Unintentionally Hard to Get: Job Hunting & Wife Hunting

I've discovered something in-fathom-ably-optimistic. I'm not sure that's a word, but I'm going to treat it like one.

Job hunting and Wife Hunting are incredibly similar.

For the past two months I have been doing everything I can to find a job. The first month was great. I was interviewing all over the city, spent almost 2-3 hours a day on an online job seeking service (LinkedIn) trying to find the right fit and got nothing. It was exciting because I got to meet so many people, but there was no fruit on the trees.

After 6 weeks I got very discouraged and was ready to die unemployed. It was really tough, I was hard on myself and the couch I slept on.

I completely stopped applying for jobs. Books became my new hobby. I was reading, cycling and babysitting. Those three things kept me alive for a couple weeks. I started smiling again! You should have seen it. Many saw it from a bench on the pier where my favorite reading spot was. There were these massive sail boats I would watch slowly rock back and forth. It is so clear in my mind that I can almost picture it beneath this paragraph:

All of the sudden my inbox started filling up with people wanting to meet me. I stopped chasing them and they started chasing me.

In 4 days I got 2 job offers, accepted one of them, found an apartment, and moved in. It was the most odd yet miraculous thing I've ever experienced. I called it, uninentionally hard to get.

I didn't mean to act that way, I just did, and got a job.

There you have it. I stepped on a plane in Salt Lake City on May 1st. On July 1st I will step into the Sprinklr offices as their newest employee.

I can't believe it. My dream is happening!

As far as that and dating, I'm still single, so I'll get back to you.

PS: A detailed job description of where I will work and what I will do is up ahead, so keep your facebook page up and running the next couple of days.

Parallelism : Double Universe : Black Eric

I have a theory. You probably believe in the same theory, but haven't had the guts to disclose it because it could potentially cause social explosions. The theory is that everyone has an exact replica of themselves somewhere else on the globe.

For example, I am a twin. I was lucky enough to find my replica just seconds after I was born. Many other people are highly unfortunate because they may never get to meet the "New York Version" of themselves.

Last night I saw someone on the subway that walked, dressed and pondered exactly like my old roommate/cousin. I called him, Black Eric. Before this moment, I thought parallelism only existed in-race,  but this guy was black and my old roommate was white.

If you know Eric Sumsion, then you will laugh for twenty minutes when looking at the picture below:

From the bow tie to the nice shoes, this guy is the Black Version of Eric Sumsion.

Since coming to New York I have seen loads of "New York Versions" of my friends. I have never had the time and capability to sneak a picture. 

Jump the gun

Have you ever burned your tongue? Of course you have. Like me, you probably get impatient and take a bite, knowing you are risking the ability to taste for the next couple of days.

The other day I remember staring at something on my plate and analyzing what I was planning on eating the next couple of days.

Long story short, I jumped the gun and burnt my tongue.

I feel like I have done everything I can in order to find a job. I am confident that I have applied to more jobs than Obama. Nothing against him, I just really want to say that.

There is a pier on at the end of Wall Street that shoots into the Hudson. When you look out, you see the Brooklyn Bridge in all it's massiveness. When you look in you see a wall of enormous buildings keeping out anyone that questions their ability to make money. Thus the Wall Street Paradox is born. I'm convinced that the only people suited for New York City are those that have big heads. If your head is big enough, someone will squeeze you in.

Behind June, my niece, you'll see the tightly knit wall of the Financial District.

Some people have told me that they think I'm too nice for the City. The only people that make it here are severely cut-throat. They know what they want and won't let anyone stop them. I would agree. I am a nice person, unfortunately my niceness doesn't mask my massive ego. I think I have a lot of great ideas and can be excruciatingly creative. That's why I'm here.

Time change

Today I realized that I've officially been here for more than 3 weeks and I have yet to adjust to the new york time zone. To the untrained eye, some would argue that deems me a tourist. But to that un-intrinsic argument I proclaim that I have clipped my fingernails 3 times since arrival. Case closed.

Things are going great!

I got a job offer with a startup company that promotes events. Called Fever or something. I've also got pending opportunities with companies in St. Louis and San Francisco. My initial dream was to be in New York, but now that I'm here, I'm opening up to other cities.

