Onion Farms!

I'm a little late sharing this picture, but we are surrounded by onion farms! Each row is lined with 50 lb bags of onions! This is just one small field, looking towards Yerington from the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area. There are tons of onion farms! Early October the higway is full of huge trucks full of onions. They're easy to spot because of the onion skins flying out of the back of the truck!

Each bag is loaded by hand and you can see lots of people in the fields picking onions and throwing them in the bags. Then the truck comes along, loads the onions and takes them to a dehydration facility at the Nightengale Hot Springs. The energy from the hot springs is used to freeze-dry the onions (or so I've heard). I also didn't know that onions are dehydrated before they reach the store to help keep them fresh. The few outer layers that you have to peel off are fresh when they get picked!

Jelly Belly Factory

About a month ago, Dave and I went over to Sacramento to get tires on his truck. We decided to go a little further and visit the Jelly Belly factory! I LOVE Jelly Belly Jelly Beans so I was more than a little excited. We weren't allowed to take pictures during the tour but we could take pictures in the main part of the building.

Their address...

Mr. Jelly Belly greeting visitors!

Yes, I am easily entertained...Dave didn't want to wear the hat. I wonder why?

Spreading the Ashes

September 12, 2011 the family finally all got together to spread my dad's ashes. We met in Glenwood, CO in the morning then headed out on dirt roads to a small lake under Mount Sopris, where my dad had wanted his ashes spread. I think we were supposed to hike up the mountain and do it there but not everyone was able to hike, so we met at the base of the mountain instead.

My dad had died on Sept. 11, 1995 so we were a little late in getting this done, but it was great to have the whole family together, minus our mom and my brother Paul.

So...we kinda have a large family! My dad was married before my mom and had four kids with her (Ruth, not present). Those are Bobby, Jimmy, Rose and Carolyn. I hadn't seen Bobby since my dad's funeral so it was great to see him. My niece and nephew were there along with their kids (I'm a great-aunt already!) Melissa (Caroln's daughter) and her kids: Dion and Kaylee. Then Jeremy (Rose's son) with Alorah. Then my mom (Laura, also not present) had four kids: Paul, John, me and Jen. Jen and I are on the far left. John's wife Debbie came and my sister brought her two kids.

Jen's daughters: Brianna and Emily. Aren't they cute!

My brother John playing with a dead snake.....

After the official "Spreading of the Ashes," we all just kind of went our separate ways. I went back to Moab, Judy and Norm (step-parents) headed to Vernal to stay a few days visiting Jen, and the Colorado group went back to Denver.



Peanut Butter Blossoms

These have always been my favorite cookies. I remember my grandma making them when we were little and I don't make them very often now but this year for Christmas I decided it was time!

Take peanut butter cookie dough, roll it into 1-inch balls, roll them in sugar and bake. I baked them most of the way, then added the Hershey's kisses. We used to add the chocolate kisses before we baked them, but most recipes I read said to add them after they were out of the oven...so I added them halfway through and it seems to be working. The chocolate melts but holds its shape and stays softer than the original candy.

Next recipe I'm trying is a peppermint pinwheel. I'll post pictures of those when/if it works!

Merry Christmas!

So Far So Good...

Just a short post to update on the new job:

Today my boss and I shoveled horse poop out of Scout Camp. The previous campers didn't take it to the drop-off site so we did it... I also set a bunch of mouse traps upstairs to control the mouse problem. Then I get to vacuum the rooms to make it safe from hantavirus.

I have started making flyers for Buckland Station, now that it's open more often and some flyers asking for volunteers to help us keep it open daily. That's the fun part for me--figuring out how to promote the park and get people in there. I also made us a Facebook page--Fort Churchill State Historic Park. I called Silver Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Senior Center to introduce myself and see if we can get some write-ups in their newsletters and I've been looking for grants and some things to add to the present programming--which right now only consists of self-guided tours and Living History Talks for reserved groups.

Later I'll post about the Carson River Snapshot Day and life at the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area (it's fun to be on the refuge for now--saw a flock of turkeys yesterday and some peregrines).

More later but for now I'm tired and it's my FRIDAY!

Ghosts?

