Ian's Blog

All Done!

2010-09-26T17:47:00.001-07:00

I got my score for my last section of the CPA exam and I passed! I got a 78. All I have left to do is take the ethics exam, pay a bunch of money and I get three more letters after my name.

2010-09-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Shock and Awe

2010-08-23T18:48:00.001-07:00

I decided to take a new approach to dating, I'm gonna call it "Shock and Awe." I haven't hammered out the details yet but I think it is a solid idea.

Cardinals Preaseason game!

2010-08-15T21:19:00.002-07:00

Thanks to work I got tickets to the Cardinals-Texans preseason game. The above picture is of Max Hall's backside. He is kinda hard to see, but he is number 6. He didn't play, oh well.

Our seats were on the 50 yard line, 30 rows up. Perfect seats. It was a blast!

Wow

2010-07-31T17:08:00.002-07:00

I just might have seen a pink PT Cruiser on the freeway today, the license plate might just have said "XOXOXOXOXO" and the driver may or may not have been a dude. Wow.

Design Problems

2010-07-25T20:23:00.001-07:00

So I'm trying to redesign my blog using the new template tool that blogger has, but I'm having a hard time getting it to work. Is anyone else having similar issues?

Press Conference with Al Jefferson

2010-07-17T16:54:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Jazz

2010-07-14T20:49:00.002-07:00

On behalf of the State of Utah, the Utah Jazz and Jazz fans all over the country I would like to welcome Al Jefferson and Raja Bell to the Jazz. Bell is making his second tour in Utah, so welcome back Raja.

Cubs vs Dbacks

2010-07-06T21:29:00.002-07:00

The Cubs are in town to take on the Dbacks. I went to Mondays game. It was a lot of fun. The Cubs pulled out the win 9-4! Here are some pictures I took.

Golfing

2010-06-29T21:30:00.002-07:00

Those are some pictures of my latest golfing adventure here in Phoenix. My roommate and I went on Saturday to a course called Johnson Ranch. It was a lot of fun, although it was pushing 110 while we were golfing. I only had time for 9 holes. On the last hole, which was a par 5, I was about 75 yards from the pin on my 3rd shot. I hit a nice straight shot, everything looked good until it landed over the green! I couldn't believe it. I had a great chance at getting on in 3 and 2 putting my way to a par and I botched it! I ended up boagying the hole. Oh well, I had a ton of fun anyway.

Really?

2010-06-03T21:25:00.001-07:00

I apologize in advance if this offends anyone, but do we really need that many handicap parking stalls? Sorry for being so politically incorrect, but I just had to share.

I'm back!

2010-05-29T20:55:00.003-07:00

Sorry folks. It's been a little while since I've blogged. I got really busy at work with tax season and what not. Yesterday I took my last section of the CPA exam! So I'm done, assuming I passed the last section. I should find out in about a month or so.

I just found out at work that I'm being sent to work at a client for a few months. I have mixed feelings about this assignment, but the more I think about it the more I am warming up to the idea. It will be good experience to work with some other people and network a little bit. I would take the time to explain what I'll be doing but I don't want to bore everyone. Let's just say it'll involve income taxes. The downside to this is that I will have outside parking and I'll be out there during the hottest part of the year. My car is going to be sitting in 120 degree weather, that's not good.

For those of you who live in Utah, I'm headed up there next Saturday for week, so if you want to get together let me know and we'll make it happen.

Well, that's all for tonight folks.

Update

2010-01-24T21:54:00.003-07:00

Hi Friends....It's been a little while since I have upated my blog. Here is a list of things that I (or the Jazz) have done since my last post.

1. Passed the Regulation section of the CPA exam with a score of 96.
2. My parents came to Arizona for thankgiving.
3. I went home to Utah for Christmas
4. I bought a Wii.
5. Jazz have beaten the Spurs twice this season in San Antonio and swept them 4-0 for the season.
6. I went on a date.
7. Arizona had a rainstorm.
8. I got rejected by a girl. (Not the same girl I went on a date with)
9. Spent a week at a resort in Scottsdale being trained by my employer.

And that's about it.....

First Win in San Antonio since 1999!

2009-11-20T09:54:00.002-07:00

This is my pledge....

2009-11-16T14:58:00.002-07:00

Update

2009-11-13T23:12:00.002-07:00

Jazz won tonight. 102-90...In Philly. Ok, I'll admit, a W against the Sixers isn't anything to write home about, but it sure is something to blog about!

I've been busy lately. Not necessarily busy at work but I'm taking my next section of the CPA exam on Friday, the 20th.

Work is good though. I'm really enjoying what I do. Plus the people at work are fun to work with. I can't wait until i'm not the "new guy" anymore. We have some more people starting in January, I can hold out for a few more weeks.

I'm sorry if my blog has become increasingly boring lately. But my life seems to have become more boring since I started work....Oh well.

Nice Try Steve

2009-11-09T22:26:00.002-07:00

Nice try Steve, but any comment putting down my favorite sports team isn't a way to get a comment past moderation.

Speaking of the Jazz, they won tonight 95-93 in Madison Square Garden against the Knicks. Next up @ Boston on Wednesday.

Moderator

2009-11-09T20:57:00.002-07:00

Some of you may have noticed now that I have to approve all comments on my blog now. Last week some anonymous person left a rather inappropriate comment....Luckily I noticed quickly and deleted it. But from now on all comments are emailed to me and I have to approve them. I'm hoping I don't have to make my blog private....but we'll see.

