Update: Summer Going Well!

Wow, it's been forever since I've been on here. Well, what can I say... I've been doing stuff! Stuff is good. Stuff like:

Marching Band
Summer Seminary
Mowing Lawns
Working at The Seville
BYU SummerFestival Music Camp
Practicing Trumpet
Online Classes
EFY Next Week!

and more!


I still can't believe that the 'senior class' is now "Senior!" Crazy sauce... well, this year is pretty much guaranteed to be awesome. I got a piece of advice from a great friend which said, "Throw yourself into your senior year like you've never thrown yourself anywhere before." I plan on taking that and running as far as my legs will carry me (and then my arms, etc.) Hopefully we all will! There's nothing like high school for the rest of our lives. Life will never be this simple again! Once we enter the real world, there's no turning back. (Kinda like the matrix... So that's what high school is! Just kidding...) Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day! (I would say 4th of July, but that makes it sound like a fancified way of saying 'have a great day!') It's one of my favorite holidays of all time because I love America! What an awesome place to be. Well, I hope everyone is thoroughly enjoying the summer. For those instrumentalists out there, keep practicing! What else do you have to do when there are too many degrees outside to be comfortable? Oh... and a few random thoughts...

This is the last summer we don't have to think about college and "what's next."
This is the last summer we know what is next.
This is the last summer we have before we are thrown into the 'real world.'
And guess what?
Summer is almost half over.

Forgive me for being a realist, but you know what I say? Bring it on! Let's go for it! Go in with a bang, out with a bang, and make the best memories we've ever made. Have fun, y'all!

The Parable of the Flower

Great and marvelous things all have small beginnings. And sometimes it's the small things that hold the most meaning in life. I was planting flowers the other day, thinking about the miracle that all life on earth truly is, and I realized a lot more about these small, colorful plants.

My parents went to the store and purchased flowers. Some had partially bloomed, some hadn't. Some had deep roots that filled their small plastic container, and others left clumps of dirt in the bottom with untapped nutrition and room to grow. They had been planted and nurtured in a well-protected greenhouse, placed in soil especially made to provide the best opportunity for growth and development during those young and crucial weeks. They were watered daily, kept at just the right temperature, and nurtured even before any tiny bud had poked its way through the soil. After they sprouted, they were further cared for daily. With adequate sunlight and regular nutrition, they grew and developed into larger flowers that were more capable of holding their own. Filling up their tiny container, they were sold into the hands of my parents.

They came home, and we planned and spaced out the exact number of holes in our flower bed as we had flowers so not one would be left aside. We made sure they were deep enough and carefully rustled up the roots just like my Grandma says to do. Each flower was carefully placed in its respective hole so not one was injured. We gently pushed the dirt back in around the flowers and tried to make sure no large rocks beneath the roots would impede their growth. Soon afterwards, my little sister came around with a watering can and gave special attention to each flower. My dad set the sprinklers to give them a regular drink, and off they went.

Now, you may think that this simple action of planting flowers holds little significance beyond a pleasant scene and a good-looking yard. But take a look just a little bit deeper. What if each individual flower was each one of us with the wonderful opportunity of being born into the church with wonderful families? Even before we were born, fertile soil and a designated place was being prepared for our arrival in the world. We were set with all the essential nutrients and frequent caregivers to see that we were well taken care of. Nourished at a young age by the scriptures and the company of others in our family, we began to grow. We were sheltered from many of the storms of life, from the wind, the cold, the rain, invaders, and accountability.

After baptism, we became accountable and covenanted to take upon us the name of Christ and bloomed, in a way, showing forth our colors. Further nourished, the roots of our testimony deepened as we increased in physical and spiritual strength and stature. A preparatory period for the future, by our choices we used the time to learn and grow as much as was possible within our small environment. The Lord was preparing us for a great change, a great and mighty work, to be an ensign to the nations.

For many, that time is now.

We have been given so many opportunities to learn and grow and have been blessed to have people watching over us with endless love, as well as a supreme Caretaker which is our Father in Heaven. He knows the world outside is difficult, and has already put us through many tests. Every one of us has the roots of testimony, however big or small. Some have nearly filled their current container, ready for more. Soon, we will be ready to leave our home and go out into the world to be planted exactly where the Lord needs us. He has set forth a pattern in His master plan which we are very much a part of. If, by our choices, we are unable to be planted, there will be an empty space. If we endure the dramatic change which is to come, trust in Him with all the strength we have, and thrust our roots down into the ground with all faith and fervor, we will bloom and magnify our sacred calling. We will find the nourishment we need to succeed in life, reliant upon His still ever-watchful care.