Ever since I got here everyone's been telling me Buckland Station is haunted. There have been a few groups doing paranormal investigations and didn't find anything too conclusive, but there are some pictures of "orbs" and I guess they got a few EVPs, or "ghost talk." I've been really nervous about going over to my new office because of that, and even avoided it for the first few days (which was easy because of the training and reading policies, etc) but finally a few days ago I had to go over and arrange my office and bookshelf and get it stocked with office "stuff."

I've been over there for a few days now and today I did a lot of cleaning--dusting, sweeping and just spent a lot of time looking around. I even took a few pictures, hoping (or not hoping...) to capture some "orbs" of my own. I've never seen anything the least bit supernatural or even weird/unexplainable so I don't know if I even will. My boss told me I'm guarenteed to meet some ghosts while I'm over there, I guess because that's where I'll be spending most of my time--giving tours and sitting in my office. I even sat and read the binder (not all of it) given to the park by the paranormal investigation team, "Thin Veil Investigations." I did get a little creeped out sitting there alone in a 3-story building with no music or noise, other than cars passing on the highway, but still didn't see anything or feel that uncomfortable.

We'll see what happens! Any ghost enthusiasts out there? I'm interested in your stories!

Last Day at Dead Horse Point

Well, my last day at Dead Horse Point State Park was September 20, last Tuesday. I went in at 8:30 a.m. and waited for my field trip to start with the Moab Charter School. I was working with 5th and 6th grade students, doing environmental education inside their classroom once a week, then I had planned two field trips per trimester for them to come up to the park. Tuesday, the 20th was their first field trip and my last day, so I was thinking that would make it easier and keep my mind off the fact that I wouldn't be seeing them again.

They showed up at 9:20 a.m. I met them at the bus, let them use the restrooms and then ushered them into the amphitheater outside the visitor center so I could give them their nametags. For name tags, I've been using old postcards with blank labels on them. I punch two holes, one on each side, into the top and make a loop with a piece of yarn. I passed out sharpies for them to write their names, then we went over the rules for the day. We went into the theater (art gallery) and watched the park video. It was funny--I'm actually in the park video talking about plant adaptations to the desert, and they all turned around to look at me and laughed.

I did a short program on biological soil crust, then we made some of our own by taking pieces of thread, pulling them through a drop of glue and then covering them with sand. The sand sticks to the thread, and there's your very own piece of biological soil crust! (haha)

After that activity we walked along the park's nature trail, then I had them make their own field guides to the plants and animals of Dead Horse Point State Park.

Next, we went up to the Point to see the view and had lunch in the picnic area. After lunch we hiked out to the potholes north of the visitor center and did some activities and they got to use their drawing boards to sketch something they learned about at the park. We had to try hard to keep them out of the pothole water. Of course, lots of things got dropped into the potholes: an apple, feet and lots of pieces of paper. Oops!

One more visit to the restroom and they were ready to get back on the bus and go back to school! Then I had to say goodbye to everyone, talk a lot about where I'm going and then turn in my keys and uniform.

It all felt weird, like I wasn't really leaving, but by the time we packed up the "cottage" and got on the road it suddenly seemed very real! After three days with little sleep and lots of packing, carrying and driving, I finally crashed last night and slept in until 9:30 p.m.

The drunken cat story:

I know my cat hates traveling so I called the vet and asked if they could help make a 12-hour drive easier for both of us. They sold me a little bottle of tranquilizer pills and I was to give her 1/2 a pill every 6-8 hours. I started in the morning before we were ready to leave. I knew she was drugged when she didn't fight me when I put her in the cat carrier. She did fight sleep and freaked out for about two hours before finally relaxing and falling asleep. During that time I got a lot of "how could you?" meows and stares.

When we got to the wildlife refuge where we're staying for a couple months, I let her out of the carrier and thought she'd head straight for the litter box. She immediately started running around the house, exploring and purring. She was totally drunk still though; she tried jumping up on the kitchen counter, the bathroom counter and a dresser and fell off all three. Lots of attention later, she stuck with staying on the floor and couches. She was soooo excited to be out of the carrier! When she did discover her food and water dish, she gulped it down and kept exploring. She slept all the next day (and I thought she must be hungover) and came out again at night with the same excitement. I think she's just as excited as I am to be in a new place!

I am, however, looking forward to being able to tell people I just moved here from Utah without wanting to cry!

