Changes coming to the old blog...

Its been way too long since I last posted something to this blog, so the first major change is that I am going to start blogging again. Second, I'm thinking that the "Royal Journal" is outdated and in desperate need for change! That's why over the course of the coming weeks, I am going to revamp the site and christen it with a new name (recommendations welcome, but I think I might know what I'll be calling it). Stay tuned, I'm looking forward to getting more involved. Lately I've been ALL too distracted with Twitter, so I will find a way to incorporate my tweets with my blog. Enjoy your weekend...but not TOO much!

BADNESS!

Haven't blogged in a while. Here's why...

For the past few months things have been very hectic in the life of Kristian Odland. The madness all started at the end of July with Comic-con 2009 in San Diego. As usual the convention was completely enjoyable (as you can see in the photo). My badness brothers, Tim & Kyle, joined me at the convention and we partook in the geeky goodness. Click here to see all the pictures from the madness.

Only days following the magic that was Comic-con, came the Odland family vacation. I packed my bags and flew east to Utah to meet up with the family for our week-long trip to Jackson Hole, WY. There was loads of outdoor fun to be had including canoing, hiking and swimming. But as it is true with all vacations, it went by WAY too fast. The downside of my vacation coming to an abrupt end was the fact that I had huge pile of stuff to deal with on my plate of life. A new job at KTLA and the giant chore of finding a new roommate.

Now, weeks later I'm working 7 days a weeks, have found a new roommate and couldn't be more content with life. Now I just need to get back to blogging. I have neglected you, oh Royal Journal, for too long now. Time to reconcile!

Oh in case you're wondering what I'm doing at KTLA, I'll show you...



Freelance news writer KTLA, Los Angeles
short by Sarah Grooters

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.....

Too busy to blog...

It has been a hellish few weeks, who would have known that the end of the summer would have taken so much free time from me. Between a week long visit from my parents, NBC Fall Premiere Parties, and the Emmys and University of Utah Football it has been a crazy past few weeks. If you really know me you'd probably guess that my lack of blogging can be blamed on my iPhone, which I haven't put down since purchasing.

With that said, I will now be making an extra effort to write at least twice a week.

P.S. I'm sitting at work, listening to President Bush address the nation in this time of Economic Peril. And I am thinking to myself how lucky I am that I am virtually debt free.

I broke up with Tmobile...and I'm happier than ever!

After a long 5 year relationship with T-Mobile I have decided to part with the cell phone service provider. Me and the hunk of junk pictured to the right, went through college together, hell we made the trek from Park City to Los Angeles together in 2006. I will say that through thick and thin this Samsung doorstop, has pulled through for me. But alas, all good things must come to and end...for BETTER and more amazing things!!

Last night I jumped on the bandwagon and got myself a little piece o' geeky technology, maybe you've heard of it, it's called an iPhone. In order to become so blessed, I had to cancel my old T-Mobile contract and joined AT&T. That in itself was much more of a chore than I had forseen. I had to change phone numbers which was VERY painful. I had grown very attached to my 801 Utah number over the years, but the "JUICE" was definitely worth 'SQUEEZE." The iPhone 3G is the best thing that has happened to my cellular phone world. Email, Internet and Apps, OH MY!! If you knew what was good for you you'd get one too!! Peer pressure!!!P.S. If you know me and haven't heard already I will be sure to send you my new cell number sometime in the very near future.

PCHS 10 year reunion, a weekend I will never forget...

I arrived in Utah safe and sound on Thursday August 21st. The only problem was I had a little tickle in the back of my throat. At first I really wasn't that concerned, seeing that I got up at 5:30 am to catch my 6:30 flight out of Burbank. But after I had been in Salt Lake City for a few hours, I really started to feel off. I had the shakes, very similar to the kind one gets after drinking too much coffee/cola. I still didn't think that much about it. I thought maybe it was my body acclimating to Utah's high elevation. It wasn't until later that night that I realized those symptoms were just the simple beginnings of what was going to be a long, painful weekend. By 9:00 I was lying in bed with a hellish fever, temperature of 101.7 degrees.

Now, I share this fact to help everyone understand just how perfect the timing of this illness was. For starters it has been months, maybe even longer than 1 year, since I had last been so sick. And here I was in Utah for 4 days to see and party with all my old high school friends and acquaintances, only I was too sick to move let alone talk. So thank you, mother nature, for spoiling what was supposed to be a wild weekend of old friends and crazy fun.