Things will certainly be different. The transition may be rough. We may get bumped around a little bit. The first few nights outside may be chilly or lonely, but we will never be abandoned. If we take in the (sun)/Son's light, feed on the spiritual nourishment that is so freely given to us, and endure to the end, we can make it through the darkest, most difficult trials that must inevitably come as part of the cycle of life. We will become the most beautiful flowers to all who see us, for they will see not our beauty, for the beauty we may have cannot be called our own. It is the Master's beautiful handiwork which is manifest in the very way we live our lives. May we not be afraid in going forth through this change-filled time in our lives, but remember what we have been taught and always remember the Savior's love for each and every one of us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

--I am grateful for all that I have learned this year and for all who have been such a great influence on me by living in such a way that I am showered with the light of the Savior reflected everywhere I look. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. God be with you 'til we meet again!--

Moving On

Needless to say I got kind of bored without all the impending doom of homework and began the yearly contemplation of this past school year as it stands nearly closed, never to be opened again. In recollecting memories which caused me to write a song with an identical title I decided to pen some fitting words in addition to the unfinished work.

Moving On

Moving on
Only time will tell
What lies in store

Memories come
Stories fade
Only time will tell
What lies in store

Change engulfs
Blinding sight
Of what is to come
Only time will tell
What lies in store

Pain of separation
Grief of a loss
A skeptic's caution
Of the uncertain road
Must lead to
Sorrow forsaken
Joys of discovery
Pleasure of reunion

Head high, mind set
Determination unwavering
Look back, don't cry
Let not tears cloud your view
With faith in the future
And strength from the past
Only time will tell
What lies in store

Stories come
Memories fade
And love binds

Moving on
Is to live for change
Knowing time will tell

What lies in store
--BDM

This I Believe

I had too many ideas of things I truly believe in, so I thought I'd get them all down so I can say I at least thought about more than once (not listed in any particular or significant order)

I believe in...

. . . Music
. . . Falling down
. . . Living within your means
. . . Stress
. . . Faith
. . . Hope
. . . Charity
. . . Love
. . . Friendship
. . . Families
. . . Hard work
. . . God
. . . Change

The Benefits of Doing

Which is better, boredom or being busy? Ok, now that you've read the question and have had sufficient time to ponder your first answer, let me ask it again. Really, which is better, boredom or being busy? If you haven't selected the second response, perhaps you should read on. If you did choose the second response, here might be the reason why.

Although we have the benefits of technology to make life a lot easier in many ways, humans are well equipped to be active 'do'ers. The opposable thumb. The capacity of intelligence. Speech and a written language. Emotions. Agency. The ability to reason. All of these attributes are not meant to sit idly by as life slips between the fingers like fine sand on a windy day. We were mae to do things!

Of course we can't be busy all the time. Some of us try to be or think we are, but there's this wonderful thing called sleep which eventually overtakes us. And even that's not enough down time. But too much relaxation leads to problems and dependence on the lack of work as a source of synthetic entertainment. TV, the computer, video games, or even extra sleep become high priority. Sure, it's fun at the time, but go on a quick journey through time and we'll see about that.

Think of your greatest accomplishment. The time when you fought to the end. The time when you didn't give up. The time when you wanted that one thing so much you did whatever was necessary to get there. And think of the arrival. Think of the personal satisfaction, the self-esteem boost, and everything you learned on the journey.

Think of the busiest time of your life. Some time when you had a regular commitment and your schedule required planning and maneuvering around many important things. When it all died down, how much had you accomplished?

Now, I ask again, which is more rewarding, that TV sitcom or doing something that leads to a result at the end? Not that there shouldn't be a balance somewhere, of course. Being that there is opposition in all things, if we aren't progressing, we're... digressing? If we're not learning, we're... forgetting? If we're not growing, we're... dying? Now that's an interesting thought.

However, as important as 'do'ing is, there is one more aspect that must be tied in. When you do, do your best. When we undertake something for the wrong reasons or lacking the right reasons, terrible things happen. Incompletion. A poor attitude. A poor end result. Something we aren't pleased with. When we do, and in doing do our best, it feels good. There's no question about that.

