Amazing Program!!!

So last night I had to cut some music for dance and was having some difficulty finding someone who could do it on such short notice and for free. I emailed a friend of mine who is a band teacher and has to sometimes cut music if she knew of any programs that were cheap and worked well. She emailed back and gave me a reference to a program named Audicity. After some installations, I was able to download a free version of this program and it is working wonders. I could edit, cut, change tempo, change the speed, record my own noises, pick from an array of pre-recorded voices and noises, overlay and overlap, enhance a note, make pauses, you name it, it probably can do it. I could even edit music down to a millisecond which helped with the song I was cutting. I can take one section and work on just that particular part for a while. I am way excited. I can fine tune my music over the next several weeks and get everything ready without stress and worry (cause I am stressed, worried and freaking out right about now). I can even have it adaptable to all music and computer systems. This is a great idea. I can slightly relax regarding dance, but only slightly. I just had to blog about this amazing gift that was given to me!!!

Draper Temple Open House

I am so excited. Today, Hannah (my roommate) and I are going with some friends from the ward to the Draper Temple open house at 1:30pm. The Relief Society president got a bunch of tickets and invited Hannah and I to go with her and some other ward members. I have never been to a temple open house so this will be a fun first for me. I have seen board casted dedications of the Nauvoo Temple and one other temple (I don't remember which one though, but I know I've seen at least two). Draper is not too far away. It is about 20-40 minutes depending on traffic. I am excited!!!

So, my mom is in town until tomorrow afternoon. It has been nice having her here. Before she leaves tomorrow we get to see our "cousins" for breakfast (long story about them being family and all). The Cleghorns are coming! They leave tomorrow night. Tonight, I get to see my pregnant adopted sister. She is having a boy in April (I get to be an aunt!!!)! Mom wants to give her some baby clothes that never made it to Utah when Mom sent them for Christmas. We are going to have a very full table at dinner tonight! It will be fun to see everyone though.

I have a very busy weekend coming up. Homework, family time, cleaning my room (man, does it need cleaning) and meetings, concert rehearsals, and a small performance are going to occupy a majority of my time. Needless to say, school is in full swing. Therefore, I remain busy. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Yes, We Can!!!

I am so mad I have school today. The Presidential Inauguration is today and I have to be stuck at school while a historic event occurs. I can not wait for President Bush to leave (I really don't like him at the moment...don't get me started on the Border Patrol agents he did not pardon). I think this country needs a President to will actually get things done. I am glad he realizes that we can't stop the war in less than a year, otherwise he would have never gotten my vote. Although if McCain didn't choose Palin I probably would have been torn between the two. Palin scares me and does not need to be in the White House. Anyways, I am excited!!! I have friend that attend University of Utah and will be in the Marching Band and on television for 30 seconds or more. Finally, change we can believe in!!! Yes, we can!!!

Less than 24 hours

yep. I leave for Utah at 12:50pm tomorrow. It is a bitter sweet moment. I am glad to be on my own again, but I enjoyed free meals and free laundry. It will be okay though. I am not looking foreward to any of the snow though. I am snowed out. It is even snowing here...RIGHT NOW. We are going to get about 2 inches and then it turns to rain. We are having flooding issues through most of the state, but since Mom and Dad live on a hill that don't have to worry! I am just hoping there is limited snow tomorrow when we leave. I don't want to be stuck in the airport. Gah...

T-minus...2 hours???

We leave for Seattle today! I am way excited to see the family. I have not seen Grandma and Grandpa and the rest of the family (aside from Amber and Aunt Pam) since...the wedding (??) in May 2007. I am so excited to finally see everyone. Apparently, my little cousin Eldon is taller than me. We shall see. I kind of hope not. I am going to Seattle!

Snow on my birthday

Yes, that's right. There is nearly a foot of snow on the ground and it is snowing right now. My dad wants me to go outside for a few pictures. One of them will be with Britt and we are going to caption it "we left the snow in Utah for this...???" The second one will be of just me and it will be captioned "The day it snows in Oregon will be the day I turn 21...oh wait." I think we are going to get more snow before the day is over. Just my luck, we had a power outage right when I had to go to the bathroom this morning at 5:30am. Yeah, not fun to have to search for the bathroom in the dark when your eye's have not adjusted to it. Yeah, interesting morning.

Finals are a pain...literally!

The other day, both my dance teachers told the class what was expected of us for the final. We will have a written final and a performance final in both classes. Plus, my ballet teacher decides to give her exceptional students another assignment. We are to perform a solo or duet. Some of us (like myself) are able to combine another similar assignment with this one. So, I have spent the last three nights preparing a solo piece that combines ballet with modern (very difficult to do by the way). I have gone to bed every night very sore. I woke up this morning stiff and had to spend an hour stretching. Luckily, my ballet teacher is coaching each of our individual pieces. I am to go meet up with her at 9:20am to show her what I have so far. Yes, this is for a final grade. I asked her if the was optional since only half her class is doing this. She said no. So, I am spending all my remaining energy putting together a piece that is making me sore. You would think that I would be used to it by now. Nope, every three months or so (sometimes more, sometimes less) I feel muscles I never knew I had or that I never thought would be sore. Sometimes though, the same ones that were sore five weeks ago will be sore again because I have learned how to use that muscle more. I am so glad to have a three week break soon. I have been at school every night until about 11pm for the past three nights. I get to take a chemistry test today after I see my ballet teacher. Then I have institute (always my favorite class of the day!) My final in that class is going to be a sheet of paper and the class writes what they learned, how they are doing and if they plan on staying in touch with the teacher! Simplest final and I am way excited for it. No massive brain power and no physical power for both my institute finals! Finals are a pain and I mean that literally!