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Thursday, October 30, 2008

October 29... Tiki Marsala


I finally did it. I ate Indian Food.
All of it.... delicious. Chicken Tiki Marsala and a coconut one as well. It had a lot of different flavors and spices, and I was very impressed with everything. I can say (and very cheesy, if I may add) that this new thing was a real "treat". Har har har.

October 28... MRAZMERIZED.



Seeing Jason Mraz live in concert is a new thing I've ALWAYS wanted to do. And it was everything I knew it would be. (Plus I got to stand 10 feet away from him!!!!)


Some things Jason taught me:
-Don't let your mind get in the way of you having fun.

-Even Jason's spit is sexy.
-It's cool to have a Lawn Gnome sitting on the table with all your mallets and instruments.

-Wear a cool hat.

-If you take a polariod... share it with the crowd.

-Love is an exploding tank of hearts in a field of lilacs.

Also: He can whistle. Very good. And sing Bob Marley. That guy is just so dang perfect.

October 27... A cd and some fruit.

Daphne and I recorded ourselves for the first time. This is how it went:

(Halfway through the piece) "Wait... I don't think it's recording. Let me try again."
(At the end of the first time) "No. It didn't record. Let's try it again. Ok, it's good."
(At the end of the second time) "NOOOOO!! It didn't record again. Let's find someone to fix it.."
And so on, and so forth... this is how the Fifth Version was created. But let me tell you, it is absolutely glorious. It was a bit nerve-racking, but in the end, it was ultimately a fine performance.
Also done today: Pete let me try some Lychee. They are a fruit from Asia, and they taste a bit like a mix between pineapple and pears and something else I can't put my finger on. I love fruit. Mmmmm.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

October 26... Don't Read Into This Too Much


Utilizing Spencer's book, I started learning about Nature Photography. I didn't get very far, but I did learn some interesting tips on how to photgraphy with harsh light, soft light, backlights, sidelights, and reflected light. Hopefully I can put it into use sometime soon! One day my pictures will look as good as this one... one day.

October 25... The Hocky Pocky

On my way to watch my sister dance for the NYCDA competition, Spencer and I entered into a whole different world... or so it seemed. This world was, in actuality, just the Salt Palace. This is a ginormous building located in downtown Salt Lake, and quite the adventure to nagavate through. It took us down a few flights of escalators, around corners, and through strange hallways to make it to our final destination. But we made it eventually, and my sister did fabulous.



Afterwords, on the TRAX ride home, we met two girls that had just came from the Anime Convention downtown. (I know, right??) After we had listened to them for a few minutes, they proceeded to offer us "Pocky"... an apparently famous snack in Japan. (And a few other places, I'm told) These little chocolate-covered breadsticks were quite tasty... and (as the box states) apparently referred to as the "Super Snack". Thank you Japan, for giving us Pocky, and gigantic-eyed cartoons with pokey hair!

October 24... The only dance left is the Robot, and the Robo-Boogie.

Inspired by Flight Of The Conchords, today's new thing was WEARING A HOME MADE ROBOT COSTUME to the Annual YC Halloween Carnival. I'm talking spray-painted cardboard box, hangers for antennae, and buttons to press for sprinkles (I was the cookie decorating booth). If you don't believe me, a picture says a thousand words.


October 23... Say Ahh...

I accompanied a vocal major today for the first time. Weirdest thing ever... I walk in, and they were making buzzing noises with their throats. It went fine I suppose. But let me tell you, vocal majors are on a level all of their own. Very odd.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

October 22... Stare Master

Sometimes, the bus brings out my weird side. Today's new thing was inspired by the blue-eyed baby across the seat from me on an average trip to class. I was minding my own business, when I was suddenly startled as my gaze locked on the eyes of this infant, who had it in his diabolical mind to make me as uncomfortable as possible. Who knew that babies could have such blatant stares? So I did the only thing that seemed logical at the time. I stared back. I had a staring contest with a baby.

I don't know what his mom could have been thinking. I'd like to think that she couldn't see me in her peripherals, staring at her child. But I'm sure she could. All I care about is the fact that I won! The baby blinked and turned his head (I'm sure it was in shame). It took everything I had to resist the urge to yell, "I won! You think you're so tough cause you're an innocent baby?!? Well I WON!!!"
I wish that I had higher self esteem than to admit that it seriously boosted my confidence to beat a baby in a staring contest.

