The Big House

Well...that's it. If you don't see me for a while, it's because I'm probably going to the clinker. Yup. Apparently I broke Federal Law. How, you ask? Well, I was using a package of Kirkland Signature Wipes, and I didn't follow the directions with exactness. The instructions tell the user to wipe dirt away with a cloth then use a clean wipe to wet the surface and keep it wet for five minutes to disinfect, using more wipes if necessary. I'm afraid that I only kept my counter wet for a total of four minutes and forty-five seconds. How could this possibly be against federal law? Well after my counter dried completely I continued to read the packaging, and it stated: "It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling." So it looks like I've done myself in. Since it's printed so plainly on the label, my guess is that a federal agent watched me commit the crime and that's them pulling up in my driveway right this second. I can only turn off the lights and hide for a short time; I know he'll come in to arrest me anyway. If he knew I misused the wipes, he'll definitely know that I'm in here typing away on my blog! It looks as if this will be the end to my days as a free man. I'll have to be locked up with other people who may have accidentally not repeated after washing and rinsing with their shampoo, or people who used a Lysol Wipe to clean a wood surface, even though the label said not to. 


Quick! I hear him coming now! Does anyone know a good I-didn't-read-my-cleaning-product-label-all-the-way attorney? 

The Second S: Strangers

Living out of a suitcase, waking up each morning in a different hotel, and eating no home-cooked meals can all lead to insanity. While traveling, one has to search for different paths to entertainment each day. However, one can only flip through every channel on television, google "how to avoid boredom in a hotel room," jump on the bed, or call the front desk and room service so many times before these normally fulfilling tasks become mundane. That constant search for something to do is the life of a business traveler; in fact, sometimes the only sanity a business traveler can acquire is borrowed.

So far this trip, I have been away from home for seven nights, and I have three more ahead. I've eaten the last twenty-two meals at a restaurant or hotel, stayed in five different hotels, become used to four different television channel lineups, read an entire novel, watched four movies, and talked face-to-face with only about fifteen people total whom I already know (actually, most I don't really know; I've just met them previously). To keep sane, I've had to rely on the kindness of strangers.

I'm surprised how many strangers are so wonderfully hospitable. All I've had to do is mention to someone that I'm from out of town and alone, and they go out of their way to make me feel more at home. That was definitely the case yesterday when I toured the historic St. George Utah Tabernacle. A fun older sister missionary from Boise, Idaho, serving in St. George with her husband, took me on a personal tour of the amazing, pioneer-crafted building. We spent about a half-hour talking about the history of the area, the building itself and the Gospel, but also chatted about the little things. And sometime's it's the little things that make you feel right at home.

Speaking of little things, I've spent the majority of the past few months traveling in the small towns of Utah and Wyoming. And I mean small. I visited some friends in Cokeville, Wyoming (population a whopping 488) to visit Joe & AnnMarie, a couple of old friends, which was one of the smallest towns ever. Joe would beg to differ. He grew up in the town of Veteran, Wyoming that currently has a population of 28. Anyway, sometimes I've really had to search for things to occupy my spare time, and I'm very lucky to have a group of recruiters from other schools I've been traveling around with. In fact, a couple other recruiters and I, who have gone from strangers to good friends in the period of three months, spent one evening in Vernal trying to think of fun things to do with hotel bedding. Again...it's the little things!

My advice to you fellow business travelers is to search out friendly-looking strangers. Almost everyone will be willing to help you find something fun, and many of them will invite you to do something with them! Befriending strangers can be one of your greatest adventures if you just step out of that shell!

Two S's and an A; or, Surviving Business Travel

Traveling alone on business can be a boring ordeal. Hotel room after hotel room. Packing, unpacking, and packing again. Listening to the drone of pavement on rubber mile after never-ending mile. And all this to do nothing but work. Alone.