Halloween

2009-11-08T18:35:00.003-07:00

Here are the pics from Halloween this year. I'm the big hairy chewbacca in the back. My sister Liz is Princess Leia, Her husband Greg is Han Solo, their little girl, Afton is yoda. Jack is Anakin and Stan is Obi One Kanobi.

And the funny thing is, we don't even like Star Wars. It just seemed like a good idea to dress up together.

Women.....

2009-11-06T19:05:00.001-07:00

In case you haven't seen this already, check this out, brutal.

Phoenix

2009-11-01T22:22:00.002-07:00

Temperature was in the 80s today. Chances are the weather here is better than where you are. In December, when you are shoveling snow, I'm going to be sinking a 10 foot put on the 18th green somewhere.

So Southwest had a huge sale this week. You had to purchase by this last Thursday. I'm going to visit a good friend of mine, from high school and BYU who lives in the Bay Area, in December. I have another friend who lives in Oakland who reads this blog, so I better say that I'll visit him too :).

I saw Michael Jackson's "This is It" with my sister this weekend. It was really good. The interesting part about it was even though he was old and had gone through all those surgeries, he could still dance really well.

Well time for bed, and another work week.

Updates

2009-10-21T21:33:00.003-07:00

So I passed my first section of the CPA exam. I got a 90. Work is good, not so busy anymore now that October 15th has passed. This week I the oppurtunity to take recruit out to lunch as part of the interview process. We took her to the Capital Grille at the Biltmore. Way nice place and great food. It was the same place that Deloitte took me when I interviewed 2 years ago. Today Deloitte catered lunch from Qdoba. It's kind of like Cafe Rio. Really good.

So I tried taking Light Rail to work instead of driving. I told myself if the commute by light rail is within a reasonable amount of my normal commute time then I will do my part and take public transportation. My normal commute is 30-45 minutes. 20 minutes on a good day. Well, both days this week that I have taken light rail it has taken me 1 hr 20 mintues to get to work. That's too long, light rail is out of the question for now. Unless they expand service and have it make less stops. I swear we were stopping every block. I'm not sure who designed the system here in Phoenix but they were smoking something funky.

Plus the people on light rail smelled really bad.

Chewbacca. That is what I'm going to be for Halloween. My sisters family is going to be characters from Star Wars. I decided to join in the action and be Chewbacca. I rented a sweet costume. Pictures to follow after Halloween.

Blog?

2009-09-30T22:10:00.002-07:00

So I kind of forgot I had a blog...I'm not kidding. Between work, socializing, studying, sleeping, going to the gym, visiting my sister and her kids and church, I've been pretty busy. I was reminded by the fact that I had a blog my looking through my "bookmarks" tab.

I need a wife, to blog for me (among other reasons). She would be much better at it than me, and frankly more interesting.

On another note, It dropped down into the 90s today after multiple days around 107. It was actually cloudy today on my way to work. I didn't have to wear my sunglasses.

The treat jar at work is my downfall. My desk is right near it (I actually have to walk by it to get to the printer). They have those really yummy Red Vines and Peppermint Patties.

I've started bringing lunches from home, cause frankly, $8 a day adds up. And it is much healthier to bring a lunch from home. Although I will still make the occasional trip to Macayo's.

Blog

2009-09-17T22:28:00.002-07:00

So I haven't been blogging for the last little bit, nor have I been reading blogs. Mainly because I've started a new job and have been very busy. The earliest I've been getting home is around 7, but mainly I'm getting home around 8 or 9. Here's to starting as an accountant in the middle of busy season! When I get home I try to study for the CPA for a bit but even doing that has been hard.

One thing about Arizona though, the sun comes up so early here. Every morning I am awakened thinking it is around 10am because of the sun coming in my window. I roll over and my alarm clock says 5:30. Hopefully I'll get used to it and get some better sleep. It also gets dark really early here too, which is kind of annoying.

We have a 46" HDTV, I love that thing. Sports never looked so good!

It's cooled down this week, only a high of 99.

That's all for tonight.

Can you say upset?

2009-09-06T10:30:00.004-07:00

In case you haven't heard. BYU upset No. 3 Oklahoma last night 14-13. The game wasn't pretty for either team. Both had fumbles and interceptions. Both teams had major injuries. Bradford for Oklahoma and BYU's No. 1 running back Harvey Unga (who only needs about 800 more rushing yards to become BYU all-time leading rusher) didn't play because of a hamstring injury.

But in the end it was BYU who showed that they wanted it more and showed that despite all of the BCS mumbo jumbo that little guys can play with the big guys and actually beat them.

Here some video of the game.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Goodbye

2009-09-02T17:05:00.002-07:00

Well tomorrow morning I leave Utah and head for my new home in Arizona. Earlier in the summer I was slightly sad to be leaving Utah but the closer the move date has come, I have gotten more excited.

Excited to start a new chapter in my life, excited to actually get paid for working hard, excited to make new friends and excited to live close to my sister and her family.

My dad was talking to one of my former tax professors the other day and my dad told him that I can only come home for thanksgiving if I have a girl on my arm. My professor told my dad that if I don't have it wrapped up by Christmas he's going to pull my degree. Looks like I better get my act in gear.

Here's to the next stage of my life.

BYU commercial

2009-09-02T09:41:00.001-07:00

5 Days

2009-08-31T09:16:00.004-07:00

5 Days till the Cougar-Sooner Showdown in Arlington, Texas

And 89 days till the BYU-Utah game.

