The Post-it note novel

The Hays are bringin' it back. . .

2007-12-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

Oye! No te vayas tan pronto! Check out:

www.keeptrackofthehaystack.blogspot.com

THIS IS MY NEW BLOG.

RIP

2007-12-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

With the close of this year, the post-it-note novel is coming to an end. Have you ever heard that superstition that old people always die when a baby is about to be born? Well, Brian and I are expecting the birth of a new blog. So, The post it note novel, the first of our friends' blogs, is seeing her last days. Please pay your respects before it's too late.

A few more from the wedding

2007-12-07T13:04:00.001-07:00

Love is great

2007-11-28T19:43:00.001-07:00

Mt Olympus and our Honeymoon

2007-11-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

So I had to steal these from Kori's website (thanks!) I'm still waiting for my photos which should come some time this week.

Boasting

2007-11-02T08:41:00.000-06:00

This Halloween I went to a Stake Party with Brian. . .he dressed up in my mini yellow shorts and long socks and went as a 70s track star. I didn't have too much time to be creative, so I went as a Ranger. When we got there, they had a "Fear Factor" contest to see who could stand on top of a block of ice barefoot holding an onion in their mouths (this is a two person contest) for the longest. Well, the record was 7 minutes, so B and I rocked it at 25 mins. Then A couple decided to out-do us and stayed on for 26 minutes. Knowing that a $30 gift certificate to Cafe Rio was at stake (and our ice blocking onion holding pride), we once again mounted the ice and remained on for 26 1/2 minutes, winning the prize. Brian also won the cow-tounge toss, giving us another $15 to Cafe Rio. So yesterday after we climbed Mt. Olympus, we had an amazing victory dinner-- one of those times you just get whatever the heck you want, unbutton the top button and feast. Ahhhh.

2007-10-28T14:11:00.001-06:00

Jo and Ang

*Color Restored

2007-10-25T16:10:00.001-06:00

*Refer to previous post, "Seeing in Black and White" for further understanding of "Color Restored".

Seeing in Black and White

2007-10-25T12:57:00.000-06:00

A long time ago, Rachael and I got an old matress from inside my house and put it on top of the wide monkey bars. We climbed on top (I think we even brought my cat) and admired the perfect summer day and talked about all of the great things we would do. We discussed our weddings, our husbands, our kids, our successes. Something about sitting on a mattress so high up made me feel like everything in my little childhood world was possible. I felt so supremely happy in that moment and the world looked so full of light and color. Life to me was alive, lovely and possible. All I could see was happiness unfolding before my eyes as fruitful and beautiful as the garden below our dangling feet. Can I now sit on top of the roof of my grandparents home and see Kiwanis park and think of a bright future? Can I look at the golden maple and have it look equally as stunning in the evening sunlight? Can I climb in rock canyon and find it as exhillerating as I used to? For how long will the color be sucked out of my life?

panacea

2007-10-15T20:14:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, in lieu of missing the "Mountain Marathon" Bry and I decided to do a little "thon" of our own. We had spent entirely too much time cutting, pasting and stuffing, so saturday morning we left at 8am to run from Vivian Park to Utah Lake on the Provo River trail. We ended up running 10 miles, biking 5 and swimming 1/2. It wasn't our exact plan (the cold air and rain didn't help too much), but we had a good time despite our aching joints.

I went to FHE with my roommate from last semester, Cherise, and I realized that almost ALL BYU activities are geared towards finding "the one." Here I was slightly lamenting leaving single-hood behind only to have the name game and "do-you-know-so-and-so" wake me to the pleasant reality of getting married.

life of mute

2007-10-10T18:25:00.000-06:00

I feel like I haven't spoken. I live my life in silence. I tiptoe around at night, I speak a foreign language in all of my classes and I have no friends here. For my job I have earplugs in and listen to the droning of motors (lawn mowers, leaf blowers, edgers etc). People are only something I have on the weekends and daily interaction is almost completely non-verbal (except for the occasional exchange between Brian and I if we have more than 20 minutes time).

cafrine and the pacific northwest

2007-10-01T19:03:00.000-06:00

After years of planning (and this was actually on my New Years Resolution list-- typed and laminated in my shower), I finally made it up to see Catherine in Seattle! This amazing trip was brought to me, in part, from Gayle and made possible with a grant from Gary (was anybody else a PBS watcher?). It was such a fun trip and action packed! We would wake up early every morning and eat and play all day until dark. It was so nice to see the fam (mom, dad and cath).

At mt Ranier

"THE TROLL" (was that a correct use of quotation marks?)under the bridge in Seattle (this troll was on 10 things I hate about you. . . remember?)

