The Chosen One

Soooo I’m just wondering if anyone out there calls up there sister on the phone and spends 30 minutes playing the University of Utah fight songs on iTunes over and over and has a harmony competition of who can sing the flute part better. Anyone…Anyone? Oh you…you in the back there, was that a hand? No? Ok anyone else.....? I could have sworn that was a common practice.
But in all seriousness folks it is a very important time of year, its Utah Football time! I was reading on my brother Nick’s Facebook page who stated that "Nick is like his grandma who is already packed and he doesn’t leave for 4 days." If you knew Nick and his wraping present jobs, you would understand how serious this is that he is that prepared. I think Utah football unites the fam on many different levels. We don’t always agree with one another on topics, like ripping out all of Miley Cirus’s teeth and capping them at the age of 15, (Clint) or watching The Dark Knight in the theatre for the 9th time (Manda) or all agreeing that Nick is the chosen one, (Clint) but Utah football is one thing that all the siblings in the family are very passionate about. I remember being at the cabin about a month ago, and when we were all talking, 2 hours of the conversation was about Utah Football, I don’t think we can ever grow tired of it. I think it also brings out a lot of our mom in us it, keeps her connected somehow. I remember of what a true and passionate Utah fan she was infact when I was a kid, we did not just have season tickets to football games but basketball and sometimes gymnastics.

When we go to the big house this weekend it’s going to be awesome. I think of the movie Rudy when he walks onto the Notre Dame Field for the first time. He’s in a place where he is in over his head , but he knows he can divide and conquer. The Utes being at a sold out game in the big house is hard, but I know they can take over and win. These big teams like Michigan pay teams like us to come to there field to show off there guns, but I think from the pre-season show we have some guns to show off as well. Lots of pictures next week will be on the blog from my trip to Michigan. Till then, Go UTES!!

Free Conversation Booth

Last Saturday when I was in Belmont Shore, In a tent, on the sidewalk, under the fluorescent lights of a Washington Mutual bank building, six people sit huddled around a small table discussing the a recent Olympic scandal on Saturday night. Behind them, a sign reads “Free Conversation Booth.” Picture a lively, democratic version of Lucy’s “Psychiatric Help” booth in the “Peanuts” cartoons.

I laughed as I walked by. Who in there right mind would set up a free conversation booth? After a good chuckle, I thought well wait a minute, maybe that booth is smarter than it seems. I mean think about it, most people in Los Angeles are transplants from somewhere else. A lot of people who move here can find it very hard to talk to people for the first time, it’s a lot nicer than going into a bar. I then thought what could I talk about in a free conversation booth? Laundry and how I loathe doing it? My garbage disposal stopped working last week, I'm sure many can relate to that one. Maybe I could discuss how Costco and I have this love hate relationship, because they keep discontinuing my favorite products like, Boston leaf lettuce and wheat pasta. Oh but those $1.50 hotdogs, it makes me forgive them every time. Like a puppy with the puppydog look who just peed on your rug.

Perhaps a free conversation booth doesn’t want to hear how I compare a peeing puppy to Costco, but I would hope that they allow open conversation for a wide variety of topics. Politics, religion, and politics can get so heated. Second Street in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach offers the kind of diverse crowd and walk-by traffic that can bring all sorts of interesting conversations. I say don’t forget the comedy in life! Viva La Vida!

Acclimation

Last Saturday, I broke down and decided to face the 405 Northbound to see if I can really handle the UCLA commute coming this fall. I figured since I was accepted for grad school there, I might as well actually walk on the campus and have a look around. My commute in the past 5 years has been less than 10 miles a day and I knew I had been spoiled, but I just thought that if anything was going to keep me from graduating in 2 years it was the N-405.

It was a sunny morning, not much different than the morning that Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese (Ok so I should not be comparing my commute to the beginning of WWII), However sometimes I feel I could make many similarities between the two. Luckily my friend Rachel invited me to have lunch in Brentwood so I could make this kill 2 birds with one stone kind of trip. I figure I need to slowly acclimatize to this, you know, don't drive in the middle of rush hour, kill the opponent slowly. Try a Saturday morning commute first, then maybe a Thursday afternoon, a Monday midnight ride, then bam I got it. How hard can it be?

The commute took 20 minutes from my house. Woohoo!! I get to campus and start walking see all the cool new buildings my classes are in, I even got to see the UCLA football team practicing. It reminded me of the first thing my Grandma said to me when I told her I was going to UCLA. "Your not going to cheer for there football team are you?" Thanks for the congratulations Grandma, I think to myself, but that’s why the Tate’s blood runs Ute red, because of our fearless leader Grandma Dickson. I assured my Grandma that I was a Ute fan dyed red true and through.

Another thing I noticed as I was walking around was that it's a lot more laid back then I thought it was going to be. Sometimes UCLA gets the perception of students driving around with Aston Martins, and Bentleys as they fight in line for the valet parking lot. My High School was kind of like that, except without the cars and the valet parking. One student had a new VW Jetta though.

After my own personal tour walking around in 85 degree heat with jeans on, I meet up with Rachel to have lunch. We haven’t seen each other since High School, and it was fun catching up, though sometimes I had to stop myself from asking her questions about the 405 commute. "Don't do it Steve, don't do it" I thought to myself. "Talk about pretty and fun things like chocolates and traveling." Some people might think I’m crazy back home talking about a freeway so passionately. But I tell you the 405 has been know to either make or break people, and I will not be broken. What’s that line in Gone with the Wind before they go into intermission? “As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.”

Just take out the lying, stealing, cheating and killing part. It would create too much traffic.

Maddy Lo

Got to back to the tah tah last week and spent some time with my new niece Madison who is quite honestly the most adorable thing on the planet. It was fun to see the fam again.

In grandma’s pool, Spencer and Michaela competed in a competition where they jumped off the diving board and had to catch a nerf type ball while in the air before going into the water. Clint and I were commentators for the events. The first round in Miami was won by Michaela and since she was the winner she got to represent USA at the Olympics in Beijing. We asked Spence since he lost, which country he wanted to represent, he said Japan. So it was Michaela Tate; USA, and Spencer Nagayama; Japan. Michaela was leading all 4 rounds at the Olympics, but the last round Spencer made an amazing catch and won by just one point. It was funny because when he caught the ball and landed in the water, his upward stretched arm came out of the water with the ball in hand followed by his body. The crowd went wild. The award ceremony followed with Spencer on the top pool step, and Michaela on the second.

Flying home stand-by was interesting. I could not get on the SLC-LGB flight, so I flew into San Diego. Once I was there, I took a Taxi to the Greyhound bus station and tried to purchase a ticket to Santa Ana. They ended up being sold out and the only way I could get north, was to downtown L.A. I and arrived downtown L.A. at midnight which is an interesting scene, but Brent got to the bus station the same time I did. Phew.



Picture of Sue Sue at the cabin

Spencer Nagayama and Michaela Tate being presented with their medals after the Catch the Ball Off the Diving Board Olympics. Spencer won in the final round by just one point. It was an amazing catch!


Maddy Lo sleeping on my lap at the cabin.

Kailey wearing Amanda's shoes. She could walk better in them then Amanda can.