Just for Kicks

Josh Groban and Me

2011-09-02T14:49:00.000-06:00

Go to about 2:30.

Anson Wilder Manning

2011-07-23T11:30:00.000-06:00

Burke and Julia had their second baby boy last Thursday night. There's something about his first name that seems to just roll right off my tongue.

My Name is Kyle. I'm a Mormon

2011-07-16T20:06:00.000-06:00

#7 - AOA-PAC

2011-04-08T13:10:00.002-06:00

Number 7 reason why I love being out here in Columbus is AOA-PAC. Last year I did this, and this year was even better, because I got to go on some Utah visits (Senator Hatch, and Congressman Chaffetz).

We were pushing HR bills 1219 and 1195 to put optometrists on equal grounds with the other primary health care doctors on medicaid (like we already are on medicare), and to include optometrists on the National Health Services Corps bill so that we can get student loan forgiveness for providing eye care to underserved populations. Call me if you want an explanation of all this.

Or you can watch this video... maybe it will help. See if you can find me at time 5:10 of the video. I'm wearing a purple shirt and a blue lanyard.

InfantSEE

2011-03-23T23:23:00.002-06:00

Finally catching up on old blog posts from the family, and realizing that many of you may not be aware that certain serious eye problems can be detected within the first year of life. InfantSEE is a program where optometrists provide FREE eye exams to children ages 6 months - 1 year. Call your optometrist and ask if they are an InfantSEE doctor, or go to InfantSEE to find a participating optometrist.

Cheesy, but truthful video below:

#8 - AAVGC

2010-10-28T06:37:00.005-06:00

Reason #8 why I love Columbus is the African American Voices Gospel Choir. I saw an ad for this student organization on campus, and decided to join. :) We have rehearsals Wednesday nights, and last night we had auditions for Edify, the elite choir... results were in this morning and I made it! Search for my name here.

Funny Optometry Video

2010-10-12T10:34:00.003-06:00

I can't wait to have a patient like this one:

#6 - Living Creatures

2010-09-20T09:05:00.030-06:00

This past year I have been continually fascinated by all the close contact with Columbus' native fauna, many of which I never really saw first hand in Utah. (My theory is that since there are no mountains/valleys here we tend to bump into the animals a lot more).

Here are some highlights of animals I've seen over the past year:

GRAY SQUIRREL

There are a bajillion of these guys running around all over Columbus. They are all over campus and in the parks, and any tree in the city (including the tree that we tie our hammock to at our home... just try taking a nap when one of them is munching on nuts right above your head).

As a side note, I was driving about 2 minutes away from home and saw one of these scurry across the road...

Only to be eaten by one of these...

It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life.

Other birds of note:

TURKEY BUZZARD

CANADIAN GOOSE

Ohio shares a maritine border with Canada. I can only assume that's why we have so many of these messy birds in our parks.

CARDINAL

The cardinal is Ohio's state bird. They are so beautiful and I see them all the time right outside my kitchen window.

Also in my back yard:

HARE

The last two creatures were uncomfortably close to home:

OPOSSUM

A few weeks ago we talking by the hammock at night, and heard some rustling noises coming from the underbrush. I ran and got my flashlight and saw these glowing eyes staring back at me. My first live opossum experience.

SKUNK

A couple days ago we spotted one of these prancing across our front porch as we were saying goodnight to guests. Of course the goodbyes were delayed for a couple of minutes as we made sure everyone was safe to leave the house.

#5 - Football Season

2010-09-03T18:00:00.026-06:00

Yesterday was the Marshall game, which marked the beginning of football season here at OSU. Anyone that has visited Columbus soon discovers that the city breeds fanatical football followers. Football season is a HUGE part of city life here in Columbus, especially for a student, so I decided to get season tickets this year. You just can't attend OSU and never experience this:

So, I'm going to at least one game this season, and I'm allowing myself to get excited for it. I just need to figure out which game will sell for the cheapest on craigslist, go to that game, and sell the others. :)

As a side note, BYU announced it's independence from the Mountain West Conference on Sept 1st. I happened to be with Burke when he found out. This lead to an hour-long sports history lesson about the whole ordeal. It was surprisingly interesting. Burke let me keep the visual aid he produced during our discussion. (All the numbers are in millions of dollars):

Bottom line - college football is corrupt, and BYU is now one of only four colleges who have freed themselves from the imbroglio. We even made a spiritual analogy: Just as each constructed temple decreases Satan's power on earth, so each independent college decreases the BCS's power. (If you don't know what the BCS is, talk to Burke).

Going independent from any conference, though, is apparently a very risky thing to do, so we are praying that the Lord's football team doesn't fall off the face of the planet.

When I grow up...

