Learning lessons, one day at a time.

You may not know this but I have been on a hunt for a new bicycle. I want one REALLY bad. Most times when I want something REALLY bad I just go get it without considering all my options and thinking things all the way through. My truck for instance. What I really wanted was a chevy silverado. What I bought was a Tacoma. Now thats not to say that I don't love my tacoma, because I do. However each time I pass by a beautiful silverado there is a twing of sadness somewhere in my stomache that reminds me of my tendency to act too quickly.

So in this process of buying a bike I wanted to take my time. Think it through. Find out my options. Be responsible. I have done a great job so!! I thought about what I wanted a bike for. To ride around my neighborhood, to the gym, and on the biking trails at usery park. If I wouldn't have thought this all the way through I would have bought a cruiser and not even considered a mountain bike for the desert trails that I have always looked at with interest.

I decided how much I was willing to spend on a bike. I looked at different makes and models. I considered that fact that I am tall. I looked through store catalogs, through craigslist, asked questions to friends who know more about bikes than I. For the past week I have done my homework. I even went and bought a bike lock so that I would be 100% ready when that special moment came and I brought my bike home. Its like when you bring a baby home, you have to have a car seat and a nursery ready. My shiney new bike lock, that I could even program myself and it has a cool light so I can see the numbers in the dark. I was knowledgeable and ready, just needed wait for the right moment to purchase.... This portion of the story is to be continued.

Yesterday I had plans to go to the lake with Kear and Daryl Greer. We were pumped and had it all figured out. I was going to be gased up and ready for them at m7 house at 5. I got home from work, hooked up the Jet Ski and head off to the gas station. As I am stepping out a white truck with 2 boys pulls up and askes if they can ask me a question. Sure I said, So they tell me this story...

We are from Tucson and are just up here for the day working on installing home theatre systems. We don't sell them, just install them. We purchased the systems we need for the day and they gave us an extra one by accident. If our boss see's it he is just going to take it. We are going to meet him right now and would like to sell it before he see's it and then we are just going to split the money. We almost sold it to that guy right there for $400 but he was going to write us a check and we didn't trust that.

He then shows me the system in the back of his truck all wrapped up nice and neat. Brand new. I see the price on the side of the box... $3199.00. I tell him, listen buddy... I don't want this, I don't even really watch TV plus I don't have 3 grand. He said, I know you like toys, look at that one right there, pointing to the jet ski. I say EXACTLY! but I spend all my time at the lake so I don't really watch TV. I agree's with me and says he can understand that, give me $200 bucks and its yours. I would rather get that then have my boss take it. (THEN I REMEMBER... I have my bike money!!) Listen buddy, I have $120. Thats it. His friend looks disgusted at my offer but says, well better that than nothing. Merry Christmas, You owe us Beers if we ever see you out. I smirk because we all know I will NEVER have to pay up on that. :) So they put the system in my truck and leave, I fill up and head off to the lake with my friends. I think I KNOW that they were telling the truth because they didn't try to flirt with me to buy it. They just told me how it was straight up and that was it. We have all been approached to buy things on the street before and they try to flatter you into it, right?

It hit me this morning that the system WAS technically stolen since they didn't take it back to the store when they realized that they had an extra one. I can't feel bad about it though because in the moment when I was buying it that seriously didn't cross my mind. There is nothing I can do about it now. I would have no clue how to return it.

When I get to work I look up the brand of the system, ITS TOTALLY A SCAM. The brand is paramax. There are people around the entire country with the same story! haha. I just have to laugh. Here I was thinking I was doing SUCH a good job and doing my homework and making a rational decision and what do I do? Buy a home theatre system that I don't even need, from 2 punks on the street. WOW. The story is they do still work but make a funny noise? We shall see what happens when I hook it up.

OH NO!!! MY BIKE!!! I WON'T GET ONE NOW. :( :( The bike lock is very lonely now.

Rant and rave anyone?

