Erica & Shane

US

2012-01-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

A Scenic Drive

2012-01-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

WE HAD OUR FIRST MAJOR VERMONT SNOWSTORM ON FRIDAY NIGHT, AND HAVE SINCE HAD DAYTIME HIGHS OF 5-8 DEGREES... IT IS FAIRLY EASY TO DESPAIR HERE IN THE WINTER. BURLINGTON HAS 9-HOUR DAYS DURING MOST OF WHICH THE SKY IS TYPICALLY A DULL GREY. THE DARKNESS AND COLD LIMIT THE OPPORTUNITY AND DESIRE FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WHICH MEANS MOST OF ONE'S TIME IS SPENT INDOORS UNDER ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. HOWEVER, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN ONE ACCEPTS WINTER IN ITS FULLEST HARSHNESS AND EVEN RELISHES THE CHALLENGE TO LIFE IT PRESENTS. TODAY WAS ACTUALLY A SUNNY DAY, EVEN IF IT WAS 6 DEGREES OUT, SO WE DECIDED TO GO ON A SHORT DRIVE THROUGH THE SMALL TOWNS AND HIGHWAYS OF VERMONT. THE SNOWSTORM ON FRIDAY LEFT TREES AND HOUSES COATED IN A FLUFFY WHITE POWDER--BEAUTIFUL!

The Holidays

2012-01-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas and New Year's came and went so quickly this year. Working two jobs this holiday season has kept me busy while still attempting to do a million other things. Shane was preoccupied with his studies up until the 16th when he took a few major exams; since then he has been enjoying a relaxing--and much earned--break from school. Still, we did manage to squeeze a little Christmas in this year with our tiny tree, a few gifts, some music, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

T - Giving

2011-11-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

We had a couple of visitors over the Thanksgiving weekend which made the holiday extra special. The four of us had an amazing food-making, game-playing weekend, and mostly just enjoyed the company of each other. Shane and I learned how to play Hearts while Kate and Dan learned how to play Shithead (a perfectly respectable card game with a filthy name). The four of us also played many a round of Settlers. More importantly, however, was that the food turned out AMAZING! As this was the first Thanksgiving any of us had cooked for ourselves we were a bit apprehensive about the situation; however, the turkey, stuffing, and sweet potatoes that we cooked were quite delicious. Beyond the food and games, the weekend was primarily a much-needed time to relax with two of our greatest friends. We're so happy they sacrificed their time to make the drive!

First Snow

2011-11-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we experienced our first Vermont snow of the season. It put us in the right mood for a festive holiday with two of our greatest friends.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

this morning

2011-11-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

Saturday mornings with my hubby and my coffee make me a happy girl.

IT'S COLD NOW!

2011-11-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

Watching fall unfold has been fun, but IT'S COLD NOW!! I'm already finding myself pining for next summer, and that's not good seeing as it's only the beginning of November... On the other hand, we're not afraid of a little snow (we're from Utah) and we've lived in Russia, so bring it on Vermont!

To our delight, a couple of weeks ago we had a couple of visitors:

WE WENT TO DINNER

WE SAW THE CAMPUS

WE WALKED THE GROUNDS

WE PLAYED SOME GAMES

WE EVEN WENT ON A SCENIC DRIVE TO STOWE

It was great to have some visitors at this most scenic time of year in Vermont.

fall is fallen

2011-09-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

We are sampling pumpkin beer, eating candy corn, and taking pictures of the leaves: fall has descended on our little state.

Last Sunday the weather was sunny and warm--in the 70s, and Shane did not have much studying to do, so we took a drive to the ski-resort town of Stowe which is about 45-60 minutes away. There is a very small (about one block) downtown Main Street in Stowe that we walked up and down. The leaves were just starting to change, but were more vibrant near the top of Mt. Mansfield. The little three-hour outing could not have been more pleasant and reminded us what Vermont has to offer, especially at a time when we are a bit homesick for the Utah mountains and U of U football.

Native Vermonters tell us that the "leaf-peepers" (New Yorkers who clog up the highways on the weekends to get a glimpse of our beautiful foliage) will soon be here... Hope you're all enjoying your fall!

CUPS

2011-08-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

Recently, I wandered into a thrift shop where I stumbled upon a couple of cappuccino cups. These cups are different from coffee mugs because they are shallow, like tea cups, which is necessary when serving lattes/cappuccinos if one wants to enjoy the frothed milk that sits at the top of the drink. Additionally, one may still enjoy regular coffee or tea in them. I paid .54 cents for the pair!

What's Up?

2011-08-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

Shane is now in his third week of school and has therefore had the chance to establish a routine of sorts.  His first exam is this Friday morning, so he will be preparing for that the next couple of nights.  After the exam Friday he will be (mostly) free for the weekend, which we are both looking forward to.

The job hunt continues.  I have applied to many (many) jobs, but have found that things move slowly as far as people getting back to you, so I just keep applying!  I have also been considering going back to school to get a Masters of Public Administration at UVM.  It is something I am looking into right now… I am not ruling anything out at this point.

The weather is nice today: sunny and mid-70s, so we may go to the beach where Shane studies on the picnic tables and I sit in the sun and read.  We have also been invited to dinner tonight at the apartment of a fellow med student, and his wife.  They live on North Ave not far from us and are making Thai, yum!

pics

2011-08-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

Was playing on the computer last night and came up with these variations...

My Daisy Dukes!

CURTAINS

2011-08-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

We spent a good portion of our Saturday looking for, purchasing, ironing, and hanging up these curtains, yah!

update

2011-08-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

We managed to get the TP holder installed and a new shower curtain hung this week. Up next: curtains and hanging pictures. We're going to the beach today, and this weekend we may check out the Maritime Festival on the waterfront. The weather has been cooler, which is nice (so nice) since we do not have AC in our apartment. We've also been watching the Ken Burns documentary The War: Pride of Our Nation which is about WWII. Things here are good.

BF in VT

2011-08-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

My BF came to visit me for several days last week and I am so happy that she did, we had so much fun!

WE HUNG OUT AT THE BEACH

WE WENT TO A GREEK FESTIVAL

WE WALKED CHURCH STREET

WE HUNG OUT ON THE WATERFRONT

AND WATCHED THE SUNSET

WE HUNG OUT AT THE APARTMENT

WE WENT OUT ON THE TOWN AT NIGHT

WE WENT TO MONTREAL FOR A DAY

AND DRANK GUINNESS...

WE WENT TO THE BEACH... AGAIN!

WE WENT ON A SUNSET FERRY CRUISE AROUND THE LAKE

AND SO MUCH MORE... I LOVE YOU BF!

Anniversary

2011-07-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Two year wedding anniversary. Three year engagement anniversary. Four year living together anniversary. Seven years together.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

THE MOVE, PART 4

2011-07-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

THE APARTMENT AND THE FIRST NIGHT:

SATURDAY: TIME TO MOVE EVERYTHING BACK IN, WE WORKED FOR TWELVE HOURS...

SUNDAY: THE BEACH! WE DECIDED TO TAKE A BREAK AND RELAX AT THE LAKE.

THE MOVE, PART 3

2011-07-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

DAY 4:

DROVE THROUGH OHIO

SHANE AND I WENT SOUTH TO PITTSBURGH...

...WHILE MOM AND DAD STAYED ON I-80 AND WENT TO ERIE

WE MET UP IN ERIE AND DROVE TO BUFFALO FOR OUR LAST NIGHT ON THE ROAD

___________________________________________________

DAY 5: DROVE THROUGH NEW YORK STATE AND MADE IT TO LAKE CHAMPLAIN!

WE TOOK THE FERRY ACROSS THE LAKE TO GET TO BURLINGTON

THE MOVE, PART 2

2011-07-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

LEAVING SALT LAKE

ON THE MOVE

BEAUTIFUL WYOMING

NOW WE'RE IN NEBRASKA!

KIMBALL, NEBRASKA

STOPPED FOR LUNCH

WIND TURBINES IN NEBRASKA OR IOWA, NOT TOO SURE...

SUNSET INTO DES MOINES, IOWA

THIRD DAY, ILLINOIS. SUNNY!

ALMOST TO FREMONT, INDIANA ON THE THIRD NIGHT

SUNSET THE THIRD NIGHT

THE MOVE, PART 1

2011-07-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

THE TRUCK

THE MUSCLE

THE GIRLS (MISSING MOM)

THE RAIN THAT POURED

THE FRIENDS WE'LL NEVER REPLACE

THE TWO OF US

THE BROTHER

THE HUG GOOD BYE

SUMMER HAPPENINGS

2011-07-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

The month of June went by SO fast! Shane and I have been extra busy as we prepare to move. We have been visiting with all of our friends and family, tying up lose ends, and enjoying every minute of SLC that we can. Shane went to Burlington for a weekend to find us an apartment and he was successful. He signed a lease for a 2 - bedroom apartment in the Old North End of Burlington which is about a 10 minute drive from the city center and campus. The pluses of the apartment are: 1) allows dogs; 2) has a yard we can use; 3) has TWO off - street parking spaces; and, 4) large closets! The drawbacks of the apartment are: 1) no AC (ugh); 2) no dishwasher; 3) no washer/dryer unless we splurge and buy a stack-able unit; and, 4) a bathroom that may need some work. We are VERY excited and were happy to find such a great place to move.

