Bring it on 2010

Looking back at 2009 I would have to say the biggest thing this year was turning 30. So many people feel 30 is so old and you're almost middle aged and life isn't as much fun anymore. I disagree!!!!! I've got to say 2009 was one of the best years of my life yet. I've felt the most healthy, the most beautiful, and the most comfortable in my own self.

The year wasn't perfectly peaceful and happy. But I did the best to roll with what happened and make the best of any situation that came up. Over the years I have learned I can survive anything. Nothing is going to break me or deflate my soul. And if at the end of the day all I know is that there is a God and Pili will be happy to see me, life is good.

This year I almost lost my job due to outsourcing, but was transferred to a different department. I vacationed with family and I vacationed with friends. I trained for a race that I didn't get to run in and in doing so I pushed my body to limits I never knew, but was able to handle. I watched friends get married and have babies and lose loved ones. I have loved ones losing their memory to a disease, getting divorced, and going to prison.

Life is not perfect. Nor is it always what we want. But as my friend Oprah says, "What I know for Sure" is that as long as we can laugh and never, ever quit - anything is possible. Anything.

And for 2010, I want to have at least as good a year as 2009. If it ends up 2010 is even better than 2009, so be it! :-)

Happy New Year to you my friends!

So this is Christmas

After returning to work from the Christmas Holiday it seemed I had a better time Christmas Eve and Christmas Day than almost everyone I talked to. There was a friend who spent Christmas Eve in bed with a headache, another friend who stressed about what they didn't or rather couldn't buy their friends and family, another had a fight with her dad and spent Christmas day surrounded by family and not talking to him, and the list goes on and on.

My Christmas break began with being off work Christmas Eve. I woke up late (8 am) and after getting ready took some bagels to a supplier we do a large amount of business with. I heard they were working Christmas Eve and decided they needed a little cheer. They were completely surprised and it was so fun to disrupt their day with some joy. After the bagel delivery I stopped at the store to get ingredients to make a pumpkin cheesecake for the dinner I was attending later that night. After the cheesecake baked I took Pili to the dog park and let her play for almost an hour while enduring the 21 degree temperature. Watching her run around the park and get into the water made me giggle and I couldn't help but let her play a little longer. After I took Pili home I loaded the car and headed to my friend Jenn's house for dinner and secret Santa gift exchange. Jenn had spent the whole day cooking and she had done a great job! Her funeral potatoes were so delicious! And I couldn't stop eating ham. Better to load up on protein than carbs I suppose. We played Scattergories and teased one another and laughed until our sides ached. Our group of friends is a fun bunch and sometimes our nights together are drama filled with boyfriends to gossip about or kids misbehaving or just being ugly to one another. It happens. But Christmas Eve we played and laughed and completely enjoyed each other. It was a home filled with love and friendship.

After the friend party on Christmas Eve I went with Jenn, Mike and Sean to Mike's family's house. We made a paper Christmas tree that was taped to the wall. And we made paper chains and paper ornaments that were posted to the tree on the wall. Mike's dad decided it was cleaner and cheaper to do a tree of paper so it is a new tradition in their family. After making the tree we played guys versus girls Taboo. When that was over we headed to midnight Mass. This was a new experience for me. It was the first time I'd been to Catholic Mass. I went because I was invited and it seemed respectful to participate fully in the Christmas Eve I'd been invited to. At Mass I didn't feel completely comfortable. The service was beautiful and I appreciated the beliefs of the congregation but there were things I don't believe and couldn't be part of should I want to be a Catholic. In my religion there is a love of God rather than a fear. Over and over in the words of the Monsignor was expressions of fear for God instead of how much love God has for us. Not dressing up for church was interesting to me. On one hand I thought it was cool to come as you are, but on the other hand I wanted to be respectful of being in a house of God and felt that could be better conveyed dressing up to attend services. The prayers said were rehearsed. I've been taught that I can talk to God in my prayers and have an open conversation rather than reciting a century old prayer. The incense in the gold tin that purified the alter and then the congregation was interesting to me. Most interesting to me was listening to the story of Jesus' birth being read from the bible. I can't recall the word I heard differently numerous times, but I know in the version I have heard for years, "All went to be taxed including Mary and Joseph". The collection plates being passed through the congregation was interesting. Rather than donating a certain amount from all congregation members privately in an envelope many people didn't donate and many donated whatever was in their pocket. I felt like a secret spy as I noticed differences in our beliefs. I wanted all to know what I know, but I knew this setting was not the time to try to express what I know and wished they could all know. In the end, I know I was amongst believers of God and we were celebrating the birth of Jesus. That's what Christmas is all about after all.

Christmas Day I woke up at 8 am after going to bed at 2 am and took Pili to play at the dog park. While Pili ran around I talked to my Dad and Bekah and Carson who were having a great Christmas breakfast. After taking Pili home I headed to Ogden to the home of my roommate Anna's family. Anna's mom makes a delicious treat called Christmas Tree bread that is shaped as a tree from how its folded. It a cinnamon roll tree minus the cinnamon and plus cherries and it has a fantastic sugar glaze. We enjoyed the bread and headed to Anna's Grandma's house. The house was full of cousins and siblings and Grandma and me. And I felt like just another member of the family. We enjoyed dinner and the traditional Christmas picture and played games. On the way back to Anna's parents house I rode in the backseat with Anna and her 3 sisters. We had the youngest sister laying on her belly across our laps. And the half mile ride back from Grandma's house we pinched and tickled the sister that lay across our laps. Back at Anna's family's house I was given my own stocking that had the same treats as Anna and her sisters. Anna's sweet mom made my day with this simple gift! Not having contact with my mom I forget the "Mom things" that are done for children at Christmas. I felt so loved and fully part of their family celebration. I wasn't an outsider who had been invited so they weren't home alone. I was an invited guest who was loved and treated as if I was part of their family. There is no better gift than that.

When I left Anna's family I went home for a couple hours and met Jenn and Sean and Mike for a movie. Since I was 17 its been a tradition to see a movie Christmas Day. This year we saw "Sherlock Holmes" which was action packed and had very smart writing. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I had 2 more days off work to enjoy the Christmas holiday that I spent home alone with Pili. Both my roommates were home with their families and that was fine by me. A little time alone is always enjoyable. I enjoyed treats Anna's mom sent me home with and wore comfy clothes and watched chick flicks.

I went back to work having had 4 days full of fun and love. I felt so lucky and loved to have had such a great holiday! How blessed I am to be surrounded with such great people. I truly hope I return the favor and make them feel as valuable and loved in my life all the rest of the year, and not just on Christmas.

Share the Love

There is a lot going on in my life right now!!! I've got a female medical situation, my brother was just sent to prison for 5 years, my dad's getting a divorce, work is super busy and we're starting the next round of outsourcing to India, and some roommate issues finish the list of plenty going on.

This morning when I got to work my dear friend met me at my desk with a skinny caramel latte. She knows all thats going on in more detail to the above paragraph and she just showed up with a little love and sunshine to start my day.

I can't help but be in a good mood now. I can't help but smile. I'm lucky and grateful to have such love in my life. I hope you have people like that and I hope you take the time to tell them they're loved and you unexpectedly show up when they need you most.