Fortunately the reunion wasn't until Saturday night, which gave me two and a half days to rest up and be in good enough form to make my grand arrival to the class of 1998's 10 year party. Although I wasn't at 100% and still had a mild fever, I did my darnedest to enjoy myself and be social. It was a lot of fun to see all the familiar faces. It was weird and neat at the same time to be around all the grown up Park City Miners. For the most part, everyone (that showed) looked exactly the same as they did on graduation day, save a few receding hairlines, beer bellies, and extra curves. The changes that I had been warned about from others who had attended previous high school reunions were not as apparent in my class. So I must say that my hat is off to my class for maintaining their health and sharpish good looks. Hell, even my buddy Lee who we called "Fats" for obvious reasons, had shed so much weight that nickname need not apply any longer. So despite my taxing illness, well damn, BECAUSE OF my sickness, this 10 year reunion weekend has been a memory that I will surly NEVER forget. Below are some pictures from The Lodge at Stillwater, where my precious get together was held...



*Thanks Matt Lyle for picking up after our class prez and putting great occasion together for us.

Time flys by when you are keeping busy!

Man I tell you, I can't believe it's been so long since I donned the cap and gown as a high school graduate. 10 years to be exact, that's right a WHOLE decade! You may remember I mentioned a few months ago that I have my 10 year high school reunion this year, it is in fact this upcoming weekend. I am very anxious and curious to meet and see all my old classmates and how they all turned out. Fat, thin, hairy, bald or with kids, it is going to be a lot of fun to see Park City High School Class of 1998 again. I will be sure to post pictures of this weekend's blessed event! GO MINERS!!

More Earthquake fun...

I found these clips of different productions here in LA that suffered the wrath of Tuesdays' 5.4 Earthquake. They are pretty entertaining.

Big Brother


Judge Judy


And a little retro David Letterman video poking fun at LA quakes.


I'm just glad no one was hurt and we can all laugh at it now.

The Great Quake of 2008...

A major "groundbreaking" occurrence in the world of Kristian Odland today. Just before noon I experienced my first Los Angeles Earthquake. I was shocked and caught off guard by the 5.4 earth rumble, but normal Angelenos didn't seem to be phased. It was almost as if quakes happen so frequently they are numb to it. I guess I haven't lived here long enough to know that, but I thought it was a big deal. I mean my entire fourth floor office shook all over the place. And I don't know about you, but when buildings are moving, I 'm worried for my safety. It wasn't a pleasant experience. Gotta love the picture above. I think it captures exactly how most Los Angeles residents felt about today's tremor.

The time has come to GEEK OUT...

That's right boys and girls, Kristian is making the trek down to San Diego for his 1st ever Comicon experience. I really don't know what to expect, but I am very excited. I will be at the convention all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It might be a bit of an overload on Comic Books, Movies and television shows, but I am very anxious to see what Comicon has to offer. I don't know how often I will get to blog, but I will at very least try to utilize Jott.com and call in blog entries as thing happen down there. I anticipate that there will be LOADS to share so stay tuned...

Is Someone Trying to Kill Me?

So I just got an email from a friend of mine in Florida. This has me scared to death. I hope it's just a coincidence, but there are just too many things that line up. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Watch this:

I'm moving back to Utah...adios California!

After much consideration, and some VERY difficult decisions, I have decided to make the grand trek back to Utah. My time here in LA has been great, I have made my mark on the entertainment industry but it is time to get back to my family.

I have come to this conclusion after looking at how much money I had to spend just to survive in this place last year. Bottom line, it is just too damn expensive. So, at the end of this month, I will be loading up my car and making the trek back to the great Beehive State (aka Utah). On the bright side I will be be back with my family, and will be able to spend more time with my Utah friends again. OH YEAH! Not to mention, there are quite a few ladies that I want to pick things up where they left off with.


I know this is a very sudden decision, but I know in my heart that it is what is best for me. I will deeply miss all the great people that I have come to know over these past two years. My experience in the entertainment world has been MORE than valuable. I know it will suite me even better in Utah. I mean let's face it...I will be a virtual celebrity from the second I return., that's ALWAYS a good thing!

