Sincerely Me

Dear Texas Rangers,
Thanks for showing up for the World Series...
Sincerely,
Me

Dear College Football,
Isn't it time to implement a playoff just like every other sport? I think so.
Sincerely,
Me

Dear Brett Favre,
Just call it quits already. You had a good career, but know when to stop.
Sincerely,
Me

Dear Campaign season,
I'm sick of you. I don't want to watch anymore commercials telling me who to vote for. That doesn't work for me anyway.
Sincerely,
Me

Dear Southern Utah radio,
I don't care who is running for Senate in Nevada.
Sincerely,
Me

Random

I was driving to work today (late since that is how my day started) and came to a 4-way stop. I got there at the same time as another driver who was going the opposite direction as me. He was going straight, I was turning left. So, as the rules of 4-way stops suggest, I was yielding to the other driver. He sat there for what felt like forever until I finally got annoyed enough and took my turn. I wish people knew how those things work!!!! I think 4-way stops send some people into a panic.
I recently realized that I wish I could remember the "Annie Bangs" song. Oh and the Gooseberry song too.
I love swimming.
I am getting so fast at sudoku. Perhaps it's a sign I have too much time on my hands?
I discovered a new puzzle similar to sudoku. It's a mix between sudoku and crossword puzzles. It is called Kakuro. Check it out! http://www.krazydad.com/kakuro/books/KD_Kakuro_15x15_s2_b002.pdf

Food on My Mind

I recently got a couple melons that look like those pictured above. I was excited because I thought I was going to be eating honeydew. Then I cut into them. Well, I found a cross between honeydew and cantaloupe. For me, food is a big deal and when I try new things, I have to mentally prepare for it. I have been trying to mentally prepare myself to eat these things since yesterday. I still haven't tried it. How bad could it be? I love cantaloupe and I love honeydew, so it could be the perfect combination. They call it the orange flesh melon or the temptation melon.


Also, I recently discovered that I actually enjoy shrimp. After mentally preparing for a meal consisting of shrimp and salmon for a few hours, I found seafood isn't really that bad. I liked the shrimp even if it is weird looking/smelling and the texture is kinda weird too. In the end, a good discovery for me.
On that note, some other foods I find weird are mushrooms- slimy and not so appealing to the eye. I still wonder who decided to eat fungus. Sardines- do these actually taste good? Hot dogs- I don't need to go into detail about how these things are made... all we need to know is that it is weird and yucky.

Too often restaurant experiences become quite stressful for me. Deciding on something from a menu with far too many choices is stressful. For this reason, I very rarely try new things. Does this happen to other people? Or is it just me? Maybe it is because I know either me or someone I am with will be paying for my meal so I better eat it and if I'm going to eat it, I better at least kinda like it.

HAVASUPAI

We had a great trip to Havasupai this year! We stopped for our "last meal" of the week in Kingman Carl's Jr. It was there we found out that Aly is the only normal one.

After our hike through the night, we camped in the village for a few hours until the tourist office opened. I managed to sleep 0 hours that night. We checked in and then made our way to the campground. Above is a newer waterfall that was created from the flood 2 years ago. It is so amazing!

At the campground, I found two trees right next to the creek where I hung my hammock and slept for as long as I possibly could! That felt so good!

We played in the water everyday and every chance we could. It felt so good in the heat of the days. We even played some ultimate frisbee in the creek. I'm not sure how well it worked out, but it was still fun.
The monster I promised myself I would never climb down again. Well, I climbed down it. It was not nearly as bad the second time!

This is just before the hike out. I really was faking the smile because I was secretly in pain. It turns out during our adventure one of the days, my foot was overworked. I thought it was a dehydration cramp, but it never got better and continually got worse. My foot was swollen, but I thought it was probably just from the heat. Well the pain never quit and as we hiked the two miles from the campground to the village it put me into tears. At the village we inquired about a mule or a horse to take me out of the canyon. Well, there were no more going up the trail that day. My only other option was a helicopter ride. I'm not gonna lie, it was kinda exciting. My friends got me a seat on the helicopter and gave me a few things to make their packs lighter then went on their way. There was nobody to take pictures of me getting on the helicopter, so I took pictures of the view and the pilot's face. The ride was really an amazing experience. Being able to see the Grand Canyon from that view was AWESOME! Though I will admit, there were times I was way scared. There was a storm blowing in and thus it was extremely windy up at the top. Well this made the helicopter drop suddenly a few times. Oh man. Anyway, it was a good experience in the end.
I was able to get a picture of the trail I didn't get to hike up. At least I can say I've done it once before. And now I can say that I experienced it from a helicopter as well!
And this would be the awesome ride. It carried me and five men. One very large man too. I didn't get to go up with the ladies.

