3 year old Star Wars fan!

Start 'em young on Star Wars, that's what I always say.

Annie Bananie, Fee-Fie-Foh-Fannie!

Sometimes you just realize how awesome your sister is. This is one of those times...

My sister, Angela Banangela Mooney, is one of the most genuinely decent people I know. And it just so happens that she is one of the people whom I know best. We seriously did everything together, from toilet papering our friends' houses to going to seminary everyday at 5:30 in the morning. We even did most of college together. She has been one of my seriously top best friends through the years.

However, we haven't always been allies. We used to be as competitive as brother and sister can be. For example, despite the fact that I'm a whole 2 years and 2.65 months older than her, she may or may not have been taller than me for about 2.65 years in the junior high era. I would then beat her at sports, just to prove my dominance. She would then kick my butt in summer reading because I would spend my time trying to get better at sports. I would then play tricks on her like get her to drink the rest of my Sprite, which actually had milk in it. She then would snobbishly try to get grown-ups to guess which of us was older (I hated family pictures for that reason - I resented having to stand on the box). We even made it a contest who would lost all their baby teeth first and she lost a bunch of her teeth and was ahead of me for some time. I then made a come-back and pulled a few of my own just to beat her.

Then, a year ago, she had to be a big smarty-pants and finish her masters degree 2 years before me. And to add insult to injury, she had to move home to Arizona. And that was the first time in my college career that I didn't have my Annie at least just a couple blocks away. It's like they say, you don't know what you got till it's gone.

Love you sister. Miss you. Miss hanging out. Miss you cooking dinner and me coming over to eat it. And in return, I would let you enjoy my company. I would also let you murder me in speed scrabble... I'm such a nice brother, I know. I miss playing soccer with you and trying to one-up you. Sometimes you would nutmeg me because I was being nice and let you make me look foolish... See? I've gotten so much mature'er in my older years.

I realize now what I then had: a phenomenal sister who is so nice, so fun-loving, and such a good listener. I'm just glad you're my sister and I'll love you forever.

Love,

This guy

We're probably trying to see who could make the silliest face. And of course I'm better at it!

Happy Birthday Annie

An Update In My World of Sports

To the Texas Rangers, regarding the outcome of the ALCS game 3...

At least someone can stick it to the Yankees at home: Rangers 8, Yanks 0.

Cliff Lee, you're the man. Almost single handedly shut down the "Damn Yankee's" usually explosive offense, keeping them to 2 hits and no runs. A near perfect performance. Go Rangers! In fact, Go whoever is playing those pin-striped pin-heads!



To my boys in blue, BYU Cougar Football, regarding the TCU game last Saturday...

I have no comment other than I am embarrassed and my only consolation is that we stopped their shut-out streak.

Oh and at least our colors aren't Purple! Seriously. At the end of the day, I'm glad I don't have to wear purple to show my school spirit. 'Nuf said.



To the Phoenix Suns, regarding their performance in the preseason...

You have lost 5 of 6 preseason games. I hope you guys are faking us all out because you better pick it up and stop playing like a bunch of nanny goats for the regular season. Opening day is only a week away!

Pure Priceless Pandemonium

Two Scarfs............................................. 2 Dollars
One Pair of Sunglasses.......................... 3 Dollars
A Water Bottle....................................... 1 Dollar
Wasting 2 hours of a Saturday morning, crowded around hundreds of bargain-hungry savages............................... Totally worth it! (You thought I was going to say "Priceless.")

So I went to the BYU Lost & Found sale yesterday morning. That's when they take all the stuff that's been turned in to Lost & Found over the past year that hasn't been claimed and put it out on a bunch of tables for the freak-fest that is this sale. They must have a TON of stuff that gets turned in to L&F because all the stuff that's not claimed amounts to what merits hundreds crazed Mormons and lunatics turning out to the event like it's Christmas eve and no on has done their Christmas shopping.

I got there about 15 minutes before they opened the doors and I had to stand in the back of a line that had to consist of at least 4 hundred people already in front of me. People must have been queuing for several hours. I thought to myself, "how ironic... we Mormons sometimes can't show up to church on time, but somehow a few of us manage to show up to the L&F sale 2 hours early!"

Actually, the crowd mostly consisted of poor freshmen and young students who all understand this well-known secret for what it's worth: really REALLY cheap stuff, and some of it can actually be worth your time. It's just that there were so many people there that I was very unproductive. What I needed was a team to organize and to spread out to find all the good stuff before it's sifted through by dozens of others.

Alas, I didn't have access to such a team, and I ended up just observing the craziness of the moment. Picture this:

• Middle-aged mothers bumping into you, and not apologizing, or saying anything for that matter, because they're too distracted with searching through the rubble of sale items.

• People literally RUNNING to get into the sale. Like all the good stuff will have gone if they just walked in. (And by the way, they handed out "Rules" for the L&F sale on a little sheet of paper while standing in line before it started, and Rule #6 was "No Running!")