At the waterfront where you can watch the salmon spawning under the water

Hiking in the Cascades

Mom and me at Pike Place Market-- these were only like $4.50.

Cath and I at her library. It was straight up medieval architecture.

Fernicus! I finally got to visit Fern!

2007-09-18T12:50:00.000-06:00

Help a sista' out!!!

2007-09-12T09:18:00.001-06:00

So, my dear post-it-note novel buddies, I have a request to make of all of you (yes, even those of you who never or rarely comment. I know your out there and reading) I would like all of your addresses so that I can send you an announcement. Please leave your address in the comments of this blog-- or if you would rather keep that info private please send your address to angleamariehatch@gmail.com And if you find yourself thinking, "hmm, maybe angela doesn't want to send me an announcement. . ." I DO!! So all of you, please leave your addresses!!
Reasons you'll want to come:
1)St. George is beautiful!
2)We have a 50 person campsite reserved in red rock Snow Canyon (and there's rock climbing there and a shower).
3)You are my friend
4)You can see cows, corn and red rocks from the reception wood farm house.
5)Free food.

I know all of you, and I'm sure this would entice even the most indoorsy of you.

Rise and Shout

2007-09-05T09:36:00.000-06:00

the cougars are out. I'm back in p-town again. The beach break was amazing-- despite the fact that I jammed my middle finger, dislocated my hand, had a broken hand and got so stung by a jellyfish that i now could compete with Frankenstein... and all on my left hand. But the fam is as good as ever and we seem to be growing exponentially-- I love it!

Anxiously Engaged

2007-08-16T12:15:00.000-06:00

in a very good cause (okay. . . so I'm allowed to be corny right now). I think I've gotten ahold of the people who would be offended if they found out through my blog that I was getting married (zak-- i've tried you a million times)!!! WOOHOO! So it looks like B-honey and Annie-j are gettin' hitched in St. George on Oct 13th. I am SOOOO excited!!!

Salmon run!!

2007-08-07T17:59:00.000-06:00

I accomplished the Alaskan dream. I smoked my very own Alaskan Salmon (I even invented some very interesting brines). I went to Juneau yesterday. A very unique city. I ended up letting the nurse talk me into a hot pink cast and thouroughly regretted it. I tried to paint over it today with primer, but now I just look silly and smell like paint. I've realized I do strange impulsive things.

More adventure in Alaska

2007-08-02T09:57:00.000-06:00

On the pass with a group of hikers.

On Brians last shift I convinced my boss to let me go up there and work (to hike to sheep camp). The trail had flooded so much that the water pushed the rocks and moulders under one of the bridges> The water was then flowing over the bridge quite forcefully. B and I put on the waders and went to work digging the rocks out.

We biked to the Chilkat State Park. One of the most beautiful bike rides of my life!

On the ferry on the way to Haines-- a small true alaskan town not catered to tourists (skagway is very touristy). It was amazing!
\
We hiked up mnt Ripinsky on our trip tp Haines. It was beautful and sunny and we picked an entire Nalgene of blueberries! Here we are sporttin' our stained hands.

i'm broken

2007-07-31T23:10:00.000-06:00

typing with one hand will definitely tame my passion for verbosity. I broke my third metacarpal bone (below my middle finger) into three while playing stck pull at a pioneer day activity.

my 15 minutes of fame.

2007-07-21T21:58:00.000-06:00

This is me enjoying the sunshine. . . a rarity on the summit.

Another day "on the job" for Brian. . . he's hiking with a few people from our ward in this photo. Taken about 1 mile from the Canadian boarder.

Alaskan wild Iris blooming in Dyea. It litterally covers the feilds!

Un beso.

So, last week was natural disaster week. It flooded on the chilkoot-- the glacier meltoff combined with the 6 inches of rain caused high mountain streams to dump on the trail. People were wading up to their chest in freezing water. We ended up having to close the trail (this is nearly unheard of) for 24 hours. I ended up being interviewed by the radio (and there is only one station for all of Haines and Skagway and everyone listens to it). I was one of the "special radio guests" where they ask you a question and your recorded voice answers. They ended up broadcasting it all over Alaska. I'm pretty much a local Alaskan celebrity now. That was a joke, BTW. I came up with an ingenius plan to spend more time on the trail with Brian last week and my boss ended up okaying it. So I spent Wed- Sat last week and my legs are feeling it today. Not to mention I haven't taken a shower since Tuesday and I just went to the store. You can get away with a lot up here. I think I'm in for culture shock.

