Tired.........Need Sleep

  Image courtesy of http://toothpastefordinner.com

     So night before last, I was up till three am doing a ridiculous amount of math homework. I then woke up at 7:00 to let my dog outside. I crawled back to bed till 8:00 when my alarm finally went off. I drove to school, took a test, then went and worked an eight hour shift. I came home last night with my eyes already wanting to just stay closed every time I blinked, but no, I had to stay up super late. I ended up staying awake till 2:00 am. I slept great, although I had a very real dream that someone had broken in and had stolen ALL of our stuff from our apartment. At 7:00 a.m., without fail I was summoned by a puppy cry's to take my sweet      puppy Anna outside to go to the bathroom. I came in the house and immediately passed out on the couch until about ten minutes ago. I'm still super tired.......Well I put the computer down and fell asleep for another half an hour or so : ) but now it's 1:00 am and here I am awake and writing a blog post. I'm still super tired but at least school is out for the summer and I don't work till three tomorrow. Now I just gotta pray that my furry little alarm clock won't wake me up so early. Well, instead of venting about being tired some more I'm just gonna go to bed. Good night everyone pleasant dreams!!

P.S.- A puppy is the greatest alarm clock money can buy. That or possibly a new born infant : )

Finals are Over!!!

This will be real quick, but FINALS ARE OVER!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOO!!!!! I just wanna say congrats to everyone for a working hard this semester. I had a terrible time staying focused and I procrastinated till the very end, but I got it all done! for those of you who did what you were supposed to all semester, and didn't procrastinate then congrats! Now is when the adventures start. I leave on May 7th for my first trip of the season and I'll report about it when I get home. Hopefully I'll be inspired to do another post between now and then but if not I'll post in a week or so!

Happy Easter!!

This post will be short and sweet. First, HAPPY EASTER!!! Now I little reflection about today. We celebrate today because Jesus Christ our lord and savior over came death and walked from the tomb. By this great miracle we will all be able to rise from the grave at the second coming of our lord. This is the time of re-birth, and renewal. I hope that we can all remember the savior this day, and be grateful for his sacrifice for us. I don't plan on bringing very much religion into these posts, very often, but today I'm so grateful for the lords sacrifice for me and for us all. Again happy Easter to everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful day!

Spring in the Desert!!

    Spring in Wendover is an amazing time to be here in the high desert of western Utah and north eastern Nevada. The wild flowers begin to bloom in May the wettest month of the year in Wendover.  Normal precipitation of a little more than 2 inches of the annual total average of 4.9 inches comes in May.  This is when you'll see the desert come alive. There is not a better way to enjoy the beautiful scenery then a senic ATV or Jeep tour with an experienced guide.  A guide who takes the time to share knowlege of the abundant and interesting natural and human history of this area.   At IGS we have always promoted conservation and the http://www.treadlightly.org/ philosophy.  We use only existing trails on public land and spend countless hours cleaning up trash that is sadly and far to often left along the trails we use.  Join us on May 10th for a trail trash clean up day sponsored by IGS.  Accept our invitation under our event tab on our facebook page and we will email you the details.   While on our ATV rides you also have the opportunity to view wildlife including California Big Horn Sheep, Pronghorn Antelope, Wild Horses, Antelope Ground Squirrls, Red Fox, Chukkar, Horned Toads along with the occasional Bull Snake or Diamond Back Rattlesnake.  Make sure to bring a camera along for the many photo opportunities you will enjoy on our ATV tours.  Come now and catch this spring desert beauty because sadly the flowers will only be around for a few months. The weather is getting warmer and now is one of the best times of the year to ride. Give us a call and book your ride today! We hope to see you soon! go to our site for more information and book a tour http://www.intermountainguidenevada.com/  or call us toll free at 877.882.4386

Why Get an Education?

                                                                                        Image courtesy of  http://www.toothpastefordinner.com

     So I'm sitting here at work, and I've been thinking to myself, "why do I want an education?" Most people will say so you can get a good job. Or so you can learn new things. These questions aside, we all know the real reason behind higher education these days. So we can earn more money. I think about this and it makes me kinda sick. I get sick of chasing after money sometimes. When I was young it was nice having to work only to play. But now I'm forced to see my wife once or twice a week cause we're both working to pay bills. We are both chasing down good grades in school. Why? So we can have enough money to make life a little less stressful. We are losing time together because we are chasing down cash. I know that I'm young and I know that I'm impatient, but it irritates me to think about how I'm only going to school right now so I can make more money in the future. This is turning into another vent session, and I really don't want it to so I found an article which mentioned some other reasons why we should seek a higher education. However, in the opening paragraph it does support my point by saying,

"Many people value higher education for monetary reasons. They believe that a higher education will allow them to find more lucrative careers that have high salaries and bountiful opportunities for raises and bonuses. These monetary benefits may be able to increase a person's living condition because he or she will be able to afford housing and health costs. Despite these monetary reasons, there are other reasons why higher education is important." (http://education-portal.com)

The rest of the article goes on to talk about two main reasons the author thinks higher education is important like, "learning how to solve problems" and "learning how to deal with other people". I really enjoyed the small article and it made me feel a lot better, and caused me to think about other reasons why I'm going to college. The semester is over now but I'll have to keep these things in mind when august 29th rolls around. To anyone who reads this, I would appreciate comments as always. Tell me why you are going to school? or why you went to school? or to shut up and just go to school! : ) for anyone who reads, I appreciate it, and I hope that what I'm writing can be of some interest. Thanks!