• A young man (likely a freshman) walking around with at least 5 calculators in his hands, apparently so excited that he could hardly contain his glee. (A site like this is particularly embarassing to me because he's probably going to end up studying engineering for the rest of his college experience, and it's kids like that who give us engineers such a bad rap... some of us are actually normal human beings.)
  

• B.O.

• Unattended little kids kicking soccer balls around or riding around on scooters that are for sale.

• An auction is held in the midst of it all for all the more valuable items, such as cameras and ipods. One such item was an 8 Gigabyte 2nd generation ipod touch that went for $95, even though the auctioneer prefaced the sale of this item by saying that it was going for $70 on ebay!

Needless to say, I was amused by all of the demonstrations of interesting human behavior, of which I must admit I was a part. Although I do have to say I did feel a little like I always feel whenever I'm at D.I.... just a little gross because I'm sifting through a bunch of other peoples' used, and probably dirty, stuff.

All in all, I recommend this sale to all of you who, like me, are in love with a good bargain. And bring a friend because it's fun to observe and make fun of all the crazies.

The end.

History Montage of Rap

One word: Amazing.

OMG, Ichiro Just Punched Me!

I saw this on ESPN today and it was too funny not to share! Ichiro Suzuki is just doing his job and insidentally smacks a fan in the face and she is beside herself with glee. You just have to watch...


Fan Loves Ichiro - Watch more Funny Videos

Culture, Morality & Patriotism - Happy Fourth!

I love my country. Pretty much the opposite of what Jen recently termed "Sacra-country-otic." In fact, I recently got all choked up when I witnessed Carrie Underwood perform The Star Spangled Banner at Stadium of Fire... a little embarrassing, yes. Point is, I'm proud to be an American, where we can worship God and live life according to the dictates of our own consciences, and not by the maniacal whims of some power-mongering dictator or corrupt system of government. We live in a society that chooses to remember the sacrifices of its forefathers by annually celebrating the nation's independence. This, I believe, is essential to our nation's success in the future: the persistence to remember the past and live life according to the morals and principles upon which this country was established.

We are free so long as we are a moral people. We will be that "city on a hill" so long as we seek life, liberty and happiness, for ourselves and our neighbors: domestic and foreign. We will have endless opportunities while we choose to be an honest and hard-working people. Sadly, we have lost sight of that recently with the poor choices that have plagued our economy: laziness, greed, selfishness, entitlement and pride.

Let's get back to what makes America great! Our industry, our tolerance, our loyalty to virtue: honesty, truth, chastity, benevolence, temperance, justice, understanding. As the great patriot Edmund Burke put it, "It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters."

My mom posted this on Facebook for me and because I'm such a cool Muppet nerd like that, I'm posting it on my blog too! Even the Muppets get what it means to be American.

Enjoy...

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

You gotta check this out. Stars of the Harry Potter cast came to get a sneak peak at the Universal Orlando Resort of the new Harry Potter park! I'm so excited to go there in a month and totally binge on my nerdy craze!

Live like we're dying!

I had an experience last week that I want to share with you.

As I was driving to work one morning, the radio told about a crash ahead and slow traffic that ensued on a particular stretch of the freeway. Sure enough, when I crept up to the accident I saw one of the cars that was involved and I was horrified! The SUV looked like it was torn up from the inside out! I was so sad, and honestly not very surprised to find out on the radio that at least 2 people had been killed in the accident and a couple others were in critical condition.

And that's the reason why when I heard this song shortly thereafter, I got all emotional. What if a plane crashed into your office building and you had time for one phone call or maybe even none at all? Would you be able to say that you've expressed enough love to the people/person who mean the most to you? That's why we gotta live like we're dying. No regrets. If you have some love to give, why hold back? Give it now! Say it now!

That's why the following lyrics mean so much. So listen to the music video while you follow along and think about the words (honestly, I'm starting to get sick of hearing it on the radio, but the message is clear and beautiful). Please enjoy!

Sometimes we fall down, can't get back up.
We're hiding behind skin that's too tough.
How come we don't say I love you enough
Till it's to late? It's not too late.

Our hearts are hungry for a food that won't come,
And we could make a feast from these crumbs;
And we're all staring down the barrel of a gun.
So if your life flashed before you,
What would you wish you would've done?

Yeah, we gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given.
If this is all we got then we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying.

We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away.
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say.
Gotta live like we're dying.

And if your plane fell out of the skies
Who would you call with your last goodbye?
Should be so careful who we leave out of our lives
So when we long for absolution,
There will be no one on the line, yeah.

You never know a good thing till it's gone.
You never see a crash till it's head on.
Why do we think we're right when we're dead wrong?
You never know a good thing till it's gone.

Yeah, we gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given.
If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying.

We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away.
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say.
Gotta live like we're dying.