Summer Hiking (so far)

This was my trip to Kolob with John on free National Parks weekend. I've done this hike before, but never saw the waterfall. It was beautiful and I had good company.

Wish Me Luck

I am preparing for the first interview I've had in 2 and 1/2 years. I'm nervous. I don't know what to expect in this interview. All I can do is be as impressive as I can possibly be. I mean, who wouldn't want me as their coach.

Graduation and stuff.

So my baby (ha) brother graduated from high school this week. This means, I have been out of high school for 5 years and still haven't graduated from college. Well that will happen soon enough. Anyways, after the last high school graduation for a while, I made a vow to send letters and maybe even hold a community meeting about semi-formal events. It sickens me that people have no respect and no dignity. People walk in to graduation in holey jeans and flip-flops like they just came from the beach or the homeless shelter. Rude? Maybe, but really people should show some respect. Also, screaming children!!!! One of my biggest pet peeves. Teach your kids when it's okay to scream and yell and run around. It is definitely not okay at a graduation or when you are eating dinner at a restaurant next to me. It wasn't even just the screaming children. Adults were having conversations with each other, and not even whisper conversations. And not just one or two, nearly every person in that place was having a conversation. Where has the respect and dignity gone?
On a lighter note, I look forward to having my brother close so I don't have to eat pasta and egg sandwiches all the time :). Since that is all Aly eats that is all I generally cook.
I'm glad that my mother is not like oh so many other mothers I know in this world who wear the mom pants. I vow to never wear mom pants. Yay for my mom's awesome taste in clothes :)
I applied for a job that I want so much and am waiting for a call to get an interview. The wait is making me anxious and nervous. The job closes today and they are busy with graduations tomorrow, so hopefully I get a call early next week :). I also found another job that I want even more that I am applying for. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Ever Wonder

where those random scratches and bruises come from? Maybe it happens while I sleep or at some point during the day which I forget about.

Dreams

After lunch with co-workers, we had a conversation about the difference between a DUI and a DWI. We concluded that we should all try a different drug or narcotic or beverage and then drive. Then we'd find out if we'd get a DWI or a DUI. Well, I had a dream that I got pulled over for driving under the influence. I guess the cop thought I had been drinking and wanted to get me for a DUI. Still didn't answer the question about what exactly a DWI is...

Summer

Other than the heat, I love summers. Actually, it doesn't even get very hot in Cedar City, so it could be worse. I love that I have so much more freedom to play. I love that I have a few months with no homework. I love that I always meet new friends in the summer. I love that I get to go hiking as much as I want/can. I love that I can go camping. I love that co-workers give me a hard time about my idea of dutch oven potatoes. I love fresh fruit. I love summer holidays. I love that my parents go on trips without me (ha). I love eating outside. I love being outside.
With that said, I don't love working full-time. I don't love that allergy season lasts 5 months for me, which means constant itchy eyes, congestion like crazy, and I sneeze more than normal. And sometimes itchy skin and itchy throat.
So, though I love summer, I look forward to fall. Fresh vegetables, no more allergies, less time at work, and football.

Facebook and Stuff

• I ran out of gas for the first time ever. Luckily, my car was at my house and not on the side of the road somewhere.
• So far, I'm 8 pounds lighter. :)
• I vow to never do the following: Call my husband "hubby", talk to babies on the phone (once they can talk back it will be different), and profess my love to my significant other on Facebook.
• When I get tired of water (which is very rare), I love a Propel. Lemon is my favorite but are the hardest to find, so I've found that Kiwi Strawberry is delicious as well.
• Good cole slaw is hard to find. I've decided that homemade is always the best.
• I had a dream the other day that my roommate cleaned the kitchen and I was shocked. Well that same day, she actually did it in real life. The most shocking thing is that it's been clean since that day. WHAT?!?!?!?!
• I love winter, but it's been a super long one this year. Summer cannot come fast enough (more hiking and popsicles).
• It's super annoying when people constantly complain about the weather on Facebook. Mostly because after all these years people have lived in this state they should know that Spring weather is unpredictable and should just get over it.
• I must be easily annoyed by Facebook. Time to stop using it?
• I love tests that take 8 minutes or less. Except when it's in my first class of the day.
• I wish there were as many opportunities for softball as there are volleyball.
  