Due to the current condition of my knee, I've been biking instead of running. This picture is a sweet  thingamajig I saw an hour into my ride on the West Highway path.

Day at the fountain

I'm going to be brief because you have a lot to digest in these photos.

Today, after hours of applying for jobs and adjusting my personal site, I decided it was time to get out of the apartment and unwind. I thought it was just going to be another day, but I decided to bring my camera.

When we show up, June is drawn to the fountain and immediately takes a dip. 

While she was thus entertained, I left June and Allison to find a bench.

I sit down and saw this drummer next to me and I was like, what kind of a person just brings a drum set  and expects people to pay them. You need music.

I have since repented and gave him a dollar. Check this out:

Here are some of the photos I got.

Season's Change

Last night Curt and I were up really late watching the last few episodes of The Office. Since Steve Carell's departure, neither of us watched the show, watched the show, but both felt compelled to see the ending.

While watching the episodes, I almost felt like I was watching the end of my childhood. It's funny that the same year I graduate from college is the same year the show ends. I remember the first time I watched the pilot in 2005. I was so impressed with the characters that I began to base my own personal jokes off what I saw in the series. I attached myself to Jim Halpert because I loved his style and many people often said that I had a similar persona as he.

My favorite thing about the show is Jim's relationships. I loved how he and Dwight would use clever tactics to humiliate one another. I also loved how Jim never gave up on his love for Pam. Don't tell anyone I said this, but I've been secretly looking for my "Pam" over the past few years.

I'm convinced there is a time for everything. The time for The Office is now over. My time in College is now over. It's time for me to move on to something bigger.

Baby steps

It is starting to hit me that I'm not in Utah anymore. Everything was all great and dandy until I called my old roommate / cousin / best-friend. We talked about how great life was back in Provo. When he get's hungry, he is back at home in under 15 minutes with a full fridge and an enormous quiet back yard. That's when it hit me. I could have that. I could throw in the towel, pack up my two bags and be back in Provo in under 24 hours. 

I could do that. What if... I really haven't doubted making the decision to come out here yet. But if I could come close to doubting, to the point where I look in the mirror and wish I saw the exact same person, only in Provo. I could do that, but I won't. 

I keep thinking about at talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. He said, "Don't panic and retreat. Don't lose your confidence. Don't forget how you once felt. Don't distrust the experience you had. That tenacity is what saved Moses when the adversary confronted him, and it is what will save you." (Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence, 1999)

I have to admit, I have wondered, feared, struggled, and blamed. I don't doubt nor will I ever that I wasn't supposed to come to New York, but I do wonder.

I literally feel like I'm standing on a sidewalk and the only light is coming from behind me. It's peaking through a door that is slightly ajar. In front me is a big black nothing. I can't even see the ground in front of me. I can feel that I'm not supposed to turn back to the door, but to keep moving forward. Because there is no light, I only trust myself to take feverishly small steps. Safe steps. Baby steps.

The interesting thing about Mother's Day

I moved to New York thinking I would spend a lot of time with my Older Brother. One week later and I'm realizing that I actually moved in with his Wife and 18-month-old princess. I spend most of my day watching this young mother raise her little princess.

I don't think it's a good sign that Mother's Day is one of the hardest days of the year. It's funny because us men try to do everything for the mothers/wives and usually fail at over half of it. The mothers/wives then pick up the slack and clean the messes we make.

A few days ago I "helped" my sister-in-law Allison watch her toddler, and another the same age. It was a site ne'er to be forgotten. Two young screaming (for joy) kids running around the apartment grabbing things that ought not to be grabbed, and dropping things that ought not to be dropped. I remember saying to Allison, "I don't know how my mom raised twins." 

Mark Twain said, "My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."

Corey and I made huge messes that caused both mops and pops to spend decades of their time cleaning. I don't know How my Mom raised twins, but I know that she Did. And that is Awesome. 


I love my Mother!

Happy Mother's Day.

When times are tough

I had a deep realization this morning. Every time things get really tough and I'd love to throw in the towel, I picture the last turn of my marathon last summer. At that moment I have to decide, am I going to walk across the finish line or am I going to do what I did last summer and dance across the finish line?

Unfortunately I have only had this image appear in my mind twice this week. Both times were on the treadmill on the top floor of a very tall building in New York City.

