Muckin About

I started work last week. Yay. Back to the Sawdust Festival. I sure do love having sawdust in every imaginable crevace. Oh, and I can't forget how great it feels to hack up a lung or sneeze every hour because I breathe in tiny wood particles for eight hours a day, five days a week. Love it.

The holiday weekend was fun! Saturday I went up to Meacham area with Randy. His best friend Steven's grandpa (Bob) has a cabin up there. We spent the day four wheelin' and shooting. It rained on us, but it was still a great time. I was able to see the mountain from places I never had. It was absolutely beautiful.

I also shot Steven's new Smithinweson 40 caliber handgun. It was such fun to shoot, such power! I have decided that I love shooting handguns and pistols the most. I kind of want a tiny .22 for my birthday, maybe I will buy one when I finally get paid!

Sunday was also a nice day. I taught the lesson in Relief Society on "Good, Better, and Best." The lesson went pretty well. That evening I went up mushroom hunting with my mom, Zoey, Riley, and Eli. We got rained on as is tradition. We found enough calfbrains and morels for a decent meal, but couldn't leave until lil' Zoey finally found a mushroom. Which she did, after about an hour, and it was a tiny little thing, but she sure was proud.

Today is my mom's 47th (yep I told the world Ma) birthday! I love her a bunch and appreciate all she does for her family. I love her little eccentricities, too. Like her love of HGTV (Home and Gardent channel), her love for Toby Keith, and the way she wishes every old and cool house was hers. You can find her thoughts on growing old and crippled at sandraleavitt.blogspot.com. Love ya Maj!

Once Upon a Saturday

I just wanted to quickly post about the weekend.

Saturday was a ton of fun. I woke up a bit early and ran some errands in the morning, including securing a mother's day gift for my mom. That afternoon the branch had an activity up in Haines at Brad Feik's parents' house. It was the same activity we had last May. Shooting skeet, riding horses, driving four wheelers and a dirt bike. It was so much fun! I had invited this guy I met a couple weeks ago, Randy, to come along. So he, Crystal Kevan (who is back for the summer), and Kara all rode in my car. We spoke in hick accents all the way to Brad's.

I shot Randy's 12 gage shot gun a few times, but that was enough for me. I love to shoot, just not the big guns that throw out your shoulder, plus I actually hit a clay pigeon about one in six times, so I feel bad wasting them. Then Kara drove Crystal and I around on the fourwheeler. It was so funny! We actually rode two seperate times, going over bumps and "catching air." People were watching because we were laughing and screaming so loud.

Randy also took me on an extended drive on the four wheeler, I guess he's quite the ATVer, so that was fun. I also rode a horse, for about 15 minutes, but I'm still feeling it!! After rounding up the afternoon with homemade cheesecake (Thanks Morg!) and a jump on the trampoline we headed back home.

Randy took me out to dinner at Golden Harvest. I hadn't been in years. We ordered for eachother, I ordered him curry and he orderd me this pineapple/cocount chicken. We shared and both were delicious. Afterwards we went back out to Union where we met up with Kara. She was on the phone so Randy and I took to assualting one another, with fists, feet, pillows and brooms. It was pretty intense.

We then proceeded to break some laws. We climbed up the Union water tower. Shhhh, don't tell people, especially my Grandma. It was exhilirating! It was good that Randy was there to hoist us up to the ladder and to catch us when we had to drop down from the ladder. Once on top we watched lightning over the hills above La Grande. It was super windy though, and chilly, so we didn't last long. We did attempt to carve our initials at the top with Randy's keys. It was a blast, but my shoulders are still recovering from the climb, it took more strength than I thought!

It's been a full couple of weeks since school ended. I start work sometime this week, probably Tuesday night. I am going to Pendleton/Hermiston to hang out with Randy and play some human foosball. Kara left today to go back to Provo for the summer. I am really going to miss that girl! She is so funny and has been such a great friend.

West Coast Trip

I know it's been a spell since my last post. Two reasons for this. The first being that the internet isn't as accessible to me as it was in Provo. My Grandma doesn't have the internet, and I don't get much time to just surf the net while at my mom's house. The second reason is that I've just been so busy. I can't really innumerate what I've been doing, but I've been busy.

My trip to the west side of Oregon was not quite what I hoped. It was a trip full of lows with a few highs mixed in. I got into Eugene Thursday night, had dinner at Olive Garden with Ryan, the next morning he had a midterm to take so I stayed at the house and got ready to take off to the coast. An officer came and knocked on the door to tell me my car had been broken into. Actually she told one of Ryan's roommates then left, so helpful, right? It's the back side window that got smashed in. Of all things that could of been stolen, the thief took my scriptures! It probably looked like a purse sitting on my back seat, sheesh! It was pretty frustrating. My insurance only pays for things after $500, so I have to find the cash to replace my stupid window. My scriptures were priceless. I mean, the actual book, leather bound and all was probably worth somewhere around 80 bucks. But, I've had those for ten years! They've carried me through all my adolescent angsts and growth. They'd become a friend and a comfort, and also like a second journal. Also in my tote were a hymn book my grandma had gotten me for a Christmas a few years ago, a cute little notebook my aunt Steph had just sent to me in Provo, cute drawings from Riley and Eli, my Patriarchal Blessing, and my temple reccommend. It's all so frustrating. I just hope they weren't dumped in a garbage and someone somewhere will benefit from them. The thought of them in a garbage is crushing.