So go out this summer, and do a whole bunch of things. Make memories! Learn! Grow! Expand your paradigm! And who knows, you just might like it better than today's idolized 'vegetation.' Happy Trails!

Respecting America

Well, let's see here... I'm going to try to analyze something I'm quite passionate about without getting overly emotional. In this blog I'll attempt to figure out how people disrespect America in a few different ways and how we could respect this country more.

Governmental Leaders
Politicians will be politicians. And that's ok, most of the time. Voters will be voters. And protesters will be protesters. That can get a little hairy. Being in such a wonderful country, I would say we are blessed with such a democratic government guaranteeing so many freedoms for us as citizens. Because we have such a government it requires that we have leaders to run it. Being that there are so many people wanting to be the leadership we hold a wonderful thing called elections, so the majority of the people will be able to decide who they want to be in office. Since majority is not unanimity, there will be some who disagree with the final results due to the natural course of events. And as I have analyzed earlier, disagreement isn't bad. It's what some people choose to do with it that becomes a problem. The first and foremost thing people need to realize is that political leaders were elected because they are qualified enough to do the job according to most of the people. They wouldn't be in office if they didn't know what they were doing.

Because we have freedom of speech people therefore have the right to protest to show their disapproval to actions that elected officials are taking. Again, disagreement is ok. The people who are most affected by the government's decisions are likely the quickest to react, especially on positions such as the War on Terror, abortion rights, and gay/lesbian rights, among others. America must be able to speak its mind. However, when people get passionate about whatever-topic-it-is they can tend to become more self-conscious than they realize. When decisions are made, the good of the entire country is considered. In the ideal situation, leaders do not make decisions based on overwhelming popularity, but on the platform upon which they were elected. If you look at many protests, the people often aren't protesting the policy, but the leader who agreed to it. And how much good does that do for the leader? In today's society it seems as if we must attribute blame for ill-fated results. Someone or something must always be responsible (except our angelic selves). Thus, political leaders and not their policies become targets for hateful and cruel statements. Through our freedom, it has given some leaders the opportunity to let their power run awry. That's unquestionable, and yet it was their decision. But until it becomes clear that they did something blatantly wrong, why can't we just support them in their responsibilities? (Side note - Personally, I wouldn't care if the Clintons, George Bush, Mitt Romney, Al Sharpton or anyone else came to speak at my graduation. I can't say I agree with everything they have said or done, but they are people too and they love America. And that's what counts)

Burning the flag
As I assume we've all been taught, America fought for its freedom. Many wars have threatened this country in which brave men and women have given ther lives and blood so it would not fall. The flag is a symbol of their lives, and of the freedoms we enjoy. Some proper ways to retire a flag are by a respectful burning or by burial upon the casket of the deceased. As a sacred and special symbol of this country, it too often condescends to become a symbol of derogatory protest to America's current organization or policies. There are many alternatives that are far more civilized and respectful. Write a letter to your congressman/senator, an editorial in the newspaper, or stomp on, write on, and burn your pillow instead.

Opportunities to express patriotism
Each Monday we have the wonderful opportunity to hear our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner being played over the intercom and join together in pledging allegiance to the flag. Just by being in America, everyone here must see at least one small benefit it offers, if nothing else than to be standing in a free public school with opportunities to get a good education. And yet many people don't stop and take the time to place their hand over their heart to think of the "bombs bursting in air." They just walk on by. We should be able to spend two minutes once a week out of our busy lives and ponder upon significant events that cost millions of people their entire life so that we could be here today.


Although altogether puzzled by these interesting actions we have become quite accustomed to, I can almost see why and how they happen. It's just part of the opposition to both ends of having freedom to do as we choose. And if it's "not that important," tell that to the Founding Fathers.

Just something to think about.
"America the Beautiful"

Decisions, Decisions

What if you just didn't make that one decision? Where would you be? Where wouldn't you be? This deep question I was pondering once while making the routine trek from the lunch room to the band room to consume my food. Oddly enough, Cucumber was thinking the same thing. Then came the typical comment. "We should blog that!" (Of course, by now the word 'blog' has almost been synonymizified with the word 'analyze.') So here it goes.

Look back on your lives for a bit, right down yon memory lane. If it looks like a straight shot from there to here, look harder. Look at all those windy paths you could have taken, some leading you possibly for better, others for worse. And while we're at it, conjure up 'Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...,' the Frost poem we all know so well. Of course it's been analyzed and beaten into the ground before, but it really holds significance. Can any one of us look back at our decision to do something seemingly small at the time, like take a certain class, talk to a certain person, or choose between the greater of two goods, and not see how different we would be if one thing were altered just a little bit?

