingly, Sam Raimi and company pull it off, mostly. The biggest problem with the movie is that there is SO much going on that all the cool stuff (Venom, a big battle with Sandman, etc.) gets less screen time than it should. That makes the final confrontation seem a little anti-climactic given that it has three movies worth of back story to pay off. In the end though, it's an entertaining enough ride, but this is one case where less truly is more.

Shrek the Third


Honestly, I'm really sad to write a negative review of a Shrek movie--especially when I consider the first one among my all-time favorite animated movies and the second one made me laugh the entire way through. But this third movie is a turkey, and that's just a shame. The movie follows Shrek, Donkey and Puss as they attempt to find an heir to Far, Far Away after Fiona's father passes away (in an excruciatingly over-acted scene--which I didn't think was possible in animated movies, but there you go.) Meanwhile, Fiona and her Princess Pals must find a way to thwart the evil Prince Charming's plan to rule the kingdom for himself.

The problem with this movie is that it feels more like a brand extension than an actual movie--as if Dreamworks had to put it out to meet their yearly earnings reports. There are a couple of funny gags (which can be viewed in the trailers or commercials) but on the whole, I just didn't find it that funny. Or interesting. Or engaging whatsoever. The ironic part? Shrek has now become exactly what it mocked in the first movie--an overproduced attempt at hipness without any of the actual heart.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End


Ok, what? Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley and Geoffrey Rush all return for the climax of the Pirates franchise and quite honestly, I can barely tell you what happened in this movie. Suffice it to say, our intrepid pirate gang is going to the end of the earth to save Jack from Davy Jones' locker and then after they do that a series of crossings, double crossings, triple crossings and other stuff happens. In the end, it all leads to a climactic battle between pirate ships and the East India Company which supposedly resolves everything.

Maybe I should have paid more attention to the plot. Maybe I should have tried to figure out what was going on, but honestly, I really didn't want to. I like a dense story as much as the next guy, but this was just confusing. So, rather than try and figure out who is on whose side, I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. And what a ride it is! The special effects are first rate, the battle scene at the end is intense and realistic and the movie as a whole is funny. But it lacks the charm and substance of Curse of the Black Pearl. In the end, the movie is satisfying enough. Just don't come out expecting to have any of your questions answered.