Have you ever tried being a carefree single girl in corporate America? If you haven't, well let me just tell you how torrential it can be!! Here are all these people scrambling around trying to get ahead of everyone else. Trying to make more money to feed their kids, their animals and keep up with their neighbors. They want to move up, up, up or on to the next thing. Then there is me. I work here. I have my cube. I have my phone and I have my students. I love my job and I come in (on most days). I am not looking for that huge raise to pay for my kids tuition to private school. I am looking for a little extra cash to stow away for my next trip and guess what, I have that. I am happy, I provide for myself. I believe this would be called "Independent woman" That's me. independent woman. At this point in my life I don't want to move up to executive counselor and have the responsibilities that come along with it. Who cares if Joe next to me wants that, let him have it. Don't use him to compare to me and what you think I should be achieving. I am me. I have my goals. BIG DEAL IF THEY AREN'T MATCHING UP WITH YOURS. Just how do you tell that to a manager though. I am not looking for the next promotion, I am looking for the next trip to the lake. I am not looking for the next training, I am looking for the next camping trip. I am not looking for the next great online tool, I am looking for the next outdoors toy. I bet I would make a great beach bum. So I would assume there will be a time in my life when I am forced to get serious. To have the desire to advance my career and wear a pant suit to work each day, but today is not that day. Don't hassle me, I am a local.

Of course I want to be the best I can be.

15

Reasons I love fall

1. Orange
2. Scarves
3. Hot chocolate
4. Crisp air
5. Hiking season
6. Everyone feels like cuddling
7. Camping
8. Christmas is just around the corner
9. The smell of wood burning stoves in the air
10. You can eat soup and not feel like you are in a sauna
11. Cute hates/beanies
12. No more HOT DAYS.
13. Bath's are much more comforting in the fall
14. The scents of pumkin bread and spices.
15. Fall just makes me happy.

Fa Fa Fa FALL!

Okay, I am such a succor for fall. I went to wal mart on friday for a few lunch items for the upcoming week and before I know it my cart looks like an entire tree has shed its fall leaves into it. Even now as I sit at my desk, drinking my hot chocolate and thinking about those leaves, I feel happy inside.
It was such a fantastic weekend. Roommate Julie and I got to go to the lake on Friday and we had a BLAST. The multiple bruises on my body are there to prove it! haha. I now know what its like to FLY off a jetski, backwards. Saturday night Julie, Meagan, Tori and I got to attend the RS broadcast which was fantastic! Its so comforting to hear from such amazing women. I know that they care about all of us and pray for guidance in knowing how to direct us. The chapel that I watched it in looked EXACTLY like my stake center back home. I imagined that I was at home, on Main street in Eagar. I walked outside, saw the best western across the street, and drove up main, around the corner to school bus, took a left onto amity and I was HOME. I. LOVE. EAGAR.

Waiting for us back at my place was a house warm with friends. Roy was there cooking up a storm. Chilis, stuffed with cheese, wrapped in Bacon. Taco's. Homemade spanish rice. YUM. He is such a great cook. Zach and Kara come over along with old school Brendon and his GF Kristina. It was fun passing out gifts from Egypt and telling our stories.

Sunday night we had friends over again. Here are a few of my FAVORITE people in the Universe.

You are very familiar with Best Friend THE ZACH. Here is his GF KARA PALMER. She is a sweetheard and, cross your fingers, hopefully my new roommate!!

Here is the stud himself, Jakeb. Are you liking his beard? I think its groovy and sexy. Too bad his stake president doesn't agree and asked him to shave it. boo

Angie, Amy, Lindsey.

Roommate Tori! She is such a doll. I can't believe all the dedication she puts into her work. She is a teacher and ALWAYS brings work home with her and stays after to do things. Its amazing. Kudo's to The Tori.

Here is me and that dead guy.

I rocked my Galabeya. I LOVE It.

So here are my decorations! I love them. These leaves have fallen down 100 times! I am trying to figure out how to get them to stay. I am going to try tying them up with string. I think that will do the trick.

The kitchen counter.

Do you just LOVE this wreath? I know I do. 10 bucks at wal mart. I can't wait to see what Michael's has...

This is a nifty scarf I got in Egypt along with a cornacopia a friend made for me years ago. Our house is very festive and I can't wait to make it even more so. :) It makes it feel more like home.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KIM!! A little late but better late than never right?