When I started my latest job, I had mixed feelings about being on the road all the time. I was excited to see places I’d never been before, nervous to be doing it al alone, and a little apprehensive about working with people from many other institutions. If I was going to not only endure, but enjoy the three months of the high school tour, I’d have to figure out a system to survive. Well, here I am with one week left, and I believe I’ve concocted a doozy. Are you ready for the most revolutionary theory to ever be invented by a business traveler? Here it is: Two S’s and an A (be careful not to mix that up...I don’t ever want my brilliant idea to ever be thought of as the

“ASS” theory because I’m not a vulgar person...it’s the “SSA” theory. In that order. Always.). Have i piqued your curiosity? Two S’s and an A stands for Spontaneity, Strangers, and Audiobooks.

Spontaneity

I hadn’t realized how spontaneous I’d become until tonight. Tonight’s my second of two nights in Cedar City, Utah – a typical “meh” city. What’s a “meh” city, you ask? Well, it’s one of those towns that’s too large to be considered rural, to remote to be considered suburban, and not even the size of a typical neighborhood in an urban city like New York. A “meh” city is a city in which you ask a local where to shop for something you’ve left at home, and they decisively reply “Walmart.” I’m sure you’ve been to one in your life. Cedar City, in fact, is on the high-end of a “meh” city because it now officially contains a Holiday Inn Express, a Springhill Suites by Marriot, and a Hampton Inn. It’s obviously going somewhere...just not too quickly. The term “meh” comes from the question that is something to the effect of “how was (insert city name here)?” Undoubtedly, when visiting a city such as this, one will answer nothing but... “Meh.”

Anyway, I searched for the atypical things to do in Cedar City, the things that a tourist wouldn’t necessarily find interesting, I didn’t discover much. So, I resigned myself to do something a little more touristy. I visited Cedar Breaks National Monument. It was magnificent! Upon heading east on Center Street in Cedar City, you won’t find yourself stopping at the edge of civilization, but instead will traverse the twists and turns up a canyon decorated with iron-rich red dirt and always-green cedar trees. Approximately twenty miles up the scenic byway I turned into Cedar Breaks. I had heard of the breathtaking beauty and I didn’t see anything but trees and a couple boarded-up buildings as I pulled into the park. However, I quickly found a small trail, and twenty yards later, I was awestruck. I came a small cliff that overlooked a fiery valley of towering stones and jagged cliffs whose vibrant orange and red was only slightly tamed by the delicate blankets of snow scattered about. I snapped some photos, hoping to capture the beauty that would inevitably become the background of my computer screen, before pursuing another trail up a slight hill to my left. Though my way was plagued with patches of dirty snow, putrid mud that seemed to be twelve feet deep, and a wind that would chill the bravest of Eskimos (did I mention that I was wearing only a T-shirt because it was about seventy degrees in the city?), the view on the next ledge was even more spectacular. A few more pictures, however, and I was on my way out of the bitter cold back to the city.

As I pulled into the parking lot of my hotel, I glanced at the clock. An hour and ten minutes had passes since I left. That’s it. This was proving to be a very long and uneventful night. I then asked the young lady at the front desk where to eat and proceeded to head back up the canyon for a meal at Rusty’s Ranch House. A meal for which I’m still suffering from an overly-full belly (put ribs and steak on the same menu, and I’m a goner). After I finished my gluttony of a meal, I walked out of the restaurant, witnessing all the glittery stars, and glanced back toward the city where I saw four searchlights dancing around in the night sky. Generally, at home, I would have ignored these lights and headed for home, but curiosity got the better of me. I drove through town with one eye on the road and the other in the sky, occasionally losing the lights due to an annoying streetlamp or two, and was excited for what I may come across.

Now, I’m not going to tell you what I stumbled upon at the end of my wild goose chase because that’s not the point. The point is I was spontaneous enough to follow roaming beams of light to their source. For all I knew it would be an enormous rave where I would be the snitch who called the police to get the multi-million dollar drug ring out of town. It could have been the opening of Utah’s first legal casino. It could have even been the premiere of a debuting Hollywood Movie. So I followed the lights, being especially spontaneous and avoiding the boredom that awaited me in my hotel room. Spontaneity can truly be the business traveler’s best friend by breaking up the monotony of meetings, suitcases and hotel rooms as it has proven to be to me.