Here are some other things that have been going on in June/July:

LUNCH WITH THE GIRLS

BACKYARD PARTY

4TH OF JULY

Paradise, so nice, right?

2011-06-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

We spent last Saturday in Paradise, Utah for both Father's Day and dad's birthday. The weather was beautiful! We had an amazing time seeing the alpacas and Pyrenees, we also played a riveting round of croquet in the wind, and thoroughly enjoyed a steak dinner. Our hosts could not have been more accommodating welcoming us into their beautiful new home. The pictures mostly show one alpaca in particular, Ashley, she is the most friendly of the twelve or so on the farm. The alpacas are shaved for their wool once a year and had just been shaved when we saw them. Clancy and Clara are the two Pyrenees dogs who look after the alpacas... they are huge!

Uinta Backpacking

2011-06-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Shane, my dad, and myself could be found backpacking in the Uinta mountains. The trip turned out great with amiable weather, few people, and only one superficial injury on the last day. After hiking for six hours on the Grandaddy Basin Trail, we reached Fern Lake which, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet, was still covered in ice and snow. We camped on the snow that night and were plenty warm thanks to a great tent, warm bags, and three bodies. Because there was still so much snow at the higher elevation, we decided to hike down the second day retracing our tracks from the day before. After hiking for roughly 4 - 5 hours we set up camp a little bit off the trail and thankfully on dry land. That night the three of us took our wet boots off and walked around barefoot. We set the tent up, built a roaring fire, and cooked some pasta and eggs over the hot coals in the fire pit. On the third and final day of our trip we slept in, enjoyed a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee in the mild weather, and hiked back to the car in about 2 1/2 hours. Except for the gas to get to the trail head, the trip was free!

getting ready to go

just setting out the first day

we start our ascent off the trail and through the sometimes mushy snow, but we did have our YakTracks with us!

Fern Lake

breakfast the second day at Fern Lake (I stayed in the warm tent!)

lunch the second day: croissant/cheese/sausage sandwiches

after hiking down from Fern Lake, we went about one mile up the Rock Creek trail to camp the second night

campsite the second night

cooking dinner over the hot coals

hiking out the third day

This Little Girl

2011-06-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

This adorable little girl turns two on June 12th, so we had a little party for her on Monday night. Isn't she sweet?!?

MOAB TRIP

2011-05-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

My best friend and I spent the Memorial Day weekend in Moab, and it was AWESOME! To start with, we left Friday around 11:30, made the four-hour drive down through Carbon County, and checked into our hostel: the Lazy Lizard International Hostel, where we spent three nights and where we had our own private cabin and patio area. We soon met up with a couple of my girlfriends from work who had been there since Thursday. That night, the four of us made our way to the DesertRocks music festival where we had so much fun hanging out, people watching, and jamming to live music.

The next day, the four of us did a 4-mile hike up Negro Bill Canyon to Morning Glory Bridge, and although the hike was VERY crowded, it was nonetheless great. The 4-mile hike follows a stream in the canyon, so is a bit cooler than being completely exposed. The path follows a clear stream up to the Morning Glory Bridge which is 243 feet long and the sixth longest natural rock span in the United States. After showering at the hostel and hanging out on the patio for a bit, we headed to an arts festival in downtown Moab where we wandered around for awhile before finding an Italian restaurant to eat dinner. Nicole and I shared a huge slice of lasagna which was a saucy-cheesy-fantastic mess. The four of us girls then ventured back to the festival to experience more of DesertRocks. We got to hear some awesome bluegrass that night!

Sunday, Nicole and I did a half-day rafting trip with Moab Adventures. Sunday was slightly cloudy and EXTREMELY windy so we were not sure how rafting would turn out... While it was EXTREMELY windy all day, the sun showed itself just enough to make the trip enjoyable. We both had a blast, but decided that a full-day would have been even better. In the evening, we took some time to walk around Mainstreet and check out a few of the shops as well as find a place to eat dinner. We decided on the Slickrock Cafe where we enjoyed chips and salsa, and a delicious chicken-candied pecan-cranberry salad. After dinner, the two of us headed to Woody's where we drank a beer and did a little more people-watching.

By the time Monday morning rolled around, and by the time we had checked out of our hostel, we were both pretty tired so we opted to make the four-hour drive home. This is the first trip Nicole and I have taken by ourselves, and we both had so much fun... especially because Moab has so much to offer and is ideal temperature-wise this time of year.

Cabin at the Lazy Lizard Hostel

DesertRocks Friday night: Nicole, Me, Mel, and Maggi

Sunset at DesertRocks Friday night

Hiking Negro Bill Canyon Saturday afternoon

Nicole + Me

Morning Glory Bridge

Me + Mel

Chillin' on the patio outside our cabin

Cruising the arts festival, Saturday

DesertRocks Saturday night

Walking Mainstreet Sunday evening, SO WINDY!

Woody's Bar Sunday night

School's Out

2011-05-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

"School's out for summer... School's out forever!" But, what now?

During the months of March and April I was a busy girl. I was in school, working, and involved in lots of activities: birthdays, visiting Portland, a wedding, Easter, backpacking, graduation and much more. Now, the pace has slowed. I turned in my last paper and took my last test on Monday, May 3rd and have since been trying to keep myself busy with lots of stuff: filtering the unused stuff out of our house, updating pictures, cleaning and doing yard work, financial stuff, buying new glasses, getting the Corolla serviced, and reading new books.

However, I am at heart a working girl, I was in school for 16 months straight (with a few two week breaks); thus, I am somewhat at odds with all of my free time. I am not a lazy person, I am a person who likes to work hard! Yet, Shane and I are moving in less than two months now, so it's really not worth it for me to get a full time job until we settle in Burlington. Plus, my current job has little to offer in the way of extra shifts since we are now in our slowest time of the year... Basically, I will continue to work part time until Shane and I leave and hopefully not go crazy from being home so much.

I am finding new things to do, and I am keeping myself busy. It's nice when the weather is good because being outside is so much more enjoyable. I have been going on some wonderful jogs lately thanks to the glorious weather. Besides, it is nice to have time to spend with all of the people we will soon be leaving, and that I am not ungrateful for. Otherwise, I am SO excited to enter the "real world" of full-time work, to develop a routine in my days and weeks, and to challenge myself outside of school.

GRADUATION

2011-05-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

I graduated from the University of Utah yesterday with a BS in Political Science. Shane and I spent the day with my family and his parents. We played 'Times Up' and 'Pictionary', ate a delicious lunch at Mazza, and enjoyed sitting in the sunny weather. It was great to have so many people share in my success. My time at the U started in the spring of 2008 when I was unsure of what to study. In the spring of 2009 I took my first semester of political science courses and fell in love. The three years I spent at the U were incredibly formative and changed my person. So for me, graduating from the U is a bit bittersweet; nevertheless, it is also undoubtedly time to move on.

ME + SHANE

SHANE, ME, DAD

MY PARENTS

ENJOYING THE SUNNY WEATHER!

PLAYING GAMES

MY BROTHER

MY HUBBY

HIS PARENTS + MY PARENTS

MY BEST FRIEND

Saturday Morning

2011-04-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

All dressed up on a Saturday morning and nowhere to go. Oh wait... yeah, we went to a pretty awesome wedding for two of our bestest friends. What a great Saturday morning!

BACKPACKING

2011-04-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Shane and I went backpacking down in southern Utah. It was SO great. We left Saturday morning and drove about 6 hours south-southeast to the four corners region of Utah. We got to our destination and started hiking down Owl Creek Canyon around 4 p.m. We hiked for about 3 hours before finding a place to set up the tent for the night. After star gazing while crouched around the fire we turned in for the night.

The next morning we let the sun wake us and took our time getting ready. The day was sunny with blue skies and was plenty warm. Highlights included: croissant-cheese sandwiches, a dip in the waterhole, and being completely alone with each other. We did a good deal of hiking, probably around 8 hours worth, and needless to say we were pretty tired when we found a place to set up camp for the second night. Food and sleep felt oh so good.

On our third day, Monday, we woke up and got started a bit earlier. After a delicious breakfast of hard-boiled egg, instant oatmeal and instant coffee we loaded up and set out. We covered a good deal of ground the second day which meant that we only had about 3 1/2 hours of hiking to do in order to complete the loop back to our car. So, after completing the steep and sometimes precarious ascent up Fish Creek Canyon we headed out in our reliable Corolla and decided to take the scenic way home up through Capital Reef. We stopped in Hanksville for some greasy grub and hot coffee. We listened to the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin, Radio Lab and the Moth podcast. It was a wonderful trip.

Descending Owl Creek Canyon the first day.

Hiking the second day.

Campsite on night two.

Breakfast: instant oatmeal, instant coffee; tastes so good when backpacking!

Just after reaching the top of Fish Creek Canyon on the third day. Keep in mind we were at the bottom of that canyon in the morning!

.25 miles TO the Owl Creek trailhead... The loop hike was a total of 16 miles.

bustling birdies

2011-04-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

The bird feeders in our backyard are bustling with all sorts of birds. Plus, today is such a sunny and beautiful day, spring is wonderful!

jeans

2011-03-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

These are my new BDG Cigarette High-Rise black jeans, and it's true: i L-O-V-E them

VERMONT!!!

