Saturday, August 15, 2009

This Place Called Home




One of my least favorite things about being a blogger is that the name blogger sounds way too close to the word booger, and i dont want to be associated with those, thanks though. Another thing I loathe about blogging? So many blogs become a way for people to publicize their inner thoughts, an online journal entry if you will. Well even if you wont, I find myself feeling very weird about reading some people's blogs; it gives me the sensation of having crept into their room while they were sleeping, loosened the bottom drawer of their dresser and having pulled out their personal journal to steal away their innermost thoughts and fears, goals and aspirations. It's kind of an odd, guilty feeling, to be honest.

I hope this blog post wont exude that same feel, but if it does, just pretend that I woke up after you snuck in, and gave you the ok to read to your heart's desire.

I'm home.
Or, yeah I'm pretty sure...Yesterday I finished packing up my Provo apartment and made the 10 hour drive back to the house i grew up in for the majority of my life. The drive went pretty smoothly, even though those ten hours between Utah and California never seem to get any shorter. My drive home was filled with a mixture of relief and enthusiasm, excitement and regret. Taking the offramp off I-80 to get to my house, I felt opened up to a city unaware of what it had meant to me, unaware of my past achievements and existence in its presence.

I woke up early the next morning and went running around Maidu Park. Even though I had lived here for nine years I had never made the loop around the entire park. A minute or so into my run I caught up with a young man, around 26 years old, who asked if I'd run with him. I agreed and we started talking. He was from sacramento proper and was around for a softball tournament. It was so weird, I felt like I was about to start telling the guy how weird it was for me to be home, how I had gotten home the night before and felt really out of place, how I had been studying out in utah and had gotten back from my mission a year ago. Of course none of this stuff would have been remotely interesting to the guy, he just wanted someone to pace himself with. Somehow I felt like he could see through me though, see all the confusion inside of me.

One of my favorite all-time movies is Garden State. I think it captures magnificently the oddity of returning to your hometown after a long time. So much has changed, and yet it's exactly as you left it. Many of the same buildings are still around, but they look at you a different way, as if they are now dedicated to defining the lives of a different generation, a different group of people that call the city home.


Saturday, May 30, 2009

End of May JJ




I guess the secret's out, I'm a terrible blogger. But i hate saying that because I feel like it's so cliche. Anyway, I haven't written anything since March, and I decided to get something new on here, however mundane it will probably turn out to be.
On Saturday Millie & I went to the Joshua James show in Provo, UT-and it was pretty good. We got there about an hour late, but luckily he came on stage a few minutes after we got there. We didn't get a good place to sit, and for awhile we had no place to sit, but it was fun. Anyway, this James guy is the real deal. I wish I knew how to put song links up here, or downloads, because he definitely deserves a listen. His style isn't terribly original, but in the overcrowded genre of chilled out pensive singer songwriters he isn't at all generic. You do worry about the guy though, there were times i thought he might shed a few tears on stage. I guess he's just one of those guys that spends all his free time thinking about really deep, confusing things. My favorite songs are the ever catchy and ironic "the new love song," "you're the cocaine," and slow but beautiful "commodore." Joshua James everyone.


Saturday, March 21, 2009

March!

Just an awesome little bit of cinematography :)


Happy Up Here from Röyksopp on Vimeo.


Sunday, March 1, 2009

Cool Kid of the Week (month? year?) #2

After two failed attempts, two changes in subject, and nearly two months, the second cool kid of the week has emerged. And it just so happens to be her birthday!

Tami Bowerbank (& S. Doxey)


(i looted this pic off of your facebook Tam, i became aware of a serious travesty two seconds ago: we have NO pictures together!)

Last fall I met Tami, and i cant quite remember the circumstances exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was at church. Because I distinctly remember her coming over to our apartment one sunday afternoon just...because. And i was so impressed. Whenever Tami's name gets brought up in our apartment, it's always followed by comments like "she's such a cool girl" and "she just makes you feel like you're her best friend; she's so endearing." And those comments are always right on.

One of my first Tami memories is when we went to a call center last fall to make make calls for prop 8. I was so impressed by her faith and enthusiasm for things she holds dear. And Tami has her priorities straight. You can tell how important Tami's family is to her. One night when she was giving me a ride home from the ice rink, she laughed about what a hard time her family (brother-in-laws specifically) will give her boyfriend one day when he goes to ask permission to marry her. I know thats a funny way to explain it, but it really hit me what a central role her family plays in her life. It's something I had never really thought about before.

Tami is the best photographer I've ever been friends with...and for sure one of the best I've ever met. Her work is horribly real, and every picture I see feels like it's coming out of an old picture album of my youth. She captures the best in everyone. Every picture exudes life; each one says so much.

This is definitely kind of embarrassing, and something i've never told her, but before I knew Tami personally, I used to refer to her as the "Elvish Princess." Truth be told, I'm not exactly sure what that entails, but that's the first thing that came to mind when I saw her! Let's not mince words; Tami is wayyy cute.

The best word I've found to describe Tami is genuine. Sometimes I struggle to explain why, but I think it's because Tami is so real. I'd never expect to find "tami" and "identity crisis" in the same sentence. Whether you like her or not, Tami is so good at being herself...and I'm guessing there's very few people that dont find themselves gravitating towards her. She's so full of light and love that affect all those around here.

Whenever I talk to Tami, I feel like we're old friends aware of some inside joke or secret, and that before long we'll be reminiscing about some wonderful memory we cant help but smiling about. Tami Bowerbank everyone, Tami Bowerbank.

p.s....happy 20th Birthday!

-Roscoe


Thursday, January 15, 2009

Cool Kid of the Week #1

So I've had this random blog idea for awhile, and now that I'm in the library with some homework staring me in the face, I decided it's a wonderful time to get started. So this is my idea: I've met a lot of people in my life and I've decided that some people are cool. Really really cool. This weekly (hopefully) post will be a shoutout to cool people I currently know. cool huh?

So without any hurt feelings, I decided to start from the most logical point: with the kid that (sometimes) sleeps in the bed across the room from me. (barring a CSI miami marathon)

Mark Princeton Christenson everybody. Behold.

I met Mark over two years ago. It was my first day in the missionary training center, and I had just lugged two hulking suitcases up the stairs when I found him and another guy in my assigned room. We became friends in the MTC and our paths crossed every so often during our two year stay in Italia.

Mark is a stud. People often tend to raise their eyebrow when they find out you're from Utah, but Mark's definitely a stereotype breaker. He's just a guy you cant help but feel good to be around. Mark is the most unpredictably predictable guy I know. Like, you know he's going to watch EVERY episode of CSI if there are 8 in a row, but what surprises you is that you wake up in the morning, and he's actually doing his homework! I dont know how he gets it done, but the man is legit.

Mark also has a growing reputation as being a great cuddler. I gather most of that information from girls (including non-single girls) but I have to concur that Mark has a rather large bosom. And I'm just going to leave it at that.

Mark's a team player and a caring guy. I really appreciate that he's kind of simple too. He's pretty up front about his feelings...and he usually wears them on his sleeve. I dont think I've ever found myself really mad at Mark. He's a quality guy and he doesn't do things that would tear other people down just for his benefit. Mark's an awesome guy to have talks with at 1AM and you're about to go to bed. I hear girls call that "Pillow Talk." He's really devout to things that are important to him. And he like's to eat at Beto's during the wee hours of the morning. Mark Christenson everyone, Mark Christenson.