I love the Onion!

2009-08-28T13:36:00.001-07:00

Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture?

Dodgeball!

2009-08-24T08:00:00.005-07:00

Whether or not you like basketball I think you'll think the following videos are pretty funny. I sure did! Each one takes about a minute.

12 Days

2009-08-22T14:29:00.001-07:00

12 days till I move to Arizona. 16 days till I start my new job.

Funny

2009-08-17T09:01:00.002-07:00

I'm not sure if anyone watches videos that I post, but I thought this guy was particularly funny. And there is an element of truth in what he is saying. I tried to watch some of his other stuff on youtube but it is pretty dirty, but this clip is clean.

Slick deals

2009-08-08T11:36:00.002-07:00

My buddy Nate wrote about this on his blog a few months ago. It's a website called Slickdeals. It finds great deals on the internet and puts them on the website. There is a lot of good stuff on there, as well as some junk. The only thing I've bought from there was a 3 year subscription to ESPN magazine for a total of about $9. I couldn't pass that one up. It has alot of TV and computer stuff so if you're looking for that it might be a good place to look.

On another note, I'm taking my first section of the CPA exam on Thursday, so it's officially crunch time. I may or may not be blogging again till after that.

Bye Bye Jimmy

2009-08-06T10:03:00.005-07:00

Yesterday my parents traded in the Jimmy for the 2010 Camry. The Jimmy was a great college car and I was sad to see it go. Pictures of the new car are below.

And here are some better pictures of the car I bought last week.

And my parents are selling my mom's old car if you live in Utah and are looking to buy a car check out the listing on KSL cars

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=733005&nid=443&tab=list/view&ad=1495066

Pictures of Condo

2009-08-04T15:45:00.006-07:00

This is where I'll be living for the next little while....

Apartment

2009-08-03T10:34:00.004-07:00

I found a place to live in Arizona. After many long months of debating whether I should live alone or get roommates I decided a happy medium would be to have one roommate. We are going to live in a 2 bed, 2 bath condo in Chandler. I'll have about a 15 mile commute to work. It's better than the other place I was considering which was in East Mesa and was about a 30 mile commute one way.

Car Picture

2009-07-31T10:14:00.003-07:00

Here is a picture I took on my cellphone of the car I bought.

Car

2009-07-28T17:45:00.002-07:00

So I just bought a car. I'm bringing it home tomorrow so when I get it home I'll take pictures of it and post them.

It is a 2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS, GLS is the basic model of the Sonata.

Good laughs

2009-07-27T18:15:00.002-07:00

I had a funny conversation with my dad tonight. We were talking about dating girls after I move to Arizona and the conversation went something like this.

Me: "I've heard good things about the __________ 3rd Ward, I heard it has lots of girls that are about my age (26).

Dad: "No, go to a University ward and get a girl who is....."

Me: (interrupting dad) "Like 20?"

Dad: "No, I was thinking 18."

I had a pretty good laugh about that.

D-Will

2009-07-20T09:22:00.010-07:00

Just after I finished mowing the lawn on Saturday my buddy Jeff called me to tell me that Deron Williams was signing autographs in Centerville. So I promptly jumped into the shower, got dressed, grabbed my Deron Williams jersey and my camera and drove down to where he was. As I was waiting in line to get his autograph I tried to turn on my camera to get it all ready to go. But the camera wouldn't turn on! It was out of batteries. In my moment of panic I remembered that I had my cell phone on me that has a camera on it. I had some dude take the picture of me and D-will. It's a little blury but it the only one I have. The second picture is of the autograph on the jersey.

The kid in front of me had him sign a baseball. Deron wasn't too happy about that. It was pretty funny.

And I'm throwing in some action pictures of D-Will just for fun.

Paul Millsap

2009-07-17T11:37:00.002-07:00

The Jazz matched Portland's offer for Paul Millsap yesterday. They will pay him 32 Million over 4 years with about 10.3 Million due next week. I read a funny article in the Deseret News today that likened Millsap to four wheel drive, it's a little pricey, but when you need it you're glad you have it.

Welcome back to Utah Millsap, don't worry about selling your house in Sandy and stop looking for houses in Portland.

Eric Maynor

2009-06-25T21:30:00.002-07:00

The Jazz picked Eric Maynor in the NBA draft tonight. Here's what ESPN's expert Chad Ford says, "I thought they might go with Sam Young here, but I have to admit that I love this pick for the Jazz. They needed a backup for Deron Williams, and Maynor is perfect for Utah as one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft. He has a high basketball IQ and great leadership qualities. The Jazz fill a need and get a guy that I think is the most underrated player in the draft."

Let's hope he's a better backup for D-Will than Brevin Knight was. Speaking of D-will, my neighbor was working out at the Gold's Gym in Bountiful and guess who showed up in a red Ferrari to work out, D-Will himself. Pretty cool.

Happy Fathers Day!

2009-06-22T16:31:00.004-07:00

It's a day late, but better late than never.

Funny sayings from dad:

"If she's cute, she likes you, and can put up with your crap, go for it cause it's not going to get any better than that."

"Quit your yarkin!"

"That's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick."

"What is a farm boy from Idaho like me doing here?"

"Overlearn it."-I heard that a lot while I was in school

"I'm so hungry my belly button is gnawing at my backbone!"

"Nudity is nudity, whether it's native or not!"

"Quit stirrin' the cauldron!"

