"May you LIVE all the days of your life" - J. Swift

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Jump!

I have no pictures to document it, no testimonials to quote that confirm it, but I finally successfully landed my first jump on a wakeboard last Saturday. Now, let's not go into the details of how high it was (or wasn't)... Let's just glory in the fact that I jumped on the wakeboard. And now all I want to do is go wakeboarding again to get better at it, but alas': it's the end of the season and sadly isn't too likely to happen again this year. :(
Oh, but the other good news is I also went wake skating for the first time. All in all it was one of my favorite boat trips. The water was so smooth. Thanks Mer and Mike for being so generous with your boat.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Back to Sane

My freshman year at Utah State University I was in a "career exploration" class. One of the class assignments was to take and be evaluated on a personality test. I remember taking the test and one of the results it specified was whether I was an introvert or an extrovert (meaning whether I get my energy from being alone or from being with other people). According to my answers I was smack in the middle. So, here's the deal: I definitely have to have time alone to collect my thoughts and simply do what I want at that moment. I enjoy this time. I derive good energy from it. And yet I also derive good energy from being with others... I absolutely love and need both (and either one in too much abundance can be draining at times).



So I've pondered today about how some people find enjoyment packing every minute of their lives full of things to do. Others prefer and do quite the opposite. It's always my intention to be somewhere in between the two extremes... Like, right in the middle wouldn't be so bad. Balance is what it's all about, right? Looking back at my Introvert/Extrovert test it makes sense.



My problem: Too often for my tastes I end up not making enough time for the simple moments of relaxed enjoyment, or the times when I can spontaneously do something because nothing is scheduled in its place, and I find myself doing a little more than I really have the energy for. It was interesting, though... This week felt completely packed. Between meetings, time with friends, service projects, errands, and boating trips, I didn't get home or done for the evening one day in the past week and a half before 10 pm. Yet I had the energy somehow to enjoy every bit of it. But now as I sit down today and realize that it's the first day in over a week that I've been able to take time to simply relax, I'm grateful. Glad for this time. So, I'm taking today to get back to feeling sane and finding the balance, and still reflect on a fantastic but busy week.



Below are the only two pictures I have from a fundraising event for the American Lung Association that some friends and I volunteered at on Thursday night. My roommate Cherissa was in charge of the major annual event. It's called "Night with the Stars" and is held at La Caille. It went quite well. I had a great time, and the food and location were fantastic. Oh, and at the silent auction I bought a gift certificate to go Tandem Paragliding. Hmmm. I guess I found my next adventure.

















So, as a side note I just looked back at my career exploration test results for the first time in many years. According to this test my interests were most in line with those who were satisfied working in the following occupations : Banking (Yep, I think that would be fun), Credit manager (check), Medical records technician (I'm good with that), Accounting (almost went into this), Bookkeeper (sure), Farmer... What? Wait a minute. Where did that come from?

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

At long last...

Connie made the big purchase of the card that allows her to upload photos from her phone (Thanks, Bell!), so now we have photo documentation of our monumental hot air balloon ride. So for your viewing pleasure, here they are.

We went with Morning Star Balloons in Park City.















They had me help as they filled our balloon with air.

















Are you ready????

















Up, Up and Away, as the story goes.















Good times!

















And now it's time to start planning the next adventure. I'll let you know when I figure out what it is.