What a great addition to our family! Kim is always so happy and a joy to be around! She brings so much femininity to our somewhat tomboyish family. She is completely crafty and creative. Her home is beautiful and she is always thinking up something new. She is building a righteous family and takes the time in this busy world to teach her kids of Christ and show them the ways they should live. What a great example she is to them!

I LOVE YOU KIM!!

It was up there.

Last night I had the Fantastically wonderful opportunity to go see legally blonde. IT WAS AMAZING. GIRLS, it was up there with Wicked. Seriously. The music wasn't so much hit you right in the gut delicious like Wicked was, it was tickle your toes glorious. The whole thing was pumped up and funny and the colors and shoes and dresses and MEN. OH THE MEN. From the Dancers to the UPS man bringing in his package. I thought my gut was going to bust open from laughing so hardTheir bodies were rock hard and beautiful. I can't imagine the time they have put into creating that masterpiece.

I love how music is always just the right medicine. It was fun to go with Lindsey and our friend Robin and her daughter.

Home again.

IS IT REALLY OVER? Yes. Yes it is. We are back in the states. Back to real life. Back to trucks, and carpet, and AC. Back to over-priced meals, Long work hours, and the longing for the next vacation.This is Monday night as we were waiting for our Taxi. The same taxi that NEVER showed up! Thank you Uncle Adel for tracking down another one so we didn't miss our flight.
Dad and Lina. She was ADORABLE. She ran up to each of us as we were leaving and gave us a huge hug and said I LOVE YOU! That was the only enlish I heard her say. Normally she would just stand in front of my and shake her hands out of frustration because she wanted to tell me something but knew that I wouldn't understand.

Our cab ride to the airport was interesting, to put it lightly. We were FLYING through traffic. Could Diagnal at times. These are REAL faces of fright people. They were not staged. Okay maybe a little...

The wonderful taste of Dr. Pepper as we got back into the states.

We had a 10 hour layover in New York so we hit the streets.Here are some musicians that were selling their music. BOTH are Terrible. I threw them away.

We went to Times Square and Central Park. I don't EVER think I could live in New York. Not my style. I felt like there was too much dirt in the air and too many people. Weird driving. It was as foreign to me as Egypt.

The subway was interesting. Very creepy, and moldy.

CENTRAL PARK.

We got home Tuesday at 8 pm Az time after traveling for 30 hours. What a trip!! So glad to be home. All the family came over to our house so that gifts could be handed out. It was fun to tell everyone of our trip and answer their questions about things they had seen on the blog.

Wed. I got up with mom and dad, made them breakfast and set them off on their way back to Eagar. Then I went back to sleep till 2 PM. I couldn't bear the thought of heading to work so soon. I called up my friend Jakeb and we headed off to the Lake! It was perfect.


Thursday this is what I found at work. You can bet that Joseph and Ben jumped on the opportunity to pay me back for the office pranks I have played. The kicker is that they used MY OWN tinfoil that I left in my drawers. haha.

As Shadie would say... GOOD ONE GUYS, GOOD ONE.

The village.

Tonight the fun ends and we are on our way home. Our plane leaves at midnight. That will be nice so that I can sleep the whole way. We will get to New York around 5 am EST and we will be there for 10 hours. Then another 5 hours on to Phoenix! WE are going to try our luck at going out and about in New York. We have never been so I hope we don't get terrible lost. I would love to see central park. I am excited to go home! I miss my friends and family, my bed, My truck, my schedule, all that good stuff. Our trip has been a blast though! I would love to come and visit again. Being here has really given me the itch to travel. Maybe Australia next year. Who wants to come?

Yesterday we went to the village. It was a short 2 hour drive just outside of Cairo. This is where Adel grew up. Because it is called a village I pictured a small rural village. It was just like the city though. I read somewhere that it isn't the amount of people or size of a place that determines if its a city here. Its based on government. So you could have a big place that they call a village because it doesn't house any goverment facilities? Thats the way I understood it.

This is on top of the house the Ali's have in the village.

They have a farm where they grow lots of things. All I saw was corn and oranges.