2010-09-01T12:53:00.001-06:00

... I wanna be one of these:

#4 - The Ohio Theater / WICKED

2010-08-28T19:35:00.008-06:00

#4 reason why I love Columbus is the Ohio Theater. It is an amazing architectural piece of history that is used for events such as the symphony and, oh yeah, WICKED!!!!

That's right folks. Last Wednesday I was inside this theater with tears welling up in my eyes as I saw songs like "Defying Gravity" performed in front of my very eyes. Jackie Burns is my new hero. Her voice was indescribable! I couldn't stop smiling. My first real professional show (on or off broadway) was absolutely worth every penney (4,000 pennies to be exact).

The Truth About Car Payments

2010-08-09T18:05:00.002-06:00

I just shared this with a friend who desperately needed to hear it. Thought it might be thought provoking for some of you.

The Truth About Car Payments

I think that Dad would approve.

#3 - Free WiFi at CMH & Friends

2010-07-05T09:35:00.007-06:00

This morning my good friend Brandi took me to the airport to make my morning flight to SLC. During check-in, I realized my phone was missing. (It was sitting in the passenger seat of Brandi's car). I blame my shallow slippery shorts pockets. I should KNOW by now not to wear them during travel.

First order of business was to call my phone (thank you random airport employee lady for lending me your phone). Since it was on vibrate, Brandi didn't hear it.

Next item was to get checked in: SUPRISE! My flight is delayed several hours. (side note to never pick a layover through Detroit again).

On the positive side, and my reason #3 why I love Columbus: the Columbus airport has FREE WiFi throughout the entire airport. I was able to contact Brandi on facebook, and she was willing to drive all the way to the airport again to drop off my phone. Here is a picture of me on the internet in the airport writing this blog (you can see my culpable shorts in the pic):

In conclusion, I LOVE that we have free WiFi at our airport (a novel idea!) and LOVE having awesome friends who are willing to help me out on occasions that I admit that I need help. Thanks Brandi! And thank you CMH for giving me the opportunity to blog and watch my favorite shows on Hulu while I wait for my delayed flight!

#2 - Red White & Boom

2010-07-03T12:24:00.011-06:00

Last night was Columbus' annual Red White and Boom celebration. Me and 499,999 other people gathered for the parade, the fireworks, and other festivities in downtown Columbus. I did a half-way decent job of documenting the event via my phone camera. Enjoy:

A few members from the singles ward arrived at noon to stake out a position on a hill right by the point on the Olentangy River where the fireworks were to be set off. You can see Curtis playing his guitar:

We were very close to the full-size replica of the Santa Maria.

The parade started at 6 pm. I think the Freedom Festival parade in Provo is better than the parade here, even though there were more people. I caught a picture of Jim Tressel, our famous OSU Football coach. He received more applause from the crowd than our mayor. One lady standing next to us referred to him as Columbus' "Walking Jesus". (Sorry the security officers block the view of Tressel, but it's the only shot I got):

After the parade, we walked around the crowded streets and ate gyros and fresh squeezed lemonade (Mmmm!). A few crowd shots:

After a long parade and walking the streets, I was tired, so I took a nap on the lawn in preparation for the fireworks.

Beautiful sunset by the Santa Maria.

FIREWORKS!!! The fireworks were incredible! Of course a picture could never do them justice. To compare, they were at least as good as Stadium of Fire. Maybe it was company, my general attitude towards life, or simply being in a new place... but this was one of the most enjoyable firework shows that I can remember.

I LOVE Columbus' Red White & BOOM!

#1 - Columbus Water

2010-06-15T12:31:00.006-06:00

I LOVE Columbus water!
I love having to filter all the chloride out of it before drinking it.
I love how it rains all the time, and then rains some more.
I love walking down the street in 80% humidity 84 degree weather.
I love the Olentangy, Scioto, and other large rivers that dissect the city and make for interesting road connections.
I love how people in Columbus drive in a light rain at noon like Utahns drive in a heavy snow storm at midnight.
I love how I did a 180 off a slick freeway exit and got my first flat tire and car tow in Columbus:

100 Reasons Why I Love Columbus

2010-06-14T11:55:00.007-06:00

Dear Family and Friends:

In my battle to become a better blogger, I've decided to focus on frequency through my new series... (drum roll......)

100 Reasons Why I Love Columbus

This new series is designed to inspire me to blog more often about daily life here in Columbus, and to give you guys a chance to learn about what's going on in my life a little more often. Aren't you all so excited!? I know, I know, you all just can't wait for this series to get started... Get ready to hear some amazing things. Look for my posts with the "100 Reasons Why I Love Columbus" label.