Wow. I see I’ve exhausted your eyes from reading my brilliant words of wisdom. I suppose we’ll just have to leave Strangers and Audiobooks for next time. Until then, Adieu.

I dit it...

Okay...I did it, and it's about time. I officially deactivated my Facebook account.

Did you just fall of your chair in surprise??? I thought so. I've long been one of those people who made fun of others for either not having Facebook or getting rid of their accounts. Now I'm the one who's officially a loner. I've just had it. Too many people can know WAY too much about you if you're on Facebook. Plus, it's just too much of a waste of time...after all, you can only spend so many hours playing scramble. So, in lieu of the good ol' social networking craze, I'll stick to the blogging. Now – who knows – I'll probably have more time to blog!

Summer's End

I realize that I have not been as diligent as I should be at writing this blog, and I deeply apologize to all of you that depend on Babbling Blather for your daily dose of pure joy (yes, I'm sure you're out there...somewhere), but it's been Summer. During summer I flip my brain's switch off and try not to think. At all. Alright, obviously it's impossible not to think at all, but I do try to at least dim the switch a bit so I don't wear my thinker out during the school year. After all, I've got at least seven more years of school before I get that Ph.D., and a worn-out noggin would be catastrophic.

But that's all about to change. Why? Because I've been seeing dreadful-yet-happy signs of Autumn. While walking at my cabin last weekend, I noticed the first sign: the crisp smell of aspen leaves changing from bright green to subdued yellows and browns. It wasn't quite the enveloping aroma that comes with raking leaves, but the small whiffs were everywhere. Oh, and don't worry...it snowed Saturday Morning, too. Also, while spending a couple of days at North Fork up Ogden Canyon, I saw a few orange and red leaves. Don't worry, though. Most of the trees are still holding out for September. They have the right attitude.

Of course, seeing the signs of Fall in the mountain's isn't a huge deal because it takes a while for the season-change to creep to the lower elevations. However, as I was searching for a stall in the McKay-Dee Hospital parking lot the other day (no...I'm not sick. I was there for lunch. What? Are you judging me because I went to the hospital for lunch? Shame on you. $4.45 is an amazing price for meat, two sides and a roll!...sorry...random) I looked toward the east and saw the big one: half of the trees on the hospital grounds have begun turning yellow! It actually depressed me for a split second, until I began reliving the amazing Summer I've had.

In May, I traveled to New York for a few days and experienced the sights and sounds of the Big Apple.

In July, I ventured to San Francisco for a night with some buddies. We stayed in a 4-star hotel, walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, ate sourdough bread on the Wharf, experienced my first taste of Chinatown (including a delicious Pork Bao), witnessed the San Francisco Giants' first No-Hitter since 1976, rode a roller coaster on a beach boardwalk, swam in the ocean, got lost and therefore traveled up the beautiful coastline and through a redwood forest, and, most importantly, ate at In-N-Out Burger.

Also in July and into August, my mom, brother, and I took a road trip to Vegas where I experienced casino gaming for the first time in my life, and subsequently lost my shirt (after winning a small jackpot on a Wheel-of-Fortune Machine). I tried pâté for the first time at a Vegas Breakfast Buffet, ate at In-N-Out twice, and, most spectacularly, made it from St. George to Ogden without one bathroom break!

I've also gone to the Cabin many times, read some great books, spent a night in three 4-star hotels, discovered Priceline.com and all of its goodness, started an internship which will continue through the fall semester, watched my first Blu-Ray movie, learned more Photoshop and photography tips and tricks, played soccer in a downpour, scored a goal or two in a soccer game (which is more than I ever did while playing in elementary school), flown on six planes, visited six states (including layovers), and even found time for a couple of naps. I think that explains why I haven't been writing all that much.

So, as you can see, I've had an adventurous Summer, and I'm semi-sad for it to end, but I've made memories that will last a lifetime. In fact, my break from school isn't even coming to an end because of my internship (I'm not starting school again until January). I'm having even more adventures this fall including traveling throughout Utah and visiting places I've never seen, recruiting at dozens of High Schools for the University I love, visiting two states I've never been to (Oklahoma and Texas), going to Jackson Hole and many other parts of Western Wyoming, spending about six weeks on the road for work, and who knows what else! It looks like Fall is going to turn into an even bigger adventure than Summer! But hopefully I'll have more time to write.