Here's to my Mom

My mother.

I could say so much about her.

Yet, she deserves so much more praise than I could ever say.

Oh, the books that could, and should be written about her.... Volumes!

Let me at least just try to explain the wonder that is Pamela Mooney....


She has the biggest heart I've ever met and cares about so much. She's so pretty and yet so resilient and strong. The most determined and resolute person I have ever met and truly an inspiration to all who meet her, especially those who know her well.


She's the glue that binds this family together. She sets a standard by her example and the way she lives her life. She is full of faith and charity.


She had to put up with this:


And this:


And even this:


And still she loved us! What a miraculous woman. What did I do to deserve such a comfort in my life? I may never know, but this much I do know, that I am blessed to call you Mother. I love you mom!

And in the words of Abraham Lincoln, emphatically echoed by myself,

"All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother."

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Love,

Daniel

Goran Dragic is my COMRADE!

Yes, you heard me. My comrade.

Where in the world did he come from? No one actually knows... unless of course you do, and it just so happens that Wikipedia does. Turns out he is from Slovenia and helped his team win the Slovenian league championship... I know, you're probably thinking, "...then why on earth haven't I heard of him 'till now, since I watch the Slovenian premier basketball league all the time?" I know, shocking.

Anyway, Dragic entered the NBA draft last year and was picked up by none other than the San Antonio Spurs, who traded him to the Phoenix Suns. Ironically, it was against the Spurs tonight that Dragic played a monumental game, carrying the Suns in the 4th quarter in a come-from-behind 14 point win to make it a 3-0 lead in the playoff series (which deficit, by the way, has never been overcome in a 7-game series in NBA history! BOOYAH!) with 23 of his 26 points in the last 12 minutes of the game! Holla! (Can you tell, I'm a Suns fan? Ok good, then you aren't dumb)

For more on the awesome game, check out this article on ESPN.

Because of Dragic, Steve Nash can rest easy that during his time on the bench, the game is in good hands. For that I thank you, Goran Dragic.

So here's to you, comrade! Cheers!

P.S. I hate the Spurs. They cheat and play dirty and someone should just punch Genobili in his already broken nose. That might make up for that fateful game 4 almost exactly 3 years ago when Robert Horry checked Steve Nash into the score bench (for a full account, see this article) or when Tony Parker's cranium broke his nose! ... Maybe.

Go Suns!

Happiness is.....

This past week, I discovered joy in some of the least likely of places....

1. I found it the other day in a snack pack chocolate pudding that I ate with a plastic fork. I thought to myself, "could life get any better than enjoying this simple pleasure?... I submit that it canNOT!"... until I discovered it can when I ate one with no utensil at all! Gosh, I really love those things, but they just don't last nearly long enough!

2. Then it hit me even harder when the Suns stuck it to the Trail Blazers the other night to win game 2 of the series. However, now they have to win on the road and I have to say I'm a little nervous about it.

3. And then, I truly found it when I was walking on campus yesterday and the trees were all a' bloom and the sun was shining its big fat warm rays down at me and I was sweating, actually sweating on my way to class! Wow! I love the warmth of the sun! I wish it could last forever!

4. Greater still was the magnificently joyous feeling I had when I finished my last final yesterday. The burdens of the semester were magically lifted and for the first time in 4 months of classes and seemingly endless assignments I felt like I could breath again. And the best part about it was that I ended on a very good high note by rocking that exam! BOO-YAH!

5. And even greater was the joy when I got a call from a potential employer this morning responding to my job application! And can I just say, I have sent in about a hundred resumes by email and no one ever even responds, which just goes to show you how excited I was when this particular lady called me. She was so nice and even said that they were all "extremely impressed" with my qualifications!!! This would be a perfect job and I seriously danced around the apartment, unable to contain my joy, for a good 20 minutes!

6. And as if my joy couldn't be any more full, all I have to do is think of this girl and I get all twitterpated. I'm overjoyed that she's my girl and I'm so proud of her for graduating. I love you Jen!

HelloooooooooOOOOOO Nurse!

7. Also, all the little things in life that bring daily joy, "like such as" hearing good news from a family member; watching a funny video or movie that makes you laugh harder than you have all day; listening to a beautifully written song; reading the Book of Mormon in the morning; receiving a compliment from a close friend; doing something that you've never done before and feeling so adventurous and creative as a result; hearing from your little brother who's serving a 2 year mission for the Church; eating something delicious; making somebody smile or laugh from something you did or said to make them feel better; and a million other things!

Point is, happiness is a choice, but occasionally you have those days when the choice is so easy to make!

Provo City Library Crazies

I discovered something this evening when I decided to make the Provo City Library my place of study. That is simply that.....

Libraries attract a bunch o' weirdos!

