Quick Catch Up

I started a post a few days ago and saved it so it this post wouldn't turn out so long with updates and New Year stuff....but that didn't turn out like I planned.  


Here is what I started ;)

WOW!  I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve updated my blog!  I’ve been busy busy.  I’ve finished and passed two classes towards my master’s degree. GO ME!  Working hard with the Utah Air National guard getting our homeland security mission stood up.  

Not me but I did get to do this also

ME!

Spending available time with Shane, friends and family.  On top of all that it’s the holiday season, so my life has been on full blast lately.  My class ended on this past Saturday with a 11 page paper being due but I have a school break until 10 January :)  In a couple of days Shane, Codi, and I are flying out to Missouri to visit his family and friends, and spend a few days with my family.  It’s really convenient that our families are somewhat close together!

Trying to remember what has been going on these past couple of weeks ;)  Halloween ended up being really low key.  I think I was getting over not feeling well, got a sinus infection back in October, so we went to another haunted house and then a couple of bars and called it a night.  We didn’t dress up or anything   :( That’s o.k., it was fun seeing everyone else’s costumes.  Sometimes it’s fun to be around a bunch of happy people and just chill and watch the festivities!

November flew by.  Spent turkey day with the Brown’s.  I went down to their house the night before so I could hang out and also help prep/cook for Turkey day.  Shane and Codi came down and the Stenseth’s were over for the festivities.  We had a good time.  Played pin the hat on the turkey, and eventually ended up in the basement for karaoke and some Wii.  Codi turned 18 right after Thanksgiving so we went out to dinner with a few of his friends.  They were hilarious but then tiring, by the time we got back to the house (dinner was in SLC) Shane and I were both ready for some low key silence.  Even one of Codi’s friends who was really quiet the whole time, said they are always “on” with their comments/jokes/etc. 

Any free time on the weekends, if it isn’t spent doing homework has been spent shopping.  Not much of a gift giver during Christmas…usually just get what I want during the year and if I see something for someone else get it then…and most of the people I know usually don’t have things that they want but this year…I’ve been a gift buying fool.  We put up a little tree at Shane’s and decorated it, much to Codi’s argument of “we aren’t even going to be here for Christmas”.  But, we are going to open presents on Wednesday before we go to Missouri.  And well…good thing that little tree is up on a table cuz it’s would have been dwarf by the presents thus far!  Shane says we’ll have plenty more to open at his house along with stockings! With all this going on, going down to my parents house will be an oasis of relaxation!

Christmas in Utah

Shane’s unit had their holiday party this month and it was 20’s theme.  We had fun dressing up but the party was a wee bit of a bust.  Once all the gifts were given away, everyone took off :(  Not much dancing or drinking.  Not that I would have danced that much, my feet are a little out of practice when it comes to wearing heels!  Living in slippas (flip flops) for almost three years in Hawaii really put a crimp in my heel wearing stamina!

I'll get to a holiday/new year post here soon.  Downloaded a bunch of photos that I'll need to sort and tag.

It's the month of the dead!

Busy busy busy!  I have a couple of more weeks left in my first class of my Master's program.  So far so good, but this class is the history and fundamentals of public health so it's not a whole lot of new information for me.  I've had to write 1-2 papers a week so that is always time consuming. So on top of school work, I got regular work, trying to keep my apartment somewhat clean, and keeping up with my social life.  It seems like I'm all over the place some days.  I'm pretty good about packing over night bags!

Last weekend Shane and I went to the x96's Big Ass Show at the Gallivan Center.  The weather wasn't the best but it didn't rain on us so we were all good.  They had two stages set up.  It was kinda funny to go listen to one band and then it was a mass migration to the other stage...and then back again.  As always I LOVE people watching, specially downtown.  Even if the bands were not my favs the people were great!  After the music we tried out the Beerhive Pub on main.  Great atmosphere and food!

That following Tuesday we went and saw the Foo Fighters!  I do have some of their stuff but wasn't really that much of a fan to go to the concert.  But as a good girlfriend (and lover of live music) I went out on a work night (which I'm getting too OLD for :P).  THEY WERE AWESOME!  They rocked it hard, the energy was great and they sounded awesome!  I hate going to concerts and they sound like crap or not like they do on their albums.  I would definitely go see them again.  By the time I got home and crawled into bed I had a total of 4 hours of sleep before going to work!  Thank goodness it was a short week.

This weekend we took it easy.  I had homework but we managed to squeeze in a haunted house up in Ogden, Castle of Chaos.  Ummm...this one is not that good.  I would recommend buying tickets for all 3 Castles of Chaos haunted houses, cuz for a few dollars more you get all 3.  If you just pay for just this one, well..it's a waste of money.  We thought there was a carnival.  Unless we totally overlooked it, there is no carnival.  There are 2 haunted house things that you can walk through.  The 3D was decent, and then they have some side shows here and there.  Carnival means RIDES.  This whole thing is set up in the old JCPenny's building on Riverdale, I guess after JCPenny's it was a Macey's or something.... I dunno.  I moved away and came back and now it's a haunted house.  So I'm hoping the other two are good.  We will see......