Love,
Kyle

Kyle & Kim Forever

2010-04-06T19:37:00.013-06:00

For Spring Break Curtis and I and several ward members caravaned 3.5 hours away to good ole West Virginia for a Young Single Adults conference. Needless to say I was aquainted with many interesting individuals, such as, say, my future spouse. Everybody, meet Kim:

I was sitting with my friends in sacrament meeting after an interesting, yet oddly enjoyable weekend, when Mustache Man, Kim's wingman, came over to me and Dwight-Shrewt-ishly said:

MM: "Hey, would you like to come sit with us in the front row?"

me: "I'm fine, I'm already sitting here with my friends." ("Oh, and who are you? Have we met before?")

MM: "There's a girl that really wants to meet you."

me: "You mean her?" I pointed to a girl in a green shirt. MM nodded and I mentally placed my hand on my forehead. "Ooookaaaay."

I walked over to the pew only to find that it was jam-packed with bodies. Where was I supposed to sit? On her lap!? Everyone began looking around as though somehow the act of searching would miraculously produce the appropriate amount of space. MM pointed to a Ms. Green Shirt.

MM: "This is Kim. She's been dying to meet you all weekend." Kim stood up and began shuffling toward me from the middle of the pew. We shook hands and I politely told her it was very nice to meet her. By this time it was apparent that she was not going to return to her seat. Being the solutionist that I am, I made my friends move down one seat to make room for Kim.

Of course we didn't say one word during the entire testimony meeting. Afterwards, Kim blurted:

Kim: "Are you on facebook?" She awaited my response with a coy head tilt and a sparkle in her braces.

me: "Yes. You can look me up. You do remember my name, right?" She shook her head, then proceeded to tell me how she had a poor short-term memory and that she had been hit in the head with a metal rod. At this point I was nodding as she mumbled something about her father and laughed. "That's nice," I said. "So it's Kyle." "Kyle Wilson." "W-I-L-S-O-N, you know, like the sports equipment brand?"

After a few blanks stares, I scribbled my name on a piece of paper that she produced and pointed out all the letters to her to make sure she could decipher them. Thinking that my work was done, I continued conversation with others and Kim disappeared.

To expedite our departure home, I decided to repark my car as the line for the final luncheon died down. Hungry and tired I began to puzzle my sandwich together with pieces that were now spread at various lcoations along a block of tables.

MM: "Kyle!" MM motioned to me from across the room and pointed to an unknown location as if to say "She's over here!" Of course neither of us spoke sign language, but I did my best to let him know that I was hungry and that I would be getting my food, and proceeded collecting my lunch, and sat at a table across the room with some friends of mine.

One bite into my sandwich, I felt MM's arm rest on my shoulder. He was sitting with a chair facing the wrong way leaning on me like an older brother would.

me: "I enjoyed your testimony today." MM began to reiterate his experiences that he had shared, when all of a sudden Kim popped right in front of me with a couple of her friends.

Kim: "Can I take a picture with you?" Wanting to get back to my sandwich, I agreed.

Kim: "Can we take it outside?"

me: "Where's the nearest door?" I asked looking around. We took the pic and that was that. She probably wouldn't be able to find me on facebook, anyway, as my privacy settings were in place.

A few days later a friend of Kim's, who I had never met, asked me to add her on facebook, as she couldn't find me. A few days after that, Kim found me and requested the inevitable facebook friendship. A week and a half later (today), I accepted my very first "limited" friendship on facebook. A half hour later, I received the following message:

Kim Reynolds April 6 at 6:39pm

Hi just wanted to say hi and late happy easter i hope that u i a good easter. Next is that where do u live and what city do u live in i really didn't get to meet u up in west virginia i only got to meet u for 15min so i did and i would like to meet u more so i do i hope that u would be friend and not like icaac. Then do u have a girlfriend just courase that all and i hope that u are having a wonderful day and enjoying the weather. Hope to u and do u have a cell phone.

Isaac or icaac, as written above, is a BYU friend of mine that I unexpectedly ran into at the YSA conference, and who apparently shares my story with Kim. In addition to the message, Kim had tagged herself in my profile pic:

Meanwhile, I found Kim's friend, who had asked me to add her, and let her know what was going on, that I was creeped out, and that I was going to unfriend Kim soon. Her response:

Oh yeah I can totally see where you are coming from and I really didn't realize it was going to be like that. I have definitely never seen her be so obsessive, I didn't even know she could be like that. It is really creepy. I'm really sorry about this.

For those of you who have made it to the end of this tragic tale, the moral of the story is that NICE does not always = HONEST. If I had been honest and told MM that I wouldn't sit with Kim because that was weird, or if I had simply told Kim that I really didn't know her, nor did I want to add her on facebook, sure it would have been awkward and potentially crushing for her, but look what could have been avoided.

