Category Archives: State of the Art

ioV Disneyland Day 1

We had a very early start, 4 am…ouch! However, I fell asleep on the JetBlue flight. We had the best legroom I’ve ever had on a plane. I watched Cash in the Attic from BBC World in the back of the head rest in front of me. All seats had ’em…not bad. Funny pilot, good stuff. I was almost distracted enough to forget my complete love of observing the world from 30,000 ft. Over Long Beach Mindy pointed out the window to me. Brilliant red sunrise similar to the one I saw on the back side of Mt. Timp this Fall.

We landed in Long Beach Airport after several times circling in the runway because of a noise curfew in the area. Palm trees, Christmas music, small outdoor baggage carousel, so cool! The airport wasn’t a big nice facility, if felt like we had landed on an army base on a Pacific island…very cool!

Once we met up with Brig we walked to the front of about several rides including Pirates of the Carribean, Indiana Jones, Super Railroad with Rattlesnakes, and etc.
Afterward a small lunch break with Mindy we got back together with the rest of the ioV crew and headed to Tomorrow Land. My personal fav so far has been the Buzz Lightyear ride/game. You get to ride around and shoot targets. At game’s end you can see your score and email yourself a picture of it for free.

By the time we got to Space Mountain I felt like a kid again…VERY cool & very fun! Got the picture of that too.

We’ve had a great day. Thank you ioV for the fun! We’ll see you again tomorrow!

When You Say Nothing At All (Spoof)

When You Say Nothing At All Spoof

A long time ago in an Old Mill apartment far away there lived two great minds that would forever change the course of history…at least the course of a popular love song. Shoni and Ryan needed a tune to fill in the time between film productions at the local ward film night. So, they set off to create a version of the popular “When You Say Nothing At All” that no one would forget. It was not a large stretch of character for Ryan to sing the slightly altered version and so the show went on. It was revived by Ashlee and Ryan to perform at the ward UN-talent show.

Send it to all your friends and family! To watch it on YouTube go here: When You Say Nothing At All

FaceBook it, bookmark it at del.icio.us, and for those of you who have a Digg account and would like to vote for it, go here: When You Say Nothing At All

 

Performed at the BYU 208th Ward UN-Talent show. Let’s hear it for Ashlee and Ryan!
Performed by Ashlee Patterson & Ryan Mendenhall
Written by Shoni Winkle and Ryan Mendenhall

Robbins Vs. Colbert

Let me take you for a brief moment inside my head. Let me take you inside my dreams…

…enter puffy dream sequence cloud and harp arpeggios…

In the early morning or late evening, I couldn’t tell which, I found myself at a small round kitchen table where two bearded jolly men were going to teach me how to play Knights and Pokers (apparently the “poker” referred to the knight’s joust). There was a young lady there who seemed just as excited as I to play this game of strategy. She was excited for this was a game of intense strategy and popularity. It was bigger than “The Office”.

Sometime between setting up the board and me shuffling the card that weren’t supposed to be shuffled together I saw a big grin on the face of the lead jolly. He had a mission for me that seemed rather odd, but the jollies together convinced me that it was not only necessary, but urgent.

The next thing I knew I was talking to the front desk clerk of 24 hour fitness. I heard in my head the instructions as I head myself telling the clerk that I needed to see his bosses, two gentlemen I was pretending to know well. The mission monologue played in my head as a loudspeaker announcing the day’s school lunch menu.

I ended the conversation with insisting on my usual accommodations including luxury room and board. I told left and told him that I’d be back at 8 and to make sure that everything was taken care of.

I walked away confidently as the desk attendant seemed obviously abashed, yet making arrangements for this insistent and confident man.

When I returned my bags where taken and the same clerk showed me to a car. He asked me where I was from. When I said Boston he seemed to know the area and followed up with, “Oh? What part?” I told him the northeast part. Again he asked where. With my best Boston accent I tossed out a made up county name. “You heard of it?” “No,” he replied.

Now in the car I felt that something was up. We pulled up to the entrance of what looked like a junk yard. The driver clerk casually locked the doors and tightened the windows.

Now entering the yard I could see that amidst the rubble and piles of dirt was a very nice patio encased with glass walls. Within the walls of the patio was the man I had insisted on seeing. He was lounging in a jetted jacuzzi.

Obviously annoyed with the interruption from the attendant he looked up as I walked in and began to act as if I knew him. After fumbling a little to search his thoughts and after realizing that I was an impostor he smiled as if to say, sure I’ll play your little game.

Some words were exchanged and before I knew I was banging their heads together and taking off in the car we had come in. I’m not sure why seemingly smart men leave the keys in the car in movie scenes like this. I guess it’s so the “good guys” like me can escape when they’re found out.

Anyhow…So after I drove through the fence that had been closed behind us and a high speed automobile chase I found myself in an arboretum of sorts. I felt safe from my predators there as I biked quickly around the lake at the center of this forest.

I’m not sure where I got the bike I was riding on. I guess my attention was more focused on escaping those that sought the destruction of me and those I loved. I’m also not sure where I caught up with a pretty girl and how I had become responsible for protecting this new friend, but is was so. And lastly, I have NO CLUE when the the one dedicated to hunting us had turned into Tony Robbins. Bizarre

After rounding the arboretum several times and realizing that we may have been led into a trap, sent in circles until Tony Robbins catch up, I suggested retracing our steps to find our way out. Upon doing so we came upon a dried storm drain that we hadn’t seen before.

After climbing up the loose rocks to the top of the drain we walked around a cement slab. There I was accosted by a man. With my back towards him I assumed that it was the dreaded Mr. Robbins. On the contrary. It was my pleasure and relief to see Steven Colbert greeting me, saving us from the anxiety and fear that had griped us just moments earlier. The first thing that I told him was that I was going to vote for him in the Presidential Election. We smiled and talked some. He was nice in person.

Looking back at it all, I’m not sure what this adventure had to do with the game Knights and Pokers, but in the end I’m sure that there something to learn from this. If you have had any lessons on the interpretation of dreams, it’s time to shout them out! Leave me a comment and let me know.

Hinckley Knights Eyring

 I got this email the other day … I couldn’t resist posting it here!

During the Saturday morning session, after President Hinckley went to sit down after the sustaining of the officers of the church, the whole audience started laughing. They didn’t show what happened on TV, so most of us didn’t know what was so funny. Here’s what happened:

After President Hinckley finished, Elder Eyring had moved into his new seat on the stand. When President Hinckley turned around, he stood there for a moment looking at Elder Eyring, then picked up his cane and ‘knighted’ him on his shoulder and head.

President Hinckley knighting President Eyring

I was humbled by the way Elder Eyring assumed the responsibility laden calling of 2nd Counselor in the Church’s First Presidency. He spoke to us once at the Orem Institute of Religion and I’ve been very touched by his love and personal touch ever since. I’m honored to support him in his new role serving the Lord.

Here’s the Press Conference that gathered his public feelings on taking the position that President James E. Faust previously occupied.