Gosh

I just had a crazy night. It all started at 5:00 when my friend, Cora Owens, took me on a date. We went to Taco Amigo then went to see The Hobbit. When we got back to the car and she turned on the radio, we heard the words, "PG" and "Triple overtime." All thoughts of the beautifully written and emotionally moving film I had just seen left my brain. Pleasant Grove played against Lehi High School last night and won in quadruple overtime 109-107. I listened to the rest of the game and then called Trevor who was there. We talked a bit and it was great. Awesome job, Vikings.

But that was just the beginning. 

After I hung up the phone with Trevor, I get a text from my good friend and Pleasant Grove Sports Network's play-by-play commentator, David Brinkerhoff. It read, "Hey so Jeremiah Jensen from KSL wants us to edit the film for him.  Want to come to Russ' room and help us edit? Plus you can turn Kurt's music off." In my defense, Kurt's music is about as tasteful as this.

I was in my underwear watching Saved By the Bell when I got offered the chance to edit something that would actually go on television. I am not going to lie in saying that that is one of the coolest things that has ever been offered to me.

The only problem is that it was already 11:00 and I was planning on going to bed soon. Of course within minutes I was fully clothed and at my mother's bedside begging for her approval. She said yes as long as I updated her on how long I would be (I figured it would be two hours, tops).

After making a quick Wendy's run, we started into the work of editing the footage for a highlight reel. 

Five and a half hours I worked. 

From 11:30 PM to 5:00 AM I edited, searching through over an two hours of footage and separate footage for a total highlight reel time of 3 minutes. And right now, I am finally editing my masterpiece. 

This is my biggest break in the field of editing. Forget that Wednesday the school played the copy of Ferris Bueller's Day Off that I edited, this actually will have my name attached. I am going to make it big. Just watch.

Life update

• I need to submit my college applications by December 1. So…I kind of need to start them. (The reason I put it off is because I don't want to grow up. Peter Pan and I are basically the same (except he can fly))
• Santa is coming to town tomorrow night and I am one of his 6 foot elves. It'll be great.
• I am reading Life of Pi which is a great book. I haven't really had a reading book that I have gotten so into in a while, so I am really enjoying it.
• I saw Lincoln. He is my best friend.
• I am going to the Festival of Trees twice this week. Once for singing, once for dating. I am not sure which one I am more excited about.
• My house is Christmas-ed. So many decorations.
• I am going to star in my friend's film class class final. My name is Brandon and I will eat sandwiches.
• I am so busy this week it isn't even funny.

P.S. My dad just said, "What's the site that you post movies to--oh yeah, YouTube." Old people make me laugh.

I don't know why

But I get hurt more from two hours of ice skating than a lifetime of backfield sports. Football, Frisbee, soccer. I never needed a bandaid and I never still hurt the next day. And the weird part is the worst injury has nothing to do with the fact that I fell. Some people just got all the moves.

What I would like

Lots of people say, "I don't care if I am asked to a dance or not." Honestly, I care if I get asked. In fact, I want to get asked. Really, I have never not wanted to go. Even when I say I don't mind, I do. So girls, ask me. Because I am one yelp of a date and super cute to boot. Thanks-
W.R. Duclos




Pathetic, but I don't give a crap. I am so sick of being an afterthought.

H-omecoming

PG football makes me lose my voice. I yelled so loud today at the football game against Lehi. 45-11? Yeah, we destroyed. Tomorrow is the Homecoming dance. I am going with Kirsten Marquis. She is super awesome. Really. I cleaned a car today for four hours. Free of charge. I realized that I will never fall in love with my sister, Nicole. I love soccer. But I love American rules football best. Did I mention we destroyed? I was the fan of the game for my senior Homecoming where we destroyed Lehi. I got a plaque and everything. So great. I really like this girl, but I don't think she likes me back. She could, though. Good news, I think at least five sophomore girls are in love with me, though. Being the oldest at school sucks. I really love football.

