Tales from the Late Night Adventures of Thanksgiving Point

Saturday, September 11th, 2010

You know, when you have some close, goofy friends who bring out the craziness in you, and you go with them to:

  on a late Saturday night,

You're bound to have an interesting experience.

Let me take you on a tour of our evening through some lovely pictures.

Our escapade consisted of me, 5 girls, and Ryan (my friends, Elisa and Tamera's brother). They're not all pictured on the left.  This ratio was once again a reminder of Jared's Life Story.  Most activities I participate in involve me, maybe one other guy, and a huge mass of girls.  Why am I not married?  Ask all those women.

Um . . . we are just doing random poses like we're statues at a garden.  Thank goodness we're not statues.  What a boring life that would be.

 

 Here we are again.  Names from left to right: me (posing like a model), Brett Vandergriff, Ariel, Tamera Schmidt, and Elisa Schmidt.

 Tamera had a sudden desire to jump into the creek.  Hmmm. . . she didn't actually go through with it.

 

Statues again . . . now, on the edge of the lake.

MR. FROG . . . A reminder of my nephew, Neal, and his Mr. Frog days.

Do I look a little disturbing in this picture?  Um . . . that would have to be a yes!

 

My control over them is complete, now that I've hypnothized them.

 

Attractive, I know.

 

This picture took many tries, but I thought my pose was quite amazing.  Did you know that I can fly?

 

Like all the other pictures, I found this picture, quite artistic.  Just call it modern art and sell it for millions.  That's they why you do it.

 Well, you can see that all that exercising every morning has really paid off for my lower body.  I've really slimmed up :).

I see a light . . . .. I must reach for it.

You know, some pictures of me are creepy.  It really isn't my personality.  I just have a weird sense of humor.  I promise.

 The Secret Garden . . .. "If there's a key . . . . there must be a door."

 By the end of the magnificent evening, I thought at least one of the young ladies had fallen for me.  After all, I'm Jared.  Everybody loves me, right?  So . . . I took the step.  I proposed . . . and . . .  well,

I WAS REJECTED!

Life isn't perfect.  It was still a wonderful evening though, even if . . . 

 there was devastation involved.

Iron Chef Monday!!!

On Labor Day, Alena was very kind to invite Amy Norton and I over . . . and we put our

MAD 

COOKING

SKILLS

Together . . . . and . . .

we had an . . . .

IRON CHEF NIGHT!!!

What we did was we had a main course and dessert already set, but each us (Amy, Alena, and I) had to make side dishes using 2 of 3 ingredients: Coconut Milk, Cabbage (or Kahle), and Red Pepper Flakes.  

Amy went for the salad route and made a oriental cabbage salad.

 

Alena went with the more DARING route and made some rather unique Spring Rolls.

 

and I, Jared Starr went a more simple route making some Thai Coconut Rice.

 

Was there a winner? . . . No.

Did it matter? . . . . No.

Was the food amazing? . . . . YES!

Could I eat it for eternity? . . . . YES!

I love cooking.  It brings joy to my belly and . . . 

It brings our family and friends together.

Thanks Alena and Mike for your hospitality and thanks Amy for being such  a great friend.

Audition Craziness

September 6th, 2010

Fall 2010 semester began with a bang.  First, I tried out for the BYU Philharmonic on the first day of school.  Happily, I made it in.

  I'm sitting 6th stand 1st violins.  And . . we're going to have a great year.  Our repertoire will include classics such as Gustav Host's "The Planets", Dvorak's "New World Symphony", Prokofiev's "Cinderella" ballet, Debussy's "Iberia" and many others.

BUT . . . .

I didn't stop with the BYU Philharmonic.  About a week after I tried out for the Philharmonic, I tried out for the BYU Chamber orchestra, which was more competitive.  After all, in April of 2011, they are going on tour to . . . .

  CHINA!

Being very nervous, I tried out, and luckily . . . . I made it!!!!

It sounds wonderful, but after one week of being in two orchestras, I've learned that . . . 

 8 Hours of Orchestra Rehearsal a Week . . . .

 

 can be absoultely exhausting!!!