Kristin and I have decided to merge our blogs into one. The address for our new blog is:
www.warburtonblog.blogspot.com
I will be posting just to the new blog from now on, so add it to your list.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Life is Good!
Well, the day finally arrived and Kristin and I were married on Saturday. We had a celebration dinner with family and friends on Friday night and we were married Saturday afternoon in the Salt Lake temple. Kristin looked absolutely gorgeous and the day was perfect. I've never been happier! I am so grateful and lucky to have Kristin in my life. She means everything to me. After going through several years of hard times and not understanding why things happened, I now understand and it all makes sense. I am so blessed to have found someone who loves me as much as I love her. I'm so excited to start my life with Kristin. Life has never been better and there are many more happy days to come.
I had to steal these pictures of the big day from my niece Whitney's blog. Kristin and I didn't take any with our own camera and it will be a few weeks before we get the pictures back from the photographer, so this is all we have until then. In the meantime, Kristin and I are going to merge our blogs into one. As soon as we decide on a name, we'll post it.
I had to steal these pictures of the big day from my niece Whitney's blog. Kristin and I didn't take any with our own camera and it will be a few weeks before we get the pictures back from the photographer, so this is all we have until then. In the meantime, Kristin and I are going to merge our blogs into one. As soon as we decide on a name, we'll post it.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Less Than 2 Weeks!!!
Kristin and I are down to less than two weeks until we get married. Although we have only been engaged for a few months, it seems like it's been forever. Time is moving so slow. We are having a ton of fun together, but we can't wait to actually be married. Sometimes it seems like we are married already, but then when Kristin has to go home at night, it's a rude awakening that we aren't. It's painful to say goodbye. This week is already moving extremely slow and I'm sure next week will be even worse. I'm getting so anxious and impatient. I can't stand the wait!
Monday, October 13, 2008
24 Hours of Moab
Team Sixty Percnt
It's hard to tell from the picture, but it was so windy and cold.
That's my bike #206 waiting to start the race.
Grabbing my bike after the LeMans-style start. That's Tinker Juarez (pro, solo 24-hour racer) in the green and purple to my right.
Ride, Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Yes, I survived the 24 Hours of Moab race this weekend. It was long, cold, windy and exhausting adventure, but at least I had good company to share in my misery. My brother Greg and I had been wanting to do this race for a long time and this year Greg finally got busy and signed us up. We put together a team of four guys consisting of me, Greg, my cousin Cory Mikkelson and my coworker Mark Bartlett. Our team name was Sixty Percnt (yes, Greg made a typo when he signed us up, but that's ok -- at least 60% of the word is spelled right).The race started at noon on Saturday and ended at noon on Sunday. I was the lucky one that got to start the race. It was a LeMans style start, meaning that the riders had to sprint on their feet for about 200 yards before they jumped on their bikes and started riding. The wind and everyone's feet stirred up a lot of dust and with me breathing so hard I'm sure at least two pounds of it went directly into my lungs. This made for a rough start to the race. My second lap started at 6:40 pm and felt much better than my first lap. My third lap started at 2:00 am and was pure hell. I was so tired and cold. By the time I finished and got back to the trailer I was shivering like crazy. I couldn't stop it. It wasn't until about 30 or 40 minutes later that I was able to stop shivering and go to sleep. I said there was no way I was going to be able to do another lap.
Then it came down to last hour and a half of the race. Our forth rider came in at 10:30 am and it was my turn to start in the rotation. By this time the sun was up, the air was warmer and this gave me some motivation. I decided to go for it and ride my forth and final lap. I was slow, but at least I finished. It ended up not being as bad as I thought it was going to be.
When I do these things (long bike races, marathons, etc.), they sound like so much fun leading up to them. Then, when I am out on the middle of the trail or road, exhausted and sleep-deprived, I wonder to myself, "What have I gotten myself into? Why did I ever pay money to sign up for something like this and put myself through so much pain." Then, after a few weeks go by after the event I start thinking, "That wasn't so bad. That was actually kind of fun. I think I'd like to do that again next year." Crazy, I know. But that's the way it goes. Even as I'm sitting here writing this, with a sore butt, legs and back, I'm thinking that the trip was fun and I'm actually even contemplating doing it again.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Mozilla Firefox is so much better!
