Wordless Wednesday - Famous, Daily Universe Style!

(be sure to click on the picture)

My Car is All MINE!!

I would like to announce that I have now officially paid off my car loan! - A year early. And now my car is mine and I have a couple hundred more dollars to save, spend, whatever! Yay!

One Wild 48 Hours in Zions

So my new roommate, Jen, and Lindsey and I went to Zions for part of Labor Day weekend. We drove down late Thursday night and headed straight for the Backcountry Office to camp out there so we could get the permits to do Mystery Canyon. As soon as we showed up in line with our arms full of sleeping bags, pads and pillows we discovered there was already a guy in line to get the permit we wanted. Foiled! But not so fast. As soon as we got there the guy, Barney, started mentioning the idea that he might not need all six spots and that he might work out something with us to be able to go. Yes! The stars had started their movement to align themselves to our benefit. So we exchanged phone numbers with him before parting ways for the day (we had to obtain the permit 24 hours in advance of when we wanted to go since this was such a popular canyon). Barney and his family are from Logan, Utah and within 15 or so minutes of meeting him he blurted out that he had a son that needed to get married! Ha! He must have seen us 3 girls and thought we were a possibility. We found out that his son would be down here in Zions, is 27 and teaches a rock-climbing class at USU.

We went mountain biking out on Gooseberry Mesa outside of LaVerkin, Utah and actually had a ton of fun out there! I think I might actually like this mountain biking business . . . :o) Now just to own a bike that will make it more enjoyable. Alas, not until next year.

We drove back into Zions and discovered that we had a message from Barney (drum roll please) and it was good news! He only had 3 people going in his party so he would turn in the the 3 unused spots and then we could get them as soon as he turned them in. So we met him at the Backcountry Office and got our spots! (They only allow 12 people through the canyon each day: 6 by lottery and 6 by walk-on.) It sounded like Barney really wanted to book it through the canyon which was totally fine with us. We planned on doing it alone anyway, but his party offered to give us a ride to the top of mountain so we could miss a grueling 2 mile hike where we would have gained 2100 feet in those 2 miles. Yuck. I would have been dead by the end of the hike - before we even started the canyon. So we planned to meet at their campground at 6 the next morning.

We got to their campground a few minutes late, but we ended up waiting just a bit. No big deal. And then they started talking about the 6 of us doing it together! We were surprised at this new development but not appalled by it either. So we decided to do it all together! And it was so worth it! They were loads of fun! "They" consisted of Barney, his unmarried son, Andrew, and his son-in-law, Dave. The canyon was beautiful! I will let the pics do the telling of the fun we had.

One confession for the day: I dropped some M&Ms in the canyon and didn't pick them up! I actually feel really bad about that now. I should have picked them up - there is a reason why they only allow 12 people through the canyon each day: low impact. But they are biodegradable, right??? :(

After we finished the canyon, we got some dinner and hit the road for home! What a wild weekend!

Click Here to see more Canyon pics.

Memory Lane in McCall Idaho

I had a wonderful time in Idaho. I saw the movie Becoming Jane and loved it. Although, I am a bigger fan of happy endings. :( But I think I will still buy it when it comes out on DVD.

And then there was the Western Idaho Fair. I had a corn dog and an Ice Cream Potato. Best ever! Check out the pics. My nephew, Spencer, and I were going to go on some rides but the lines were so dang long!! So we hocked the tickets I bought and jetted out. We also checked out the animals, like the gigantic cow next to my nephew, Spencer. And the little shops where they sell cowboy hats - like the princess one my nephew, Parker, is wearing. And look at the sweet little lamb! I love it! And we checked out the Expo center with their award winning vegetables. I looooove Idaho. :)

And then there was the packed-full day of McCall. Checking out her cabin that her dad is building, going on a little hike, going swimming at the WhiteTail hotel/resort. We were little hooligans with that last one - you are suppose to be a guest at the hotel to swim in their pool. Heheheheheh. Then ice cream down Ice Cream Alley and an Italian Soda at Moxie Java. Anna, my friend from high school, remembers a lot more of our adventures and whatnot than I do. So fun to reminisce.

I'm All Moved and Now I am Leaving!

Well, not really. I am just going home to Idaho for the weekend.

Yup, I am all moved into my new place. I have nearly every box unpack, a place for almost everything and I love my new furniture!! I discovered that packing is not the more difficult thing to do in a move--it is the unpacking and trying to find a place for everything and re-purposing plastic drawers, dresser drawers, closets, desk drawers, plastic organization baskets, book shelves, etc. Yuck. But I am mostly done. I have pictures and mirrors to hang and one or two more little boxes to unpack. And then then worst of it: really get organized. The basement is a mess! (I should clarify, mess-my-style, so not really that big of a mess.) Everything is stacked nicely, but what is inside the boxes is what I need to re-organize. And then my pantry shelf needs to be re-organized. Oh the joys. But so far I am really liking it and I love parking in the garage. Although it makes me nervous to open and close the garage door in the morning when I go to the gym bright and early! I hope my roommates are able to sleep through it. :p Pictures and a video tour to come! Check my blog at the beginning of September.

And speaking of the gym . . .. finally! My favorite gym is back open! It was closed for the past several weeks for improvements and renovations. It looks so much better. Truly. I went yesterday and today. They have all new ellipticals, treadmills, and bikes in the main area with flat screen TVs, then all new weight machines. And then . . . . they have a cardio cinema now! We can watch a movie without headphones in a darkened room on a big screen. And they are pretty new movies too! This morning I watched the 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean. They have all the classic cardio machines in there. Love it.

And now, as soon as I am off of work today I am on the road for Idaho! My dad and I had plans to hike into our favorite lake near Warren, Idaho, but unfortunately, the forest fires have closed and evacuate Warren and there is no getting into the lake. But I am still going to Idaho. My mom and sisters and I are going to go see Becoming Jane tomorrow afternoon and then we will hook up with my dad and my sisters' kids and go to the Western Idaho Fair. I am going to gorge myself on corn dogs, loaded fries, elephant ears, and fresh squeezed lemonade--and un-do everything I just did yesterday and this morning! I figure I will be officially back on the gym-attending-band-wagon next week. And then Saturday I am hooking up with my best friend from high school and we are headed to McCall for some fun outdoors and general McCall good times. We are living up the good ol' days this weekend. I will post photos and details when I return!

Wordless Wednesday - My Honda's Mileage Today

Packing Time

It's been four and a half years since I moved and I am beginning to see why. I don't like it! Everything about packing is strategic and headache/fatigue inducing.

"What clothes and toiletries do I need to survive over the next few days? When do I start to pack up my kitchen stuff that my roommates rely on? How do I pack things to move just a few blocks? Do I pack carefully and wrap things well or just decently?"

Hmmmm. Much too much thinking for the evening. But either way I've gotta do it because I begin moving this Thursday! Hopefully I will be done by Friday night so I can spend Saturday unpacking, getting situated and gathering loose ends and buying new stuff. And then my friends and I are off to enjoy the Utah Symphony and Tony Bennett for an outdoor concert at Deer Valley Ski Resort. Love it.