Pocahontas and John Smith tackle the Yukon

2007-07-16T17:01:00.000-06:00

This weekend was intense. B-ryan and I were a bit tired of hiking and figured we would do something a little different this week. Jackie from NPS let us borrow her canoe and so we decided to take on one of the toughest rivers in the Yukon-- the Kathleen (not a very ominous name, but don't let it fool you). We ended up capsizing five times, missed falling over a waterfall and portaged the canoe around a gorge of granite cliffs and churning whirlpools. It was one of the most terrifying things I've done in a while. . . even the "mellow" parts were full of strainers and the river was so curvy that we had to make several sharp turns. We found out once we were done that the canoe shop in town doesn't even rent to people going down that river b/c the boats always break! It was quite the epic.

After our intense canoe trip, we decided to take a mellow bike ride through Kluane national Park.

We set up camp on this island. We had capsized and we were swept to this little spot. We decided to explore around the bend before going onward. It was a good thing we did, b/c right after that bend about 20 meters down was an 8 foot waterfall that fell onto a bunch of rocks!

Every night Brian is in charge of putting on a Ranger Program at Sheep Camp for the Hikers on the chilkoot. This game is pretty funny to watch-- you can let slack or pull hard to try and pull the person off the rock. The winner gets a special surprise from the Ranger Station (like fresh baked bread).

On the pass into Canada. Last weekend Brian was on shift, so I got to hike up Friday for work and spent the rest of the weekend hiking around with him.

Life as a psuedo-adult

2007-07-09T16:26:00.000-06:00

I am graduating school. I am going to have a job. I have no idea what I am doing in the fall. I have five weeks to decide. Sometimes I feel like the key to doing well in jobs isn't actually the job itself, but rather appearing to be busy and creating work for yourself. Jobs and careers are only accessories to what really matters. It feels funny to waste so much time on an accessory.

This weekend was so fun. I hiked 35 miles and brian and I feasted like kings every night at sheep camp. I went to his ranger program and watched him in actioni. It was pretty dang cute (although I must admit some jealousy when a girl my age on her honeymoon said that she thought he was adorable. . .ugh). I took a shower outside in the mountains with one of those bags you hang up and a lit candle. I am very tired today. I melted my shoes over the heater (I was trying to dry them) and hiking with them felt like hiking on a slab of iron rock. Needless to say, my feet hurt.

INFORMATION BOOTH

2007-07-03T17:03:00.000-06:00

**The next three posts are for your viewing pleasure. Please feel free to experience alaska vicariously (That's all the tourists up here do anyway)**

BRIAN HAYS now has a blog. Check it out at: www.ropelog.blogspot.com

I told him that boyfriends of the past have always conformed to the blogging cirlce. Hence Marcus, Tim and Toleman. . . who are now virtual friends of us all.

Who the heck goes to the Arctic Circle?

2007-07-03T16:26:00.001-06:00

So Brian discovered that there are only two roads in all of North America that go to the Arctic circle, and that one of them is relatively close (500 miles) to Skagway. With that challenge ahead of us, we packed up the jeep and drove the most beautiful roads I have ever seen in my life, ate the largest sticky bun I have ever seen in my life and completely destroyed my biological clock. . . which was confused why it looked like daytime at 2am.

These beautiful cotton flowers were growing all over the permafrost tundra. It was so weird to walk on the tundra-- it is like a giant sponge that sinks in a foot as you walk.

What you don't see in this photo is the swarm of mosquitos that followed us all night. . . it was crazy.

On the dempster highway.

This picture was taken at midnight!! The sun never really goes down on the Arctic circle. It stayed like this all night.

Sunset on the way to the Arctic circle

The Chilkoot Trail

2007-07-03T15:35:00.000-06:00

Hiking the pass into Canada

In the forest on the US side.

In the Sheep Camp Ranger station where Brian lives. It is 12 miles up the trail and so beautiful!

On one of the suspension bridges at the beginning of the Chilkoot Trail.

Sea Kayak

2007-07-03T11:45:00.000-06:00

At a waterfall we kayaked to. I was pretty excited as you can tell.

Every trip needs a good bum-shot.

Sea Kayaking in Alaska (the tide drops so fast! Our boat was right next to the water just an hour before).

my first paid vacation.

2007-06-28T12:29:00.000-06:00

I could get used to this. This past week I got to hike the Chilkoot trail for four days. It was amazing!! I actually got paid to go backpacking and take a train back to Skagway through the White Pass canyon. It was BEAUTIFUL. Honestly, I often feel like a painted character in a children's storybook. . .things are so picturesque here and I never get used to it! Hiking the trail was particularly fun b/c I got to hike with Brian for the whole US side (before we cross into British Columbia). We (Janae and I) stayed at his cabin. It has the most amazing view-- not to mention that the outhouse only has a screen so you can check out the beautiful view there too! We made bread, soup and brownies, played guitar and sang, read Conference talks and talked. I stayed in the loft of the cabin with overlooks the river. I just needed a pile of hay and a quilt and I swear I could have been Heidi. It was fantastic!