The Harold B. Lee Library on campus turns into a social club half the time when people go there to "get their groove on"! What kind of person, whether consciously thinking of a place to meet people or not, uses a library as their romantic venue? It's supposed to be a place of study and learning and reading, which means: please no pick-up lines in my general vicinity while I'm studying chemistry! There's something wrong with that scene.

And now I know that it's simply a different breed of weirdo that frequents the city library:

it's the legitimately and psychotically insane kind.

I was just studying for an exam when I decided to lift my eyes from the text to notice a passer-by. It was a squat little lady with a Little Caesar's hat on. Her eyes awkwardly met mine for a fraction of a second and I made the mistake of grinning "hello" before I put my eyes back to the page. She walked straight up to me and started talking with me as if we had already had a first half of a conversation that she was just continuing very normally, as if I had been there all along. The problem was, I wasn't there. It was all in her head. It went something like this:

Schizo: "... and so, I'm doing a lot better."
Me: "Beg your pardon?"
Schizo: "You see, my husband, he screwed me over. And that's why I'm glad he's gone."
[she then trailed off as she walked around the corner, however, only to reappear still talking]
Schizo: [mumbling something like] "...and I never want to do that again."
Me: All I could think to say was "Well, I'm glad you're doing better" (with a rather conversationally ending tone to try to terminate the discussion while I looked resolutely back to my text).

It was very awkward at first, feeling a little, what I call, "conversation-raped." But, I realized very quickly that she had psychological issues and it was easy to understand that I didn't need to understand. Apparently she was dying for someone to vent to. I felt like I did my good deed for the day by lending my listening ear for a minute. Then I continued studying the finite element method.

The end.

Fake-out and the Real Deal

I saw this a month or so ago and it got me so excited that a new version was coming out. But, it turns out this is a fake; a hoax; a phony. To my credit, it looks somewhat legit.

Either way, it got me very excited for a revision of one of the best television series, although sadly short-lived, of all time:

The A-TEAM

Ok, Here's the fake:



Here's the Real Deal! It's happening! And I can't wait!

I love you Pandora Radio!

Thank goodness for Pandora online radio.

When I don't particularly care to listen to the idle banter of the two girls sitting next to me talking about what so-and-so guy said or did last night and [insert random drama here] so loudly as if they want the whole computer lab to hear, I just put in my earbuds and escape to the sound of...

... The Killers
or Phoenix
or John Williams
or Jimmy Eat World
or The Format
or The Ting Tings
or Arcade Fire
or The Postal Service
or Weezer
or Coldplay
or John Mayer
or Imogen Heap
or Ingrid Michaelson
or Josh Ritter
or Bloc Party
or Michael Buble
or Susan Boyle
or Claude Debussey
... or whatever else I want to listen to besides I think you know what!

Conference Tidbits

Here are just a few tidbits of wisdom and inspiration from General Conference this weekend:

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'."

- John Greenleaf Whittier, quoted by Robert D. Hales

"Two men can do anything, as long as one of them is Jesus Christ."
- Neil L. Anderson

Words have a powerful effect on me. I love it when they are strung together thoughtfully and when they teach simple truths. True beauty to me is a powerful and concise proverb.

What the...?!?

Does anyone find it odd that TWO number 5 seeds are in the final four with only ONE number 1 seed and a 2 seed?!?

I counted some 21 upsets this March, including some really BIG ones (i.e. Kansas/Northern Iowa)! How is a guy supposed to predict any of that when filling out a bracket?

I love that NCAA basketball allows for "Cinderella Stories". Anything can happen! I guess that's why they call it...

MARCH MADNESS!!!

Did I pick the wrong major?

I love civil engineering.

But, I also have a lot of fun performing.

Those attributes don't often coincide.

you can judge for yourself...

A big thanks and proper respect must go to my roommates Grant, Dan as well as Nick for the videography.

Musical Prodigy

Amy Annelle Hansen is seriously so naturally talented.

Prodigy hardly does her justice!

Please enjoy this song she did and watch it as many times as you can! Because if it gets enough views she could win the Ingrid Michaelson contest!

Three Months!

Ok. Ok. Can it come any faster please?

Are we there yet?... Are we there yet?... Are we there yet?...

It's only 3 months from TODAY that I get to be married to this girl:

Which also means that our engagement is almost half-way over! You see, I gave that ring to Jennifer Leigh Bloomfield nearly 3 months ago on New Years Eve. And I thought back then that I liked her. Boy was I ever wrong! That is, I was wrong by comparison because I love her now so much more than I did back then and way more than I ever thought I was capable of (and I was crazy in love with her then). And I also thought I was very anxiously waiting and excited for the grand opening of In-N-Out Burger in Orem, UT, but boy was I wrong! I look forward to being married in the Temple to this Lovely Lady at least eleventy times more than that!