New Job!!

Wow...I don't know where to start. More than a month ago Dave and I were talking about going back to where he's from, near Lake Tahoe. His family's from there and he's always lived there and missed it. I was willing to make a change (I've been at DHP for over 9 years!) but only if I could get a job that was worth leaving my current job for.

We kept an eye on what was opening in the area and a job came open for Fort Churchill State Historic Park near Silver Springs, NV. I applied, then called the park for a little more information. I was told to not live in Silver Springs but to check out communities like Fernley or Yerington, maybe even Dayton. At this point I hadn't been contacted for an interview, so it was just gathering information. I looked it up online and checked it out.

A few weeks later Dave and I were driving in the La Sals and I got a phone call from a Joy Elwood saying they would "very much like to interview" me. I called back immediately, set up the date for August 24, which was about three weeks away--or more, I don't remember. I read about the park, then had an idea that I should visit the park before the interview. I really wanted to see it and find out what I was "getting myself into." We made plans to visit, called the park to set up a day where someone was there to show us around and left the next week. It's a 12-hour drive so I thought it might be crazy but really wanted to see it.

I didn't take any pictures during the visit, so these are all stolen:

Buckland Station is where I will be most of the time. The purpose of this new position is to keep it open for tours, start a docent program and provide community outreach.

Ruins from Fort Churchill, a Civil War-era fort built to protect Mormon settlers from Indian attacks.

The visitor center/museum.

I interviewed on August 24, then found out that 100 people had applied for the job. They said 40 of those were qualified and they chose 13 to interview. Once I heard that I stopped worrying--lots of odds and lots of people interested! BUT on Friday after the interview I got a phone call from the manager saying it was a tough choice and it came down to me and one other person. I had the interpretive experience; she had the farming/ranching experience. They slept on it and then decided to hire me! Wow....I am still in shock! So....I had to accept the job, call Dave, then not look forward to giving my notice at the park!

I am excited! We'll see how this goes....I will be there in about a month...not enough time and I HATE moving....but I think it's for the best and it'll be a new adventure! I'll get to do interp, museum work and learn about ranching and farming....haha. Wish me luck :)

Last Night's Party

Last night I cooked dinner for Dave and two friends from work, Sarah and Jordan. They brought LOTS of chips and dip (salsa, 7-layer bean, guacamole), and margaritas. I made portobello fajitas and Spanish rice and stuck with some red wine because I had to work. We ate dinner, talked, laughed, watched a movie, and then Emily from work also came over. She works at Buck's Grill so she wasn't there until almost 10 p.m. and had to work early the next day so she couldn't stay long.

We went outside and I taught Sarah how to make a "time bomb" out of a ziplock bag, vinegar and baking soda. We also played with cornstarch and made an "anti-Newtonian liquid." I use those a lot for my after school science programs (I didn't do any this year though)....

Around 2 a.m. Sarah and Jordan headed for their trailer, which they parked outside the house for the night. In the morning Deena, the neighbor came over and asked if we'd heard what happened last night. We said no, and she said that the house across from us had a huge party all night and were drinking and getting crazy. People were in the street yelling and this drunk guy started breaking into people's cars. So we all went outside to see if our vehicles had been broken into and thankfully, none were! Deena said that she called the police to check on things, and it turns out that about five other houses had called the police for the same reason!

Jordan said Sarah slept through all of it but he heard everything and it was definitely a crazy party. The guy wasn't breaking into cars to steal things, he was so drunk he didn't know where he was and was looking for his car, trying his keys in all of the ones he got into. Yikes! Jordan heard him getting in trouble with his friends at the party, then talking with the police....I don't know how the situation resolved (I had to leave for work)...

I came to work and got to be a step-on guide for a tour bus, then cleaned most of the rest of the day. Right now I'm sitting in the entrance station listening to it rain and happy that I found Disney music on my Pandora station!! I also think it's funny that tourists expect me to be able to tell them what the weather's going to do, and how long it's going to storm...