BE TRUE, NOT NICE

Free Dave Ramsey Class

2010-03-25T14:56:00.004-06:00

Dave has a 13-week program called Financial Peace University. Enrolled members meet once a week at a church or community center and go through the steps of getting out of debt, building an emergency fund, investing, life insurance/will/estate planning, etc.

I just heard that Dave is giving away a free class for people who have never been to FPU and would like to check it out. I signed up, and I hope any of you who are interested get the chance to check it out as well.

Click here to register:

Dave's Free FPU Class

Once you've registered, you can choose the date and location near you that you'd like to attend.

Eating Glass and Breaking Teeth

2010-03-18T22:17:00.014-06:00

Today I ate glass and broke a tooth. I would say that most people who eat glass break their teeth afterward. I am one of the lucky few to have this experience in reverse order:

First, my temporary crown broke to tiny little pieces while I was eating a tootsie roll before dinner. It reminded me of one of Melissa's recurrent dreams (by the way I've dreamed of losing my teeth as well, Melissa). It was odd to experience that in real life this time, though much less traumatizing.

After breaking my tooth, when I was at the church, I was offered dinner by the person who fed the missionaries tonight. They were just finishing up when I arrived, and she didn't want to take home leftovers. Before I started shoveling, they told me to watch out for broken glass. (WHAT?! I figured it was some weird inside joke about glass or cooking or something... they COULDN'T have been serious!)

I soon felt a sharp feeling in the roof of my mouth and carefully pulled out a small (1/2 cm x 1 mm x 1 mm) shard of glass. Then I saw the broken glass lid on the counter and decided to evacuate the contents of my mouth into a napkin.

At this point, allow me to celebrate the last day of finals by sharing one last multiple choice question:

What do I do with the remaining pasta?
a. Stop eating it and throw it away
b. Mix some dirt with it and continue eating
c. Keep eating it, but this time more carefully
d. Complain to the cook and demand a raincheck

Being the natural test-taker that I have been this week, I picked C and kept eating. Maybe I was thinking that if I chewed slow enough that the glass wouldn't be there any more. At any rate, I had those hard crunchy sensations again, and decided to erase C and fill in A. (Hey, I didn't get into Optometry school for nothin').

Luckily the preparer of the tasty meal was in the other room with the missionaries. When I saw her later, I thanked her and let her know it tasted great (which it did, aside from the texture).

I am currently imagining a shard of glass, inadvertently swallowed, slicing at my insides during its course over the next several hours. Please keep my bowels in your prayers.

The point of the story is:
THANK GOODNESS FINALS ARE OVER!!!

The Lobbyist

2010-03-05T05:56:00.008-07:00

☆ lob·by·ist (noun) - a person, acting for a special interest group, who tries to influence the introduction of or voting on legislation or the decisions of government administrators

Yes folks, I have become a lobbyist. This week took a short trip to Washington, DC and met with members of congress about supporting bills that are pro-optometry. My trip was:

(1) FUN - we stayed at the JW Marriott Hotel with a bunch of students and optometrists from all over the country (about 500 total), and had excellent food, cheese and wine shmoozing parties and other alcohol events (I always got an ice water with lemon). It was so exciting to see historic sites such as the White House, the Washington Monument, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, and a bunch of other cool looking buildings that I'm sure have historic significance.

(2) AFFORDABLE - to pay for the trip, the AOA (American Optometric Association) gave me a scholarship of $500. My expenses included $140 in airfare plus $120 for food, taxis, etc while on the trip. I was PAID to go on this trip!

(3) EDUCATIONAL - I had NO idea how important it was to be involved politically in my profession. If it were not for the AOA, optometrists literally wouldn't have any rights. Just 50 years ago or so we weren't even allowed to dilate patients' eyes, and now we're treating medical conditions like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. It was also very eye-opening to see how our government works. I was very surprised to find out how nice and available our congessmen are. The handful that I met with (from OH) were very sincere, concerned, and honest men. This was very refreshing. I also learned that they could never possibly become experts on every single issue that they vote on, so they need US to be the expert on the issues that matter to us, and to inform them about what issues they need to support and why. Many times we complain about government, yet we sit idly by not allowing our voices to be heard.

While I forgot my camera (oops), we took lots of group pictures, so I'll post some when I get a hold of those... they should be on facebook in a couple of days, but I'll put a few up on the blog when I get them.

Reality Check

2010-02-26T12:02:00.004-07:00

If you don't already know, I'm a HUGE Dave Ramsey fan. Take a minute to see how much you'll have for retirement by clicking on the Financial Reality Check gadget I just added to the right column of my blog.

Day 3... finally

2009-11-14T17:17:00.004-07:00

So, here's the last day of my travels to Columbus, OH... late, but better late than never, right? Tom and Angie apparently have a LOT of jerky, so this was a nice snack along the way:

I went right through the city of Indianapolis, and found this bridge:

While gassing up in Indianapolis, I wondered what that vacillating noise was... turns out there's a racetrack right in the middle of the city... I wonder if that inspired the gas station's name:

Welcome to OHIO!!