Jen is my best friend and I can hardly believe that I am so fortunate to have her in my life and even more, that she wants me in hers! I love spending time with her, no matter what we are doing. I make a spectacle of myself and she thinks I'm cute or funny. She likes my crazy ideas and even plays along with them. We have the greatest adventures, including the totally spontaneous ones. I love her now and always. Why? Too many reasons. I just do.

I feel like I'm in that "Coke-Zero" commercial:

"Come on Scientists. We are already bending the rules of taste. Isn't it time we bent the rules of... time?!" In the meantime, I'll just wait for someone to invent time-travel and put out a "want ad" for something like this:

Wanted:

1 time machine to go 3 months into the future

Go Green & Go Home!

Mooney is an Irish surname.

It is for that reason that I feel more Irish than anything else.

I may be just as much or even more British or Scandinavian, but since my name is Irish I feel akin to that side of my heritage. I have this longing to visit the "emerald Isle" and see with my own eyes its lush green hillsides and landscape. I feel like it would be my pilgrimage to my homeland... The land of my fathers.

And it is for this reason that Saint Patrick's Day is my favorite random holiday!

I'll probably cook corned beef and wear as much green as I own every year on March the 17th 'till the day I die.

Top o' the mornin' and a Happy Saint Patty's Day ter ya!

Thank you Career Fair!

Just when I was stressing about what I am going to do this summer for work, especially since Jen and I are getting married in June and the idea of taking on the role of "provider" seems beyond me (Jen will likely be my Sugar Mama for a while until I graduate... I love you JJ Baby!), I got a call this morning from an unknown caller.

I'm glad I answered because it was an engineering firm in Salt Lake that said they got my resume from the last Engineering Career Fair a couple months ago at BYU and they wanted to set up an interview next week for a job with them that would start this summer!

Everything seems to be coming together. And even if I don't get this particular job (I am going to do my absolute best to get it, mind you!), it's just proof that you reap what you sow, especially in these times. You can't let discouragement get you down or keep you from even trying because the prospects are too bleak. You have to put yourself out there and "plant seeds" in order to "reap the harvest"... any kind of harvest!

The Lord is Good to us!

Amen!

and Hallelujah!

I love this song 2

My mom tells me that when I was really little I loved to watch Fantasia... it's true. It's hard for me to believe because it's kind of a boring film compared to other Disney greats like Aladdin and The Lion King. It just kept me entranced, my guess is because of the music. And I just had a great realization about myself. I love music. It inspires me. It relaxes me. And in continuation with posting songs that I love, I recently remembered this great Fantasia classic. So feast your ears on...

Rhapsody In Blue

by George Gershwin

Face-Rake

Wow, I guess my last post was a little too inspiring for me, because I'm about to jump from inspirational to pure complaining......

This morning I did probably the craziest something of the semester:

I woke up EARLY to play basketball at 6:30 am!

Thanks Grant and Brandon for getting me to do it. I definitely would NOT have gone had there been no peer pressure (although Heaven knows I need the exercise)! Believe it or not, I had fun! It truly was a superb way to wake up! I feel so invigorated, except for one thing: I got.......

FACE-RAKED!

Yes, I went for the rebound. I got it fair and square. But, then there was this middle-aged guy on the other team, probably still a little bent that I stole the ball from him about 15 seconds prior, who made an attempt to return the favor and steal it from me. However, he missed one spherical object and hit another.... my cabeza!

An honest mistake since my face was probably orange from exhaustion! Sheesh, I really need to exercise more! I've lost my "MUCHNESS."

All in all, it was a very positive experience. And to be perfectly honest, I will likely even do it again, once again not by myself; not in a million years! Only with the assurance that I'll have friends there. I'll admit I was a little intimidated at first because the other guys who came out to play were really good. You pretty much have to be great to be that dedicated. But, seriously probably the nicest group of guys I've played pick-up ball with at the Richards Building. Ever.

But wait. Don't start thinking this is a positive post, or that I'm done complaining... Then, I went to grab a towel for my shower and the guy in the "BYU issue" room obviously had an issue with that because he stopped me as I grabbed the towel and said, rather snooty'ishly, "Towels are for student locker contracts only." He then proceeded to throw the towel that I had just grabbed in with the other dirtly ones.

What the @#$%&?!

March Fourth!

Today's date is actually a sentence:

March forth!

Pretty cool huh! My friend, Kent Nelson, pointed that out to me.

I feel moved by that directive and I'm going to take some inspirational thoughts out of it. Here goes... Whatever happens in life that has potential to hinder your progress, just march forth. Whatever someone might do to try to bring you down, just march forth. If you fail a test; if you feel rejected; if your best ideas aren't as brilliant as you thought; if your best efforts seem to fall short... just march forth. Just remember, life doesn't reward the poor soul just for being poor when he or she stops trying. You have to keep going. Keep trying. Keep fighting.........

March forth.

P.S. I have included some inspirational music for while you read this inspirational thought. Enjoy.

Grown Men Do Cry

I feel like Danny on the movie Oceans 13 watching Oprah. This is seriously so moving and so touching.