The next day we hiked over the "golden staircase" (it felt like hiking a snowy ladder it was so steep) and into Canada. Brian had the key to the Ranger station up there, so we made lunch, dried off and warmed ourselves up (at this point we were in the clouds and on the snow), and took a nap on the floor. Unfortunately, I melted my shoes which proved quite uncomfortable the rest of the way. When we continued on, I felt like I was hiking in Antarctica. . . it was completely white in all directions (not to mention the thick cloud of white all around us). The only thing leading us in the right direction were the red markers spaced 10 feet apart. In an hour we broke through the clouds and into the sun. The snow at this point was melting and Crevasses were opening up. It was a beautiful brilliant blue color. Huge chunks of snow had broken off and were floating next to the river. In a few more miles we were out of the snow and back to rocky tundra. . .which later turned into beautiful forests with wildflowers.

Since then, I have been working and playing mostly. Brian hiked out yesterday to finish his shift, so I think we are going to take the ferry to Juneau or to the Arctic Circle (and watch the sun never set).

Just call me "Park Ranger" (that is now my name)

2007-06-24T00:39:00.000-06:00

Gutted

2007-06-23T20:32:00.000-06:00

There are certain phrases that feel like that one part on mortal combat-- especially where the fighter rips in and holds the beating virtual heart. I remember seeing this video game at my cousin's house and thinking, "sick..." but that image is less virtual and more reality lately. I feel like I am not in control of my own emotions, but someone else is gripping them. Economics might tell me to evaluate the cost/benefit ratio of this relationship. The scales are tipping and only my subconscious seems concerned.

Looking to Alaska

2007-06-14T12:28:00.000-06:00

The first photo is of Brian and I in the yard (his hammock)lounging around on a Sunday afternoon. The second is on top of AB mountain. It was such a fun hike! I know you love the 80s hiker look I have goin on. The next is a photo of Skagway and the last is actually in Provo on a hike I went on with Matt Baird-- but I feel like it looks like I've either just been on a journey or am looking forward to one.

I would walk 500 miles . . .

2007-06-09T13:32:00.000-06:00

Okay, maybe not, but I would fly 3,800, drive another 800 and then hike another 10. Last night I ran 10 miles to see Brian. He ran 22. It was exhilerating! It was an amazing sunny evening-- the snow on the mountains, the river rushing by, the ferns glowing green and the moss covering the huge trees. Spruce, hemlocks, berrys and flowers! I ran banging a pot and a spoon to scare away any bears. A little unecessary perhaps, but it eased my nerves when I was alone. It was brilliant (to be said like the many aussies and brits that come into the trail center).

I have been watching national geographic specials inbetween work, eating running and sleeping. I watched a great one on grizzly bears and another on killer whales. There are over 100 mormon kids in this town. That means we make up 1/8 of the population. I think everyone should come up and hike the Chilkoot trail (33 miles and crosses the canadian boarder).

hiatus

2007-06-05T21:04:00.000-06:00

Should I whoop and hollar? The bluegrass band came into the trail center yesterday and found out I was from NC. I could feel it suck whatever southern drawl I still have left right out of me. I have met some dang cool people up here from all over and I have realized that I never want to return to Provo again. It feels like training for white middle class america. I don't even want that. I don't want some lame cookie-cutter track home with a fat mailbox that has three bills and post card from my neighbor in vegas. I want to live in a yert. I want to have dogs. I want to invent my own breads and write books. I think I'm getting scared. I can feel the dorsiflexion in my feet trying to halt the forward movement. Is this normal?

So I am the most sure unsure person I know. I don't know if I want what I thought I wanted. I hate it when this happens. It rarely happens with food, and perhaps that's why we have such a good relationship.

Where are my bloomers?

2007-05-29T19:12:00.000-06:00

Alaska has been like stepping back in time. Saturday when I arrived in Anchorage I was greeted by a very friendly Meena-- who promptly took me to REI to get a better rainshell. I ate clams that night and went running on a trail that took me to the ocean and a huge moose was eating right next to me! I've already seen a grizzly and three black bear. Skagway is the most adorable and beautiful little town. Everything I can walk to in minutes. Then houses are all different colors and the store fronts like something straight out of the 1800s. THe mountains tower over the little valley and the cruise ships just dwarf the place.

from Red Rocks to White Glaciers

2007-05-25T16:30:00.000-06:00

I recently read The Alchemist. I feel like Santiago in search of my personal legend. It's true that when we want something bad enough the Universe conspires in our favor to help us achieve it. I suppose I wanted to go to Alaska quite a bit b/c things just sort of fell into place with relatively little effort on my part.