I can't imagine myself not doing a few fundamental things in my life, and I'm often scared to do so. I can't see myself not in band. That was a pivotal point in my life that led me to some of the most fantastic friends in the world that have encouraged me to be who I should be and not who the world wants me to be. Even before that was the dawn of my musical interest as I started taking piano lessons. Without them, I might be, what, musically inept? What a horror! I would probably be dead of boredom by now. Along with that, I can't imagine myself not joining marching band. That was one of the best things that ever happened to me because in it I learned fundamental things about leadership, unity, friendship, and teamwork.

Oddly enough, I can't see myself growing up anywhere but this old house on the emu-street in central Orem. Not that it was my choice to do so, but my decisions made in this house regarding schooling, church, and friends have changed everything. It's hard to look back to the crossroads and not see a guiding hand that led me here.

Taking all that and throwing it 180 on to the unknown path that is the future in a wilderness of possibility, who knows what decisions lie ahead. Who knows how many different people I could become, should I make ever so slight choices that seem so insignificant a few feet from the crossroads. The most disheartening or encouraging fact is that once you choose, you can't go back to exactly the way it was before. But either way, the great thing is that no matter what we choose, we're in for something new. Each moment is a new one, yet is but a spark. Each change is an opportunity to grow, tinder for the flame of enlightenment to thrive. As life is suddenly changing with choices that will determine the majority of our future looming close, it is crucial that we all know who we are and generally where we are headed before we start down the road. And one day, we'll look back and say, "Where would I be if I didn't do that one thing? Where wouldn't I be? And how grateful am I that I'm here?"

Old-People Cars

Before I get into this subject, I'd better give a disclaimer. Brayden, this blog is in no way relevant to the fact that you drive a Buick LeSabre. You are in fact, not old, but younger than I am. And who doesn't want a car with a leather interior? It's a really good car, just with a few stereotypes or abundant coincidences attached, as you all shall henceforth see, providing that my logic makes sense.

Now, I'm not terribly big on cars, nor do I pretend to know the names or models or years of anything fancy or groundbreaking. The names I know are those I see most common. There's our Plymouth Voyager minivan, a Chevy Suburban, and my dad's little Hyundai Accent. And then there's Buick LeSabre. I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but they're common cars, but not with every age segment of society. Look at the people in the front seat of most LeSabres you see, and they usually fall into the category of 'senior citizen.' Both my grandparents have one. I work at The Seville (the retirement home on Center Street just down from MV). One sweep through the parking lot and I filled up my hands and then some counting the Buicks. So what is it about this car that appeals to older people anyways?

Well, the model is old. Quoting the oh-so-reliable Wikipedia (which you should never do in anything more serious than a blog), Buicks appeared as a mass-produced car in 1959. This would be back when these current senior citizens were significantly younger and possibly in the market for a car. Maybe they fell in love with them then.

Also, if you've ever driven one, they are huge! Far longer than my dad's paperweight Hyundai. They're built like 50's cars, huge interior, huge trunk space, and the hood is monstrously long. No wonder they're some of the safest cars, with the fourth least insurance rate of any car out there. No one's beating up on a Buick without taking a beating themself. Back in the olden days, the cars were monstrous. No teeny two-door fold-back-the-seat and hold your breath commuter cars. Those cars were wide, spacious, flashy, and who cared about gas mileage? Older people might have a certain appeal to those huge cars.

Another thing that might appeal to older people is the nice features it has. As people get older, a lot of them have more money to use when compared to younger families. That's how they can spoil their grandchildren. I looked up the price if you were to buy a 2002 LeSabre in 'good' condition, and it's about $8500. Brayden said (I'm pretty sure) that they kind of compare to Mercedes, in how common they are on each continent. A Mercedes in Germany is not terribly expensive, yet they are quite nice. Buicks have the leather interior, separate climate controls for each half of the car, some have sunroofs, and they aren't the shabbiest looking cars either. It's a good deal, and it's as cheap of an almost luxury-car as you'll find. And maybe that's what older people are looking for when they buy a car. Something that looks really nice but isn't too expensive, being raised on frugality.

