What was that?

"I wonder what the learning curve is on those wheels for the donkeys" is what I woke myself up with this morning. What started as Wells Fargo horses at the bottom of the butte in the desert turned out to be donkeys with thier legs attached to a rocking horse like thing, with hydrolic wheels on the bottom. It totally makes sense, right?

Hoarding

Stuff. If anyone is the Queen of "Stuff" it's my mom. So, that would make me the Princess of Stuff. And that becomes terribly apperant when I'm moving or having to clean out my room. My parents are redoing our basement and I've had to go back there and clean out my room, and I realize how rediculously much stuff I have.
Looking back at pictures of my mom, in high school and my age, I really wish she would've saved all her clothes for me. So, thinking for future generations, I want to save some of my clothes, but for now, what am I supposed to do with those huge soled shoes, and big legged Lucky jeans?
After going through clothes, I then started on boxes and boxes of memorablilia. I found stuff that I loved to look at. Tons of pictures, including all my dance pictures from high school. I found books I had been looking for, and I'd saved notebooks from school, that were so funny to look through. All my doodles in there and my obsession with hand writing was very evident, and it was so much fun remembering how it was to be a high shcool girl. But, do I need to save all my notes from every class I've ever taken to reminisce about it? I decided no. I was really proud of myself. I threw away (well, recycled) so many notes, and so much knowledge that hopefully is bouncing around in my head somewhere.
Then there's the letters. I am so lucky to have so many people who love me and remember my birthday and who wrote me while I was on my mission and who sent me letters. There was nothing better than getting a letter, and I still religiously check the mail box just out of habbit. But what do I do with all of them? I sat for hours looking through them all and reading most of them, feeling the love, then throwing most into the recycling bag. It was really hard to do, but it had to be done. I can't be carting around reams of paper every time I move. So, to all those of you who sent me wedding announcements, that I had been saving ... I'm sorry to tell you, but they are in the garbage. That being said, don't not send me announcements, letters and birthday cards, just know that I most likely won't be showing them to my grandkids.
It's been a walk down memory lane, and it was great, but I'm really going to try to not be such a hoarder. That will be my Chinese New Year's resolution.

Burnt Toast

I took a test in high school to determine what my footprint was on this Earth. I was sadly shocked that it would take something like 4 1/2 earths to sustain my kind of living if everyone was living the same way. Since then I have been kind of obsessed with some of the little stuff (and I know there's really a lot more of the big stuff I could be doing, but I feel alright about my contribution). Like any of you who have spent any amount of time with me know, I am a bit of a freak about water. Running water that is not being used, kinda gives me a bit of a heart attack and I'm pretty sure it raises my blood pressure. Today at work, in the bathroom, this lady I didn't know was in brushing her teeth and she just let the water run. I really don't like to be "that person" that tells people, "um, you really shouldn't do that" so I just had to leave and finish putting my hat on by my locker so I didn't freak out. All my family knows that you don't need to have the water running full blast to do dishes, and other such chores, and at my house, and my parent's, we practice "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" (FYI in the old toilets which are in most of our homes, it takes 6 gallons of water every time you flush!! Some of the new ones are a little better and they are only 1.6 gallons, but really, is it that bad to see a little pee in the toilet?)

This isn't my point though ... my point is driving my car. My brother Eric doesn't have a car and he rides his bike almost everywhere. I really wish I could do this, but especially in the winter it's really hard to motivate to not drive. I do however take trax to work almost every day. On the days that I do have to drive becasue of having to go somewhere after or working until 11 (the last trax is at 10:58 and there's never a guarantee I'll get out of there on time) I really feel guilty. I feel like I am failing my planet and ruining the environment. This is also my justification for hitch-hiking up Little Cottonwood Canyon. (That and my poor Fiona doesn't really love that drive)

OK, that wasn't my real point, the real point of this whole soap box is that yesterday was (and probably the rest of the week will be) a "red burn" day aka don't drive, don't smoke, don't light fires unless you have to, and the easy one, try not to breath when you go outside. So, when I got off the University train for the Sandy one at 6:15 am when all the smog has really settled into the valley, I stepped off and I swear the air tasted like a mixture of burnt toast and bovie smoke (this maybe be a little graphic, so if you don't want to know, just skip the explanation) which is the cauderizer the doctors use to burn the skin when they cut it, and let me tell you, it stinks. You think burning hair is bad, you should smell the bovie! But the inversion really smelled that bad! It was discusting! Then on the way home from work, I got off at 21st South and walked 5 or 6 blocks to Costco, and back, and I started coughing on my way back and my lungs were a bit burny the rest of the day. So, was it worth it to not drive my car, but ruin my lungs? I say YES! YES! to the greater good and doing my part to prevent further "red burn" days. And I will continue to take trax as much and as often as I can. And maybe just maybe, this might happen while I'm on the train someday!

Ok, I'll get off my platform now, thanks for listening! Save water! Don't drive!

Give me sun cancer!

You'd think that being a river guide, and being in the sun 98% of the summer, I'd be burned out, and not want to be in the sun anymore.... Well, sadly for my skin that is not the case in February. Maybe by August I'm ready to never see the sun again. I hide my already tan - as - it's - going -to - get - skin under long sleeve shirts and hats. By then I've given up on sun screen, except on my face, becuase I think once you get to a certain point, your pigment can't change any more.