2011-03-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Our dream of spending the next 4-5 years in Burlington, Vermont has come true. On Monday, Shane finally got the e-mail we have been waiting for since last September when he interviewed at the University of Vermont Medical School. Which means, that we will be moving to Vermont in the first part of July! Although the departure from Utah and our families will undoubtedly be bittersweet, we are both very excited to embark on a new chapter of our lives together. A little trivia about the state and city:

Burlington is the "biggest little city" in the nation meaning that it is the most populous city in Vermont, but is the smallest 'most populous' city of any state, if that makes sense...

Vermont is the leading producer of maple syrup in the United States, which I really do not think will affect our lives since we rarely eat it anyway...

Vermont is known for its humid summers, colorful falls, and cold winters, in which the average high from November to February ranges from 35 to 25 degrees (YIKES!)

Burlington is only 45 miles south of the U.S.-Canadian border and only 94 miles south of Montreal.--A trip to Canada anyone?

The racial makeup of the city is 92 percent white--I can't say this is much different than Salt Lake, except for the lack of Hispanics...

Burlington has a city-council mayor form of government. The City Council has fourteen seats, which are currently occupied by seven Democrats, three Republicans, two Progressives, and two Independents.--Variety, yet the kind of majority Shane and I prefer!

There are three parks that Burlington maintains around Lake Champlain, which sounds rather nice.

In 2008, 34 percent of Vermonters claimed no religion; this is the highest percentage in the nation. A survey suggested that people in Vermont and New Hampshire are less likely to attend weekly services and are less likely to believe in God (54 percent) than people in the rest of the nation (71 percent).--With the knowledge that Vermont is the least religious state in the nation, we were sold!

Portland

2011-03-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

Shane had an interview at the Oregon Health and Sciences University this Tuesday and I was lucky enough to get the chance to accompany him on the trip. We were there for two nights and stayed at the Mark Spencer Hotel which was comfortable and accommodating. It was great to see a little bit of the city, eat some good food, and hear some great jazz music.

street view from hotel room

afternoon cheese and wine tasting at the hotel; Pinot Noir has become one of our favorite wines

we ate at the Fish Grotto on Tuesday evening then found a little club where we enjoyed some amazing jazz music and beer!

it rained on and off while walking around town on Wednesday; we were able to check out Powell's Books as well as the Portland Art Museum

enjoying our complimentary lattes at the hotel

The Mark Spencer Hotel was great... with a workout room, continental breakfast, daily New York Times, free espresso all day, tea and cookies in the afternoon, and wine and cheese tasting in the afternoon they were totally living up to their "liberal Portland" standards, but I can't say we didn't love it!

more birthdays

2011-03-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

celebrating both my mom's birthday and my birthday with cupcakes and games

celebrating Tracy's birthday at the Jitterbug Coffee Hop

birthday fun

2011-03-06T06:52:00.000-08:00

Dinner and beer at Desert Edge with friends = birthday fun

presents
+
cupcakes

= more birthday fun!

A little bit of birthday fun last night with more to come...

Bachelorette Party

2011-02-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, Nicole and I (though mostly Nicole) threw our good friend Katie a small (and mostly innocent) bachelorette party. Nicole reserved a private room for us at the Mikado in South Towne. There, 8 of us girls enjoyed sushi, wine, bachelorette games, gifts and cupcakes. It was a classy, sexy, little party... Congrats Katie!

The Purple Rose of Cairo

2011-02-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

Shane and I watched this movie last night. It was both romantic and funny... a true "Romantic Comedy", not like the cheesy, predictable, and poorly-written posers of today. I adore Mia Farrow as an actress and LOVE Woody Allen's films, so I am somewhat biased; however, when the film came out in 1985 it was recognized and received several awards. Check it out!

On the mind

2011-02-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

Events in Egypt and the Middle East at large

"The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand and all the philosophy that goes with it

"Rosemary's Baby" which we watched for the first time last night. A captivating movie with an amazing performance by Mia Farrow (love her); however, the ending nearly ruins the whole thing. Definitely thought it was inappropriate because it was a fantastical ending to a movie that for the majority of the time invoked fear in the viewer that was completely believable (a.k.a. it was scary because it seemed like it could be true). Watching the movie was like eating a delicious plate of food and then finding a bug on your fork in the middle of the last bite... the entire meal is ruined, even though the majority of it was amazing.

Moving, the event grows ever closer which seems to make these last few months all the more precious

The fragility of life and thus the necessity to live happily from day-to-day

Weather--Cold, but not so cold that the inside of the nostrils freeze... which may happen next winter depending on the move. Living in the cold is at times annoying--yes. And requires extra planning--yes. BUT it is not as horrible as many make it out to be. After all, the coldest two days in Salt Lake this year have been in the teens. Thus, one can either choose to wear several layers including: scarf, hat, gloves, wool and/or down, or move cuz it ain't gonna change (this will help one live happily from day-to-day as well).

Salads, we've been eating a lot of these lately and it has been great! (no bugs)

AIR

2011-01-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

Clean air today, so don't feel bad about breathing it in! Track it daily at:
http://www.airquality.utah.gov/slc-currentconditions.html

For me, clean air means I get to go jogging, since it is inadvisable to do so on "yellow" or "red" air quality days. Besides, having clean air improves morale since living (and breathing) in a soupy, particle-filled valley is no fun at all! Yay for the rain that shoved the old air out and brought a clear sky, for the time being at least...

NEW SEMESTER

2011-01-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

A new semester means a new set of books to taunt, disturb, and distress me for the next four months, wish me luck!

Christmas and Vegas

2011-01-05T08:22:00.001-08:00

Mom and me on Christmas Eve; mom is baking ginger cookies

decorating sugar cookies

Christmas Eve

Christmas morning: Shane, me, and Alex

grandma knit these hats for mom and me to match our sweaters!

crazy Vegas drinks: mom and Aunt Karen

me and my cousins with drinks from the Paris Hotel wandering the Vegas Strip

our Bohemian shirts and cute scarves

Kirsten, me, and Hayley

Mom, Aunt Patty, and Aunt Karen

Shane and I celebrated this Christmas with our families. It was filled with cookie-decorating, lots of game-playing, and even more cookie-eating (seriously, so much). Obviously the best part was spending time with our families. Then, mom and I went to Vegas for a few days to visit with some of the girls in our extended family, which was delightful as well.

this Christmas...

2010-12-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

...don't give cash. As Seinfeld reminds us, it's just plain cheap:

picture

2010-12-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

I like this picture of Shane and me that was taken last weekend, we were at dinner with some friends having a grand old time.

somewhat busy

2010-12-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

We have been somewhat busy these past few weeks...

I have been engaged with school work. With two finals to go, I am nearly done with yet another semester. And with only one semester to go, I have strong incentives to persevere! Even though... there are times... I really... do not... want to... Every semester around finals time I realize that I definitely do not want to go to graduate, or law, or any other kind of school. Figuring out what you DON'T want to do in life is, at times, much easier than figuring out what you DO want to do.

Shane has been busy with interviews. After spending the Thanksgiving holiday with his family, we left Salt Lake and headed for Denver where Shane had an interview at the University of Colorado. We were only there for a couple of days, but it was great to be able to take a little road trip together as well as to visit with our cousins who recently moved to Denver.

We got home on a Tuesday evening and the very next morning Shane left on a plane headed for New Hampshire where he had an interview at Dartmouth College. After his interview at Dartmouth, he got on another plane and headed to Pennsylvania where he had an interview at Pennsylvania State. Then, he came home... which was nice.

Since then, we have been reveling in the holiday season by watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, drinking hot cocoa and apple cider, and doing a little bit of Christmas shopping. So, although we've been somewhat busy... we've definitely been enjoying ourselves.

Sunday Greatness

2010-11-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

The makings of a great Sunday:

playing with Luke (friend's dog) in the park

rockin the Ray Bans

brunch with the family

recycling our glass,

a twofold satisfaction:
one, we get to recycle
two, we get to break shit while we recycle...
...as you can see, it's fun!

We also enjoyed dinner at Noodles and Co. and coffee at Coffee Garden on 9th and 9th, what a great Sunday.

been awhile...

2010-11-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted to be sure, we've been busy, but it's been half work and half play!

We had some visitors who stayed in Salt Lake for a night on their way from Las Vegas to Denver... We enjoyed a great evening of dinner and dessert with family, and a subsequent breakfast with family at the Blue Plate Diner in Sugarhouse.

I wrote a "critical review" for one class, took a test in another, and took a test in yet another... but since they were pretty spaced out the studying wasn't so bad

Shane has received a few more interview requests from medical schools, two of which he will be going to: Penn State (in Pennsylvania) and Dartmouth (in New Hampshire)... those two are in addition to the interview he already had lined up for the University of Colorado (in Denver)... all of which will be happening the last week of November and the first week of December.

We spent Halloween weekend doing various things...
Saturday morning we went to a special screening of the educational documentary "Waiting for Superman", which I would highly recommend (it's playing at the Broadway Theater downtown). It is interesting and informative. That night we watched another great movie, "V for Vendetta" which we had never seen before and also thoroughly enjoyed (also, recommended if you've never seen it). While we watched, we waited for the little trick-or-treaters to knock on our door... we got two groups of about three kids each for a total of six kids... kinda sad, but I guess we're not an ideally situated trick-or-treating house. Although, one (of the two) groups who did come complimented us on our very "cool windows", "I like your windows!". So, that did make us feel a little bit better.

