Music

I know that are some that find playlists on blogs annoying, I might have been one of them at one time. But I have decided that since I post what I'm doing/ thinking, I'm going to start posting what I'm listening to while I'm doing/thinking all of those things.
Enjoy it or turn it off, it's just that easy.

Lower Table Rock

Lower Table Rock and its twin, Upper Table Rock, rise dramatically 800 feet above the Rogue River Valley, flat-topped remnants of lava flows that filled the canyons of an ancient, meandering Rogue River over seven million years ago. Atop the Table Rocks is a mosaic of grassy mounds, stony flats and vernal, or seasonal, ponds. I went on a hike with my friend Brandon today to the top of Lower Table Rock. It was an wonderfully clear and sunny day in Medford. I couldn't ask for anything better.



Well there was one thing that could have gone better :)

I am NOT a gun Nazi!

There has been a roomer being passed around the singles ward that I am a gun Nazi. I guess this started because I found out that one of the boys in the ward caries a gun on his person all the time. When I saw that he was wearing one on his ankle when we were playing kick ball for FHE, I just thought that was excessive. Why?! I have gotten a few answers some being "But what if..." Really come on... every day, all the time, ridiculous. I am not going to say that he shouldn't or ban all guns etc... But there is a a time and a place for concealed weapons to be worn. Thats all I'm saying.
So to prove that I am not a gun nazi here are some pictures of me with gun, firing guns, and having a good time, in an approbate place, and time.

Jessie's Cake Face

It is not a surprise to anyone that I love to make cakes. I have made a few beauties in my day but this one out dose them all. In Relief Society we were talking about FHE the next and this boy Jessie's Birthday. I guess he wanted a cake made to look like his body, but I said it would be fun just to do his head. And that just what I did. A face cake, I should start selling these things I'd make a killing. But I had such a good time making it, if you have a birthday and want a face cake, call me up.

Paint Balling

This weekend a group of highly spiritual young adults got together to engage in uplifting and bonding games. Oh, who am I kidding, we shot at each-other any way we could, and cheated and lied our way to victory. We spilt into teams and hid in approbate places in order to be able to crush the other team in to the ground. I curled up in a ball behind a fallen log biding my time to be able to fire a killing shot. But unfortunately the one time I rose my little head to see what I should shoot, I got hit right in my trigger finger. Even though if this had been real I could have continued on ward to victory but, I was shot so I had to raise the white flag and cower off the field till the rest of my team was killed. I would like to say that after that disappointment I was a amazing leader and we were victorious after that but, I can't. For the most part I got hit soon after we started and wasn't a big help to my team. But what can I say other than I still had fun and I got to shoot a gun of shorts.

Brandon: we attacked and painted his face pink and yellow, I think he liked it.

Kurt: I wouldn't dare to paint him, scary!


ME: I look at top of it but I didn't know what was going on.

Rebekah: She attacked me after I had already gotten hit and was walking off the field and pegged me in the face, shows what a good sister she is.

The GW

During this time of economic unrest, and my own time of unemployment, many, including myself have been discount shopping. I have in the last few months been frequenting the GW( Goodwill). Once you get over the smell of decay that all GW's have, it can be a fun experience. I can almost think of myself of a modern day Andie Walsh in Pretty in Pink. But any way for the most part I don't ever find any thing, but today I found a gem. I left the GW with my purchases, which was exciting, but not the gem I was most excited about. The gem was a car parked out front that made my day. I don't know how to describe it, so I'll let the pictures do all the talking, but this thing was AWESOME!

Now what the heck have you been doing since you got back?

I get this question a lot. And other than trying to find a job not much. SO here it goes.
Babysitting
Since the job Hunt hasn't been going well, I've been filling my time and my need for cash with babysitting. Mostly these cuties. I did get to babysit 8 kids at once I felt I was back in Taiwan. But I really enjoy it. I think that it's one of the main reasons I don't miss Taiwan as much as some others. I think being a teacher this last year has help me learn that yes, kids lie and try to get away with stuff. And it has also helped me to call them on it and not to be afraid to punish kids that aren't my own. I lay the hammer down, sort of.


Visiting Friends
Other going on the long road trip to Utah and Ohio, I've been sticking closer to home.
Shannon came by on her 2 week road trip to DC. It was good to see her and catch up. Then about a week after I got back from Ohio I set out to vist Megan in Seattle.


We had a blast going sledding, getting a drink with zen zu in china town( with Taiwan signage),
and hot yoga. Well I almost passed out doing the hot yoga, but I felt really good after I felt like I didn't have to trow up any more. We also took a mini road trip up to Forks WA. Well its a small town and I didn't see any vampires, but I did see a freakn' awesome car. I don't know what it was but sure was speedy.
House Work
Since I kinda am just bumming around my parents house, I help were I can. I make dinner, pull weeds, walk the dog, clean the house, and my favorite kind of work, destruction. We have a willow that needed to be tamed. And I tamed it good. Don't worry I don't believe in arborcide, it will grow back. But I did have fun with that saw-all though.