Men, be warned. If you haven't cried in a while this might throw you into crazy unexpected catharsis. A good one, though. Just have some tissues on hand and make sure no women are around.

Colorado = "Colored Red"

... Who Knew? Not me, until I went there!

Jen and I had the great opportunity to visit my sister and brother in law with their two kids in Littleton, CO over Presidents Day weekend and Valentines Day. It was so fun and so nice to get away from Provo and school for 3 and a half days! We carpooled with Abby and Addison (thanks again Abby for driving! You're the best!) and it was an adventure to remember!

I know it's been almost 2 whole weeks since we got back, but it feels like it was yesterday. And posting pictures on the day after a trip is pretty dang good, I'd say!

Here are some highlights of the trip:

• Icy road conditions in Wyoming on our way out Friday night. Gad zooks! After about 10 hours we rolled into Denver unscathed. Thanks to Addison, I am alive today to tell the story!
• I changed a diaper!
  
• Made waffles Saturday morning with my sis. Lydia really loves sweets! If you asked her if she likes syrup, she might ask you, "Is it sweet?"... "then YESSS!!!"
• We went out to lunch at a Mongolian barbecue restaurant downtown, which was pretty good. It was also very fun (mostly for me) to see all the civil engineering stuff there. Great sports arenas, old buildings, winding roads, etc.
• After lunch, we hiked around Red Rocks amphitheater for a couple hours. How beautiful and impressive! See pictures below. I'd love to go to a concert there someday!
• Watched Olympics.
• Went to "vacation Church" (involves going to sacrament and ditching the rest to go visit with Brooke Theis, Kelsey Foster and Garrett Sens at the Theis home for a little dance party with Brooke's nephew).
• Made delicious food for our Valentine's Day dinner, along with the most chocolaty cake I've ever eaten!
• Russell getting ridiculously caked with the said cake.
• Exchanged Valentines (all you need to know is Jen is sweeter than chocolate cake!)
  
• Lydia giving me a scratch and sniff valentine, but getting mad at Jen and I when she found out that we were leaving on Monday morning.

Jordan and Michelle and the Ballantynes were such good hosts and hostesses and we are so grateful for letting us spend the weekend with them. Love you guys!

Love,

Daniel

"Moonlight"

I love this song.

When I listen to it I feel so relaxed, so peaceful... Like I can sleep easy tonight because I know everything is right with the world, or that it's going to be alright.

It was in my head and I wanted to make sure it stayed there and when it went away I wanted it to be able to return later. So I did some research to find its name and composer. But, the problem with songs without words is that you have to sing the portion you know out loud to describe it to people because you just can't exactly type the tune into google search.

Luckily I found it before too long, for you to enjoy. Here is Clair de lune, by Claude Debussy.

I also like this version with the music animation...

Wash Your Hands!

Of all the Low-Life's of this world (and this world can be a pretty ugly place) there are few, in my book, who fall below the guy who doesn't wash his hands after using the bathroom. Actually, worse yet is the guy who doesn't lift the toilet seat in the stall to do a "number one" and goes ALL OVER THE SEAT! But, this post is not about him..... ggggrrrrrrhhhhhhh! But, oh how I would love to smash the face of every guy who does that on the soiled toilet seat!

Today I witnessed a disgusting thing. I saw a professor (he's not civil engineering, but probably some sort of enginerd because this happened in the Clyde Building) do a number one, proceed to turn around and face the mirror to run his hand through his hair, and then totally bypass the faucet!

Now, I'm okay with choosing to use the hand sanitizer instead of the slightly more cumbersome soap and water option. However, Professor G (short for "Grossgusting") didn't even use that. I was appalled and my faith in humanity took a hit. A PROFESSOR! Someone who interacts with dozens of students and faculty on a daily basis... and someone with a doctorate degree no less... should be educated enough to know better than that!

We live in AMERICA people. Not the JUNGLE! We live in a place with the best opportunities for a sanitary lifestyle in the world. And yet, there still seems to be those first-class idiots who decide to take all of that for granted and ignore the health and safety of themselves and others. It blows my mind.

So please, just remember that Mother's counsel still applies when you're 55 and teaching college:

Always Wash Your Hands!

Pay Homage

I was recently reminded of a great song (All My Life) and got thinking about how awesome the music of my generation is! So, I just want to pay some respect to the fathers of R&B: K-Ci & JoJo, Boyz II Men, and also others like All 4 One and Seal. These guys perfected hip-hop doo-wop and gave us a fresh contrast to their fruity white contemporaries who got so over-played back in the day (e.g. N*Sync and BSB).

