Looking for a job.

I'll soon be out of work. My on-campus job is ending and I have an internship that starts on June 29th. So if you know of any job openings or have connections to get a a short-term job, let me know. I really don't want to be bored for two months. And I need money for Jerusalem.

I've looked at all the BYU on-campus jobs (grounds, custodial, etc) and have e-mailed the ones that put an e-mail. I will call the others later today. I'm willing to do pretty much anything--although working in food is my last option. Let me know.

Mandate (Nathan's Bachelor Party)

Mandates started a while ago, usually after one of us in the apartment had broken up with a girl. It was a chance to hang out with the guys and do manly things. There are some legendary mandates coming from M28 (M28 is our apartment for those not familiar). Since Kevin got married they now usually are a bachelor party for those getting married rather than someone breaking up (we hope this trend continues). Last night we had one for Nathan. It was a lot of fun. The evening started with some games.

Jungle Speed - not super manly, but you can get hurt going for the totem

We asked Nathan a bunch of questions about his fiancee Courtney and he had to chew a piece of bubble gum for each one wrong. He didn't know a lot of them (albeit, they were some tough questions--What color is her toothbrush?)

Mike made an amazing ice cream cake for the event. We each ate a sixth (that's pretty manly)

Then we watched the movie Taken (sorry, no pictures). And to finish things off we had a sleepover out in the front room. Very good times. We'll miss Nathan a lot.

My Oh My! Seattle Mariners

I will forever be a Seattle Mariners fan. I was there in '95 when they won an historic game that would send them past the Angels into the playoffs. I was there in '01 when they tied the record for 116 wins in a season. Some great players have passed through Seattle: Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Jamie Moyer, Bret Boone, and of course, Ichiro. The last few seasons haven't been very exciting because the team has just struggled.

There's a glimmer of hope this season that is making me excited once again for my team. They're 5-2 so far this season and haven't had any home games. Ken Griffey, Jr. has returned. Even though he's not in his prime anymore, only Mariners fans know how much it means to have him back. Seattle is where he belongs. Despite horrendous rankings in pre-season polls (CBS sports ranked them dead last out of all MLB teams), they have started out really well. This is without Ichiro--he returns on Wednesday from the disabled list.

Let's go M's!

Visiting Utah

My sister Angela, her husband Keenan, and daughter Daysha came to visit Utah last week. Unfortunately, it was about the busiest week of my life with The Pilgrim's Journey Home concert going on, but I was able to go to my grandma's for dinner in SLC on Tuesday. They also came to Provo for a little bit on Thursday and to my concert on Friday night. Here are some pictures of the trip.

Learning to drive.

Before my concert.

Weston Corduroy Griggs

My newest nephew was born on Tuesday, April 7th. Here is a picture of him with his mommy (my sister). He is their fourth, and my seventh nephew/niece (six nephews and one niece).

Rapping Flight Attendant

Just something to make you smile. I love Southwest.

Jerusalem!

For those of you that haven't heard, I plan on going to the BYU Jerusalem Center this upcoming fall. I have started the application process and just need to write a few short essays. Here is a quick description of the Jerusalem Center for those that aren't familiar with BYU:

The Center itself is a beautiful building on Mount Scopus overlooking the Mount of Olives, the Kidron Valley, and the Old City. The 125,000 square-foot, eight-level structure is set amid five acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. Students study a core curriculum that focuses on Old and New Testament, ancient and modern Near Eastern studies, and language (Hebrew and Arabic). Classroom study is built around field trips that cover the length and breadth of the Holy Land.

I am very excited. As part of the application process I needed to have a few ecclesiastical interviews. I met with the 2nd Counselor in the Stake Presidency. He has newly been called and I discovered he was one of the main directors at the Jerusalem Center for the past two years--Richard Huntington. So he told me all about it during the interview. I will keep you all updated when I hear back from them.