I'm finished...for now

YEAH!  I finished my first semester.  It was a little stressful to have classes every night, but I learned a lot.
Here is my final projects for my Design class.  The final was self portrait.  Pretty open again, but I enjoyed my results.

Bring on the ice and trees

This last weekend was a return to winter for me.  I ended my Friday night early so I could be in bed by 10pm.   Up at 5:30am Saturday morning to pull on my winter gear and head out into the not as cold as I expected morning.  Beside one detour back to my house to pick up the socks I forgot, I picked up friends at 6am in SLC and drove down to Provo for one last pick up.  Unfortunately, someone slept thru his alarm so we had to call his mom (well he left his phone there and she answered), find his address and pull him out of bed.  By this time our plans to hit up Joe's Valley were thwarted.  BUT we were determined to get our ice.  Up Provo Canyon we went to Stairway to Heaven.  This ice climb usually has somewhere between 5-7 pitches when it is fully in, but there was only 1, maybe 1.5 pitches of ice.  (It had been too warm the last week and was melting all our ice.)  So we set up a few top ropes and did laps on the ice.  I did about 3 climbs, not much, but it was enough to make me the good kind of sore.  My ice climbing is in serious need of improvement, but I'm happy to get climbing early this season.  I hope to do a lot more climbing this year than last with my new (to me) ice tools.

Photo posted by my friend Matt on SummitPost (this was not taken on Saturday)

So one advantage of climbing in Provo was that I was really close to home.  After a nap (I was so wiped out and sore) I was able to go to the last night of the Festival of Trees.  It was really fun despite my less than usual energy level.  I won 20 points from Hoopes for all the people I knew at the event and I got to hear some stellar bag-pipin'.   The gingerbread houses are not as grand as I remember from my youth, but this was my first time hearing the Salt Lake Scots Pipe Band.  They were incredible, but really who doesn't love a good bag pipe.  It might have to be a new tradition to go to the Festival the last night so I can hear the pipers.

Project #7 - Scrap Sculpture

Hello, really open project.  Some people would love projects like this, but they stress me out.  The project was to create a sculpture.  We could use any material, basically scarp.  I could use trash, metal, fabric, food, feathers, rocks, trees, sticks, spike (Land Before Time reference).  As you can see I wasn't limited.  This just makes things become difficult for me because my mind runs 500 miles an hour and I can't seem to focus it.
So after struggling for a while I came up with an idea...a tree and a pretty little birdie in it, but with some unusual tree colors and a bit larger than normal bird. I think it kind of turned out like a Dr. Seuss tree and I like it.

The Result

Art Project #6 - Related Arcs

I can't draw.  I think I may have mentioned this before - Here and sort of here (the reason for the tears).   So when my professor presented our sixth design project I instantly panicked.  Related arcs.  This project was basically drawing.  I thought this was a design class not a drawing class. 

sorry for the poor photo quality, I snapped this with my phone

We had to draw 30 thumbnails - 10 animals, 10 birds and 10 human figures.  HUMANS!  What! Aren't those like the hardest thing to draw. I won't say there were tears, but almost tears. It was the big welling up of the eyes, but no actual release of a tear (quite proud of myself for sort of holding it together). 
I had a terrible time working on this project. I spent extra time talking to the professor asking him more questions on related arcs (his first instruction was pretty vague).  I started to get it a little more with each object I would draw, but still lacking translating my brainwaves thru my hand onto paper.  Here is how things work for me.  I am not a masterful drawer.  I can't just seat down and draw something that people will recognize.  So I usually look up pictures on the WWW of what I want to draw (in their simplest format) and basically copy them.  This is how I proceeded with this project as well.  And I saved the worst for last, human figures. I was lucky to find some drawings online that I could reference and surprise I was able to make some half decent looking human figures.  Decent in the sense that they are not planes that look like whales.  I was so surprised and slightly proud of myself that even though it might not be my best drawing, I turned in my human figure drawing.

Glass and Gardens

Beautiful Fall

Saturday morning my friends Mike and Jessica and I got up bright and early (9am) and headed out for a delicious breakfast at Eggs in the City and a morning at the Gardens (Red Butte Gardens that is). 

