Tuesdays with Muerte

Has anyone else noticed that despite my blog's title, "Tuesday's with Muerte", I have only posted twice in the 4 month history of my blog. Maybe I should consider a new strategy in posting. While new ideas are still percilating in my brain about how to better serve my readers, please feel free to offer some c&c yourselves. Always yours, Bryan p.s. If you have any recommendations for a new banner, I'm thinking about making a new one too.

___________________________________________ I recently read Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass" and am anticipating its arrival in the local dollar theater in a month or two. The one thing bothering me is the age old question, "which will be better; the book or the movie?" I've experienced the same worry with a few pairs of books and feature-length films. Book Winners: -The Bible (Prince of Egypt) -All Quiet on the Western Front -Catch-22 -The Great Gatsby -The Grapes of Wrath -Of Mice and Men -The Time Machine -Charlotte's Web (Classics) -Jurrasic Park -Timeline -Misery Movie Winners: -The Borne Identity -Dune -The Princess Bride (Classics) -The Count of Monte Cristo -Pride and Prejudice (I am akin to both the newer Kiera Knightley and Provo Remakes) I'm sure I've seen more movies based on books I've read, but this is a suitable list to examine. What I see here is that I exhibit an affinity for classics in literature form. Apparently, t...

Who, in the family, does this remind you most of and why? Please leave your comments below: ---------------- Listening to: Nicola Piovani - La Notte Di Favola

Robbed, as in Robin Hood. (If you are not present, it's technically burglary.) "The intruder probably is a drug addict and has had unlimited access to your apartment previous to this encounter..." Officer Arrowchief, Provo Police Department Last Sunday between 1am and 6am, an intruder walked into our unlocked apartment and silently stole various items out of the back two rooms. (The front room was either untouched because it was too messy, or our roommates still haven't discovered what is missing because it is so messy.) I had my camera stolen and $30 cash. Zack had it the worst. He had his backpack emptied of its books but the bandit made off with his iPod and Japanese translator, each worth about $200 a piece. The other two roommates had a few trinkets stolen. I'm a little sad I've lost my camera, because now I can't post pictures of my life. For now, you'll just have to imagine.  At first, I felt constantly anxious and nervous that t...

Today, members of our ward volunteered at the MTC referral center. It was wonderful, as always. When we walked in, the lead RC teacher was getting ready to prepare a big training for us and then noticed me among the group. Letting some air quickly release he said, "oh, Bryan's old-school. If you have any questions, he can help you." And that was the last we saw of him. I thought it was a little unfair that the others didn't get the full RC experience just because I was among them. Fortunately, our ward mission leader was present and took the reigns. I brought along my bound copy of the Conference Ensign and read a talk or two. It was the perfect source of inspiration to look at between calls. I handled about 4 Spanish calls, all of which reminded me of how wonderful sharing the gospel is. It's easy to forget here in Provo that there are families earnestly searching for the truths of the gospel. My favorite call was from a family man living in Columbus, O...

The very first time I wore these shoes I scuffed them getting out of my car. I'm not mad though because I pretend with myself that scuffs are in fashion… The second pair is what I use for work EVERYDAY. I'm so glad that I have them. The 1/2 inch rubber sole gets be to about 11:30am without getting my socks drenched at the car wash.

My hometeachers were so considerate in asking me out to dinner in SLC before our ward temple appointment. Randy (spelled "Rendy" because his parents didn't want his peers to receive the false impression that he was promiscuous in any way) served his mission in Taiwan and when he came here found this great whole in the wall resturant that served the most authentic chinese foods: hot-pot, pot stickers, battered pork, snow peas, etc. It reminded me very closely of every single meal we ate in China earlier this Spring. As we left, I asked if we left a tip for our $50 meal amongst the 6 of us. Rendy said, "No, there is no tipping in China." Trying to be witty by making an allusion to x-men III, I said "Tipping is a CITY in China." …silence from the group… Just to break the awkward silence I went back into the restaurant and left $2.50. I felt generous because before dinner, I popped in next door to a Equadorian bakery. There was a big soccer game goi...

This week, our BYU ward pledged 4041 cans at a service auction and dinner. Every ward member wrote down something for others to bid on the previous week at FHE and this week we bid for them. The highest bid was 400 cans for an authentic Indian dinner hosted by one of the members of the bishopric. My bit of service was quite original but not very wise. I granted the highest bidder a punch in my stomach as hard as they could. I thought it was a good idea at the time, but when all was said and done, the winner was a big guy named Greg who won for only 1 can. AS HARD AS HE COULD, FOR ONE CAN! (Fortunately, he did hit me in the stomach and not the groin like it appears to be in the 3rd picture there. That was the ricochet after the initial blow.) I guess nobody wanted to hit me. I would have hit me if I were someone else. Can I help it that I am so amiable? Next auction, I will offer a lifetime supply of high-fives or something lame like that.