Joseph followed us out to the farm area on his donkey. We looked behind us and there he was just riding behind us. Seriously, I fell in love! He was so adorable and had the BEST smile. He let us take turns riding the donkey. Most of the pictures are on my mom's camera and she doesn't have her chord to download them. Uncle Adel said I could invite him to come to America and be financially responsible for him. hmmm....


Mary (Ann), Joseph, and the donkey.
This makes me laugh.
Now I just need to be 9 months pregnant.

We went to another house full of relatives and they had a barn up on the top floor. They had a room full of bread, one full of corn and a few rooms with chickens and goats.

All the little kids had guns. They were pointing them at each other. It was such a shock to see because we were ALWAYS taught to never ever ever point a gun at somebody. Even if it was a toy gun. The little girl in the blue shirt had the goat cornered and said... I LOVE YOU. It was so cute.

Mom and the goats.

The chickens.

The rooftops.

We had a wonderful time in the village and we were glad Uncle Adel said we could go. While we were there we ate this WONDERFUL bread thing. It was 100% buttery and flakey and we dipped it in Feta cheese and molasses. OMG. It was fantastic. Cheese, bread, butter, molasses doesn't get any better.

I can't believe I come home tomorrow.

AND WE ARE BACK. BACK IN BLACK. What fun we have been having. This next post is going to be kind of scattered because it has taken a LONG time to post all the pictures so I have had to do it for 10 minutes here and 5 minutes there. We Went to St. Katherine on Wed. night and got there late, just in time for dinner. We slept for a few hours and had to get up at 1 am to hike Mt. Sinai. We had to hike that early so we could be there in time to see the sunrise at 5:30. We made it just in time. I got up there first so I saved a seat for everyone. We sat right on the edge of the cliff and waited about 10 minutes for the sun to come up. There was light on the horizon for a good half hour before the sun. Right as it started coming up it was breath taking. It floated into the sky so fast! The orange ball kept getting bigger and bigger. Everyone was silent. Really one of the coolest experiences I have had in my life. It was fun after the sun was up to see what we had hiked up!! Good thing I didn't see that before I started or I don't think I would have attempted. It was quite the hike.

The sun starting its way up. Look at the mist in all the valley's of the mountain!

This is the monastary at the top of the mountain.

The monastary

The mountain range was incredible. The view is something I will never forget and I would love to come back and do it again.

Cool passageway on the walk down.

All along the way there were rocks stacked up. It reminded me of the cartoon of the Good samaritan. The big guy was stacking the rocks up and the evil skinny guy kicked them all down. I guess its a fun game here.

All the stairs. Poor moms knee was swollen by the time we were done. There were 3000 stairs on the way down. Plus the 300 before that. Phew.

We were joking about this being the Tablet library and Moses just needed to pull out a rock that was the right size. haha It's easy to see though why the 10 commandments were written on what they were.

We walked through that pass and all the way down this mountain, plus some.

Dad riding the camel down the hill. He took it down so it wouldn't be so hard on his knees. We all walked down the stairs.

This is the mess hall at St. Katherines. We stayed here the night before we hiked Mt. Sinai.

We all had our individual houses. They looked like this.

This is Sarah her first thing for the day when we were in Duhub. She was fasting everyday for Ramadan. She was always happier after 6 pm. :) Fasting makes me sad too.

In a grocery store in Duhub I found a Strawberry Shortcake roll. Look at the size of that thing! It was Delish.

Friday we rented 4-wheelers and rode around Duhub. We were wanting a little more action than we got. I guess the tours are for people who don't know how to ride. It's okay though. we Saw a really cool Oasis and rode down to the beach. It was fun.

Aren't our scarves SO rad? I have bought a ton of them and think I will wear them ALL The time now! I never had sweat in my eyes. I always had a handy head band with me. No dust got in my face on our trail ride. They are amazing.

He made sure we all knew that we had to stay in 1 line. He also told us not to use our gears. 5th gear the whole time? Mern thinks not. We used them anyway. Its not rocket science.

This is a little camp at the oasis. It was really cool. The polls to hold the tent up were Palm tree trunks.

