Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Hello everybody.

Today I would like to write about a very serious topic to me... food.

I take food even more seriously than I do personal hygene.  So if you're wondering about some of the best places to eat in Greeley, there's no better place to start then google. 

...Then me. 

That's right, I know all the best places to eat.  From $1.50 a Scoop and Up Chinese Food to Top Buffet, from J.B.'s Drive-in to Chili Thai, from Pho Duoy to Aspen Leaf froyo, and from George's Gyros to McDonalds, I know all about the local places up here. 

One of my favorite places to eat is D.P. Dough.  It's right across the street from my house.  D.P. Dough specializes in one thing: calzones.  They are so awesome.  And the best part is... it's all fat-free!  sort of.

Anyways, Greeley is just a great community.  There are tons of great places to hang out with friends and support a cool local scene.  It's not just cows like a lot of people think. 

So... know this.  If you come to UNC, you'll always have a place to hang out with friends.  I wrote a poem about it actually.  It's called, Where Everybody Knows Your Name:

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.
You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.

Okay... that may be the theme song from cheers.

This is Danny, signing outtttttttt. 

Tragedy and Comfort

Hey everybody!  I hope you are having a great life!

I guess I should probably update all of you on UNC's got talent...

WE WON!!!  (JK 5000.  We came in 6th.) 

My friends Andrew, Shawn, and I performed the song Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley.  It was a super rendition.  Andrew and Shawn were incredibly talented... I was okay. 

I don't know quite how to write this next news, but it's such an important part about my life.

Shawn was in another band called the Kyle Hope Band.  It's a Christian Worship band.  The day after the contest, Shawn and the other members of the band got into a car accident on their way to California for a gig.  They were rear-ended on the highway.  Shawn sustained a serious head injury and passed away the next day after being taken off life-support. 

Man... it was tough.

Though there is a lot of pain that comes with Shawn's death, there's also hope.

Being involved in Christian Challenge, a campus ministry here at UNC, has really strengthed my faith over the past few years.  I know for sure, that Shawn is now in heaven, worshipping Jesus with all his heart.

There are a lot of Campus Ministries here at UNC.  They are so awesome!  I've met so many people through Challenge who will be lifelong friends.  College is a great time to figure out what you believe, and most people do whether they try to or not.  What people believe in college is most likely what they will believe for the rest of their lives.  It's what they will pass on to their children, to their grandchildren, to their great-grand children, and so on. 

I know it's considered Taboo to talk about religion, but I'm just so in love with Jesus.  I can't imagine how I would ever get through something like this without him, and UNC is such a great place to nurture and build up your faith. 

So when you are thinking about getting involved at UNC, consider joining Challenge or another campus ministry.  It's a great way to meet people and it will definitely change your life! 

http://www.uncchallenge.com/

Zoom, zoom, zoom, make my heart go boom boom, my supernova UNC.

Did you know, faithful readers, that our beautiful UNC Campus is spread across 250 acres!  That's

Ten Million, Eight Hundred, & NINETY THOUSAND SQUARE FEET!

Never fear though, if you are wondering how long it might take someone to walk across such a great expanse, it takes me, a fitness guru, about 15 to 20 minutes.  But if you aren't in Tim Tebow/ P90x shape like me, don't worry, there are other options...
1.)  Ride a bike
2.)  Rent a bike from our UNC Rec Center... for FREEEEEEEEEE.  Then ride it.
3.)  Ride a scooter, skateboard, or longboard.
4.)  If you happen to be very well to do, look into a Segway or perhaps a hovercraft.


My personal favorite method of transportation is the Ripstik!  Sleek, cool, and utterly awesome, for me it's the only way to get around... other than car and bus.

So you see my friends, 250 acres isn't so bad, just as long as you have a cool ride like me.

and this guy  ->

Rockin Around the UNC

Hey everybody!  I hope you had a great Christmas!  I know I did. 
This Christmas, I went out to San Diego to visit my family, and boy, oh boy was it beautiful.  On Christmas day, I found myself playing tennis.  Outside.  On Christmas.  Outside.  Wow.
Like I said, it was beautiful, though it saddens me to say, 80 degrees just doesn't really feel like Christmas. 