The night before I had seen the movie "Waiting for Superman" so we had a riveting discussion of the US school system throughout our breakfast.  Our conversation was so enthroning I hardly noticed how delicious my eggs benedict were.  The discussion got really intense.  We each had our opinions which didn't always agree, but I have to admit it was one of my favorite conversations.  I never felt like anyone was attacking the other person, we were just having a really interesting discussion of the point of the movie, our opinions on the school system, teacher unions (and unions in general) and areas we see for improvement.  I'm going to see that movie again this week with my mom who has been a teacher and school administrator since I was in Kindergarten, I am sure that will lead to further discussion and changing of my opinions.
Eventually, we did stop talking about it (at least for a few minutes, I have been talking about all weekend).  The entire purpose of our outing was not breakfast but to see the glass art show at Red Butte Gardens.  I got a membership to the Gardens earlier this year so I could buy early discounted tickets to the concert series which resulted in of course one of my favorite concerts in my favorite venue.  I decided I needed to get some use out of it and use up my guest tickets.  The glass art show was presented by the Utah Guild of Glass Artist.  The work was really interesting and we were curious how some of it was created. 
After perusing the art we headed outside for the gardens.  We let our inner child escape and we had a great time running around and enjoy the beautiful fall garden.


My favorite glass piece

Jess loves crazy reindeer mummy bushes

Why?  Because they were there

We feed the fish...

...looked creepy...

...and carefully explored our surroundings. 

It was a good day.



Art Project #5: Collage in Motion

My latest design is a collage in motion. My concept was text, action words, in motion.  I learned that I have a very narrow view of what a collage is and how to use it.  I really had to LEAP out of my comfort zone and relay on wiser designers (Ashley).  I also experienced the disappointment of waiting too late to start a project. I was 2/3 into it with very little time left when I opened it up for critique.  The critique was spot on and provided me with really good feedback and help to visual the strengths and weaknesses with the design.  Unfortunately, I was too far into it with too little time to make some of the recommended changes, but the critique helped me finish with something I am at least happy with. 

I was so nervous for my class to see it.  I liked it, but was afraid that it wasn't "collage" enough.  Most people in my class did a traditional collage with some slight variations to how things were laid out.  I think they liked my design, but it was a mixed response whether it was a collage or an illustration.  I guess it is good to stretch my perceptions of design a little and risk that they don't like it or disagree with it.  I learned a lot and have new ideas for how I would do it next time to make it more collage without looking collage.
A huge THANK YOU goes to Dan in my InDesign class who helped me figure out how to distort the text streams.  Jeff (also in InDesign) and Talena for helping me come up with ideas for my project.  And BIGGEST thanks to Ashley who is a design genius.  She is really great at communicating design.  I learn something more about design every time she critiques my work.  She is much better than some of my professors.

P.S. Still working on the patience in art thing.

Concert Time O Year

It is that time again, where some how I end up going to a lot of concerts.  I love concerts and I usually hit one a month, but with school I haven't been to as many. 
This time I hit 2 bands I was only slightly familiar with and one of my all time favs.  Two weeks ago I went with some friends to The Weepies concert at the State Room.  I love the State Room.  Never disappointed in the shows they have.  The Weepies were no exception.  I knew their stuff and liked it, but couldn't say I was big fan.  The show was great and may have changed the lives of some of my fellow concert goers (ahem you know who you are).  Instead of doing my week before music saturation where I listen to everything I can get my hands on, I have been doing more of a post concert saturation.  Since the concert I have been listening to The Weepies intensely.  The more I listen the more I like.  I think The Weepies is a band that grows on you.  It grew on me.  And the concert sparked my interest more (this is why I go to shows for bands I don't know).

Can't get enough of this song

Ingrid Michaelson.  That is all that needs to be said, but for the sake of this post I will expound.  I wish I were as cool as Ingrid.  She is always amazing.  We went to her show last year and I am still talking about it. Maybe it is just her SLC shows, but she is so funny and so easy to talk with.  Not that I talked to her.  It is just the way she talks to the audience from the stage, makes you feel like you could hang out and talk for hours (not in that way...friends).  She played some of my favorites and a few of new stuff.  Check out her parachute song (acoustic is awesome).

