To the G!

Beginning Our Hike!

 In Pleasant Grove, you can see the G on the side of the mountain, similar to the Y or the U seen in Provo or Salt Lake.  We've always wondered if you could actually hike to the G without bushwhacking your way to the top so we tried it out!  It seems that you can :).  It's really easy to get to the trail head.  You just take Battle Creek Drive/200 S as far up as you can, basically.  You'll find a gravel parking lot and a sign that says Kiwanis Park.  After passing the pavilion, you'll see a thin, steep path--take that one!  You'll see a strange yellow structure that lets you know you're on the right trail (picture at the bottom).  It was a really fun hike and we even ate fried chicken once we got to the G!

The view on our way up

Tony is excited to hike to the G!

Two paths:  Take the skinny one that doesn't look like ATV's use it frequently

It starts to get greener the closer you get to the G.  You can see it there in the background!

Nice and shady.  At this point you're almost there.

Getting closer!

Yeah, I kissed the G when we got there.

We finally got the the G we've been seeing for the past year!

View from the G

This is the strange yellow structure to look for to make sure you're on the right path

House Hunting

Today was a really exciting day for us.  Our real estate agent came to our apartment, picked us up, and showed us some houses in Pleasant Grove and Lehi (Orem is up for next week).  At first we were a little disappointed because one of our mortgage lenders we called only had an offer for us that was a little high for the down payment.  But Dana, our adorable agent, told us about all kinds of government programs that we qualify for to help us out!  Its such a good time to buy a house right now.  The prices are low and the interest rates are like at 4%.

We saw two that we really liked, one MEGA fixer-upper, and another one that we weren't too fond of.  The fixer-upper is huge, but we would have to do a lot of replacing floors and some windows.  Lots of stuff.  It's tempting us because we could potentially make money on it when we sell.  But who knows.

Right now, I must say I feel the right to brag about my wifey skills.  I am currently sitting in our office/weight bench room making jerseys for Tony and Sherwin (Carleigh's fiancee) for the rec. basketball league.  We couldn't find any reversible jerseys ANYWHERE so we improvised and I got some iron on transfer paper made specifically stretchy for uniforms.  They are looking quite good, if I say so myself!

Busy day, but I learned a lot and it was really fun.

Breathe In...Breathe Out...

As Grace would tell me, "Hollie, it helps me calm down when I take huge breathes.  Just take breathes."

I had to implement this tactic yesterday upon receiving an email from one of my professors.  I won't go into a ton of details in case said professor somehow stumbles upon my blog, but let me just say this person was RUDE.  After grading my assignment they wrote me an email essentially asking me  how I could be so stupid.  I'm not exaggerating at all.  This wouldn't be too offensive except this professor had previously sent me another email regarding a different exam and attacked my character because they thought I had cheated.  After explaining to prof., they realized I had not cheated and gave me a deserved grade.  I let it slide that time, feeling that it was somewhat deserved for someone who was assumed to be cheating.  However, this time, I let prof have it.  I spoke my mind!  I told them that I didn't appreciate how I was being spoken to and that I felt frustrations could be communicated just as effectively without a personal attack on my character.

Well, prof. wrote me back, gave me my grade, but there was still something lacking.....oh yes!  An apology.  I'm not complaining too much because my B turned into a B+ for some reason, so I suppose that will work.

I just don't understand why some professors feel like they can treat their students this way.  Just because you are an expert on something, doesn't mean everyone else is an idiot for not knowing as much as you.  This professor expects and demands respect from me, but somehow I don't get the same in return.  Hopefully now after speaking my mind I will get due respect.

Good news is, only a couple weeks left of school work!  Yeah!  Then I'll be a free woman.  Free to...go find a job and not be free again...

I'm off to the pool.

Comments?

Not that I'm anticipating tons of comments, but I don't even see a link to post one!

I'm trying to figure this out...this is a test!

I'm Quitting My Job...

...and running for a living!


It seems like whenever I go for a jog around noon, I find money laying on the side of the road!  It's mine to keep because out in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road...where do I turn in money?  I usually find about 20 bucks, but today I only found $14.  I'm chalking it up to the carnival that was going on yesterday.  A lot of people were parked by our apartments and so I'm sure someone accidentally dropped their cash.  I feel bad, I really do.

In other news, I have officially made July 7th finals day for me.  This coming week I have NO work (the family is on vacation) and so I am going to sit around at home and be a homework doin' fool.  I should be almost done with my classes by the time next week is over, and I think that's just great.  Soon enough my graduation stuff will be here, and I can make it official!  Tony is taking me tonight to buy a dress I've been lusting after, and I plan on wearing it at my graduation (and probably to some other places before then, too).  I'm really happy that my family is going to come out and sit through that horribly boring commencement ceremony.  But, I'm sure that 3 seconds of me walking across the stage will be more than worth it for everyone in attendance.

I've been thinking of some hobbies I'd like to start after I finish school.  I don't know if they'd ever happen, but who knows!  I'd love to take a cake decorating class so I can make some fabulous birthday cakes.  I love making cakes but the decorating I am not so good at.  (And I just BARELY got decent and making cakes without having an emotional meltdown)  I'd really like to take some professional cooking classes, too.  I am so excited to read a book that I want to read!  Sayanara textbooks!  I am also hoping that having less school will give me more time to focus on training for a half marathon.  I've got a whole list of things I'd like to do, but those are just a few of the things I've been thinking of recently.  Oh--and I'd like to get a job.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

My absence in blogging has been due to two online classes I have been taking this summer. I had two classes left before I graduated and I decided that the drive to campus wasn't worth it. I signed up on independent study and now I am loaded with homework all the time. It takes a lot of discipline to do the work for these classes but I'm doing alright and in a month it will all be nothing but a bad dream. I graduate August 13th at 2pm. You're all invited :)

I ordered my cap and gown today and it made it seems that much more real. It seems so far away right now and thinking of the nearing end makes it much more bearable. There are so many things I'm excited to do when I'm finished. Read books that I want to read, work on my Bulgarian, and just RELAX! Oh..and...look for a real job.

I promise when school is done I will post more!