Ratatatatatatatatatatatat...i Think its like Bananananana

So I've been a poor blogger as of late...sorry world wide web. My Internet is crappy at best and, well, I like to hang out with my wife and watch movies...sue me!

Another interest of mine, as many of you know, is to "shake my groove thang" from time to time to some really great electrock'n roll! So, they other day I purchased Ratatat's June release, Lp4...and I can't stop listening to it! You know how there are those times when a song gets so deep in your blood that you can actually feel your body trying to sync up with the beat of the music? Well thats more or less whats been happening to me all week. Specifically with the track "Neckbrace" (appropriately named). Way to go, Ratatat. Way to go.

It got me thinking about how much music determines how my day is going to be. For a long time i think I tried to sync the music I listened to with the mood I was feeling at the time. But for some time now I've let the music determine the mood and its been exhilarating. For example, the past week I've been listening to either Ratatat or the black keys pretty much non stop. Two totally different sounds. Two completely different moods. Both, however, uplifting the best ways. In my previous music life, I would have never had the chance to experience such drastically different musical moods in one day because I forced the music to fit my feelings that day. This may seem completely obscure and hard to follow, but trust me, its been refreshing.

Now, I'm not saying that I don't still throw on some Muse before a rugby match or some Junior boys before a run, but I've definitely let my music control me lately, instead of me controlling the music. Maybe I'll even throw my ipod on shuffle and never hit skip...that would be LIVING!

Jethro

Our cat...

Poorly named but I'm all over it!!!

I got a new job. No more Saturdays. No more Holidays. And I feel like I'm playing when I'm at work. Pretty sweet deal. I must say however (especially if Kirk or Derrick are ready) that working for T-mobile was a great college job and the only friends I have really made here in Logan worked there with me. But things change and I'm pumped for the new gig.

The primary reason for liking my new eight to five home is I get to play on cool new programs (new to me) like Camera Raw in the CS4 Adobe suite. My official title is Student Graphic Designer, but I get to do a large amount of photography and writing as well. I by no means would declare unto the world that I am a graphic designer by profession and my photography skills are barely skills at all, but I'm learning and realizing that my knowledge of CS4 is so minimal I can't believe i ever thought I knew ANYTHING!

So today, I finished my first advertisement poster and spent the rest of the day playing around in photoshop and Camera Raw. Like I said, I don't really know that much, but here are a few photos that I worked on today:

Tophe and Me fishing (he caught the biggest one of the trip right after this).

Morgan has found his way onto yet another Clifford blog...

Em's wedding...I'm craving Alberto's just thinking about it.

Anyway, nothing big but the point is this is all pre-photoshop. I haven't touched any of these in photoshop, just Camera Raw. Its nice because the pictures don't look too doctored (to me anyway). The colors pop more, the contrast is solid, and it they don't feel over-saturated.

Its amazing what a kid who doesn't know anything can do!

Update

Well, my lack of posts may look to some like my attempt at sticking with my workout plans has failed. ON the contrary, however, i have been far too busy to keep up. I guess I started to think that a post that simply showed what i accomplished for the day, workout wise, was kind of lame. I read a couple of my posts and I sounded like a total "sup-bro" and like i was obsessed with myself, and although I may be a bit of a narcissists I dont want to frame myself as one to the blogging world. So, i will still leave updates here and there but I'm not going to turn this blog into a "look how tough i am because i workout" blog.



On a brighter note, everyone in my family had only one thing the past few days to blog about, and if you blogstalk Cliffords (you know who you are) than you already know what i'm talking about...its the NEWEST MEMBER of course!!!



Ox was born two days ago and moved into the title of youngest Clifford, or youngest member of Clifford: The Next Generation as some siblings are starting to say (good one flemily). His official name is Garrett Ivan Clifford but I'm sticking with Ox as a name. When Sterling and Megan were still deciding on a name (or not telling us what they had in mind for a name) they just referred to the unborn child as Ox. So Ox it is. Now, I have a nephew known as Larry-Bird and nephew Ox. I love it.

Its weird to think about this new baby living in San Fran! We have been so spoiled with Larry-Bird (Morgan) living so close and being so available to play with and see all the time that having a nephew growing up so far away seems like a tragedy. I guess thats how it usually is with family but it sucks facing the reality. But i suppose if there are to be two Cliffords raising a baby away from the rest of us its best that its Sterling and Megan. Not that I like them being away but they are the two most capable Cliffords (in my opinion) out of the bunch. Sterling and Megan are both very independent in their careers and abilities but they rely on one another in every way that a loving couple should, and that seems like the perfect example to set for a child. so, Ox is in great hands.

So welcome baby child! We are more than Glad to have you!

Accountability

So this week was an overall GREAT workout week. I swam a 23 minute mile, did some trial running, and a huge hill climb on my bike. I cant be certain of any distances (except on the swim, of course) but I have felt great. I suppose thats a good thing because i just found out that one of my Rangnar running legs was extended 3.4 miles, making my middle run 9.7 miles...sweet! So, it was a good week

Also, the semester is OVER which is wonderful...although, i dont understand why i'm so excited, I have a summer class that starts next week. But at least my classes now are over, and thats whats important. I'm too distracted to write right now...see ya

today and yesterday

I never thought I would enjoy working out in the pool so much. I hated it in high school. My good friend Matt Clark would pick me up every morning for swim practice, and every morning would honk a few times, then park his car, come inside, go downstairs, enter my horrific room, and wake me up. If I was quick enough I would hide before he got the door open, but most of the time I just acted surprised, said "shoot! My alarm didn't go off," and grabbed some clothes and headed to practice. It was the worst.

Now, however, I find myself voluntarily walking into the HYPER building, asking for a swim pass, changing, and hoping in cold water to swim back and forth for an hour and a half. I even get disappointed if i cant make to the pool. I always wondered why Kristen (wife) would be so bummed when she couldn't make it out on a run, but now i understand. I guess for a guy like me, ADHD to the max, activity is the perfect solution.

What a good day today was.

Swim: 14oo yards

YESTERDAY

Ride: 22 miles (cache valley is so beautiful right now)


p.s. I don't actually have ADHD...not like there would be anything wrong with it if I did...I'm just saying

Monday

Ride: 18 miles

I couldn't swim today because Brady had to take care of his child and the baby's momma, so i had to work.