Day 5 - Thanksgiving, Day 6 - Back to SLC

Day 5 - A Munn's family Thanksgiving was in order today. Jeremy's mom came over mid-morning to start cooking, and his dad, the 6 grand kids and their parents came over around 2 to play and eat. The kids LOVED Pili. Well, once they stopped being afraid of her since she is kind of a big dog. They really liked giving her treats and kicking a soccer ball to her and trying to keep it away from her. I helped cook too, I made the mashed potatoes. They were, and I quote, "The Bomb!"

After dinner their family went for a walk and I stayed at the house for some quiet time. The 6 grand kids have a LOT of energy and make a LOT of noise. I'm just not used to that much going on at one time so it was nice to have complete quiet and relax from their fun, but tiring visit.

We ended the day with a movie. Jeremy and his mom and I went to see "The Blindside" which was pretty good. Its based on a true story and I found it so touching. The family took in a homeless teenager. They loved him like he was their own, even became his guardians. I am amazed at the way lives change from simple human kindness. The life he could have had would have been so much different had this family not crossed his path. Really a beautiful story.

Day 6 - This morning I headed to Trader Joe's on my own. I google mapped the directions but somehow missed something because I was headed to San Dimas and ended up lost in Chino Hills. All week long Jeremy has drove and he has a GPS. It was so nice to have for navigating the many freeways in the LA area. I got frustrated and was starting to feel helpless. I considered speeding in the hopes of CHP pulling me over to help with directions. Needless to say after a lot of laughing and stopping to get a coke, I found a Trader Joe's in Chino Hills and managed to get back to the house in West Covina without calling anybody or stopping to ask for directions. The freeways aren't so terrible, you just really have to pay attention.

When I got back to the house the grand kids were there again and the day really felt like a family day. It was my own thoughts and nothing that had been said by anyone, but I just felt it was best to head back to Utah a day early and let them spend time together. So I loaded the car and Pili and I hit the road. Leaving Cali we were in bumper to bumper traffic on a 4 lane freeway!!!! It was frustrating, but only fitting since its totally LA style. Traffic finally cleared out around Las Vegas and it was nice not to have cars everywhere I looked for the entire 10 hour drive.

We got home just a little after midnight Utah time. It was 35 degrees when we got home and I was freezing since it had been 75 in LA and I was still wearing shorts and flip flops on the drive home.

This California girl is a NorCal girl, but I loved the week in SoCal! The weather was perfect and I couldn't soak up enough sunshine. And best of all, it was a lot of fun to spend time with one of my favorite friends. Being a tourist was a lot of fun thanks to my fantastic "tour guide". Thanks Jeremy!

Day 4 - Catalina Island

Today we headed into Long Beach for a day trip to Catalina Island via the Catalina Express. The city of Avalon on Catalina Island holds a special place in my heart. My mother and her brothers and parents lived on Catalina. This was my first time seeing the island they have told me stories of since I was a young girl.

Avalon is about a mile walk from end to end and there is a pedestrian path that guides tourists along the shore. We enjoyed our walking tour that took us to the Casino, the Yacht Club, the Tuna Club, and the more secluded cove of Descanso beach. The streets of Avalon are filled with quaint shops and kitchy souvenirs.

The sunshine felt so good today! There was a slight breeze and the temperature was in the mid 70's. It was such a nice day!

We ate lunch at El Galleon where I tried a Scallone Sandwich. It was so good! I wanted fish and this was a sandwich of scallops and abalone. This was the first time I've eaten abalone and I will gladly eat it again! The fish was breaded in egg and grilled instead of being dipped in bread crumbs and deep friend. I loved it!

After lunch we visited Lloyd's of Catalina which is best known for its taffy. I enjoyed an ice cream cone with a scoop of pistachio and a scoop of coconut pineapple ice cream. It was a delightful treat!!!

The last hour on the island was spent sitting in the warm sun and watching the waves roll in and out of middle beach. When we arrived back in Long Beach the palm tree lined harbor looked very beautiful in the setting sun.

Day 3 - Hollywood, Leno, Griffith Observatory

Once again the weather was in the 70's and not a cloud in sight! It was a great day to do some sightseeing! Our first stop was Hollywood, but food was first on the agenda before sights. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe and found a store with Hard Rock merchandise, but no Cafe. The restaurant will be there in another month. So we settled for Hooters. This was the first time I'd ever been to Hooters. My parmesan garlic chicken sandwich was good, and the staff was quite friendly. It's rather weird to me that women want to work there and want to wear those skimpy outfits, but whatever works for people.

After eating we headed over to the Walk of Fame and Mann's Chinese Theater. Michael Jackson's star had flowers and provided constant tourist photo stops. I enjoyed walking around seeing all the hand prints and footprints in front of Mann's Theater. It was surprising to see the footprints of many stars are so small! It was fun to see the hands and feet prints of classic stars like Shirley Temple and Doris Day.

Next we headed over to NBC Studios to watch a taping of The Jay Leno Show. I've never been in a studio audience for a show taping before this. It was fascinating! There were so many lights on set and so many cameras! And the show almost felt like I was just watching at home. Jay's show taping is an hour, just like what the public watches. When the show cuts to commercial the studio audience is entertained by the Primetime Band. I loved seeing the set in person! It really was very cool!!

The last event of the day was a trip to the Griffith Observatory. There were incredible views of Los Angeles from the hillside location of the Griffith. It was amazing to be in the ills of the city looking out over all the lights and skyscrapers of L.A.

Near the Griffith is the famous Hollywood sign. I was hoping to get a picture, but it was night time and despite what I had thought, the Hollywood sign does not have lights on it at night.

After navigating through traffic we headed back to the house and got dinner at In & Out. This is a Southern California original and I've heard fo years how great their food is. I've seen more of them in our travels than Mc Donald's the last few days. Tonight's burger was my first at In & Out and it was good, but (dare I say it) I've had better burgers.

Day 2 - Huntington Beach

Today's forecast was for clear skies and 75 degrees so we packed our lunch and beach chairs and headed to dog beach in Huntington Beach.

It was fantastic! I loved time in the sunshine, time playing with Pili, and time in the Ocean. Watching the waves crash into each other and sweep across the sand mesmerized me. It was very peaceful and relaxing. Something about the Ocean speaks to me. I could go for a visit every day this week and not be tired of it. I miss the Ocean most when I miss California.

It was so great playing with Pili today. She was in dog heaven! Its no secret Pili is a water lover. At home when we visit the dog park and its barely 20 degrees outside she's happily wading in the water in between fetching her ball. Today she spent the entire afternoon retrieving a tennis ball from the beach or the rolling waves of the Ocean. And I swear when we first got to the beach and I took off her leash that she was smiling as she hopped in the waves and excitedly ran up the beach to me.

I'm learning about traffic in southern California. No matter when you drive, you plan at least an extra half hour for traffic. I'm a northern Cali girl and I'm used to a quick pace, but its different in southern Cali. People are always speeding and in a rush. And there are a lot of people everywhere we go - grocery store, gas station, or WalMart.

After our day at the beach Jeremy and I babysat his nephew and 5 nieces for 3 hours. The kids were a lot of fun and a lot of energy. It is a lot of work taking care of 6 children, but very rewarding. When it was time to leave I got tears to stop when I promised I'd see them again on Thanksgiving.

Its time for a travel blog!