Today, I just switched my web browser from Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox. I know several people who have made the switch and I don't know why I waited so long. It is SO much better. With Internet Explorer, when I would to access my hotmail account, it would take me to a blank screen and I would have to refresh the page about five times before it would finally open up. With Firefox, it opens the first time and is so fast. It seems to be much faster all-around. If you haven't made the switch yet, I highly recommend it.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Engagement Photos
I realized that there may be some people who read my blog that don't have access to Kristin's blog. She posted some of our engagement photos on her blog a couple of weeks ago, so I guess I better do the same so the rest of you don't feel left out. Kristin and I are very happy with the way they turned out. Enjoy!
Friday, September 5, 2008
New Favorite Desserts
Over the past few weeks Kristin and I have been trying out all of the new frozen yogurt places that have popped up around town. Here are my ratings:
Hello Yogurt - Heavenly. Lots of flavor varieties and a lot of good frozen yogurt for the money. You get to put on all the toppings you want and pay by weight.
Red Mango - Disgusting. This truly is frozen yogurt - not soft serve icecream, but yogurt that is frozen. Two flavors - plain and red mango. Both have a bitter taste and are not much better even with the expensive fruit mix-ins. (The workers there claim that it is the 3rd most nutritious food on the planet)
Spoon Me - I have to admit that I like the name, but the yogurt tastes a lot like Red Mango's. They have a plain and a green tea flavor. Kristin and I tasted a sample of each, then decided not to order. We went to Hello Yogurt instead.
Aside from frozen yogurt, I discovered my new absolute favorite dessert at Macarroni Grill last weekend. It's the Caramello shake. It has chocolate, caramel and Butterfinger candy bars all mixed up together in a cold, creamy shake. It's delicious. I keep craving another one.
Hello Yogurt - Heavenly. Lots of flavor varieties and a lot of good frozen yogurt for the money. You get to put on all the toppings you want and pay by weight.
Red Mango - Disgusting. This truly is frozen yogurt - not soft serve icecream, but yogurt that is frozen. Two flavors - plain and red mango. Both have a bitter taste and are not much better even with the expensive fruit mix-ins. (The workers there claim that it is the 3rd most nutritious food on the planet)
Spoon Me - I have to admit that I like the name, but the yogurt tastes a lot like Red Mango's. They have a plain and a green tea flavor. Kristin and I tasted a sample of each, then decided not to order. We went to Hello Yogurt instead.
Aside from frozen yogurt, I discovered my new absolute favorite dessert at Macarroni Grill last weekend. It's the Caramello shake. It has chocolate, caramel and Butterfinger candy bars all mixed up together in a cold, creamy shake. It's delicious. I keep craving another one.
Friday, August 8, 2008
All done with residency week
Well, I survived my second year of residency week at school. For residency week they require us to be at school from 8am-5pm for a whole week. There's nothing like using up vacation days at work to go to school.
I was not looking forward to this year's residency week at all and I actually dreaded it during the entire month of July. All I could remember from last year's residency week was sitting through eight hours of class every day for five days straight and feeling so tired and overwhelmed by it all. But this year's wasn't so bad and it turned out being a whole lot better than last year's.
The first three days were spent doing a business strategy simulation which was a lot of fun. And the last two days consisted of strategy classes and a field trip. For our field trip we went to visit the new Harley Davidson dealership in Lindon. It was awesome, except now I'm itching to get a bike. It's so sad to think that it will be awhile before I have the time or the money to ride one.
I was not looking forward to this year's residency week at all and I actually dreaded it during the entire month of July. All I could remember from last year's residency week was sitting through eight hours of class every day for five days straight and feeling so tired and overwhelmed by it all. But this year's wasn't so bad and it turned out being a whole lot better than last year's.
The first three days were spent doing a business strategy simulation which was a lot of fun. And the last two days consisted of strategy classes and a field trip. For our field trip we went to visit the new Harley Davidson dealership in Lindon. It was awesome, except now I'm itching to get a bike. It's so sad to think that it will be awhile before I have the time or the money to ride one.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Kristin, will you . . . ?
Well, it's official -- I'm engaged. I asked Kristin to marry me Saturday night. We hiked up Battle Creek canyon to a large open meadow in between the "G" mountain and Timpanogos. I had my brother Greg set up a table in the middle of the meadow with a table cloth, flowers, candles and dinner, so it was all there waiting for us when we got there. I proposed to Kristin and then we ate dinner there in the meadow as the sun was setting. It was perfect. We are planning the wedding for November 7th in the Salt Lake Temple. I can't wait!
