Commencement

Today, BYU held its commencement exercises for the graduates of April 2013, me included.  To start this account, I must explain that I was under the impression that it began either at 5 or 5:30.  Thus, I got off work at 3.  Dad, who drove the lonely road up here by himself, picked me up so we could go together.  We stopped at home to check what the recommended attire, but instead realized that we were ten minutes late for the academic procession.  We ran out the door, me with my regalia still in its packaging, and Dad dropped me off in front of the Marriott center.  I quickly donned the cap and gown and watched the herd of graduates file by until I found a couple classmates I could attach myself to.  (Oddly, as I was waiting for any familiar faces, a photographer asked if he could take a picture of my silhouette...)

We slowly shuffled into the Marriott Center, took our seats, and listened to addresses from President Samuelson, Michael O'Connor (BYU Alumni Association President), Conrad Rosenbrock (funny-accented graduate), a musical number, and Elder L. Tom Perry.  Then, we were on our own.  I met up with Dad, and we picked up Brett from home to go to dinner (after an hour of watching the NFL draft, of course).

We decided to try a sushi/Chinese restaurant called Wild Ginger.  Mention it to Dad, and I'm sure you'll get his signature look of disgust.  Poorly fried sushi rolls that all tasted the same, service that kept us lacking (literally: Brett never got his pop, and we never got our second round of sushi), and an all-you-can-eat price more expensive than buying the sushi individually.  Needless to say, we paid for the sushi individually and refused to give the waitress a tip.

To make up for the bad taste in his mouth, we brought Dad to J-Dawg's to have a bun-less hot dog.  After that, he was satisfied.  Tomorrow, we'll treat him to a better restaurant.

And that, in a nutshell, is how I spent my first day of graduation.

What do I have to offer from it?

1.  The knowledge of a very bad place to go for sushi.

2.  Two men (Brett and Dad) on my couch watching the NFL draft.

3.  A program.

With my name in it.

And a scholastic recognition.

And tomorrow, I walk.  At 8 in the morning...