I took an intermediate bowling class at BYU in 2007. I was surprised how much focus is required to bowl well. I also learned a lot about life and love. Every M,W,F I would show up to the downstairs bowling facility after my Gold Standard Ballroom Dance class to bowl. I was tired and didn't want to continue to focus; not after an hour of coordinating my mind, feet and the rest of the muscles in my body. I initially thought bowling was a goof-off class; a break between the more rigorous classes. It is only in hindsight that I can see now that I was quite mistaken. I think Tom Cruise said it best in one of his all-time classic films, Top Gun: "If you think out there, you're dead." Of course, I am examining this quote in a non-literal light. What I mean by this is that bowling, like every sport, requires concentration 100% of the time. Foreign thoughts can pull me out of the "zone" and I'll blow it. I wonder if that is why bowling is so popular with ...

Dad and I love to make the same poses when we visit beautiful places all over the world… …actually, that's not so true. Only one of these is the real photo. The rest were created by me last night. Can you tell which one it is? I got carried away after taking an online tutorial of photoshop and made about 20 of these. If you are interested in seeing the others, I'll send them in a family email. These are the best though. Hopefully, I will continue to improve my graphic arts skills. I have a feeling that this is something that I would really like to spend my time doing as a career. What kind of "good" careers are there out there for graphic artists? BTW, I saw cousin Devin Brown this week on the tennis courts. He's back from Arizona doing an internship with the Church Motion Picture Studio here in Provo.

As many of you know, my wrist have been bothering me since EFY this summer. I thought the cause of my pain was a handshake gone bad. However, recently, I've been feeling the same pain in both wrists. The x-rays took 3 weeks ago indicate no brakes in the bones. The doctor suggested that is was only tendonitus derived from the initial handshake and exacerbated by continually meeting people and shaking their hands. Recently, I've opted to offer side-hugs in place of handshakes. It's worked out well in the Monticello and ward settings, but I'm not sure how it's going to fly at work. I have been conducting some initial research with some old people I drive home from the Cadillac dealership. After a nice conversation in the car, I hoped out and helped an 70 year old lady out of the car and gave a her a little side squeeze; I think (hope) she liked it. I haven't received a call from the "Service Manager" about any harassment complaints so I guess it we...

In preparation for Halloween, my roommates, B-Spence, Ben, Hunter and I all put wigs on and posed outside of your apartment. This is us trying to be "gansta". Believe it or not, I think most of these wigs belonged to my Great-Grandma, Hedvig: …that's a good name for our gang: "The Hedvigs 4"

Outn'Back held a two day sale during which all 2007 Chaco Sandals were 60% off. Having only received the email on second day of the sale, I wasn't sure how much selection they would have left. I called ahead and, sure enough, they had at least one pair of sandals in my size. When I arrived, I discovered only 6 boxes of shoes left; 3 mens, and 3 womans. After careful deliberation, I bought one men's and one women's pair. The men's pair is "dirt". It is very thin and tri-colored. I bought it a size down so that it is PERFECTLY shaped to my foot. I wasn't going to buy 2 pair, however, when I tried on the women's real leather sandal, it felt SO good that I just couldn't pass it up. The total bill was under $50. Here are some pics of my ever-growing Chaco collection:

We know that you have many choses when you fly; we're glad that you've chosen to fly with us. --Which airline says that catch-phrase, do you think? The greatest airline in the world is Singapore Air. I will let the following pictures speak for themselves. Here are some of my family's own pictures: These chairs really DO recline into beds. It was the best $5000 I never spent. (We were bumped up to 1st class due to a minor airline error in our benefit.)

Here are some of my favorite films by Studio Ghibli. Studio Ghibli, Inc. is a Japanese animation film studio that is currently working with Disney. These animated adventures are not only for young children, but for anyone with an imagination. These films can be enjoyed by everyone in the family. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989/1998) A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service. Kirsten Dunst voiced Kiki in the 1998 English dub. The English dub was also Phil Hartman's last voice-acting performance (as Jiji) before his death. There is a tribute to Phil Hartman after the credits of the English dub, dedicating the film to his memory. DOWNLOAD: Kiki's Delivery Service Grave of the Fireflies (1988) A tragic film covering a young boy and his little sister's struggle to survive in Japan during World War II. Some critics (most notably Roger Ebert) con...