Also, we both exercised our constitutional right and voted (it's super easy to do by mail, folks!).

All in all, we have had a great couple of weeks and, like I said, we are playing just as hard as we are working... This year is special to us since it will be our last here in Utah for awhile and possibly forever, who knows!!!

FUTURE DOCTOR!

2010-10-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

Shane got his first acceptance letter from the University of Rochester! We are very excited.

SATURDAY MORNING

2010-10-09T09:14:00.001-07:00

FOR ME, A GREAT SATURDAY MORNING CONSISTS OF...

AN EARLY-MORNING JOG
&
A WARM CUP OF COFFEE

public radio listener and member for life

2010-10-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Shane and I listen to public radio (KUER) and we pretty much could not exist without it. NPR provides some of the best coverage of international and national news events... the non-profit has won numerous awards for its reporting and quality news programs. i can understand that some folks may be turned off by some of the commentary programs NPR produces, yet one cannot make the argument that their two news programs: Morning Edition and All Things Considered do not provide balanced, intriguing and vital coverage of global and national events. what's more is that during these two programs, KUER's own team of reporters provides excellent local coverage of the news. Morning Edition is a two-hour news program and All Things Considered is a two-and-a-half-hour news program. public radio does not have commercials. how long is your network or cable news program once you take out all the time spent devoted to commercials? the average half-hour network news show has only 14 minutes of actual news coverage. sad, but not unexpected if you've studied the decline of news media and reporting. i know that as a political science major i am a predisposed news junkie, but keeping up on local, national, and global events is more than just a hobby... it is a necessity. knowledge truly is power: the power of awareness, self-actualization, and motivation. it makes sense that people are more tuned in to what affects them, so a business executive may be more concerned with global, financial and economic news while a stay-at-home mom/dad may be more concerned with local events tied to their child's school system, or other community programs. whatever the case, there is an argument to be made that knowledge is power. those who remain unaware subject themselves to the will of others' interests, wants and manipulation. furthermore, how can one legitimately form opinions if one has not taken the time to first learn about events, social trends, etc? KUER, after 50 years of service to the community, now has over 150,000 listeners. there is a reason that listenership continues to grow. the reason is that public radio provides quality programming, both news and otherwise. there are hundreds of public radio stations across the country just like KUER. why not try listening? you might learn something and it might not be as scary as you think. plus, no commercials!

Burlington, Vermont

2010-09-24T14:55:00.001-07:00

The classic cheese and wine combo... so original!

Cute and colorful houses

Lake Champlain

Some more quaint houses and a bike rider

deep-fried, chocolate-covered bacon anyone?

2010-09-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

Not me! Yesterday we went to the Utah State Fair with my parents. This year's featured weird food concoction was deep-fried chocolate-covered bacon. We didn't try any and I do not feel deprived. We did eat some polish sausage hot dogs and ice-cream (the regular unhealthy food). We also looked through the photo galleries, watched a couple of pig races (very cute), and saw the animals. Although, since it was the last day, most of them had already been sold which was kind of a bummer. However, the people watching at the fair was a pretty good substitute for the lack of animals. I would say that, in general, people are just as interesting to watch, but definitely not as cute.

In other news... Shane has been to two med-school interviews so far: one at the University of Pittsburgh and one at the University of Vermont. Both interviews went well, although Shane probably has a better chance of getting in to the U of Vermont. He went to the U of Pitt first and really liked the city (it's a bigger city); however, when he went to his interview in Burlington, Vermont he FELL IN LOVE WITH the city and immediate area. Burlington is a much smaller and more quaint city with a lake about ten to twenty minutes away and a more relaxed feeling. He's still got three interviews planned and may receive additional interview requests, but Vermont is definitely an option right now. (I want to post some pictures, but don't have them right now, so they'll come later).

BEWARE!

2010-09-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

For any of those going back to school, or teaching school, or sending kids to school... BEWARE OF THE COMMON COLD VIRUS!!

Two weeks in to school and I (and many others) have already fallen victim to this monstrosity... and it is a monstrosity... No working out, No going out to do anything fun or otherwise, No working, No getting things done, No staying up on school work... And while this might sound like a nice vacation to some, let me assure you: it's not! Not only does being sick = frustration (because of said "NOs"), but you also feel like hell. Two days of sore throat, followed by chills and night sweats, which overlap with head and nasal congestion... soon, I know, the cough will come.

SO, what's the best way to avoid catching the common cold? The only proven deterrents are: 1--seven hours of sleep or more (a.k.a. get enough sleep!), 2--avoiding stress (because stress may weaken the immune system) and 3--washing your hands A LOT! (since the most common way to transmit the virus is by touching things that people with the virus have touched)... Some of you may be thinking, "what about vitamin C, zinc, echinacea, and Airborne?" Well, folks, you can believe and swear by what you want, BUT, these are not clinically proven to do ANYTHING!! They will not prevent you from catching the common cold, nor will they speed your recovery. The makers of these "vitamins" have literally duped a whole nation into believing these "vitamins" will prevent the common cold or speed recovery, and have thereby profited immensely; however, good science has shown otherwise (read: Achoo: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About Germs by Trudee Romanek). Also a myth: being in the cold and/or rain will increase your chances of being sick--Once again, NOT TRUE AT ALL! A total myth of our culture...

The Logical Conclusion: People tend to get sick more in the fall and winter because they are indoors more often and hence in closer contact with one another... And this makes sense, since the virus is spread by 1--touching a contaminated surface (more common) and 2--breathing in someone's cough or sneeze who is carrying the virus...

Also, why is there no "cure" for the common cold? One reason is that the virus is able to adapt so quickly that there is no vaccine that could keep up with its adaptation... There are over 200 common cold viruses in existence at any given time, so just because you've made it through one, does not mean you're immune from catching the next since its bound to be completely different!--Once again, get sleep, de-stress, and wash hands!

weekend review

2010-09-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

LABOR DAY WEEKEND:
Shane and I ran the Greek 10k on Saturday morning and won a chair in a ticket drawing.

Shane got a new suit for his upcoming med school interviews. (First one is this Friday!)

We went to sushi (again) at the Red Ginger on Saturday and to the movie Inception. Sushi was amazing and the movie was good too. It was an enjoyable night out for the two of us.

Sunday we worked on homework and secondaries, then went to eat dinner and play games with family which was relaxing and enjoyable.

Later Sunday night we went over to a friend's to play some more. We had fun, but we're definitely tired today... However, it's Labor Day, so that's OK!

garden update and more

2010-08-25T10:22:00.001-07:00

the garden: two tomato plants, some green beans, green onion, rosemary, one green pepper plant, one yellow pepper plant

yellow pepper plant

three green peppers thus far!

basil and sage

Our garden is producing, although we're waiting for the tomatoes and yellow peppers to turn.

I started fall semester at the U yesterday and am coming to grips with delving into a new semester with new classes and a new work load, but am also ready.

Shane is busy and a bit overwhelmed with all of the med school secondaries he is working on, so far he's gotten three interview requests which start in September, I'm so proud of him!

Everything else is normal around here. There's a new Yogurt Stop on 2100 south (just east of 2100 east) and I've been there twice this past week, it's really really good... Also, just went to the sushi restaurant Red Ginger on State and 3300 south with Nicole and Katie Monday night, which was also very good... 1/2 off everything the first year they're open, so I'm sure I'll be back.

hike with dad

2010-08-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Since fall semester doesn't start till next Tuesday for me I've got some extra time this week and was lucky enough to go on a hike with dad yesterday. We hiked the Days Fork Trail up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was great!

Swan Valley trip

2010-08-16T08:28:00.001-07:00

making coffee in the cabin

the boys

the girls

reading in the hammock

visiting 'the falls'

the Snake River and some beautiful country

visiting the Tetons Park and Yellowstone Park

our niece: Madison

patio--great for reading and relaxing

hike to upper Palisades Lake (16 miles round-trip!)

Shane and Madison

Shane and his brothers: Nick and Brett

Tetons in the background; Shane and Erica in the foreground

We've been in Swan Valley, Idaho this past week enjoying some time with each other and family... We stayed in the 'Sleepy J Cabins' which were cozy and comfortable. There was plenty of gorgeous scenery as well as time to read our books and drink our coffee together. We jogged every morning, played games in the evenings, and hung out with family in general.

happy birthday, Shane

2010-08-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY TO SHANE

I'M DONE!!

2010-08-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

I would just like to say that I am 7 credit hours closer to my degree and I have survived yet another semester... and not only survived but kicked ass thank you very much :). Also, Shane got an interview request from Pittsburgh so we pretty much both kick ass thank you very much.

normal week

2010-08-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

normal week this past week. we watched a made-for-TV version of Wuthering Heights which was really good. Shane went fishing with some friends on Saturday. we went down for brunch on Sunday to visit our parents then worked on our various projects. the sunset last night was great

anniversary weekend in P.C.

2010-07-26T17:50:00.001-07:00

We spent this Saturday and Sunday in P.C. at the Park City Peaks Inn--the same place we got engaged two years ago. Saturday we walked around Mainstreet in the afternoon and went to a free concert at the Canyons resort in the evening. Sunday we went for a jog in the morning on a nearby rail trail, checked out of the hotel and had breakfast at Squatters just up the street. We then went back to Mainstreet to check out the "Park Silly Market" before heading home. The weekend was both relaxing and fun. Now, however, it's time for research papers and med school secondaries for the next two weeks... Not too relaxing or much fun!

