Winning Team

Last night we camped out in front of the Spectrum (USU's Basketball Stadium) along with over a thousand Aggies.  It was hard to get a good photo, but above you can see some of the tent city of faithful fans who braved the cold for a chance to see Utah State play against BYU.  This was my first time camping out for an event --I've never camped for a concert or a movie or Black Friday.

It was bitter cold, but what's cold when you're with friends?  From left to right (looking our best in the cold) is me, my girlfriend Cassie, my roommate Eric, and our neighbor Shelby (Phi Kappa Psi's Dreamgirl #2).  Our camping trip was a little spontaneous and as amateurs we didn't bring a deck of cards or a thermos of cocoa but we had a lot of fun and managed to keep warm.  In the morning Evan and his friend Liz snagged us all wristbands for the game!

I love Aggie basketball games so much.  They're hard to describe to someone who's never experienced them, but the chants, cheers, energy and unity make them an unforgettable experience.  They're not your typical sports game --we get mean.  It might be hard to see but the banner over the visiting team entrance to the Spectrum reads, "Welcome To Hell".  I love my school.

EDIT:  Final score:   69 USU vs. BYU 62

Occupy Halloween

The above was my Halloween costume.  I could always tell who was informed and who didn't read the newspaper because the former thought it was rather clever whereas the latter didn't get it at all.

I couldn't decide about Halloween this year --was it a success or was it mediocre?  Seems like we couldn't get any of our plans off the ground, but I ended up enjoying myself anyway.  Pretty chill weekend.  Walked some slackline, went to a family party, played a couple boardgames, carved a couple pumpkins (I haven't taken photos), and met some new people.

Just thought I'd make a quick post for the time-sensitive photo.  I have some real updates that you might watch for soon --but I make no promises.

I'm SO happy!

The Provo Tabernacle Temple

Amazing Rescue!

The SLTribune has disabled embedding on this video, but here is a link to an insane video!

A motorcyclist was cruising down the road when a car pulled out in front of him. His motorcycle and the car burst into flames after colliding and the motorcyclist became trapped under the burning car. Fortunately there were some badass Loganites Logan residents and Aggies who lifted the car off of him and pulled him from the flames!

It happened right here in Logan, Utah.

Lamest Fortune Cookie Ever.

"Pretzels are made from wheat grown in farmers' fields."

USU Chariot Races

What I've Been Working On

Post cards for a post card swap my mother talked me into joining. They're painted on paint chips, cool eh? The scanner was hard to work with, so the colors are a little off...

This one is going to a person who lives in Colorado Springs, CO, that's why they're on the elevation comparison:

I like this one best because it's an image I've had in my head for a long time. Strategic bombing of World War II, especially by the Allies, is as much of an atrocity as the Holocaust.

the aim of the Combined Bomber Offensive...should be unambiguously stated [as] the destruction of German cities, the killing of German workers, and the disruption of civilised life throughout Germany.

... the destruction of houses, public utilities, transport and lives, the creation of a refugee problem on an unprecedented scale, and the breakdown of morale both at home and at the battle fronts by fear of extended and intensified bombing, are accepted and intended aims of our bombing policy. They are not by-products of attempts to hit factories.

--Sir Arthur Harris

Have you read Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles? I highly recommend it.

Some I like better than others. This is not one of them.

For Scott Evans:

I etched this one like a scratch-board. It took forever, but I like it.

There is no symbolism here:

A vote for 'inkstitch' is a vote for America!

My mother's blog, inkstitch, is a contestant for Top Creative Moms over at Circle of Moms!

Help her out by voting for inkstitch! And check out her blog, 'cause she's pretty much awesome!

Cool Stuff Lately

Here is more of my super-exciting life at college!

These guys were pretty awesome. Just out of the picture to the left is a long flight of stairs all covered in last week's snow. These guys were snowboarding and skiing down the steps before catching air and grinding the rails of the parking garage. They were pretty awesome. I couldn't get a great picture of them because it was dark and they were starting to give me funny looks.