Photo Blog

Hi All Ya'll! Wuzzuuuup? I just thought I'd let you know that I've started a blog for my Photography and Graphic Design. I'd love it if you'd head over there and check it out, too (be sure to follow it as well). I'll be posting updates regularly as well as some special deals!

http://naphotodesign.blogspot.com/

Let me know what you think! Thanks!

My University

As a high school junior, I came to the realization that choosing a university to attend would be a decision effecting the rest of my mortal life. Many universities are liberal while many are conservative. Many have a plethora of social opportunities, while others focus mainly on academics. A few have a large population of LDS students while many don’t. I knew that making this decision could mean more than I ever realized.

My junior year, like those of millions of kids all around the world, was difficult. However, I became acquainted with some amazing people that knew how to dream big. Ashton Goodell, a senior at the time, was preparing to pursue her dream to become a broadcast journalist. She was to attend the University of Missouri where she would major in Political Science and Journalism. Ashton is now a successful member of a team of anchors for KTUU News in Alaska. She taught me to seek an institution that can take me places. Another friend, Ashley Linford, was preparing to attend Utah State University, where she would be a member of a Freshman Interest Group, or FIG. These groups help freshmen assimilate to college life while getting them involved in leadership positions and activities they enjoy. Ashley showed me the importance of getting involved, no matter where I went.

My cousin Peter was attending Arizona State University, one school that is famous (or infamous) for its social life. He was a member of the prestigious honors school where he was exposed to rigorous coursework and new ideas. Another acquaintance of mine, Claire Cain, was attending New York University, where she was studying music. Friends all around me were choosing Snow College, Utah State University, University of Utah, BYU, and many other institutions.

I witnessed people all around me make the decision of where they were going to college, how they wanted to spend the duration of their careers, and how they were going to support future families, yet I was stumped. I had no idea where I would attend because I had no idea what I wanted. I faced the task of choosing a school to attend the next four-plus years of my life. I put hundreds of hours into researching universities around the nation and compiled a list: 1. New York University. 2. Columbia University. 3. Brigham Young University. 4. Utah State University. 5. Arizona State University. 6. Weber State University. That’s right. Weber State was the very last on my list of choices.

From day one, I was indoctrinated to Weber State University, the institution both of my parents had attended. My dad has been announcing games at WSU since 1976 and worked there since shortly after graduating. I attended almost every sporting event between the ages of 0 and 16. Worst of all, I hated it. I couldn’t stand the fact that everywhere I went people assumed I was going to Weber because of “who I was.”

So I started on my quest. I talked to everyone I could who attended NYU, Columbia, BYU, USU, and ASU. I visited campuses, watched online presentations, kept in contact with admissions officers, and set out choosing universities to which I’d submit applications. I’m confident my parents weren’t too excited with my list. They wanted me to attend Weber because it was close to home, we wouldn’t have to worry too much about money (since my Dad works on campus, tuition is 50% off). I didn’t listen.

One day I received an invitation from BYU to attend a Y-Weekend. These invitations are the University’s only attempt to recruit students (other that athletic purposes) because, honestly, they don’t have to recruit. I spent the weekend in a hotel right across from campus, attended classes, toured the campus, met other future-cougars, and learned what campus life would be like at the Y. The verdict? I despised my experience in Provo. The classes we visited were enormous. The tour guides were proud of the fact that their freshman English and History classes topped three hundred students. The campus was huge...huge enough that no matter how many times we traipsed across the main drag, I still got lost. Worst of all, the students were pompous. They basically believed that you couldn’t be a true Mormon if you didn’t attend BYU. BIG turn off.

After e-mailing many admissions and scholarship offices back east and realizing they wouldn’t be too willing to hold admissions, let alone scholarships, for two years while I went on a mission. I also started crunching numbers and realized how expensive $40,000 a year for tuition really is. Rule out NYU and Columbia.

