Quick Trip to the Copper Mine

One of my list of things to do this summer, was make a trip out to the Kennecott Copper Mine.  So, Monday afternoon that's exactly what we did.  The massive size of the entire operation is pretty incredible.

From the sheer size of the mine itself.

 

To the tires of the trucks and the machinery they use.

No wonder it is one of the few manmade places that can be seen from space!

Another Jampacked Weeked

I am still doing everything I can to ensure that I make the most out of this summer.  Friday night, right after Jason got off work we drove down to Manti to see the Mormon Miracle Pageant.  For those who have never been, there are 14,000 chairs set up at the bottom of Temple Hill.  With the majestic and beautiful Manti temple as a backdrop, 900 cast members (mostly youth) act out various scenes from the Book of Mormon and Church history.  It was a wonderful way to spend a fabulous summer evening...even if I did lose some sleep since we didn't get home until 2am.

With such a late night, you'd think I would have fully taken advantage of sleeping in Saturday morning, but I had other plans.  I told my friend Kirsten to come play and then we went and picked up my sister Jori and drove up Provo Canyon.  We were going on a hike.  Only the hike I had planned on wasn't easily found, so we drove further up the Alpine Loop and walked around Cascade Springs for a while.

Beautiful marshlands...

Mini Waterfalls...

Flowers...

Moose...

And Just Us Girls!

We finished up the Alpine Loop, took a nostalgic driving tour of Granite Campground and Tibblefork Reservoir.  We wrapped up the girls day out with some shave ice.  Yum yum!

After that Kirsten and I headed back to my place where we cleaned up, grabbed Jason and headed out for dinner at Red Robin.  Since this is probably the last time we will see Kirsten before she abandons us and leaves for Colorado, we decided we needed to do the evening right.  So we made a trip the Living Planet Aquarium.

We sure will miss you, Kirsten!

With such a busy, but fun, couple of days, it has been nice to have a relaxing Sunday.  This time next week we'll already be up in Yellowstone.  Yipee!

Book Review: The Last Lecture

Title: The Last Lecture

Author: Randy Pausch

Length: 206 pages

Adjectives: Uplifting, Thought-provoking, Humorous

Summary: While this book stems from a depressing motive, it is anything but depressing.  Shortly after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Randy Pausch was asked to give a "last lecture" at the university that was so integral in his life.  Realizing that this would truly be his last lecture, he contemplated on just what it was he wanted to share with the audience and, more importantly, his young family.  This book takes the meat of that lecture and adds a few more details.  It is about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment.  The examples he gives are poignant and to the point.

This was a very quick and easy read that rose a lot of questions in my mind.  It made me stop and think for a while about what is really important in my life.  I highly recommend this book to anyone, but perhaps especially to anyone who is in the midst of a trying point in their life.

Stopping to Smell the Roses

There are two things that you need to know about me in order for this entry to make much sense.  1) I am an extremely independent person.  2) Walking is not a chore for me.  For example,

a stubbornly independent person would...
 ...utilize a bus system instead of asking for a ride even though it takes twice as long and is hardly ever convenient.
...wander around unfamiliar parts of a big city because they got lost using the very same bus system.
...load dirty laundry into a rolling suitcase and wheel it across town to the laundromat, repeatedly.
...drop their carpool buddy off at work 45 minutes early so as not to inconvenience anyone who would have to pick them up that afternoon.
...basically do anything keep from having to ask someone to help them.

Check.  Check.  Check.  Check.  Check.  Next,

someone who thoroughly enjoys walking would...
...walk an extra 30 minutes to save $2.
...walk down to the local grocery store (approximately 1.5 miles away) with a group of friends over and over just to get a soda and some candy.
...'Run away' to that same grocery store at the age of 5 or 6.
...want to go on hikes every week during the summer.

Another four checks.  Now that that has been established, let's get to the point.

We currently only have one car to get both me and Jason to work.  So I usually drop Jason off (about 45 minutes earlier than he needs to go in) and then have the car to myself to get myself around.  But occasionally Jason wants the car.  Today was one of those days.  Usually when this happens, I get a ride from my mom, dad (who works in the same building I do), my younger sister, or Jason.  I definitely don't lack in people who would be willing to come get me.

But today I forgot I didn't have the car until I was leaving the building.  I know that I could have called someone and then waited until they came, but I didn't.  It was such a beautiful day, that I decided to walk the 3.3 miles to my parents'.

One of the things I loved most about living in Hawaii was how much of a slower pace everything goes at.  I miss being able to take the time to ride the bus.  I miss walking to the grocery store.  I miss walking to the School of Ed that was distinctly separate from the rest of campus.  I miss being able to walk to work.  Basically I hate how chained to a car I've become and how I'm always rushing to do nothing important.