One Year Anniversary...

2010-07-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Shane and I were married on July 20, 2009. We are celebrating our first year of marriage while simultaneously celebrating six years of being together and committed to each other.

East Canyon 1/2 Marathon

2010-07-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

This Saturday Shane and I ran the East Canyon 1/2 marathon. It was a first time for both of us... The trail took us off of the paved road and onto dirt roads for most of the way which was nice since there were less cars and it was easier to run on the dirt. The weather was great and both of us had a great time running together.

COMPOST PICS

2010-07-06T10:34:00.001-07:00

COMPOST IN THE BACKYARD

compost, July 4th, and hike

2010-07-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

It was a little bit cooler this week, which was perfect for hiking...

near the top of Mill A

Enjoying some good coffee!

Dad, and his hat

We set up a compost this weekend in our backyard as a 'just for fun' type of thing and hopefully we can use it to give some nutrients to our garden...

On July 4th our good friends came over--we enjoyed some bbq in the backyard and then walked down to Sugarhouse park for the fireworks

On Sunday, Shane, dad, and me went up the Mill A trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon, around Mount Raymond, over the Mill B pass and down into Neffs Canyon. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!! The hike took us about seven and a half hours including an hour-stop for lunch and coffee. So, by the end of it our legs were pretty done for--I'm definitely feeling it today, but can't wait to go on another hike next weekend.

celebrating Father's Day a week late

2010-06-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

older sister and younger (but bigger) brother

Shane and mom enjoying some trail mix

dad, the great outdoors-man and story-teller...

best friends

dad and daughter

Since dad was out of town last weekend, our family celebrated Father's Day yesterday. The five of us went on a hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon's Mill A trail--it was a gorgeous day to be up in the mountains and we had a great deal of fun hiking together... It felt good to be in the mountains--especially with family.

the weekend

2010-06-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

this weekend we found roses in our house and friends in our backyard... now it feels like summer is here

the month of june

2010-06-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

the month of June is already half way gone which is unbelievable to me. since I'm in school I keep waiting for summer to start! Ultimately, this is it, it just doesn't feel like it... bummer :(

on the upside, Shane got his med school application in (no small feat) and is now planting a garden in our backyard

we went up to Logan and then Preston, ID with Shane's parents to celebrate our niece's first birthday on Saturday which was relaxing and enjoyable, especially since neither of us had to drive and since we got to eat cheeseburgers and cake

another upside, one of my two summer classes will be over and done with this Friday, which will allow me to breath a little bit and to focus on writing my research paper... it's really not that bad, but I yearn for the time when I can go to work full-time, come home and enjoy myself!--instead of worrying about all the homework I should/could be doing and need to eventually get done... perhaps grad school is not for me...

I learned how to play Risk the other night and had some beginners luck beating out three other competitors... a lucky feat at best considering I had no idea what my strategy was, kept getting distracted by the movie in the background and was on the verge of falling asleep for the entire second half of the game... yet, I do look forward to playing again.

we've had two visits by two different kitties so far in the past couple of days, one of them our familiar girl, Max (yes, girl) and the other a cute little black thing who seems pretty young and doesn't wear a collar so we've no idea where she's from, but she hung out with us last night which was pretty fun

Shane plans to make a couple of rhubarb pies for this weekend using the rhubarb we've got growing in our backyard that resurfaces year after year, he made one last year that turned out great, so I'm lookin forward to that

OTHER THAN THAT... life is pretty normal around here, which is a great and wonderful thing

wendover weekend

2010-06-01T21:07:00.001-07:00

Great couple of days in west wendover with friendlies:
laid out. got a sunburn. took a nap. played cards. drank beer. ate at a buffet. played blackjack. drank beer. won some, lost some. had so much fun! woke up. felt like shit. drank coffee. felt a little better. ate breakfast-yum. played 'wheel of fortune' .25 cent slots. drove home with friendlies

finding new schedules

2010-05-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

WE'RE BOTH ADJUSTING TO NEW SCHEDULES...

I go to SCHOOL, do HOMEWORK, and WORK
Shane WORKS FULL-TIME

We've been watching old Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase movies on Netflix which are very cheesy but a lot of fun

Shane mows the lawn, fixes stuff and works on his med school application

I do laundry, clean house and work on assignments

Shane makes his lunch and rides his bike to work everyday (that is, when it's not raining)

I make my lunch and take the bus to school twice a week

And... when our cupboards are sufficiently empty we eventually go to the grocery store

On the weekends we're usually lucky enough to drink beer with friends and visit with family

a short hike with dad

2010-05-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 15th, my dad and I went on a short hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon, about a mile and a half up the Mule Hollow trail. The hike wasn't long, but it was great to be in the mountains and to be with dad. The trail follows the stream bed up the mountain making it rocky and sometimes steep AND you have to continuously cross the stream as you hike which is actually pretty fun. At the end of 1.5 miles there are remnants of an old mine, so when we got to that spot, we hung out for about 45 minutes as we prepared fresh coffee using a moka pot and one of the little methanol-alcohol stoves my dad has been crafting. The little saturation of caffeine from the coffee into our systems was a perfect replenishment for the hike down. I anticipate lots more hikes this summer with dad (and Shane).

SHANE'S GRADUATION

2010-05-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

Shane graduated from the University of Utah on Friday, May 7, 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry--with a Biological emphasis, and a minor in Philosophy. AND, he graduated Magna Cum Laude (meaning he has never received less than an A or A- in any of his classes). I am so proud of him! We both had a great time Friday hanging out with our families, eating together and playing games together... thankfully the weather was good. And while sitting through two graduation ceremonies was a little boring, it was wonderful to see Shane receive his diploma.

goings on

2010-05-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Updates:

finals are finished with
we watched "Funny People" the other night
we went on a two hour jog today and it was great
Shane has a new road bike (graduation gift)
Erica is enjoying her two weeks of freedom by: reading, cleaning, working out, catching up on pictures, etc...
Shane is graduating from the University of Utah this Friday
Erica still loves her job
Shane starts his new job Monday, May 10th up in research park at the U
we set up an account to start saving for a house
we went to the once-a-year doctor visit we are afforded on the U's student health insurance and I'm happy to report that we're both healthy

Well, we made it through another semester at the U, for Shane it's his last, and of course that makes it bittersweet for him. I have another three semesters to go (summer, fall and spring) before I graduate. Shane applied for and got a research job with his chemistry degree up in research park at the U. We're both excited, especially for the health insurance, since the U's student insurance sucks (yet is still better than none)... I'm starting my summer semester on May 17th and am taking 7 credit hours. I know it will be challenging, but I'm looking forward to being on campus in the summer and having something to keep me busy. Plus, it makes me that much closer to a degree! Shane got a new road bike as a graduation gift from his parents and has already used it several times. Up until now, he's been riding one he bought off of KSL a couple years ago, it consistently needed repairing and didn't have a whole lot of gears, so this bike is a well-earned gift for Shane. Other than that, we're enjoying the sunny days when they come.

in two weeks time

2010-04-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

in two weeks time I will be happy and stress free (for about two weeks) until summer semester starts on May 17th. then, sadly the stress will begin again. not that it's not all worth it (because it is) and not that I don't enjoy it sometimes (because I do). but, nevertheless, it will be nice to have two weeks not to worry about what is due next in what class and all the reading I'm not (but should be) doing. Meanwhile...

Shane is focused on looking for a new job--he graduates next month and will (hopefully) be getting a research related job where he'll be able to work for the next 15 months or so

Erica is focused on maintaining sanity until the end of the semester

AND... we are both enjoying the wonderful end-of-April weather by reading outside, jogging and driving with the windows down... Thank god for good weather

The Old Dutch Store

2010-04-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Old Dutch Store, at 2696 S. Highland Dr, has an amazing deli in the back where you can get unique and delicious sandwiches at a good price. Shane and I go there once or twice a month for the food, the service and the atmosphere. It is a great little place and reminds me why I love living in Sugar House: it's a community where mom-and-pop stores still survive...

spring, spring break, short trip

2010-03-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

Spring is officially here and so is Spring Break! What a wonderful time of year. As we always do, Shane and I went on a backpacking trip down in southern Utah... this time in Grand Staircase-Escalante. We left Sunday morning and arrived in the afternoon. After going on a short hike that evening (Lower Calf Creek Falls), we set up camp a little ways from the road, made ourselves a fire, ate some cooked rice and moose meat, and drank a couple of beers... nothing like drinking beer around a campfire.

After a somewhat restless and uncomfortable night of sleep we headed out with nothing but the packs on our back. We hiked up "the Upper Gulch" without an intended destination, just a relaxing hike to where ever we felt like stopping and camping for the second night. The temperature was cool in the morning, but was nice and warm once we were in the daytime sun. The sky was that piercing blue you don't find in the city. Since we were hiking down by the water, the trail was sandy, muddy and at times reedy which slowed our pace but since we didn't have a specific destination, it made no difference. Plus, the trail continuously weaved back and forth across the water, so we had to cross the stream several times, but if anything this added to the fun of the trip since we had to look for places with the ideally placed rocks to cross. Also along the trail were cow prints since cows are free to graze all throughout the gulch. We even had the pleasure of seeing a family of cows while we were hiking: a cow, a bull and two little ones. Eventually we came to a flat opening and decided to set up camp for the second night. That evening we played some cards, ate a dinner of pasta and moose meat, and spent the remainder of the time sitting by the fire and looking up at the star-filled night sky.