"My teeth are singing 'Anchors Away'."

"We'll get there faster than two shakes of a dead lamb's tail."

"That's like playing tiddly-winks with manhole covers."

Happy Father's day Dad!

Dumber

2009-06-19T10:38:00.003-07:00

I think I've gotten dumber. You would think that since I have a Masters Degree in Accounting that studying for the CPA exam would be fairly easy, just reviewing the stuff I learned in my classes. It's not that easy, for me at least. Oh sure, most all the stuff in my review book I saw while I was in school, it's just that I forgot how to do most of it. However, I do come on the occasional chapter of something that I somehow magically remember and I get to breeze through those chapters, but for the most part it's been a struggle.

Goals for Today:
Pension Accounting
Deferred Tax Accounting
Stockholder's Equity
Earnings per share (including diluted earnings per share)
Statement of Cash Flows

I hope you didn't fall asleep while reading that list :)

The Grass is greener

2009-06-15T09:03:00.004-07:00

So our Elders Quorum in my singles ward is having an activity with the relief society in another ward. The title of the activity is "The grass is greener..." when they announced this in church yesterday I laughed out loud. Isn't that hilarious? Anyway, last week I was called to serve on the institute committee in my ward. So far it has consisted of setting up and taking down chairs before and after. It's been pretty intense.

Funny Quote of the Day: "If she's cute, and active in the church, I'll marry her next month.''-That was me talking to my friend on Saturday night about dating. I didn't really mean it, it just kinda came out of my mouth and we both had a good laugh.

That quote is eerily similar to some dating advice that my dad gave me a couple of years ago. "If she's cute, likes you and can put up with your crap then go for it cause it's not gonna get any better than that."

Bootcamp

2009-06-11T14:50:00.002-07:00

Just completed my first full week of bootcamp without puking! Booyah! I got measured this week and lost 1.5 inches on my stomach, 1 inch on my chest and gained .5 inches on my arms (nice guns)

Quote of the Day

2009-06-08T13:21:00.002-07:00

"Salad? Salad is what food eats!"

BYU Football

2009-06-04T10:30:00.005-07:00

Jake Heaps (Skyline High School, Issaquah Washington) committed to play football for BYU today. In case you haven't heard of him, he is the #1 rated high school quarterback in the nation. Here is a video from ksl.com if you are interested.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Bootcamp

2009-06-02T08:46:00.003-07:00

I didn't throw up at my boot camp training program this morning! This is the first time that I haven't thrown up or even had the inkling to throw up. Looks like I'm making progress!

Camping

2009-06-01T14:58:00.003-07:00

So I went to Zion National Park this weekend to go camping with some old friends/roommates from my BYU days. However, in my rush to pack and leave on Friday morning I forgot to grab my camera. As soon as I get some pictures from those who did have cameras then I will post them. Otherwise you can just imagine what it was like. (It was awesome!)

Bootcamp with Jess

2009-05-28T12:51:00.002-07:00

If you want to see what I've been doing the past couple of weeks watch the video below. It's really intense. I've thrown up a total of 4 times since I've started. Here is the website if you live in Salt Lake and are interested.

Bootcamp with Jess web video from Kale Fitch on Vimeo.

CPA

2009-05-26T17:06:00.002-07:00

Today I opened my Becker materials that came late last week and started studying for the CPA exam. I went through the first lesson, took me about 4 hours, it's been kind of overwhelming....one bite at a time.

I found out my start date with Deloitte, September 8th (day after labor day).

Trip to Chicago

2009-05-07T14:56:00.011-07:00

It is a little hard to see in this picture but while I was waiting at the gate on my flight home I noticed this bag getting soaked in the rain. Looks like it fell off of one of those trailers. Glad it wasn't mine!
It took a while but I finally got my neice Claire to look at the camera long enough to get a good picture
Claire in front of a train and the Museum of Science and Industry
Inside the train

Some barbeque chicken pizza I made at my sisters house
A view of the Hancock tower just before I scaled the face of it (just kidding, I took the elevator up 100 floors)
A view of the Sears tower from the top of the Hancock tower. I have now been to the top of the World Trade Center, Sears Tower and Hancock Tower

A view of the north side of Chicago from the Hancock Tower
In front of the original playboy mansion
This bank is all over in Chicago. I think it is a really funny name for a bank. The only logical conclusion that me and my brother in law can come up with is that the original location was on the corner of Fifth Street and Third street, otherwise, the name makes no sense.
In front of a statue in downtown Chicago. My two nieces Maddie and Claire
Two nephews Aiden and Owen. It looks like Owen is about to kick Aiden in the face but I think he was just jumping on the couch.
Ticket Cubs game: $36.65

Cubs Hat $15

Public transportation to and from the game: $4.50

Super small hot dog at the game: $4.25

Seeing the Cubs play at historic Wrigley Field: Priceless

Vaca

2009-05-03T19:47:00.002-07:00

My graduation trip to Chicago is going great. I'll post pictures up on my blog after I get home on Wednesday. I went to a Cubs game yesterday which was amazing, tomorrow I'm going to the Chicago History Museum and possibly the top of the Hancock tower. Tuesday is the museum of science and industry which I hear is pretty cool.

For those of you who don't know, whenever I visit big cities I like to see their major sports stadiums, I'm a big sports fan. I've already visited Soldier Field (Home of the Chicago Bears) and yesterday I went to a game at Wrigley Field (Cubs). The only place I want to see is the United Center where the Bulls play but from what I hear it is in a really bad area of town and not worth it. Today while my sister and I were driving on the freeway I got a glimpse of the roof so I guess that will have to do. I don't really want to see the US Cellular Field where the White Sox play, maybe if I come out again I will go there.