Simply wonderful

Lastly, I went to the Sufjan Stevens show on Monday at Kingsbury Hall.  What an interesting venue for a concert like this.  It was a little awkward when you wanted to get up and dance, but people are seating behind you.  The show was complete with awesome choreography and Halloween costumes. 
I like Sufjan's music.  His older stuff is more my speed than his new stuff, but I still like it.  But I am not hipster enough for a Sufjan concert.  It was a sea of skinny jeans, old sweaters and ballet flats (not that these are exclusively bad or hipster, but you know the hipster look I am talking about).

If you are a huge Sufjan fan stop reading here if you want to be friends. You may not like me for what I am about to say.

This was one show I could have missed.   My take on the show.  Introduce Sufjan Stevens, great musical artist who thinks very highly of himself and hipster religious leader.  Sufjan talked about the cosmos, shared a long story of some crazy dude who inspired his new music and generally talked like he was on some higher spiritual level.  Whoa buddy.  We just meet.  This is awkward.  But the hipsters seemed to eat it up, maybe it is in the skinny jeans (which I can't joke about too  much, I have skinny jeans). 

I will continue to listen to his music.  The concert actually helped me like his new stuff more than I would have if I had only listened to it.  But as far as drinking his kool-aid, I'll stick to my sticker covered Nalgene water bottle (my type of crunchy).

Give me my classic Sufjan Stevens

Zombie Polygamists

Yeah we went there.  Ashley came up with our costume idea and luckily our friend Steve was willing to be wed to three ladies for the evening (who are we kidding he LOVED it).
Best part of the costume...the bump (hair, although Ashley is sporting a great zombie in womb look). What polygamist costume would be complete without the bump? 

Check out the zombie babies



Art Project #4: Mask

For a little fun Halloween treat our 4th design project was to create a mask.  There weren't many guidelines besides the mask had to cover the entire front of the face.  This was actually my second mask.  The first one looked really horrible so I was glad this one was cool. 

Mask Theme: Hard vs Soft.  

Although I didn't do some of the things I had originally planned to make this theme really stand out, I think it still works.

Materials used:

• Orange Flannel
• Green Yarn
• Tin Foil
• White/Orange Sheathed Wire
• Mask base
• Glue (spray glue and craft glue)

Wearing the mask before heading to class

Much needed outdoor adventure

Beautiful

Life with school has been great, but it has also left little time for me to get outside.  This weekend I had a much needed outdoor adventure and an overall relaxing weekend. 

My friend Matt has a friend Matt who has a cabin in Wyoming (yes it can be confusing).  It was their yearly fall cabin trip and Talena and I were invited up to play.  Ashley couldn't make it but we bought her a little something to let her know we were thinking about her (aren't we good roommates).



Yep! I'm no good at this game

After I struggled to change some bike tires, we hit the road.  Driving 2.5 hours up into Wyoming we were welcomed to the cabin by fireworks.  Ok so the fireworks weren't for us, but it was a nice treat to see when we arrived. We meet all the cabin guests and spent the evening playing games and watching movies.

Saturday morning we woke up to the smell of bacon and Beth's delicious buttermilk syrup (don't worry we got the recipe).  After a hearty breakfast and a few games of speed we hit the mountain bike trail.  Our trail was a little made up. Our motto was "run the river not the race."  Apparently, Smitty is a big kayaker and that is his slogan.  It was a fun trail and we even got to bushwhack it after we got off the trail somewhere.  This made it a real adventure as we carefully maneuvered our bikes around logs and ducked below branches.  Even the last quarter mile trekking our bikes across the muddy shore of the reservoir was fun despite the fact that our shoes and bike tires were covered in thick clay mud.

I needed a little relaxing when we got back to the cabin so I curled up with a blanket and sat out on the porch reading a book.  It was a really chilly (by my girl standards) afternoon so it was nice to have a big quilt wrapped around me.


Smitty discovered the "sexy" All Spark (Transformers)



Great little trail thru the woods



Our adventure group



But too much seating gets boring so we headed back out to do a little shooting.  Apparently, years ago I was good just one time and never again.  I got 3 clay pigeons in 15 shots.  Oh well, it was fun.