Today started a week long trip to sunny California. Pili and I are in West Covina with my friend Jeremy for a little something I've been calling, "Be a Tourist in LA!"

The drive to West Covina from Salt Lake City was approx 11 hours. Pili and I stopped at a dog park in St. George so she could have some play time. Being in the back seat of the car is not her usual daily routine and she LOVED chasing her ball and running around the dog park!

Small side note - thanks to my dad for Googling the dog park info while I was driving. Technology is great!!!

The best part of the drive was the winding canyon between Cedar City and St. George. I found this area just beautiful! The red rock surrounding me on both sides as I drove through the windy canyon was mesmerizing.

The drive wasn't so bad on my own. Eleven hours in a car isn't my favorite thing but traffic never stood still, the weather got more beautiful the further I got from Utah, and I had plenty of tunes on my ipod to sing my heart out to. I did manage to take the wrong freeway and that caused a little bit of a delay in arrival. Its reasonable to not know the 210 and the 10 are different freeways. Now I know.

Another side note - technology was once again great when I called Jeremy to help me navigate out of my wrong freeway error. Computers really helped me a lot today!!!

Oh, and I am LOVING how its going to be 75 degrees and we're going to the beach tomorrow!

Random morning

This morning I woke up to a sick roommate who had spent the night throwing up. She looked terrible and was so weak. After getting Pili out and back inside and getting her breakfast and getting myself ready for work I ran to the grocery store for items my roommate was asking for.

On my way out to my car leaving the grocery store I noticed a debit card on the ground right next to the tire of the car parked next to me. I was risking being late for work going to the store for my roommate and now I just couldn't pick up the debit card and go back into the store and find somebody other than a clerk at 7:15 in the morning.

But I did pick up the card. And I was on my way back inside when I looked at the name on the card. It belonged to my friend Tabitha's mom who is my neighbor 5 houses away!!!!! Instead of heading into the store I headed home and called Elizabeth to let her know I found her card. She had been at the same store and had been getting some things for her sick foreign exchange student before I had gotten to the store for my roommate.

I was so grateful it was me who found her debit card. People are good, and honest, but temptation is huge especially in the financial position so many people are in right now. This was such a random way to start a morning, and I'm grateful it meant being a good Samaritan to my neighbor!

Chasing Tail 5K

Pili and I ran today along with approx 15 of my coworkers. About half my coworkers brought their dogs too. And my friends Tabitha and Brandon ran and brought their dog Timber who just recently certified as a Therapy Dog. Way to go Mr. T!!!

The weather was beautiful - so close to 50 degrees and sunshine welcomed our run on about haf the course. It was a great day for a race!

My time was pretty good. I was 3 minutes longer than my last race (which was my personal best) in August. I think I could have matched or slightly beaten my last great finish without a couple obstacles. First being Miss Pili pooping on the trail and I had to stop and untie the poop bag from the leash to pick up the mess. Second obstacle was that Miss Pili's collar came off and we had to get ahold of her and get her back into the regulated course instead of the one she was enjoying making while off her collar. Thank goodness Timber and Tab and Brandon were running by us and helped get ahold of Pili to get her collar back on. So I guess if you really look at what my obstacles were it just boils down to Pili. I don't see myself running without her next year so I guess when it comes to this particular race my showing up and participating is more important than my finishing time.

This next part is relevant to the race, but I can't find a way to gracefully segway into it.....

In October 2008 I went to a new doctor. This doctor was worried about my blood pressure and my weight. I've got bad genetics and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and that makes my blood pressure and weight tough to manage. When my doctor wanted to see me 3 months after my exam last year my stubborn side kicked in. I wasn't gonna go back to the doctor until I could ease her concerns and I sure as hell wasn't gonna let myself take meds to manage my blood pressure or weight. So I took matters into my own hands.

A couple days after the doctor visit a co-worker encouraged me to run the Chasing Tail 5K and I paid the next day. It was my first ever 5k and it motivated me to keep running. I'm not the fastest or most toned runner, but I show up and I push and make goals and give my all.

I'm happy to let you know that I went to the doctor 3 days ago. My blood pressure was in the perfectly ideal range and I've lost 35 pounds!!!!

I'll keep running this next year (and Pili too) to be ready for the next annual Chasing Tail. Thank you for changing my life!!!

Here's me and Miss P after the race

This is my friend/coworker Peggy and her dog Diesel

Me and some friends who participated today

Me and Tabitha and Brandon and Pili and Timber

Doggie Drool

Its my nightly ritual to wake up Pili before I go to bed telling her that its time for bed. Without fail she looks up at me and stretches and usually gets a belly rub or an ear scratch before stretching off the couch or her doggie bed.

Tonight when I woke Pili to tell her it was bed time she was startled, which is common when she's had an extra long walk or Timber has come to visit, but the uncommon thing tonight was the drool I could visibly see on her and the couch.

Her sweet face looked tired and confused with her ears tucked back and the pool of drool just made me laugh out loud. She wagged her tail and kept her ears tucked as I laughed and reached down to scratch her ears.

It was such a sweet moment, my tired dog waking up from her evening nap and her paw and the couch cushion glistening with drool. Once again my Pili girl brought laughter and joy to my soul. I'm not sure there are many dogs better than she.

RINGTONES!

I work in an office which has an open floor plan. There are no cubicle walls. Before moving to this building we were given new etiquette rules and ways to be quiet and considerate of our coworkers. I can hear every phone call within 5 desks of mine. Many of my coworkers do not leave their cell phones on vibrate or silent. All day long there is a barrage of ringtones going off. I think its time to have a review of open office etiquette.

Damn Good Salesman?

I have to apologize from the beginning of this post. Well I don't have to, but I feel the need to. This isn't my most upbeat or positive posting. My intention is to get off some steam and let go of some thoughts I've been having which may come across as being a little bitter.

In my work I get to meet and deal with a good variety of people. Since late June I've had contact with a supplier, specifically a salesman at the supplier. Over the last several months I've gotten to know this man and I look forward to talking to him. He friended me on Facebook. It was nice to place the attractive face to the personality I'd been enjoying. He even helped move furniture to my house and meeting in person wasn't awkward at all.

Why am I bugged? We have continued to have flirty, extended length conversations pretty much weekly since the furniture moving. We've discussed our siblings, how he adores his niece, religious thoughts, vacations we've enjoyed, even a mutual friend who once babysat him. All signs from conversations lead me to think this guy isn't just another salesman I talk to, but rather - a guy who likes me.

And yet, its been 4 months and there has been no date. No initiation on his part of seeing me outside of work. I don't just open up to anybody, but I have been able to with him. It has been years, 7 or 8, since I have had such an easy, genuine connection with a guy. It would seem I once again have found a good friend. And it pisses me off. When do I get to be the girl who gets the great guy? When do I actually get to have a guy I like actually like me back? When do I just get to be a girl who actually has a date?

One thing seems true in this situation - he has a bright future in sales!

Death and all his friends

Yesterday at work my coworker, my friend, got a call that her mom died. I've never been present when somebody has received that news. It was a very numbing moment. Death is a very real occurrence, but we don't seem to realize its power until the moment it has influence in our lives.

Her mother's death was not expected. She was going in for a hip replacement surgery and there were complications with her blood pressure. And then she was gone.