Monday, July 28, 2008
100 Things About Me
When Kristin finally talked me into starting a blog a while back, she said I needed to post 100 things about me. She had done this on her blog and I actually got a big kick out of reading it and I thought it was an interesting way to learn more about her. So, here goes my attempt at writing 100 things about me.
1) I love the outdoors.
2) I love mountain biking.
3) I love skiing.
4) I love Kristin (even more than the items listed above).
5) I eat my cereal with soy milk instead of regular milk (it's sweeter that way).
6) I have never broken a bone (knock on wood).
7) I have only had stitches twice in my life.
8) I get really queezy and faint or come close to fainting whenever I get a shot or have blood drawn. (I know - I'm a wuss, you don't have to rub it in)
9) I wish I was better at playing the guitar.
10) I wish I knew how to play the piano.
11) Someday I will learn how to speak Spanish fluently.
12) I love looking at old pictures and reminiscing.
13) I would rather being doing something active outside than sitting at home.
14) I love thunderstorms.
15) I love the smell of rain.
16) I love roadtrips.
17) I love traveling and have a big list of places I want to visit.
18) I've never been that great at math.
19) I love all four seasons and can't say that I have a favorite.
20) I love woodworking and wish I had more time to do it.
21) I think it would be cool to be an architect.
22) I love the Melting Pot, Red Robin and Rhumbi Grill.
23) My favorite fast food restaurant is Carl's Jr. (The Western Burger is delish)
24) I love naps - especially on Sunday afternoons.
25) About two years ago I developed a love for running, but it's starting to fade.
26) In the next year or so I would love to get back into mtn. bike racing.
27) I will always be a huge fan of Seinfeld and never get sick of re-runs.
28) I love me a good gelato in the summer time.
29) I'm more inclined to eat ice cream in the winter than in the summer.
30) I've been a huge Tom Petty fan since I was 10.
31) I love classic rock.
32) I'm pretty good at music trivia.
33) I love playing games with family.
34) I love spending holidays with family, especially the 4th of July at Greg's house.
35) The cabin is one of my favorite places to spend a weekend.
36) I love Moab.
37) I have been to Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland (in that order).
38) When I was in grade school I wanted to be a lawyer, in high school a dentist - now I want to be an entrepreneur.
39) I really can't say that I enjoy school, but I always have done pretty well at it.
40) I am exactly half-way through my MBA program. Woohoo!
41) I hate getting older and have dreaded every birthday after 25.
42) I love a good churrasco (Brazilian BBQ).
43) I love putting salt on watermelon.
44) I love fresh peaches from fruitstands.
45) The thing I missed the most while I was in Brazil on my mission was the mountains.
46) I would rather watch BYU football on my couch than on a hard bleacher seat.
47) I like to cook, but rarely have time to lately.
48) I would love to be on The Amazing Race.
49) I love having my back tickled.
50) I hated college, but loved high school.
51) I love the smell of coffee.
52) I can't live without chapstick.
53) I cannot stand ironing clothes.
54) I don't get car sick.
55) I love flying and can stare out the window during the whole flight without getting bored.
56) Sometimes just the smell of hospitals makes me queezy.
57) I love taking a nap on a rainy day withthe windows open to let the smell in.
58) I love driving in the snow, I just hate all the idiots who don't know how to drive in it.
59) I love the smell of vanilla lotion on pretty girls.
60) I love blonde-haired (mixed with black), green-eyed girls.
61) I hate to unpack after vacations.
62) "Be Still My Soul" is my favorite church hymn.
63) I love fresh, homemade bread with butter and canned peaches on it.
64) I love the rush that comes from doing daring things.
65) My favorite store is REI.
66) I hate crowds.
67) I hate traffic.
68) I hate the mall around Christmas time because of the crowds and traffic.
69) I love camping, but hate sleeping in a sleeping bag.
70) I would love to learn how to play the banjo.
71) I love vacations!
72) I hate saying goodbye to Kristin at night.
73) I have witnessed miracles in my life and I am grateful for them.
74) I miss serving in the Scouts.
75) I will never own a vehicle without 4-wheel drive.
76) I can eat the same breakfast for a month straight before I get sick of it and have to move on to something new.
77) I love camping with my family.
78) I love my neices and nephews and consider them to be some of my best friends.
79) I love backpacking in the Uintas.
80) I can't stand humidity.
81) I love pushing myself physically.
82) I can't wait to have kids.