Holi Festival

Early this week Marcia emailed me asking me if I wanted to check out the Holi Festival.  Without a second thought my response was a "HELL YEAH"!  I then checked it out on line for the simple fact that I would never think this would be that big of a thing here in Utah, especially a good distance from Salt Lake City.
I am happy to be wrong!
One of the meanings behind the Holi Festival is to say good bye to winder and hello to spring with all the colors it brings, it's a spring festival.  There are reports of the festival going back as far as the 7th century!
The plan was to head south early but due to other circumstances we didn't head down till around 1.
After driving around Spanish Fork, due to bad directions, we saw a line of cars and a bus and followed them and there we were. Dressed in clothes that we didn't mind getting dirty, not frilly or cute.... ready for fun.
I was amazed at all the people that were there!  I was not expected that at all!  This was walking up to the Lotus Temple.

We got there just before a major throwing of the colors.  They did this every two hours....give or take.  This girl's blog shows the colors awesomely!  

These pictures I borrowed from MSNBC:  I love the kid in the photo, such fun!

And of course....COLORS!

It never fails to amaze me to be around so many people just having fun!  You can't help but be happy, joyful, and just at peace even amidst the crowds.  You'd be walking around and feel a splat of color on your back, or the side of your cheek. Little kids tossed colors, cuz what kid doesn't like making a mess! This was a chance for everyone to head back to those carefree days. It was a huge canvas of color!  

I'm going to try and make it back every year!

We didn't buy any color while we were there, well... Marcia asked a random girl if we could buy a packet off of her ($2 more than the regular price but that's not bad) so we did throw some and that's the main fun.  But you can stand in the midst of the crowd and just get covered!

The sun is shining, blue skies are above and the mountains are picture perfect with the new snow.  Time to head outside and enjoy the day!

Verbage

It's funny when you travel and live in different places how the little things, like how people use words, stand out.  
On Oahu when you use "town" you are talking about Honolulu.  Everyone understood that, townies lived in Honolulu/Waikiki.  
Stopping in Missouri, town is used to describe the closest "town" which has the basic amenities (gas, food, etc) so that town could only have a population of a couple hundred.
Now in Utah I've realized that town does not mean the largest town in the area (Salt Lake City).  I was talking to someone and mentioned that wherever I get a job...on base or not, I'm going to live in town.  I was looked at a little weird and then the reply "you mean SLC?".  So now I know I have to say SLC or town could represent anything.  Also the street thing that annoyed me before, is something I have to adapt to AGAIN.  Streets around here are on a number system.  The exit to go to Sandy is 9000th but you don't say that!  You say 90th street!   


As for the job update.  I've applied to 10 jobs and only 1 is a definite no.  I know I have at least 4 that have passed the first screening and are getting reviewed at the HR departments.  The email stated that it could take a few weeks before they start making calls.  I'll be in India :(  I'll put an out of office assist on my email and and out of town on my phone and pray that this trip won't hinder my job applications.  


India is just a few weeks away! I'm excited and nervous!  

Trying to get on a schedule... it's not working :(

Well, I've been in Utah for about a week.  I've applied for 6 jobs that should be closing soon so hopefully I'll get some call backs!  We shall see....

I've been trying to get on some sort of schedule.  My "job" is to find a job.  So I get up at 7 (I'm thinking I'm going to move that up), work out, get coffee, shower and get on with the job hunting.  It doesn't help that I got here right before a major holiday or that Marcia and David have a friend from Brazil that is visiting this week.  The other night we were up past 2, and it was in the middle of the week!!!!  I did sleep in the next day but it made it hard to get up this morning to go walk the 2 miles that I'm going to work up to running :(  Marcia and I took the dogs for this walk.  It was already getting hot, but the mountains are just awesome AND there is still patches of snow on them :)  Wherever I live there has to be some major nature to look at.... ocean, mountains, lake, etc.  I can't handle the flat areas :(  I had to chuckle while we were walking-we pasted two women who had McD's cups.  Really?!  You're out on an exercise walk and stop at McD's?!  I guess that's better than nothing but I know when I work out the last thing I want is some freakn' fast food.

The Brazilian that is here is hard to understand at times.  But it seems the more you drink, the easier it is! LOL  Granted his broken English can come off as him barking orders to me at times, but I'm telling myself it's due to his lack of English.  I was told/asked to turn on the t.v. this morning.  This was before coffee or exercise so for those that know me.... not a good combo!

Last night I took the Traxs into town to meet up with Amanda and Dave.  They do free jazz at the Gateway every Thursday night.  I love not having to worry about parking and it's cheap and easy :)  The jazz was wonderful.  We found a patch of grass, sat and chatted and just enjoyed the evening.  I couldn't ask for anything more!

Public transit is a wonderful thing!  I love hearing random conversations.  While waiting for the trax there was a young girl who looked like she would be at home in a library with another young couple.  This "librarian" was talking about how she and her boyfriend don't celebrate anniversaries (this other couple did) and that they didn't even exchange gifts for Xmas.  As a matter of fact she was more bummed that she was in jail for Vday than Xmas!!!!  Yes, she was in jail for a wee bit and I was very curious to know why but that was not mentioned :(  Coming back home an older Hispanic man sat next to me.  He then says something to me in Spanish.  "excuse me" I say and he repeats in Spanish.  "I'm sorry I don't understand".  He said he thought I spoke Spanish and then I noticed that he looked at my arm.  Yes I'm dark and I love being mistaken for other nationalities... maybe I should learn another language :D  Add that to my "to do" list.

Well, my day is getting away from me.  Off to job hunting.