Mini Vacation

The Happiest Place on Earth?

California...I got back from CA on Saturday night after spending some time with my cousin Natalie and her family in Long Beach. Good times. We set out on Wednesday at 8:30 am (7:30 am CA time) and pulled in to LB at 9:30 pm. We made pretty good time. It was about 70 degrees there and it was a nice break from the cold Utah weather. The highlight of the trip was going to Disneyland. I have been there before, but not to California Adventure. Pretty fun. I rode the rides single ("Lonely rider!!" "Do you have to say it like that?" "Sure I do") as my cousin was toting around her two little boys Spencer and James.

CA Adventure was okay, but my heart is still tied to Disneyland. I have been there five times now and each time, it is still fun. However, I think that there is a little false advertising going on. "The happiest place on earth"? I'm going to have to disagree. I say this because the thing that stands out the most to me at Disneyland is parents yelling at their whining kids who didn't get to stand right by Mickey when he came by. I have never seen so many kids crying or throwing tantrums all at once, except maybe at Primary or Sacrament meeting on Sundays.

So, anyway, I rode most of the really fun rides: Hollywood Tower of Terror (I don't know if that is the name of it); Space Mountain; Soarin' Over California; the big roller coaster at CA Adventure (I don't know the name of it); Splash Mountain; we walked through Tarzan's tree house; Buzz Lightyear with Spencer; Pinnochio with Spencer; Pirates of the Caribbean; and who could forget It's a Small World? So, just a few, but lines are really long, so I wanted to hit the good ones. I'm really glad It's a Small World made the list ;) I also made it over to Toon Town--Lame! I guess it's fun if you're five, but I wasn't too impressed. Spencer liked it though.

Because it is the 50th anniversary of D-land, we saw some fireworks and then headed over to Fantasmic--CHAOS! There were so many people there but still fun. So, this D-land trip was fun just like the other ones and it's fun to be a kid again but good to be home.

If something gets in your way, turn.

Since I'm unemployed and I don't do a whole lot, I guess I have to write about the things that I do. One of the things that I seem to do is ski. In honor of el dia de los presidentes, Erin and I went skiing up in beautiful Ogden Valley. We went to Wolf Mountain and it was awesome. Great snow, probably the best I've been on.
So, this is funny. Our first ride up the lift was hilarious. I'm sitting on the left of the chair, Erin is on the right. When we get to the top, I assume (and we all know what assuming does) that Erin is just going to go straight out and I'll veer to the left. Nope! Erin decided to go to the left as well and cut me off! It all happened so fast. Right when I got off the lift, my peripheral vision could see only one thing...Erin coming right over me. Needless to say, I fell into the cautionary netting and "lay there like a slug, it was [my] only defense." I was laughing so hard! The workers thought I was hurt and came over and asked me if I was okay and helped me up (I was just dead weight for them because I couldn't stop laughing). It was pretty sweet. Erin and I laughed the whole way down the mountain. Where is a camera when you need one?
It was a really fun time skiing. Erin and I ski at about the same level, so we have a good time together. Plus, how fun is it to be run over? Way fun!

What have I done?!

So, I just got back from my training run...um....yeah, it's coming along. I have been the laziest piece of crap since I graduated from high school and now I am paying for it. I used to be so active (a three-sporter in high school plus softball during the summers and umpiring!). And let's be honest, playing slow-pitch softball in the fall is "hardly aerobically effective. I doubt I worked off the calories in a stick of carefee gum." I can't believe how bad of shape I am in, but, you have to start somewhere. Plus, it's my own fault. There were plenty of opportunities to be active in Logan--the Fieldhouse, Logan Canyon, Sports Academy, etc.

Now, the Wasatch Back Relay is my motivation. I am the team captain for team "I Pity the Fool!" (yes, Mr. T will be on our team shirts!) I can't let my teammates who are training so hard down now can I? We have until June 23 to be ready, so hopefully we won't procrastinate, because I don't want to find any of my teammates on the side of the road after mile 2 saying "go on without me, I can't do it!"

In any event, our team is wicked awesome. There are 12 of us total: 11 girls and one (1), yes one boy (lucky him). I am way excited to run it! I think it will be a life-changing experience. We already have people that are committed to run it next summer (2007) so that is awesome!

Anyway, the training is coming along and hopefully my wind will pick up soon. It reminds of trying out for basketball my sophomore year. Yeah, I wasn't going to try out because I was sick of basketball, but dumb me goes to tryouts and makes the team in the worst shape of my life because volleyball season was worthless as far conditioning went! But going to practice everyday and running about 40 extremely painful ladders paid off and I was in awesome shape. That should be my motivation! Pain= Physical Fitness Success!
Over and Out

What! (random post)

Okay, since like only about three people (including myself) read this blog, I'm just going to write. It's more for my benefit anyway (kind of like the journal I don't keep).
So, I am in that awful transition phase: college student to real world (which also includes the awful moving from a student ward to either a family ward, or a singles ward). I'm beginning to see why people stay in school as long as possible. Finding a job sucks rocks. I know that something is bound to come along, but I feel like I don't have any skills. "You know, nun-chuck skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills. [Employers] only want [people] who have skills!" I guess that I could pour coffee for a living. It's like Mr. Fancy Coffee Shop Coffee Pourer: "What do you do with a Master's degree in art history? You get a nose ring and pour coffee for a living." "Pour it on now!" It's a jungle out there. So anyway, I just wanted to vent for a second and now I'm done--no more complaining. "Is this you not [complaining], 'cause you suck at it."

However, being unemployed has at least one benefit. I have had a lot of time to read some books and being the history geek that I am, I read books that my professors would have assigned us to read. Take for instance, right now: I am reading His Excellency, George Washington by Joseph Ellis. So far it is really good and I am learning so much about our first beloved president. Very interesting. I read Founding Brothers by the same author and it was awesome. I just finished Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and loved it. I normally don't cry (ever) but this one got to me just enough to make my eyes well up (there were no actual tears, but it was close).

So, I guess that while I have the time, I will continue reading and running. The training for the Wasatch Back is coming along. It will be fun to run it in June! Over and out!