83) I think my parents did a great job raising their kids.
84) I hate clipping my fingernails.
85) I love cuddling.
86) I love sleeping in a cold room.
87) I love to watch anything on Discovery, the History Channel, or the Food Network.
88) I think Bear Grylls is a wimp and does really stupid things. Survivorman rocks!
89) I've always had a secret desire to get lost in the wilderness and live off the land.
90) When I was in high school I wanted to climb Mt. Everest, but now I just want to travel to Everest base camp.
91) I dislike people with nasty tempers.
92) I love bananas, but can only eat them when they are just right - not too green, not too ripe.
93) I love the fruits and vegetables that come along with summer -- corn on the cob, peas in the pod, cherries, peaches, watermelon, etc.
94) I don't enjoy living in a condo. I really need a yard and a garage.
95) I would love to live in Europe for a year.
97) I have skied in Switzerland and Italy in the same day.
98) I wiped my butt with poison ivy when I was 12.
99) I want to get my pilots license someday.
100) I cannot believe I came up with 100 things about myself.
1) I love the outdoors.
2) I love mountain biking.
3) I love skiing.
4) I love Kristin (even more than the items listed above).
5) I eat my cereal with soy milk instead of regular milk (it's sweeter that way).
6) I have never broken a bone (knock on wood).
7) I have only had stitches twice in my life.
8) I get really queezy and faint or come close to fainting whenever I get a shot or have blood drawn. (I know - I'm a wuss, you don't have to rub it in)
9) I wish I was better at playing the guitar.
10) I wish I knew how to play the piano.
11) Someday I will learn how to speak Spanish fluently.
12) I love looking at old pictures and reminiscing.
13) I would rather being doing something active outside than sitting at home.
14) I love thunderstorms.
15) I love the smell of rain.
16) I love roadtrips.
17) I love traveling and have a big list of places I want to visit.
18) I've never been that great at math.
19) I love all four seasons and can't say that I have a favorite.
20) I love woodworking and wish I had more time to do it.
21) I think it would be cool to be an architect.
22) I love the Melting Pot, Red Robin and Rhumbi Grill.
23) My favorite fast food restaurant is Carl's Jr. (The Western Burger is delish)
24) I love naps - especially on Sunday afternoons.
25) About two years ago I developed a love for running, but it's starting to fade.
26) In the next year or so I would love to get back into mtn. bike racing.
27) I will always be a huge fan of Seinfeld and never get sick of re-runs.
28) I love me a good gelato in the summer time.
29) I'm more inclined to eat ice cream in the winter than in the summer.
30) I've been a huge Tom Petty fan since I was 10.
31) I love classic rock.
32) I'm pretty good at music trivia.
33) I love playing games with family.
34) I love spending holidays with family, especially the 4th of July at Greg's house.
35) The cabin is one of my favorite places to spend a weekend.
36) I love Moab.
37) I have been to Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland (in that order).
38) When I was in grade school I wanted to be a lawyer, in high school a dentist - now I want to be an entrepreneur.
39) I really can't say that I enjoy school, but I always have done pretty well at it.
40) I am exactly half-way through my MBA program. Woohoo!
41) I hate getting older and have dreaded every birthday after 25.
42) I love a good churrasco (Brazilian BBQ).
43) I love putting salt on watermelon.
44) I love fresh peaches from fruitstands.
45) The thing I missed the most while I was in Brazil on my mission was the mountains.
46) I would rather watch BYU football on my couch than on a hard bleacher seat.
47) I like to cook, but rarely have time to lately.
48) I would love to be on The Amazing Race.
49) I love having my back tickled.
50) I hated college, but loved high school.
51) I love the smell of coffee.
52) I can't live without chapstick.
53) I cannot stand ironing clothes.
54) I don't get car sick.
55) I love flying and can stare out the window during the whole flight without getting bored.
56) Sometimes just the smell of hospitals makes me queezy.
57) I love taking a nap on a rainy day withthe windows open to let the smell in.
58) I love driving in the snow, I just hate all the idiots who don't know how to drive in it.
59) I love the smell of vanilla lotion on pretty girls.
60) I love blonde-haired (mixed with black), green-eyed girls.
61) I hate to unpack after vacations.
62) "Be Still My Soul" is my favorite church hymn.
63) I love fresh, homemade bread with butter and canned peaches on it.
64) I love the rush that comes from doing daring things.
65) My favorite store is REI.