Driving with the windows rolled down:

Hilliard... *sniff... my home of 6 weeks:

Burke and McKay:

Three Firsts

2009-11-07T08:23:00.018-07:00

#1 - FIRST SINGLE ROOMATE IN COLUMBUS:

Today I am moving out of Burke and Julia's and in with Curtis Hebdon. Curtis and I were in the same ward (The Colony) at BYU for about a year and a half. It was a surprise to see him my first Sunday at church several weeks ago... turns out he's starting his first year of dental school here at The OSU. He's been selectively searching for a roomate to help subsidize his mortgage payment (his dad bought him a town home here), and it looks like I was a good candidate. So here you are... my first single roomate here in Ohio:

(btw, he was Buddy the Elf for Halloween this year)

#2 - FIRST FULL SELF-HAIRCUT:

My first haircut in Ohio cost me $20. It was nice, they even shampooed my hair and everything. But say I learned to cut my own hair and instead deposited $20 each month into a retirement account (IRA, etc) invested in a good growth stock mutual fund (S&P 500, etc) for the next 40 years (until I was 65). Assuming I earn a conservative 8% return, compounded monthly, I would have SAVED (40 yrs)x(12 months)x($20 per month) = $9,600 in haircuts and EARNED $60,686 in interest for a total of $70,286!!! So take a look at my little money maker and tell me what you think. Is it $70K worth looking like this?:

#3 - FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH EXPERIENCE

Rebekka, a new friend from the ward, invited me to the semi-annual "Choral Evensong" event at a the Trinity Lutheran Seminary. It was really cool. Their ~200 capacity chapel was filled with people, was dimly lit, and had a tall, narrowing wooden ceiling, allowing for great acoustics. I wanted to find a picture of the inside of the chapel, but this was the only picture I could find of the place:

The program started with a 30 minute prelude with piano, oboe, organ, and cello soloists each performing works by Chopin, Bach, and some other old guys. Then we all sang hymns together (standing) with organ and orchestra. This also included a few scriptural readings and response singings (where the minister would sing/chant a line and we would sing/chant a response)

Then the choir and orchestra performed Hayden's Mass in D Minor (Nelson's Mass). I really enjoyed the music, but it was also interesting for me because I knew most of the words from singing random mass songs in children's choir (Kyrie, Gloria, Qui Tollis, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, Dona Nobis Pacem). The actual mass portion of the event lasted about an hour and included 4 talented soloists that sang together with the choir, or separately on occasion. The soprano soloist was my favorite.

After the choral presentation of Hayden's mass, the minister said a prayer and we did a few more response singings, then ended with a strong hymn called "Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart!" THAT one was my favorite. It was musically powerful by itself, but when you throw on an organ and full orchestra, wow! Not used to singing hymns like that in church.

The last line of the program stated "The greeting of peace may be shared by all", which apparently means that when the minister invited us to do so, we all turned to our neighbors, shook hands, and said "Peace be with you". I'm not sure I put the emphasis on the right syllable, but tried to do my best, as these were foreign words to me.

Overall, it was a great experience. Really cool. Now I'm looking for a really awesome gospel/black choir church to attend some time. :)

Promise

2009-11-03T21:03:00.009-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I took these pics thinking of my wonderful family. So here they are... just as I promised:

Also, here's a video to give you an idea of my "living space". I start in my room and end up in Burke and Julia's room. For the most part it's boring, so don't watch it too many times.

Angry

2009-10-31T07:26:00.001-06:00

This is how angry you all should be that I haven't blogged for so long:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Day 2

2009-09-19T12:40:00.019-06:00

Well, I didn't have time to post a blog for day 2 of my little road trip, so here's some highlights... I've decided that the blogspot video upload thingy is really lame, so I've created a YouTube account (search for my user name "wilsonkyled" and you can see all my videos) so I can simply embed some of my videos to my blog.

Day 2

So I realized the first day that my iPod battery was drained, and the charger was packed somewhere... so I've been surviving by finding random radio stations, and by listening to CDs like this one:

And by singing to songs like this one. Can anyone guess the name of the group?

For Brett... oops!

Some Highlights:

Cool Train

Mountain in Nebraska

Platte River Overpass

More Cool Clouds

So I saw a TON of corn fields all the way across Nebraska and through Illinois. But I saw this other beautiful "Mystery Gold Crop", as I labeled it, and spent many hours wondering what it might be. I FINALLY figured it out on Day 3, but can any of you tell what it is?

So, I was trying to make it from Cheyenne all the way to Omaha, NE to gas up, but I didn't check the gas until I was 70 miles away...

