Features
Confession #5
November 23, 2008
My name is Luis Merino and I like the Sound of Music.
Last night, Natalia & I went to the Mountain View High School production of The Sound of Music, after a month of driving back and forth across the school and seeing their sign advertising it. Now see, my mom’s favorite movie is the Sound of Music, so the movie really holds a special place in my heart.
And as it seems, Natalia loves the movie as well. So, it only seems natural that would we would go to the stage production as put on by MVHS. The performance was a little sub-par but I particularly enjoyed the actress that played Maria. She did the role justice and was by far the most talented (acting & singing) out of the entire cast. The guy who played Captain Von Trapp… snooze! The Von Trapp children were OK, and the rest of the cast was just eh.
Anyhow, there you have it. I like the Sound of Music.
I ♥ Google
November 19, 2008
…and I’m not talking about the search engine. I’m referring to Google as a company and the AWESOME free services they offer.
Here’s what I use on a VERY regular basis:
- Gmail – Amazingly awesome email service
- Google Talk – Great IM service within Gmail
- Google Docs – Online word processor & spreadsheet service
- Google Reader – RSS Aggregator
- Picasa Web Albums – Very underrated photo service
- Google Calendar – Powerful calendar & date-planning service
- Google Maps – The BEST online map service
- GOOG-411 – Free directory services
For more about what Google can do for you, click here.
Confession #4
November 3, 2008
My name is Luis Merino and I really don’t care who wins the Presidential election, I’m just looking forward to this madness being over.
It’s true. Now, I was a good little citizen and went to go vote on Friday (that’s another story). Who did I vote for you wonder? Well, whoever you would like to have voted for — That’s who I voted for.
Anyway, this elections (and politics in general) only seem to be accomplishing one thing— tearing our nation apart. It’s making the Democrats more liberal, and more filled with resentment of the conservatives, and the Republicans more conservative, and disgusted with the liberals. People are getting so empassioned with whichever side they’re on without realizing what it’s doing to families and friendships.
I’m glad that tomorrow is election day, and soon all of this will be over… well… for the most part.
The Value of… Friendship
October 29, 2008
Every day I have the unique opportunity to sit in my time machine, and travel 2 years into the past… to a simpler time— when Tuesday nights were something to be anticipated, when loud racket from the band practicing next door could be heard throughout the complex, back to when it all started.
That’s exactly what it feels like as I’m prepping the re-release of THE PLACE. It’s really as if I’m spending some time each day, back at Branbury in 2006. And it’s just amazing to me that over 3 years since our Mikewire group met, we’re all still good friends. One could say that we’ve been eachother’s family while being away from home.
We spend holidays together…
- The time we had Easter dinner in 115 and Larkin made twice-baked potatoes
- The time we had Easter dinner at Daniel & Katey’s place
- The time we had Pioneer Day breakfast at Brent’s & my place
We spend birthdays together…
- The time we all went to Old Spaghetti Factory & All American Gymnastics for Billy’s birthday
- The time we went to Tucano’s for Daniel’s birthday
- The time we had a Rockband Party for Norm’s birthday
We celebrate special occassions together…
- The time a bunch of us went to California to be there for Daniel & Katey’s wedding
- The time a bunch of us went to Texas to be there for Sean & Sarah’s wedding
- The time a bunch of you guys were able to celebrate Natalia & my wedding
We have accrued hundreds of memories over the past 3 years, and the ones listed above are a small fraction of the full picture.
I realize that it hasn’t always been ‘perfect’ and at times, some of us have even been at odds with eachother for whatever reason, but that doesn’t change the history that we all have and the friendship that still exists. I know that Branbury and everything is in the past, and I’m happy we’ve all made the progress we’ve made thus far, but being so immersed in THE PLACE, and re-living a bit of that era every day really helps me appreciate the true value of Friendship.
The Value of… New Life
October 28, 2008
As you probably know, my brother and his wife had their first child (the first grandchild for my parents) over the weekend. And overall, it was an amazing experience.
The main thing I wanted to address though, were my observations while being in the Mother Baby floor of the hospital. I was fascinated by watching all the new babies being brought into the nursery and their proud fathers sitting next to them, getting to know them, taking pictures and video of them as they’re checked out by the nurse.
Seeing my brother sitting in that chair next to his new son was weird and fascinating all at the same time. My big brother, who used to love to pick on me, who was jealous that at one time during high school I made more money than him, who always looked out for me— is now a father.
I started wondering about how my parents’ experience was when they had their first child, which was in that same hospital. And it got me thinking about when I am going to be sitting in that seat next to the baby. What kinds of things would be going through my head?
Confession #3
October 22, 2008
My name is Luis Merino, and when people around me express deep remorse for their favorite sports team losing (BYU Cougars), I giggle on the inside like a little school girl.
I’ve never really understood the emotional attachment to sports teams— the sheer excitement and joy when your team wins it big, or the catastrophic depression when your team loses, despite the fact that their victories & losses have no real effect in our lives. I mean, it’s not like if they win, all their fans get 100 bucks, or if the lose, fans lose thier jobs…
I recognize that I don’t understand it, so I don’t think sports fans are being “ridiculous” when this happens, but I can’t help to laugh (on the inside) when I see the drastic emotional reaction from fans associated with a sports loss.
I Heart Extra Gum
October 19, 2008
I see all those different brands of gum in the grocery store aisle and wonder how the newer more trendy brands stay on the market. I’ve tried the Eclipse, the Ice Breakers, the Stride, etc etc … but nothing seems to last as long or taste as good as Extra gum. Seriously. And among their half a dozen flavors, their newest SUPERMINT, is by far the best. I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy chewing gum.
Here’s an oldschool TV ad for Extra gum for your viewing pleasure:
Recent Comments