66) I hate crowds.
67) I hate traffic.
68) I hate the mall around Christmas time because of the crowds and traffic.
69) I love camping, but hate sleeping in a sleeping bag.
70) I would love to learn how to play the banjo.
71) I love vacations!
72) I hate saying goodbye to Kristin at night.
73) I have witnessed miracles in my life and I am grateful for them.
74) I miss serving in the Scouts.
75) I will never own a vehicle without 4-wheel drive.
76) I can eat the same breakfast for a month straight before I get sick of it and have to move on to something new.
77) I love camping with my family.
78) I love my neices and nephews and consider them to be some of my best friends.
79) I love backpacking in the Uintas.
80) I can't stand humidity.
81) I love pushing myself physically.
82) I can't wait to have kids.
83) I think my parents did a great job raising their kids.
84) I hate clipping my fingernails.
85) I love cuddling.
86) I love sleeping in a cold room.
87) I love to watch anything on Discovery, the History Channel, or the Food Network.
88) I think Bear Grylls is a wimp and does really stupid things. Survivorman rocks!
89) I've always had a secret desire to get lost in the wilderness and live off the land.
90) When I was in high school I wanted to climb Mt. Everest, but now I just want to travel to Everest base camp.
91) I dislike people with nasty tempers.
92) I love bananas, but can only eat them when they are just right - not too green, not too ripe.
93) I love the fruits and vegetables that come along with summer -- corn on the cob, peas in the pod, cherries, peaches, watermelon, etc.
94) I don't enjoy living in a condo. I really need a yard and a garage.
95) I would love to live in Europe for a year.
97) I have skied in Switzerland and Italy in the same day.
98) I wiped my butt with poison ivy when I was 12.
99) I want to get my pilots license someday.
100) I cannot believe I came up with 100 things about myself.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Finally Done!
I'm sitting in class right now listening to the last lecture of the first year of my MBA program. I just finished my last final and now the professor is shpilling out stuff that I really couldn't care less about. So, rather than pay attention, I decided to update my blog instead. I'm actually surprised people stuck around for the lecture. About 3/4 of the class is still here.
This class was a doozy. It was so hard to stay focused. I was really starting to feel burned out after going non-stop for a whole year. It feels so nice to be done for awhile. We get the month of July off and we start back up again in August. The first year is the toughest and the second year eases up quite a bit. After months of extremely difficult accounting and finance classes, I can't wait to get into the more interesting classes next year.
So far, the program has been really good. Although it's been difficult and extremely time-consuming, I have enjoyed most of my classes. In addition to the material, I've learned a lot about myself. I've learned not to be so scared of things that appear difficult at first. I've learned that by digging in and putting forth the time necessary I can succeed at things that initially seemed next to impossible.
I'm excited to have some time off from school. It will be nice to not have it always nagging at me in the back of my mind. July is going to be a great month.
This class was a doozy. It was so hard to stay focused. I was really starting to feel burned out after going non-stop for a whole year. It feels so nice to be done for awhile. We get the month of July off and we start back up again in August. The first year is the toughest and the second year eases up quite a bit. After months of extremely difficult accounting and finance classes, I can't wait to get into the more interesting classes next year.
So far, the program has been really good. Although it's been difficult and extremely time-consuming, I have enjoyed most of my classes. In addition to the material, I've learned a lot about myself. I've learned not to be so scared of things that appear difficult at first. I've learned that by digging in and putting forth the time necessary I can succeed at things that initially seemed next to impossible.
I'm excited to have some time off from school. It will be nice to not have it always nagging at me in the back of my mind. July is going to be a great month.
Friday, June 27, 2008
I've been tagged?
Ok, so I guess I've been tagged. This is the first time this has happened to me, so here goes:
Four places I visit over & over: (these all show how boring my life is right now)
1. The Nu Skin Cafeteria -- nearly every morning for my usual (a breakfast wrap)
2. The Tanner Building at BYU for class twice a week.
3. The BYU Library (I'm there more often than I would like to be)
4. Dell Taco (After eating bean burritos nearly every other day for the past year, I'm still not sick of them)
Four People who e-mail-txt me regularly:
1. Kristin
2. Whit
3. My work buddies
4. Lots of people I'd rather not receive emails/texts from
Four favorite foods:
1. Cafe Rio- Pork Burrito enchilada style (I'm with Kristin on this one)
2. Whiskey River BBQ Burger from Red Robin
3. Carl's Junior Western Burger
4. Carolina Pork sandwich from Goodwood
5. BBQ Chicken Salad from Rhumbi Grill (I know I already have 4, but I had to include this one)
Four places I'd rather be:
1. Anywhere with Kristin
2. In the mountains
3. Moab
4. Traveling the world
Four movies I'd watch over & over:
1. Tommy Boy
2. Bourne Series (great minds think alike)
3. Oceans 11, 12, 13
4. Cast Away
Groups I love to listen to:
1. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2. The Killers
3. Keith Urban
4. Led Zeppelin
Four People I am tagging: (Heck, does anyone even read this boring blog?)