Without K-ci & JoJo, without Boyz II Men, and without All 4 One, there would be no R. Kelly or Brian McKnight or Usher or Neo or even Chris Brown. And let's face it, prom and our entire High School experience just would NOT have been the same! Just let the flood of memories of days gone by rush to your mind as you think about how your life would be different without these tunes:

All My Life

Crazy

I'll Make Love To You

On Bended Knee

I Swear

I Can Love You Like That

Kiss From A Rose

The "Art"(?) of Curling

Yesterday, I came home from school in the afternoon and decided I wanted to watch some Olympics. However, NBC decided that they wanted to save the good stuff for "primetime". Can you guess what they put on instead?

Curling!

It has got to be the strangest and most boring sport ever invented! And yet, I found myself glued to the TV. I watched this spectacle for a solid half hour. I felt like Brian Regan when he was watching fishing... even taping fishing! There's just no sinking much lower than that.

Well, after my experience yesterday, I can say that watching curling gives watching fishing a run for its money! I have been trying to find a suitable place where curling stands among the ranks of other odd sports and after much consideration, here's what I got...

1. It's below bowling because you cheat! It's not just you out there, you have not one, not two, but THREE other teammates helping you and guiding the stone the entire way down the alley! Plus, at least bowling requires some physical ability.

2. For the same reasons curling also lies below the sports of shuffleboard and bocce ball. I love bocce ball by the way...

3. Slightly below cheese rolling due to the fact that there's absolutely zero risk of injury, let alone all the broken limbs and things that can happen in that crazy hill rolling activity.

4. Pool is very similar, but it has a just a slight edge on curling because you're all by yourself and I think it takes more coordination to sink 8 balls into the table pockets.

However, I believe it does sit slightly higher than the following sports/games:

• darts
• paper football
• checkers
• connect four
• I don't know the name of the game but trying to see how close you can slide an object to the edge of the table without it falling down
• and dozens of other crazy games people might play when they're drunk because if you're drunk while playing curling there's danger of stumbling and getting a concussion on the hard ice.

I just feel sorry for those poor announcers who have to cover that sport. What is there to say other than, "Well, he shouldn'a thrown it like that"?

Commercial Genius.

I just finally saw these commercials for the first time today. I think about a bajillion other people have seen them already, but in case you haven't,

YOU GOTTA CHECK THESE OUT!!

Olympics on ESPN

I think ESPN would do a much better job covering the Olympics than stupid NBC!

Can't I please just get some "sportscenter highlights" of the Olympic Games? Some Top 10 plays of the day in Vancouver? An analyst talking about an athlete and his or her struggles and what to look for in their upcoming performance? Or what about the "keys to the game" for various events?

Nope, because NBC is stupid and doesn't do anything cool like that. I know there are events going on all day, but they make me wait 'till prime time to see any of it. And even then, they leave stuff out!

.....Stupid!

In the meantime, I can just dream that someday the greatest sporting event of ever will get some decent coverage.

Chrissy Mooney, Provo's Next Shining Star!

Breaking News!!!

After months of waiting (really, it's been years, as you'll see later in this post), my amazing baby sister, Chrissy Mooney, who undoubtedly hates being referred to as the "baby," just today was finally accepted among the ranks of the truest, the bluest, the BYU Cougars!

Here she is!...

This is us at a quarter past silly on Christmas at Grandma's house
(Chrissy is the "baby" on the front left, along with Annie, Joey and myself)

A longtime Mooney tradition: Spiderman Undies
(Chrissy is the one with the Donatello all over her extremely hard-core game face)

Even as a High School Junior she came to Provo to spend her Fall break

Destined for BYU greatness when she became "true blue" well before even finishing high school!

BYU Football! Once again, she's still in High School!

...I just like this picture of her (sorry Chrissy, I couldn't resist)

Look out Provo, here she comes!

I mean seriously guys, I fully realize that she's a hawtie pa'tawdy and I am a very protective big brother if you know what I mean!

'Nuff said.

So, there you have it folks. My wonderfully talented, athletic, smarty-pants, happy-go-lucky, fun and funny sister, Christine Jean Mooney (her fake middle name), is gonna spend her first semester of college at BYU at the same time I have my very last one! Oh, it's going to be a party and a half!

Love you Chrissy and I can't wait 'till this Fall!

Calling All Utah Drivers

This is in response to a blog post by my friend, Ashley Jones, about those drivers who foolishly slow down to balk at accidents or even any sort of distraction while driving 70 mph in dense traffic. I hate that too!

While this behavior may be a problem in most if not all 50 states, I would like to say that there are certain driving tendencies that recur frequently in the state of Utah that annoy the heck out of this "California-driver."

1. First, the "Utah Roadblock." I googled this term that I frequently use and it turns out that Urban Dictionary actually has it defined, perfectly accurately too. It says it's "when you and your friends take up one whole side of the road with one car per lane going as far under the speed limit as you think you can get away with." And although U.D. defines it as a sort of intentional prank, this phenomenon happens inadvertently all the time by unsuspecting Utah drivers who are afraid of appearing too aggressive by passing the other car that happens to be going the same speed (usually below the speed limit). This practice prevents other drivers from passing safely on the left.