A night of movies and games followed.  FYI, I am really bad at playing "Ticket to Ride" so you can play it with me if you like winning, because you are sure to do it playing against me.



Tires and shoes covered in mud, Matt gave up and carried his bike



Beautiful 2



So what did I make of this weekend adventure.  I love variety.  I have missed the outdoors.  I don't like to seat around for long, but it is nice when I do.



Mountain biking is good

The Language of Things

I seem to sign up for a lot of newsletter at work related to both marketing and the industry for which I currently market (crazy complicated engineering stuff).  Today I got a newsletter with an interesting quote from the book "The Language of Things" by Deyan Sudjic.  I think I would have always found this quote interesting, but now that I am a design student I am very intrigued by this definition of design.  Adding this book to my list.

"There is something to understand about objects beyond the obvious issue of function and purpose. It suggests that there is as much to be gained from exploring what objects mean, as from considering what they do and what they look like. Design is the language that a society uses to create objects that reflect it purposes and its values. Design is the language that helps to define, or perhaps to signal, value. It is the language of design that serves to suggest an object's gender, often though the most unsubtle of means, through color, shape, size and visual reference. It is design that reflects a sense of authenticity, or its manipulative opposite: cynical salesmanship."

Art Project #3

I finally got to use color in a project.  I must not get too excited because this is one of the only projects I can do that in so I don't want it to go to my head.

Project Details:
Choose from industrial object, animal or plant and create a segmented drawing.  Continuously enlarge the object until it is no longer recognizable and is just shapes.  Only on the final design can color be used (black & white are not considered colors in our class for design purposes).

My Design:
I decided to use a desk lamp for my design because I suck at drawing animals and plants (except maybe a daisy or a bird that looks like an 'm').  The project was fun.  I got to use this old fashion, but really fun, projector at school to enlarge my design.
For my final design I use dark navy as the background color and varying shades of blue to highlight my focal point - yellow. 
I am fairly happy with how it turned out, but figuring out the colors were a nightmare.  We couldn't use a computer so I had to just experiment with materials I could find.  I decided to use color paper to achieve my color.  I headed to the craft store and thought I had found the perfect color mix.  My original plan was to create a gradient, but the color jump between 2 blues was too drastic and just didn't feel right.  Ultimately, I went with the colors below.

Climbing - Oh how I have missed you

Last night my ward went climbing at Momentum climbing gym in Sandy.  It was awesome.  We had over 40 people come (which I call a successful activity).  Personally, it has been about 4-5 months since I climbed. That is very sad.  I used to love climbing (I still do).  I used to climbing weekly.  Now I get blisters because my hands are too soft.  I better go more often and toughen these hands up.  But it was good to just to be climbing again. And the soreness today is well worth it.
Here are a few pics of the wardies climbing (taken with Bishop's iphone). 

Dirty Dirty Dirty

Dirt is fun.  Saturday was the first annual Dirty Dash in Utah.  It was the most successful first year race in Utah's history (over 4000 participants).  A few friends and I headed to Solider Hollow Saturday morning to get down and dirty as we raced the 10K trail course around Solider Hollow in Midway.
It was awesome and tough.  The course was very hilly and included several obstacles such as jumping over hay bails, crawling through tubes, climbing over walls, sliding down the worlds largest slip-n-slide and of course trekking through deep thick mud making this the dirtiest race I'd ever run (or maybe I should say run/walked, it was really hilly).
I will be signing up for this next year.

Pre Race Clean

I'll post a post race photo when I get it.

Art #2 Patterns

My second design project (turning in tonight) was to take 2 items that naturally go together like sun & moon or bat & ball, etc and create a pattern using them. 

The rules:

• Simple shapes
• Recognizable form
• Solid black shapes
• Shapes must touch or overlap
• Pattern built from shapes must touch or overlap

The process:

1. Create a list of 20 items that go together
2. Sketch (thumbnails) a few of my favorite ideas
3. Take 1 or 2 ideas and start putting the items together and dabble with patterns
4. Final design - A 10" x 15" sheet filled with a pattern
5. Mount on mat board and present to class for critique

My design: (My thumbnails won't be shown here because really they are horrible.)
I came up with two designs I really loved, but in the end I am only turning in the second.