That's me for you

It's weird. I am prolly the only guy who loves cooking, writing, calculating, filming, editing, computing, socializing, hiking & camping, scientifically researching, and religious pursuits. I have sooooo many things that I just love. I spent the last hour looking at recipes. I have a blog. I (I can't believe I am about to say this) sometimes enjoy math. I not only love filming/directing, I love studying from the greats. I get in a mode when I edit and I do things I never thought possible. I love computers (I know that isn't what computing means) and I could not imagine what would replace their spot in my heart if they were to just disappear off the face of the earth. I am a social tornado. I am no social butterfly because really that would mean I am graceful. More like a social duck. I am a social duck, but I love it. I have spent so much time living outdoors that I am just as comfortable sleeping in a windstorm as I am in my bed (though the bed is a lot less of a challenge). Then hiking…well if I loved hiking any more I would prolly have to drop out of school to satisfy my needs. I love science. Biology is my pride. Biotechnology is my favorite. I spend my free time pondering stuff like this. When I become famous for my writing, it will be a science fiction novel (then of course I will become famous for directing the film based on my book). Lastly, I have my religion, which is my life. Really, I love studying to become a missionary, which is what I will prolly do once I finish this post. That is what W.R. Duclos means.

 

This is Awkward

I don't know how to tell you this, so I'll just go right out and say it: I have been having the best few weeks of my life and I have not wanted to write on my blog. Sorry. But we can move on. 

Ha. It's funny how I cannot choose what to write about because I have had so much fun. So...I think I will put it off again. Sorry I'm so awkward.

The beginning of the end

This is it. The first real day of my last Strawberry Days as a child. This week may very well be the best week of my life. I have a hike to my favorite place. I have a group date with some of my favorite people. I won't get stuck on horse duty at Huck Finn Day. Seriously. It is Strawberry Days!!!!!

Shaken, not shtirred.

I went to Prom and felt like one Sir Sean Connery as Agent 007 of MI6. Let's just say my date was aware of how I felt. She may have made it sound better than it really was. I was more accurate.

More Prom stuff will be up once I get pictures. I am mostly excited to see pictures of her because boy was she beautiful.

Today I was put to the task of getting my cousins' cat out of my grandparents' home. Let us just say that I do not do well with felines.

I am really happy right now.

I am happy. I do not know why. Maybe it's because I just got off one of the best dates of my life. Maybe it's because I had steak for dinner. Maybe because things are just okay the way they are.
Note: The difference between me and a girl blogger is that a girl would put a smily face after that sentence. I am not a girl. Definitely not.

It has been the best. It is going to stay that way.

Happy birthday to my blog in about an hour. It's pretty awesome.
I was on the radio for two and a half hours today, which was pretty enjoyable. I spent the last half an hour alone, scheduling all my favorite songs to play while no one was there. I thought that was pretty smart.
I have a date tomorrow with an awesome girl. I am very often rude to her, but I am trying to be a nicer person. Carley Sturgis and I are going to the ballet. I am awesome, I know. I have new dress shoes, a freshly dry-cleaned suit, a great tie and a finely pressed shirt. She will look great, even if she is in a burlap sack (admittedly that would be kind of awkward because I am not sure those sacks come in a size that would be modest for a teenage girl).

So here is to an awesome birthday, a great idea, and a spectacular evening on the town.

Work? Work is fun.

I work at a place called tamsolutions. I started working there back when Brock worked there and stopped working there at the beginning of the school year, with a few hundred dollars stuck in the bank. That money ran out last month. So back to work I go.
The money I am currently earning in going towards Sweethearts. I am very happy working. I come home with a grey shirt that started out as white. My snot is grey for days afterward (sorry, TMI). My head aches right now and it may be from the dust (it may also be because I've been awake since 4:00 this morning). I am so excited for certain activities that I am working for. It will just be the best.

One More Thing

I asked this girl named Maren Parsons to Sweethearts. Pretty stoked.

Answers

So I saw that someone had taken a survey. I think I might do the same. But I don't think I will let you read the questions. It might be interesting. I might not actually post this. Here we go.

I attacked a piece of ice with my forehead. First one ever.

I don't think I did do anything. It was not a rememberable one, even though it usually is for people.