Cilantro Chicken and Vegetables

Thought I'd try a new recipe:

MARINADE
1/2 C fresh squeezed lemon juice (for me this was 2 lemons)
1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp Mexican oregano
1/2 C minced cilantro, lightly packed
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp mustard powder (didn't have any)
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

SKEWERS
1 1/2 lb organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 orange bel pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 poblano pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks. (I bought this but forgot to use it. I'll use it in tomorrow's portobello fajitas!)
1 yellow onion, quartered (also forgot it)
20 grape or cherry tomatoes (also fogotten, used in the salad instead!)
1 small crook-neck squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini squash, cut into 1-inch pieces

(serves 6)

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside.

Rinse chicken breasts under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the hicken breasts into bite-size pieces and toss in the marinade to coat. Cover and marinate for 2 hours in the refridgerator, tossing frequently. You may also use a zip-lock bag to marinate the chicken.

Soak 18 bamboo skewers in water for 15 min.

Thread chicken and pieces of red and orange bell pepper, poblano, onion, tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini onto skewers, making sureyou have the same size chicken pieces per skewer to ensure even cooking. Separate chicken with vegetable pieces.

If grilling on agas or charcoal grill, set at high heat or allow coals to become hot. Put the prepared skewers on the grill and cook until chicken is browned. Turn and cook the other side for about 2 minutes, or until chicken is done and moist.

If you broil, preheat the oven to broil at high heat. Plae the skewers on the broiler pan as close to the broiler as possible. Allow the chicken to brown slightly. Turn over the chicken pieces and broil until done, 2-3 more minutes.

If using an electric grill, set at high heat and grill until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and grill on the other side until browned, or until the chicken is done, but moist.

Serve immediately...

I baked them in the oven for 15 min, then turned them over for another 10. I cut the veggie pieces a little bigger so they needed longer to cook...also served with a green salad (tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli and onion) and mushroom rice pilaf (from a box....).

Good luck!

Josh Groban Fan

Soooo....On our trip last week (Wed-Fri) Dave and I went to NV to visit friends and see some new scenery. This is the story about what happened on the way home (well, I guess it's one of many that could be told).

There are very long stretches of highway out towards Hinkley and Delta, UT from Ely, NV. There is no cell service and no good radio stations. We did listen to tons of Republican radio (Rush Limbaugh) and debaters about the next presidential campaign though! The Great Basin is beautiful but makes for a long drive!

I wanted Dave to hear my favorite song: Weeping, by Josh Groban. He cringed, but I went ahead and put it in the CD player anyway. He said he wanted to throw it out the window, so I started another song, thinking it would be better.

Dave rolls down the window while hitting the Eject button, and promptly throws the CD out the car window while we're going 70 mph. I was surprised he actually did it! (Maybe I wasn't really that surprised...after all it's been over a year of dating....).

He said he only did it because I have it saved on my computer at home and can make another copy. I think he just wanted to make a statement...but now I have to retaliate. Maybe by putting Chess in the DVD player and looping it... haha. His statement, "Well, it will make a great Facebook story!" Hm.

Dark Rye Bread

I decided to do something productive with my day off so I baked some bread and carrot spice muffins. I couldn't find the recipe I wanted online so I looked through my cookbooks. I finally found one in Better Homes and Gardens that I liked. It looked a little complicated, but I had 4 days off this week so I tried it out.

First of all I ended up destroying the (tiny) kitchen!

This is almost all the space I had to work with...I got a little claustrophobic.

The Recipe:

2 to 2 1/2 C all purpose flour (I used whole wheat)

1 package active dry yeast

1 TBSP instant coffee crystals

1 TBSP caraway seed

1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed (I forgot to add this...)

1 1/4 C water (I needed more since it's so dry here)

3 TBSP molases

2 TBSP butter or margarine

1/2 square (1/2 oz) unsweetened chocolate, cup

1 TBSP vinegar

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 C rye flour

1 slightly beaten egg white

Combine 1 1/2 C al purpose flour, yeast, coffee crystals, caraway seeds and fennel seeds. In a saucepan, heat and stir water, molasses, margarine, unsweetened chocolate, vinegar, sugar, and salt until warm and margarine and chocolate are slightly melted. Add to flour mixture and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in rye flour and as much of the remaining all purpose flour as you can.

Knead in enough remaining all purpose flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes). Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turn once to grease the surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place till double, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down. Divide in half, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into two round loaves. Place on a greased aking sheet. Flatten each slightly to a 5-inch diameter. Cover and let rise in a warm place till nearly double (30 to 45 min). Combine the egg white with 1 tbsp water, brush over loaves.

