Dirty Dirty Dirty

Dirt is fun.  Saturday was the first annual Dirty Dash in Utah.  It was the most successful first year race in Utah's history (over 4000 participants).  A few friends and I headed to Solider Hollow Saturday morning to get down and dirty as we raced the 10K trail course around Solider Hollow in Midway.
It was awesome and tough.  The course was very hilly and included several obstacles such as jumping over hay bails, crawling through tubes, climbing over walls, sliding down the worlds largest slip-n-slide and of course trekking through deep thick mud making this the dirtiest race I'd ever run (or maybe I should say run/walked, it was really hilly).
I will be signing up for this next year.

Pre Race Clean

I'll post a post race photo when I get it.

Art #2 Patterns

My second design project (turning in tonight) was to take 2 items that naturally go together like sun & moon or bat & ball, etc and create a pattern using them. 

The rules:

• Simple shapes
• Recognizable form
• Solid black shapes
• Shapes must touch or overlap
• Pattern built from shapes must touch or overlap

The process:

1. Create a list of 20 items that go together
2. Sketch (thumbnails) a few of my favorite ideas
3. Take 1 or 2 ideas and start putting the items together and dabble with patterns
4. Final design - A 10" x 15" sheet filled with a pattern
5. Mount on mat board and present to class for critique

My design: (My thumbnails won't be shown here because really they are horrible.)
I came up with two designs I really loved, but in the end I am only turning in the second.

Tent & Fire

Treble & Bass Clef

Update on THE LIST

Seeing as my half birthday is only a couple weeks away I thought it would be good to give an update on my progress thus far in my yearly list. 
Here is THE LIST

1. Learn a new “mommy” skill -  I asked my sisters, sister-in-laws and my mom for their help with this goal.  Some of them said it was one the job training, others offered to teach me things we shall not share here, but mostly I haven't done much.  My sister Kelly has been sharing fast reciepes I can cook for myself or a family.
2. Take a class in a subject that interests me - I want to take an interior design class, but with limited time to take classes just for fun now that I am actually in school for real I am counting my design classes because I am interested in all of them.
3. Develop a relationship with the library - Not too shabby.  I have checked out a few books, but I am also using friends as a library.  I haven't purchased new books (besides my textbooks) since April.
4. Design a personal scripture study program and use it - My plan is to do an hour of study every Sunday morning and 15 minutes daily.  Not so great at keeping up with it, but as all things it is a work in progress.
5. Learn about nature - I would like to learn more about geology.  Nothing done yet unless you count the little booklet I picked up in Bryce earlier this year.
6. Learn about my family - I just bought my first ever computer and one of my first plans is to finish typing my Grandma Berger's life story.
7. Gain a personal testimony of the temple & temple work - I made the decision in July to attend the temple to receive ordainces for myself.  It was an amazing experience and I am so happy.  I am currently finishing "The Holy Temple" as part of my church study and I have been attending the temple at least twice a month.
8. Experience a different culture - Any ideas?
9. Teach someone a skill - I taught Talena how to set up a slackline for her family reunion. 
10. Pick up a new outdoor skill - Marne is going to teach me how to use a map and compass.  I'm old school
11. Understand the body and how it functions - Want to learn more about nutrition
12. Expand a passion - I have a photography project planned, but waiting to purchase a new camera.
13. Research a topic that confuses me til I understand - Computers!  I just purchased my computer and I spent a lot of time talking with my computer smart friends about the components and hardware.  I still think I need some additional study, but I think I get it.
14. Be creative - I am doing more crafts.  I made a easter door decoration, created a necklace frame (still needs to be completed) and I attemped to make cork covered containers.
15. Improve grammar and spelling - I am creating a spelling list.  I follow a grammer blog. Talena loaned me a grammer book.  And Lindsey (see #25) is going to be my teacher.
16. Acquire a new resume skill - I think I have this covered.  I am taking 2 classes at SLCC; Design & InDesign.  I love them both and I'm learning a lot.
17. Expand a talent - Learn 10 new songs on the piano and/or guitar
18. Learn from the past - Improve my communication skills
19. Develop a Christ like characteristic - Oh I have a list of charachteristics of who I want to become.  Now to narrow down the list and get to work.
20. Explore my surroundings - Explore downtown SLC.
21. Challenge myself physically - Maybe a marathon since last year's didn't work out.
22. Participate in my community - Not sure what to do yet.
23. Share the gospel - I don't shy away from sharing my testimony as much as I used to and I have given the BofM to 2 people I work with.  I hope they have read it and felt the Spirit.
24. Record my experiences, thoughts and feelings - I am horrible at keeping a journal.  I have started and stopped many times in my life and even after setting this goal I have been struggling.  This is a work in progress.  But the goal is to write at least once a month. (And yes I know the blog could count, but I want a little more detail).
25. Discover an old friend - I have been going to lunch with my old roommates, Marne & Lindsey once a month.  And I recently started a penpal with my friend Melina. (we have been friends since we were 5).  I have great friends and getting to spend time with these ladies again is so fun.
26. Serve in secret - I can't tell you then it wouldn't be a secret.
27. Develop a healthy habit - Not sure what habit I should start

Golf, Dew & Baseball



Watch out woman driver

This weekend was filled with summer first.  It was my first time driving a golf cart.  It was my first time seeing Neon Trees.  It was also my first time almost breaking a toe hitting at the batting cages.  I know the last one seems really interesting, but we have to start in order. 