That being said, I have now had 7 interviews in The Big Apple. All interviews were "good". Each interview ended with an extremely convenient "we'll get back to ya".

On average, I check my email every two minutes (that's factoring in my 7 hours of sleep every night).

Still single, still unemployed, and still can't wait to make it big.

Just checkin' in.
-Clint

PS, before selling everything, I graduated from BYU

this is actually Corey's yellow tassel. I'm a proud owner of a white one.

Salt Stack

I never fully told the story of me quitting my last job. In extremely short terms, I quit a job that I had for 18 months. I started as a marketing intern, but was quickly promoted to graphic designer, and then multimedia specialist. After 18 months, I felt I needed a change and to move on to bigger and better things, so I quit.

I spent roughly 2 months on the unemployed list. I actually really enjoyed being unemployed. I had lots of free time to sit. It was a nice change. I caught up on my kitten blog (simplyfuzzies.blogspot.com) and  did some free lance video work (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc_POZrgZUc&feature=g-upl). Built an online portfolio (http://clintgcalder.wix.com/onlineportfolio#!home/mainPage).

i guess i wasn't that lazy...

A successful New York businessman contacted the BYU Adlab looking for a creative graphic designer and writer. Karene Hoopes sent me and a few other students an email describing the job. I hopped on it. It looked really interesting and like a unique opportunity for me to see what I'm made of.

After an intense interview over the phone, I agreed to drive to Murray for an interview. I was impressed. They were impressed. I accepted a job offer two phone calls later.

The company is called Salt Stack

I am their 6th employee. When I say they are a startup company, I mean they are literally just starting up. They have had their office space for roughly 8 weeks. I am still learning the ropes of the company, so I can't tell you in my own words, but one of the developers describes the company as
"Salt Stack configures and lets you manage all your servers in a simple clean way."

My first day on the job was fun. As I sat down in my car ready to drive to Murray, I ripped my pants. ha ha. Let me explain. As I sat down, I heard an unusually long tearing sound that sent chills up my spine. An ice cold breeze, from the 25 degree weather, shot through my pants. It was a rush, but a rush that needed to be shut off immediately. I ran back to my apartment, changed, and then sped off to Murray.

I showed up to work a tad bit earlier than Marc Chenn. He is the boss. He joined the man who created the actual software, Thomas Hatch. Just as I was about to sit with the 4 programmers at their collage of desks, Marc walked in and said, "Clint, welcome aboard. Let's grab you a table." I was expecting to set the table next to the collage of techies, but nope. We carried the desk right into Marc's office.

We share an office.

This is actually pretty cool. I get to listen to his sales calls and gain a really god perspective on what it's like to start something from scratch. This man is legit. He left a high life in New York City to start something really cool and unique in Salt Lake. This gave me a lot of hope and optimism.

It is a lot of pressure for me though. I am over the design and creation of all branding and sales documents.

This is exactly why I quit my last job. So that I can have an opportunity like this!

Proximity

Have you ever felt so close to a good idea that it hurt. And the closer you got to the destination of your thought, the more impossible it seemed to get there?

that's where I'm at right now.

I have a class that is trying to solve a problem for a client. We, as a class, have been striving to come up with a solution. We have been prancing around a fence looking through every single crack in hopes to get a glimpse of what's inside, but none of the cracks are quite big enough. It really makes your brain hurt. However, it feels really good.

Through the whole process I am trying to convince myself that all this stress and frustration bearing down on my mind are actually making it stronger. I sure hope so. Because if that's the case, I'm going to be able to run a marathon after this.

-Clint

Career Day

Today was definitely not a career fair. When I say career day, it is more of an actual event that took place, not so much an arrangement of tables and selling points.

I've been in the advertising program for over a year now. It is what I thought it would be, but I had no idea the toll that it would put on my inner strength. For example, I find myself using so much of my inners during my advertising classes, that by the time I start doing homework for my other classes (media buying and french), I am so exhausted that I merely do enough to get by.

I had a conversation with my roommate/cousin Eric. He said that a good student is the one that can recognize he's falling behind and can pick himself back up and get on top of his game.

That's the phase I'm in right now. I need to throw myself back at the front of the race. I've been too distracted by all the little ponies.

I say career day because as I go through this stress/fun/exhaust period, I am learning what I truly want my career to be. Fortunately that is Advertising. I can't get enough of it.

