Ketchup

May 9, 2011

I ran a free 5k. Got a free shirt, too:) With about a third left I found myself asking why I do this to myself- for fun?

I am starting a new job taking a teenage boy to hippotherapy and aquatic therapy. He has developmental disabilities.  He doesn't speak, I feed and give him water through a tube in his stomach, and I change his diaper. I drive him in the coolest mini-van.  It has a camera for backing up and tips down to the side via hydraulics and spits a ramp out automatically. 

Last night I watched Harry Potter 7 part 1 for the first time now that McKay's parents own it. I haven't wanted to fall into the trap of spending more money since they're splitting it into two movies. It was pretty exciting this way.

After 6 emissions tests, we finally got a waiver since we've spent half a thousand dollars on repairs trying to get it to pass. And the guy from the county who waived it told me two things he thinks still need to be fixed. Sheesh.

Friday, May 13, 2011

This has been a nice week- a real break. Finally. It's amazing. At the moment I have nothing I have to do! Wednesday I got to go for a run with my sister Amanda. Then I went with Beth Brock and her mom to clean stalls and ride their Arabs.  I rode their mare in the arena, and it was nice to be working, and relaxing to be on a trusty horse. Then Tresa, her now fiance, and I went on a hike in Snow Canyon. It rained, and it was great. This was all last minute planning. It was a great day.  I like to hear Tresa introduce me as one of her “best friends”:) She and her family are real, good, people. 

I have a farmer tan again! Hooray!

Last night my family went to Red Cliffs to roast hot dogs, s'mores, and crawdads and do a little hike. I'm glad that worked out, too.

I went on a trail run this evening and it rained a little. It was beautiful. When people say the St. George desert is ugly, I know they haven't been out on a trail in the morning or evening. I almost feel a little offended for the desert and sad for the person who doesn't know what they have! I walked up the hill from Sullivans and ran/hiked the trail along the red hill east of turtle road. 

School starts already on Monday, and I don't even have all my grades from last semester. We have a class 8:30-11:30, and another 12:30-3:30. I just found out it I def won't have a job at the hospital anymore once the semester is over. So I'll have two jobs during the semester, which will be very busy, and for the almost two months between summer and fall semester I have my 0-7 hour a week job taking that teenager to aquatic therapy. A little backward from how I'd like it.  

Did I mention I got an A- in neuroanatomy? I'm grateful, which is kind of funny because anything less than an A used to be ack!  Now I've gotten quite a few.  I'm just happy to have passed all my classes fall and spring semester- sometimes people don't, and they have to wait around a year to retake that class before they can continue the program.  I was stressed over that, but I'm now through with the most-failed semesters.

Sunday, May 15, 2010

Last night we got back from St. G. I vacuumed the car. Weekends are so novel these days.

On my way to visit teach today two little boys were riding little trikes and bumped into each other. One of them fell off and started crying. His mom was on the other side of a big tree and I don't think she noticed, so I told him it was okay and he gave me a hug. No stranger danger there.

Later that night... can't sleep. 11:35 pm and I have swimming at 7 a.m. I guess I forgot to write about the end of semester party.Those who were already grad students voted on superlatives for us. People had words like “most studious,” “best note-taker..." many mentioned “beautiful” and “sweet.” They voted me “quietest” and “most likely to have a big family.” I don't know if that is referring to the fact that I come from a large family, or that I'm going to have lots of kids? Okay...  My friend got “drama queen,”. Thanks guys, feelin' great about that.

I got out of walking at graduation. I even told my mom and she seemed okay with it:)  I just feel like it's a waste of time- I'm not going to celebrate all the time I've spent sitting for school by sitting.

My schooling is 100 dollars a day. 

U of U is #65 on the US News OT school ranking, which goes up to like 150- I don't know what their criteria is.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

This summer between summer and fall semester I want to work for and learn from a horse trainer. Working Beth's horse gave me the bug again. I sent an email to a few friends to forward to people who might know people, and I got a response within 24 hours- of course, that person isn't willing to pay me, but I haven't even started directly contacting trainers.

I finished my bachelors! My family (including me) doesn't get very excited about these things (random memory of when I was little and found out my sibling was engaged, and my friend Rachelle commented on how different our families responses were- she said in her family they'd scream, cry, and hug (she has all sisters). But I'm very happy to be finished.

I got called as compassionate service leader. Big responsibility, I feel like.