This is how low the tank was as I was pulling up into the gas station...

While driving, I found out from Rob that Tom and his wife, Angie, live in Iowa City. A couple of calls later and my motel search was over. Tom just graduated from medical school in Chicago and moved to Iowa 3 months ago to start his residency in Pathology. He and Angie were so nice, and they have a cute little 2 yr old daughter named Madelyn (Maddie for short). They took very good care of me and made sure I was at home.

In the morning I took these pictures of Tom & Angie's new home and the North Liberty (near Iowa City) water tower.

There seem to be a lot of these the further I go east...

Cheyenne

2009-09-16T18:57:00.015-06:00

Well, I'm doing just dandy 456 miles and 6 hrs into my road trip from Utah to Ohio. So far it's been a blast! Okay, well it's mostly been incredibly boring... but that's why we have blogs, right? To make our lives appear more exciting than they really are.

I present to you My Journey from "Bubble" to "Real World". Hope you enjoy...

I HATE packing...

Leaving Utah... *sniff*

Most of Wyoming's landscape was pretty much like Utah (boring) with two exceptions:

Windmills

Clouds

My car leaking fluid in the middle of nowhere...

When I got to Cheyenne I had to find a place to stay the night. I've seen Dad do this before, so I figured it wouldn't be that bad. I started investigating motels asking prices and amenities... I stumbled across two types of motels. Guess which one I picked?

#1
#2

After #2 told me the price was $89/night, I told her I would be back after checking out other places. She quickly offered me $75/night. I told her that was very nice and that I would still check the other places, but would probably come back. She then lowered it to $69 for the night if I stayed, so I asked to see the room:

I said "Let's do it!" :) They even had a fitness room upstairs, so I ran a mile before going to dinner. I'm proud to say that I ran the mile in 7 1/2 minutes. Probably leftover fitness from my extremely successful 10 K Freedom Run (refer to previous blog entries).

Promo Pics

2009-07-19T20:46:00.005-06:00

Less than two weeks before the show, and we are already running the show top to bottom during rehearsals. We are very on track with an amazing cast and an anal retentive choreographer. This means that the show is going to be amazing!!!

We anticipate that it's going to be quite crowded, and tickets are already on sale, so get your tickets soon. You can get them here.

See the promo pics and blurb:

Welcome to fabulous Egypt…Viva Las Vegas style...as the Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to neon life with Canaan “a little bit country” and Egypt “a little bit rock ‘n roll!” This high-rolling interpretation of the popular classic has narrators reminiscent of The Supremes, Potiphar as a 1930’s gangster, some Cirque de Soleil performers and much more fun, as Joseph, his father's favorite son, is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, where he rises to second in command. His brothers unknowingly find themselves groveling at the feet of the brother they betrayed, leading to a heartfelt reconciliation of the sons of Israel. Set to an unforgettable mix of musical styles, from country and calypso to pop and rock 'n roll - along with the Pharoah riotously depicted as 1970’s Elvis - this Old Testament tale keeps the heart but adds some family-friendly Vegas humour for a big winner of a show that’s pretty close to perfection! Directed by Jeremy Showgren. Choreography by Shawn Mortensen.

Look What I Won!!!

2009-07-10T22:28:00.003-06:00

Isn't it great?!?

My very first running award!!! Here's the email they sent me...

=============

Hello Kyle,

It appears that you finished in position 2 of the Male 20 to 24 age group of the 10K. If you haven't already picked up your award, we welcome you to do so at are at the Freedom Festival Office. It is located.....

..... Given the bulk of the crystals used as awards, we are unable to mail them to you. We will keep them on hand for the next two weeks. If you are out of town, we encourage you to have a friend or family member get the award for you.

All the best,

Scott and Craig

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Of course, I let them know that I didn't really deserve the award because of my late start and lack of completing the actual 10K. Still, I am very flattered. Though I must say that I am unimpressed with the fact that they sent me a picture of the 3rd place award, and not my rightful 2nd place award. How do I know if it's worth picking up if I don't even know what it looks like?

From the Horse's Mouth

2009-07-05T13:20:00.005-06:00

Before you hear it from anyone else... here's how it went down. If the details start boring you, skip to the last three paragraphs titled "SUMMARY".

I decided to stay up late with some friends that were camping out on University Avenue for the 4th of July parade. It was games, food, fun, etc... I got into bed at around 2 am (hey at least I didn't pull an all-nighter like my friends), and set my alarm for the 7 am 10K run.

I didn't hear my alarm go off at 6:15 (and every 10 minutes after that -- snooze feature), nor did I hear Callie call me at 6:37 am to see where I was.