Tent & Fire

Treble & Bass Clef

Update on THE LIST

Seeing as my half birthday is only a couple weeks away I thought it would be good to give an update on my progress thus far in my yearly list. 
Here is THE LIST

1. Learn a new “mommy” skill -  I asked my sisters, sister-in-laws and my mom for their help with this goal.  Some of them said it was one the job training, others offered to teach me things we shall not share here, but mostly I haven't done much.  My sister Kelly has been sharing fast reciepes I can cook for myself or a family.
2. Take a class in a subject that interests me - I want to take an interior design class, but with limited time to take classes just for fun now that I am actually in school for real I am counting my design classes because I am interested in all of them.
3. Develop a relationship with the library - Not too shabby.  I have checked out a few books, but I am also using friends as a library.  I haven't purchased new books (besides my textbooks) since April.
4. Design a personal scripture study program and use it - My plan is to do an hour of study every Sunday morning and 15 minutes daily.  Not so great at keeping up with it, but as all things it is a work in progress.
5. Learn about nature - I would like to learn more about geology.  Nothing done yet unless you count the little booklet I picked up in Bryce earlier this year.
6. Learn about my family - I just bought my first ever computer and one of my first plans is to finish typing my Grandma Berger's life story.
7. Gain a personal testimony of the temple & temple work - I made the decision in July to attend the temple to receive ordainces for myself.  It was an amazing experience and I am so happy.  I am currently finishing "The Holy Temple" as part of my church study and I have been attending the temple at least twice a month.
8. Experience a different culture - Any ideas?
9. Teach someone a skill - I taught Talena how to set up a slackline for her family reunion. 
10. Pick up a new outdoor skill - Marne is going to teach me how to use a map and compass.  I'm old school
11. Understand the body and how it functions - Want to learn more about nutrition
12. Expand a passion - I have a photography project planned, but waiting to purchase a new camera.
13. Research a topic that confuses me til I understand - Computers!  I just purchased my computer and I spent a lot of time talking with my computer smart friends about the components and hardware.  I still think I need some additional study, but I think I get it.
14. Be creative - I am doing more crafts.  I made a easter door decoration, created a necklace frame (still needs to be completed) and I attemped to make cork covered containers.
15. Improve grammar and spelling - I am creating a spelling list.  I follow a grammer blog. Talena loaned me a grammer book.  And Lindsey (see #25) is going to be my teacher.
16. Acquire a new resume skill - I think I have this covered.  I am taking 2 classes at SLCC; Design & InDesign.  I love them both and I'm learning a lot.
17. Expand a talent - Learn 10 new songs on the piano and/or guitar
18. Learn from the past - Improve my communication skills
19. Develop a Christ like characteristic - Oh I have a list of charachteristics of who I want to become.  Now to narrow down the list and get to work.
20. Explore my surroundings - Explore downtown SLC.
21. Challenge myself physically - Maybe a marathon since last year's didn't work out.
22. Participate in my community - Not sure what to do yet.
23. Share the gospel - I don't shy away from sharing my testimony as much as I used to and I have given the BofM to 2 people I work with.  I hope they have read it and felt the Spirit.
24. Record my experiences, thoughts and feelings - I am horrible at keeping a journal.  I have started and stopped many times in my life and even after setting this goal I have been struggling.  This is a work in progress.  But the goal is to write at least once a month. (And yes I know the blog could count, but I want a little more detail).
25. Discover an old friend - I have been going to lunch with my old roommates, Marne & Lindsey once a month.  And I recently started a penpal with my friend Melina. (we have been friends since we were 5).  I have great friends and getting to spend time with these ladies again is so fun.
26. Serve in secret - I can't tell you then it wouldn't be a secret.
27. Develop a healthy habit - Not sure what habit I should start

Golf, Dew & Baseball



Watch out woman driver

This weekend was filled with summer first.  It was my first time driving a golf cart.  It was my first time seeing Neon Trees.  It was also my first time almost breaking a toe hitting at the batting cages.  I know the last one seems really interesting, but we have to start in order. 