Stuff

-I've decided, after being on Facebook for a while now, that the bad spellers jump out at me. It's really not that hard to spell, people! And the improper use of their and there, your and you're, and so on gets very annoying. Oh and DEFINITELY!!! Sound it out if you must.
-Dear Mrs. Anonymous, you've known me for a while and are very much aware of my fashion sense, why do you still insist on wearing a BLACK top with BROWN pants. Gross.
-Engagement photos: If you insist on kissing in your pictures, please keep those pictures off your announcements. Nobody wants to see you kissing, people want to see your faces. Please don't put them as your profile picture on facebook. Same reason. I want to see your face.
-Dear roommate, when you go shopping, please put your groceries away immediately and not four days later (sometimes it takes longer).

On a lighter note, it is a beautiful day and hasn't snowed since Monday/Tuesday.

• I played in a volleyball tournament in Vernal. Super B Chamions! Woot! (there were four divisions for tournament play: A, Super B, B, and C).
• I have started to try harder at eating breakfast. Must start my day off right!
• Day four: No Sweets! I even said no to a lemonade last night.
  
• I'm going back to the Grand Canyon!
• Three weeks til school is out for the summer :)
• I have some pretty cool friends.
• I get to move to a new apartment in three weeks.
• I still get to live with Aly.
  

Remember Skip-its?

1990s

Remember Pogs?

Lonely?

It's Spring Break. Night #1 by myself in my apartment. Sometimes I wish I could live by myself so I won't have to worry about roommates and can have a clean kitchen without having to clean up after anyone but me. Though it would be so nice, I think I'd be lonely. Maybe that is because not only are the roommates gone, but so are all of my friends. So maybe I wouldn't be lonely and would actually be able to be by myself when I don't want to talk to people. I guess I won't know for sure unless I try it... *sigh*... Maybe someday.

Lately

Lately, I love school. Crazy, I know. I am excited that I finally love what I'm doing and now have so much more motivation to finish! There are some things I just didn't get to do when I was in the classroom listening to lectures all the time. Things like swimming, line dancing, pickle ball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, football, and the list goes on. It's so much fun!
I just wish that I felt the same about work. At least I know that my current job won't be my job for the rest of my life.
City league volleyball... New team, new season, new outcomes! We are winning!
Latest pet peeves:

• Public Display of Affection... Yes, again. It is very disturbing when sitting down to eat at a restaurant and a couple in your line of sight is making out for a good 20 minutes. Gross
• People talking during church. I'm easily distracted, so when people all around me are whispering to each other I can't pay attention very well to the lessons.
• When guys I don't want to go out with ask me out and the guys I do want to go out with won't ask me.
• Especially when I don't have time to come up with an excuse to not go with the guy I don't want to go with.
• When the toothpaste is squeezed from the middle instead of the bottom.
• When the toilet paper goes under instead of over like it's supposed to.
  

Guaymas!!!

So this post ended up being longer than I had planned, but I didn't want to leave any pictures out. I did though. The pictures are in order from the end of the trip to the beginning of the trip! So the one above is the day we left Mexico. Sad day. Especially since the air down there was awesome for my hair...
This was just a laundry chute at the hotel. Shalie wanted to push me down there. It really was just a big hole.
A tender moment with Shalie at the beach. Let's just say it was one of oh so many moments together that week. :)
We wrote our names in the sand. How cute.
I love this picture!
The convenience store OXXO. Yes, I have a bottle of gatorade between my legs. Don't ask.
Fiesta! At the Elementary School. So fun and good food!
Cute little dancers and Shalie! The girl on the right was the best booty shaker I've ever seen. The little girl on the left was pretty good too.
My little friend. She was so cute. I didn't know what she said to me most of the time, but that's okay.
This picture just captured so much of Mexico. It's amazing.
Proof of the hot dog pizza.
This was one of the many many great meals we had. This night we ate at 1000 Tortas. I ordered my oh so delicious enchiladas de pollo all by my self! I was so excited.
Hard at work or hardly working. Eh either way, we got so much done at the orphanage!
The first night of good food! This was at Papas Locas. Well that's not really what the place was called, but we all got papas locas to eat. MMMM crazy potatoes!
This was the first day in Mexico. At the beach. Shalie thought it would be cute if we ran into the ocean holding hands. So tender.

Oh My Guaymas!