I'm pretty excited for the break, but I am not happy because tomorrow is going to last forever.

I went to temple square. I really enjoyed it, even if my phone died while I was reading the statistics of the LDS church.

With my grades I did marginal. With the ladies? Well, ask them (all of them).

My mother bought this one and one with Boba Fett on it. She just gave them to me. So sick.

I see Trevor way too much. I am kind of sick of that dork head.

Too much. Too much money spent.

I want to be the same age as when I first kiss my wife. In other words, I don't care.

Sebenteen. Pretty uneventful.

Laurie, but I don't see what this has to do with me. Some people.

I can tell you this, I did not get enough sleep.

I think it was obvious with my last answer. Come on.

A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief always does it for me. Particularly the final verse. I love that song so much.

Punching things. For example, the other day I was mad so I just punched everything. I tweaked my wrist. I really think I could do something more productive, but it works.

Well, she has to be a girl.

Zombie apocalypse.

I didn't have it. I did eat breakfast food for linner. Egg, turkey, cheese on an English muffin.

Well yeah, but some would say it is irrelevant. Actually, I am kind of in this situation now.

Man of Steel. Question: What steel have you broken?

I was told I was in Canada, but some people might question my parents' motives.

I have not.

You can stab someone with a back? I was unaware.

Assuming by "dated" you meant "been on a date with" then yes, two people. If you mean what you sounded like you meant, I don't steady date.

Atticus Finch. Mentally, of course.

Strangely enough, it was Coach Blaisdell. He is a good guy.

Just mi amigos, Trevor e Kassie.

My mom. Usually I psychically contact them previous to them needing to contact me.

Erin Hardy got the last one because she was accusing me of being too much of a guy. I'm glad I'm on that part of the scale and not near the other end.

Kass the Gassie. Whiner.

Probably Jessie Marquis. Don't worry, I said it after I told her to marry someone else.

In my heart. Just kidding, he lives down the street.

I went to hang out with my Special Needs buddy, David.

SLC Temple baby.

PGHS. Best school in the US.

In the mountains.

I am at the peak of my adolescence. That is the stupidest question you could ask me.

Quantum mechanics. I don't know, so therefore the fact has no definite state of being.

I'm pretty happy with the current state of affairs, although Abraham Lincoln's friend would be interesting to be for a bit.

I think the thought of someone making his entire living off of muffin is pretty impractical, so no.

The future? Oh, I can tell you about the future."

Put two kids in the woods for long enough and either only one comes out or they come out with the same mind.

Apparently the quizzes were all the rave.

Because I needed one that was normal. I would've preferred Stormageddan.

Are you sure I am doing it?

I want to convey thoughts perfectly.

Maybe my shirt I wore in the second grade for photo day.

Stupidest question ever. A jetpack that runs off of oxygen or CO2. Idiots.

Every single one of them.

I usually move if I am trying to run. Impractical.

If I wasn't there wouldn't be much I could do anyway.

To read the questions go here.

Everything is okay

I sure do enjoy my life. It is one of those times when you can't think of anything bad. I've been hanging out with two of my best friends, Trevor Ward and Kassie Hamilton. I have had the best week.

Here is my next week:

• Special Needs Sacrament Meeting tomorrow at 8:45 AM.
• No school after Tuesday
• I'm going on a date with the beautiful Lauren Miner. We are doubling with Trevor and his date, Megan Francis, and we are going to see our Curley, Taft Robinson, in the play, Into the Woods.
• I have something Wednesday. I'll get back to you on it. I forgot.
• Thursday is Thanksgiving. I sure do enjoy that November gem.
• Friday I don't have to avoid Christmas music. Seriously, we can avoid listening to that stuff until after Thursday. An entire month is plenty for any genre of music.
• Saturday I don't have school.
• Sunday is Sunday.
• Then back to school (but we don't think about that).