Pictures from graduation

2009-04-25T22:00:00.017-07:00

Me, Erin (friends from the accounting program)
Jonathon, Me (Friends from the accounting program)

Me, Elliott (we both served missions in Hawaii)
Me, Mike (friends from the accounting program)
Me, Stuart (friends from accounting program)
Annie, Me (friends from the accounting program

At the Cougar

In Process

2009-04-23T22:49:00.001-07:00

So I'm in the process of graduating. Commencement was today and Convocation is tomorrow night. I'll post up pictures on Saturday once the dust has settled...

Another great video from The Onion

2009-04-21T10:17:00.001-07:00

More American Workers Outsourcing Own Jobs Overseas

School's Out Forever!

2009-04-20T13:48:00.002-07:00

I finished my last final ever today! To honor this moment I would like to quote the immortal words of our friend, Alice Cooper, and his song titled "School's Out"

Well we got no choice
All the girls and boys
Makin' all that noise
'Cause they found new toys
Well we salute ya
Can't find a flag
If that don't suit ya
That's a drag

School's out for summer,
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces

No more pencils
No more books, yea
No more teacher's dirty looks

Well we got no class
And we got no principles (principals)
We ain't got no innocence
We can't even think of a word that rhymes

School's out for summer
School's out forever
My school's been blown to pieces

No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks

Out for summer
Out 'til fall
We might not come back at all

School's out forever
School's out for summer
School's out with fever
School's out completely

This is funny....

2009-04-16T18:42:00.002-07:00

Treasury Department Issues Emergency Recall Of All US Dollars

Dear Snow...

2009-04-15T18:33:00.001-07:00

Dear Snow,

I was supposed to go golfing today. You ruined my plans. Thanks.

Your Friend,

Ian

Last BYU football game as a student...

2009-04-12T16:27:00.002-07:00

This is me at my last BYU football game as as student last fall. I almost cried...not really but it was sad :)

Health week=Pizza?

2009-04-09T13:37:00.003-07:00

I was walking to the BYU bookstore today because one of my sisters asked me to buy a BYU T-shirt and a BYU onesie (spelling?) for her girls. Anyway, outside of the Wilk there was this big sign that said Health Week. As part of health week some genius decided to hand out pizza. Am I the only one that finds that funny? You would think they would hand out oranges, or apples, or water, or carrots...anything but Little Ceaser's Hot and Ready Pizza. Of course, I'm not complaining, I just find the reasoning odd.
You could also get your picture taken with people dressed in fruit costumes (which kinda looked like the fruit of the loom logo, kinda creepy). I guess they figured getting your picture taken with some creepy looking fruit while holding a piece of pizza was healthy enough.

Oops!

2009-04-06T21:32:00.002-07:00

Looks like BYU needs to hire some new copy editors!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

It confirms everything that I've always thought about this paper....low quality.

18 days left till graduation.....

2009-04-06T11:35:00.001-07:00

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

I thought this was funny...

2009-04-02T17:12:00.001-07:00

Scary times

2009-03-24T17:16:00.002-07:00

I'm blogging while I'm sitting in my business law class....oh well.

So this afternoon I got a phone call from the firm I'm going start working for in July. They asked me if I wanted to push my start date back from July to January. I told them that I'm still good for July.

At least they gave me the option, now I'm hoping I don't get a call from them in the future telling me that I have no choice but to start in January.

Hopefully the economy can recover soon and the job market can get better...at least I have a job for now....

37

2009-03-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

37 days till I graduate.

Adande: Appreciating D-Will by comparison

2009-03-12T10:16:00.001-07:00

Adande: Appreciating D-Will by comparison

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Facebook issues

2009-03-10T23:13:00.002-07:00

Some of you may have already noticed that my facebook account was disabled last week. Apparently I somehow "broke the terms of use." I reviewed the terms of use (which I didn't read when I signed up...oops!) and I still couldn't find anything that applied to me. I have emailed them 3 or 4 times and still have no response as to why my account was disabled and if there is any way I can get it back. The whole thing is very frustrating. I created a new facebook account and am trying to re-add my friends. I had nearly 500 friends when my account was disabled. This could take a while to "re-find" my friends. Also, I've heard that if you add friends at too fast of a rate, facebook will think that you are spam and will disable your account. So I'm trying to add everyone back but not too it too fast to avoid being disabled again.

Great interview with D-Will

2009-03-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-03-05T15:46:00.002-07:00

As I've been following other peoples blogs I've noticed that on someones birthday their spouse usually puts a birthday post for them on their blog. Since I'm still single I'm going to have to give a shoutout to myself. So here it goes...

Happy Birthday Ian!

Ok, I'll admit. That was a little weird.

Trunky

2009-03-03T11:15:00.002-07:00

So yesterday in one of my tax classes my professor, who I have had for three straight semesters, asked me if I was getting trunky for graduation. I showed him my countdown calendar that I have on facebook. He then told me that after a year of working 80 hours a week with Deloitte I will want the student life back. He's probably right.

On an unrelated note, the Jazz have a really big week this week. They are playing two teams that they are fighting for playoff position. They play Houston on Wednesday night and Denver on Friday night. Lets hope they can play well and gain some ground on these two teams this week.