October 21... Don't you Fret

As suggested by Spencer, I tackled learning a new song on the guitar. ...Two, in fact. New Slang by The Shins. And when that one got easy, I switched to Blackbird, by the Beatles. Now I can officially say that I am the Guitar Girl at the party.

October 20... Ok, so back to the real world.

Monday. School. The drudgery hits, and you feel depressed. What better way to kick that bad mood by sampling a Mint flavored Milky Way? Try it Mikey, you'll like it.

Monday, October 27, 2008

October 16-19... Portland.

First of all, apologies to the emtpiness of this blog as of late. By now, you probably all know about my reluctance to make entries without rad pictures. Unfortunately, I still don't have all of them, but I will do the best with what I have.)


If I could describe this weekend in one word, it would be unbelieveable. There were so many new things that I decided to mush them all into one little blog, one little peek into what can only be described as the craziest and most random adventure. Why? Because I went....
COUCH SURFING.
In Portland.

Impossible and crazy as it sounds, I got offered a chance to spend my fall break in a new place, and took it on a whim. My friend Pete took the wheel, and embarked on an 11 hour drive to Portland.

On the way there, I checked off a few new things... we drove in the city of Boise, Idaho (All I have to say is tractors... lots of tractors...) I learned some Thai phrases to use on my grandma Aree, we drove through Oregon, and I had my first Couch Surfing experience.

I should probably take this time here to explain exactly what this entails. Couch Surfing is a net-based hospitality network, designed to help fellow travelers like myself. Basically, people offer up their couches/air matresses/whatever they have for travelers to sleep on during their trips. Pete, whilst looking for a fun Fall Break vacation, stumbled upon Ashley and David's profile, a couple living in a small studio apartment in downtown Portland. After reading about them, he just knew that he had to go, and extended the invitation out to me. I was shocked at first, but completely excited, and before I knew it, I was wandering the streets of Portland. And that basically explains the weekend.
Some new things I can remember off the top of my head without pictures:
- I visited Pioneer Square and ate a Honkin' Huge Burrito.
- I saw the most photographed dog in Portland.
- I used a morse-code machine in the Wells Fargo museum/bank.
- I ate a Captain Crunch donut at Voodoo Donuts (It's next to the anime porn shop, and don't you forget it!)
- I bought my first used book (The Prince, by Machiavelli) in the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world... Powell's Bookstore. It was radical.
- I tried tea at the Golden Horse in Chinatown.
- I also ate soup with duck in it :)
- I saw a movie (The Dutchess) in a Portland movie theater.
- I ate a delicious biscuit at the Portland Farmer's Market on PSU campus.
- I went to the Saturday Market.
- I wore a Bindi on my forehead.
- I took a real Portland train and walked with Ashley and Pete to 23rd street.
- I walked next to the river and took a picture of the bridges.
- I tried Lebanese food.
- I tried Amaretto gelato.
- I laid in the grass at Couch Park.
- We bought a Portland Lottery Ticket (Ok, Pete bought that one, but I witnessed it)
- I heard the whole version of An American In Paris.

Me, Pete, David and Ashley. They look like they fell asleep, but they were just pretending to hate us. They really loved us.
These pictures are thanks to Pete, who is such a better photographer than myself. But I'm sure it helps to have a digital Sony too :)


Thursday, October 16, 2008

October 15... The shadow and the light

Today's new thing was being "ADJUSTED" in Yoga. Basically, you're laying on your back already relaxed, and the adjustment just brings your body into a more straight and "true" position. My teacher describes it as "bringing out the light" in the person. And man alive, it feels good.

October 14... "Surprise Me."

New thing today was sitting at the bar at Angie's... you know the one I'm referring to. The one that the creepo old men always sit at... the ones that blatantly stare. And, while we were doing new things, Pete told the waitor to "surprise him", and on a whim, I did the same. He brought me out some nice French Toast, and when I asked him why he picked it, he replied "because he likes it." Dude.

Monday, October 13, 2008

October 13... Greenhouse Giddiness.