1. JRuss
2. Holli
3. Jake
4. Rachel
Four places I visit over & over: (these all show how boring my life is right now)
1. The Nu Skin Cafeteria -- nearly every morning for my usual (a breakfast wrap)
2. The Tanner Building at BYU for class twice a week.
3. The BYU Library (I'm there more often than I would like to be)
4. Dell Taco (After eating bean burritos nearly every other day for the past year, I'm still not sick of them)
Four People who e-mail-txt me regularly:
1. Kristin
2. Whit
3. My work buddies
4. Lots of people I'd rather not receive emails/texts from
Four favorite foods:
1. Cafe Rio- Pork Burrito enchilada style (I'm with Kristin on this one)
2. Whiskey River BBQ Burger from Red Robin
3. Carl's Junior Western Burger
4. Carolina Pork sandwich from Goodwood
5. BBQ Chicken Salad from Rhumbi Grill (I know I already have 4, but I had to include this one)
Four places I'd rather be:
1. Anywhere with Kristin
2. In the mountains
3. Moab
4. Traveling the world
Four movies I'd watch over & over:
1. Tommy Boy
2. Bourne Series (great minds think alike)
3. Oceans 11, 12, 13
4. Cast Away
Groups I love to listen to:
1. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2. The Killers
3. Keith Urban
4. Led Zeppelin
Four People I am tagging: (Heck, does anyone even read this boring blog?)
1. JRuss
2. Holli
3. Jake
4. Rachel
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wasatch Back Relay
This past weekend I ran the Wasatch Back Relay with a team from Nu Skin. The Wasatch Back Relay is a 181 mile relay race that starts in Logan and finishes in Park City. The race starts Friday morning and finishes Saturday afternoon. Teams of 12 participate, running all day and through the night. We had 8 runners from Nu Skin and 4 non-employees participate. Our team, The Diff Dems (short for The Difference Demonstrated, Nu Skin's tagline), ended up finishing 347th out of 545 teams and 28th out of 50 coed corporate teams with a final finishing time of 29 hours 21 minutes and 34 seconds.
I think the highlight of the race for me was actually getting some sleep -- a whole 3 hours worth. At one of the checkpoints (a junior high school in Heber), they had wrestling mats set up on the gym floor for runners to sleep on. I lied down and conked right out. Three hours later, I was up and at em and back to running again.
I had what everyone claimed to be the hardest section of the race -- the Ragnar hill. It's a 4-mile leg with an 8% grade on the way from Midway to Park City. The elevation gain is around 1,700 ft. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to run the whole way and would have to walk. About a mile into the run, I joined up with another runner and we talked while we ran the rest of the way. I think that saved my bacon because I was able to keep my mind on the conversation rather than the pain. The Ragnar hill turned out to be not so bad. It was much easier than what I was expecting.
Overall, I had a great time. It was a lot of fun getting to know my teammates and running with them for over 29 hours straight. I will definitely do it again next year.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Lunchtime Runs
For the past couple of years I've tried to make it out a few times a week for a lunchtime run. I love these runs because they get me away from my desk for an hour and help break up the day. I use this time to clear my head, think about how my life's going and work through problems or issues I'm facing. It's also sometimes nice to just crank up my ipod and let my mind wander as I listen to tunes while I run. For much of the past year and a half, I've spent a lot of time thinking about where I am at this stage in my life. To be honest, some of the runs have been a bit depressing as I have thought about where I am and how it is different from where I thought I would be at this point in my life. Towards the end of each of these depressing runs, I try to pump myself up by telling myself to hang in there and that things will get better.