Monday, June 6, 2011

 Our stake has been playing soccer once a week in the softball outfield, but last week the grass was so long it had seeds on it, so we moved to the bowl. Some international students were already there, and they let us play with them. It was really fun. Playing with good people often helps me play better, and that's how it was. A few of them are crazy good. They were nice to those of us who are not so good. It was so nice to be in the sun. I was so happy even though I played for like two hours and felt guilty for not leaving earlier to do homework. I was very sore after. One of the people told me they also play Tuesday, which also helped me to be happy, 'cuz now I know at least one of them doesn't mind if I go again.

I finally registered for my first half marathon! Quite a few girls from the ward are running it, and some girls from school were also talking about it. It's the Top of Utah in Logan, and it's mostly slightly downhill:)

I have been going to a 7 a.m. Swim class! I want to be better at waking up, because I don't want to miss out on mornings. It's nice to accomplish things that early in the morning and get a headstart on the day. Then after school I have less to do because I've already exercised and showered:)

It's so nice to not have homework today! The weekend was crazy because two of my summer classes were ending, and our new ones start tomorrow.

McKay has baked bread and made tortillas twice over the last few weeks, and has made applesauce cobbler a few times, too:)

Last night I got like 5 hours of sleep. I have classmates who say they think that's a lot, but I don't think it's healthy.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

---

Yesterday we went to Springville for my nephew Isaiah's baptism, so we got to see some family.  McKay's sister Kristal has a cherry tree in their yard and picked 3 boxes so far, and she let us take one.  We spent a lot of time pitting them to dry and turn into jam.  We love free food:)

Yesterday I bought my first pair of "real" running shoes.  Normally I pay ~$20 at Ross for athletic shoes, but this is my first half marathon... My visiting teacher works for a running store, and had me run on a treadmill set up there with a camera zooomed in on my heels.  I paid $100 dollars, and that was the cheapest they had.  I lost sleep over that. 

Thursday was the last day of summer school for me, so I have like a month and a half before fall semester!  I have already done some organizing/cleaning around the house.  Yay me!  I want to keep myself waking up early and get all the things done I've put off during school.  

Since I don't get work study this next year, I just finished up my job at the hospital/school of medicine.  It was nice to have a flexible job and to have mindless tasks sometimes, but sometimes it was frustrating and boring.  My boss was nice.

 I get a taste of what it's like for the family I work for- it is like a 4 hour ordeal there and back for a half hour aquatic therapy session.    

We went on the ward campout last weekend.  Our first time in Big Cottonwood Canyon.  It was nice.  We went on a little hike with one of our hometeachers' family.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

I totally biffed it running around on campus yesterday- fell flat forward, and couldn't even tell what I tripped over. A few people got to see it. I think it's funny, especially since it didn't hurt much. McKay said I should have bowed:)

I feel so average. I was warned by other people who have gone through grad school. I feel like a little fish in the ocean.

McKay and I went with my ward to the Days of '47 rodeo because people in our ward hooked us up with a good deal.

We went on a totally real date a few weeks ago- burgers at Red Robin, walking around an interesting old cemetery, and frozen yogurt:)

Did I mention McKay is thinking about applying for the electrical engineering at USU?

McKay and I are in a ward family history class

.

I went to St. G the other week with Josh and we hiked Das Boot (usually done w/das Subway) in Zions. So it was Josh, Nick, J.J., and me.  I'm glad I got to go.  It was my first time wearing a wetsuit. We saw a rat floating in the water that looked like it had been there for a long time... I was grossed out to use my Camelback. There was one section I struggled to swim through with a pack and then turned around to see the others walking through it, laughing at me. Our last rappel J.J. threw the rope down and jumped in the water even though we didn't know how deep it was. 

I am debating whether to start knitting a baby blanket. I have great yarn, but it is a big commitment, and I don't know if it's worth it. I can buy a baby blanket for cheap or make a simple tied one out of fleece. I have never knitted anything, though I taught my classmates how to knit last semester! I don't know if it would turn out very cute anyway. But it is something I could do to make myself feel useful while watching movies and driving to St. George (as a passenger) and such.

McKay and I have walked to the library a few times. We borrowed the Dog Whisperer, which can be cheesy, but is interesting to learn about the dog training. It's nice to have no commercials and be able to skip ones that don't seem interesting. I have said before “I wish they had movies that were like 45 minutes long.” Well there you have it.

I went to a free exercise class downtown with my friend Alyssa from school. It was outside in the middle of a bunch of big buildings.

My gym pet peeve: I'm waiting for someone on a machine to finish their set, and then they just sit on it and rest between all their sets instead of rotating between machines. Come on people, keep your heart rate up and get out the way! Of course, they don't know I am eyeing their machine.