Luckily my body naturally woke me up at 7:09 am. My heart sunk. I got myself over to Kiwanis Park as quickly as I could and started running at the 10K start line. I didn't get my mark for starting time because they had already moved the electronic pad, so I knew my time was already botched. I thought I could at least finish the race for my own sake. Fortunately I had seen the route on the internet and knew where to go (generally).

Pretty soon I met hundreds of 5K runners going the opposite direction. Some of their comments indicated that they thought I had already finished the race and was going backwards for fun. I found a couple of people that I knew who said hello. If the fact that I wasn't going the same direction as the 5K-ers wasn't obvious enough, I finally reached Center Street and confirmed the true direction for the 10K (I saw a 10K runner going toward Seven Peaks).

At this point I decided to NOT run the rest of the 10K backwards (meaning my friends on University Avenue would be looking for me in vain), so I turned around and headed toward the finish line. Before I reached Kiwanis Park again, I decided to turn around and look for Callie. After 1 or 2 laps going up and down 9th East, I found her and yelled out to her, but she didn't hear me as she was listening to an iPod.

I ran a half a block more, then turned around to catch up to her. When she saw me, you should have seen her face. I caught her walking, and she immediately started running again. We ran the last half-mile together and this time I actually crossed the finish line. Some people realized I was a 10K runner by my number and shouted out praises for finishing so quickly (...oops).

I learned later that Callie wondered if I had actually caught up to her, and I'd like to think that this inspired her to run faster at the end of the race. This, of course, is far from the truth. I would have had to run a 4-minute mile to be able to catch her, twice my current pace.

SUMMARY:
I didn't wake up on time and started running 22 minutes late, ran BACKWARDS, DIDN'T run past my friends on University Avenue, FALSELY inspired Callie and other runners, ran only 2 miles of the total 6.4 miles, STILL got the shirt, water bottle, and fruit at the end (YES!).

Having run only one-third of the race, I consider myself only a partial failure. The only good thing that came of starting late was being able to run with Callie the last little bit and past the finish line. I am so proud of her! I don't have her exact time, but she finished in about 35 minutes. VERY good for your first 5K!

I heard there's another 5K next Saturday somewhere nearby that is free. I feel obligated to run it, and I think Callie might do it with me as well, so we'll see.

Freedom Run

2009-07-01T11:17:00.005-06:00

After completing my first running event last August (Hobble Creek Half Marathon), I thought my running days were over... Based off of my exercising habits, you would have thought the same. Several weeks ago, however, I was feeling very spontaneous and had a sudden urge to join this year's Freedom Run on the 4th of July, and started training for the 10K. While I am not as fit as I was during the half marathon, I have surprised myself at how quickly I am still able to run.

I got Callie on board for support (she's doing the 5K), and so here I am announcing my second running event ever, the Provo Freedom Run!

Click the picture if you'd like to join us in the running fun... it's not too late. You can do a 10K, a 5K or a 1-mile run.

Education Week

2009-06-26T00:10:00.001-06:00

I just found out tonight that we are performing Joseph at the De Jong Concert Hall at BYU for Education week, so you can see me there Aug 18 - 21st if you want as well. Tickets go on sale June 29th. More info click here.

Fuzzy Face

2009-06-24T22:36:00.012-06:00

Why am I trying to grow a goatee??

Reason #1: No more BYU!

This means no more more Honor Code :) -- don't worry Mom and Dad, I won't break the Law of Chastity or anything. I am officially DONE with all my classes at BYU. I have applied for graduation (August), but I don't know yet if I'm going to "walk"... I'm not one for paying $40+ just to wear some thin robes I don't get to keep and stand in a long line. Maybe I'll regret it some day. Who knows?

So what am I doing with all my newfound free time?!? This leads to reason #2 for my new grooming habits: I am doing my second theatrical show ever!

I have been cast as Dan in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Our choreographer has us doing the most intense dance moves... I think I've lost 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks. In addition to the health benefits, I am having a BLAST! Theater has proven to provide a release for all the "special" energy that I tend to have on occasion.

The show runs at the Scera Shell Theater July 31 - August 15th.
Click here if you'd like to come and see me make a fool of myself.

Candace

2009-06-16T23:23:00.000-06:00

Candace and I had our first date in March 2008. It was the best first date I have ever had. Conversation was excellent, laughter was abundant, and everything was very relaxed. We had Border's hot chocolate and walked around having random conversations about books that we saw, etc...

Q: So why did it take 1 year to have the second date?!?
A: I'm a dating idiot :). Really at the time I wasn't very focused on dating, and my priorities were not set as they should have been.

Repentant of my past, here I am 2 months into an amazing relationship, and we are taking the concept of long-distance to the extreme. Here she is in Egypt:

Though we only dated 1 month before she left for the Jerusalem Center, it has been very difficult to be without her. We communicate by phone, gchat, and gmail.