The second night was a little bit colder than the first, but we both managed to sleep quite a bit better. After the sun woke us up, we ate some oatmeal, packed up our bags and headed out the same way we'd come. The hike back to the car was simple and relaxing and we enjoyed not being rushed or stressed. Plus, the weather was great! Rain had been predicted for Tuesday, but all we saw was crystal clear blue sky. The drive home was uneventful; although, some rain did eventually catch up with us. We stopped in Salina to enjoy a patty melt and fries at "Mom's Cafe",the food was super greasy and super good. After rolling into Salt Lake sometime around 6:00 p.m., the first thing we both did was take a long, hot shower.

The rest of the break we'll be working, doing homework and catching up on lots of little errands, but it sure was good to get some backpacking and sunny sky in first.

weekend stuff

2010-03-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was fun and relaxing even if it was nothing out of the ordinary... It included: going to Fiddler's Elbow Friday night to watch the Jazz game and drink some beer (still fun even though the Jazz lost), renting a movie, doing homework together Saturday morning, eating an early dinner together Saturday afternoon (Shane cooked moose sausage, brussel sprouts and wild rice), and visiting with our parents on Sunday morning--also the time we get to watch LOST! This Sunday, my dad even made an apple pie from scratch--(wow!) and it turned out great. Way to go dad.

One other note, about a week and a half ago, Shane and I went to the Broadway Theater and saw the movie Crazy Heart. It is a dramatic film with a good storyline. Jeff Bridges gives a believable performance and helps the audience to empathize with his character (Bridges won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in this film). Maggie Gyllenhaul stars opposite Bridges and is enjoyable as well. Crazy Heart is entertaining without being too heavy/serious so my recommendation is to see it if you're in the mood!

map pics

2010-03-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

so proud of our map accomplishment (this is the type of thing that excites you as you get older)

why I give a shit about life

2010-02-28T16:15:00.000-08:00

In attempting to write another essay, I find myself blogging again, how weird... Shane is at work, I am sitting in the office typing yet, clearly I've become distracted since none of these characters are appearing in my word doc essay. Way weird! I really can't explain it. Actually, I think I can. Shane and I were talking earlier today about how incredibly annoying and hard it is to write essays and how we both would prefer (and even like to) study for tests. What is it about writing essays that makes them so incredibly horrible? Is it the length specifications that seem to be plaguing you the whole time you're writing, either because you have too much to say in too little space or can't think of anything else to add to a paper that's not long enough? I don't think that's it for me... I can't quite articulate what it is I don't like about writing essays--and maybe that in itself is my problem! Needless to say, I am overcome with spasms of fear whenever I think about the senior seminar research paper I will have to write in order to graduate next spring. Eeek! Best not to think about these things. For now, I will TRY TRY TRY, really really try to get back to writing my paper. One of the best feelings is to simply be done with it, no matter the quality... I may not feel totally good about the end product, but to be done feels great.

Oh yeah, Max came by yesterday... It was so strange. Shane and I were in the office and we had the windows open since it was such a nice day and Shane looks out the window and sees Max tromping through our backyard. What's strange is that earlier that day we had been talking about how her owners had probably moved since we had not seen her yet and since the weather was warm that day (she's usually outside on days like that). Plus it was strange to see her because she's gotten a little fat. It was truly like looking at a different cat and after thinking about it, I think it bothered Shane and I not so much that she had changed, but that because it had been out of our control. I guess it sorta felt like, "Hey, what the hell did you do to our cat? Oh yeah, wait, she's your cat!" Anyway, we were so happy to see her nonetheless.

One more exciting thing of the week. So, last year I acquired a world map which I had been wanting for awhile, yet once I had this map Shane and I could not think where to put it since it's pretty big and the only wall space is in the office, yet with the addition of a desk in our office all wall space was eliminated. Hence, no place at all for the map. Well, we wanted to get it laminated and so we did that and then Shane had the brilliant idea to have a huge piece of glass made to fit on the table in our office. Then... we could position the laminated map under this large piece of glass atop the table in our office. Perfect! Not only does the glass protect the map, but it protects the table top. Now we have a wonderful world map in perfect view and perfectly preserved. Sharing these seemingly trivial experiences (finishing an essay, seeing Max and viewing a world map under a piece of glass) with Shane are why I give a shit about life :)

nothing new, just writing papers and getting through

2010-02-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

These last two months that we've been home have been kinda weird. Strange in the sense that there has been so much change and equal uncertainty... Now that we both have jobs and somewhat regular schedules, things are almost beginning to feel normal. I blame some of the weirdness on the time of year: it's gray, groggy, wet, muggy, etc... There's cold but no snow, rain but it's not spring, no holidays to look forward to (unless you count Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's day) which are OK I guess... So, yeah, it's a pretty transitional time of year and it has been especially transitional for us this year. However, one good thing about being in a weird transition means that there's a lot to look forward to and while I strongly advocate living in the present, sometimes you just need the anticipation of what's to come: MCAT score, birthday, spring break, road trip, graduation, spring and the showers it brings, summer, internship, family reunion, long days filled with sun, sun and more sun!

where are you max?

2010-02-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

we have not seen our neighborhood cat, max, since we have been home and we want to know where she is and why the hell she has not been to see us! we have seen (presumably) her paw prints in the snow surrounding our house, even leading up to our front door, and yet no sign of her. where are you max?!?

home and Christmas

2010-01-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

Our return home was tiring but successful! Both Shane and myself are so happy to be home. We had a wonderful Christmas with our families and are looking forward to starting classes at the university next week. (Our niece, Madison, is now 6 months old!)

Voronezh and the school

2009-11-15T06:21:00.001-08:00

2009-11-15T06:03:00.000-08:00

ST. PETERSBURG

2009-11-15T05:19:00.000-08:00

Russian school children receive a week-long break every year the first week in November; as such all of the ILP teachers receive a week of vacation. During this time, our group was able to travel to St. Petersburg where the ILP program has a school and hence an apartment for the Head Teacher to live in, so… our whole group was able to stay in the Head Teacher apartment for the entire week at no charge making our trip affordable and comfortable.

Shane, myself and the four girls left Voronezh on Friday October 30th at 1:55 p.m. on a train headed to St. Petersburg. We were on that train for nearly 24 hours, but I can tell you that the time went by fairly fast. Overall, traveling by train in Russia is actually quite comfortable because the train offers a toilet, hot water, a bed, a place to sit, and aisles that you can stand and stretch in. Also, the trains in Russia are extremely efficient; trains leave and come in to the station the exact minute they say they will… always. Shane and I enjoyed both of our train experiences reading, playing cards, talking, eating and drinking tea with various assortments of Russians. On the way there we met two sweet girls named Danya and Olga who attempted to help us with our horrible Russian language skills and on the way home our whole wagon was full of a group of Armenian school children traveling home from a week of vacation with their teachers which made for an exciting and rambunctious journey.

During our stay in St. Petersburg Shane and I developed somewhat of a routine where we would wake up, have breakfast, shower, make sandwiches for lunch, and mill about for a little bit till we eventually left the apartment around noon. Then, we would walk the fifteen minutes it took to get to the nearest Metro station and take the Metro to whatever stop we had planned for that day. We’d walk around the city all day doing touristy things and popping into whatever cathedral or museum we’d decided upon. One of our favorite things to do was to dash into a little café off of the main road and indulge in an Americano or espresso to warm ourselves up a bit. In the evening, we’d find a restaurant that wasn’t outrageously expensive and we’d have a wonderful dinner together. Afterwards, we’d make our way back to the Metro and to the apartment where we’d spend a couple of hours reading or socializing with another married couple staying in the apartment.

We ended up seeing much of the immediate city and several parks during our various walks about the city. Shane and I went in Church on Spilled Blood which got its name because it was built as a memorial to Alexander the II over the exact spot he was assassinated. We walked passed St. Nicholas Cathedral one day and went in to St. Isaacs Cathedral, which turned out to be my favorite structure in all of St. Petersburg. The view from the top of the colonnade is breathtaking and the cathedral itself looks more like a government building with its granite and columns than a typical cathedral. One night we agreed to take an hour-long boat ride after the sun had gone down and all of the lights in the city were turned on. The ride was beautiful, even if it was really very cold! Shane and I spent one day wandering around inside the Hermitage museum soaking up as much art and culture as we could bare and because I didn’t see all I wanted, I went back the next day with a group of girls from Moscow. That night Shane and I ate dinner at one of the two Mexican restaurants located in the city and we were both so happy to get a taste of spicy food, we enjoyed every minute of it. Towards the end of the week we visited the Peter and Paul Fortress which was built in 1703 to defend Russia and St. Petersburg against the invading Swedes. Two of the nights, we ate at a German bar-café where we enjoyed German sausage with spicy mustard and buttery pasta. Overall, the trip was just the relaxing vacation we needed. Shane and I would both love to return to the great and majestic city of St. Petersburg.