-Clint

New Beginnings

I'm going to start blogging again. It will be entirely selfish. I find that writing helps me focus my thoughts. It's also like placing a stamp of approval on my memories and experiences in life. I guess, in a way, it is also showing a bit of gratitude to the Lord for allowing me to live such a life.

Today I want to mention an insight I found in music. I love music. As I study in the library at BYU, my favorite thing to do is pop on some Pandora playlist and get to work. My default playlist has always been country. When I'm feeling edgy, I'll switch things up by going to alternative rock, and when I really want to get down to business, I pop on some oldies. I generally try to stay away from today's hit music. It is too cluttered with filth that does no mind good.

A couple weeks ago, I remember being in the library all day long and had a bad headache. Music wasn't helping me unwind, so I turned it off. The silence was really starting to get to me, so I frantically searched for some form of music that wouldn't drive me up the wall. Before too long I found myself on Paul Cardall's station. It was amazing. It was so peaceful and quiet. Some songs are hymns, some are classical favorites from monumentus films, and some are just darn beautiful. It is the perfect music for homework.

Here is an image of Paul Cardall I found on the web.

Today has been a full day of Paul Cardall, and I must say, I feel so replenished. My mind isn't constantly zipping back and forth between emotions (as country songs often instigate). My mind actually feels like it's on a sail boat, drifting through the subtle sea. I can sea 3 or 4 seagulls in the distance. There are a few clouds in the sky, but they are so faint, that they are hardly worth recognizing. I guess this is what my Mission President intended for us when he told us to stay away from the world's music. I have to admit he was right. Good music is important to a happy life.

-Clint

New Motivations

Time flies. But in this time that has flown, I have done many things.
I've:

• Been accepted to the advertising program at BYU
• Started the weirdest, yet most successful blog I could ever dream of
• see  http://simplyfuzzies.blogspot.com/
• Been promoted to Graphic Designer where I work
• Enjoyed a season pass to Park City Ski Resort
• Started a new hobby
• see  http://500px.com/ClintonCalder
• Ran all 26.2 miles of a marathon

These are many great things that I'm really happy about, however, I'm still single, so the fun shall go on.

My family has been trying to get me hooked on a TV show for a long time. I generally don't watch television anymore, other than the championships of any sport. But this show really meant something to my older brother, so I decided to give it a shot.

The show is called Suits. It's a television show about a young buck trying to get by in an incredibly successful Law Firm in downtown New York City. It has humor, drama, and obviously my favorite part . . . clever writing. If a show has good writing, I tend to really enjoy it. For example, I could watch 500 Days of Summer  500 times and still not get sick of it. 

The reason I wanted to talk about this, and I don't know how it happened, but television shows like this are really motivating to me. Perhaps it's because everyone in the show has a modeling contract (actually that is the only thing I don't like about the show. All the actors are supermodels ha ha). I like the chemistry between the main character and his boss. It is the kind of relationship I try to create with my bosses. I want to be the most determined worker wherever I am employed. This generally happens only when I love what I do . . . and fortunately, my current job is exactly what I love doing. 

Fork and Ribs

(That amazing image you see as my blog picture is my portfolio cover for my advertising program application at BYU. Let's just say it took me way longer than I thought possible, yet I loved every minute of it).

The only thing I needed in order to obtain happiness this sunday afternoon was a plate full of ribs and a fork. My uncle knows how to make ribs that literally fell off the bone. I'm not kiddin'. When I grabbed the ribs off the grill they kept falling back on the grill.

My sincerest of apologies for not writing more frequently.

As school approaches, I have thought back on this summer and realized, it was no ordinary summer. It was full of a lot of firsts for me.