Another thing. You know how I want to be an author? Well, I got this book that a majority of high school students would mistake for a phonebook. It is not a phonebook. It is the 2011 Writer's Market, which holds every single publisher in the United States. For an author, it's pretty dang awesome. I decided I couldn't waste a resource like that, so I decided to do something. I am in the process of writing a short story which I will submit until it is published (probably in 2058). I am really excited. I will post the story, first draft, when I finish.

Needless to say, my life is going by perfectly.

Stenographer

So for all you people like me who would have to look up this word, it is basically the person who takes notes during court cases. It is probably one of the few jobs that has to do with writing that I would not enjoy. If I haven't made this apparent enough, I will be a famous author someday. I am currently working on a short story that I will submit to a Sci-Fi magazine. It will be the best.
I got asked to Sadies. I am pretty excited. Dance number three. How is school for everyone? Don't forget to be friendly. I have been extremely tired this week. I went to bed prior to eleven o'clock, which won't happen tonight.
I love writing. I am so excited for my life. If I had food and shelter and no responsibilities, I could write forever. It is my love, it is my passion, it is my fault I didn't lock the garage (Ferris Bueller was a quoting necessity). What do you live for? I love getting feedback from my readers, because if you suck, people will say so. If you are the best, people will still say you suck. Now tell me I suck.

Bucket List: Almost

I got close. Really, really close. I didn't go on a date with that girl. I still haven't. I really wish I could soon, but I don't think it is going to happen during my high school career. ******Update****** I did get a chance to go on a date with that girl. May I say that it was fanTAStic? I stayed in Utah all summer. I just never got the chance to not be here. I almost slept a whole night outside, but I went inside because my bed sucked and I had no heat. I didn't ride in Mr. Miyagi's Camaro, but I will sometime. I didn't even watch War of the Buttons with someone, let alone have people share it. I did not play baseball. That is something I want to do soon.

• Go on a date at least once every 2 weeks (on average).
• Get Hannah Schill to talk to me again.
• Go on a date with that girl.
• Sleep in past noon.
• Go to the Strawberry Days Rodeo.
• Eat Strawberries and Cream.
• Go to Scout Camp.
• Be in the Strawberry Days Parade.
• Be a Viking.
• Quit my job.
• Start working at tamsolutions.
• Read the Shadow Saga.
• Read Preach My Gospel 3 times.
• Leave Utah for a trip.
• Sleep outside on not a campout for a full night.
• See Harry Potter 7.5.
• Go to the The Decemberists concert.
• Go to the Fleet Foxes concert.
• Go to the Farmer's Market in SLC.
• Play a good game of five card stud (betting with candy, of course).
• Ride in my neighbor's Camaro.
• Make people aware of the film War of the Buttons, aka one of the best films of all time.
• Do a backflip.
• Go on the natural water slide in Alpine.
• Go scuba diving with mi madre y hermano.
• Watch all the Star Wars films.
• See X-Men: First Class.
• See Thor.
• Read To Kill a Mockingbird at least twice.
• Play baseball.

Psych!

Good memory:
"Hey, Brock, guess what show is on tonight."
"What?"
"The Office."
"Really?"
"Psych!"
The last line was the real show that was going to happen. It has been a long week. I haven't had a free weekend since August. So am I going to go hang out with my friends and have fun? Nope. My friends are all busy.
Tomorrow I am going to a class to learn about the Space Center and how to write missions for it. So stoked. Nate Church and I are doubling next week. So stoked. Psych is on Wednesday. So stoked. iOS 5 comes out on Wednesday. So stoked. I have a test on Tuesday. Not so stoked.
I am really tired. It is because of the crappy weather. Dang you, weather.

Design?

So I switched designs. Good, huh? (Update: 10/3/11 I hated the "Dynamic Views." But redo the old looks good too, eh?)

Conference was good. Another reason to procrastinate math homework.