We hiked up the hill at the oasis. There was a little water up there and it was really green.

Group picture of the 5 that did the ride. It was only 20 bucks, 100 pounds for a 2 hour ride. Everything is so reasonable here.

Here is our tour guide. I told him he had the BEST job in the world and he told me to come work for them. How cool would that be?!?! hmmmm .... Take people around a desert on 4-wheelers all day? Where do I sign!

I think this is my FAVORITE picture that I have taken! This is the beach at the Red Sea in Duhub. This is where we layed out and went snorkling. There were camels and horses going along the beach all day. There are the Sinai Mountains in the background.

This is the beach house at the beach. They served drinks and ice cream inside. I like that they made it look like a palace.

The water slides were lots of fun!! We went down again and again and again. The water was perfect and the weather wasn't too hot. The first day it was too windy to swim but friday was perfect.

We were practicing our synchronized swimming.

Ted broke the chair. haha. Plastic is not meant to be on marble floors.

Dad took cookies and bread into the water to feed the fish. They would just come and eat out of his hands. I guess this is a trick he learned from Grandpa Jensen in Hawaii. It was fun to see this.

Our first time snorkling. SO FUN. I was amazed what I saw the second I put my face under the water. I never would have guessed it was that beautiful.

Lindsey, Dad, and Phyllis in the water.

This was our resort in Duhub. This was from the beach looking back at it. We were pretty worried when we first saw the resort. There was only a dirt road to get there and they are adding onto the resort so the front was a construction site. Right when we walked in the doors we felt better about it. It was beautiful.

MEAGAN AND ROY BRYANT I look this picture for you.... EVERYONE there was European and wore speedos. EVERYONE it didn't matter the age and the size. It was fantastic. SOOO next bromance is in Duhub!

I have LOVED all the Jewelry This is half of the wall in our favorite shop.

We were green with envy when we saw the appliances in our hotel room. These were in our hotel at St. Katherine,Where we hiked the mounain. How do I get these in my house?? :)

Mom and I before we hiked.

Here is Aunt Phyllis on her camel. About an hour up the trail Mom, Phyllis and I decided to get on a camel. We were happy we did. Not that the hike was too hard but riding was a total different experience. Instead of making sure you didn't trip over a rock you could look at the starts and enjoy the experience. Dad and Shadie walked the entire time.

When the camel stood up it was quite the experience! I thought I Was going to fall off the front, and then the back. It was scary. BUT 100% worth it! It was very cool.

My camel was intense. He was not a fan of going up that mountain. I had quite the experience. Sometimes the guy leading the camel would wrap the rope around the camels neck and walk behind us while tapping the camel on the butt with a stick. Elwessu, That was my camels name, had a mind of his own! He did not want to go up the mountain. A few minutes after I got on he turned his neck around, looked me in the eye, and yelled at me the way only a camel could. At this point I knew I was in trouble. half an hour later, the camel turned around and started following some camels that were walking down the hill. The guy got him turned around and then started to follow behind us again. A few minutes later elwessu started RUNNING off the trail and down a mountain. I knew I was going to die! So here I am on a camel that I don't know how to control with NOONE steering, SCREAMING, stampeding down Mt. Sinai. HAHA. That is how it happened. The man caught up with us and got us straightened out. He never let the camel go from that point on. Luckily we were close to the top. As much as I loved the ride, I was happy to get off.

Here is lindsey on her camel! She rode all the way from the bottom. I don't think she knew it was going to be such a rough ride. She had scrapes and bruises from the saddle.

This is almost at the top of the mountain. It had been a few hours. Some of us on camels and some walking. At this point the camels can go no further. Each person has to walk up 300 steps to the top of the mountain.

One day during church Jakeb and I made a sign in my notebook. It says 18 days till Egypt and riding a camel and parting the Red Sea. On this day I rode a Camel and saw the Red Sea. On top of the mountain I was writing some things and found the picture.

MT. Sinia was fantastic! I think this was my favorite part of the trip. The view from the top was something I have never experienced before.

Next blog will be more from the RED SEA and our trip to The Village today. :) Stay tuned.