Well, things have gotten better! On my run today, I looked up at the clear blue sky, then at the green mountains ahead of me and thought, "life is good!" I'm am so happy with the way my life is going right now. Things really couldn't be better. Sure, life isn't perfect -- school is sometimes frustrating, work is sometimes boring -- but for the most part, I have a lot to be grateful for. The run was really hot today, but I was so happy to be out there soaking up the sun and feeling good about life.
Well, things have gotten better! On my run today, I looked up at the clear blue sky, then at the green mountains ahead of me and thought, "life is good!" I'm am so happy with the way my life is going right now. Things really couldn't be better. Sure, life isn't perfect -- school is sometimes frustrating, work is sometimes boring -- but for the most part, I have a lot to be grateful for. The run was really hot today, but I was so happy to be out there soaking up the sun and feeling good about life.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
And they call the thing rodeo...
Last night it was bulls and blood, dust and mud - you guessed it - the Strawberry Days rodeo in Pleasant Grove. Many of you probably know that last year I pulled a team together to do the wild cow milking event. We ended up winning the whole thing and we were awarded some prize money and some pretty sweet belt buckles. Well, ever since then, we couldn't wait to sign up and do it again this year. As the reigning champions, we felt we had an obligation to come back and win it again.
Sign ups were the day after Memorial Day. After work, I headed right over to the organizer's house to sign my team up. It turned out that I needed the signatures of each member of my team in order to sign up. So, I had to take the form to work the next day and get everyone's signatures. I had my other team member head back over the organizer's house right after work to turn in our paperwork and sign us up. Well, the last spot had been taken 15 minutes before he got there. I was so disappointed! It was definitely the biggest disappointment of the year for me -- and believe me, I've had some pretty big disappointments.
I tried calling the organizer to talk him into letting us sign up anyway, but no luck. He said it was first come, first serve and there was nothing he could do. I was so stinking mad!
So, last night I went to the rodeo anyway. It was so hard to see the arena, smell the cows and the dirt and know that I was not going to be able to compete. I nearly started crying. I had to try hard to hold back the tears. As soon as they started making the announcement for the wild cow milkers to get ready, my heart started beating faster and my adrenaline started pumping. When the cows were let out of the gates, the entire audience rose to their feet. The cows were especially wild this year and not a single team held on to their ropes. It was quite a sight watching all the teams running around the arena trying to catch their cows. I especially enjoyed watching one guy as he held onto his cow's neck while it drug him clear across the arena. I was so impressed he was able to hang on, even with the cow bucking and running. His team ended up taking first place. I wished so bad I could have been him.
Even though I was unable to compete, it was still great to be at the rodeo. And having Kristin by my side made it even better. I will make sure that we get into the wild cow milking event next year no matter what. I will forge signatures, break legs, hire a hit man -- whatever it takes to get in. And my team will reclaim our title of wild cow milking champions!
Sign ups were the day after Memorial Day. After work, I headed right over to the organizer's house to sign my team up. It turned out that I needed the signatures of each member of my team in order to sign up. So, I had to take the form to work the next day and get everyone's signatures. I had my other team member head back over the organizer's house right after work to turn in our paperwork and sign us up. Well, the last spot had been taken 15 minutes before he got there. I was so disappointed! It was definitely the biggest disappointment of the year for me -- and believe me, I've had some pretty big disappointments.
I tried calling the organizer to talk him into letting us sign up anyway, but no luck. He said it was first come, first serve and there was nothing he could do. I was so stinking mad!
So, last night I went to the rodeo anyway. It was so hard to see the arena, smell the cows and the dirt and know that I was not going to be able to compete. I nearly started crying. I had to try hard to hold back the tears. As soon as they started making the announcement for the wild cow milkers to get ready, my heart started beating faster and my adrenaline started pumping. When the cows were let out of the gates, the entire audience rose to their feet. The cows were especially wild this year and not a single team held on to their ropes. It was quite a sight watching all the teams running around the arena trying to catch their cows. I especially enjoyed watching one guy as he held onto his cow's neck while it drug him clear across the arena. I was so impressed he was able to hang on, even with the cow bucking and running. His team ended up taking first place. I wished so bad I could have been him.
Even though I was unable to compete, it was still great to be at the rodeo. And having Kristin by my side made it even better. I will make sure that we get into the wild cow milking event next year no matter what. I will forge signatures, break legs, hire a hit man -- whatever it takes to get in. And my team will reclaim our title of wild cow milking champions!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
I guess I'm finally doing it
Ok, so I'm new to this whole blog thing. When I get a break from school in July I actually might post something worth reading.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