Oh, um, do you want to see Homecoming pictures? Or hear the whole story? Okay, here you go:
 (Pardon the horrible smiles on my part. I hate my teeth)

 Friday night after a disappointing loss for PG, I set my alarm for 9:30. Call it luck or excitement for a day that I had ben planning since the beginning of the school year, I woke up at 9:00. I got ready for the day just in time to receive a message from Isaac Major requesting my help to set up for lunch. We had gotten together previously, that is the fourteen guys in our group, Isaac, Jake, Josh, Christian, Adam, Max, Mack, Nate Cutler, Nate Church, Zack, Derek, Nick, Noah, and myself, and said we would meet at Saver's at 11:00 (It takes a lot of time for fourteen guys to decide on one plan of action). So I went over to Isaac's house and helped him set up for lunch. Nate Cutler came and we went to go get chairs and tables from Isaac's grandma's house. For some strange reason, Isaac's younger brother, Joseph, came, but that is neither here nor there. After loading six tables and thirty chairs into Isaac's Suburban, we realized we were two seats in the negative for the ride home. Naturally, Nate sat in the back between the rear door and a stack of chairs and I got shotgun with Joe on my lap. Then Nate realized he needed to pick up his corsage at the high school. So we drove to the high school. Nate got his flower. We went back to Isaac's house and set up. We went to Isaac and Nate's neighbor's house to see if they would let us take pictures in their backyard. They said yes. We got into the car to go get our various dates about half an hour too late. We picked up our dates then got to Saver's at 11:40. 

 At Saver's, we had a contest to see who could buy the weirdest outfits for $15. Afterwards, we went to Menchies because they had free frozen yogurt. Then we went to the Major's house. On the way, I realized my embroidered dragon pants just weren't working because they were about twenty sizes too small, so I requested a stop to my house. I got my jumpsuit on and we were on our way.

Because I am too lazy to scan the pictures. Deal with it.

Isaac's dad made pizza for us, which was great. We took a few pictures, then at three, we dropped off our dates. Nate, Isaac, Nick, Zack and I went to the church where we were going to eat dinner to set up. We found out we needed more plates, so Isaac, Nate and I went to Macey's and got some more. Then we went to pick up Isaac's flower. We finished completely then went our separate ways. Half an hour later we go together to pick up our dates. Seriously, I got home, got ready, then left. 

I picked up Alese. She had a golden dress and brown hair. I thought she looked like a Disney Princess. My idiocy exceeds me when I told her she looked exactly like Cinderella. I didn't watch many princess movies growing up.

Basically a Alma-the-younger-struck-dumb speechlessness because of her beauty.

We got to the church and went inside. I didn't get any pictures of the dinner and I am too lazy to describe it, so just think of a romantic yet fun layout designed by me and go with it. My wonderful mother cooked for us. We had bacon-wrapped chicken and pineapple skewers, Brazilian cheese bread, Caesar salad, Brazilian  limeade, and Tres Leches cake. It was fillingly terrific.

My dad brought out his computer which was playing the BYU-Utah game, so a cluster of the group gathered around that. Alese and I went outside because it was hot inside and while we were out there, we saw a group of kids having a dance party in the parking lot. They were my friends! We went over and talked to them and invited them into the building. They talked with everyone then we all left for the dance.

We got to the dance and it was awesome. Alese and I got hot after an hour or so, so we went outside and sat on a rock and talked. Just to let you know, I don't kiss girls yet. Or guys for that matter. So we talked for about a half hour and I looked at the time. I felt sad because I knew that in about three hours, I would be saying goodbye to a gorgeous girl and closing one of the best days of my life. We went back into the dance.

We danced for the rest of the night. It was awesome.

I was with a ton of my closest friends and it was the best.

I was so happy. I did not want the night to end. I at least did not want to forget that moment. I did not want to forget my beautiful date, dancing to music I didn't really care for but I danced to anyway because that was the only sensible choice. 

So I pulled out my phone and took a picture of one of the best moments of my life. Even though she thought I was a sentimental dork, it was worth it. I asked her before I really knew her and, as it turned out, she is more than I bargained for. I had a great day with some of my best friends. I could've cared less about BYU and Utah, because I was with awesome people and an awesome girl. I will not soon forget my first formal dance.

Spoilers

The Don't-take-a-picture-of-me-even-though-I-look-super-pretty-and-you-want-to-remember-this-moment-forever look. You'd be surprised how often I get this.

I will post more soon. Don't start crying.