Jazz owner Larry Miller Dies

2009-02-20T18:29:00.001-07:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Jazz beat the Celtics

2009-02-20T11:03:00.001-07:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Graduation and random thoughts

2009-02-18T11:14:00.004-07:00

My countdown to graduation has officially begun. 65 days. I can't wait, of course, I'm sure a year or two down the road I will be wishing that I was back in school.

I have my graduation trip all planned and booked. Two days after graduation I'm going to Chicago to visit two of my sisters for about 10 days. It should be fun and relaxing. Sorry Liz, I thought about going to Phoenix after graduation but then I was like, I'm moving there in July anyway, why would I take a vacation there right before I move there. Plus if you let me live with you then you'll see enough of me anyway :)

Question: Do people still send out graduation announcements? Or is that a thing of the past? I got an email from BYU talking about ordering announcements and I was wondering if I should get some to send out. I don't want to be "that guy" who sends out announcements when no one else does. That would be foolish. And who would I send them to? The President? Other heads of state? My mom?

As I have been watching the news and staying up to date on the economy I feel very blessed that I have a job lined up after graduation. Some of my classmates have had their job offers with the Big Four postponed 6 months or a year. I hope that doesn't happen to me.

On an unrelated note, this weekend my roommate bought 1 ply toilet paper. Who buys that garbage? (other than my roommate) I think I am going to ban him from buying toilet paper for the apartment in the future. I hope that wasn't TMI (too much information).

Jazz beat the Lakers

2009-02-13T10:50:00.003-07:00

On Wednesday night the Utah Jazz beat the Lakers. There are few things that make me happier in life than the following:

1. Seeing the Lakers lose to anyone
2. Seeing Kobe Bryant lose to anyone
3. Seeing the Utah Jazz beat any team
4. Seeing the Utah Jazz beat the Lakers

To have all four of these things happen in one night was magical indeed.

Utah Congressman on the Colbert Repor...

2009-02-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Better Know a District - Utah's 3rd - Jason Chaffetz

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Paul McCartney Appearance

Funny Political Videos
More Funny Videos

D-Will is snubbed again

2009-01-31T15:31:00.006-07:00

Williams is so underrated it's frustrating and he should have made it to the all-star team the past two seasons but didn't.

You have to admit, it's pretty ridiculous that Deron Williams has never been an All-Star before. Everyone agrees that he's the second best point guard in the world, but he still doesn't get nearly the recognition he deserves. It's confusing.

I mean honestly! Tony Parker and Chauncey Billups were picked ahead of D-Will?

Some might argue that Williams wasn't picked because he missed the first couple of weeks of the season. But if you look at what he has done since he's been back, he has definitely been all-star worthy (PPG: 16.9; RPG: 2.80; APG: 10.2).

Oh well, at least the all-star game is just a show boaters dream and doesn't feature true basketball skills (like defense). We'll let those players risk injury and have their day of glory while D-Will and the rest of the Jazz are healing wounds and resting for the final push for a championship. Go Jazz. If any of the readers are basketball fans let me know what you think of D-Will being snubbed.

2009-01-27T20:21:00.001-07:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Housing Decision

2009-01-26T21:36:00.002-07:00

Lately I've been trying to decide if I want to get a place by myself or find a place with some roommates in Arizona. I've been weighing both sides and I'm having a hard time deciding.

If I live by myself then I will be able to find a place that suits my needs. I won't have to adjust to roommates. Do what I want to do, when I want to do it. It will be easier to keep the place clean. ;) On the other hand it has the potential to get really lonely. While I'm studying for and taking the CPA being lonely won't be such a bad thing.

If I live with roommates then it will be much easier to have a social life and meet friends. However, I won't have as much freedom as I will be sharing living room/kitchen space with roommates. Having a place with roommates will be slightly cheaper but that's not the biggest issue. I can find reasonbly priced 1 bedroom places.

I've been tossing around the idea of getting a month to month place by myself and then looking for people I would like to have as roommates. One of my biggest fears of having roommates is getting some weirdos as roommates

I'm interested to hear what you think (if anyone still reads my blog). Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Havasupai

2009-01-22T23:34:00.002-07:00

So I have goal of something I want to do while I am in Arizona (other than work crazy hours). I want to hike Havasupai in the Grand Canyon. I was looking at pictures online and I think it looks absolutely beautiful. Apparently you backpack in and camp overnight at the bottom of the Canyon. If anyone wants to join me let me know and we'll make it happen captain.

Utah Jazz lights out intro

2009-01-20T23:09:00.002-07:00

Sledding at Soldier Hollow

2009-01-17T15:24:00.005-07:00

Yesterday Deloitte (my future employer) took us sledding up at Soldier Hollow near Heber. I had a blast. I mostly hung out with my friends Graham and Katie from the accounting program. Enjoy the pictures!

This is crazy!

2009-01-15T13:38:00.001-07:00

Funny Video

2009-01-13T10:44:00.001-07:00

This is a funny video from The Onion

Pre-Game Coin Toss Makes Jacksonville Jaguars Realize Randomness Of Life

Boozer vs. Millsap cont'd...

2009-01-12T11:50:00.003-07:00

Here is a great article written on the decision that the jazz face between Boozer and Millsap.