So I walked.  I enjoyed the sunshine and stopped to smell the roses.  It took me over an hour (which is about five times the time it would have taken by car), but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  There is something about walking that is therapeutic for me.  It gives me a chance to sort through the thousands of thoughts it my brain.  It is great "me" time.

Now, I realize that it isn't always possible to spend five times as long doing something that should be a quick task.  I certainly wouldn't be up for making that trek every day.  And I know that the craziness that is life will only get crazier from here on out.  But I am glad that I took the time today and hope that it will serve as a reminder for me to slow down and enjoy a different side of life more often.

Book Review: The Essential 55

Title: The Essential 55

Author: Ron Clark

Length: 196 pages

Adjectives: Concise, Effective, Instructional

Summary: In this book, Ron Clark (an award-winning educator) reveals the 55 essential rules that he enforces with his students.  The rules vary from manners to industriousness to accountability and so much more.  Many aspects of becoming a contributing member to society in general and not just at school are covered.  He claims that these 55 rules will help to discover the successful student in every child.  He keeps the rules simple and to the point.  He chooses only the very best examples from his own teaching history to validate each rule.  Any kid would be blessed to have a teacher with half the dedication of this man.

Obviously, being an elementary education major, this book had a certain appeal to me that won't apply to most people.  And the book is certainly aimed for the school-teacher audience.  However, since many of these rules are things which should be instilled in all children, I believe this book could be helpful for anyone who interacts with kids: parents, church leaders, community members, etc.

Strawberry Days

One of the great things about Utah summers is that just about every city has its own celebration of sorts. Each of these summer celebrations are different, but some highlights tend to include mini carnivals (complete with games and rides), parades, fireworks, and rodeos. That's right, rodeos. When the rodeo comes to town, a little bit of hick comes out in everyone. My favorite rodeo to go to is the one in Pleasant Grove for Strawberry Days, so that's where we went Friday night!

We're a little bit country!

Strawberries and Cream = Deliciousness in a cup

Part of the Group

(which consisted of me, Jason, Krista, Elizabeth, Carrie, Ashley, Taylor, Annie, Jori and one of Jori's friends)

I quickly realized that my camera was not going to adequately capture all of the action, so I switched to video instead. This video gives an overview of the evening and includes: mutton bustin', cash cows chasing, tie down roping, saddle bronc riding, wild cow milking, team roping, barrel racing, buffalo herding, and bull riding.

Since the rodeo didn't get over with until late and there was major construction blocking out way home, Jason and I opted to spend the night at my parents house. This worked out nice since we had been planning on coming back down their way the next day anyway.

Once Jason and I got up and going the next morning, we headed back to PG, but this time it was to go hiking.

What a view!

A Hiking We Will Go!

We drove up to the mouth of a canyon and hike 1.5 miles up to Battle Creek Falls. I had only done this hike one other time and it was a lot steeper than I remembered!

But we made it and it was well worth the effort to be able to cool off in the mist from the waterfall.

Later that evening we went and saw Toy Story 3 with most of my family (Dad and Jared didn't make it back from a campout in time). This was a great movie and a perfect addition to the Toy Story trilogy. We made our way home only to turn around and go back again today for a Father's Day dinner. It sure was great to spend some quality time with my family. A fabulous weekend indeed!

Book Review: The Tipping Point

Disclaimer: I know I just did a review yesterday and feel it necessary to point out that I was halfway through both of the last two books when I decided to start doing these reviews.  I'm a fast reader, but I do have somewhat of a life.

Title: The Tipping Point

Author: Malcolm Gladwell

Length: 280 pages

Adjectives: Compelling, Illustrative, Informative

Summary: "The Tipping Point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire."  This book explores reasons for this phenomenon including: the Law of the Few, the Stickness Factor, and the Power of Context.   Each of these rules are applied to a variety of widespread current situations and epidemics.  The examples provided make each rule easy to understand and then apply.

While I enjoyed The Tipping Point (the psychology of trends), the strong emphasis on business somewhat deterred my enthusiasm for the book.  I much preferred 2 of Gladwell's other books: Blink (the psychology of making decisions) and Outliers (the psychology behind success).

Salt Lake City Adventures

On Saturday, the weather wasn't cooperating for a hike, so I met up with some friends from work and walked around downtown Salt Lake.  We started off at the Gateway mall where we spent far too long at the Apple store playing with all of the nifty toys that none of us could afford and ate lunch. 

After lunch, we opted to stop by the planetarium and see what we could see for free.  I was surprised at how entertained we all were.

Learning all about space, the planets, and the Kuiper Belt.

