Hey mountain.... I walked on your FACE! (Part 1)

So I took a trip to visit my friend Stooph this weekend.

We deicided that it would be a good idea to hike Angel's Landing, In Zions National Park.

So we make the drive out there, where we stop at this AMAZING little cafe called the Red Coyote.

I ate eggs benedict with sweet chilles and the richest cup of hot cocoa in the world.

After breakfast, we continued on, until we came to the entrance to Zion's National Park. At the booth, a nice man helped us. My friend Stooph asked him "Is the Grand Canyon a National Park?" Ok. Just a tip for the booth guy? When 3 clueless girls ask a question like that, you should probably tell them to choose a different hike when they follow it up with "is angel's landing open?" Just for next time.

So we start the hike. It was so beautiful! It had red soil and was really green, and was surprisingly warm for January.

As we progressed, we took lots of pictures.

Then, we got to Walter's Wiggles. It is an area of very steep switchback, which at this time of year was completely covered in ice. One of the switchbacks was so steep I had to crawl up on my hands and knees.

At this point I was thinking "no wonder people die here. They probably do stupid things on Walter's Wiggles.

WRONG.

So we get to this misleading sign that claims that Angel's landing was .5 miles away. LONGEST .5 MILES OF MY LIFE.

This is what it looked like

Oh, and this.

What about this?

So by the time I got to this

I was so distracted I had to sit down and enjoy it. I couldn't look at anyone for too long either because the distance of the background made me nauseous.

Moral of the story?

Angel's Landing is majestic, but not for the faint of heart.

Love and Hate

Things I hate today:

39 page papers

Long presentations

blazers (I feel like a lesbian when I'm wearing one!)

When your roommate has better food than you

Things I love today:

Nice mechanics

Random visits with friends

Sparkles (let's be honest, I love those EVERY day)

hot water

My car's heater

Just sayin. I for some reason wanted to put this out there.

Goodbye, social network

So I deactivated my facebook.

I just wanted to, alright?

I feel oddly disconnected, but yet.... free.

My goal is to keep it this way for a month, and see how I feel.

What's that line about an apple and a tree again?

So. Recently, there has been a lot about bullying and the terrible affects it has on it's victims. And I am truly sorry for those families who have experienced an unmentionable amount of loss because of it. And there has been talk of cracking down on bullies, and on the instatement of  no - tolerance policies at schools.

While I agree that the recent events in our country have created a need for change, I don't think we are looking to the right source for the change; in short, bullies and victims are created long before they enter the public school system.

My friend Adam, who's father is in charge of a potato roguing company in eastern Idaho during the summers, talks about 17 and 18 year old kids who get made fun of at work, and then who's mothers call and complain. What does this have to do with my above point? A lack of good parenting, or the decline of having two strong parents in the home, is resulting in a generation of attention - seekers, drama kings and queens, and a complete lack of coping mechanisms.

So the solution shouldn't be to make teachers with already difficult jobs have even more responsibility, but to shift the blame to the shoulders of those raising those children who come in either so unequipped to deal with the problems of life or so attention - starved they seek recognition in the worst places.

Thank you for your time. 

My biggest fear

Being left behind.

It involves being the last one. And it's my biggest fear.

Followed closely by whales.

Huge destructive savages.

The worthlessness of the human populace at large

You know, there are some pretty useless people out there.

Just sayin.

Now, I would never assert that people are born worthless. Or that they are terminally worthless. But some people. because of their decisions, render themselves useless. People who radically spout off anything they hear a semi-reputable source declare. People who choose NOT to think for themselves. People who just take up space in the world.

I'm sure they could make themselves worthwhile. But what are the odds of that? Slim to none, I'd say.

Resolutions schmesolutions

So.
This whole "new year's resolution" thing.

I made a list of life goals a while ago (aka when I was in Armenia), and have been slowly checking things off and adding things ever since. Here are a few examples of ones I've already accomplished:


Have pink streaks in my hair

Me with pink streaks. On the left, people.

Have hair down to my waist

Get a professional massage

Dance with Africans

Kiss someone whose name I don’t know

Learn to bellydance

Learn to play the cello

Kiss in the rain


Learn to waterski/wakeboard

After learning to wakeboard.

Have 1 secret that no one knows

Eat a whole tomato

Perform santa baby

 

Build a Japanese folding screen

So for my new year's resolutions, I'm picking which ones from my list I am going to accomplish. Here are a few I've chosen so far:

 

Ask out a stranger

Take 40’s glamour shots


Ride sidesaddle


Wear a corset under normal clothes


Skinny dip in the ocean


Play hide and seek in sunflowers


See a ballet (like, fo shizzle


Send a man anonymous flowers


Learn how to cheat at poker


Wear 6 inch heels


Go on a hot air balloon ride


Eat blackberries freshly picked out of a basket


Knit a scarf


Learn to sew


Be able to do the splits standing


Cross country road trip


Attend/throw a masquerade


Walk a poodle in high heels


Harvest honey


Ride a horse bareback


Run away for a day


Eat a pineapple in Thailand


Ride an elephant - again


Learn how to make a corset


Graduate from college

Milk a cow


Now I just have to schedule these. If you would like to participate in any of these with me, please let me know. :)

Right after my seester and I performed Santa Baby.