I quit my rafting job yesterday after training ended. It was a bit bittersweet. I loved turning south toward Moab instead of North to Provo. It felt more like my home and I liked belonging there. I loved the red rocks and I grew to love the Colorado River. . . but I am SOOO excited to fly out tomorrow morning and explore the Alaskan wilderness. I got a job as a park ranger in the National Park in Skagway. Brian is there. Convenient, ey?

Dang Gina

2007-05-13T10:19:00.000-06:00

I live in Moab, Ut. The past two weeks have been rather intense--but that is the way I like it. The week before last we spent almost entirely on the river. Westwater we ran 4 times. It's a burly section of the Colorado and probably the biggest rapids I've ever run in my life-- and I got to row almost the entire whitewater section. The water was so strong it would pull me completely off my seat when I was fighting to pull back. When we got back to the warehouse, we de-rigged and re-rigged, took off for Desolation canyon (a 90 mile section). I paddled nearly the entire thing in a ducky, but ended up with tendonitis and an inflamed wrist. Luckily we only did the daily section here in Moab Mon & Tues. We are leaving today after church for Cataract Canyon for the next two days. I'm excited to be behind the oars again. Life on the river is wonderful.

Friday night after Wilderness First Aid training was finally done, Jess and I took off for the San Rafael Swell where we met up with Derek and a few others from BYU to do a canyon Sat morning, then we hiked around Goblin Valley, hiked another canyon (no rapels) called wild horse, then ended up swimming in green river, cooking dinner and playing guitar under the stars and warm breeze.

I miss my family today. A lot. To the point that I want to pack up and leave this adventure behind-- so I can see Lindsey and mom, dad, Catherine, Sarah, Emily, Kevin (and ryan if he ever comes out again) and make oatmeal cookies and play Catan.

The Crux

2007-04-15T09:49:00.000-06:00

What defines a leader? Power or character?

2007-04-09T09:16:00.000-06:00

BYU has invited Dick Chenney as this years commencement speaker. I thought this University supported pacifists-- or at least those with family values who don't use the F-word. NPR somehow got wind of the upheaval around here and commented, "if BYU, the most conservative school in the nation, doesn't even want Chenney then who in America does?" My question exactly.

I can't wait for school to end so that I can start learning. What's on the summer reading list so far:

Tale of two Cities
Biography of Abe Linchon
Harry Potter 7

running barefoot

2007-03-29T20:54:00.000-06:00

Lately I have been craving taking a bath outside. Is that something you can crave? I decided I'm going to make that an option when I own my own house.

I love how anything done outside becomes an adventure. Making "night soil" in an "earth closet" sounds almost pleasant. Cooking becomes an experiment and usually tastes ten times better. Changing your clothes is suddenly an artform (and resembles an interpretive dance). I don't feel like being inside today.

vingettes

2007-03-22T22:02:00.000-06:00

My French horn lesson was fabulous today. It sounded so cool echoing through the DeJong concert hall.

Elder Matayele shared the most powerful testimony today. As watched him through the TV I nearly burst.

I ate 50cents worth of dark chocolate almonds. They were divine. I gave one to Adam, who I saw in the bookstore. Then I gave one to Pablo who I saw on my way to class.

I was floating on my bike today. One of those days were the pavement feels like air.

My little sister went slacklining with me. I love watching her laugh.

I haven't had to skip a single song on shuffle. The computer is reading my mind.

Quintescential Existential Dileamas

2007-03-20T16:03:00.002-06:00

was the topic of devotional today. I loved the devotional today. I am amazed. I have all of life's most important decisions coming at me like a freight train and I feel complete confidence. It's amazing how quickly things in our lives can change. I have a world of possiblities. I could be in Moab rafting this summer, Alaska working at a warehouse, a granny-nanny in Provo. . . in Jerusalem in the Fall, heading towards a grad degree in global health-- I have nothing but possiblities in front of me. So I gallup on with velvet ears-- at full speed ready to stop in the very moment my ears hear a different whisper.

I feel deeply happy today. That kind of happy that comes only when I wake up and feed myself spiritually first. Then I can plow through a bowl of oats and berries while watching the sun pop over the mountains completely content. I don't suppose anyone really understands what I'm saying, but these types of posts are really just for me anyway.

