Why you should ask questions.

It was a Saturday morning like any other Saturday morning...

I woke up later than i do during the week, and decided "yeah, I should probably clean my room and kitchen today." So I go to the kitchen to eat a light breakfast. A lovely, yummy peach.

As I start making my bed I get a phone call from Charles. He wanted to know if I wanted to join him, Ham (the son of the people he is living with), Syd (Sam's fiance) and their friend Cody on a hike. I'm all "yeah, I'd love to."

I LOVE hiking, hiking does not love me.

So I get dressed and get over to their place.

Ham told Charles they were hiking up to a Lake, Charles assumed it was a light hike, which is what he told me.

For your information, if you tell me "light hike" I'm gonna think you mean like a 1 1/2 mile hike like the wind caves.

Charles assumed it was going to be like a 3 mile light hike up to a lake.

Want to know what it really was?...

5 1/2 miles up the side of a freaking mountain to a lake.

one way.

So we start hiking. And again, I'm the slowest hiker in the world. So Charles, being the kind soul that he is, stayed behind with me. As we get farther and farther behind.

4 1/2 hours later we are almost to the end of the trail (we know because we bumped into another hiker) I am almost completely out of energy because all i had to eat all day was a peach. My stomach starts to cramp up, and since we are so close (as in like...3/4 of a mile to the end) Charles goes ahead to meet up with the rest of our group so that he or them can come back with some food for me and also to let them know that we are not dead.

After he leaves I take a rest on a rock for like 5 minutes, then move to the next rock...then the next...stopping at each one for about 5 minutes. Around rock four is when I threw up on the side of the trail...but that gave me a surprising amount of energy, and I was able to keep going along the trail. I thought I was going to make it to the end and then I saw that I had to go pretty much up the side of a ridge...I said "not happening bro." and waited for everyone else to come back.

So that's the end of the story, right? WRONG! Now I have to hike back the 5 miles I've come.

and again we get far behind everyone, because I'm slow and out of shape. But about a mile- two miles before the end of the trail, we come across the nicest human beings on the planet. They were riding their horses up their and the man got off his horse and let me ride it to the end of the trail.

Seriously, nicest humans EVER!

But of course then I was also saddle sore.

It was really funny to watch me try and walk Sunday. I was so stiff, but I had to keep laughing about it because there was really nothing else to do. It was just to funny.

Moral of the story? Make sure you ask questions and KNOW what you are getting yourself into BEFORE you go on a hike. Your life will probably be infinitely better.

Life is good.

Life is good.

I don't know the last time I said that and actually meant it.

I'm doing well in classes, I have a job that will pay me $9 an hour and I think I am going to love it.

I even went on a date last night.

The stars were so pretty, as was Tony's Grove.

I still have other issues I'm working on, but life is good again.

I'm so excited fall is here, I need to find apples so I can make pies and crisp. and stargazing with one blanket to share it never a bad thing...:)

I just like being happy again. I love seeing the good again. I'm sad that I spent a year so blind to the wonders around me.

I have dear friends who say nice things about me, in ways that I'll actually listen.

Life is good.

Piece by piece, putting it together.

Guys, I think I may have this student thing down...

I had a paper due yesterday, guess when it was finished? Wednesday.

I haven't forgotten an on-line quiz yet. I am ahead on my reading, and I am starting on my next assignment for class...

Do you know how much stress that takes away?

I also have made myself a bedtime, I'm trying this new thing where I have regular sleep hours to see if it helps me sleep any better. I am now in bed before or at the latest 11:00pm and I am out of bed before 8 in the morning, usually closer to seven because I have classes. and guess what, I think it's working. I've been waking up less in the middle of the night.

I also, this week, started hiking my butt up Old Main hill instead of being lazy and taking the shuttle. My legs hate me, but it helps wake me up for class. I also went on a walk with an old roommate yesterday. I really am slowly trying to get physical activity back into my life.

I've also opened my scriptures four days in a row, and last night I even read 3 chapters. I didn't retain very much, but I read them. I am also trying to get morning prayers back into my life.

I am cooking meals again...well...if I have somebody else around that will help me eat food. But It does leave me leftovers, and even when I have no one else to cook for I still have more veggies in my life.

I know these seem like really small things to a lot of people, but for me, especially after this last year, these are huge milestones. Like mega milestones. The fact that I am putting more effort back into my appearance. The fact that I opened my scriptures. The fact that I generally am okay with being around people. The fact that I hike my butt up Old Main multiple times a day, or that I am actually sleeping. These are such good things.

And I am happier. I have felt better, mentally, the last 2 months than I have in over a year. I have people who are pleasant to be around. I have several dear friends who have said very nice things to me, and I am not sure they know just how much those kind words mean to me and how much I've needed them. I wish I was better at expressing my gratitude for them.

I'm nowhere near where I want to be mentally, physically, or spiritually, but I am finally starting to make steps in the right direction instead of just being stuck stagnant and even digressing a little bit. And progress feels good. I am so grateful that I am finally, slowly, putting my life back together.

Starting my fifth year.

So, yeah, I know it's been awhile. So...yeah. Starting school will do that to you.

So, starting my fifth year of school, I'm now down to 3 classes, as I was asked to leave the Utah State University Chamber Singers. Crushed, devastated, and heartbroken do not begin to describe what I felt when I was asked to leave. But I'm not bitter. Dr. Evans needs to do what is best for the choir, and I intend to attend every concert of theirs.

I had a job offer, and then I turned it down because it just didn't feel right, so i'm really hoping I can find something in the next few weeks, or else the adventures of Mickey D's may be returning soon to a theatre near you.

Labor Day weekend, I worked Saturday down at This is the Place. I'd only been gone a week and I missed it. But it was fun to be back in Salt Lake. Charles and I drove down and we crashed with Jim and Heather. I love being with their family. I miss families.

On Labor Day I went with Charles and his family friends up to Bear Lake. I'VE BEEN SAILING!!!! It was so much fun!!! And then I got really cold, because it's me. and that's what happens.

Then this most recent weekend, we went back down to salt Lake. Charles was participating in this awesome event called "Mastering Knighthood". Basically he got to sword fight with children all day and make them feel awesome! how cool is that?

I went to brunch with Kelton, I miss his face, but I'm so glad he is doing so well down in Salt Lake.

Heather gave me a haircut too and let me borrow her curling iron, so I did my hair for once, and according to Charles it looked very nice.

And now we are back up in Logan, you are caught up with the major events (which is funny, because they really all seam so trivial. But they are my life. I guess life is made of trivial things.)

And I have class in 25 minutes, so I need to go.