GOLF CART
Friday we got out of work a couple hours early to play 9 holes of golf.  We divided up into teams and played what is called "best ball" golf.  This means everyone on the team hits and whoever has the best ball (best hit, usually the furthest) we all get to hit from their spot for our next hit.  I am very proud to say that even though I am a girl who has only played golf once (when I was 14) I actually had the best ball several times.  Because there were only 3 players on our team, I got to drive my very own golf cart.  I have never been in one before and it was AWESOME.  I had a blast weaving in and out of trees and even practicing doing figure eights in reverse.

First swing of the day (and it actually was a good hit)

DEW TOUR & NEON TREES
After golf a few friends and I headed over to the Dew Tour to watch some wicked cool BMX and FMX.  The tricks were scary which makes it exciting to watch.

FMX (Freestyle Motorcross)

Look mom! No hands!

After the tricks we head out to watch the Paper Tongues and Neon Trees perform.  Paper Tongues...not a fan.  Really cheesy.  They were trying too hard to be cool.  Neon Trees was much more natural and great performers.  The downside to the show were all the preteens whose parents let them run around the streets of SLC unsupervised to annoy the rest of the population with immaturity.  But I guess it did make it easier to watch the show over top of them (most weren't talker then my shoulders).

BASEBALL & TOES
Alright now to the broken toe (almost).  As part of the work golf activity on Friday we had our annual work BBQ Saturday evening at Mulligan's in Sandy.  We ate food and got free reign of the facility's activities.  Which means I hit 4 tokens worth of balls in the batting cages and a large bucket of golf balls.  It was on my third token I got my first battle scare. A blister had form and proceeded to detach itself from the rest of my thumb in a not so pleasant stinging sensation, but that wouldn't keep my from using my last token.  That pride in how tough I am lead to my second battle scare for the evening.  I had been hitting very well (some might say that I was better than my big tough guy friend who can hit home runs), but a suggestion from that friend had me changing up my hitting style.  One time was all it took to hit the ball awkwardly and have the ball slam right into my toes, breaking off 2 toes nails and bruising my middle toe.  Luckily, no permanent damage done.  I finished out the token because truthfully I think the blister hurt a lot worse.

Gaslight Concert

I saw Gaslight Anthem last night at The Depot.  It was a great show.  Despite having beer spilled on me and the band stopping to break up a fight down front (both are part of my Depot concert tradition it seems) I am pretty sure I'll see them every time they come to town.  They know how to put on a show.  And I have a theory they were concert junkies back in the day too because they were so chill when stupid drunk fans would jump up on stage and dance and sing with them.

Great tunes, great show

Lead singer, Brian Fallon was the best part of the show.  I could have watched him sing all night.  His facial expression and his dimples were so great.  Fallon was a great singer and very funny.  He had personal interactions with the crowd which makes for an entertaining show.



I love his face

Side note - the lead singer of Neon Trees, Tyler Glenn was at the show, standing right in front of me.  We are new BFFs.  I'll see them tonight at the Dew Tour.

Neon Trees (Tyler has the blue bow tie)

Artist Now

Ok, so I'm not a real artist (yet), but my first art project has been completed and will be turned in for grading tonight.  Overall, despite the tears that may or may not have been shed during the course of the first few weeks of school (I broke down into sobs after my first class and had to go home for some comforting from the mom), I am very happy with the end result.  So I took a photo and sent it to my mom.

My first art project...I'm so proud

What you are seeing is 3 objects that have been reduced to their simplest form but are still recognizable.  Basically, we had to create symbols.  What do you think?  Can you tell that there is a book, city scape and truck?  Let's hope so otherwise my grade won't be that great. Oh and yes that blank square is supposed to be blank.

I'm seeing a theme

Without many weekend plans I ended up watching a few movies that had been on my list for awhile.  And apparently I like the outdoors. 
Friday night I watched "Touching the Void" a movie based on the book, based on the real life story. 

The story is about 2 climbing partners, Simon and Joe who attempt Siula Grande in Peru.  On the decent, Joe breaks his leg.  Simon trys to lower him, but when Joe is lowered over an edge and Simon's begins to lose his position on the mountain, Simon is forced to cut the rope holding them together and Joe falls into a crevasse.  Believing Joe to be dead, Simon continues down the mountain back to camp.  BUT Joe survived the fall (and because it won't be giving away the ending because it is a true story) he is actually able to crawl, shuffle and pull himself back to camp. 