Now that this is out in the open, I need to plan some GRAND get together for my Cali peeps, before my triumphant exit. Keep your eyes peeled for an eVite , I'm thinking mid-April, I am really going to miss everyone out here. Almost as much as the weather, just kidding. Only one month left and then Mama, I'm coming home.

New Month, New Goals...

It has been my new years resolution to have monthly goals. As everyone does, I started off on the right track. I had good results in January, but February was a different story, not so successful. So I am determined to have better results in March. Ideally, I would like to have my goals written down by the first of the month and I know we are already 5 days into March, but it's better late than never, right? And as the battle of "Old" Kristian vs. "New" Kristian wages, I am determined to do EVERYTHING I can to make "New" Kristian victorious. Accomplishing monthly goals is one of those things.

Here are my March Goals:

1. Work Out at gym 3 times per week.
2. Read one book this month.
3. No Fast Food this month.
4. No Carbonated drinks this month.
5. Do my taxes.
6. Eat half as much as I normally do.

They are very similar to January's, but I feel like they are good goals to have. If I meet these expectations, I feel like I am at least making some progression in my life. And that is VERY important for me right now.

Haven't seen Battlestar Galactica? WTF?

It's not exactly common knowledge, but it should be. I am a die-hard Battlestar Galactica fan and the premiere of season 4, the final season, is only weeks away. If you haven't hopped on the frakking band wagon yet, you still have a good amount of time to cram in all three seasons before the April 4, 2008 premiere date. And if you simply don't have the time the SciFi Channel has just put together a short 8 minute summary of all three previous seasons to refresh our memories. Appropriately titled "What the Frak?" this summation takes a quick and fairly comical run through the entire story arc of the series. Check it out at IMDB or just click below...



Season 3 of Battlestar Galactica comes to DVD on March 18. Buy it or "die in a fire!" Kudos to Aaron for turning me onto that phrase.


One more thing...today I received the high honor of all SciFi geekdom, I was featured in a blog written by Charlie Craig, the Executive Producer of Eureka (watch it on SciFi).

Check out his Blog here, its good times:

The Process

"I'm a baller, baby!"

"I against I" OR "Defeating Kristian as Kristian"

You may recall that at the beginning of the year I laid out several goals that I wanted to accomplish each month. I must say that January was a very successful month, but February was very different, my goal-accomplishing skills were much "less effective." Thinking back I see my main mistake was not starting the month with any specific goals in mind. And without any concrete aspirations, it is nearly impossible to accomplish anything.

There are several reasons I am trying to challenge myself. For one, I really want to become a better person, and I feel like I have been much too stagnant for the past year. And two, I like a good challenge and I feel like if I make a "to do list" every month, I will feel like I am being successful once I accomplish those goals. It's not easy breaking old habits. It's almost like my new self is fighting my old self to the death. Most of my old habits are lingering around, while my new self wants to break through and take over. In a sense, it's just "Old" Kristian vs. "New" Kristian.

"New" Kristian vs. "Old" Kristian

Battle Statistics:

Round 1 (January 2008): Victory to "New" Kristian

Round 2 (February 2008): Victory to "Old" Kristian

Round 3 (March 2008): The final round, TBD

As you can see, the score is even, "old" has defeated "new" and "new" has defeated "old." Next month is a big month, it will truly determine if I really do want to change. I'm hoping for a "New" Kristian victory. If that happens then I am on my way to change. Stay tuned...

Car woes...and "Brightening my day!"

So I am completely and underly fed up with my car. Granted, I haven't had too many problems over the course of my ownership, but lately I have been hearing strange noises from the front wheel on the passenger side. I have taken it into the shop multiple times, they say they have fixed it, but the sound remains. Believe me, it doesn't sound good. It sounds like a small animal is jammed behind the tire and its precious little bones are GRINDING against the wheel all while its screeching in dire pain.