Bake in a 375 oven for 30-45 min. If desired, brush again with egg white mixture about 5 min before removing from oven. REmove from baking sheet immediately and cool on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves, or about 24 servings.

I liked it a lot, but Dave didn't. He wanted something "fluffier" so I'm going to look up more recipes today and experiment with my remaining days off! I gave the 2nd loaf to my friend Arran, but we ended up cutting it up and dipping it in olive oil, garlic and basil and eating it at her house after a hike.

At the end of the day, I had lots of muffins (3 batches) and two loaves of bread made:

Carrot-spice muffin recipe

Disneyland Trip Part 1: Finding Nemo and Ariel's Adventure

I'm finally getting around to posting some Disneyland pictures! I have the rest on my computer at home but these are the only ones I had with me here (in the entrance station!). Dave and I decided we needed to get away from Moab and for work so we took two weeks off at the beginning of the month. He is from Carson City/Reno area and used to always go to California on vacations. I'd only been to Disneyland once, last September with Dave!

We knew which rides we wanted to go to first, since a lot of them were closed last time. The first ride we did was Space Mountain, and I was nervous about a roller coaster because my ribs were still hurting. I was worried it would knock something loose again! It wasn't rough, but to me it was scary! I don't like not being able to see what's coming at me and most of the ride was in the dark. The picture they take during the ride was not flattering....

The ride Finding Nemo was open this time so it's also one of the first we hit. That ride was great--nice and gentle and a good way to get started on our adventure!

We were loaded into a yellow submarine and told by the "skipper" to take a seat in front of a portal. The ride signs caution users not to go if they don't like close, cramped, dark spaces.

This is my portal to look through. I thought it was going to be a little strange if that was all I'd be able to see, so I started out by cheating and looking through Dave's too. We submurged partially, then began the ride into Nemo's world! They showed characters and snippets of the movie.

The coral reef. That's pretty much all I got pictures of because a lot of the ride was too dark, in the caves, to take good pictures. But I love how these turned out!

More pretty under water pictures. I like the light in this one. 

The thing that struck me about Disneyland was that everything is fake! I know that's a "duh" but it's also funny how they make everything seem so real! From their 4-D movies (beyond 3-D) to their "areas"--for example, New Orleans Square looks just like a block in a Southern town (not that I've ever been to one) and Frontierland is full of historic references--Tom Sawyer's Island, the steamboat, and Davey Crockett's canoes (the only self-powered ride in the park).

They also take you inside Disney movies, which is awesome. One of my favorites growing up was The Little Mermaid. I looked it up and it actually came out in 1989! Can  you believe it's been that long? I was shocked when I saw that date. If you look up youtube, you can see a McDonald's commercial to go along with it. (Sleeping Beauty is an older one too....1959!!) 

Under the sea!

Ariel's Adventure is also a new ride that we hadn't seen before so of course I dragged Dave along on the ride. He's a good sport. He's an even better sport if he watches The Little Mermaid with me--I ordered it on Netflix as soon as we got back and it arrived yesterday :)

A whole post about...Dave!

My mom likes Dave. At least she keeps saying so!

Dave at Anticline Overlook across from Dead Horse Point.

View from Dead Horse Point State Park, where we met!

We met when he got a seasonal job at Dead Horse Point State Park last spring (2010). It was busy and we all had our own stuff going on so I didn't really start getting to know him until later that summer. We just started talking more and more, but it was still pretty much a work relationship but we were getting to be friends. Then, I needed someone to go with me to Vernal and drive home my Jeep that my brother-in-law had worked on for me.

I asked Dave to go with me because 1) we had the same days off and 2) I was starting to really like him and thought it would be fun. I found out he likes museums so we spent a couple hours at the Utah Field House in Vernal. On the way back, he drove my Jeep while I drove my "new" car. He called me and said he needed gas, so we stopped at Crescent Junction. (Now, I had bought a locking gas cap because I was always out hiking, camping and backpacking and didn't want my gas being stolen...) We found out I didn't have the key to the gas cap! The gas light was on, telling him he had low fuel...so we decided to get it as far as it would go before it actually ran out of gas, then I would deal with it. The Jeep made it all the way back to my house! ...but it made him sweat a little bit and I felt bad and really dumb...especially when I got inside my house and found the key hanging on my wall!!!