The rally of friends in the office immediately at her desk warmed my heart. She was surrounded by us. She was hugged and assured of our love for her. Our friend is usually a little scattered so we are used to asking if she has her phone and her keys. This time, it was a loving inquiry rather than a teasing moment so we could send her home to give the news to her family and make their travel plans.

For the rest of the day I found myself pondering. We all live. We all die. Our births are mostly the same. Our deaths come in many different ways. It seems that those who love us and are left behind are never completely whole.

Cloudy with a chance of.....

Tonight my friends Gabby and Elijah came to play. We went to the 3D showing of the new "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" after our spaghetti dinner. When we left the theater there was lightning dotting the sky and the kids teased that maybe it was going to rain hamburgers tonight (after seeing the movie this notion will make more sense to you).

On the drive home the kids fell asleep. The lightning continued to dot the sky. The mountain I was driving towards was dark and barely visible with the surrounding black sky. CRASH! The lightning hit the land in the distance behind the mountain suddenly lighting up the barely visible mountain I'd been driving toward. And then again - CRASH!! It was breathtaking!

The rain came down for about a half hour after the lightning show. And the kiddos woke up for the rain pouring down as we pulled into the driveway, missing the magnificent lightning show guiding us back home.

Victory!

Yesterday I ran. I ran the exact same course 3 weeks prior. Both races were a 5K. For the race 3 weeks ago I was not happy with my time. It was my first race since the scooter crash in May, temperatures were in the early eighties, and I hadn't trained very diligently.

The race yesterday was awesome! Temperatures were in the early sixties, I've been doing some strength training and it ended up that I did better than 3 weeks ago by finishing 6 minutes faster! Incidentally, this finish time is also my fastest 5K yet!!

3 weeks ago I felt pretty discouraged after the race and almost decided to just stop running. Instead of quitting I pushed myself and trained extra and gave up some sleep and it payed off. We're capable of so much more than we think. We must try and keep trying, and push when we think we can't because we're capable of greatness if we work hard and push our limits.

Yesterday it felt fantastic to finish with such great results! It was a great sense of accomplishment, but I will only continue to work harder to finish even faster the next race. Yesterday's results still give me room for improvement. It was nice to finish strong and make my own personal best.

Tuesday morning, I'm back to training for my next great finish.....

Ultimate Boy Job

When it comes to heavy lifting or mechanical needs or something being fixed I'm fine with establishing its a boy job and calling upon one of my favorite guys or one I'd like to get to know better to help out. Its always fun to see the response I can get from just asking a question. This last Friday was an opportunity for a big job. An ultimate boy job we'll say.

My old roommate's mom lives on our street, about 5 houses away, and is refinishing her floors and painting and removing wallpaper and asked if she could store her piano at my house for a few months. Both my roommates play piano and were thrilled at the chance to have one at our house.

So 5 guys showed up Friday to move the piano to our place. We had a piano dolly and their muscles. It took a total of a half hour. These guys were awesome! It was kind of funny to see this piano and 5 guys coming down the center of our street. Definitely not something you see everyday!

I very much enjoyed chatting for about 3 hours after the move with one of the guys I don't know so well. We work together and I only get to work with him when my coworker is on vacation. This piano move was the first time I'd met him in person and I was glad he didn't leave right after helping. It was nice to get to know him better. I hope to be able to tell you more about him sometime soon!!! ;-)

Dear Anonymous

A couple weeks ago a family member emailed me and thanked me for something I had written in a previous post. This took me by surprise. I didn't remember writing what they thanked me for and I didn't know they read my blog. I realized if they were anonymously reading my blog, perhaps there are others.

Any who are reading today and just passing along, please don't feel obligated to announce your presence or leave a comment. I surf blogs. I facebook stalk. I am intrigued by people and their behavior. I enjoy the anonymity offered to me from unlocked facebook profiles and photo albums and many blogs. I hope you enjoy it too.

Home Sweet Home

I've been home since 4am Wednesday. After being in the car for 12 hours from Klamath Falls to Idaho Falls listening to my dad (the self appointed tour guide) explain various areas of countryside I was so ready to be home. After arriving in Idaho Falls at 1am I felt quite compelled to drive the next 3 hours back to Salt Lake. I was wide awake thanks to a strawberry limeade and my ipod shuffling through music that I happily sang along to all the way home. Ok, honestly I belted the tunes out. It was my own personal rock concert. But it was a fun and fast 3 hour drive.

I spent Wednesday in pajamas wandering around the house for various trips to the kitchen for food. Miss Pili stayed by my side all day and slept most every minute of the day. She seemed as tired as I was. Only once Wednesday I left the house, to take Pili to the dog park. I struggled to get her out of the water after an hour of playing.

Thursday and today I spent the afternoons with 2 of my best girl friends. Its nice to be able to laugh and have such enjoyable time with these women every time we get together.

I'm glad to be home. Don't get me wrong, I liked the trip. I saw some amazing countryside and was just in awe and amazement of the beauty I was constantly surrounded by. I spent time with family. I was a nanny. I was a marriage counselor. I was a listening ear for many many hours in a car. I loved spending 7 days having somebody take care of me rather than me having to plan and manage every moment like when I'm home.

Bottom line - I missed my dog. I missed my house. I missed work. I missed Salt Lake. I like my life. I'm very blessed. I doubted that before the trip and considered myself to be missing out, and thought my life was incomplete. Coming home made me remember that my life is complete and fantastic just as it is. And a Friday night with a movie, clean jammies, frozen yogurt, and a chocolate lab snuggled next to me is fine living! Lucky me!!!

Day 6 - Klamath Falls, Oregon

There was very little driving today and I was loving it! While our drive is in a comfy car and through some fantastically beautiful country, I think my back hates me. Between the car time and motel beds my poor back is in pain. First thing on the list when I'm home is a stop to the chiropractor. Maybe a massage too. ;-)

We met up with my grandmother and aunt today for brunch at a local favorite called Starvin' Marvin's. The food was good. The portions are huge and I had no chance of finishing my order. Carson insisted I order hot cocoa and since it is mid August I thought it was weird, but followed his request. The hot cocoa was good, but I understand why HE loved it so much. The waitress out whipped cream on top of the cocoa and the whipped cream was as tall as the mug itself. And then he got another tower of whipped cream when she came by to refill drinks.

After breakfast we headed out to meet my uncle at the house and let grandma take a nap. Carson, Joel, and Rebekah talked uncle Tom into letting them drive the riding lawnmower. Aunt Mel gave me a tour of the house and took time to fill me in on grandma's health.

I've heard stories about people with dementia and Alzheimer's but I've never seen it firsthand. Today that changed. At breakfast grandma didn't recognize me. Granted, she has had limited exposure to my life thanks to my mom's decisions while I was growing up, but I have tried to keep in contact and visit her regularly for the last 6 years or so. Several times while we were sitting on the patio talking after her nap I had to remind her what we were talking about and remind her who people were that were at the house. Many times she started to talk and the words literally were not there. She sat and thought and my heart just ached as I could see her working hard to tell me what she was thinking. God bless my aunt Mel for dealing with it everyday.