Either way, if you happen to look out your windows when you drive and notice other cars, when you see a Buick on the road test my theory and look who's driving. If it's an older person more than once than this whole crazy blog might be worth something! And again, I think Buicks are awesome cars (Brayden), so those who drive them should not be ashamed or embarrassed in any logical or feasible way.

Utah Culture

Ok, I don't know if culture is the word to describe our sometimes outrageous Utah-isms, but it's the best (er, first) one I could think of. Anyways, so the good ol' band family took a happy journey down to sunny California last week (giving us a 9-day spring break... talk about starting Summer Fever a month early, goodness!). We call it 'Tour,' which has so many other implications I'll spare you and not go into all of them. Well, having never been to California before (those of you that didn't know that, don't drop your jaw, those of you that did, well guess what... I have now!) it was quite the experience. (What a lot of parentheses...) Ok, enough with the off-topic stuff. I'm not much of the traveler type, and so band tours are really the only time I ever leave the state. It was really interesting to encounter the different paradigms of people we happened to run into and see exactly how much different they were from ours, and how interesting it was to meet people from a similar background. I'll go through a few of them.

First, our bus driver. He was from Idaho (but not Utah... just squeaked under there), and knew a lot about the church. Because we left on Sunday, Cucumber and I watched Legacy on the way down and we tried to keep our minds as spiritually oriented as possible considering the circumstances. (Band kids + bus + California...) He told us about all these different tours he'd been on, and one special experience he'd had on a church history tour where the bus was leaking and the passengers prayed and they made it to safety in the midst of a great storm. After that, he asked if we'd sing a hymn for him because we'd already started to sing a few. After about two hours of hymns, he asked if we wanted to see the Las Vegas temple. After two hours of extra driving past his federal limit and our bed time, we arrived at nearly midnight. It was such a beautiful sight to see, and yes, it was in a way, on a hill. We got to our hotel at 12:30 am (including the extra hour we tacked on) and pretty much crashed (except our room... long story). I started analyzing our driver the rest of the tour and came across some interesting things. He said he really appreciated our standards (and the Dirty Lovin' rules), loved our band performances, and was happy to drive us. However, he wasn't quite the person we're all used to being around in Utah. He smoked, and caught himself before saying a few choice words (which I was grateful for), but he was very considerate.

Second, our first day, first ride in Disneyland. Well, California Adventure. We were about ready to go down the hill on the Grizzly Rapids (or whatever it's called) when they stopped the ride for some reason. So, being the crazy band kids we are, we started singing Popcorn Popping. Now, I don't know what all the people that had never heard that song before were thinking (I'd be interested in finding out), but we sang out loud and clear anyways. Soon after, a boat pulled up behind us and a lady turned to me and asked, "So where are you from?" "Utah." "No, which city?" I guess we'd labeled ourselves as Utahns with a few words about an apricot tree in springtime. "Orem." "Wow, really? We're from Payson. We're visiting with relatives who live in Spanish Fork. What high school do you go to?" "Mountain View." "That's neat." "Yeah, we're here for band tour." I would have asked her more about her family and such, to be polite, but also because our ride wasn't going anywhere, when all of a sudden it started to move, cutting the conversation short. As soon as the lady found common ground, she started springing the geography of Utah County on me. I guess she was glad to meet a fellow Utahn...? Either way, it was quite interesting.

Third was Wednesday as we were waiting outside a theater to see Wicked (which, by the way, was simply amazing!) I promised my sister I'd buy her a t-shirt to quell her jealousy that I was seeing it and not her. I went up to the cashier after deciding which overpriced shirt I wanted ($32? oh well), only he was one of those guys that just gives you the creeps. At least me, which is where this Utah culture thing comes in. He had piercings all over, really dark hair, and spoke in this really high pitched voice that was enunciated beyond someone just doing their job. And he kept staring at me. "Ok, just buy the shirt and get out of there..." Which is what I did. Maybe he wasn't any different (except his appearance) but it just made me uncomfortable. Back in Utah you can easily pick the people you want to hang out with and avoid those that are less of a good influence most of the time. Over there, I literally bumped into people with appearances, smells, and habits that I don't commonly see every day. Here it's weird, there it's normal. I'm not trying to be stereotypical. They were raised in a completely different environment than I was, and society says that their decisions are ok. No biggie.