With only a few schools left on my list, I had no idea where I would turn. My dad suggested I meet with Lori Drake, a past admissions officer and current head of Enrollment Services at the WSU Davis Campus. Though I was extremely hesitant to meet with her, my dad assured me she would not try to convince me to go to Weber, but would just help me with my decision.

I met with Lori one afternoon and she helped me weigh my options. We looked at money, atmosphere, majors, and every other conceivable decision maker. Ultimately, after a lot of soul searching, I went against everything I had previously believed and only applied to Weber State University.

That decision has been the best decision I’ve ever made. Because of my choice of WSU, I’ve been able to be an Admissions Ambassador (recruiting students and leading freshman orientation groups); serve on two institute committees; serve on the homecoming planning committee; be a student representative to the Shepherd Union Building Board; serve on the orientation advisory committee; present a break-out session at a regional conference of the National Orientation Directors Association in Cheyenne, Wyoming; work as the Apple Campus Rep (and even travel to their corporate headquarters for training); build relationships with not only my direct supervisors, but the university’s president, provost, associate-provost, admissions director, and numerous deans, department chairs, and academic advisors. I’ve taken an honors class with a whopping seven students, where I was able to work directly with the professor to help design an experiment with e coli and essential oils. I’ve forged strong friendships with three student body presidents. I’m known to almost every one of my professors, past or present, by my first name. I’ve been quoted in the school and community newspapers. I’ve written and designed a parent orientation guidebook to be given to each parent that attends Freshman Orientation. I’ve designed conference programs and agendas for different organizations. I’ve assisted with a U.S. presidential campaign through my associations with the WSU College Republicans. I’ve coordinated a joint effort on a Cell Phones for Soldiers Drive with the WSU Environmental Club. I led the Ambassador group as the co-president, planning retreats, trainings, and weekly staff meetings, as well as making important forward-looking decisions that affected the entire program. I’ve been a member of a team of recruiters, admissions officers and ambassadors that has increased enrollment at WSU by great numbers. I’ve made friends, gone to parties, eaten free food, and lived everything else that encompasses the college life; all while being paid to go to school by receiving and keeping two full-ride scholarships.

That’s just me: one student at a great university. Thousands of students have even greater experiences than these. Weber State University is not an institution to be snuffed at. Here are just a few facts about the school:

• The Radiology Program is rated #2 in the nation. Want to know who’s number one? Johns Hopkins University...not a very small name, is it?
• The Goddard School of Business and Economics is accredited by the AACSB - the premier accreditation board for business schools in the world. Other schools that have received the same accreditation? Harvard. Yale. Columbia. Sound familiar?
• Weber State University’s Automotive Technology program is one of FOUR in the nation.
• Weber State was the first university to send a satellite (NewSat 1) into space without the help of NASA.
• Warren Buffet hosts WSU finance majors at an annual lunch in Omaha, after they attend the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.
• Kimberly Waite, a WSU Sophomore, was invited to study abroad in Salzburg Austria where she was one of very few students that studied opera for the summer. She now has scholarship offers for the Cleveland School of Music, one of the most prestigious conservatories in the nation, as well as numerous others.
• WSU’s Kimball Visual Arts Building has the largest Darkroom in the State of Utah.
• WSU’s English Department hosts the nations only undergraduate literature conference.
• WSU offers an education to students who would never have otherwise received a degree.
• More WSU Students are placed into Medical and Dental Schools per capita than any other university in the State of Utah.
• WSU has state-of-the-art facilities on a beautifully landscaped campus that allows you to walk from class to class in less then ten minutes...no matter where your class is.
• The WSU Student Association has brought Boys Like Girls, One Republic, The Hush Sound, and other top-rated bands for entertainment of the student body.
• WSU Students have been accepted into every major law school in the U.S.

Weber State University, as you can see, is not an institution that should be brushed off. It gives thousands of people a world-class education every year and gives people like me experiences of a lifetime. I’ve been through all the motions that a student should in choosing a university. I realize that I am just one student, and many different schools are great for many different people, but next time you’re about to refer to Weber State University as “just Weber,” think again.