And speaking of aunt Mel let me just say I love being so much like that woman. She reminds me my strong personality is fine. She reminds me to have a style of my own. She is where I get my love of accessories and seltzer water and funky dishes and a love of entertaining. She looks like she could be my mom (I LOVE that I look so much like her and hope I age as she has). She is brave. She loves to laugh. She is full of heart.

We said our goodbyes and I couldn't help but wonder if I'd have another visit with my grandmother and if I did would she be fully unable to communicate or even recognize me.



3 generations: Grandma, Aunt Mel, Rebekah and me




Aunt Mel and me

Day 5 - Crater Lake

We left Eugene this morning heading south on scenic Rogue Highway to Roseburg and then East to Crater Lake. The two lane Rogue Highway drove directly through several national forests. I loved watching the river that ran parallel to the highway twist and flow through the forest. There were many boat launch sites, but I never saw a canoe or raft come down the river.

When we arrived at Crater Lake I saw a National Parks sign. I hadn't realized it was a national park. I decided I'd find out more about Crater than just the obvious - its beautiful blue color.

Here's what I learned:

Crater Lake is on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, about 100 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. It lies inside a volcanic basin that was created when Mount Mazama collapsed nearly 8,000 years ago after a large eruption.

There are no inlets or outlets to the lake. Generous amounts of winter snow, averaging 533 inches per year, supply the lake with water. Crater Lake is the seventh deepest lake in the world and the deepest in the United States.

After exploring a trail I just sat at the lodge looking into the water. It was so beautiful and serene. If I had been on the trip alone I could have sat all day on the deck of the lodge just watching and pondering into the immensly beautiful lake sitting before me.

We left Crater headed for Klamath Falls where we stopped for the night. My grandmother had a bad day and we're not meeting up with her tonight, but instead tomorrow morning.

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A view of Crater Lake and the little island in the middle which is Wizard Island

Carson, Me, Joel Rebekah

I really wanted more of the Lake in the next 2 pics, but when a ten year old is your photographer I guess you take what you can get.

Day 4 - Tillamook and Coastal HWY 101

Today's journey began 13 miles outside of Portland. We crossed a section of bridge today that I don't know the name of with a body of water underneath I also don't know the name of. I like driving across bridges. I like being around all this water.

We drove through Portland, but didn't stop until reaching the town of Tillamook which is a farm town that seemed fairly mixed with locals and tourists. It is a quaint town nestled in the Oregon mountains that seems unchanged since the early 1900's.

After visiting Tillamook's Pioneer Museum we headed to a local farmer's market that was on one closed off street. There were approx 20 booths of fresh grown fruits and vegetables and homemade soaps and handmade trinkets. I spent some time sitting on the county office building steps just watching patrons and the vendors noticing a very natural look and style to many of them. Grunge is still alive in Oregon. It is cool to be a hippie here.

Signs allowed leashed dogs into the farmer's market excited me for the potential to pet some of my favorite furry friends. I found a part Labrador, part Newfoundland at one of the booths and he was happy for some extra ear scratching and sweet talking from me. I miss my Pili girl. Tabitha and Timber are taking care of her tomorrow. I texted Tab to ask her to give Pili some extra loves. She assures me they will go visit Pili earlier than planned now.

The road to the Tillamook cheese plant was lined with trees. The two lane highways that exists en route to the plant as well as through much of the country we've seen doesn't seem to scare me. Both sides being full of such beauty seem to erase any of my fears of cars driving off cliffs or drivers deviating into oncoming traffic. I don't seem to tire of seeing all the trees and streams. This view is not getting tiresome at all.

We visited the Tillamook Cheese plant and enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches made with fresh from the factory cheese of course. The plant also has an ice cream section in their cafe and our group of 7 enjoyed a 38 flavor sampling of Tillamook ice cream.

On the road from Tillamook we mainly stayed on Coastal Highway 101. The roads took us along the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean. I couldn't get enough of the Ocean and think my dad was close to his breaking point with my MANY requests to stop at different overlooks for yet another picture. I love the smell and sight of the Ocean. I miss it. I've got to get to see it more often.

Along the 101 we stopped at Yaquina Head to walk along the shores of the beach and to visit a lighthouse on the edge of the small cove. Thanks to the "Twilight" tour going on this evening no visitors were being allowed to climb the lighthouse stairs. I don't care a bit about the "Twilight" books or movies, but my sister Rebekah does and she informed me that area had quite a bit of filming for the next movie of the trilogy. It would have been nice to climb the lighthouse. I found myself wishing "Twilight" didn't exist when I couldn't explore the lighthouse more.

We drove more along the 101 enjoying the Ocean views until changing to Interstate 5 that brought us to our evening's stop in Eugene. Tomorrow we're visiting Crater Lake followed by Klamath Falls. My paternal grandmother and aunt and uncle are in Klamath.

One more small note (mostly a venting moment for me) - and keep in mind I'm tired. I'm not sleeping well because Rebekah kicks me all night and tosses and turns. I'm stressed from the meeting in Washington, and I've been in the car for LONG hours with other people. Just to blog tonight, I skipped dinner so I could have an hour to myself. I can't get a minute to myself and I'm used to having an unlimited amount of them. Carson wants to play DS when I want to read and my dad can't seem to stop talking in the car. Then there's Joel who is my step mom's 4 year old nephew who is enamored with me and gets Carson or Rebekah to call me (one car away) so he can ask me what I'm doing without him. Family is great. I love my family. I'm loving my trip. However, the two vacation days waiting for me to enjoy upon my return to Salt Lake are unplanned and have no timetable. I'm looking forward to those days - to recover.

Here's some photos:


A self taken shot of Rebekah, Carson, and me before hitting the road for the day



Rebekah with me outside the Tillamook plant


Joel the cow

Carson the cow and Rebekah the farmer

38 flavors of Tillamook ice cream

Joel, me, and Rebekah eating ice cream

My buddies Joel and Carson

Keeping Joel busy at the Cafe

A moment at the ocean

Rebekah, Joel, me and Carson at the Yaquina lighthouse

The lighthouse

Day 3 - On the road to Portland

Not too much to tell from today's travels. The meeting I mentioned yesterday was at 1pm today. It was long and emotionally draining. After the meeting, around 3:30 pm, we headed for Portland.

Our drive went west across the state of Washington and then south into Oregon. The scenery completely changed once we crossed into Oregon. We drove on a highway that bordered the Columbia River and the sun was hiding behind the clouds. Forests of trees lined the opposite side of the highway. You could see the colors of fall in some of the trees. It seems Summer is on its way out in Oregon.

Day 2 - Moses Lake, Washington

Today we were marooned in Moses Lake, Washington which is a small town of approx 15,000 people. The summer sun has dried out the town and green grass is a rare site to see. Tumbleweeds blew past the car while we sat at a stoplight and I couldn't help but feel completely out of my element. I felt very spoiled by all the beauty that surrounds me at home in Salt Lake. I found myself missing the majestic Wasatch mountains today.

Our journey brought us here to visit my sister Cylvia, brother Matthew, and his wife Stephanie and their 3 daughters. Those plans were interrupted due to almost 2 weeks ago Matthew went to jail and his children were taken into custody by child protective services. Tomorrow there is a family meeting with social services and I'll be attending that with my dad. The outcome of that meeting could be life changing for members of my family and my 3 nieces. I'll update as I know more.