1. Got a pass at Gold's Gym
2. Started enjoying running.
1. I am not going to lie, i have wanted to like running my entire life, and finally it happened. After 2 months of running every morning, I finally got to the point where I didn't hate myself for waking up early to go running.
3. Ran a half marathon (13.1)
1. The longest I had ever run before running the half marathon was 7 miles. So it was a big step for me. The longest I had ever run before this was a 5K at the 4th of July celebration in Huntsville this year.
2. I ran the Moonlight Half Marathon in Mapleton, Utah. It took me 2 hours and 6 minutes (roughtly 9.5 minute miles). The goal is to cross at midnight, and I just missed it by two minutes. (12:02).
4. Kayaked the South Fork and Provo river.
1. Definitely something I never thought I'd do.
5. Rode the famous Slick Rock trail at Moab.
1. I usually have taken my 1974 motorcycle down there, but it went down on the first trail, so I hopped on another fourwheeler and finished the trip.
6. Bought an iPad 2
1. where did that come from? Mainly peer pressure. I had a roommate with one, and if any of you have had that experience, it is hard to get by. So I bought one just so I would feel more comfortable living with him.
2. but I haven't regretted it for a second. It is a great tool for scripture study. I bet the church paid Apple to start making them so that you could click on scripture links throughout the ensign articles. 
7. Bought a Mac Book Pro
1. a lot of people reading this may freak out. I haven't gone public with it yet because I usually get a lot of hassle before making the purchase, but this time i didn't allow for it and just picked it up on my way home from the library on campus.
2. there was actually a lot of thought that went into this. I have been working on applying for the Advertising Program at BYU and got so frustrated that the library had such funky hours in the summer and I couldn't take it anymore, so I bought my mac book pro 15" and the Adobe Creative Suite. Now nothing will hold me back. I've never felt so FREE!
8. Filmed and edited a video
1. this is actually the first time I have ever created a film and edited it.
2. granted, it is only 60 seconds long, yet it still somehow managed to take 16 hours of my life and throw them into the media lab at BYU.
1. I had no idea video edited could be such a headache. I have a much better appreciated for film producers now. 
3. The video is part of my application for the Advertising Program, it's a decent video and can be seen at Clint'sGoingToGetInDotCom 

Thus, this summer has been absolutely spectacular. I hope to be sending more photos your way through this blog, so expect those in the year future.

thanks for reading!

Clint

Wait a minute...ya...I just had an idea...

In order to get my creative juices pumping, I did what any successful person would do...I popped in Ocean's 11. While watching, I had the greatest idea for my Advertising Application Video. It is ingenious. It is clever in my lever for whatever. It is going to get me into the Advertising Program!

I will start out sitting on a chair in a large empty room wearing plain colored clothes. The room will have the appearance of a prison. You know...walls made of concrete and terrible lighting. It will be a kind of exit interview from prison. Only it won't be prison, it will be "normal life". The purpose of the interview is to see if I am ready to leave "normal life" and go out into the "creative world".

Throughout this scene I will be answering a series of questions that will determine if I am ready, and what I plan to do.

"What do you plan on doing with yourself once you're out there?" says the interrogator. "I don't know...possibly clone myself and pull crazy stunts..." after two seconds of silence the split rapidly switches to a scene of two very similar cars (our white hondas) parked fifteen feet apart in a barren parking lot. I get out of my car, throw a tennis ball hard on the ground and get back in my car. Corey will then get out of his car...catch the ball...and get back in the car. The camera will be placed on a stand and will not budge. Thus rendering the scene completely impossible without extreme editing skills or an actual clone. The camera will then go back to the parking garage where further questions will be answered.

Another possible scene would be me answering a question concerning what my physical appearance would be like. The camera would then rotate and it would show Me (That would of course be Corey standing in a rather still position wearing creative apparel). "as seen in the creative world" will appear on the screen. Corey will be wearing my Red Bull soccer Jersey, purple Jordan basketball shorts, pink indoor soccer shoes and a crazy stylin' hat.

At the end of the questioning, I reach out and shake Corey's hand, because he was the person interviewing me, and the camera reveals just enough of his face to show that he is my twin.

It's perfect. It's witty, gitty and in the end it will be pretty.

Now I just have to write the script.

(I hereby copyright this idea, so don't go copying it).

Steezy C can't make no moviee

I have been stressed beyond contemplation about this dang advertising video that I have to do in order to apply for the advertising program at BYU. Why does it have to be so hard? My brother applied for one of the most prestigious business colleges in America, that being the Marriot School of Business at BYU, and all he had to do was write a letter of intent... Ya... that was a tough one. Heaven forbid he forgot to save and he'd have to write his paper again. ha ha. (Not tryin' to lay the hates on ya Corkles, just on how easy you have it).

Let me explain how tough it is to apply for the advertising program.