The Power Forward Conundrum in Utah
January 12, 2009

The NBA’s longest double-double streak of the season ended on Saturday. It lasted 19 games and was, unsurprisingly, turned in by a Utah Jazz power forward. What was perhaps surprising was which power forward: Paul Millsap. Not 2007 and 2008 All-Star, and second-highest paid player on the Jazz, Carlos Boozer. Then again, those who have watched Utah and their young big may not be that shocked. The 6-8, third-year pro has been the best player in a Jazz uniform this season not named Deron Williams.

Boozer and Millsap have a lot in common: they’re both undersized power forwards, they were both second-round picks because of their height, they’re both double-double machines, they’re both extremely efficient scorers, and they both thrive without dominating the ball.

Both are also impending free agents.

Ordinarily having two power forwards as efficient and productive as Millsap and Boozer is more of a luxury than a problem. And once Boozer returns from arthroscopic knee surgery, it will be a luxury for Jerry Sloan for the remainder of this season. However, with both players slated to become free agents this offseason and with each passing game serving to inflate Millsap’s pending contract, the Jazz may be forced to pick between the two of them.

Boozer will make roughly $11.5 million this season, and although he has a player option for next year at $12.6 million he has made it clear that he intends to opt out. Meanwhile, Millsap is Utah’s cheapest player this year at just under $800,000, but it’s the final year of his extremely affordable rookie contract and he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, one who is sure to garner plenty of interest.

Assuming GM Kevin O’Conner and Co. can’t retain both, who should they keep?

An argument for Paul Millsap, after the jump…

The two players actually have similar games to consider. At 27-year-old, Boozer is obviously the more polished offensively. He plays the pick-and-roll with Deron Williams exceptionally well, has developed a strong mid-range game, and hits the glass. He’s a broad-shouldered beast around the basket that knows his role and executes it with great efficiency, shooting over 54% from the field and averaging a double-double for his career. But despite that wide frame and prowess on the boards Boozer is undersized and doesn’t provide the defensive presence you would expect from an All-Star big.

Millsap is even more undersized than Boozer, listed an inch shorter and 16 pounds lighter, but he’s shown an ability to replicate Boozer’s success in Jerry Sloan’s system at a much younger age - and even be better in a few areas. He’s still just developing the mid-range jumper, an essential for the PF to run this offense, but he plays with more scrap and hustle. Millsap is fourth in the league with 3.8 offensive boards in just under 32 minutes per game. He’s also over 1 steal and 1 block per contest on the season, all better than Boozer, and doing it on an exceptional 55.7% FGs.

In fact, they’re both playing for a contract, but compare Millsap’s splits as a starter with Boozer’s numbers and it’s hard to tell who is making $11.5 million and who is making $800,000:

Paul Millsap
Minutes FG% FT% Rebounds O-Reb Assts TOs Stls Blks Points
35:12:00 56.80% 69.40% 11.5 4.6 2.5 2.1 1.4 1.2 18
Carlos Boozer
Minutes FG% FT% Rebounds O-Reb Assts TOs Stls Blks Points
33:47:00 55.90% 72.70% 11.7 3.6 2.7 2 0.9 0.3 20.5

Statistically they’re as close to facimiles as you’ll find in the NBA, though there’s no denying that Millsap gets a clear edge in the hustle stats. But let’s also consider what’s given Millsap this opportunity to shine after only being allowed to show flashes of his brilliance while backing Boozer up the last few seasons. Booz has been out since November 21st with what was initially termed a “strained quadriceps,” but has since required arthroscopic knee surgery that will keep him out approximately six more weeks. According to The Deseret News he’ll be shelved until mid-February and hopes to play in the Jazz’s final 20 or 30 games.

This will mark the third of Boozer’s five seasons in Utah that has been obliterated by major injury. He’s never played a full 82-game schedule, and at 27 years of age this is when leg injuries begin to mount for big men. Health and youth are clearly major factors to consider, and favor Millsap.

Another component is commitment to the franchise on the court, in the locker room, and in dealing with the media. Gordon Gund and Cleveland Cavaliers fans will not soon forget how Boozer orchestrated his departure from Ohio. There are two sides to every story, but Carlos reportedly made verbal promises to the Cavs that he would re-sign a larger offer to stay in town if they expedited the process by making him an unrestricted free agent. Boozer then promptly signed with Utah.

As a result, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, “The Utah Jazz forward is known to the 1.3 billion people in China as ‘Fan Gu Zai,’ which, loosely translated, means ‘Betrayal Skull Dude.’” He’s been playing the contract game again this season, this time informing the media that he intends to opt out of his contract this summer and seek a bigger pay day. I don’t begrudge any man an opportunity to get paid, but the timing was questionable - Boozer had been injured for several weeks without improvement and he had neglected to inform his current employer of the situation. From The Salt Lake Tribune:

Jazz owner Larry Miller slammed Boozer in his weekly radio appearance on KFAN 1320, saying, “It’s one of the top 10 stupidest things I’ve heard an NBA player do in 20 years.”

Miller said Boozer’s timing detracted from the Jazz’s victory over New Jersey and came not only as he has missed 15 games with a strained left quadriceps tendon but after he missed 80 games early on after coming to the Jazz. Those memories are hard to shake, with Miller saying, “a lot of people are still suspicious about that, a lot of fans and stuff, and we’ve covered for him and protected him, justifiably.”

It’s hard to imagine the blue-collar, hard-working Millsap perpetrating such shenanigans. It’s also hard to imagine him commanding the same asking price as the more high-profile Boozer. In fact, the difference in their projected salaries figures to be in the $4+ million per season range. Utah could use that money to shore up their bench up front or bring in another outside shooter or backup ball-handler. And while Boozer is undeniably more skilled on offense at this point, Millsap may have the greater upside being four years his junior. Millsap has already proven a superior defender.