GOLF CART
Friday we got out of work a couple hours early to play 9 holes of golf.  We divided up into teams and played what is called "best ball" golf.  This means everyone on the team hits and whoever has the best ball (best hit, usually the furthest) we all get to hit from their spot for our next hit.  I am very proud to say that even though I am a girl who has only played golf once (when I was 14) I actually had the best ball several times.  Because there were only 3 players on our team, I got to drive my very own golf cart.  I have never been in one before and it was AWESOME.  I had a blast weaving in and out of trees and even practicing doing figure eights in reverse.

First swing of the day (and it actually was a good hit)

DEW TOUR & NEON TREES
After golf a few friends and I headed over to the Dew Tour to watch some wicked cool BMX and FMX.  The tricks were scary which makes it exciting to watch.

FMX (Freestyle Motorcross)

Look mom! No hands!

After the tricks we head out to watch the Paper Tongues and Neon Trees perform.  Paper Tongues...not a fan.  Really cheesy.  They were trying too hard to be cool.  Neon Trees was much more natural and great performers.  The downside to the show were all the preteens whose parents let them run around the streets of SLC unsupervised to annoy the rest of the population with immaturity.  But I guess it did make it easier to watch the show over top of them (most weren't talker then my shoulders).

BASEBALL & TOES
Alright now to the broken toe (almost).  As part of the work golf activity on Friday we had our annual work BBQ Saturday evening at Mulligan's in Sandy.  We ate food and got free reign of the facility's activities.  Which means I hit 4 tokens worth of balls in the batting cages and a large bucket of golf balls.  It was on my third token I got my first battle scare. A blister had form and proceeded to detach itself from the rest of my thumb in a not so pleasant stinging sensation, but that wouldn't keep my from using my last token.  That pride in how tough I am lead to my second battle scare for the evening.  I had been hitting very well (some might say that I was better than my big tough guy friend who can hit home runs), but a suggestion from that friend had me changing up my hitting style.  One time was all it took to hit the ball awkwardly and have the ball slam right into my toes, breaking off 2 toes nails and bruising my middle toe.  Luckily, no permanent damage done.  I finished out the token because truthfully I think the blister hurt a lot worse.

Gaslight Concert

I saw Gaslight Anthem last night at The Depot.  It was a great show.  Despite having beer spilled on me and the band stopping to break up a fight down front (both are part of my Depot concert tradition it seems) I am pretty sure I'll see them every time they come to town.  They know how to put on a show.  And I have a theory they were concert junkies back in the day too because they were so chill when stupid drunk fans would jump up on stage and dance and sing with them.

Great tunes, great show

Lead singer, Brian Fallon was the best part of the show.  I could have watched him sing all night.  His facial expression and his dimples were so great.  Fallon was a great singer and very funny.  He had personal interactions with the crowd which makes for an entertaining show.



I love his face

Side note - the lead singer of Neon Trees, Tyler Glenn was at the show, standing right in front of me.  We are new BFFs.  I'll see them tonight at the Dew Tour.

Neon Trees (Tyler has the blue bow tie)

Artist Now

Ok, so I'm not a real artist (yet), but my first art project has been completed and will be turned in for grading tonight.  Overall, despite the tears that may or may not have been shed during the course of the first few weeks of school (I broke down into sobs after my first class and had to go home for some comforting from the mom), I am very happy with the end result.  So I took a photo and sent it to my mom.

My first art project...I'm so proud

What you are seeing is 3 objects that have been reduced to their simplest form but are still recognizable.  Basically, we had to create symbols.  What do you think?  Can you tell that there is a book, city scape and truck?  Let's hope so otherwise my grade won't be that great. Oh and yes that blank square is supposed to be blank.

I'm seeing a theme

Without many weekend plans I ended up watching a few movies that had been on my list for awhile.  And apparently I like the outdoors. 
Friday night I watched "Touching the Void" a movie based on the book, based on the real life story. 

The story is about 2 climbing partners, Simon and Joe who attempt Siula Grande in Peru.  On the decent, Joe breaks his leg.  Simon trys to lower him, but when Joe is lowered over an edge and Simon's begins to lose his position on the mountain, Simon is forced to cut the rope holding them together and Joe falls into a crevasse.  Believing Joe to be dead, Simon continues down the mountain back to camp.  BUT Joe survived the fall (and because it won't be giving away the ending because it is a true story) he is actually able to crawl, shuffle and pull himself back to camp. 

Great movie if you aren't offended by the "F" word which is used about 30 times in a 30 second period.

On Saturday, a couple friends and I went to the zoo.  So after starting school it has become very apparent that I'm horrible at drawing.  The trip to the zoo was to help me relax and have a fun time sketching (frustration free).  I am not sure if it had that exact effect, but at least I got to go to the zoo.

I finished the evening with 2 of my favorite things, slacklining and movies.  We went to Liberty park to slackline.  After we had our fill of the line (well I really can never get my fill) we headed to the Clark Planetarium to see "The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest."  Some of my climbing friends had seen it and so I was excited to go check it out.

The movie was great.  But then again, I pretty much like any movie that has mountains in it, especially the mother of all mountains.  It was the story of George Mallory's attempt to be the first person to climb Everest and his resulting death.  George Mallory attempted the summit of Everest in 1924 almost thirty years before Sir Edmund Hillary became the first man to summit in 1953.  Mallory died on Everest and no one knew if he reached his goal.  Climber Conrad Anker found Mallory's body in 1999 still on the mountain. With much of his clothing and gear still intact (he even had hair on his head) there was one important thing missing.  Missing from Mallory's body was the picture of his wife he promised to leave at the summit.  The movie then follows Anker as he climbs Everest to see if it were possible for Mallory to have summited in 1924. 

Cool movie with great shots of Everest.

So do you see it, the theme here?  I see it.