I thought I'd send out a quick note before I get carried away with work and life and what have you. So it's a week past due, but welcome to 2006! I think it's going to be a very good year. I'm back in Utah, it looks like I'll be working at least enough to pay the bills, and spring is getting a little closer each day. Not that I can complain about the weather. We've had 50's and sunshine for most of this past week which is quite a bit above normal even for Utah in winter. Some places in the mountains got over 6 feet of snow in the week after Christmas though, so it's not like skiing has been hampered at all.
It was great to see so many of you during the time I was home! It was a bit sad leaving, but once I got back to Utah I remembered there were things I missed here too...like the mountains, my coworkers, and Gidget our cat. For my first time flying alone I don't have any horror stories to share. My luggage showed up wherever I was and my buses/planes were on time. Oddly I was less motion sick during the flight back to Utah (which reminded me of riding down a bumpy country road in a school bus), than I was during the smooth flight to WI.
Something about getting back into working this week was rough. I felt like I had the most disorganized week of my life. Every time I turned around I lost something, and on more than one occasion I headed out to do something, and forgot what I was doing before I got there. I figure this is either a direct result of having two weeks off, or early onset Alzheimer's. Here's hoping it clears up next week.
I've been subbing for Acceleration out at the Olympic Oval a bit more than I'd anticipated. It's cool (literally) and I get home and shiver for about an hour. It's fun though since we're getting so close to the Olympics and there is a lot of excitement in the air everywhere in Salt Lake...and especially at the Oval. Evenings of training are guaranteeing me enough hours to get by, and research stuff is picking up.
I broke down and did something I never thought I'd do...I gave plasma. I decided if I were looking for the extra cash I might as well give it a try. It went really smooth on my first try (yesterday), but if it's anything like my experiences giving blood I'll be a degree too warm, or my hematocrit will be a point too low the next time I try to give. If anyone can tell me how to cheat on a hematocrit test I'd be interested in the information. For being a young, healthy, individual I sure do have a hard time passing the dumb screening test. No fail though, they'll always take the blood/plasma from the person I'm sitting next to in the waiting room who is either coughing up a lung and/or looks like they haven't slept in weeks. Jerks. In any case, for a couple hundred extra a month figure it can't hurt to try. :)
My roommate was entertaining this week. Bless her heart, she reminded me yet again why you shouldn't drink in excess, after coming home with her tongue pierced. She's been eating a lot of ice cream and talks like she's got a mouth full of marbles. It hasn't prompted me to be interested in piercing my tongue anytime soon.
I apologize for the lack of exciting news...but I'll try to get out there and do something crazy before my next update ;) Take care and have a very good beginning of 2006!
Steph~
P.S. If you could all do me a favor and send me your current addresses and birthdays I'm going to do my best to send more real mail to people this year. It's one of several loosely organized New Years resolutions I made. I know I'm missing at least a few addresses, and probably most everyone's birthdays. I'm going to try to be better about that.
P.S.S. Speaking of birthdays, if anyone is interested I'll be turning 24 on the 25th of January and you're all invited for cake :) Please let me know when I should pick you up at the airport.