Making the most of Moab

2007-03-19T10:30:00.000-06:00

This weekend was out of control fun. I would love to write all about it, but I have too many tests, too many hours to work and too much to do before tomorrow at 8pm. Cath, Lindsey and I went to Moab for the half marathon and played with my friends (Jo, Mary, Kori, Jens, Adam . . .who am I missing??) at the local waterhole afterward and then headed over to Wallstreet where we got to climb (just for a bit, but it was so fun)!!!! I love them! I left feeling so happy. There are a lot of people who don't have friends like I've got. I feel so dang lucky.

Being in the sun, running on the rocks and feeling the carefree-lets-do-it-all atmosphere of Moab made me itch for summer. It feels odd to me to come home and immediately fall back into routine and responsibility. Hopefully I'll come of conquer this semester, but while the sun is shining outside, there appears to be a dark cloud over my academic life. I'll have that fixed in no time.

Pancakes and People

2007-03-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

Me, kori, jo, adam & jens

Deaner and I in the finance lab

This post is dedicated to my most frequent thoughts and occupations (for reasons of privacy, a few have been eliminated). The first was from this past weekend. It was a pancake weekend. We made breakfast pancakes with berries Friday night and Sunday morning-- aslo went climbing at the Quarry. I felt like Jo and I were going to head back to our apartment afterwards and debrief the evening events. I miss her. Saturday I spent the day at work for 8 hours and the rest of the time lamenting my loss and trying to figure out what the Lord wanted of my life.

The second is Lindsey and I studying for Finance 223. Speaking of which, I have a test in today. I tend to spend quite a bit of time in this lab seeing that lindsey and I talk the entire lecture. Our lives really are that interesting. I am planning on bringing my slackline to set up on campus for a mid-day release. I figure if those running for Student Body president can play mandolin on top of a snow mound for five hours and nearly everyone just stares at the ground, I am pretty safe in not drawing undo attention to myself.

The last photo is of my district that just left. Good Elders. I can picture them boldly making contacts and working hard in Argentina. . . the MTC is an escape from the world. And my own thoughts.

Maybe I'll go make banana pancakes for breakfast.

it's the little details. . .

2007-02-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

I just got home from running with Becky. It was a really good run. We ran to the Y parking lot and then ran home, but we stopped in at my grandma and grandpa's house to say goodmorning. The sun hit the east face of the moutains and it glowed pink and firey. I'm excited for today.

Last night I invited my companion (hna. Parker) and her boyfriend, Brian, Deaner, Becky and Cherise over for dinner. It was so fun. I tried to make homemade rolls, but they wouldn't rise very well. We had salad (courtesy of Becky), salmon, potatoes and apple crisp. Then I went up to campus to play the french horn.

I talked to Zak last night as well. It was so fun to talk to him.

Weekend Blueprint

2007-02-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

SO the plan:

Friday we drive up at about 4:00. Arrive in Idaho Falls at 7:30ish. We can maybe go swimming at my uncles indoor pool that night, make apple crisp on my grandma's fire pit and then spend the night at Svens or drive up to Rexburg to lessen the driving time on Sat. up to Targhee.

Saturday: snowboard. SWEET! I want to head over to Jackson maybe that night to eat and play around. Maybe we could go to Green Canyon or something. Then I was thinking we could spend the night at Badger Creek in those cabins, in my grandmas or Uncles cabin in Swan Valley, or in that Cabin that that guy Sven knows in Driggs. Or we could head to rexburg/IF

Sunday: Church, cook, eat, play, chill, visit people (I have old companions in Rexburg I want to see)

Sunday night: spend the night in Driggs, Swan Valley or Tetons. Go cross country skiing on the Jackson side of the tetons.

Drive back home.

Please give input. I want to know where everyone's at and what's going on.

Back to the days of erasers and bugs

2007-02-12T10:52:00.001-07:00

I wish my only concern right now were bad haircuts and creating sculptures out of daddy's scrap wood pile.

Paying homage to Nebo

2007-02-07T12:30:00.001-07:00

I'm the one in the green coat

Friday night after my hour nap, I awoke and threw my trail mix and water in my day pack and took off to meet at the ORC. The guide obviously did not want me to go and after some discouraging comments finally relented his female-hiker bais (I decided not to rub it in when I greeted him as he stumbled to the summit. . .oh dear, that was a bit prideful ey?). . .we actually began the trail (which wasn't a trail at all, but rather hiking straight up the mountain) at 2am and summitted at about 11am the next day. It probably could have been done a bit faster, but I was grateful that the pace wasn't grueling. Afterward, we glisaded down the mountain, occasionally pulling a self-arrest with our ice axes (and probably detatching the head of my humerous from the gleniod cavity of the scapula with the momentum) to stay on course. It was a blast, but I was exhausted. I arrived home at 4:30, took a shower and went straight to work bloodshot and sun-burned.