Every day I've walked past this greenhouse... every day I've been itching to leave my own impression... Today, I finally creeped up to it and scratched my mark.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

October 12... Playlist: Untitled

I finally did it.... I made a playlist of my life. Songs I fondly remember from my childhood... songs that describe the way I was feeling at the time... It goes in chronological order from the end of elementary to today. I would have rather just shared the itunes files with you guys, but I don't know how to post a link to them. If anyone can figure it out, lemme know... that way you can actually sample them if you so wish. Anyways... enjoy. I added a bit of commentary, it's easier to see the changes.
And so it begins.
(Earlier years)
Fantasy- Mariah Carey
Miss Otis Regrets- Bette Midler
I Will Always Love You- Whitney Houston
Any Man of Mine- Shania Twain
If You Want to Be a Good Girl (Get Yourself a Bad Boy) -Backstreet Boys
Wannabe -Spice Girls
I Believe -Blessid Union of Souls
(They Long to Be) Close to You -Carpenters
(Middle School begins... Cortni starts to watch MTV.)
Anything But Ordinary -Avril Lavigne
Rollout (My Business) -Ludacris
Good Lives - Eve 6
Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades - Brand New
Island In The Sun -Weezer
Send the Pain Below -Chevelle
Bless the Broken Road -Rascal Flatts
Getting Into You -Relient K
Head on Collision -New Found Glory
The Best of Me -The Starting Line
You can't fake it hard enough -Dashboard Confessional
Hands Down -Dashboard Confessional
Satellite -Dave Matthews Band
Iris -Goo Goo
Love You Madly -Cake
Shoot The Moon -Norah Jones
Somewhere I Belong -Linkin Park
Summer Girls -LFO
The Future Freaks Me Out -Motion City Soundtrack
In Reverie -Saves The Day
Reptilia -The Strokes
Too Much Time on My Hands -Styx
Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) -The Offspring
Blood Red Summer -Coheed & Cambria
Can't Stop -Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Time Is Running Out -Muse
The Remedy (I Won't Worry) -Jason Mraz
Say It Ain't So -Weezer
(High School begins... If I'd only prepared...)
The Phantom of the Opera -Phantom of the Opera (I clearly remember this being my alarm to wake up on the first day of 10th grade.. silly huh!)
Disappearing One - Chris Cornell
Nothing I Do-Jamie Cullum
One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces -Ben Folds Five
(the Tony Graham saga)
Under Pressure - Queen
I Love You -Martina McBride
I Go Blind - Hootie & The Blowfish
Up All Night -Unwritten Law
Lonesome -Unwritten Law
Beyond The Gray Sky -311
Time Of Your Song - Matisyahu
All Mixed Up - 311
Nasim Joon -O.A.R.
Cailin -Unwritten Law
Ho's -Pepper
Black Eyes, Blue Tears - Shania Twain
(Finding myself in high school)
Hello -Evanescence
What If - Coldplay (enter Richie Loveridge)
Breathe In -Frou Frou
Loose Ends -Imogen Heap
Sidewalk Pictures -Stephanie Smith
Clark Gable -The Postal Service
Click Click Click Click -Bishop Allen
Such Great Heights -Iron & Wine
(Enter Michael Thorup and teenage angst)
Dirty Little Secret -The All-American Rejects
Secret -Maroon 5
Satan is My Motor -Cake
Institutionalized -Suicidal Tendencies
The Unwinding Cable Car -Anberlin
You Were Here -Pink Floyd
In This Diary -The Ataris
I Will Follow You into the Dark -Death Cab for Cutie
Better Together -Jack Johnson
The Point of No Return -Phantom of the Opera
Comfortably Numb -Pink Floyd
Dead -My Chemical Romance
Supermassive Black Hole -Muse
(Graduation and exit Tony Graham.)
Movin' On -Stefanie Grubbs
Complainte de la Butte - Soundtrack Moulin Rouge
Rhapsody in G Minor, Op. 79, No. 2 -Brahms
Reflets dans l'eau -Debussey
Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72, No. 1 -Chopin
Tony The Beat -The Sounds
(College)
a. Speak To Me b. Breathe -Pink Floyd
Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-5 -Pink Floyd
(Enter Steve Crass)
Blackbird -The Beatles
Cold Hard B**** - Jet
(Enter James Adams)
Prelude -Chiodos
First Day Of My Life -Bright Eyes
(Enter cold Logan Winter)
Divide Me -Kalai
The Way You Look Tonight -Fred Astaire
All These Days -Stephen Speaks
All The Way Up To Heaven -Guster
Love -Mos Def
(Enter Tommy O'Dell)
Oh Yeah (Work)-Lil' Scrappy
The Diary of Jane (acoustic) -Breaking Benjamin
Hip Hop Police - Chamillionaire
Sorry -Maria Mena
Almost Lover- A Fine Frenzy Almost Lover -
Face To Face -Daft Punk
They Weren't There -Missy Higgins
(Random)
Eggplant -Michael Franks
(Enter latin boys from the DR)
Gasolina -Daddy Yankee
Sheep May Safely Graze -Leon Fleisher
Over the Rainbow -Jason Castro
(Enter Joshua Robert Lohner)
The Way I Am-Ingrid Michaelson
Losing My Head -Kalai
One, Two, Dancing With You -Mindy Gledhill
I: Allegro -J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Falling - Keri Noble
One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21 -The Flaming Lips
3. Rondo (Allegro) -Ludvig van Beethoven Piano concerto no. 5 "Emperor";
Canzonetta (Andante) -Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26: III. Finale: Allegro energico -Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
One Moment More -Mindy Smith
(Exit college, Joshua Lohner and everyone else. Full time work and 10k training are pursued.)
Curbside Prophet -Jason Mraz
I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) -Sandi Thom
Tomorrow Too Late -Saves The Day
Strong Ties -Kalai
Marching Bands Of Manhattan -Death Cab for Cutie
What I've Done (Acoustic Version) -Marié Digby
Run Like Hell -Pink Floyd
(Enter Spencer Santiago Clark!!)
Stream Of Consciousness -Dream Theater
Never Enough -Dream Theater
The earth will shake -Thrice
Like moths to the flame -Thrice
5:19 -Matt Wertz
(And we've made it full circle to Fall Semester 2009)
Idioteque -Radiohead
Subterranean Homesick Alien -Radiohead
Everything in its right place -Radiohead Ki
Trenchtown Rock -Bob Marley
Three Little Birds -Bob Marley
Bright Eyes -Jason Mraz
Turn Out The Light -The New Amsterdams
Bittersweet Symphony -The Verve
Etudes-Tableaux in G minor: Moderato -Rchmaninoff
The Avalanche -Sufjan Stevens
(Enter Pete)
Purple Rain -Prince (hahaha)
Let Go -Frou Frou