First...you must take all of the pre-requisites. Not too big of a deal, it's normal.

Second...you must take a test. A test that is purely on advertising. You don't have to ace it, you just have to show that you know advertising. It actually wasn't too bad. Not counting the endless nights during the semester I spent studying for the class tests, I studied about 5-7 hours for the test and did decent enough on it.

Third...you have to build a portfolio. This portfolio can't be a standard portfolio. It has to be creative and show the head hanchos that they cannot no longer live without you. Difficult...but do-able. I'm pretty good with photoshop and have confidence in that.

Fourth...you must create a video about yourself. Now I have taken tough classes. I have passed really tough tests. And I have written a few papers about myself, but I have never, not in a million years, come up with a video about myself. I am usually pretty confident in what I do and how I do it, but I am really struggling coming up with a dynamite idea.

So far my idea is to just film myself struggling to come up with an idea. I think it's a good idea, but that's the idea right...to have an idea...and somehow put it on tape. I feel like it's been done before, and in order for it to be good...it's going to have to be really good.

Though these will be some fairly long days, I'm going to come up with something, and when I do, you'll be aware. The video is going to be baller and everyone is going to love it. The Advertising program won't be able to turn me away. Though I would love to turn away from this whole process.

Gel-less

Let me just say that everyone around me has been blogging more than me and it has made me a little jealous (gel-less).

School went really well during spring semester, the only problem was it was too easy. All assignments were done in class. That would normally be a good thing, but I suffered come finals. During finals week, I sat down and said, "Self, it is time to study." I sat at my computer and for whatever reason, I couldn't find the on button for my brain. I literally couldn't study. I had a friend from class come and study with me. She excelled in the studying game, whereas I just sat and read the same sentence over and over.

I don't want to brag, but me and studying got along really well during winter semester. I dominated my classes and tests and enjoyed staying up until 2 AM studying. But somehow, since spring had sprang, my mind decided to no longer accept new information.

My internship is going very well. I don't think I have told you all yet. I have an internship. Isn't that swell. I work for KLAS. It is a healthcare IT research company. Don't worry, I'm not the one doing the research. I'm on the marketing team. I handle their internet marketing, facebook and twitter pages. It is pretty sweet. I love doing what I find great interest in doing.

My favorite thing to do is post things on twitter and watch as the clicks add up. It is like fishing. If I post at the right time of day and use just the right words (bait), then the clicks will roll in. But if I don't get the timing or words right, I get skunked. (a little bit of fishing language for ya)

Yo Ho from Provo

My sincerest of apologies for not posting for so long. So much has happened. I will try to give you the highlights without boring you.

I came home from Hawaii just before Christmas. It was so nice to see the good ol' rocky mountains again. I love the pacific ocean and the islands, but nothing compares with the beauty of the rockies. Having lived in Utah my whole life, I guess I took for granted the uniqueness and splendor of it all. 

I didn't get to go snowboarding as much as I'd like, but I was able to make it to the slopes and help my beautiful little sister Miranda. She takes after her older brothers and sisters and has a passion for snowboarding. I am also helping my father snowboard. His many years of advanced skiing helped him pick it up quite fast. I was amazed at how quickly he picked up the turning motions.

In January I moved to Provo to attend the school of my dreams, Brigham Young University. I have busted my kahootens all my life to get into BYU and it finally came to pass. 

School went very well for me. I was extremely busy and had little time for play, but I loved my classes and the BYU experience. I started the semester without a job and found it hard to find enough time to study, but that all changed around midterms. 

At midterms I was informed that I did not get the position I desired at the MTC. I was a bit saddened by that, but new something better would arise. The day after, I was eating lunch with my identically amazing twin brother Corey. We were just taking it easy and talking about life and it's mysteries in the cafeteria. He was all dressed up and ready to go to the career fair with his leather binder. He had been searching for an internship for a while. It was a big day for him. I, however, was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. 

Shortly after leaving me to find a job, he raced back to my table and said, "Clint, I have someone you need to meet, it could be a great internship opportunity for you."

I was really shocked, I hadn't been looking or desiring an internship until summer, but I went anyway. Apparently Corey's fiancé's cousin was looking for a marketing intern. Long story short, I go talk to her, she is unable to resist my writing experience, coupled with an eccentric sense of humor, and I get the job.