Sunday was amazing. I felt well rested and church was amazing!! Elder Bednar's CES fireside was phenomenal. Afterward I ate dinner with Brian and then headed to Becky's to spend the night with her and Mare. Sweet as.

Details of the ordinary day

2007-01-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

Ever since I said "Adios" to the Facebook world, I've found significantly more time to Blog, which I've decided is much more my style.

I feel so wonderfully optimistic today!! I just felt the need to declare my summer plans. Which could be any of the following:
1) Jerusalem Center
2) working at the MTC and another job in provo to complete my internship-- then biking from Canada to Mexico. . .so sick. This is my #1 choice.
3) Peru internship
4) Work in the Tetons as a volunteer
5) sell alarm systems for one month to try and earn as much cash as possible to pay for any or all of the above.

Yesterday I ate dinner with Chris Clark-- a friend of mine from NC who left for Africa right after I got home, so I didn't get to see him. It was interesting. I found myself remember ancient telephone conversations . . .the years seem to pass in front of me like pages in a book. Then, it stopped on us eating beans at Cafe Rio and talking about the future. It is interesting to watch myself and others grow up.

I feel this need to always share my "insights" with others. . .I think it's the leftovers from Companion study on my mission. We need to stand up for truth. . . to remember that "that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness." If it isn't edifying, it's not what we should do!

Anything but verbose

2007-01-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is a good morning. I wanted to talk to my profesora about a novel that we had to read that I didn't feel comfortable reading-- and she was completely wonderful about it! She gave me a new assignment so that I could keep with my NY resolution. It was refreshing since I was expecting to be reprimanded for a lack of taste in fine literature, but she graciously understood me.

I am itching to run or explore. I feel in a bit of a routine. . . maybe because everything I've done lately has been on campus.

Yesterday I felt really misunderstood. I feel like I'm such a bad communicator when I'm face to face. I end up saying nothing but, "I don't know" and "how do I say it?" It's so odd. My conversation which is (on occasion) saturated in stories, ideas and well thought out opinions has been completely dry. Instead I end up muttering out some ridiculous jumbled mess.

The scent of pink milk

2007-01-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Good morning Saturday. I haven't run in two weeks. My sisters are animals and they're going to kill me at the Moab half. I had a dream last night that some kid my age wanted to kill me. He made me drink pink milk. It was dumb dream that I knew was a dream the whole time and I was annoyed that it wasn't ending sooner. He kept prolonging the actual execution, waiting for me to finally wake up and realize it was just a dream so that he didn't have to go through with it. I was a little disapointed. I expected my subconsious to be a little more creative than death and pink milk.

This has been the week of fine arts. Thursday night I went to Oklahoma! with Brian, and this last night I went to a Beethoven concert and a Foreign film called, The Scent of Green Papaya with Cherise, Brad and Ethan. It wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, depsite the high honors. Oklahoma! however, was so good. I've been singing the songs in my mind for the past two days (okay, and outloud occasionally as well). I have homework galore today.

awake in winter

2007-01-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend was SOO much fun. Friday, right after work I hurried over and rented snowshoes and then got my gear together, ran over to my sisters and then we booked it over to Brian's. About 25 of us headed down to the mountains (about an hour south of provo) and then hiked through the snow under the most amazing night sky I've seen since Fall of 03. The cabin was pretty rustic but large, and was surrounded by forest on all sides except for directly behind the cabin there was a HUGE hill. We cut down a few dead trees in the forest and hauled them in. We stayed up late talking and the next morning I woke up to whole wheat pancakes, eggs, breakfast burritos and orange juice.

Then we headed outside and I got on a snowboard for the first time in three years. It felt soooo cool!! I felt a little rusty, but I realized how much I missed it. I talked to Brian about going up to Jackson and Targee sometime this semester.

On Feb. 3rd I'm going to hike Mt. Nebo. It's the hightest peak in Utah and it will be my first "mountaineering" attempt (crampons, ice axe. . .etc). I'm a little nervous b/c I'm the only girl out of about 10.

I feel so blessed. I've had a recent re-revelation (i'm sure I've received it before and forgotten) that Heavenly Father wants what we want. He wants us to accomplish our dreams, not sacrifice them. He's on our side and he is looking out for us. I've really felt that lately. . . daily. I just feel so blessed!!