Great movie if you aren't offended by the "F" word which is used about 30 times in a 30 second period.

On Saturday, a couple friends and I went to the zoo.  So after starting school it has become very apparent that I'm horrible at drawing.  The trip to the zoo was to help me relax and have a fun time sketching (frustration free).  I am not sure if it had that exact effect, but at least I got to go to the zoo.

I finished the evening with 2 of my favorite things, slacklining and movies.  We went to Liberty park to slackline.  After we had our fill of the line (well I really can never get my fill) we headed to the Clark Planetarium to see "The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest."  Some of my climbing friends had seen it and so I was excited to go check it out.

The movie was great.  But then again, I pretty much like any movie that has mountains in it, especially the mother of all mountains.  It was the story of George Mallory's attempt to be the first person to climb Everest and his resulting death.  George Mallory attempted the summit of Everest in 1924 almost thirty years before Sir Edmund Hillary became the first man to summit in 1953.  Mallory died on Everest and no one knew if he reached his goal.  Climber Conrad Anker found Mallory's body in 1999 still on the mountain. With much of his clothing and gear still intact (he even had hair on his head) there was one important thing missing.  Missing from Mallory's body was the picture of his wife he promised to leave at the summit.  The movie then follows Anker as he climbs Everest to see if it were possible for Mallory to have summited in 1924. 

Cool movie with great shots of Everest.

So do you see it, the theme here?  I see it.

Bikes and Bands

Yesterday was simply FABULOUS!  It started out with my boss saying he would pay for my schooling (hence the last post).  I had a great lunch with two of my close friends. Upon leaving the parking lot to return to work I saw the Live Strong U-23 Team car (under 23, yes they are babies).  I sent the photo to a few biking friends, Dan sent me a text that made me giggle so I'll share... "Knock on the window. 'Lance. Come out, baby. I know you're in there!"  HAHA.  I was kind of tempted.

Live Strong Team car in SLC.
 Lance really wasn't in there, but the plates were from Texas

After work we walked down the street to the Capitol to watch the Prologue of the Tour of Utah.  It is a 6 Stage, stage race thru Utah.  It is a professional race (maybe not Lance worthy, but still a good race).  It is "Arguably the most difficult non-UCI stage race in the States."  Levi Leipheimer, who rides on Lance's team is racing this year.  Read more about Levi and TOU - http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/08/news/leipheimer-versus-the-world-at-tour-of-utah_134583

Bissel Pro Team, I think

Almost passed

I went to a couple stages of the TOU last year and I hope to get to a few this year, especially the last stage which ends up Little Cottonwood Canyon at Snowbird.

Yesterday's stage was a short 2.8 mile time trail around the Memory Grove loop.  The top time was just over 6 minutes.  They were so fast most of my photos came out blurry.

This guy, I don't know.  But he was trying to tempt the riders with money.
He was nice enough to give this little girl a $1

Chase on the Live Strong team.  He is a Utahn

We didn't get to watch for long, because we headed off to the Dave Matthews Band concert.  Yes, I said Dave Matthews Band.  It has been 12 years since I have seen him live and he is even better than I remember.  The first time I saw him they had just released their album, Crash.  My sister, Kelly took me (she is a good older sister).  It was my first rock concert and we sat on the hillside of Wolf Mountain (yes it was that long ago, not called Wolf Mountain anymore).

Our view

This year tickets were free.  DMB has had to cancel the last two years for various reasons so this year they opened up tickets to previous ticket holders for free.  Lucky for me, my friend had extra tickets.  Traffic to USANA Amphitheater was insane so we missed the opening band, Brett Dennen (lucky I already saw him last year).

Dave is so hot...yummy

Dave didn't disappoint.  It was a great show.  He played a great mix of his new stuff and old classics, songs like: You & Me, #41, Gravedigger, Sister, Jimi Thing and more .  I was really excited that he played some stuff from his solo album, Some Devil, which is my favorite album.
Next year, I'm going to fork out the $60+ to see him again.

I love the drummer (on the right screen).