So, in February, in the darkest, coldest part of winter, when I have the chance to enjoy the sun, I will soak up every second! My roommate, Jess's grandpa has this sweet place at a resort in Scotsdale, Arizona, and a group of 5 of us went down the for the soul purpose of sitting in the sun by the pool and getting tan. Each day we'd spend hours just sitting in our lounge chairs reading, crocheting, napping or nothing. We wore sun screen the first day, then decided, we needed all we can get. It was great.

We also went to Trader Joe's and for anyone that doesn't know what that is, it's a cheaper, cooler feeling version of Wild Oats. We filled the back of our friend, Erin's sweet old Land Cruiser. Why the don't have one in Utah is beyond me. They sell a lot of wine and other beverages of the alcoholic nature and I think that may be one thing, but come on, Utah deserves good deals on good wholesome food too! We also went to Last Chance, which (same as Trader Joe's) is a cheaper, better version of TJ Maxx (I know, how can you get better than TJ's you may be asking? But it is) I got out of there with only spending $100 on a lot of great clothes that I really will wear. In fact, I'm pretty sure, I've worn something from there every day since I've been home. It was a great weekend away with my girls. We've all been so busy lately that it was perfect to sit around and talk a just be together. And what better place there is than by a pool?

My point is, they say you've already done most of the damage to your skin by the time you're 18, right? And I'm well past there, so I'm not really doing damage, right? So, especially in Februaury when, in Utah it hasn't been over 40 degrees for at least a month, 70 degree weather, I will take the risk of skin cancer, to bake in the sun a little and get some sun on my skin. So, if you are one of the these party poopers in the black, sorry but you just wouldn't understand any of this!

Let it snow!!!

Well, not as much snow as '97 or '83 but I won't complain too much.

8888888

I have been tagged by TR so I must do the 8s

Passionate about:

1. conserving water
2. the fam (maybe they should come first, but that was the first thing that came to mind)
3. making and maintaing friendships
4. skiing
5. climbing
6. finding out what the earth has to offer me
7. reading
8. finding undiscovered (at least by me) places

Want to:

1. live up to my potentail
2. see some icebergs in Alaska
3. find the cure for levido reticularis
4. travel around europe
5. climb in thailand
6. always be learning
7. be the kind of friend I wish to have
8. find me a good man and pop out some kids

Have recently read:

1. Am reading and loving Endurance Alfred Lansing
2. My Sisters Keeper Jodi Pocoult
3. East of Eden John Steinbeck (for the second time and it's amazing and sad what I didn't remember)
4. The Island (I can't remember, it was a book I picked up and read at a hostel in Costa Rica)
5. The Other Boelyn Girl Phillipe Gregory
6. The Fountainhead Ayn Rand
7. Deception Point Dan Brown
8. The Notebook Nicholas Sparks

Say:

1. seriously?
2. yeah, no (this drives my brothers crazy, and I'm working on not saying this even though it does make sense in some situations)
3. so, this one time....
4. this one time on the river....
5. like (another thing I've really been trying to like, phase out of my vocabulary)
6. you think?
7. who's up for (fill in the blank)?
8. yeah, that's going to happen

Attracted to friends by:

1. enthusiasm for life
2. FOMO (for those of you that don't know, that is this disease I have: the Fear Of Missing Out and it makes me never be able to say no if there is something exciting going on)
3. hopefully they'd agreee and say integrity
4. and honesty
5. and being considerate
6. spontinaeity
7. my really nice car that we always ride in
8. my need to be doing something

Could listen to over and over:

1. The Garden State Soundtrack
2. A mix that Ashley Gish made for Powder Shots
3. pretty much anything by Tegan and Sara
4. The Sounds are great to listen to when cleaning my room or running (both things that need some encouraging and motivation for me to do)
5. Both Hands and Talk to Me Now Ani Difranco
6. Everything but especailly IV by Led Zeppelin
7. Norah Jones
8. Love Actually Soundtrack if I'm feeling like sappy music

Learned this year:

1. it does feel good to finally be done with college
2. it's not so great having a "career" job that I have to work 40 hours a week to keep my benefits
3. it's great to have a job with benefits and a 401K
4. girls can drive a J-rig
5. that I love to travel. especially in a forgien country and especially by myself
6. I always need to be reassesing what is impotant and trying to follow that
7. I really am a desert girl, humidity makes me crazy
8. I am really lucky to have some great friends that love me always and will stand beside me and always want the best for my happiness

And ...

1. I always eat my sandwhiches, burgers and pretty much anything from the outside in so that the last bite it the best, and I always move my cereal around so that it's all the same sogginess.
2. I was a religious Days of Our Lives watcher for years and probably still would be if I had Tivo or was home at that time of day
3. I fell off the top bunk in my sleep and split my eyebrow open and sprained my wrist (to those of you who have slept by me will find this as no suprise)
4. Fires used to scare me into sleepless nights.
5. I have no problem doing laundry or the dishes but I will put off unloading the dishwasher or putting away my laundry until I get too frustrated not having anywhere to put my dirty laundry
6. I love my brothers, but I have always felt a little jipped at not having any sisters, so I really hope my brothers marry (or just make a pact or something as the case may be with Eric) cool girls
7. I am a little OCD about handwriting. I love writing on caron-copy paper and when I get to label things with, especially with sharpies
8. I really like my name. (It's Grace) because not many people have it, and it's my great grandma's name, and even though I didn't know her, she seemed like a pretty cool dame.

Tag:

1. Carren
2. Scott
3. Anne
4. Ali
5. Mike

And that's pretty much everyone I know that blogs that hasn't done this, so until I can find some others, 5 is going to have to do.