Yesterday I was driving along when I saw the awesome car pictured above! I immediately turned my truck around and hopped out so I could get a picture (Mom, you have to show this to Natalie and the boys!). I'm sure all my fellow Aggies have already seen it, but I think it's bloody awesome!

Above is another snow creation that makes wonderful use of the famous (or should I say 'infamous'?) french-fry sculpture. Mouthwatering, right?

Over the weekend Evan took me to explore the cave he and his running buddies found one day. Did you know there was a cave so close to Springville? Neither did I. These two pictures are not of the cave (because it's secret. No, I won't tell you where to find it!) they are just pictures of us climbing around that same day.

Also Evan's sexy behind.

Snow Glorious Snow!

Okay, quick blog post-

One of the things I love about being clear up north in Logan is that it is actually cold and snowy in wintertime. And because it's cold and snowy everyone grows accustomed to it and actually makes good use of it as can be seen below:

exhibit (a): A young man is seen sculpting a fantastical reptilian creature of snow on the Quad.

exhibit (b): A detail view of the snow sculpture.

exhibit (c): A ______ stands near the entrance to the library.

A Utah State Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day. I really do. It's probably one of my favorite holidays. Don't ask me why, because I'm not really sure. Maybe it's because I like the idea of doing something special for that special someone, even if I don't have a special someone. Maybe it's because I have fond memories of elementary school days --giving treats and cards to all your classmates and competing for the coolest valentine 'mailbox'. Or maybe it's because I like seeing everybody dressed in pink.

That being said, Valentine's Day is officially much lamer in college than in elementary school.

I was pretty excited today because this is the first year I have a pink shirt for Valentine's Day. But walking to the bus stop I saw nobody in pink. Riding the bus I saw nobody in pink. Walking to class I saw nobody in pink. In fact, through the whole day I probably only saw half a dozen people dressed for Valentine's Day.

It made me sad.

Apparently nobody wants to celebrate Valentine's Day if they don't have someone to celebrate it with. Single Awareness Day (SAD) seems to rule the 14th of February nowadays. I understand how Valentine's Day can show your lack of companionship into sharp relief, but I really hate the way people have turned it into the opposite of what it should be. It should be a carefree day of treats and innocent valentine cards between friends, not a day of bemoaning ones relationship status.

BUT! Today was still pretty good.

Above is a photo of couples participating in the iPod Kiss-Off. At this point they'd been going an hour and a half.

And below is a poor picture of me in Logan. in my bedroom. with my pink shirt on.

I still love Valentine's Day!

Surprise!

Bought GameCube on KSL to surprise little brothers.

Doesn't work.

:(

W-I-N-N-E-R

Guess what! I won the Spelling Bee yesterday!

Okay, actually I didn't win. I came in second. BUT, in the final round it was just me and this other guy duking it out, right? Well, we were getting some pretty tricky words until he gets up and what word does he get?

calculus.

REALLY?! Are you kidding me?! That's the final-round Spelling Bee word?! Who doesn't know how to spell 'calculus'? Even if you didn't know how to spell 'calculus' you'd know it was Latin and be able to guess your way through it.

Well then I get up, and what word do they give me?

elangue.

What is that word? I've never seen that word anywhere in my life. No one has ever seen that word before. I can't even google it for a definition. As far as I can tell, it's not actually a word in the English language. or any language. I spelled it with an "o" instead of an "a".

Then the other guy got up to spell "semanticize". Easy, right?

So technically he got first place and I came in second. But the second place prize was this beauty:

No, not the dazzling smile, the camera! Second place prize was that sweet camera and first place was one of the new iPod Nano's. So pretty much my prize was better and I won it fair and square (calculus. srsly?).

And now I have an awesome camera, which is cool because I didn't have a camera of my own.

Also, last night I tried out to be in the General Conference Choir. I'm pretty sure I got in. woot! I never realized how much I miss singing in a choir until I came up here and went to a few chamber practices with my roommate. I'm pretty excited!

Also, also, I'm going home today.

To steal Eric's saying: Life is good.

P.S. Alecia, how do you spell physician?