I have never found anyone who I have felt so comfortable around, who complements me so well, nor who inspires me to become my best self more than Candace. I am so lucky to have met her.

First Interview Invite!

2008-09-11T14:09:00.001-06:00

A pleasant surprise arrived in my inbox yesterday. Here's a paraphrase for those interested:

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Dear Kyle,

Congratulations. You have been selected for an interview at Southern College of Optometry...

The interview day includes an academic counseling session, a meeting with financial aid counselors, a student-led tour of the College, a housing session and your individual interview...

We look forward to meet to meeting you soon. If we can do anything to make your trip to Memphis more enjoyable, don't hesitate to let us know.

Sincerely,
Michael N. Robertson
Director of Admissions & Enrollment Services
Southern College of Optometry
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In short I will be having a mini-vacation to Memphis Tennessee on the weekend of October 3rd and I am both scared and excited at the same time.

For those of you who don't know, I also applied to 3 other optometry schools and expect to make three more mini-vacations this semester to Columbus, OH, Los Angeles, CA, and Big Rapids, MI.

Half Marathon Results

2008-09-10T21:36:00.000-06:00

Well, I did it!!! On August 29th after 1hr and 50 minutes, I developed asthma for the first time in my entire life! Go me. Better yet, I finished my first half marathon. I received an official email with my stats:

"Congratulations on finishing the Hobble Creek Half Marathon 2008 on August 23, 2008. For your records, the weather that day was warm and sunny. There were 30 finishers in the 19 to 24 age group and 1038 finishers in the race. Your overall finish place was 378 and your age group finish place was 12. Your overall finish percentile was 36 while your age group percentile was 40. Your time of 1:50:12.9 gave you a 8:25 pace per mile. Complete Results can be found online at www.SRCevents.com/hobblecreek. If you did not receive your award, they will be available at Runners Corner in Orem for the next week, as well as any lost clothing items.We hope to see you again next year."

Here I am .05 miles away from the finish line (Mom took these pics).

Apparently I smile when I'm exhausted. Who knew?

What a sweet feeling it was to earn the title of "finisher". I couldn't have earned it without my awesome sister-in-law! She invited me to do the run in the first place, then kept me motivated all through our training program. Thanks Stace!

My Poor Heart

2008-07-16T00:35:00.000-06:00

I've always told people about "my poor heart"... most likely clogged with years of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears and ice cream. On top of poor diet, my heart has NEVER been consistently "athletic" for more than a school semester. (The day class ended, there was no more need to exercise). To this day my worst grade I've ever received was in P.E. class in 9th grade. Well, that's all changing...

Most of you know that I'm training to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) on August 23rd, 2008. I've learned that a goal is much easier to give up on if I'm the only person who knows about it, which is why I'm posting my progress for the world to see.

If you know me really well, you'll know that I like order, which makes me a huge fan of Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets. Here's a screen-shot of the file that I have deemed "Half Marathon Progress Report":
As you can see I'm in my 5th week of training and in my 2nd week of creating the actual spreadsheet. Just know that for the 3-mile days, I was running at about a 9 min/mile pace, and I'm very proud to be in the 7's now (see the 7.9 min/mile pace on July 14th)! The crazy thing is that now I can run a mile as if it were nothing, and that used to KILL me (in 2002 I ran a 1.5 min/mile in 18 minutes :(. I'm also excited that I ran 8 miles on Saturday... the longest distance I've ever run in my entire life. If you had asked me to do that 2 months ago I would have said you were crazy.

I do have to publicly thank Stacey, my sister-in-law, who is running the 1/2 marathon with me. I would have never joined the race if she had not invited me.

Eye Moles

2008-07-15T23:48:00.000-06:00

Random eye-fact of the day: People can have moles in the back of their eyes!!
Don't believe me? I SAW a giant mole in a patient's right eye today. It was about 4 times as large as his optic nerve (see diagram to the left for general back-of-eye anatomy). Not only did I SEE it, I took a PICTURE of it for the optometrist I work for.

In the picture at the right (known as a central fundus photo -- or in other words, the patient is looking directly into the camera), you'll notice a dark spot right by the optic nerve. This is a nevus (fancy word for mole). Now imagine a perfectly round mole twice the diameter of the optic nerve in the extreme upper portion of the picture and you'll see what I saw. It was really cool! We had to have the patient look up and at an angle so we could get a look at it.

I love my job. I take pictures like these on most of the patients that come in. When they see the backs of their eyes, I usually crack a joke like "Awww! You didn't smile!" Or "I barely recognize you!". It's fun... especially with the really little kids, or the really old people. :)

2008-06-15T17:06:00.000-06:00

"O" my gosh!!! Kyle has a BLOG!?!