and then there was utah

I'm back and don't it feel good.

I landed a great job and am finishing up school (finally). But before I go into details about my new life I want to briefly recap my Nevada experience.... great weather, amazing friends and a new appreciation for desert landscape. I moved down to Nevada from Washington state without a job or a vehicle, not really knowing what I was doing at all or what I wanted to accomplish while I was there. It bridged the gap between early 20's to mid 20's which sounds ridiculous, I know. In my early 20's I found myself riding the waves instead of creating them. My time in Nevada gave me a reason to wonder what the crap I wanted in life and why I wasn't making it happen. What I found out is that I want to learn, formally and in my own studies. Which segues perfectly into why I moved back to Utah. School.

Back to school. To finish what I started what seems to be forever ago. I also happened to land an amazing job that will help facilitate the financial part of school. Full time work and school is going to be nightmarish, but I can handle the hectic life. I've been trying to go back to school for awhile now and it seems that I've hit brick wall after brick wall. Now things are falling into place better than I could have imagined so much so I don't seem to have room enough to receive it all. I am very blessed. I'm jumping back onto the Chemistry route, but this time as a Chemical Engineer student. At least that's the plan for now. I know that's what I want to study more than anything else, but reality can hit hard.

As for this job, it's stressful, but I really like it. I work for Liberty Mountain Sports, an outdoor distributing company. We deal with just about anything for the outdoors, especially climbing equipment. I deal with all the big accounts West of the Mississippi and it's a whole different world than the law firm that I was at and I love it. Many of the people that work there are avid climbers & backpackers so I have a large vat of knowledge and experience to dip into whenever I want. And I get to work with my sister Jennie. Yes, we work and live together. We're both the type to think it's more of an effort and pain to be annoyed by things than to not be, so we get a long just great. 

Odd duck

There have been many people recently that have pointed out how odd I am. I'm not exactly sure how to take it but here are the specifics:

Facial expressions (apparently this is a big one)

I can't seem to keep a straight face about what I'm thinking. I've been clean from poker

3 years 249 days and I've lost my game.

Whistling

It's the co-workers who point this one out.

Shower curtain

I can't use the restroom if the shower curtain is closed. Maybe I've seen Psycho too many times growing up.

Donuts

I hate them.

I Pledge Allegiance ...

to God and NOT a flag (this doesn't make me an America-hater)

Polka

I can play the accordion, not very good, but I can do it and we even polka dance at family reunions.

Adam Morrison

I have frequent nightmares about him, at least once a week

Sci-fi vs. Lifetime

I'd rather watch AVP than Love Comes Softly.

Planet Earth

When I do watch TV it's the Discovery Channel, Planet Earth or the Science Channel (but

apparently this doesn't make me smart, just weird)

Pickles

Stocked with a year supply.

Cartoons

I watch them as much as I can.

Books

I've been told I have an 'interesting taste' in literature.

love me some spin

SPIN CLASS, how do I love thee? ... aahh, the apple of my eye, two peas in a pod, the cats meow, the cockles of my heart, the wind beneath my wings, a labour of love, all is fair and love and war, love is a battlefield, love is blind, love stinks, love hurts, HOW DO I LOVE THEE?!!?, lover come back, I can't stop this feeling any longer, love IS a battlefield, crazy in love.

I've been spinning for two years now and it's hard to find a good instructor. I finally found one in Provo and loved her! She was 50, maybe 60 yrs old and resembled, from what I could gather, a playboy bunny. Maybe I should clarify, a 60 year old women wearing what a playboy bunny would wear, but oh, how I love my Rhonda! Since then I've had hard times finding what Rhonda could do. The screaming in your face to push harder, to call you all the names in the book to get you mad to go harder, longer and to make you cry, yes really cry.

I recently found Brian, I like to call him Strong Brian. He's awesome! But his class is at night and I go to the gym before the sun even thinks about rising. So maybe both?

I do love spin, but since I don't feel really challenged since I've been doing it for so long (don't get me wrong sometimes I want to punch Brian in the throat during his isolations or hills) I've decided my next big goal is a triathlon. I thought I wanted to run a marathon, but my knees can't take it, so I tried running after my spin class and boy does that kick my butt! Since I'm making it public that a triathlon is my goal I feel even more obligated to prove to those non-believers.

jeffner

Happy late birthday!!!

To one of the coolest sisters I know! Totally amazing, beautiful, funny, dates ALL the time, she reminds me of someone ..... oh yes, me

She's probably the hardest working person I know. She knows how to get her way and makes people melt in her hands. We're both really homesick since we are the ones away from the home and both still single (props to Sarah). She's wicked smart and I can't wait to see where she goes in life. She has ridiculously long arms, fingers and toes, she falls down a lot, sometimes she plays dumb, and she thinks she has scoliosis. She deserves the best yet the best isn't good enough.

Love you jeffner!

Here's to the bro who turns sixteen
The raddest darn dude you ever have seen.
To the one who is funny, handsome & smart
And makes rad brotherin' an art.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUNTER!

Words of Wisdom:



ON DRIVING--don't follow our sister's footsteps i.e. drive like me



ON DATING--date a lot like Jennie, get married like Sarah and from me ... well that's another story, I'll take words from Hitch and say 'No game ... no girl' and you got game kid!

ON LIFE-- pray & trust in the Lord & don't let people push you around.

Hunter is truly one of the coolest guys I know, everybody knows it. He's admired by everybody, in the classroom, at home, on the field and at church! Funny as heck ... yet quite can't make the quote board, just kidding I think he made it up there once.
I can't wait to see where he goes in sports and with school and the mish. True stud material fo' sho'! Love ya bro!

Rugby

I play rugby. Who the heck would have thought? I think my brother Hunter put it best when he said "and that's why you aren't married". Rugby isn't all that harsh and brute-like when playing 7's or even 10's, 15's get annoying due to all the players in the way.

Lo Stender is in my ward and she plays for the U.S. Women's team and travels the world, she was the one who got me to play rugby for the Slots. We went to Flagstaff about a month ago and played a couple of 15's and my body ached for days after, come to find out your body doesn't get used to it and the soreness isn't the greatest familiarity.

It's fun to be part of an actual team again and to have to go to practice. We practice with the Las Vegas Blackjacks, the men's rugby team, and I'm learning a lot. I find it hard not to compare it to football and want to react as such, but it opens many doors and instant friends.

So far I've played openside-flanker & lock positions, I've been practicing as a center and hopefully will get to run the ball a little more for more tries. Yesterday I had the chance to play touch rugby at the Fijian Independence celebration with many people representing many different nations all both young and old. True to their motto "a hooligans' game played by gentlemen".

vienna waits for you…

This last weekend was spent in Utah, I forgot how much I like Utah. I loved the weather, missed the mountains, family & friends and enjoyed the familiarity. A big part of me wished a reason would arise for me to stay forever, but I soon found myself back in Henderson. I do like Nevada, but it’s not home. I’m reminded of the song Vienna, maybe even my theme song, and how it always seems to fit my every situation.