The Inner Child

Last night, I went to the Disney-themed show they have on campus. Students run the show, the acts are selected from student-auditions, and it's always one of the best (and certainly funnest) show on campus.

I was performing in the show with the "My A Capella" group this past Fall, and it was fun to enjoy the show from the audience this time.

I arrived at the show 10 minutes early, and as I walked in, one of the girls running the show was looking for help: the auditorium's digital projector wasn't working, so the promo-video they had planned to show was a no-go. They needed some music to fill the current void of silence. Enter my iPhone. It has Pandora, so I quickly queued up the Disney Kids station (why I didn't already have it saved in my stations, I don't know). They plugged that baby into the sound system, and I provided the intro music for the show. Okay, so really it was Pandora, but I helped.

I'm not sure what it is about Disney music that makes me feel like a kid again. Maybe it's all the memories I have attached to those songs. My awesome mother never left us wanting for Disney music. From the Sing-along videos, to the Disney favorite songbook, to the Disney favorite tapes, to the actual Disney movies themselves, our house always had some form of good ol' Disney fun well within our grasp. I cherish the memory of my Mom playing "name that tune" with songs from the Disney favorites songbook. We would bid on how many notes we could guess the title in. I equally cherish the memory of me and my sister dancing and singing along to the original Parent Trap song "Let's Get Together" complete with brooms as our pretend guitars.

Last night's show got me to remember some of those things. I was smiling and cheering through the whole show. Memories from my childhood were revitalized, along with memories from my more recent childhood. I absolutely LOVE the movie Tangled! So if you find yourself feeling old, stressed, weighed down, or just too "growed-up", remember that Disney never left. You can set the grown-up world aside for a bit and bring out your inner-child. That's okay.

Another Mix of Thought

I'd truly be an ungrateful son if I didn't mention my Mom. She's awesome. If you know her, you most certainly agree with me.
Life challenges the very best of us with all it can, and I think that my Mom, through all of life's challenges, has remained standing steadfast in the path that she knows is right. She's got the noblest heart of anyone I've known, big enough to love anyone, forgive anything, and understand. She's a keeper, and I think I'll keep her.
I love her humor, I love her insight into the fun details of life. I love her way of making life pleasant for her family, even through the most unpleasant times.
Mom, I love you.

Now, here's a funny thing: I went to call home for Mother's Day. I got the following recording: "You have reached a non-working number."
This has got to be a joke, I thought. First off, anyone who knows my family know that "non-working" is a phrase as foreign as "bored". And yet, here was this recorded voice telling me that the number I've had since I was born was no longer working. I called my Mom's cell number and got the lady of the house. She confirmed that, while the family was still in working order, the phone number had, in truth, been let go. I think a more accurate term in the recording would be "dead" in place of "non-working".

So the family is officially wireless. How thoroughly modern we are.

Okay, so next, I'm beaming. I am honestly grinning as I type. Why, you ask? I'm pretty thrilled about how I feel. I don't want you to get sick of me rubbing my fitness triumph in your face through a computer screen, it's just good for me to share my success in this way to keep fueling my motivation. Since I've been in Rexburg, I've lost 12 lbs. If I keep going, I'll be a new person the next time I see most of you.

Now that I shared that, I feel comfortable sharing this next part about food.
I finally went to Great Harvest. I've heard from so many people how great this place is. Verdict: IT REALLY IS! It's my new favorite eatery in Rexburg. I get the Turkey Pesto (no cheese). It's awesome! If you haven't been to Great Harvest, and you get the chance, do it!

Sometimes I do dumb things. It's all too true. My most recent was trying frozen yogurt. I know it's gonna give me an allergic reaction, but sometimes I just try again, you know? Just in case. They were handing out tubs of frozen yogurt at a talent-board retreat dinner on Friday night. And I did partake. See? Dumb.
Even as I ate, my mouth was telling me "this burns". The rest of the night, I was itchy. All over. And I was congested all through the night and into the morning.
Will I ever try it again? Yes, definitely. Will it be soon? Absolutely not! I have to forget what it feels like before I try the same dumb thing again.
The sad part about this: I may never know what it's like to have a Pinkberry. Please tell me that someone is thinking "Wait, what's a Pinkberry?" It will make my day.

I've got a new addiction. It is Michael Buble radio on Pandora. I can stream Pandora on my phone, so I take my phone into the bathroom with me and start out my day with a shower and a song. It really is the perfect way to start a day.

This semester is very demanding in terms of efforts, but not too strenuous as far as mental challenges go. I'm really loving classes, loving being with friends, loving the way I feel, really loving life. I really miss the people and warmth of Arizona, but life here is treating me pretty darn well. Couldn't you all just come visit? We could do lunch at Great Harvest! Just a thought.