Last of all was Thursday as we walked through the Circus Circus casino to get to more favorable places within the building. Although gambling is illegal in Utah it's still interesting to go through those places, even though I've been there before on previous tours. Because I've been taught otherwise, it was instinctively dogmatic to look down upon people tossing tokens into slots that didn't usually spit anything back out. Stepping back, it's just part of their lifestyle. I won't deny that to me, being in those places gave me a dark feeling that made me very uncomfortable and not willing to stand there a minute longer than I had to. To those people, gambling is like the movies or the water park to us. It's just what they do.

Utah is just so much different that when you experience an otherwise 'normal' culture you end up noticing a whole bunch of those differences. And to think that stuff like that goes on every day. It was odd thinking, "Wow, tomorrow those same people will probably be here, and the next day, and the next... but why?" Vegas is Vegas. California is California. They don't change too much. Those people have every day lifestyles just like us. And Utah is still always and undoubtedly Utah.

Like... Why?

So, like... we like decided, to like, write our, like, blog (hello), on like, the totally, like overused, word, like... Like! Get the picture?

So why in the world do people use this word so much? And why is it so overused? And what the heck, does it like, mean anyways? This is the intrinsic question that Cucumber and I pondered while he was trying to teach me to sing through a sickened and highly untrained voice the day before my choir audition, but that's like... irrelevant. I don't even know how we got on the subject, but somehow it meandered in that direction. We decided to give ourselves a friendly slap to the face every time we said the word, and before I left both our faces were red due to the self-inflicted reminder. We noticed that in trying to avoid the despicably mundane word we actually thought more about what we said, and our vocabulary level jumped like... *slap* I mean... nearly twenty points! Who'da thunk!

First of all, people take great refuge in the word as an acquired and dependent way to bide time and organize thoughts before one says them. It's the "um" word in common talk. ('Um' is used instead of 'like' when one is trying to sound more sophisticated. Results vary.) If you look carefully, often the IQ level of the conversation is inversely proportional to the number of times the word 'like' is used. That is, the more frequently its usage the simpler the word choice is.

Second, when followed by the word 'was' it replaces the word 'said' or 'did' when you are quoting or relaying the speech or actions of another. "S/He 'was like...'" precede almost every similar sentence. Hopefully we don't write like that. Mr. Rich would probably die if we did. (And that's not a hint either, my fellow students... *wink wink*.) We seem so quick to get to what the person did or said we substitute an ambiguous word such as 'like' to replace the correct words which describe the experience. "Said, told me, did..."

Third is its usage in literature, which is probably Mr. Rich's favorite. You might recall that a certain literary device called simile uses words such as 'like' or 'as.' Her kindness was like a flower... His obstonance like an overweight donkey... (No stereotypes intended.)

The fourth usage denotes a crush, or affection for a person. "Do you 'like' him/her?" With so many meanings, I am clueless as to why we rarely mix them up. Aside from a, an, the, I, and you, 'like' probably preceeds all other words with the most usages per sentence. And of course, in our innocent high school years, it's never 'love' until you start dating. It's always just 'like,' which might say something about early relationships, but that's another topic which every person decides on for themself.

The fifth definition closely ties into the fourth, denoting a preference for, or favor towards. But yet again, it falls short of the complete or deeper word of 'love'. "I like that food." "I like being the boss." Usually when we say we like something, we haven't taken the time to understand why our emotion prefers that certain object or activity. When we love something, we can always say why. Why do you like that food? "Because it tastes good." That color? "Because it looks cool." That person? "Uhh... Well, that one may be slightly more thought out. But only slightly. (Emotions are confusing things.)

The sixth usage comes with an approximation of data to cover up for someone's lack of knowledge regarding that specific data set. "There were like, 20,000 leagues under the sea!" Or something like that. (Then again, what is 'that'?) When people use the word 'like' in this situation they don't want to count or actually figure out how many of something there actually are. "There's like, a dozen left." By doing this they leave room for error of approximately plus or minus 10% of the total, based on the BBMK Today estimates (a highly reliable source).

So, overall... the word 'like' is completely overused and too confusing for anyone to completely analyze, even though Cucumber is sitting next to me helping me write this. (Mr. Rich, this is a dual-blog-type-thing, so please give us credit!) Anyways, we 'triple-dog-dare' all of you to try and avoid the overusage of this overused word, whether or not you need an extrinsic reminder such as our not-so-effective slap in the face. Who knows, you just might get smarter!

Sincerely,Cucumber and Cauliflower, Inc.