He started texting me later that evening and from there we kept texting and talking, and then we started hanging out watching movies and drinking wine...and then I left for 2 weeks to go to CA with my family! A bad time to leave...but I was really looking forward to going with them so I went. We texted and talked pretty much the whole time and decided the date we started dating was August 7, 2010...so now it's been almost a year! Wow...I can't believe it's been that long...

We went to Disneyland last August because we had four days off together and had a great time! I hadn't been around anyone I could really spend 12 hours with at a time in the same vehicle...and we got along great! We're going to CA again to spend MORE time at Disneyland, California Adventure and then a day sightseeing and maybe a little time at the beach. We leave Monday...and I am excited!

Dave's family. We wanted to see them for Thanksgiving but it snowed us in. We ended up going between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Ouch! ....and my birthday!

I caught a cold that lasted for a couple weeks early in June. I ended up coughing a LOT and tensing up all my back muscles. The cold went away and so did most of the pain associated with it, except for one spot under my left arm that would not go away! So I made an appointment with my doctor, which happened to be on my 30th birthday! She thinks it is a dislocated rib...

Now I am on an anti-inflamatory painkiller and a muscle relaxer which I can only take at night so it doesn't make me fall asleep! I hope it doesn't last too long--I've never had even a broken bone! Plus I hate taking any kind of drug, unless it's caffine or wine-related!

On my birthday after the doctor visit, I took my car in to have the windshield replaced--it had a large crack that started growing in the winter and I knew it wouldn't have passed inspection. I got a short nap in before it was time for me and Dave to go to my friend's house for dinner.

She made pizza while we all broke into the box of wine, chips and dip. We decided we needed exercise so we had ridden our bikes over...and it ended up being a great evening and a great way to turn 30! The pizza was awesome! She made the crust, added tomato sauce, sweet potatoes, cheese, chicken and a bunch of veggies. It made me want to start making homemade pizza again...which I used to do all the time but somehow got out of the habit.

My Shorts Don't Fit :(

...that statement made both Dave and my brother-in-law Derek laugh. I never used to own a bathroom scale and always said "as long as my clothes fit, I'm happy." Well....I have outgrown my size 4 pants and now my size 6 work shorts don't fit! So....I have to make more of an effort to exercise. I don't eat bad at all (most of the time...) and I'm ok with the way I look; I just don't like that my clothes have started to not fit and I don't want to have to replace everything!

Dave said that being in a relationship immediately adds 15 pounds for him. I'm thinking it may be the same for me! I've been walking more than before and doing some exercises and I know that during the trip to California we will be walking non-stop most of the time...so I think by the end of my 2 weeks off work my new shorts WILL fit! It's definitely a change in lifestyle though. No more vegetarian boyfriend obsessed with climbing mountain peaks--as much fun as that was I wouldn't trade it for what I have now :) :) :)

Other than that, I think exercise is the biggest thing I'm not doing much of right now. I don't drink soda and I mainly drink tea and water. Coffee in the morning and wine at night, maybe a beer once in a while but not often enough to really count as a major calorie source!

Wish me luck!

New Blog!

My other blog, Adventures in the Desert, is mostly used for recording things in the natural world. This includes hiking and camping trips, wildflowers, cool animal sightings and other nature-based adventures. This blog will be a little more personal, for anyone who may be interested...if anyone is at all interested! I'll try to keep friends and family informed of funny stories, randomness and developing information (GRE testing, school, home, Dave...etc). Sometimes it may be just to organize the thoughts in my head. I like to write and take pictures, people-watch and daydream...so we'll see what happens.

I also turn 30 this year and have been thinking (not too seriously) of doing one of those 30 while 30 lists but haven't really come up with anything solid yet. I only have about 5 days to do so if I'm going to, so it may not happen.

I work at a state park outside of Moab, UT and recently have been spending a lot of time in the entrance station (sensory deprivation chamber) collecting fees so I have a lot of time on my hands at work--I've been reading and studying for the GRE but sometimes it works just to let go and write, job-related or not...