End of Semester Blues.....Shoot Me!!

Well it's finally here. The last real day of the semester for this student at Utah Valley University. I'm tired, I'm sick of homework, and I'm sick of waking up early. I think I'll end up with good grades, I'm just tired and I need to spend some time with my wife. School is an important part of life but sometimes it's really hard to keep trudging on through the mud. I learned a lot this semester and for the first time in my life I actually enjoyed English. The assignments were challenging but not stupid, and class time wasn't a waste of my time. I know that everyone is thinking the same thing right about now while they are cramming for tests, staying up late to finish assignments, and striving to attain their A. I would just like to say to everyone CONGRATULATIONS for working hard this semester and getting one step closer to that magical piece of paper that says we are allowed to make a decent living in this life. I know life at school isn't exactly difficult, but what would I give to have it all behind me! So this post is another vent session, I wasn't sure what it was going to be when I started writing in on my Itouch while at school waiting for my last English class to start. But it felt good to write down what I've been thinking. After venting I feel a lot better so maybe don't shoot me, just give me the strength to finish up strong. If anyone reads this and wants to vent, the comment section is wide open!

Things to do Before I Die

So sitting here at home gave me the time I needed to think about some of the adventures I wanna do before I die. I know that pretty much everyone on the planet has a list like this, but I've never actually made one. I figure I'll write down all the ones I have right now, and update it as I go along. Also if anyone reads this and has any suggestions or info on how to make some of these become a reality leave a comment!

1. Take a Multi-day train trip.... anywhere
2. Backpack around Europe for a month(doesn't everyone?)
3. Go to culinary school
4. Own a home
5. kayak around New Zealand
6. Own a Nice car
7. Have kids
8. Finish school
9. Own my own cooking store
10. Open a pizza joint with my friends
11. Learn to speak German, French, and some Japanese
12. Hike something high (Everyone says everest, and I don't really have any desire to climb that thing.)
13. Own a small island
14. Visit Patagonia and see the penguins
15. Eat fondue after skiing in Switzerland
16. Buy a boat and sail somewhere
17. Go to France and gain five pounds
18. Not get fat :)
19. Be completely debt free
20. Learn to fly airplanes
21. Eat a 5 lb. lobster
22. Set a world record
23. Fill a swimming pool full of jello
24. Go to Brazil for a month
25. Go on a really long cruise and stay in a big suite
26. Live somewhere else for awhile
27. Be a food critic
28. Write a cookbook
29. Write a Disneyland guidebook with my friends
30. Learn to play anything on a guitar

Well that's it for now, I'll come back to this post and update it periodically and like I said above if anyone reads this and wants to add anything just leave a comment for me.

BORED OUT OF MY MIND!!!!!!!!!!

     This blog post is completely ridiculous cause I'm writing it for no reason other than to write. I've pretty much sat at home by myself with my little puppy for the last two days and I'm sick of it. The normal distractions like facebook, movies,Netflicks, internet, and sleeping have all failed me. I haven't spent any time with my wife since Monday night other than going to bed at night, or kissing her goodbye in the morning. I'm broke, I don't get paid till next week and I'm sick of school! basically I'm bored. I don't hate life, but I'm bored. I need a new adventure to start! I need a camping trip or something to get my blood pumping. I'm sick of sitting in the house, or watching movies. I wanna go somewhere and do something with my wife and little dog too! if anyone reads this and is bored too give me some ideas for trips, or new adventures cause I'm out of stuff to do at the moment!

Adventure in Moab: Sun, Sand, and..Snow?

