In Memory of Heath Ledger

Tomorrow will be one week since Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York City apartment. The reasoning for his death is still unknown. Suicide has mostly been ruled out and there isn't a sign of struggle. Prescription drugs were found around him, which leads me to believe that he mixed the wrong dosage of pills together, causing his death.

I am reminded of one of my favorite actors growing up, River Phoenix. His performance in Stand By Me was brilliant and is a movie I will never forget! I have come to love his brother, Joaquin, for his roles in independent films like, Clay Pigeons, Return to Paradise, and Inventing the Abbotts. He portrayed the amazing Johnny Cash in Walk the Line and nailed it!

My friend, James, was the one who first told me about Heath's passing. I was absolutely shocked! I didn't know how to react. I had to look it up on Google News to see if it was true. At that moment there was only one article, so it was hard to believe. After just two minutes, I refreshed the page and it was flooding with articles. It must be true.

Heath was beginning to choose wisely in his films and he could have amounted to a great actor. After learning of his death, the next few days brought on some questions. Why Heath Ledger? What's the point of life? What's the point of anything? Obviously religion plays a role in these questions and I am a very religious and spiritual person. But my faith doesn't seem to be helping me understand the meaning of it all.

Rest in peace Heather Ledger. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your loved ones.

Sundance 2008

It's that time of the year again, and Sundance is approaching rapidly. The festival begins next Friday, January 17, with the opening film In Bruges starring Colin Farrell and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

I must say that I am very disappointed with Sundance this year. As locals, we were promised a better selection of movies, but as I was registering for individual ticket sales I received an email that told me I was not guaranteed an online time slot to buy tickets. My mom registered and received the email that told her she did not get a time. Thankfully, I did, but it is the afternoon of the last day of the sales.

This week I decided to put together my list of movies that I would like to attend. I realized that the chances of actually obtaining these tickets is slim to none and that I should go for the films that don't have big celebrities in them. After all, the Sundance Film Festival is for the movies, not to see celebrities.

My time slot is tomorrow afternoon, so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I'll get something!

2007 Highlights

Well, 2007 is finished and 2008 has begun. As I look back on the last year I realize how much I've accomplished, but also how much I still need to do.

In May, I graduated from the University of Utah with a b.a. in mass communication, emphasizing in public relations. My parents took me to New York as a graduation present. My brother, Matt, lives there, so it was a trip to see him as well. We had a great time! We went on the set of Good Morning America and The Daily Show with John Stewart, went to the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, all of the touristy stuff.

I was working for a law firm as a receptionist, which isn't the best job to have as a college graduate, but it was one of the best jobs I had ever had. Everyone I worked with was amazing. Plus, it was pretty cool to say that I worked for a law firm.

During that time I was also seriously considering law school. I was preparing for the LSAT in September and was planning on continuing in Intellectual Property Law in Fall of 2008. I took the test and while I was waiting for my scores I got a job for the US Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA), where I currently reside. The scores came in and they were not exactly what I was hoping for, so I decided to put off law school. But just for now.

At USSA, I started as the Western Region Administrator, where I create race selection boards for events happening outside of the Western Region. After just two weeks, I was promoted to Junior Olympic Coordinator where I make sure everything is in order for all the Junior Olympic events throughout the country.

Everything was going great. Then, something happened. Back in the springtime, Amy called me to invite me to Cancun for Christmas with her and her family. How could I pass that up? I accepted the offer. We had such a great time! We went snorkeling in the most beautiful coral reefs, "swam" with a shark, drank margaritas every night at dinner, and laid on the beach that was only about 50 feet away. We went to Tulum, the Mayan ruins, and ate the most delicious Mexican food I've ever had.

Christmas doesn't seem like Christmas in Mexico. Christmas to me is 3 feet of snow on the ground, a tree with presents underneath, church on Christmas Eve, and being with my family and loved ones. In Cancun, we celebrated Christmas like it was any other day of the trip, by laying on the beach and going out for food.

For lunch we went to this great chain restaurant that originated in Mexico called Señor Frogs. It was kind of awkward because as soon as we sat down the waiters started giving us all name tags that said "Hello, my name is Easy" or "Hello, my name is Sex Machine". Then they brought out signs that said "Chichis Grandes" and pointed them at Amy. Amy received even more luck when one of the waiters came over and started giving her a massage and kissing the back of her neck. Like I said, awkward!

All I could think was, thank God they're aren't doing anything to me! Then my chair starts being pulled back away from the table and this guy straddles me and starts massaging my back and shoulders. My first thought was, "What is going on right now? This is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me!" Then I looked into this guy's eyes, making my second thought, "I am in love!" He had the most beautiful green eyes. One of the most attractive things to me is dark skin and light eyes. Can you imagine a Mexican with green eyes? Gorgeous!

So, lunch ended and we headed back to our villa on the beach, and from that moment on, I have not been able to stop thinking about the green-eyed Mexican. If only they gave themselves name tags!

Like lunch, Cancun ended too. We headed back to the states; back to our dull lives in reality. Back to a desk job and snowy, zero degree weather.

Then, I had an epiphany! Why don't I try to find this guy? I could easily email the company with a picture of him. Then I could move to Cancun and have his children! Easy! Done and done! All I need is the picture that Amy's mom took at that lunch that the whole staff was in on or the picture that Amy's sister took of the guy actually on me. Either one would work!

But now I'm thinking that it may be one of the stupidest things I have ever come up with. Why would this guy be interested in some girl who came to lunch where he works? Plenty of beautiful women probably go in there every day. It's Cancun! Headquarters of horny college students on spring break! What makes me so special? Nothing!

Maybe I should just go back to living my dull life and deal with it. I have a great job, great friends, a great family...what more could I ask for? I guess I need to seriously think about this before I actually go through with it.

Continuing on in the rest of 2007, my year ended in Wendover with Heather, Kris, Falisha, and some guy named "Tony". His real name escapes me. We celebrated the New Year in the Nugget with a live band and the ball dropping in Times Square in New York City. It was a great end to a great year!