To make things better Ryan was moody and quiet the whole time I was with him. It was like sitting in awkward silence for three days, or just talking to yourself. Terrible. I left him a little early, Saturday night, and went to Portland to stay with my good friend Teresa at Lewis and Clark College.

Sparing many details, these were the highs of my trip:

The beautiful bloom of spring! The whole area was green, with trees and flowers blooming.

Putting my feet in the ocean! I hadn't done that in years. Plus we ate at Mo's and got saltwater taffy.

Seeing Teresa! That girl makes me smile and laugh. I've known her since the seventh grade, so there is just that comfort you find in people who've known you forever.

Sparky's Pizza in Sandy! Delicious. Some of the best pizza I've ever had.

Hanging out with our friends Brenton and Alan before they left for their respective missions. Brenton left last week and will serve in New Mexico, Alan leaves here soon for Ohio.

Tillamook! We toured the cheese factory, ate lots of free samples, agonized over which ice cream to eat, bought some curds, and took pictures of happy cows.

Going to the Portland Temple! It is a peaceful place in a world of chaos and hecticity (I think I made that word up). You find peace, comfort, answers, and perspective.

The drive home! We left Portland around 1 am and got back into LG around 5:15am. We were so tired, but it was good to spend time together singing off key and playing terrible games to stay awake.

When upon life's billows....

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

I changed my background. It is my attempt at optimism...green...growth, newness, life, and someday possibly Spring. I will have to redo my pictures and stuff, but oh well.

I began this entry on Sunday night, but was too tired to complete it and went to bed. I had had a bit of an unsettling week, just a lot ot stress and anxiety and was on the verge of a breakdown! But, my friend Kara invited me out to her brother and sister in-law's for dinner. The food was so great! The company was fun, too, and it was just nice to get out of my own head for a few hours. A couple hours later I was able to talk to Kylee for a couple hours. It is always comforting to talk to someone you've known a long time and accepts you for you. So, Sunday night, amidst my angst, the above excerpt from a favorite hymn came to mind, and I decided to do that. I was overwhelming grateful for two F words in my life....Friends and Food!

There is nothing quite like an ear of someone who cares, and down home cooking to fill the hunger of body and soul. I am grateful for those people in my life that my Heavenly Father has seen fit to place in my path, to teach, to guide, to laugh with, and to love.

Two days later things are on the upswing! I am excited to announce that my housing contract for Spring/Summer has been officially sign, sealed, and delivered (to borrow a Stevie Wonder phrase)! I have only one final left! My mom is not in fact dying of breast cancer (thanks for the scare, ma!). I will soon be squishing my toes in the beaches of the Oregon coast. I have a job lined up for the summer, though it isn't ideal, it pays for the bacon. I have friends and family awaiting my arrival, and hopefully some of Eli's birthday cake, too. Mmmm, I love cake! It is a new love of mine, but one I know will last as long as my tastebuds do.

I feel like five hundred pounds have been lifted from off my chest! I am even optimistic that warm weather will indeed grace us soon....If crossing my fingers doesn't work then I know folding my arms will.... ;-)

Hope everyone else is able to remember the little and great things in life that make is such a beautiful ride.

In the home stretch

Well kids....not a lot has happened since I last wrote.

I thought I had my contract sold....then the girl, Courtney called yesterday and said she actually decided to move back home to California. I was very upset. I thought I had this huge burden lifted, but then, nope....I came crashing right back down. It's frustrating too, because she had told me to take my sign out of the window on Saturday. Well Sunday and Monday were gorgeous, warm, sunny days and everyone was out walking and biking, driving slowly with the windows down, in other words, perfect days for advertizing my apartment. So, please continue to pray for some soul who will come take this thing off my shoulders. I had had on my dry erase board the note "Call Courtney" but after she called me with the distressing news I erased the "call" and wrote "kill." I was only kind of joking ;-)

I have no more classes this semester! Yesterday was the last day of classes. Yay! Actually, it hasn't really set in. Last night at the gym I was thinking about what time I needed to go to bed so that I could wake up for class. It was silly. By the way, Kylee, if you read this, I've been running on the treadmill....shocking I know! But, I often think of you when I am on there. I've been running, including my "cool down," for about 33 minutes, plus two minutes of walking. I am just shy of running three miles, maybe by next week I'll be in good enough shape to hit three miles...I mean, that 11 minutes per mile.