Church Stuff
The thing that has been filling my days mostly is church. BE it atucual church, Firesides, FHE, Temple Trips , or institute I go to it all and am really enjoying going to institute for the first time ever. Yesterday we had a FHE where we played Rock Band. I Rocked it, and Bishopric even joined in. We had a blast.

Flash Backs #3 SLC and Ohio

Ever since I returned from Taiwan it happens that I can't sit still. Two weeks after I arrived home I was gone again for another two week to Utah and Ohio. I don't know if I just wasn't comfortable at home or I felt that since I wasn't teaching I should be doing something. As I have perviously blogged about my road trip with myself I can get right to the good stuff. But the unfortunate part of all of this is my camera charger got lost in the whole move back to the States and it wasn't working for a good part of this trip. But good old Steve took care of it, like he always dose.

SLC
I arrived at Sara's place with only a few turn arounds, and secretly cursing the grid system. After all the squeals of joy and excitement were over we sat down and talked for hours. Sara had to work in the morning, so she was out the door even before I woke up. I won't lie it was a bit strange hanging out by-myself in a city I didn't really know how to get around in. But I busted out Sara's lap top, got some taco bell and had a dance party. Well I wasn't feel to good after eating my gordias and jumping up and down for a while, but I did bust out some pretty sweet moves.

On New Years Eve Sara and I went to a Scottish pipe band and dance concert to finally met Steve's girlfriend, and then we went to First Night. We scalped some buttons off some high schoolers and went in. I remember a few things about that night. One, it was cold. Two, I was wearing very wrong shoes. Three, there was a lot of funky recycled art work around. Four, Fire dancers. Five, It was very cold. With all those things combined it was an ok event, where after the fire works I hobbled to the car with my not very approbate shoes on. I felt like I was walking on bloody stumps attached to my ankles.




The next few days I spent catching up with old friends from high school. I was amazed at how fast life moves on. Getting married and having kids goes so fast for some.

Sunday I spent with the Old Berhaners, eating, chatting and hearing how two girls got themselves engaged.
Monday I shopped and drove in the snow and tried to put on chains. I was trying to find Steve's house and I though it was up the hill a little bit more than it was. So when my car couldn't go any more I pulled over to put my chains on. I was in front a house and a old women yelled from the porch and asked if I needed any help. I being very independent and cold said no. But this cute lady said,' I'll send out my husband any way.' Well I was half way done when this nice old many can hobbling out. He watched me, I guess so he could say to his wife that he did his duty. Right as soon as hoped back in the car Steve called. He said, " are you putting on chains?" I said yes, how did you know? He said,"I can see you." I turns out that I didn't really need to put chains on since Steve's house was 100 yards away.
Tuesday I spent travling to Ohio.
The Ohio
Steve and I rented a car, and found Joseph's house thought the maze of one way streets. It was exciting to see that kid again. We ate dinner and and I went to sleep on the couch down stairs wondering what the boys were doing up stairs till two am, mysterious.
Wednesday, after Steve woke up a noon, we tried to figure out what to do. But all we did was, get lost driving around and picking up Joseph from school. But we did spend a pleasant evening shopping and hanging out in the boys room.
Thursday was the big day for Steve and I we went to a Chocolate factory
the Columbus Public Library

and the State Capital.
At the State Capital building there was someone being sworn in to the position on Attorney General of Ohio. After the tour we stopped by for some free food and some punch, I felt like a mooch but I got over it. Later that day we picked up Sara from the airport, and that night it was Sara and I that were talking till late.
Friday was the start of the road trip with my peeps. We stopped at Kirtland to soke up the Pioneer spirt.
When we got to Niagara we spent a very INTERESTING night at the local YMCA. Happily the next night we went somewhere else.
Saturday after I printed out a copy of my passport we were off to visit the friendly neighbors of the north. Once again I put on the wrong shoes for hiking in the snow, but this time they where just cold.

We did some very cool things there in Canada, like paid to much for crapy food and pay 10USD to go into tunnels and see mist OOOO. Ok it was cool.

But by the end of the night we where so ready to get back to the states. But snice the rental car couldn't go over the boarder we had to walk back in the snow.

We drove back to Kirtland Sunday to go to church, and met the missionary couple the took us on the tour two days before. From there we went all the way back home.
Monday we got a tour of the Ohio State Campus from Joseph.

And our flight got delayed 12 hours, so one more night in Ohio. Steve and I were thinking that staying the night in the airport would be a FANTASTIC way way to end our trip, but Sara wasn't so sure,she left us and checked into a hotel. Fortunately Joseph called a friend to pick us up and I slept one more night on the good old couch.