For Post's Sake

Poor, neglected blog, you are not forgotten, just unloved. Also, I hated the way you looked and I'm too lazy to give you a full overhaul. This will have to do for now.

Also, I live in Logan, Utah now.

It is cold.

You Should All Come!

Okay, images always give me trouble on blogger. Here's what it says:

Kimberly Gail Brown will graduate from Brigham Young University with a BA in Family History-Genealogy on December 17, 2010.

On December 29, 2010 Kimberly will enter the Provo MTC in preparation to serve in the Córdoba Argentina Mission as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Kimberly will speak at the Canyon Chapel on Sunday, December 19, at 11:00 am (1965 Canyon Road Springville, Utah).

Please join us in celebration and farewell at an open house held in her honor on Sunday, December 19, 2010 from 12:30 to 5:30 pm --2200 East 850 South Springville, Utah.

Hiatus

(this blog is ugly, I need to change it up)

Maple Hike: III

Hey, I hiked Maple a third time! 5 hrs up, 2.5 hrs down

The group this time was Alex and Eric Mageno, Eileen, Allyssa, and Tori and Taylor Strohecker (Alex's cousins from Colorado).

It was a blast as always. It was fun to get to know Tori and Taylor and hear about their super-exciting hometown. It was also fun to get to know Eric a little better. Allyssa can finally cross Maple Mountain off the list. Eileen can look up at the mountain and say, "Yeah, I climbed that thing. Piece of cake!"

The flowers were beautiful! Oh, and at the summit a plane buzzed us twice before doing a spin and flying away! It was awesome! Scott should've been there!

..and now Alex is gone away. I really wonder how Alex and I didn't hang out much until the final months before he left! He's such an outstanding man.

So, who's coming on another hike up Maple Mountain?

1/2

I said goodbye to Eric on Tuesday...







...what more was there to say?

How did we get here?

We finally found a bank that would change our euros for dollars.

Shouldn't most any bank be able to do that?

The clerk told us they don't take euro coins, "You can't exchange coins anywhere in the U.S., consider them a souvenir."

Really? Lame. Well, let's just exchange these bills then.

Then she told Evan he needed two forms of I.D.

What? Why? It makes absolutely no sense that I should need I.D. to trade money with you. If we came in with a dollar and asked you to trade us for quarters you wouldn't need I.D.

Will my German student I.D. work? No.

scheiße

But it wasn't the clerk's fault. It probably wasn't even the bank's fault. It is most likely a federal regulation to 'fight terrorism'.

"Yes, I'd like to exchange my Iranian rials for dollars, I'm shopping for an airplane --a BIG airplane...."

Really though, there is no reason for us to be so bass ackwards about things. Evan tells me that in Germany he could exchange money virtually anywhere, and he certainly didn't need bloody I.D.! Evan visited Germany,Austria, France, Switzerland, and Turkey without any trouble at all. But to get into the United States he had to empty out every single item in his luggage and send each through the metal detector one at a time. He nearly missed his flight because TSA thugs enjoy flexing their muscles and knowing nobody can do anything about it.

I'm not advocating open borders E.U.-style, I think people ought to show passports when coming into the U.S.. But the intimidation practiced by the TSA is violation of property rights and privacy under the name of 'security'. Requiring two forms of I.D. for something as simple as exchanging money is no different.

I don't know why anyone would want to come to our nation.

Maple Hike: The Sequel

Evan, Kimberly and I hiked Maple Mountain today. We went with the First Warders: John Gay, Eric Evans, and Scott Evans.

Until this week it hadn't hit home that Eric was leaving. Today felt like a farewell hike.

Of course, it was also the annual Maple Hike, which meant Jeremy should have been there. But Jeremy is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. And soon Eric will be somewhere in Connecticut or Rhode Island (after consuming large quantities of chocolate milk in the MTC)

We made really good time today, 3:15 up and 2:00 down! The snow Alex and I encountered was almost completely gone, though we still found the ridge-line trail to be much easier than the woods.

A great hike, as always. Really, it never gets old.