the giving of thanks

So this Thanksgiving I am in Vegas visiting my Fiance (say it with a thick french accent, trust me it's more fun that way). The Barker family really knows how to party. After the traditional eating of food until there's none left or until you want to die, whichever comes first, I was ready for the just as traditional sit down on the couch and pass out while your body does its job with the digestion. However, I was not given the privilege of that tradition this year. Immediately after we ate it was time for the talent show.

I love talent shows. But for some reason no matter what my talent is it ends up being defined as a comedy act. The last 3 talent shows I can remember being in went like this: FHE talent show; I played my didgeridoo and screamed then my roommate Brandt and I sang a song about our Caribbean roommate Walsworth while Walsworth danced and it ended with me cutting my finger on the guitar and Brandt howling like a monkey. Next, Birthday Talent Show (2nd Bday in the mission); we went to a park in the mission and everyone did obscure talents amongst the tree. I ended up freestyling a song on the guitar. It ended with me scatting and explaining to people that that was the sound a ship makes. Lastly, we had a mission talent show my 3rd week in the mission. I did magic tricks with using only my fingers, displayed my coveted one handed clapping and finally convinced my companion that he could lasso bananas out of the air. He couldn't do it. All ended with everybody laughing at me.

Thanksgiving Talent Show: Barker House 2009 went about the same way. There were great music talents; a piano duet by Hannah (9) and Riley (11), another piano duet by Megan and Paul (18), mama Barker signed (ASL) a song, Katie (14ish) played a Taylor Swift song on guitar, and then Brody (16) solved a Rubik's cube in about 2 minutes (not very musical but still very impressive). All great talents. I started my talent by pulling a crumpled peice of paper out of my pocket and smoothing it out. After that it was like giving candy to baby (intentional misuse of expression) they ate it up. I then explained that although I would be playing guitar they could probably consider my talent to be comedy. I then improved a song about things that I'm thankful for which included jokes about dinner and everybody in the family. It was good.

And that's how it goes in the Barker house. We had a blast and the Thanksgiving Talent Show: Barker House 2009 was a big hit. I think there might be a recording of it floating around, I'll try to find it and post it.

what happens in Vegas...

so I'm in Vegas for the week of Thanksgiving and I'm visiting Megan and her family and it's great. Everyday I spend the entire day doing homework and playing games with Riley and Hannah (11 and 5) consequently I'm not doing as much homework as I should be.

My first day here we went to the park with Megan's younger siblings. Most people played tennis, Hannah played on the playground and I took a disc, of course. I was only there for a couple minutes when some guy asked me if I played Ultimate. He must be an Ultimate angel because He answered all my Ultimate prayers. He asked if I was from the area and I told him that I was only here for the week but that I'd be moving down the first of January. He invited me to play with a group of guys that play in the area. He didn't know exactly when they were playing so he called another guy and gave him my number. That guy called me later and I gave him my email so he could send me directions to the field. He also mentioned in the email that they are looking at putting a team together for Trouble In Vegas. It's the biggest Ultimate tourney in the world and it's held right here in Vegas in early February. It going to be a blast!

I'm am actually way excited to live in Vegas for the winter because the weather is always good. I just came from playing in below freezing temps, snow and wind. Vegas only has good weather, never below freezing not a lot of wind if any and it only snows once every 12 years or less. So I can play year round now. If you can't tell I like Ultimate.

Aside from Ultimate it has been great being here. After I do homework all day Megan comes home from work and we get to spend all evening together. That really has been the best part of the break. This whole semester I've only seen her 2 other times. But now I'm here and it's great. And Thanksgiving is going to be amazing. So pretty much that's what happens in Vegas.

Ya I don't even know

Sooooo... all I've been doing for the past couple months is going to school, doing homework, talking to Megan on the phone until one of us falls asleep and playing Frisbee.

I've been coaching an Ultimate team up here on campus at BYU-Idaho. I've never coached before but I am having a blast. It really is a new look at the sport. I'm not gonna brag about how well my team is doing. However, I will say that we are not in last. Actually we have the same win record as the last placed team the only difference is that we have more points in the season than they do. Tonight is game one of our league tournament. That is actually why I have time now to blog. I don't want to do any of my homework for this weekend yet and I'm trying to lay low and get ready for the game. Although my team have a bad record I really think that we have a good chance of winning the t-shirt (see former post titled Campion). I'm optimistic because there are a lot of young new players on my team and the whole season we've been working on learning the game and how to work as a team. The past couple weeks we have been looking really good and playing together beautifully. We'll see if we can put it together tonight.

On an awesome note, BYU-I just held their first ever disc golf tourney. Justin Cutler (Captain) and I jumped all over that. It was a doubles tournament. We played 5 rounds at the near by 9 hole course at the nature park. The park is new and it's pretty ghetto. The baskets are cheap and the chains are light weight. If you know what I'm talking about then you know it's not good. If you don't know, just assume they're not good. Anyway we played and the results are in. Captain and I won the tournament. Our final score was 5 under in 5 rounds. So we didn't play super well but we did well enough. No other team even scored under par. In fact we beat the next team my 8 strokes. So once again I am a Disc Champion. I should be receiving my t-shirt soon.

Anyway, wish us luck tonight and I'll do my best to keep ya'll posted not only on Ultimate but on what I do.