I've been back for a month, but I still want to post some pictures from my amazing trip to Mexico. It was such a great experience! My first time out of the country, but definitely not my last. It was definitely a culture shock for me. The worst part of the days was when I had to order my food. It stressed me out so much. I don't know Spanish at all and since we weren't in a "tourist" area of Mexico, the people didn't speak English. So I was always so stressed that I would accidentally order the wrong thing and end up eating fish. You don't wanna eat fish in Mexico... But I had help and all went well. I even ordered enchiladas de pollo all by myself one night. Oh the food was delicious! I miss it so much! Nothing here is as spicy as that food! Tortillas. MMMM. Around the town, there are many trucks or cars that drive around with big speakers on the top of them (like the ice cream truck) selling tortillas. The 'song' was so catchy and if I knew Spanish, I probably would remember it.
The children... They broke my heart. They learn at such a young age that white people=money. So we were constantly asked by small children for pesos. Oh and 30 gringos walking down the street in Guaymas stick out a lot... We spent 3 and a half days at an orphanage, cleaning up the playground and just playing with the ninos. I was there on 2 different days for half the day. It was such a good experience. I realized that it didn't really matter that I couldn't talk to them, as long as I let them sit in my lap and hug them. The boys loved to play soccer against the gringos. Only cause they could beat us. We played a lot of soccer. The girls loved being spun around in circles. It was heartbreaking when we had to leave. The kids never wanted us to leave.
The Elementary School. That was so much fun. I went there the second day in Mexico. We painted desks. I think the teachers quit fighting with the kids to keep them in school once we got there, cause there was always kids around trying to tickle us while we painted or kids wanting to help paint. And that got a little messy. It was so fun though. The principal was such a nice lady. She paid for lunch for us that day. What was for lunch? Hot Dog Pizza. I did eat a slice of it, well most of a slice. A girl can take only so much hot dog... I went back to the elementary school the next day for their fiesta. All I can say is that Mexicans sure like to dance... Dirty dance. We played some games with the kids before they all went into separate classrooms. We judged a dance contest, we had races with kids on our backs. One little girl pulled me into her classroom where we spent pretty much the entire time. I've never seen such little girls dance so dirty. The hot Mexican teacher wasn't much help, cause he was a pretty dirty dancer too. Shalie decided at one point we were listening to a song about getting naked... based on the teacher pretending to take off his shirt and then all the kids pretending to take off their pants... It was also pretty funny to see us white girls try to dance. We had a break for lunch... we got real Mexican food and one of our friends a few rooms down got Dominoes Pizza. Haha.
The Soup Kitchen... Humbling experience. I went there the first day. We helped clean up after breakfast and spent oh so much time cleaning off chairs... So Many Chairs. We went back to the motel for lunch and so then we were able to go back to the kitchen to help serve lunch. Most of the people who came for soup were men. We learned that most of those men were too drunk to take care of their families and end up leaving their families. I'm pretty sure if I understood what they were saying to us, they were hitting on all the girls. One man wanted me to buy him some tennis shoes. I was pretty proud that I figured that out. Then a mother with 2 children would come through the line. It was such a great experience. The ladies working at the soup kitchen were some of the hardest workers I've ever met. The pots of soup they cooked day after day was oh so much. The pots were big enough to fit a person inside.
Some things this trip made me grateful for:

• Our sewer system. Be grateful you can flush toilet paper.
• That I was able to go to a school that didn't have bars on windows and doors.
• That I can go to a church that doesn't have bars on windows and big fences to keep vandals out.
  
• That I live in this country, where we have laws that help keep the places we live clean.
• My family, my mom and dad.
• Good examples in my life: friends, leaders, teachers.
• That I've never had to beg for money.
• That parents can't just drop their children off at orphanages when they don't want them without getting serious consequences for it.

We had some fun while we were there also. We went to the beach a few times. We were there in time for the sunset each time. It was so beautiful. The last day in Mexico we went to the market and bought a few things and then went to the beach. When we got there, we got to watch some dolphins jump across the ocean. SO COOL! When we were walking through the water, one of the girls got stung on both her feet by a manta ray. They wouldn't let us get in the water after that :(. One night we ran into the missionaries when we were on our way to Dairy Queen. They needed a ride. It just so happened that only one of them spoke English and he was from Utah! Awesome! Some things that I hope I always remember:

• There were random shrines on the side of the roads, everywhere.
• A couple had a romantic moment on the side of the road... It was just weird
• OXXO stores are everywhere, like Maverick is in Utah.
• The ocean was warmer than the pool at our hotel.
• The man climbed the palm tree (somehow, mind still blown) to clean off dead branches.
• The crosswalk signals... So entertaining. Instead of a boring man and then a blinking hand for our crosswalk signals, we should have a man running, and as time runs out he gets faster and faster!
• The green light blinks before it turns yellow.
• The police pretty much do nothing except direct traffic with their whistles. If someone runs a stop sign, all they do is yell at them through their speakers.
• Traffic is crazy! And so are pedestrians.

So here are a few pictures!