Monday I didn't do so hot on my bootcamp. I ate a few too many calories. A group of us went to this new Gelato shop on Center Street to celebrate Kara getting into the Advertising Creative program, which is really tough. They only let in 16 people! So I hit the gym after, and then again yesterday, even though yesterday wasn't in my little "boot camp" plan.

The weather Tuesday was 47 degrees cooler than Monday. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I was supposed to go to a review this morning, I hit the snooze on my alarm, but apparently it was just the off button. I slept until about nine, when my review was supposed to start. Then Michelle (my roomie) made us some pancakes to jump start the finals experience. I have two more reviews to go to today. Two tomorrow, then my first final is Friday.

Watched the Biggest Loser Finale last night! I, like so many others, have been an avid watcher this season. I got really nervous for Ali because Roger looked so thin!!! But, then she burst through that old picture of her and she looked AMAZING! She lost 112 pounds! Incredible. I was also impressed with the brown team, and Amanda - the one married to Neil - even though she wasn't HUGE to begin with you could see she had worked really hard and looked so much better, oh, and Dan's mom looked so great! I was also really impressed with Bernie and Brittany. Brittany was in the 170's still but she looked fantastic. It was a good little boost for my own fitness to watch all of their progress. They said Paul, Kelly's ex was "sick." Does anybody believe that? I think he was just still fat and didn't want to show his face. But I thought he should've sucked it up and come, Lynn, the old man, hadn't lost much and still showed up.... So anyway, afterward I went to the gym and on my run I felt like passing out, or at least slowing way down, or cutting my run short. But I didn't, I kept thinking about the contestants and how they wouldn't stop. I also thought of Jillian standing right in front of me yelling at me to keep going.... It was helpful and I stayed on for my full run...whew!

Well kids, I'll be coming home in about 9 days....

S-T-R-E-S-S

If I could describe that last few days, aside from today, in one word, it would be STRESS. Tuesday night I went to bed and I was laying there and started thinking about all these different things....my worries, concerns, assignments, tests, projects, blah, blah, blah. I literally got sick to my stomach. I had to get up and take a pepto-bismal (a chewable so it wasn't so bad) and hope that I didn't spew(I hate throwing up). After laying down around midnight I think I finally settled myself down enough to fall asleep after 2am. The bad thing was that I had to wake up at 7am to go up to campus because an tookpak wouldn't add to my Excel without making the program crash. I had to have that tookpak so that I could run a statistical regression on data I had collected, interpret it, and do a report on it by 5pm that same day. Plus, I had three classes to go to.

After hours in my own personal dungeon (the computer lab in the basement, with no windows, of the Kimball Tower, the tallest building on campus), I got the assignment turned in. I should have felt relief and even euphoria! It was the last major assignment for the Political Inquiry class which has had a major writing assignment due every week. It is a 4 credit class and it has been intense. I count it as a little victory that I never gave up, and not only survived by did pretty well on most of the assignments. I've measured this semester by that class. One paper down, ten to go....five down, six to go..... etc. etc. But I didn't feel so much relief. I saw my teaching assistant for that class, Brooke, right after I turned it in and as we talked I said, "I think we are all just a little worn out." Now I just have the ugly, frightening final. The average for which is a D. Say your prayers for me, a'ight?

I've also been stressed about finances! Sheesh! I cannot wait for the day in which I can't even get cash back at Wal-Mart because I don't have the 20 buck minimum in my account! Plus, I have to sell my housing contract for spring/summer, otherwise I have to pay 210 a month for four months.... And I am planning on coming home! Boise Cascade has already given me a job for the summer (as long as I haven't picked up a drug habit or committed any felonies since lase summer).

Anyway, I think my stress level hit it's climax at 2am Wednesday morning. But I wouldn't be surprised if it comes back around the same time next week.

Luckily I've been blessed with good health all semester. I haven't gotten a cold or flu all semester, and I am so grateful! I just hope I don't get knocked out with something during finals, which start next Friday. Only 3 days of actual classes left! I've also been getting back into the gym. I started going again around the end of February, but I was eating like crap. I've started my own little "boot camp" for three weeks. I just started on Monday, but so far so good. The plan is hitting the gym 4-5 times a week. Doing 3 days of cardio + strength training and 2 days of cardio + abs. I am also watching my calorie intake. Hopefully I can shed the few pounds I've put on this semester. So for all those out there who have been dieting, are dieting, or are thinking about it.... I AM HERE FOR YOU! AND I FEEL YOUR PAIN!

I register for fall classes tonight at midnight. It's hard to be excited for a new semester when you feel like you are barely keeping your head above water in the current one. I am excited to get home! I'll pull into town somewhere around the 27th. Then around the 1st I am headed to the west side to see a few friends and walk along the coast (something I haven't done in years!). Ahh....summer can't come soon enough....Even if I am going to be working at that sawdusty place again. Sheesh.