We did get a visit from my sister Cylvia tonight. Spending time with her was a challenge. A few weeks ago she shaved her head in support of my nieces who had their heads shaved from having severe lice. Opening the hotel room door to see Cylvia it seemed I didn't recognize her until she spoke. Other than her shaved head life seems to be going well. She is moving to a coastal town this weekend and excited for the change of scenery.

A couple things bothered me from conversation discussed with my sister. It seems a member of the family is living out of their car and has kept it secret for a month now. There is another family member who has a license to grow and sell medical marijuana and that is their sole income.

I often wonder if I was raised by the same people my siblings were how it is that I'm not as dysfunctional as them. My family seems to have a lion's share of dysfunction and somehow I'm a productive, "normal" member of society. I'm grateful. I wish my siblings could also have the awesome, productive, loving life that I have created.

Other than exploring Moses Lake we basically spent the day out of the car and in the hotel. It was nice to not have work deadlines or alarm clocks. I'm enjoying vacation amongst the never ending family drama.

After the meeting tomorrow, we're heading to Portland.

Oh, one more thing - I checked in with Wes and JoAnne and they were in brighter spirits from yesterday. They were able to move in to their apartment today.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog for a TRAVEL Blog...

I'm on the road and having fun and adventures for the next week. Pardon my regular blog notes for a play by play (as much as I can) of my Pacific Northwest adventures.

Today is Day 1 of my travels. I left Salt Lake headed for Idaho Falls, Idaho to meet up with my dad and step-mom and younger siblings Rebekah and Carson. The first day of travel is just me and my dad. We're heading to Washington for a situation with my brother Matthew and then we're meeting my step-mom and Bekah and Carson in Oregon Saturday.

After a 3 hour drive to Idaho Falls I happily arrived long enough to stretch my legs and load my bags into the car we were taking and then we hit the road.

We headed North from Idaho Falls to Butte, Montana and then west to Missoula, Montana and Spokane Washington and ending in Moses Lake, Washington.

Rural Montana and Idaho are sparsely populated and full of trees. Much of the area is very dry and I imagine in Spring it looks beautifully green. The cities are nestled among the curves of the mountains along with many casinos and truck stops. Many of our fellow travellers were truckers.

My dad likes Flying J for his fuel stops. The first time we stopped at a Flying J I was excited for the "WiFi Available" sign that appeared in the window of the station. Beware that their wifi is not free. I wasn't interested in paying $5 to use the wifi along our journey when I could wait and use it for free at the hotel later that night. Besides, being disconnected from email, internet, and facebook for a whole 9 hours was quite enjoyable.

At about hour 7 of our 9 hours in the car I noticed a sign for Gonzaga University in Spokane. This was exciting to me because my good friend Wes moved to Spokane just yesterday and I had no idea our travels were taking us through Spokane!! He and his wife were so busy before they left that I didn't get a chance to spend time with them before leaving. Realizing I was in their new hometown I called Wes and after explaining why I was 5 miles from him we met up with him and JoAnne.

It was great to see them and welcome them to their new home! Small problem though - their apartment wasn't ready so they were spending the night at a motel. Wes explained he had filled out all the paperwork and been in contact with the apartments several times before the move. He was a bit frustrated and seemed relieved and confused to be telling me this face to face. Hopefully they can get into their apartment tomorrow and get the UHAUL unpacked by the time its due. And I hope for them that all this chaos in the beginning only means the next 3 years of Wes' law school will be smooth sailing!!

I took a couple pictures with Wes and JoAnne and said the "see you laters" we didn't get to have before they left Utah and then I headed into the sunset to the evening's destination of Moses Lake.

In case you didn't know

Seems like I've had a lot going on lately and need a moment to get it all out.

First thing is I'm so excited for my friends Anna and Kristen who I've learned in the last week are engaged!!! They are fabulous ladies and I'm so excited to see them so happy!!!

Second is that I think we've found a new roommate!! Thats kind of a big deal since we've been searching since the end of April. The process has been long and full of interesting candidates. Amongst my favorites, there was the man who barely spoke English and wanted a room for his wife and daughter, or the girl who gave me phone numbers for references that were all disconnected.

In many ways I've thought that finding a new roommate is similar to dating. We invite a potential candidate to the house and try to win them over with how great my roommate and I are and we show them the house hoping our cleanliness and comfy couches and pampered chef cookware will make them choose our house. While we don't show off cookware or cleaning skills or try to get dates to like our roommate, we do show off our cooking skills and try to impress dates with our sense of humor or fun personality and we talk to our roommate about how much we liked our date. In the end the potential roommates we enjoyed talking to the most and felt most connected to are the ones who end up finding something closer to work or something cheaper and my roommate and I once again begin the search for a roommate. And in dating it seems the dates we enjoy talking to the most or feel most connected to just aren't ready for commitment or are more interested in just staying friends.

If all goes well the new roommate is moving in around the end of August. My roommate and I are glad to have found such a great option and are looking forward to her being part of our home. And as for dating, I thought I had a great potential new interest who I enjoyed talking to and really connected to like never before. Its been 2 weeks since there was any contact and I was the last initiator. Another one bites the dust I guess.

Third is I'm heading on a week long adventure (and knowing my family I MEAN adventure) to Washington and Oregon. The trip will be August 6-12 and I'll be travelling with my dad and siblings Bekah and Carson and possibly my dad's wife Maggie. The plan is for me to meet them in Idaho Falls and then we will be off to visit Washington to see my brother Matthew and sister-in-law and their 3 daughters and my sister Cylvia. And then we will head to Oregon to see some beach, Tillamook, Crater Lake, and my grandmother and aunt and uncle.

I'm excited to have so much time off work, and to see some family. It will be nice to have a couple days off after getting back from all that travelling too! And spending so much time with my dad and the kids is always a lot of fun. Just don't forget to say an extra prayer for my sanity. Please.

I heart Miss P

As I watched Pili napping today I found myself thinking how grateful I am for her. She is a great companion and so gentle. I laugh at her wiggling bum (and entire body) when she sees me walk inside. She is just a delight and a welcome, loving, addition to my life. I find Pili to be a loyal, loving companion and I just love that chocolate princess!

Facebook Frenemies and Strangers

Like everyone else in the world I have a Facebook profile. I've been on for a couple few years now. In the beginning I resisted being on. I just didn't see the point. I didn't refuse to join, but I just didn't see a need for it.

Now, however my favorite thing about Facebook is staying in touch with my family members. Its so nice to see pictures from their trips and events and be able to keep up on what they're up to. A couple of my cousins are stationed overseas and its so convenient to post a note on their wall rather than deal with talking on the phone in the right time of day that we're both awake.

I also enjoy meeting people I talk to but never see. Often times with my work I talk to suppliers and end-users at the mine but I never see them. If they are on Facebook we can be friends and see who we're talking to and get to know each other a little more.

As great as Facebook is for keeping in touch I do find it provides me opportunities to re-connect with people I've lost contact and would be fine continuing to no longer contact. I'm flattered that these lost friends (some now enemies) have taken the time to look me up and want to re-connect. But, I don't feel the need to re-connect. I'm not a dog that returns to its vomit. Sometimes its ok to just stay gone.