October 11... "Nuts to yer fiddles!" -Beethoven


I heard Beethoven's last String Quartet he ever wrote, and Op. 130 with the Grosse Fuge ending. I won't try and attempt to describe, except to say that some things you just have to experience yourself, in the moment.

October 10... Puzzling

Whilst wandering the mall late this evening, I camest upon a used-electronics store... and this glorious game. So my thing was playing the first form of Tetris ever made, on Super Nintendo. I'm talkin the original... just one player- not even the real recognizable Tetris theme song. Just me, some blocks, and a good time.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

October 9... Goldberg Variations

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." -Victor Hugo

I listened to The Goldberg Variations as a complete set... all 32 of them. (Glenn Gould's recording) It was an experience that I'll not soon forget. (This could be partly because I listened to them whilst taking a relaxing soak in the tub. It was probably about an hour. I was extremely pruny.)

October 8... Party Like It's 1999...?


1960

1968

1994


2000

I yearbooked myself.

October 7... Kill the Prime Minister of Malyasia!!!!!!!!!

I was hypnotized tonight... well... sort of. I tried an I-Doser... "Binaural Brain Doses" as they are scientifically called.

It kind of reminds me of the movie Total Recall, where the dreamy Arnold Schwarzenegger pays to have a simulated "vacation" implanted in his brain. However, this wasn't quite the same. Basically what you do is find a nice quiet place, put on fancy headphones, clear you mind, and just listen to the "dose". The doses are a bunch of beeps designed to synchronize your brain waves to simulate "experiences".... such as the use of Marijuana or Cocaine, for example. And it's true- a lot of them were designed to give you simulated "highs" or trips. The one I tried wasn't a drug one, but I can't recall the actual name. I just remember listening to it and feeling my whole body start to tingle. It probably could have been more successful if I hadn't drifted off to a peaceful sleep in the middle... although I did wake up a few hours later in the early morning feeling really disoriented and fuzzy. I'm just glad it didn't end up like Total Recall, where Arnold has a seizure and tries to rip apart the scientists with his bursting biceps... I'll settle with the tingling for now.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

October 6... Piano Caves

The Piano Caves.
I came, I saw, I conquered. And I had to climb four ladders to get there.
But I made it, and did this little number to the walls. This signing of my name signifies all of myself that I've put into this building, into the music program. As you can probably tell, it's a part of me... and now I am part of it! (Thanks to Pete, who was my guide... and Cailie and I thought he was lying this whole time...)