          So I recently returned from an adventure in Moab,Utah. Home of the world famous red rock. I went on this adventure with my wonderful wife and her incredible family. The adventure began last Wednesday for me, my wife, Brooke, and my sister in-law, Crystal. We left and took the three hour drive to what we hoped to be much warmer weather. With radio playing favorite songs,some good laughs and a few tricks from our cell phones we made it to one of the most popular destinations in all of Utah. The area we were to camp in had been decided by my brothers in-law, Craig and Mark, planners of the trip. Sand flats recreation area was to be our home away from home for the next four nights. We paid our fee of ten dollars per vehicle for the nights and headed off to find camp. Sand flats is the place to head if interested in mountain biking or jeeping over the "slick rock" and many great campsites are located just seconds away from trails like slick rock,hells revenge,and fins and things. After careful searching we found the spot that would work for our large group that would soon follow in the next two days. We pitched  one of the largest, most irritating zippered tents I've ever encountered and headed into town for dinner. We decides to eat at a place called "Zax" located on the corner of 100 south and right off the main Moab strip. The place had excellent pizza with tasty toppings and an even tastier crust. I enjoyed an all meat pizza loaded with pepperoni,sausage,ham,bacon, and seasoned ground beef, while Brooke and Crystal shared a Margarita pizza with fresh basil, tomatoes, and the perfect amount of cheese. Washed down with an ice cold lemonade the meal was a hit.(here's a link to their website to check out their menu!) http://www.zaxmoab.com Now full and extremely tired from our first day we wandered to the car and went up to our little camp in the desert. We got to camp and realized that the stars were exploded all over the sky and couldn't resist a small fire and a little star gazing. It was the perfect end to a great day.
           The next day began very early....in fact I think we got so little sleep that night that we almost didn't even go to bed. We woke up to the sounds of our massive tent shaking in the wind, and felt sand rain down from beneath the rain fly where wind had blown it up underneath and saw the tent sway and bend as each gust of wind threatened to blow the tent down. Luckily....... I slept through most of it, as Brooke and Crystal were up worrying.....(yes, I know that was a jerk move but I couldn't help it. I was tired, but I would have gotten up to help if it had really blown down). We made it through the night and woke up to a windy cloudy day (which we had kinda been expecting). We silently decided to continue sleeping because of the stressful night and the warmth of our sleeping bags. Later, as we dosed comfortably, the loud crackle of something like sand hitting the tent woke me up. I looked outside and saw that it had began to hail! and that the wind had blown the rain fly off on the side keeping me dry. I hurried and fixed it and laid back down. Shortly after, the storm passed and a little sun came out to brighten the day, and lift our spirits. We shopped for a few things, ate lunch, and headed back to camp to take another nap, and relax for the day as we waited for more of our family to show up. My wife's parents, two more brothers, another sister, and max, the little family shih tzu. They all got there safe, and after getting everybody settled in, we headed down for another dinner at Zax, cause the fam needed to try the pizza. We all then headed back to camp for a little relaxation around the campfire.
          Friday was a hectic day, and due to another irritating trick that our cell phones played on us (the time kept switching back and forth an hour randomly so we never knew exactly what time it was), we ended up missing out on something special, and to try to make up for it, we ate our sorrows away with pancakes and sausage, then followed that with a hike to Corona Arch. The scenery was beautiful, and the weather was perfect for the hike. The trail head is located near the bank of the Colorado river, and is about three miles round trip. The hike was easy and cables and a ladder made the tricky parts very do-able, even little max did it!! After the hike we went and had some lunch. A little chicken salad, with fruit, and cheese nips hit the spot, and gave us some more energy to finish the day strong with a drive into the desert to explore the back country, and enjoy more of what the area has to offer.  We finished off the night late, with my dutch oven lasagna with ricotta,spinach,zucchini, and Italian sausage taking FOREVER to cook, and still didn't get all the way hot, due to coal malfunction, wind, and who knows what else. Later, the last of our group arrived safely. Two more brothers, and another sister. We sat around the fire for awhile then went to bed on the coldest night of the trip!
          Saturday started off with a bang as me and my wife took max for a morning walk to avoid having him walk on everyone's sleeping head. Although frost was on the sand, the sun was out and began to warm the freezing desert and it's occupants. Then most of the fam went and mountain biked on the Slick Rock practice loop while me, the parents and max went and hiked the Corona Arch once more. We then met for lunch of hogie sandwiches with all the fixings. Swiss cheese, ham, turkey,pickles,onions,tomatoes, EXCELLENT after a bike ride or hike. After relaxing for a bit, we all piled into the cars, and entered Arches National Park for the rest of the day, and saw some of the easy places like Balancing Rock, and Double Arch. Then went home for dutch oven roast, and roast veggies, broccoli,cauliflower,carrots,potatoes,celery,and onions covered with a thick layer of cheese! The food was delicious and warm and my stomach was extremely grateful! But then out of nowhere it began to snow!!!! Very lightly, but it snowed!! So after dinner, a trip to the parents hotel for a dip in the jacuzzi was a necessary trip to take. We got there just in time to jump in and warm up and see the eleven or so other teenagers who got there after us, look at us enjoying the hot water and trudge off back to their rooms in despair.... It was Glorious! After the jacuzzi we sped home and jumped in bed before the warmth wore off : )
          Sunday was our last day and we lazily got out of bed, ate some amazing breakfast burritos with eggs, sausage, potato's, onions, cheese, and a little salsa! What a great way to start the day! We left camp and headed into Arches again, but this time to take a little longer hike. We hiked  to "Double-O" arch, and then went a little further to "Dark Angel" a massive column of rock standing alone in the desert. The hike was relatively easy, and offered great views of the entire area, plus the sun was shining. It couldn't get much better! After the hike we went back to camp and ate some sloppy Joe's and veggies for lunch then began to pack up our camp. We got everything loaded and set off for home.
          The family trip to Moab was quite the adventure filled with good laughs, great food, and memories that I'll remember forever. I cant wait till the next one!