i wish i could do this

this is a really cool piece that i pirated off of josh's blog. i especially like it when viva la vida starts at about 3 minutes. somehow when i was younger this guy was my piano teacher for a couple months. unfortunately it never amounted to much. how does he move his fingers that fast and play the piano... i can't even move them that fast just holding them in front of me. thanks for sharing josh! got my mind off the jazz for a few minutes. i still think they are going to win the series. call me crazy, but it ain't over until it's over.

all i have to say

this is all I have to say. julie and i were there for probably the best and most intense game i have ever seen. i am having a hard time hearing and talking today it was so crazy in there. to the naysayers….face!                   kobe was 5-24. I LOVE IT.

to all the naysayers.

I don't care what you say...there is something inside me that will love the Jazz to the grave. There are a LOT of naysayers and people that spend too much time watching ESPN (where they are all in creepy love affairs with the Lakers). The Jazz played pretty well today. Well enough to give them the confidence that the Fakers are indeed beatable. Boozer got a bit of his swagger bag. Dwill dished out 17 assists...picked the Lakers apart.

Deron Williams is incredible. I like what Jeff Van Gundy said during the game today...something to the effect of..."if I lived within a four hour radius of Salt Lake I would have season tickets, just to see this guy everyday, Deron Williams in phenomenal."

Deron goes out and gets it done. He isn't cocky and full of himself like every other star in the league. He doesn't have "Chosen One" tattooed on his back like LeBron, or a kings crown on his arm like Kobe. He doesn't make faces that make you want to beat the crap out of him after he makes a great play. He just gets it done. He makes everyone around him better. His passing is only surpassed by John Stockton. And when he needs to...he can take a game over and throw down over 2 seven footers like he does in this clip. Click on the HD button on the bottom right so you can really see it.

Here's one more view of it. Check out the slow-mo at the end. Click on the HQ button to see better quality.



Jazz will win game 2 and all the naysayers will jump back on the bandwagon. I'm in no matter what. I can't help it. Here's a nice shot of the in your face dunk.

what the snow?

Utah is really weird. I'm a native of this place and I still don't understand the weather here. It was 70 one day, freezing cold and 8 inches of snow the next morning, then like 55 by that evening and all the snow was gone. Today it was 70. I just feel bad for all the trees that had their branches ripped off because of the weight of the snow. photo one: on my way to work photo two: on my way home. (taken at the same spot if you couldn't figure that one out)

tax day shellacking - photos compliments of the iphone

 

This is weird. This is our last Sunday in Provo. We're moving on Saturday. Fun times ahead. Lots of adventures to be had. Lots of things to See.

i make surprise.

julie and i went out to dinner for her birthday, same place we went on our first date. we came home and boy oh boy did she get surprised. i had talked to a few of julie best friends and old roommates and they were all there for a great surprise when we got home. they had the place all decked out and did much better than i could have. i opened the door and even though i knew they were going to be there, it scared me half to death...so i can only imagine how much it surprised julie. they had some cake and pie (julie is a pie person) waiting and we had a great night.

julie has some pretty awesome friends. happy birthday again julie!

JULIE!!!!!

A few years ago, my family started the tradition of emailing the things they love most about someone on the day of their birthday. Not everyone gets the email, but everyone needs to know how incredible Julie is in my eyes. I am not really into the cheesy blogger lists, but Julie is an exception to my rule.

The more I get to know Julie, I realize more and more how lucky I am. Here are a few things that I love about my girl:

222. Julie is extremely personable, no matter where we go, or who we meet with she always leaves a wonderful and lasting impression.
For an example of this, think of the first time you met Julie.

223. Julie is beauty...she knows how to dress...she can mix 32 different colors into one outfit and she looks so good doing it. More than that though when she smiles it lights up the room.

224. Julie is deep. Sometimes she asks me questions that I have a hard time thinking about cause they are so deep they've never crossed my mind.

225. Julie's sense for adventure is incredible. She is always up for something new. She'll move to New York and live in a little tiny apartment in the heat, she'll listen to a time share presentation with me to get free tickets to Sea World, she'll try just about anything.

226. Julie is wicked smart. I am pretty positive I would have flunked out of the BYU nursing program about 6 times by now. But Julie on the other hand does it with one eye shut and still gets straight As. She'll get mad at me for saying that, but crykee she is smart.

227. Julie is determined. When she sets her mind to something...it happens. Because of that she won't be stepped on or told what to do along the way. I love the touch of fiestiness that she holds, it keeps me on my toes.

228. Julie is REALLY good at remembering where I put my wallet, keys, and cell phone. I tend to lose them a lot, and she always just smiles and helps me remember where I left them.

