The Hunger Games

I recently read the hunger games.  Its a 3 book series.  Its about a futuristic post apocalyptic time, with gladiator type games, called the Hunger Games.  I had no idea what it was about when i started reading them, just that many of my friends said they were good.  They are a bit more of a mature read than say Fablehaven or Harry Potter.  I would put them in the same category as Lord of the Flies.  Not because of the writing style or vocabulary, but for content.  Now, the first book was fantastic, it gripped me and held me all the way through to the end, and when it was over, I was grappling for the second book.  The main theme is familiar, a girl who lives in an oppressed world and has an opportunity thrust upon her to open the way for others to rise up.



 Its the second book though that really starts to explore that theme.  The second book, Catching Fire, is a bit slower at the start.  Much of the plot thickens in the second book, and so i had many friends tell me that its less entertaining, less interesting, and a "typical second book".  but i quite enjoyed it.  it was true that the start and... ok the first half of the book was just thickening of plot really, but trust me, it picks up at takes off.  Many of the plot twists are foreseeable, even from the first book, but they are still enjoyable.

The third and last book is the Mockingjay.  I liked it alot, but not entirely. dont get me wrong, it was quite an enjoyable read, my heart was thumping, there was a great amount of action.  I was sweating! (tmi? sorry.)  it was well worth the read, but it is highly debatable.  which i guess is good.  so if you read it, drop me a line, and we can go on about.  because you will want to, I promise.

Kids are Funny

Seriously, they make me laugh!
I have been working at a school that is K-9 for a short while now, and kids just say the best things ever! (purposefully avoided the Trademarked "kids say the darndest things" phrase) so far I have been accused of being a pirate because of my long hair and beard (which I dont mind actually).  I am apparently a father, because I have a beard.  They asked me if I was gay because my roommate is a man.  And most recently I was asked why I was so ugly at night.
anyway, kids make me laugh.
especially the first graders.
also there are some little kindergarteners that keep trying to set me up with their teacher.
another also, they keep asking me if i am married.  not sure why.

Gershwin or Copland

the other day, i was driving around with my roommate Tyler, and there was a song on the radio i was unfamiliar with.  Two composers came to mind, George Gershwin and Aaron Copland.  I couldnt tell who it was because on the one hand it had a lot of brass, it sounded like an American in Paris or Rhapsody in Blue, it was kind of peppy.  on the other hand though, it sounded very western (not western as in western world music, western like wild wild west western)... like we should be on horses riding through Moab driving a thousand head of cattle, whooping and hollering.  i said 'i think this is George Gershwin' and instantly i regretted it, you know that feeling when your taking a test and you fill in yet another circle with your #2 pencil thats labeled "b", but this time you know your wrong so you want to change your answer to "d".  so i said 'but it could be Aaron Copland'... and then bored him with the minutia of why. well Tyler being the competitive person that he is says 'Im going with Copeland'.  

turned out it was George Gershwin, and i was quite proud of myself for just a moment, feeling confidant in the knowledge that im such a music nerd.

Utah

Nearly a month ago I moved to Utah.  I now call sandy my home.  I live with my old college roommate Tyler, its just the two of us in our apartment, and so far its been a blast!  Looking for work is not so fun, but I have had some interviews and am sending out my resume a lot, so at least im getting somewhere. I got accepted to UVU and am going to start there in the summer semester or the fall, depending on what job I get, but I hoping to able to start in the summer. 

I have met some new friends, experienced some new things, and have many more still yet to come (such as going to a Utah Jazz game tonight).  Im excited for the warmer weather to come so I can go biking on some trails!  I have gone for a few rides so far, but wow its chilly on a bike even on the warmest days.  There are so many trails around here, once the snow is gone, there is going to be a lot of mud flinging.  Whats funny is that when I was biking on mt rainer a few months ago, It was tough, fun, lovely

… not enough words to describe that, it was like biking through Fangorn Forest in Tolkien’s stories… anyway, it was also difficult, but biking here is So much harder, there is a serious shortage of air up here!

anyway the point is, I'm in Utah, and so far I like it.