Lifting Meteorites

Walking on the Moon

Visiting Mars

 Making New Friends

Possibly the most entertaining was searching through various microbe plush toys in the gift shop, including, but certainly not limited to:

 

Bad Breath

West Nile Virus

An Ulcer

Once we were done with the planetarium, we hopped and Trax and got off at Temple Square.

We walked around the Assembly Hall, The Tabernacle, the visitor's center, the Conference Center, and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  It is always great to visit here, but this time was especially neat since 2 of the girls I went with aren't members of the Church.  It was great to see their perspective and be able to help answer some of their questions.

Even though it was rainy and cold, it still turned out to be a pretty good day!  Thanks for letting me tag along girls!

Book Review: Why Mars & Venus Collide

Title: Why Mars & Venus Collide

Author: John Gray

Length: 249

Adjectives: Informative, Opinionated, Simplistic

Summary:  In this book, Dr. Gray explores possible reasons men and women clash by focusing on how men and women cope differently with stress.  Since men and women naturally react differently to stress, he theorizes that this in turn causes more stress in their relationships.  For example, when a man, after a stressful day, wants to veg out in front of the TV, he is not rejecting his wife. Rather, he is replenishing his depleted testosterone. And when a woman wants to talk about her day, she is not being a nag. It's just her way of replenishing her cuddle hormone, oxytocin.  Gray's hope is that in understanding these differences, individuals can use these differences to strengthen a relationship a reduce stress instead of allowing even more stress to build.

While I did not agree with all of Gray's conclusions, it was still an interesting read and provided some good insights into both the male and female psyche.  Also includes lists of 100 things women can do for themselves to reduce stress and 100 ways a man can reduce a woman's stress.

Book Review: The Walk

Another one of my summer goals is to do some serious reading and thought I would do a quick review on the books I read here.

Title: The Walk

Author: Richard Paul Evans

Length: 289 pages

Adjectives: Heart-wrenching, Humbling, Inspiring

Summary: This book is the first in a planned series which follows the story of Alan Christoffersen--a young, successful advertising executive who loses everything.  From the depths of despair, he decides to take a walk: from Seattle, Washington all the way to Key West, Florida.  During this first stage in his journey, Alan experiences a range of emotions, changes some of his own perspectives, and meets a variety of people who help him out in different ways.

If you like emotion-packed page turners, you'll love The Walk.

First Days of Summer

The nice weather has finally come to Utah and I have been enjoying every minute of it.  Last Friday, my home ward was hosting a luau as a fundraiser for their scout troop.  In order to be a good luau, all you need is good food, fun entertainment, and great company.  This one had it all AND it was for a good cause.

Good times with the family!

 

These are 3 of the ward's young women (who did a fabulous job)

Pretty fly, for a white guy!

The scouts even did the Haka!

With the change in weather, Jason and I have made a goal to get out of the house and do something different (and preferably outside) each week.  This week's destination was a 2 mile (round trip) walk up Provo Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls.

We invited my siblings to join us, but Jared was the only trooper willing to get out of bed before 10.  Thanks bud!

The weather was perfect (sunny with a light breeze) and the trail was a busy busy place.

We made it and have now officially kicked off summer!  Woot!!

Graduation

My younger sister Jori graduated from high school last week.  Craziness!

Congratulations Jo!

Birthday Fun!

Over the last several years my birthday has become a bit of a non-event.  This was mostly just because of timing and location, so I really didn't mind.  But this was the first year that I was at home for my birthday, so I got spoiled rotten.

First thing in the morning, Jason informed me that he had 4 presents for me which I could open at different points during the day.  And I had to choose which one to open first.  I picked "the most comical" gift.

It was my own mechanical kitty cat (one that Jason isn't allergic too)!

Then it was off to work.  Word that it was my birthday had spread and some of my coworkers brought in some fruit and yummy fruit dip to help celebrate.  My blondie run buddy Summer also gave me my very own copy of a Spidey-Girl poster.

After my shift, my parents took me out to lunch at Macaroni Grill.  Since I haven't been around to spend my last few birthdays with family, I really enjoyed this.  Being sung to in operatic Italian and eating deliciously moist chocolate cake helped out too.

Once Jason was done with work, we were off to eat once more.  This time our destination was Cheesecake Factory.  This restaurant already has a lot of good memories for me, so I enjoyed adding another.

The dulce de leche cheesecake was, of course, delicious!

Then it was back home where I got around to opening my other three gifts.

"The most practical"

A bag full of monthly necessities

"The most entertaining"

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (which I have already beaten)

"The most thoughtful"

A giant, homemade love letter (that was filled from top to bottom)

Yup, I was spoiled and loved every minute of it!