Needless to say, it was great returning to Greeley and seeing snow.  Winter is one of my favorite times of year around here, besides the frostbite of course.  Look below to see how beautiful it is...

So I say to the San Diegonites... um... San Diegoans... San Diegons
You can keep your 80 degree Christmas's, and your surfing Santa's, I'll take a white Christmas in Greeley anytime. 

Look out below!

Well finals are almost done here at UNC, and kids are packing up their El Backpackas to head home to Mommy and Daddy.  As I walk around campus over these final December school days, I can't help but reflect on my favorite part of Winter... the massive icicles.  I love to look at them!  To lick them!  To stab my friends with them!  And... on a rare occasion, I get to watch one plummet to the earth!  The other day I pulled a huge one off of my favorite local calzone place, "D.P. Dough", and stabbed my pal and housemate Daniel with it (see photo below). 
What really excites me about icicles though is the excitement that accompanies them.  What if an icicle falls when someone is underneath?  They should do a Mythbusters special about it, like when they tested if someone dropping a penny from the top of the empire state building could really slice someones cranium open (I apologize for my morbid vocabulary in this blog.  ha.).  What I especially worry about though, are those beautiful icicles that hang off the third floor overhang of Michener Library (view another photo below!).  Wow... I would hate it if one of those things fell on my big toe and severed it right off!


For those of you wondering, by the way, both me and my brother's acts made it to UNC's got Talent final round!  Come support us on January 10th!

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRR!

Danny

UNC's got Talent!

Wow...
This semester has gone by so fast.  Like lightning fast.  Like Usain Bolt fast.  Like Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphrey's marriage fast.  (I apologize for the pop culture reference, I'm just trying to stay hip.)
Sorry I haven't written a blog in so long!  The slightly depressing reason: I guess there's just been nothing exciting in my life for a while.  But finally!  Something has happened that is perhaps worthy of other people reading about.  UNC has started auditioning for it's world renowned (maybe) talent contest!  My twin brother and his band, Nottingham, and me and my boyband, Summerhill each auditioned.  If you're wondering what we sound like, just imagine a whale song, combined with Sting.  Then imagine Justin Bieber, the Backstreet Boys, Nsync, Zac Efron and catdog all rolled up on top of that.  If you are imagining something close to the picture I've included below, you're right on.  We played a song that I wrote called "Just Wanna Be With You."  I originally formed the band out of a class project.  That's right... If you come to UNC, you too could make a boyband in a class... maybe.  Anyway, they're taking the top 10 out of 30 auditions so I'll let you know next blog if we make it.  Don't let the suspense stress you out though.  I know it's already almost made me wet myself several times.  It's okay, just calm down, and eat a snickers. 

Well faithful readers, I hope you have enjoyed this short and greatly dramatized glimpse into my world at UNC.  Keep reading...  RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWRRRRRR

My life: A romantic comedy?

Hey everybody.  My name is Danny.  This year is my senior year at UNC.  I'm a Communications major with a Sociology minor.  My journey to UNC was definitely a unique one.  To make a long story short, I actually came here chasing romance.  There was this girl who was a student here who I REALLY liked.  And I mean like like like.  Not just like like or like.  We'll call her Kathy.  But don't worry, I wasn't stalking her.  She knew all along that I liked her.  We had hung out a few times, and when I finally arrived here, she acted as sort of an unofficial tour guide.  Of course I gladly followed.  She connected me with UNC Christian Challenge and a Church up here.  Today I sing, play guitar and help to lead worship at both places.
Anyway, if you're wondering what happened with me and Kathy, things didn't really pan out as I had expected.  She wasn't really interested and I moved on.  Later, she ended up dating my best friend and roommate.  We'll call him poopface.  Just kidding.  I'm actually really happy for them.  And don't feel bad for me.  As it turns out, I ended up with the princess after all.  I met the most beautiful girl in the world at Christian Challenge.  We've been together now for a little over a year and a half.  I like to call her Shannon. 
So... this is officially way too long for a first blog.  I'm sure you've lost interest by now.  I hope you stay tuned to hear about more of my misadvenures. 
Later days,
Brother Bear