229. Julie is a really good cook. I never liked pie until I met Julie, now...I love...unless its Rhubarb that stuff is nasty. Really though, she decides she wants to try to cook something, she googles it, and she makes a magnificent meal.

230. Julie is athletic. She can pick up a tennis racket, lacrosse stick, basketball and look really good playing the sport in a matter of minutes.

231. Julie is hot.

232. Julie has a testimony like a rock. I love having her to help me understand the gospel and share her insights with me as she reads.

233. Julie is a great friend. She is about the most loyal and caring friend there is. I love getting to know her friends and hearing from them how much they adore her.

234. Julie makes me better. She makes me happy. I can't wait to see and experience the things we do and the places we go together.

I love you so much Julie. Life just keeps getting better with you. Have the Happiest Birthday and enjoy your day of a Nursing Professionalism Conference, a cooking class, and an entrepreneurial lecture class!

Love,
Eli

odnalro

that's backwards for orlando. last week I was in DC for work and had to go straight from there down to orlando for a conference. So we got Julie a ticket to fly down and meet me for the weekend. Julie had been making a lot of comments about the never ending winder and I figured that 80 degrees would suit her fancy. So she got to hang out by the pool in the sun all day while I was at the conference. In the evening we'd enjoy the warm evenings, the pool, and explored Disney's Empire aka Orlando. Holy Cow does Disney ever have a choke hold on that place.

We had a good old time full of unexpected awesome things. Like for example, on day we drove out to the coast, and it just so happened that there was a spaceship taking off that night! So we hung out at the beach for a while then went and watched a space shuttle take off. That is one of those things that I have always wanted to see and somehow we were there on the right night and got to see it. It was so cool. Pretty crazy that there are these people strapped to seats that get shot into space by rocket power. The Discovery was going to the International Space Station to drop a Japanese guy off who is going to live there for a while, and to bring some solar panels for the work that they are doing on the station. It was just one of those things where you think to yourself "did I just see that.

We tried to get in here to see it real close, but apparently we didn't fit the description and the guard didn't believe that I was late and supposed to be on the ship...and that was as far as we got.

So we drove down the road a bit to the place where the space nerd bloggers said was the best place to watch. Here are a few pics of the launch.

I just liked this place where we ate while waiting for the shuttle to take off. Didn't luck out and get any NASCAR though. I guess that is a draw for people...cause you probably want a great picture on the TV while you watch cars for 5 hours.

One of the days we took a trip down to Tampa to go to Busch Gardens which could very easily also be called WT Gardens (short for white trash). Something about those places (amusement parks) they attract a certain breed. I guess it would be pretty exilerating to drink a bud light while waiting in line for a crazy roller coaster. I mean those things make my head spin and I am totally sober. If you were a little buzzed it would be psychedelic, either that or you would probably be more inclined to lose your lunch. Anyway, there were some pretty cool roller coasters, mixed in with the African theme and all sorts of cool wildlife. It was kind of like a big zoo with roller coasters. Not too many people equated to short lines and we had enough coaster rides to last for a couple years.

So while we are at Busch Gardens I decided that even though Julie had been to Sea World a lot in San Diego, that we were going to go to Sea World the next day...and I was confident I would find a way around the 80 dollar per person tickets. So I went to work on the internet when we got back to the hotel. Long story short, the next morning we went and listened to a time share presentation and got some free tickets. Holy Cow though, those guys will not take NO for an answer. I finally had to be blunt and tell them that there was no possible way that we are going to buy a time share even it was a lucrative foreclosure cost...hahahaha. So we raced back to the hotel, got our stuff and we had about 4 hours at Sea World before having to head for the airport. Wow. Sea World rules. I really liked that place. Sea animals are pretty amazing. I can't believe how smart they are. Other than the fact that we were a few minutes late to the Shamu show and the dorks wouldn't let us in (they got an earful...in a tactful way...well not really that tactful, but I really wanted to see Shamu), we saw everything that place had to offer. Julie was an awesome tour guide.

I don't know what either of these animals are, but whoa. I mean they are probably walruses, but about the weirdest looking things I have ever seen.

New bucket list activity: waterski on dolphins like this guy is. check out the guy in the one right above to the left...I don't know how he did this.