MOSCOW

2009-10-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Moscow was quite beautiful and so much fun. The city is clean and surprisingly colorful; grand city buildings with so much intricacy line the streets. The rows of upscale clothing stores and expensive car shops let you know Moscow is a famous city. During our stay the weather was slightly overcast, a little bit sunny, just chilly enough and at one point in time quite rainy! So, because the two of us dressed warmly, the weather felt perfect. (It was nice to get away from the hot-humid days we had the first few weeks in Voronezh.)

Believe it or not the first place we went in Moscow was the McDonalds (and if you know us, you’re thinking “What?!?”); however, when traveling in a large group and at the whim of the Moscow Head Teacher, sometimes you do not have a choice unless you want to be extremely difficult. So, we were hungry enough and tired enough to relent. Also, many of you may not know this, but the McDonalds we visited in Moscow is famous. It was the first McDonalds in Russia and… it was in the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest McDonalds until the one in Florida was built. Also, you may not know this, but the McDonalds’ in Russia have amazing coffee. Like really really good coffee. So, now you know if you’re ever in Russia.

Some of the main things we saw while in the great city include: Red Square, the ‘Eternal Soldier’ flame and with it the changing of the guard, the zoo, the Museum of Modern Russian History and quite a bit of the immediate city. We walked a lot and ate out at some great restaurants including one French Café where the hot chocolate was literally a melted chocolate bar and a Russian corner-café that had amazing ‘blinni’ or Russian crepes. The hostel we stayed in was actually an apartment and so it was in an apartment building. It was very near the main attractions of the city; about a twenty minute walk to Red Square. The place was small, quiet, clean and cozy! We look forward to seeing a bit more of Moscow as we’re passing through to St. Petersburg on our up and coming week-long vacation.

VORONEZH

2009-09-24T04:47:00.001-07:00

Here are a few quick pics before we head to Moscow this weekend. These pictures are all taken in Voronezh and at our apartment.

The basics of Voronezh

2009-09-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have not heard from us since we left for Russia, here are the basics.

Our somewhat rustic but lovable apartment is the way it is because we have been working on things day by day. The ‘Head Teacher’ who lived in the apartment during the spring semester was an alcoholic who liked to drink during the day and party at night, so that left little time to wash dishes, throw garbage away, fix the toilet and the shower, dust, vacuum or any of the rest of it. We have been doing quite a bit and there’s still a lot more that we would like to do, it is just a matter of time and priorities.

Teaching is hard. We came out here as a group of five, waiting on two of our teachers. So, for the first week and a half the five of us were teaching quite a bit; covering classes and Erica, as the Head Teacher, teaching classes, which normally does not happen. We finally got our two other teachers about a week ago and things have calmed down a little bit. Nevertheless, teaching is a hard task and it is going to take a few more weeks for these teachers to feel totally comfortable. Meanwhile, Erica is trying to adjust to her responsibilities as a Head Teacher now that she does not have to cover classes. (She will still teach one three hour class per week).

Russia is different and the people are different; things are not necessarily better or worse than in the U.S., just different depending on the way things are perceived. There are times when we miss the comforts of home, but most of the time we look out the window and are happy to be here experiencing Russia.

The food has been different, but good. We buy this amazing cheese that we eat at least twice a day. It is so soft and creamy and salty and delicious. Our foreign coordinators Daniel and Natasha live about 45 minutes away, a little bit out of the city, and have been bringing us milk fresh squeezed from the cow and it is divine! It is what milk is supposed to taste like. We were both surprised at how the milk did not taste sweet. It tastes more like creamy butter and has a consistency similar, but not as thick as, eggnog. Monday through Friday the teachers eat lunch at the school. It is always a good home-cooked meal made by the women who work at the nearby Kindergarten. The meals usually consist of soup, bread, a main potato dish and some type of vegetables or vegetable dish. Sometimes we get yogurt, or a treat. Today we were happy because they served us our favorite dish thus far: stuffed red and yellow peppers.

Last Saturday was ‘TownsDay’, similar to Utah’s 24th of July. Jane, a girl who has been through the ILP program and whose family is hosting two teachers, took us all around the town. The day was a bit overcast so it was great weather. We walked down the middle of the street, watched Russian folk dancers and a most famous Russian folk songstress. We also went to the host family’s apartment later that night to watch the fireworks. The family has a bedroom window that looks right over the River Voronezh, it was most beautiful!

This Saturday the group has plans to travel about three hours outside of the city to a place that is known for its ‘chalk walls’. It is literally a mountain of chalk and at the base of the mountain there are a couple cathedrals built back into it. Olga, Daniel and Natasha’s assistant, is taking us there and says it is “magnificent”. We’ll spend about five hours there and then head home. Hopefully in the coming weeks we will have more time to give updates and send pictures.

2009-08-24T15:07:00.001-07:00

Road Trip!

2009-08-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

We decided to take matters into our own hands and take a vacation on our own accord after hearing that the Russian consulate will no longer 'rush deliver' student visas and as such none of the teachers in the ILP program would be able to leave until the 28th of August. SO... as stated, we thought about it and said, "yeah, let's take a trip into the northwest".

We set out on Tuesday August 18th and drove north to Couer D'Alene Idaho... a small lake city that has an artificial beach and a cute-town feeling similar to Park City mainstreet. After enjoying a scrumptious meal and a couple margaritas we went back to our nautical-themed motel room and had us a sound night of sleep. The next day we ate some great breakfast at a little place called 'The Breakfast Nook' and then proceeded to spend the following few hours at the 'beach'.

The drive to Seattle was filled with rolling hills of farmland, a glistening view of the Columbia river and at last a tree-towering-lined highway. Needless to say, the drive was beautiful. Since we were staying at the University Inn, located not far from the University of Washington, on our first morning in Seattle we decided to go on a jog through the university. Thank God we did... the old architecture in combination with the giant trees and greenery was gorgeous! Other events that day included a trip to the Burke Museum, also located on the campus of the University of Washington, lunch on University Ave. at a wonderful Thai place and lastly a walk to Greenlake Park where we were able to relax on a park bench, look out over the sparkling lake and get a good amount of reading done. On our walk back to the hotel we decided to stop off at Murphy's--a sports bar/pub type place and have ourselves some deliciously rich and creamy beer--what a good idea.

We liked the jog so much our first morning in Seattle that we decided to do it again the next morning. We then proceeded to take a drive south to Olympia to pay a visit to Oma and Opa--our very Dutch and very cute grandparents. They were pleased to see 'Shane and his new bride' and Oma could not stop commenting on how much "Shane looks like Clarence". While visiting we were given cookies, homemade raisin bread and family gossip. And it was then declared that Oma would have to "call Clarence tonight and tell him I saw him today"!. After the visit we made our way to the coast where we drove through relaxing and scenic bay-side towns as well as homes right along the shore of the bay. We eventually made it to the ferry and rode(with our car) back over to the city of Seattle. Feeling famished and knowing there had to be good seafood right near the bay we found a nearby restaurant and stuffed ourselves.

The next morning we hung around the hotel and got ready to leave at a snail's pace. We eventually made it on the road around noon and took a route south which allowed us to drive by Mt. Rainier and see its magnificent glaciers. Once on the highway we realized that rural Washington is much different than Seattle. We became aware of this when we saw some people on the side of the road holding up signs with such sayings as, "You will know the fear of God" and "Will you spend eternity in Heaven or Hell?". I guess there was (what these religious folks thought of as) a "satanic" concert going on in the area that day and these religious folks were just tring to get the sinners going to the concert to think about the consequences of their actions. OK, well anyway... not long after that we stumbled upon a bunch of folks dressed up in 18th century costumes running hither-tither alongside the road. Those damn country folk--get us every time! We just locked the doors and kept driving.

Our last night was spent in Boise, Idaho and the hotel we stayed in was superb--we were both really impressed. Although we only spent a few hours there, it gave us the rest we needed after a long day of driving. So, by now it was Sunday and we only had to make it home to Salt Lake City. We stopped off in Logan to say 'hello' to our favorite neice, then went on to get some good grub at "Angie's" and finally we successfully made it home.

Overall, the driving went well--with Shane performing most all the driving of the trip while Erica read Discover magazing articles outloud as well as the revered NY Times. In between we could be found listening to "This American Life" or such tunes as The Beatles and The Gratefull Dead. It is safe to assume that we would love to take many more trips to Seattle and the northwest in general.

still having fun...

2009-08-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

Keeping in mind the frustration and negativity of the previous post, we are still enjoying our time together without work or school and have been doing fun things around town and with friends... alas, all is not lost. Dinner last night with Nicole and Steve.

waiting

2009-08-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting. That is all we do for the past two weeks now. We are waiting for the invitation for our visas to get here so that the visas can be sent to the Russian consulate in San Francisco and then sent back here to Salt Lake City... AND THEN we can get on a plane to fly into Berlin. What a mess. We were originally supposed to leave on August 11th and fly into Milan, then it was August 15th flying into Munich, we keep having to change our plans because our time continues to be cut short. Then we were told: "The invitations aren't here and we don't know why OR when they will be here". We heard: "Blah, Blah, Blah, you can't leave yet and we don't know when you'll be able to leave". A little more explanation would be a good thing here people, and some up-front honesty about what the hell's going on.

Now, our two week honeymoon period in Europe is looking more like a five day trip to Berlin--and that's if we're lucky because we have not heard anything new in two days. Good God, we wouldn't have wasted our time, energy and money thinking about and planning for this trip if we knew it was going to be such a hassle.