2. The other thing is the tendency of some Utah drivers to automatically drift into the left lane as soon as they get on the freeway... just because its their default lane of choice. This is a problem because it is customary to pass on the left, and its a little hard to do that when there's an old lady going 55 in the fast lane!! That's why they have signs like these posted all throughout Utah!

That's also why there are websites dedicated specifically to teaching this safe practice such as this:

http://www.slowertraffickeepright.com/

and this...

http://californiakeepright.com/

It's not the "I'm going the speed limit" lane.
It's not the "I'm going fast enough" lane.
It's not the "you can go around me" lane.
It's not the "cell phone use lane" lane.
Have you ever had any of these thoughts while in the left lane?
Well, then you need to
GET OVER to the RIGHT!

http://www.circlemp.com/stkr/stkr.html

I like this visual for all my friends who don't quite have a testimony of this principle. As you can see, there is a car in the left or "fast lane" and what you can't see is the car is labeled, "Rude Jerk (60 in 65). So, don't be a jerk. You may think that you're just being safe by going the speed limit, but if the flow of traffic is going faster than that (hint: your sign for this may be when dozens of cars speed past you on the right whenever there's an opening) then you need to get over to the right to make their passing of you safer. Thank you.

3. The last thing I'm going to say that annoys me is the drivers who think they're being considerate when they stop for the single pedestrian who hasn't even gotten to the curb yet! In fact, one day I was going to be picked up from campus and I was waiting for my ride to arrive. I was standing a good 5 to 10 feet from the curb. Standing, not walking. I obviously had no intentions of crossing the street. Then some driver stopped to let me cross and even waived me on! I then insisted that he keep going by waiving him on. Okay, of course there is the other extreme of jerky drivers who swerve around pedestrians as they're crossing the street as soon as there's room to squeeze their car, nearly hitting people as they go. To those people I am very tempted to give the finger! But the drivers who stop needlessly and naively for would-be pedestrian street crossers, all the while, holding up 5 cars behind them when all the cars could have easily gone by before the walker got to the street... they need to get off their "nicer driver than thou" high horse and just drive sensibly!

In conclusion, I admit that I'm a recovering road rager. What I have to realize is that I'm not a perfect driver either and I make mistakes. The point is, let's all just resolve to be a little bit better and a little bit safer on those roads out there so that we can all get on with the road of life a little bit faster.

It's NOT a Zit, I Swear!

This weekend I went to Church with this on my face:

And I just want to make something absolutely clear... ok, two things, my face being one of them... the other is that this is NOT a zit! I was shocked at the fact that a mere 2 more people than zero asked about it at Church. And one of them actually had the courage to say, after asking what it was, that he wasn't going to ask at first because he thought it might be a pimple! This made me realize that perhaps that's what everyone else thought. I mean, you can't very well miss it! Here, just look at it:


No, it's not acne, but it would still be cool if it was because I would totally brag about having the a Guinness world record hugest zit known in the history of mankind!

It is even cooler than that! It's a battle scar obtained playing basketball on Saturday! You see, one kind of blemish guys aren't ashamed of is scars. They're proof of toughness. Manliness. Built-in bragging rights. And possibly best of all is that they're a great conversation-starter!

OK, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Here's the short and sweet, because I know you've been dying to find out... So there I was, under the hoop. When in a flash, out of nowhere a guy 40 pounds my larger came barreling into me, knocking me to the floor. I don't remember much other than that in one second I was shooting the ball, and the next, my body was being hurled into by an opposing player and sent straight to the floor, without even enough time to stop my chin hitting first. Sadly, I didn't make that particular shot, but I went back and humbled that guy I was guarding the rest of the game, shutting him down, successfully making sure not to allow him to make any shots after that point. In fact, he got so frustrated with himself that he yelled out a couple times, and when after the game I went to say good game, he said nothing in return. What a punk huh!

Thank you for letting me tell the story that I apparently was dying to share.

The end.

Lost Art of the Compliment

Recently, Jen found this article on msn.com and shared it with me. I was really touched by this man's determination and quirky interest in bringing a little happiness into peoples' lives.

I love the feeling of having either given a compliment that is well-received, or receiving a good genuine compliment from someone. It is a gift to be able to bestow such elation in only a moment and it is my goal to master this art!

Here is the link to the article and below is just a snippet from it. Please enjoy this warm, inspiring tale which is the perfect theme to kick off this month of love!

The Lost Art of the Compliment, by Tom Chiarella

"If a worthwhile compliment needs anything, it is the weight of realization behind it. So I fell back, watched people go about their jobs, the quality of their interactions, the way they looked at their reflection as they walked the street. I registered. And I learned, or started to learn, that a compliment is a partnership, because the pleasure of giving it lies in its effect upon the person receiving it."