Most recently I had a friend request from an old friend who was most certainly my enemy when we last spoke. A now considered frenemie if you will. She was a friend when I was dating a now ex-boyfriend. The boyfriend was cheating on me and my friend knew and didn't tell me. I talked to my friend about my concerns about the boyfriend because I had suspected he was being unfaithful. I even admitted to her I'd been snooping in his phone and belongings to get details to confirm my suspicions. She again didn't warn me, but told the boyfriend what I had revealed to her.

As a side note I don't find snooping in other people's things to be a good thing. It is not a habit of mine and I realize I shouldn't have done it. Communicating with the cheater directly would have been more wise. And I did talk to him a couple days later and our relationship ended immediately after the chat.

Maybe I'd feel less conflicted if the frenemie apologized. My phone number hasn't changed in almost 8 years and I've never once heard from her until the Facebook friend request this week.

It has been nearly 7 years since I've talked to the frenemie. People change. I am for sure not the same person I was 7 years ago and I'm sure she is not either. However, I'm not sure I want or need this person as a friend in my life. I've lived almost 7 years without her and I feel I can live 70 or so more without her.

Eharmony, LDS Planet, and my co-workers

I'm 30 and single. To some people this is a terrible thing. To me it isn't my preferred status of life, but it isn't a tragedy or cause of great sadness. I attend church with single people, I'm willing to be set-up, I have a profile on a dating site. Needless to say I'm not a hermit avoiding men. I'm out in the world and figure when the marriage thing happens, it will happen.

Last fall I got talked into Eharmony by a friend. She pulled the, "If you join, I'll join" and I tried 3 months of Eharmony. After an hour long profile creation and answering questions my profile was complete. I had 10 matches and every day I was emailed about additional matches the system had found for me. It seemed like an untapped resource of men! I was pretty excited! As my 3 months went on I had complete guided contact through Eharmony with 3 matches. We never did meet in person. I initiated contact that was ignored by matches and I initiated contact with matches that after their replies I was glad to close contact with. In the end I didn't find the love of my life as the Eharmony commercials claim I can do and I did not renew my membership after the 3 months expired that I had paid for.

I've also had a profile on an LDS website called LDS Planet. This site is very interesting to me. I get many profile views, some of the men have continuously viewed me, but never messaged me. I've messaged them and they view my profile a few more times but never reply. I'm not so sure how to take this. However when this member ship ends in the middle of July, I will also cancel my membership and profile from their site.

In addition to church and dating websites I have coworkers who want me married. I mention a male friend in a story from a weekend activity and they ask about him the next time I tell about a group activity. These ladies don't understand why I have all these male friends and no dates or a husband. Honestly, neither do I, but its a bigger deal to them than to me.

I'm finished with online profiles and don't mind my coworker's concern and interest in my love life. I just hope for their sakes I can stop disappointing them at some point.

Mr. & Mrs. Manikowski

My old roommate Tabitha got married this past Saturday June 27th. The ceremony was at the Logan Temple and then there was a ring ceremony and dinner at the Utah State University Alumni House. Tabitha and her husband met at Utah State and during school they worked at the Alumni House in catering.

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Tab and Brandon during the ring ceremony

This is Gabby and Elijah. Tab and I babysit these guys

Even Timber was part of the ring ceremony

Me, Tabitha, Jackie, Mary

Tab and Brandon leaving for their Honeymoon to Cancun

Ruby

Ruby came to stay with us for a week. Ruby is a 5 month old Great Dane who belongs to my neighbor/ward member. She was such a sweet dog! Very gentle. Not so smart. Being only a 5 month old puppy she was very clumsy and hadn't really grown into her feet. She struggled with stairs and she played until she fell asleep.

I think Pili like the company for a week but was a bit sore after the first day. Pili is full grown and almost 3 years old and Ruby weighs more and is taller than Pili.

The 2nd Day Ruby was over it was raining so the dogs stayed inside. My old roommate Tabitha was gone for the day and left her dog Timber outside so we brought him over to our house for the day. It was pretty much the Hotel for Dogs that Saturday.


Here is Ruby and Pili




Here's Timber and Pili and Ruby playing. Ruby is mostly watching Pili and Timber who are old buddies from living together. Ruby was kind of left out a lot that day.

Ruby is copying Pili but mostly just watching Pili and Timber play

5 Kids and a Great Dane

A couple weeks ago I spent Friday night babysitting 5 children and a Great Dane. I was helping a neighbor by sitting the dog and helping my landlord and her friend by watching the children. The Dane was with me and Pili for a week and the children were just over for the evening.

The Dane had spent the day playing in the yard with Pili so the dogs were asleep most of the night - even with all the activities and excitement the children brought to the house.

We colored and ate pizza and watermelon and Otter pops, played red light green light and movie tag, ate marshmallow popcorn, watched "13 going on 30" and had a pillow fight. It was a fun night and hardly seemed like 5 hours of children.

I asked a good friend of mine to come over and help. He is great with children and was a lot of fun that night as well. The main event of the evening happened when my friend was challenged by the 10 year old for who could color the fastest. In the activity books the kids were coloring there was a picture puzzle page that you had to color in the triangles and it made an animal shape. There were many proposals for what would happen if the 10 year old won or if my friend won. They finally settled on his nails getting painted if he lost and if the 10 year old lost she was going to get a batman mask painted around her eyes.

My friend finished his sheet and 2 of the younger children checked his work to find several triangles he had missed. The 10 year old brought me her sheet and she was completely finished. She had won and was pretty excited to paint my friend's nails. He was not happy to lose.

5 colors of nail polish were chosen and each hand was painted with the 5 colors once. He was a GREAT sport and never complained as the 10 year old painted and all the other children crowded around the table to watch and laugh that a grown man was getting his nails painted. After all the kids went home I gave my friend nail polish remover. He had worn the polish all night and never complained as the children teased and I laughed seeing his pretty nails. I couldn't let him leave with the color on his fingers and he was glad to remove the polish before heading home.

I enjoyed the night. I enjoyed the kids. The youngest was a 6 year old girl I had never babysat before who was my little helper. She was my shadow. She was such a sweetheart and I loved tickling her to make her giggle!

I'm still not sure I'll be a good mom or that I want to be a mom. I had a great time with those kids and that night of babysitting helped show me that I don't need to be afraid of being like my mom or be afraid I'll be a bad mom. The more time I spend with children I'm in charge of I see how precious they are and what a great task it is to raise them and treat them with respect and love.

I'm not totally cured and still have my fears and issues. But I'm a little more healed and fearless after that night. Little bit.

And....... I'm OUT!

Well friends, I'm officially out of running the Wasatch Back now. I hurt my knee 2 weeks ago when I crashed my friend's scooter and the pain won't stop. I went to the knee doctor today and he told me I shouldn't have been training in the first place, but that I'm now to get a substitute to take my place.

I'm disappointed and sad and frustrated. I've been busting my butt since the first of February and was doing so great. My training was going well and my knees were doing great.

I'm proud of myself! This race is not easy and is a challenge! I've proven over the last four months that I am not lazy. That my body is capable of more than I thought. And I can make and accomplish hard goals with persistence and a ton of effort. And I'm most proud that I'm not out because I hurt myself training. I was working hard and doing it the right way and my body proved that to me by being able to handle it.