After the Sunday afternoon session of conference, I decided to drive up the canyon. Before I go on, I must explain what a monumental step this was for me. You see, I was caught in a "Catch 22". I wouldn't go up without a date, but on the other hand, I wouldn't go up until I knew the exact directions and how long it would take. Therefore, I could never satisfy my curiosity despite the reassurances of friends who tried to explain it to me. With that said, Sunday, I asked a friend named DAK to double with me. We found some girls in the ward who were excited to go up as well. I threw caution to the wind and headed up with a 1/2 tank of …It was amazing. The aspens were fatter than I have ever seen. The snow seemed perfectly painted on the tips of the evergreens. The variety of the colors were astonishing. And the open mountain landscape on the back of Timp was simply majestic. Here are some pics. Sorry that they turned out so dark; the flash wasn't working right. After...

I went to Ross a few weeks ago and was struck again by the oriental Feng Shui Bug. As you can see below, I bought a bunch of stuff to decorate our room. The desk belongs to Brian; it isn't really oriental but it is a nice addition to the room. Maybe later I'll show you the REST of the room...

All Original Creations: Let the competition begin !

---III---___.___---III---___.___---III---___.___---III---___.___--- I recently ran out of my man-perfume and am in the market for a new bottle. If I recall correctly, Noelle or Stefanie or I bought it for myself as a Christmas gift the year I got home from my mission. I'm impressed that it lasted this long. Maybe its lack of use has led in some small degree to my single status. I'm open to suggestions for new fragrances.

Here are some two-bits remedies for snoring: (Be advised, some of the following may cause additional illness and even death. Consult your physician before attempting.) -Not sleeping. -Sleeping with a neck cast that forces your windpipe open. -Tonsil removal (and/or any other unnecessary matter back there that could come out.) -Adhering an athletic breath-rite strip over your nose. -Sleep on a side other than your back. -If you have to sleep on your back, place a pillow over your face to at least muffle the sound. -Or my personal favorite, the remedy taken in this commercial:

As none of you may know, I have taken up Tai Chi. My inspiration was taking those morning classes aboard the Yangtze River Cruise Ship. For the last 4 Fridays I have taken a blanket out to a grassy patch near a pond on campus and done some freestyle stuff along with some routines that I learned from library videos. I'll have to give the family a demonstration at Christmas. Since I haven't photographed myself yet, here's a TV ad that I hope will give you an idea of my meditation skill level.

After a long week of investigating and checking and driving and getting filthy grime under my nails, I finally have a BICYCLE!  I'd tell you what brand it is, but it is a "mut".  It is a composite of about 4 bikes.  What a lucky guy I am to have access to so many junky bikes from around Provo and a lot of spare time. Wednesday was pretty-much spent on my front porch vicinity, fiddling around with ratchets and gears and spokes until I got everything to work together.  The hardest part was the brakes.  I'm positive there is an order to adjust the brakes so that it all works together nicely, however, I obviously didn't play enough video games to develop the problem solving skills to figure that out.  At any rate, here she is! (No name yet; recommendations welcome.)

This is a delicious receipt that Suzanne Powell's grandma gave her.  I asked Suzanne if she would make something for a dessert tonight at Ward Prayer. When she mentioned something about her grandma's SUPER SECRET Cream Puff recipe, I couldn't resist helping her. Ingredients: -1 cup water -1/2 cup butter -1 cup flour -1/4 teaspoon salt -4 eggs Instructions: 1. Boil water 2. Add butter in boiling water 3. Mix salt and flour until it's all balled together and not separate 4. remove from heat 5. Add eggs one at a time, mix in 6. Drop on a greased cookie sheet by a Tablespoon  7. Cook at 400* till gold and fluffy (30 min)

I recently "took up Mandarin."  Many of you may ask, "How does one just 'take up' one of the most difficult written and spoken languages in the world?" The story is unexpectedly short: I went to China this Spring which endowed me with the passion I needed to put in the practice hours.  I received my inspiration from an education week teacher, John Hilton III.  He carried on a minute long conversation with one of my friends named Jenn.  I later learned that he learns from listening to tapes in his car and then eats out at Chinese twice a week to practice.  I acquired some learning tools online and have begun the long road myself this week. So far I can say, "Excuse me; may I ask you a question?  Can you speak English/Mandarin?  I can speak a little English/Mandarin." It's such a beautiful feeling to say that to random people and have them just look back at me with respect and awe.