It’s not guaranteed that Utah will have to choose between the two; they may be able to retain the services of both, but that seems both unlikely and an unwise use of assets for such redundant players with similar size limitations. When you factor in all of the off-court considerations the choice becomes clear: pay the young man wearing #24 and let Betrayal Skull Dude walk.

Here is the link to the article http://www.emptythebench.com/2009/01/12/the-power-forward-conundrum-in-utah/

The Challenge to Become

2009-01-12T10:48:00.002-07:00

For my Advanced Financial Accounting class were are assigned various articles to read throughout the semester and record our thoughts and feelings in a journal. The article we had to read for today's class was "The Challenge to Become" by Elder Oaks. A few of his thoughts stood out to me and I just wanted to share them on this blog for you to read.

"Most of us experience some measure of what the scriptures call 'the furnace of affliction' (Isa. 48:10; 1 Ne. 20:10). Some are submerged in service to a disadvantaged family member. Others suffer death of a loved one or the loss or postponement of a righteous goal like marriage or childbearing. Still others struggle with personal impairments or with feelings of rejection, inadequacy, or depression. Through the justice and mercy of a loving Father in Heaven, the refinement and sanctification possible through such experiences can help us achieve what God desires us to become."

"Instead of being judgmental about others, we should be concerned about ourselves. We must not give up hope. We must not stop striving. We are children of God, and it is possible for us to become what our Heavenly Father would have us become."

Are you kidding me?

2009-01-09T15:35:00.002-07:00

A friend showed me the following article. It's a carryall, it's european! (Seinfield quote)

I stumbled upon the following video. I thought it was pretty cool.

2009-01-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Single at BYU

2009-01-07T09:33:00.003-07:00

Recently I have been wallowing in the fact that I am likely to graduate from BYU and still be single. Yesterday I was perusing on the BYU homepage and stumbled upon the following link. It was interesting for me to see that most students at BYU are single and not married. I found this to be interesting, but what I would like to see is the number of students who graduate single every year because this is the predicament that I am in.

My last first day of school.

2009-01-05T10:30:00.003-07:00

Today marks a significant time in my education. Today is my last first day of school. I would be lying if I didn't say that I will be glad to be done in a couple of months. Overall I would say that I did well. There were times that I didn't think I would get into the programs (undergrad and grad) at BYU but I stuck with it and accomplished my goals. All I need to do this semester is to keep working hard and to pass my classes (as stated in an earlier posting, easier said than done).

Go Utah?

2009-01-02T22:43:00.002-07:00

As much as it pains me to say this...I have to admit I was cheering for Utah in the Sugar Bowl tonight against Alabama. Good win for the State of Utah, the Mountain West Conference and the Team Up North. I can only hope that BYU can change the way that they are going about things and can follow the example that Utah has set for them. Go Cougars in 2009!

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-31T18:28:00.003-07:00

I have made the following New Year's Resolutions for 2009. In no particular order.

1. Lose 30 lbs (this has been on my list for four years)
2. Graduate (I just need to pass my final four classes, easier said than done)
3. Actually contribute to society by holding a full time job
4. Help Brian Walker get a girlfriend
5. Help myself get a girlfriend
6. Move to Phoenix (not sure if this is a resolution, but I'm going to do it!)
7. Do everything I can to help the Utah Jazz win the NBA title
8. Go to the BYU-ASU game in Tempe, AZ in September
9. Begin investing
10. Come up with some more resolutions.

What to do with the Booz...

2008-12-31T16:26:00.002-07:00

Recently Carlos Boozer announced that he will opt out of his contract with the Utah Jazz at the end of the season. If Boozer opts out he will become an unrestricted free agent and will essentially sign with the team that offers him the most money. If he opts out the Jazz will be left with nothing in return. This leaves us with the question, what should the Jazz do with Boozer? They have two options.
The first option would be to trade him now before he can opt out so they can actually get someone in return for him. I am leaning towards this option.
The second option would be to let him opt out and hope that they can resign him. This is very risky. This also isn't ideal because the Jazz are near the salary cap imposed by the NBA and if they go over the salary cap they will have to a dollar for dollar tax to the league for every dollar that they go over the cap. They really can't afford to offer him more money. Also, the Jazz need to decide if they want to keep Paul Millsap who also becomes a free agent at the end of the season. If they want to keep Millsap they will need to offer him more money, which essentially forces the Jazz to decide between Boozer or Millsap.
What should the Jazz do?

Address....Jansport?

2008-12-31T15:16:00.001-07:00

Some of you may have noticed that in my address to my blog is the word "jansport.'' Jansport is a nickname that I have had among my friends since I was in elementary school. The story goes like this.
I was in my sixth grade graduation from elementary school. They had printed our names with fancy writing and when 'Ian' was written fancy it appeared to the person reading the names as 'Jan'. So in front of the whole sixth grade I was introduced as 'Jan Prescott'. Consequently my friends (Chad Walker being the chief culprit) started calling me Jansport (after the popular backpack company) and the name stuck.

New Blog

2008-12-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

After much pushing from friends I have decided to start my own blog. Up until now I have always considered my facebook account to be my blog but have now realized that having a blog is much better. I hope you enjoy reading my blog and I hope that I can make my life exciting enough so that you can be entertained.