So it was an awesome trip. It was so fun to have Julie with me to enjoy the warm weather. Life is good. Got a lot of big decisions coming up...we'll be back east before you know it. Tomorrow is Julie's bday (3.23) so give her a call or email her. She is one amazing girl. Life with her just keeps getting better.

new music

i was introduced to some new music that i like lately. the first six or seven songs on the playlist. let me know what you think.

julie's dream night

so anyone who knows julie, knows that one of her fastest growing interests is the utah jazz (which is incredibly awesome by the way). i am a die hard jazz fan and will love them to the grave. they aren't doing so hot right now, so don't bring that up. they'll still win the championship this year. you smirk a little bit as you read that, but we'll see who's smirking in june (well, more like who'll be freaking out and jumping around when they win the championship. anyway, one of julie's particular likings on the utah jazz in kyle korver...the heart throb of the team. she kind of does it jokingly but she regularly has dreams about going on dates with him and stuff, so you figure that one out.

anyway, so for halloween julie had to dress up to go to the hospital as she was doing pediatrics, and well it was halloween anyway so i don't know why i just told you she dressed up. we went down to st. george the night of, and i rummaged this sweet air force cadet suit that for some reason aja had in her basement (she has a lot of costumes by the way). so i wasn't quite the real korver that night, but i was looking pretty good.

julie does a pretty good korver imitation. ask her next time you see her. anyway, the other night i got replaced in the picture. have a look at this.

hot stuff eh? it took a while for julie to muster up the courage to ask korver for a picture but she did, and boy howdy was she ever happy. she even struck up a conversation that sounded something like this. "hey korver, can i get a picture with you?" korver says, "sure no prob." so i proceed to take the picture. then julie says, "did you know that i was you for halloween?" korver follows up by saying, "uh can someone call security?" just kidding he didn't really say that, he said "really, that is awesome, i dressed up as deron williams (see below if you don't know who that is)" so basically she smooth talked and etched herself into korver's brain forever. she was pretty giddy after she got the pic.

we went to this fundraiser for "rising star outreach" which is a group that helps those with leprosy in india. it is actually a really cool organization started by a woman who really wanted to help, and she just made it happen. they now have an awesome organization helping thousands of people. go to risingstaroutreach.org for more info. anyway, this group is supported by the jazz, so they held their fund raiser at the jazz practice facility and kyle was there along with deron williams, jeff hornacek and shawn bradley. they were there playing ping pong, shooting hoops, playing wii and just having fun with everyone, it was a fun night.

after julie showed her "a" game i had to follow her lead and ask my favorite jazz player for a picture. i didn't have any smooth talk like julie though.

not bad eh? if you don't know who this is. man i am sorry. you shouldn't even be reading this. this is deron williams. hands down the best point guard in the nba. he was a really nice guy in person too. below are a few more pics from the night. here we are in the locker room.

the one and only jeff hornacek. he is one of the greatest jazz players ever. he sat there and talked to us for like 10 minutes. just a real down to earth guy that you would never guess was a basketball player, but her is one of the best shooters ever.

and this guys is just a freak of nature. i look pretty sweet in the pic, but the coolest part about it is that this guy's (shawn bradley's) wife is an inch or two taller than julie and she is wearing heals in this picture. Julie wanted me to write that Bradley played in the NBA for like 10 years (if you didn't already know that). fyi he is seven foot six.

so it was an awesome night. made me wish i somehow worked for the jazz, but hey i will take what i can get. hopefully julie's impression on korver will spark some confidence and the jazz will go on a 20 game win streak or something. i am going to boston this week for work to try and break the dirt there and get things going so that we can move out there when julie finishes up this summer. hopefully it will go well! love from ptown.

snow and some other things

We had some serious fun in the snow over the break. Got some sweet action shots of sledding and a great one of Julie and Kristi in their cross county ski/sledding outfits. We had a great break with some fun in the sun in Phoenix and then had some serious snowfall in Utah.

      

Doesn't Julie just look like she belongs in the snow?

Below are some pics we took at temple square the night before we left to PHX. It was snowing like crazy, nothing had been plowed, just about a foot of fresh powder everywhere....roads included.

and happy new year. we had an awesome party at Baliwood. julie made a piece of art also known as seven layer dip. nice and symmetrical and everything.

k. last thing. julie and i have gotten into painting lately. i highly recommend it, go to a craft store, buy some paint and a canvas or two and see what you can come up with. julie's new name is julie kandinski.

k now really last thing. one night before christmas we went to the motab christmas concert with mom and dad which was really awesome. after feeling some good christmas cheer, the choir conveniently ended at halftime of the jazz game. so we parked, walked up to the door right as a couple was leaving early...i asked if we could have their tickets, they looked at me kind of funny, but were like "sure, they're on the 11th row." I was thinking we'd be lucky to get in the upper bowl, but i guess they'd had enough by halftime and we benefited quite nicely from that! some days you just get lucky.

 

It's cold here. We are already ready from spring. we're happy here...hope the new year is treating you well!