WE'RE MARRIED!

2009-08-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

It's true, after five long years of being boyfriend and girlfriend Shane and Erica are officially married as of July 20, 2009. Now what? Oh yeah, now Russia. Bring it on!

These are snapshots taken by unofficial photographers at the wedding. Official photos to follow.

Hike to White Pine AND Shane's Triathalon

2009-07-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

On July 4th, Shane, Clarence (his dad), Carl (my dad) and myself hiked up to White Pine Lake. What an awesome hike to celebrate our nation's birthday. We thought there may be rain, but luckily there was not. The weather was not hot and the trail not too crowded. Towards the top of the ridge, near the lake, we encountered snow, but no worries because my ever-prepared dad had a ski pole for me to use and Shane and I had our YakTrax with us--ah, the beauty of consumerism... I guess some of this stuff really does come in handy. Anyway, we ate amazing croissant sandwiches at the top that my mom had fixed for us earlier and my dad brewed up some top-notch coffee on his little stove. On the way down we decided to forego the risky snow and climb down a couple boulder fields instead which worked out pretty nicely.

Shane decided to participate in the Echo Reservoir Triathalon on July 11, this past Saturday. The idea came to him after he began swimming up at the U as a different form of exercise other than the usual biking or jogging. Amazingly, after swimming for only a couple of months, Shane successfully completed his first sprint triathalon which is a 1/2 mile swim, 13 mile bike ride and 3 mile run. It's only amazing because swimming is so incredibly hard if you weren't one of those people who swam in highschool or played water polo, etc... So, needless to say Shane is proud of himself and I of him.

Vegas Bridal Shower

2009-07-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

Bridal Shower & Bachelorette Party

2009-07-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

On Friday June 26, my mom and I loaded up our stuff and set off for a wild weekend in Las Vegas. A bridal shower-bachelorette party was what sparked this departure from Salt Lake City and we couldn't wait to get away for a weekend. The bridal shower was thrown for me by my maid of honor, Kirsten, as well as her mom, Patty and Kirsten's older sister, Jennifer. Not to mention my cousin Mischa hosted the event, so it really was a family affair. Patty was able to book us rooms at the Four Seasons Hotel which is located on the top four floors of the Mandalay Bay, so after stepping out onto the 37th floor I realized that the Four Seasons Hotel is a lot nicer than say a $50/night motel one stays in when one needs a shower after two or three days of backpacking!

Friday my mom and I spent some time with my cousin Theresa and her husband, Cal and got to see their new Australian cattle-herding puppy (Bo)... and hey, Obama stole their name, not the other way around.

Saturday was the bridal shower and it was so nice to see a lot of the women of my extended family. Aunts and cousins from California made the trip as well as all those who reside in Vegas. That evening all of the women went out to a show, "Tony & Tina's Wedding" which was funny and fun. The audience participates as guests at Tony and Tina's wedding reception so there's food, dancing and crazy Italian family antics. Later that night my cousins Kirsten, Mischa and Jennifer took me out to a country-western bar where we took shots, miniature bowled, screwed up a brand new camera, danced our hearts out, oh yeah, and one of us might have riden a bull, but I'm not certain :)

After finally arousing ourselves at 10:00 a.m. the next day Kirsten, Jennifer, and I met up with Patty, Karen, Hayley and my mom and we all spent a relaxing couple of hours lounging at the Four Season's pool. What a wonderful weekend with the girls!

P.S. During this three day, two night stay in Vegas his ruggedness could be found backpacking solo in the Uintah mountains. Yes, Shane was out there in the wild Uintahs catching fish, peeing freely and doing all the things men do when unhindered by women.

Bear River Lodge

2009-06-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Shane, myself and some friends all went up to the Bear River Lodge in Christmas Meadows by way of the Mirror Lake Highway. Thunderstorms were predicted for the entire weekend, yet we still managed to go 4-wheeling and hot tubing Friday evening and had a great time.

During our stay at the cabin, we conquered all of season 9 of "Friends" and part of season 10--an impressive feat by any measure. We also managed to consume massive amounts of Twizzlers nibs and Red Vines variety pack. However, we did get some great meals that Shane prepared for us: Friday night was cooked bratwurst with salad and Saturday we enjoyed bruschetta with cooked chicken.

Shane, Nicole, Steve and I stayed for two nights, so on Saturday the four of us went for a short hike to Ruth Lake. Other than that, the weekend was filled with games, "Friends" and friends. The cabin, which is Shane's parents, is cute and comfortable thanks to the decorating skills of Shane's mom, Candy. Shane and I cannot wait to return and will be for two nights next month post July 20th!

"Save Our Canyons" Clean-up

2009-06-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

My parents, Shane and I all went up to Big Cottonwood Canyon on Sunday the 7th to help pick trash up on the side of the road--it rained. It rained a lot. Nonetheless, it was fun.

2009-05-30T09:29:00.001-07:00

MESA VERDE

2009-05-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Shane and I completed our last finals for the spring semester on Thursday May 7th (Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!) and left early Friday morning for our backpacking/tourist trip down to Cedar Mesa and Mesa Verde. We went to a loop trail known as Fish and Owl Creek and had planned to do the loop in its entirety, but instead decided to hike down the Fish trail into the canyon with what time we had Friday and hike back out that same way on Saturday. We took it pretty easy on the way down. Plus, since we were hiking from a plateau down into a creek, there was a lot of bouldering and "climbing down" rather than simply hiking down. Even though some parts of the descent were a little challenging, we made it down to the murky water without any injuries and walked along the creek, which became thick with brush. The drive down and the scenery were absolutely beautiful: red rock and sand, clear blue sky, and the greenery of the bushes and trees with little bits of yellow and orange flowers flashing here and there.

One of the main reasons we had wanted to do the loop hike was because on the Owl descent into the canyon there is supposed to be scattered ancestral Pueblo dwellings, so when we made it back up to our car on Saturday it was only noon and we agreed to do a day-hike down into Owl canyon in an attempt to find some of the ruins that were supposed to be present. The day was, once again, gorgeous and we ended up finding one alcove that had ruins in it. Other than that, it was just a grand old time of hiking and bouldering down and up the canyon--I started to get sunburned so Shane gave me the shirt off his back, what a great guy, huh?!?

That night we stayed at a nearby reservoir and although I made valiant efforts to avoid getting eaten alive by mosquitoes (as I do every summer) I still managed to acquire four new bites. Shane, on the other hand, made no such attempts and walked away virtually unscathed (as he always does). I don't get it, I seriously don't get it! Anyway, Shane and I spent Mother's Day touring Mesa Verde National Park (sorry moms, we absolutely love and appreciate you!). We started our adventure with two hour-long guided tours, the first to Cliff Palace which is the largest gathering of ancestral Pueblo structures in North America--so pretty freaking sweet to say the least and the second to Balcony House which was also really amazing. Next, we drove through the park and went to several look-out points and dwellings on our own. Shane and I learned so much about the ancestral Pueblons (incorrectly called the Anasazi) that the next time you consider going to Mesa Verde, give us a call and we'll be happy to assist you on your voyage.

Monday we began the drive home and decided to take a different way than we'd come (down through Price), so we drove Northwest toward Loa and Capital Reef and ended up doing a 2-3 hour hike up to Cassidy Arch in Capital Reef National Park. Sitting in the car all morning gave us good reason to burn up the trail pretty quick--it felt awesome to get out and hike in the vibrant desert one last time and we were virtually alone on the trail which is usually a pleasant surprise. Overall the trip was a fantastic combo of backpacking, hiking, camping, touring and driving. I can safely say that Shane and I LOVE the Utah desert. What some find hot and bleak, we manage to find just the opposite: color, life and adventure everywhere. Also, special thanks to Shane for managing to plan virtually the entire trip while completing finals week--although, to be fair, for the first time my finals week was actually way more stressful than Shane's... All the same, I may be the blogger, but Shane is the master planner behind all of our great Southern Utah and Wasatch adventures.

Hindu Temple

2009-04-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Shane and I went to the Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple in South Jordan tonight. We went for a religious class I'm taking in school; going there was a pretty unique experience. Tonight they were honoring Akshaya Trithiya Lakshmi Kubera Puja, a Hindu God who has 1014 different names given to her so most of the celebration was reciting many of the names while simultaneously throwing flower petals on her statue. There were also offerings of food, incense, and some type of red clay dye. The statues (and there were several) were gold and wood and were adorned with many flowers of bright colors. All of the Hindu women were wearing traditional clothing and quite a few of the men. The little Indian children running around were dressed in traditional clothing as well and they were so so cute... We sat on rugs on the floor with our legs crossed and needless to say we both had sore backs by the time we left. Shane even ran into a guy he used to see when Shane used to work at Ceramatec. The guy helped us to understand some of the things that were going on which was very helpful. Other services we've attended recently for the same class include: Catholic Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeline, Reform Judaism at the Congregation of Kol Ami and Zen Buddhism at the Kanzeon Zen Center. It has been interesting to see the similarities and differences not only in the different key beliefs/traditions of the faiths but also how these particular sects are similar and different to what I've studied in class. Of the four, the Zen Buddhist center was my favorite--it is located in a converted house on South Temple and is not a temple or anything so it is informal and also adopts a Westernized approach.