As for the knee, the doc thinks I have a cartilage tear. For the next 3 weeks I'm doing my own physical therapy. Since I'm pretty physically active and promised not to run he let me do PT on my own. And in 3 weeks I'm heading back in to get a check-up. The hope is that the PT heals the knee and doesn't need surgery.

And since I've got the time off work already I'm gonna be a volunteer for the race. Who could be a more excited, motivated, encouraging volunteer than a runner who can no longer run?

Finding a new roomate is NOT fun to do!

At my house right now we're looking for a new roommate. I can safely say it is not one of my favorite past times.

I've placed an ad on a website and I get calls and emails from scam artists. The format for their replies is usually the same even though the sender names differ. I've even had several replies with pictures attached and the same woman is in the replies but the sender names are different from the inquiring potential roommates.

There was a great potential roommate that seemed normal in talking to her, but things got funny once I started checking her references. She gave me disconnected phone numbers and didn't give me new reference contacts when I explained the ones she gave me were disconnected. She was supposed to call and talk to my roommate Anna and she told me she had tried several times to contact her when in fact she hadn't. I happily told her we weren't interested.

I've had people talk my ear off and make appointments to come to the house and then not show up. There was a girl who came and spent more time playing with Pili than talking to me about the house. And there was a girl who had a ferret and promised it was an outdoor pet when I explained the $100 pet deposit as well as our house isn't looking for any more pets.

Its tough making sure Anna and my schedules match the time the potential roommate wants to come look. Its also hard when we really like somebody who visits and they call to say they chose another place.

Its been an adventure talking and emailing these potential roommates. I've been at my house for almost a year and a half and its never taken more than 2 weeks to find a new roommate.

As with anything I do I'm not giving up. I just wish the process wasn't taking so long and wasn't full of so many crazy experiences!

The cold that kicked my butt was good for me?!

On Saturday April 11 I woke up with a terrible cold. I was supposed to run in a 5K at the U of U institute but I felt terrible! I couldn't even walk upstairs to put Pili outside. I spent the weekend and 3 days of the next week in bed. My roommate Anna was a fantastic nurse for me. I had no appetite and barely ate. Then there was the nasal drip and congestion that had me coughing up mucus. Plus I had a horrible cough that kept me from sleeping through the night.

The worst part about being sick was that I wasn't able to run. I've been training since February for my race in June and I was heartbroken that I was sick and stuck home in bed. The week before getting sick I had hit a wall with my training. I was convinced I had taken on too big a challenge running the Wasatch Back and that my knees weren't able to handle it and the thought also came to me that my weight isn't in the "ideal" range and that should be holding me back too. All these thoughts ate at me and when mixed with stress at work I think my body shut down and made me take a break.

I started running Wednesday April 22 and I was still coughing, but only for 20 minutes after my run. The night coughing had ended. Being sick only made me miss 6 run days. And for the last 2 weeks I've been more focused and determined and stronger in my training. I'm gaining muscle and I'm losing weight. And just pressing on each and every day.

This isn't easy for me. Like I said I've got extra weight on me and knees with no cartilage and this race is a big challenge. The thing I'm learning and proving to myself is that its amazing what we can accomplish with a heart full of desire and a goal. I sure know I'm doing more than I thought I could or have been told I could. And really, I'm loving every minute of it.

I'm 30 now

This year's birthday was a milestone for me - I turned 30. Over the last few months before my birthday I had many ideas for my party but ended up finally feeling most comfortable with a formal dinner at the house with my roommates and a few other of my favorite people. And lots of my favorite color - PINK!!!
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All guests were given or mailed official invitations and asked to RSVP. The house was decorated beautifully! My roommates made an adorable sign that I was so surprised to see and absolutely loved! The dinner table was covered in rose petals from flowers I'd received from my visiting teachers and each person had a place card. My roommates also gave me a Happy Birthday tiara and a Birthday Girl sash that was of course - pink!

We ate a fantastic meal of some of my favorite things. Salad was by my roommate Sarah. She makes the best salads and that night was no exception. She combined lettuce and spinach and bacon and almond slivers and strawberries and we had our choice of salad dressing. Our main course was my own homemade lasagna. I like toconsider it my signature dish. Its one of a few things I make and don't even use a recipe card. Our dessert was of course - birthday cake!!! The cake came from Costco and is so delicious!! It was a 4 layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing and chocolate shavings.

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After dinner there was conversation and opening of presents. It was fun to be asked what advice I'd give after 30 years of life. After teasing and saying not to spit into the wind or tug on Superman's cape I told my guests that I think the most important things in life are not things, do the things that scare you the most, and solve grudges you hold as soon as you can. Over the last year of my life I really feel so settled and have been able to take on risks and things that scare me with just the promise of no longer having the fear. I've enjoyed trying new things and making sure every day is just another adventure.

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As with all good things, the evening came to an end. One by one the guests went home and my roommates and I sat around basking in the joy of the day.

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By the way - Just in case you were wondering, I DID blow out all 30 candles. Don't go thinking you know what I wished for. Its not at all what you'd be expecting I'm sure. I'll make sure to let you know the details as soon as it comes true. I should be able to report back around July with that one.....

WICKED

The Broadway musical Wicked came to Utah and we were there the 2nd night it showed in Salt Lake!! My roommate Sarah and I bought tickets 6 months before the show. Here we are outside Capital Theatre.

This is inside the theatre with our friend Jeannette who was part of our group seeing the show

Here's a group shot of almost all our row. We had such a big group that we took up the entire row!

Staci and I looking a little sassy

HOLI Festival

It is an annual tradition in India to welcome Spring and say goodbye to winter with a HOLI Festival. A Hari Karishna Temple in Utah welcomes visitors to participate in this ceremony. This was my first time going and I went with my roommate Sarah and good friend Jeremy. We had a great time and participated in the throwing of colored chalk to welcome in the Spring colors.


On our way to the celebration. View of the Hari Karishna temple.

Inside the temple - pre chalk. Sarah, Jeremy, Me

A few friends we met up with

Sarah and I after the throwing of the chalk

Me and Jeremy for a close up after the chalk throwing

Trip to Zion

I went on a trip to Zion National Park with Jeremy, Wes, and Joanne (Wes' wife) March 12-14. It seems a trip to a Utah State park is becoming tradition for us in the early Spring. This is our 3rd year traveling to a state park in Spring. Its a perfect time to go! The weather is beautiful. Its not too warm. The sun in the warmer areas of the state feels better than the temperatures at home.

One of my most favorite things on this trip was waking up before my friends and going on a morning run. Our hotel was inside the canyon and right outside the Zion National Park entrance. As I ran I watched the sun rise over the walls of the canyon. It was fantastic to be the only person outside. It was like I was in my own private world. And the beauty of the sun marking the canyon walls was an incredible sight to see! It was so amazing to see the sun paint the walls of the cayon as it rose for the day.

Here's some pictures of our trip:


A beautiful arch

From under the waterfall on one of our hikes

Big rocks and some more being under the waterfall

Group shot

An artist painting in the Park

You can't see it, but to my left is the waterfall we hiked to.

I'm on my belly because I was too scared to walk and stand at the edge. Somehow laying on my stomach was not as scary for me to crawl to the edge.

After crawling to the edge I managed to sit up and have my picture taken

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And here's a link to the video Jeremy made of this trip:

http://www.vimeo.com/3797829