The company is KLAS. They are based in Orem, Utah and do research on healthcare technology. I am their marketing intern, but more specifically, my title is the Internet Marketing Specialist. It's a great title, but there's nothing special about my skills. I am learning much more than I know. The internship has been going very very well for me and will last until August 2011, but they like me so much, they aren't in any hurry let me go. I expect to be there a while.

 Surprisingly, my grades skyrocketed after starting the internship. I started working their midway through the semester as a full time student working 25-30 hours a week. That is a lot of time to be working, but apparently it has impacted my grades one way or another. 

After winter semester, I decided to move in with my cousin in the infamous Condo Row! It is just south of campus and is a definite hot spot for students. A lot of people want to get in to this place, I reserved my spot months in advance and was lucky enough to get in. 

I haven't thought this hard for a long time.

Mark Zuckerberg liked my cookie

During the summer I am working full-time and attending one class at BYU. It keeps me busy, but I really enjoy it. 

Justin, my cousin, leaves for his mission soon. Per a last request, he invited the guys in the family to accompany him to MOAB for a two day extravaganza. We did Hell's Revenge, Poison Spider, and Fins and Things. It was one of the best MOAB trips I have ever been on. My 1974 Yamaha didn't last too long, but was able to finish out our first trail, (thanks to Uncle Scott) but decided to give up the ghost after reaching the trailer. I hopped on my cousin Jason's four wheeler. If you ever need your back adjusted, realigned, or popped, you ought to consider riding on the back of a fourwheeler while Jason is driving. It is quite the experience! I actually enjoyed riding on the back. I didn't need to worry about the trail, I just sat and watch as the world passed by. We did trade off a lot, so I got to do some decent trail riding. There is nothing like MOAB. 

The Gang

This was a lot steeper than it looks.

Yes, that's a new helmet

I'm so glad we invited Superman!

Justin decided to go out with a bang!

The most surprising event of the trip is when my Dad and I ran into 9 people on Poison Spider. They stopped us along the trail and asked my dad for help with directions. He noticed their funny accent and asked, "Where are you from?" The second they said Paris my heart skipped a beat and I lost all control of my mouth. Before I knew it I was lost in conversation with them. I told them about my mission, the cities I served in and everything. It felt so good to unleash the French. It had been too long.

Before I let you go, I must inform you of a life changing diet circumstance. As of one month ago, I am 100% gluten free. That does not mean I have not eaten any gluten for a month, it just means that I have been diagnosed with gluten intolerance from my doctor and should abstain from anything with wheat or flour. It is curing the penetrating headaches that have plagued my life for the past couple months. The change was remarkable. When I am off gluten, I am a whole new man. 

Tune in next time for a real nice slice of my american life.

You should know that I am preparing for a 5K that will take place in Huntsville, Utah at the JULY 4th Celebration. I am really excited and have some good shoes that will take me there. 

Life in Happy Valley

Thank heavens for the Holidays. I had a great holiday season with my family. I got home from Hawaii on the 19th of December. I stayed at home for two weeks. It was nice to finally put a coat on. Sleeping has been exceptional because I can now curl up in thick heavy blankets, that's something I never could have done in Hawaii. I also get to wear jackets and jeans. Life is great aint it? 

After the Holidays came to a close I moved down to Provo, Utah. It is awesome down here. The main reason I am so excited to be down here is because it has always been my dream to go to BYU. It is much much more than what I had anticipated. I love it. Classes are much more intense than at any other school I have previously gone to. Instead of standing out as a diligent student, I am now merely one in 30,000 other exceptional students. After all, it is Brigham Young University. The teachers are incredible. All of my teachers have been teaching for many years and really know their stuff. 

My next goal to achieve in life is to be accepted into the Advertising program here at BYU. It is very competitive and will require a lot of hard work. I am doing all I can to get an upperhand by joining advertising clubs, interviewing for internships and more. It is so good to finally be studying subjects that I care about. Until now I have been forced to study subjects I couldn't relate to very well, like geography or biology for example. 

One thing that I have been able to do, which is really nice, is go home for the weekends. I love how the only thing between me and my family right now is an hour and a half trip on the freeway. Before it was a 6 hour plane ride and $700 escape valve in my wallet.