As many of you know, car issues are one of the leading causes of stress across the country, especially for those of us who don't have a lot of money (Oh, how I wish I was a billionaire). At first, I would let the sound stress me out, but I've gotten to the point that I don't even care anymore. I mean, my Toyota is a first generation Rav4, a 1997 model, so it is as old as Methuselah. The good news, I am literally weeks away from paying it off, so I have boldly decided that I am going to purchase a new car. I am going to have to hang tight for about a month, but I will definitely pick up my new ride then. Right now I am torn between The MINI Cooper S hardtop and the Scion tC. Both get very good gas mileage, the MINI is a bit more expensive, but its small size make it ideal for city life in LA. The Scion tC is a Toyota product and everyone knows Toyota makes some of the most reliable cars in America today, AND they get great gas mileage and have very few mechanical problems. That is really what I need right now, something that is reliable and sleek. I'm at a time in my life where I need to be driving something that I actually want to drive. More to come on this recent development in the life of Kristian with a "K."

In the meantime, check out this clip from yesterday's the Ellen Degeneres Show. Thanks to my coworker for sending me the link. I am eternally indebted. It instantly made me feel better, I hope it has the same affect on you!

I'm telling you, seriously unbelievable! Who would have thought that Christina Aguilera having a baby would turn out to be the best news for men across America in recent memory.

Ringing in the New Year...

Before I start, I just want to wish each and everyone of you a VERY happy 2008. 2007 has officially come to a close. As I think back on the year, I remember some really good times, some hard times and see all the mistakes I made. This is the time of the year when we are supposed to make New Years Resolutions. And I, like everyone else have made them and broken them every year. We have all heard that writing down these resolutions make it much easier to keep them. This year I am going to take a different approach, instead of making several big goals for the span of the whole year, I am going to make several Goals that span the length of one month. That way I will be able to see the success of them much quicker and have a greater sense of accomplishment. That is actually one reason I am writing this blog. I want to document my results. I started this blog just over a year ago and have not been so diligent in writing on a regular basis. So this in itself, will be one of my resolutions. So with no further delay here are my goals for January 2008:

1. Gym Membership & workout every weekday(drop weight approx. 10lbs)
2. Eat half as much & No soda for entire month.
3. Write in blog at least twice a week.
4. Read 1 book this month.
5. Spend money only on necessities.

I will be keeping track of these 5 goals and will follow up at the end of the month. For those of you reading this, I would also appreciate your support and encouragement. Feel free to ask me how my goals are going. I could use the extra encouragement. Happy new year to all, stay tuned for more blog entries.

Following Through...

Okay, I have to admit. Following through on my goal to blog once a week is turning out to be a but more challenging than I originally thought. Maybe it has to do with the time of year. Granted, I did choose to start doing this right around the holidays. So it's no surprise that I am having trouble finding time. Well a lot has happened since coming back from my holiday trip home. New Years, which was a lot of fun, was more memorable in 2006 than in any other year. Reason being, not only did I party well into the night, but only a few hours later I worked in Pasadena at the 2007 Rose Bowl Parade. Yeah, you're probably thinking that I'm crazy actually choosing to work at 4:00 am on New Years Day, BUT besides the fact that I was super tired and hungry, it was an experience that I will never forget. And no, I did not put a picture of marching storm troopers on this post because I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan, there were actually hundreds of the armor clad space soldiers marching in the streets of Pasadena. George Lucas was the parade's grand Marshal this year, so many portions of the parade were Star Wars themed. Overall, a great parade and fun experience.

Why "Blog".......

You know 10 years ago "Blogging" was something unheard of. In fact, at that time if I had even heard the word "blog" thoughts of some sort of space alien or demon from the under world may have come to mind, not an online journal.

But in this day and age, "Blogging" has virtually taken over the Internet. The term "weblog," which was coined in 1997, became "blog" two years later (1999) When a man named Peter Merholz jokingly broke the word "weblog" into the phrase "we blog" in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com. That is a little known fact, but it changed history. Blogging evolved from the online diary, where people would keep a running account of their personal lives. But now people use them for just about everything else.

Everyone seems to have a blog these days; from political critics who need some sort of outlet to preach their political points of view, to science-fiction fans that write and speculate about upcoming movies, video games and comic books.

A "Blog" can be a powerful form of self-expression; so long someone takes the time to read it. That is why, today, I have chosen to embark on this quest called "blogging" in hopes to crack some smart ass remarks, raise some interesting questions and share experiences. And I will dedicate myself to this endeavor by writing at least one of these blasted blogs a week. And if, by any chance, I skip one, I probably have a really good excuse so save the criticism. With that said, it begins.........

Kristian