Also done today worth mentioning: I ate with a Biodegradable fork for the first time. USU has gone Green, and they now make utensils made out of ground-up corn. Go USU!

Monday, October 6, 2008

October 5... In A Pickle

I sampled Bread-and-Butter Pickles today as my new thing... homemade, courtesy of my Grandparents. I don't actually like pickles, but I figured they were worth a shot. Apparently, I'm just not a pickle person... You'd think with a blog name like the mysterious pickle that I would like pickles...

Saturday, October 4, 2008

October 4... Tacos al Pastor


Spencer claims that his brother Nate can make me do anything if he tells me it's a "New-Thing-Of-The-Day". This could very well be true.


I ate Queso Oaxaca, Tacos al Pastor y Tunas today for a delicious between-conference snack. Go to the Mexican store if you don't know what those are.

Ole!






Friday, October 3, 2008

October 3... We'll All Float On Anyway

Take two people,
an air matress of sorts,
some Fresca,
beavers and ducks,
flip-flops for paddles,
and lots of laughs...
And you have today's new thing.
Floating on the waters of First Dam.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

October 2... Oh Snap!

I am not an athletic person. I am also not a fashion-savvy person. However, I clearly remember coveting a pair of warm-up pants for my entire Middle School years... It was a secret longing of mine- to want to belong to a sports team, and be there right with them when they tore off their pants and ran around rampant through the courts. Okay... that might be a bit dramatic... or it might not be.

As you can see, if you kindly tilt your head to the side, ripping warm-ups off my body is not my calling in life. Yes, I tried it three times. No, I wasn't successful.


I guess I shouldn't come in at halftime and expect to play the game... or however it goes. So for now, I'm content to be the benchwarmer and watch the big stars play.

October 1... Walk Barefoot So They Don't Have To

...They say you can learn a lot by walking a mile in someone else's shoes.

Today I donated the very shoes off my feet for a great cause, Aggies for Africa. (Mine are the blue flip flops in the bottom RH corner.)Basically, you donate all your old shoes and walk around barefoot to support this program. I searched my shoes for something to donate, and made the realization that I had left all my old unused shoes at home. However, that didn't stop me. I waltzed right into the TSC, found the shoe donation box, and flipped each of my flip flops into it proudly. It felt SO GOOD to be spontaneous, SO GOOD to serve, and just SO GOOD to walk around all day without shoes. Before, my feet were squeaky clean....
And afterwords, my feet were caked with dirt. (Notice the odd black spot on my left foot. Gross...) I was glad to take the challenge and put myself in that position for a day, and to be able to walk in someone else's shoes (Or the lack thereof).

September 29... More Lame Piano Firsts


I have never played in one of Professor Amano's practice recitals. They scare me to death. So today, when I was the first one to sign up, I shocked even myself. I figured that I had my peice memorized, so I might as well start performing it. And it went fairly well... I didn't screw up big time, but it also wasn't something I would call good. I just remember feeling kind of dejected like the girl in the picture. However, a new thing is a new thing, and anything that can give me experience is good in my book.

September 28... Ramen Holiday

It was late. I had bundled myself into my room without any hope of excitement... A life of studying is certainly not a life of enjoyment. Naturally, in the act of quenching my thirst on my break, I remembered that I hadn't done a new thing. I hurredly asked my roommates for an idea (my favorite was Carina's... "Have you become an ultimate aggie on the bull yet?") But, due to Hailey's obsession of Christmas and countdown clocks on her computer, I decided to give a secret "83 Days (and some extra hours and minutes) Till Christmas" present to the boys across the hall. The present was a packet of Shrimp Ramen (extremely festive)... the only real gift I was willing to part with. I also didn't have very much wrapping paper, as you can see.

Basically, it went down like this:
Cortni: What do I do? The door's open!
Carina: I'll shut it! (shuts it. boys open it again. Brady comes out)
Brady: Why did you shut our door?
Hailey: Just close it for one minute, we want to do something. (shoves him back into the room and shuts the door) Ok go Cortni!
(I run up and madly throw it in front of their door, dashing away)
Carina and Hailey: You forgot to knock!!!!!