Chi Chi Chi...le le le

On Monday June 6th I am going with my brother to Chile. He's getting his doctorate in Spanish from Vanderbilt University and he has a grant to study down there, so he's bringing me along. It should be really fun, and I'll get to try to communicate in a Spanish speaking country before I go over to Puerto Rico. One of the coolest parts though is that we're leaving from Salt Lake on Monday at around 7am. I'm not 100% sure but I think that's almost exactly the same time Elder Jameson Ricks is flying to Dallas, Texas. I might just go look up outbound flights to Dallas and stop by the gate. You know, see who's there.

Sigur Rós

I like this band

This song is called E-bow because Jónsi uses a violin bow (maybe a cello bow) to play his guitar. I have read some pretty interesting facts about Sigur Rós, like that the bassist catches trout with his teeth and sometimes they sing in a made up language called Hopelandic. I don't know if I believe the one about the trout but I read it on their website. This is one of the bands that I would really like to see live. They are currently on an "indefinite hiatus" because people in the band had kids and Jónsi has his solo project going, so who knows. The video is from their movie, Heima and it is so cool, it's pretty much just video of them playing small, unannounced concerts back home in Iceland. I'd really like to go there someday. I think I'd really like it. 

Update

I just received a full-tuition scholarship to the U.

That's looking like a pretty good option right now.

School

They have these cool new layouts for blogs, so I made a new one and I thought I might as well actually write something on this thing.

I've been thinking a lot about schools lately, and I think I'll either go to the U or Utah State. I have a guaranteed 2 year full-tuition scholarship for USU, and hopefully I'll get something good from the U too, but I won't find out about that until the end of this month. I'll also have the New Century Scholarship, which could cover up to 70% of tuition. Because my tuition will already be covered, they'll just cut me a check for what I've earned that I can use to cover housing and food. I realized the other day that if I buy a food plan that provides me with enough food to survive, I can use any money I earn to stock my dorm with Fruit Smiles. So I'm pretty much all my hard work will be rewarded with practically unlimited fruit snacks. I really wish this thought would have occurred to me earlier; I would have been even more motivated to do well in school. So, If I could give any advice to young students, I'd say to put everything into terms of your ability to buy Fruit Smiles. That'll put things into perspective.

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Summer of '09

The last summer of my high school life.

Kind of a scary thought. After this school year, I will become a real person, with responsibilities. So this summer, I lived it up.

Seminary

Every Tuesday at eleven, all the cool kids went to summer Seminary. Yep, it was awesome. Our Seminary teachers are the coolest. They always had awesome lessons and we got Otter Pops after. It doesn't get any better than that. I even got to teach a lesson one Tuesday. I think I did pretty well, yeah I guess I pretty much killed. I think I want to be a Seminary teacher when I grow up. It would be a choice career.

We met a lot as the Seminary council too, which was pretty awesome. We went to the ropes course for our "council social" I know, fancy right? That was at least the third coolest thing I did all summer. We just got to chill there with the seminary teachers. Almost all of them came with us and we just chilled. I think I want to be a Seminary teacher when I grow up.

Timpanogos

After living in Utah valley for over sixteen and a half years, I finally hiked to the top of Mount Timpanogos. Twice. Both times I went at midnight, and they were probably the two coolest hikes I've ever been on. The whole thing kind of sucks until you get to the saddle, as soon as you come up over it and you see the whole valley lit up...oh man, it's so sick. I want to go again soon.

I made my mark on the shack

Yeah, I guess I'll kind of go down in history. The world will always know that I, B-rock Duclos, hiked to the very top of Mt. Timpanogos on Aug 10, 2009.

Yeah, I'm practically famous. We also discovered/met a stud of a goat who we named Chompy. Here, through the wonders of modern technology, you can pretty much meet him too!

If this isn't the second most epic photograph ever, I'm not sure what would be

Chompy

Here he is, leading the way for us

The Big One Seven

On July 30, 1992 a legend was born.

Seventeen years later his birthday is still celebrated

What the bulleted list format?

• I received a MacBook Pro. I love it. I don't know what to name it yet though
• I made two trips to Miller Motorsports park, possibly one of the coolest places in the great state of Utah
• I went 180 miles per hour in a legitimate stock car, sitting shotgun to a pro
• I took Jameson for the second trip
• We raced in the coolest Go Karts
• We drove around the outside of the track in a golf cart in order to get the full experience
• I want to go again

La escuela

School. The reason I wake up in the morning.

Not.

It started off quite luxurious. Due to inconsistent schedules between the two schools I attend, I had no first or second period for the first week. This allowed me to attend the seminary opening assembly four times. It was nice to be there because my group was in charge of putting it together, and I was pretty proud of the video we produced.

Unfortunately, these scheduling inconsistencies also forced me to take early morning seminary. So I'd wake up to go to school at 6:45, then go home until third period. I liked it though, early morning seminary is cool because I get to go every day, but kind of weird because it's only 45 minutes long. It's not so bad now that we're kind of in the swing of things. I enjoy having seminary every day. It's a good way to start the day, and my class is really cool.

But then...

My UVU classes started, and I transferred into AP US History. Homework hit me like a brick wall. It's like all my teachers were talking, saying, "Okay guys, let's hold off on the homework, then slam it on him all at once! It'll be hilarious, wait for it...wait for it......Now! Hahaha good one, guys!"

I wouldn't put it past them.

No, but seriously it's not too bad, and I'm keeping on top of things. Also, my classes are pretty sweet. Newman is hilarious, he just told us the story of the battle axe, I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard.

The Land Down Unda

A couple of days ago, my parents left us for Australia. They went with Kendall and Megan and are spending some time with some of the families Kendall taught on his mission.

They left Wyatt, Fu and myself all alone, in charge of the house. It's kind of lame cooking and cleaning and all that stuff, but it's all good.

Homecomemos

Is Spanish for Homecoming. I'm stoked. Dances are the coolest. I'm going with Stacie Norton, and we are going to party. It. Up.

Our day date, genius. We're renting sumo suits and we're going to battle it out. I know, genius. That's what I said.

Maybe I'll be able to fulfill my favorite item on my bucket list, item number 19. That is, and I quote, "Win a dance off (against someone who is not white)". Then, my life would almost be complete. I just hope the opportunity presents itself, these things can't be planned you know.

So yep, I'm pretty stoked to be back in normal life. Maybe I'll even put stuff up on this little thing every once in awhile.

Also, is it just me, or are photographs nearly impossible to manipulate on this publisher thing?

Ready, Go

After a brief four month period of inactivity, I have posted something on this blog.

Let's see how long it takes for someone to notice

I can get through this. I think.

Today was a sad day for me.

I sent my last scripture text message to my seminary class.

Scripture text messages were kind of my passion/calling in life.

It was rough. I didn't cry but I kind of went catatonic for a while. Like Cameron in Ferris Bueller. Carrie had to revive me with some hilarious reminiscing. I'm pretty sure we looked nuts.

I'm going to miss that seminary class. I think it was the best yet.

Memories

• Sister Brown's birthday song
• The talent show
• Monkey
• Bacon
• Scripture scavenger hunt
• The thank you card to Papa John's
• Darin Hillyard's embarrassing moments
• The Rubik's cubes
• Saying San Francisco instead of Spanish Fork in the announcements
• When we got 100% reading and I almost cried
• The question of the day
• Throwdowns
• Frodowns

I can get through this