I Am Still Here

Sorry for my absence. I have been in LeaderLuncheon Land which means I've been working insane hours for the past couple of months. The luncheon was Friday, and it went pretty well, so I'm just starting to recover. For now, I'll leave you with a few pics...

A few weeks ago, Nic and I hiked to the top of Granduer Peak during the full moon. This was the view of the city (although night pictures never turn out nearly as amazing as the view is).

Last weekend we took the tram to the top of Snowbird....

...the view was beautiful...

...and then we ran/walked down the mountain. I'm going to be sad when winter comes and we can't hike anymore...I guess that's what snowshoes are for!

I just got this new phone, which I am totally and completely in LOVE with! The best part is that I got it for FREE! T-Mobile rocks.

Today...

...I gave up the opportunity for more money, good experience, and a great career...to have a slight chance at following my dreams.

Here's hoping it was the right choice. :)

Sister's Weekend

The Science Museum of Minnesota had a huge Titanic exhibit that I really wanted to see, so over the 24th Nic and I flew out. I've spent quite a bit of time in Minnesota over the years visiting Danette. This time, Robyn and Dejan decided to drive down so we could all spend the weekend together. I hadn't seen either sister in a year, and we hadn't all been together for two, so it was great to spend some quality time together, especially since I spend hours on the phone with both of them each week! Hopefully the boys didn't get too bored. :)

PS the Science Museum of Minnesota ROCKS! I could go again every time I visit and never get bored!

Robyn and Danette

Nic examining my eyes at the science museum

Cute Robyn and Dejan taking a break from bowling

This is what I will look like in nine years :)

Danette showing off her bowling skills

The Illusion of Safety

I flew to Minnesota this weekend to hang out with my sisters (more on that in a future post). On the way back, I was stopped at airport security because I had accidentally left a partially filled water bottle in my backpack. Oops!

I wouldn't have been as annoyed about this if I hadn't gotten through security on the way to Minnesota with mace in my carry on. This means that the last two times I have flown, I have carried mace on the plane (accidentally both times). Within the last few years, Nic has also accidentally carried his leatherman knife on a plane.

I understand the necessity of security at airports. I understand why they want us to go through metal detectors and X-Ray our bags. However, I don't understand why they have all these "security measures" (take off your shoes, no water through security, etc) when they can't even catch mace or a knife.

Maybe TSA should start thinking of security measures that are actually efficient and effective instead of just an illusion of safety.

It's Never a Good Thing...

Might have to get used to this look for a little while.

...when the optometrist looks into your eyes and tells you that your contact looks like a petri dish….a petri dish that’s been growing bacteria for weeks.

It seems I didn’t make it back from Africa completely bacteria-free.

Luckily (and hopefully!) all it will take is a few days in glasses, a new set of contacts, a new contact case, and some allergy drops (because apparently, my eyes don't like whatever bacteria stowed away in my contact case).

This does nothing to help my irrational fear of optometrists.

Utah Couple Survives African Slums, Safari, and Streets Only to be Attacked by the Orange Tabby From Hell in Salt Lake City

Yeah, looks cute, huh? It is cute...and sweet...at first....

After a nice long hike, we arrived at my house. I was inside, and Nic ran out to his car. I heard him saying "Hey! Hey!" sort of angrily. When he came into the house, I asked what was going on. He said that an orange tabby had attacked him. I was skeptical. There are a lot of cats around here, and I have never once been attacked. Once his leg started bleeding, I realized he was telling the truth.

I figured we should find the owner and let them know they had a vengeful kitty. I went outside with bare ankles and feet (obviously not thinking) and saw a really cute, fat, probably pregnant orange cat out by Nic's car. I saw that it had a collar, so I called it over to try to see whose cat it was. It rubbed up against my leg and purred. I started to pet it as I thought Nic was crazy because this was the friendliest cat ever (and I know cats...we had bunches of them growing up).

All of a sudden, everything changed. The kitty came at me with teeth and claws bared, hissing. It got one good swipe at my ankle before retreating a little bit. It started to charge again, but I used my hand to block it's attempt at another attack, pushing it aside. I ran as fast as I could inside the house as it started to follow. We still have no idea whose cat it is, but we both have blood on our ankles from the crazy kitty.

Is the kitty pregnant? Maybe....

Is the spawn of satan inside its womb? Definitely!

Congrats, Nic!

Nic just found out that he passed his PE exam*! He took it four days before we left for Africa, so things were a little hectic, but he pulled it off! I'm so proud of him and knew he could do it.

You can tell how smart he is from looking at the photo above...he can read! :)

*For those of you who don't know, the Professional Engineer exam is 8 hours long, and is necessary to become a certified professional chemical engineer along with 4 years of experience.