Let Freedom Ring

BYU is going independent. I am no football fanatic, but you can get the skinny by tuning into BYUTV online for the live press conference today at noon or at 6 p.m. MST for True Blue sports' report.

First Day of School

I thought it might be fun to point out a couple of differences between the U and the Y as made painfully apparent on my first day of school.

1. Prayers in class - That's a little bit different, not wrong or bad, just different (okay, I'll go as far as to say it is weird).
2. Babies everywhere - I know that mormons have lots of kids and all but I guess I didn't expect them to be all over campus. I literally had to reroute while walking through the hall to avoid running over a little toddler taking its first steps.
3. Conversation - Here is a little excerpt from a conversation I overheard while walking on campus:

Girl #1: One of the vocal point guys is totally in my ward!

Girl#2: Oh my gosh, that is SO awesome!

This could take some time to get used to...

Spencer's New Home

I dropped Spencer off for his first day of school this morning. He will literally live in the building of slow, painful death by mathematics Talmage Building, where his office and all of his classes are. Maybe we'll take bowling or world religions (so he can meet "Is dat wight?") together so he can break out.

That's So Grandma

A little excerpt from LB's last letter:

...Well until next week. Much love.

Elder Ek

P.S. Grandma- The woman from Mongolia whose number you gave me is slated to be baptized in about a month in Vienna. Her husband wants to then get baptized by his brother from Arizona or something. That is neat!

Lots of People Saying Stuff

No one will come out and say it, but if the prophet says OK, BYU is cutting loose.

And for the Boise fans, did you see the cover of the latest issue of Sports Illustrated? Lots of blue. :)

Scuba Is On

At age 16, Stacy Taniguchi (above) made a list of 100 things he would do before he died, things like get a driver's license, fly a plane, climb Mount Everest, scale the most difficult rock-climbing face in the world, see the Taj Mahal, etc., etc. Lucky for me, he settled down enough to live in Provo and teach at BYU, so now I get to participate in his final list item: No. 100, scuba dive.

Mr. Taniguchi says he's up for certifying this fall—we'll be taking classes from his graduate assistant's wife. Then the magazine just may send me to accompany him on his first real dive, somewhere beautiful and tropical, naturally . . . I wish I weren't terrified of the ocean.

Please, No More Boys

Friends, family, please stop having male babies. There is nothing cute to buy them. I have a closet full of gifts for precious baby girls. If you have a boy, you will get blue Patagonia mittens. Sorry, that's the best I've found.