The West Face

2007-01-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is the zenith of my academic semesters. Yesterday I spent hours with Cadavers. Today I will go and do the same. . . and I enjoy it. Right now I am memorizing the names and parts of every vertebra, process and foramen. This afternoon I went to my first french horn lesson. I was in the basment of the Arts building and I felt like I was walking through a maze of stages, velvet cushions and ropes. My teacher comes up to about my chest. I played a french horn for the first time in years today and I was informed that I'll be playing in a recital at the end of the semester. Wowzers. My finance class has inspired me to record every cent I spend and make, open a savings account (I can't believe I didn't have one) and spend a significant ammount of time each day meditating on the time value of money (okay. . . that was a lie). My spanish literature class is interesting, albeit the stories we read are a bit on the morbid side.

Last weekend I ran a half-marathon. Lindsey and I ran it down in St. George. It was surprisingly easy (granted my pace was so slow I was hardly breathing heavy until the last two miles).

Tomorrow Brian invited me and 40 others to go to this cabin in the woods. I'll be back to report on that on Sunday.

The Quality Inn

2006-12-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

I heard the bells. . . in Tennessee

2006-12-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting at the Day's Inn in Clarksville, TN and tomorrow I'll be in St. Louis by noon with the rest of my family for Kevin's wedding. Catherine and Lindsey are fighting over pillows and whisper-arguing (which is getting rather heated for whispers). . . I was exiled to the dusty roll-away cot. Gross. I do wish I were in my green down sleeping bag somewhere in the Appalachian Smokey's.

Christmas was super-fabulous. Catherine, Lindsey and I probably went through about 175 Christmas carols in three hours on Christmas Eve. We went for our Christmas day jog and ate leftovers from our holiday feast the night before. I watched the end of A Christmas Carol and I have decided that with age I have become even more sentimental. I nearly started leaping for joy when Scrooge was allowed to opportunity to correct his terrible attitude and undo the wrongs he had done. It was all I could do hold back the tears. Really that is magnificant! He asks the ghost of Christmas future "is there any way to go back and correct what I've done? Is this a shadow of what will happen, or what may happen?" I feel like I've felt that on a smaller scale before, but it is miraculous that we can be free from the trap of our own mistakes, neglect and disobedience through Christ!

White Christmas

2006-12-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

We have a foot of snow. It is so beautiful, but makes riding my bike to work a bit more difficult for one reason: the snow and slush on the road pegs me right in the face and gets all over my coat and backpack. We threw snowballs at a random couple outside of the library. It made me laugh. I feel like I've consumed more sugar in the last few days than I have the entire semester. Yuck. I had a Christmas get-together with some of the missionaries from the LA mission yesterday. It was really fun to see everyone-- especially the people that just got home.

The Slackline Wizard

2006-12-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

The many faces of me

2006-12-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

It's funny how with the end of a relationship I suddenly have time to blog again. . . even during finals. I don't know if it's that I all of the sudden have the time or if I need the emotional outlet or something to "talk" to (I can hardly consider a computer screen and black and white text "talking" . . . even with the delayed comments from the few readers that frequent the Post-it note novel). I don't think I've ever valued the virtue/trait/characteristic of genuineness like I have now. I just want to be honest and have others be honest with me. Without prentenses or fear of vulnerability.

i'm at school. I think that means I'm supposed to study.

2006-12-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

I'm at the library working on my research project. This project is unreal. . .it never ends. I think I've written 35 pages on it already this semester. And to make things worse, now that our study has been conducted and we are analyzing our data -- our results are nothing.

I have decided that I have an incredible short term memory. I can remember anything for about an hour. Today I crammed for my Spanish test and came off conquer.

Once upon a time in Mexico. . .

2006-12-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was phenomenal. No joke. I went to Mexcio and I don't even think I could do it justice. I felt like it was storybook style. Everything seemed like a dream-- whether it was passing out bags of beans and rice, blankets and singing Christmas songs to families and children running around on hillsides living in shacks, or whether I was paddling out on a surfboard through crystal blue water watching the sunset in front of me and the full moon rise over the cliffs behind me. I got to eat mango on a stick with"chile y limon", joke with old men and women in spanish, play with dirty little kids and pass out presents, decorate the orphange and play games with them.

It was actually quite a shock. When I went to Tijuana before, we didn't really interact with families, but this time I was put in the group to pass out the humanitarian stuff and it was amazing. Matt was handing out toys to these little kids and they were running up to him in the street with their dirty little faces and small hands reaching for anything and everything.

Our group (there were 100 of us) camped on the beach tucked between huge mountain cliffs. The last night we were there (Saturday after our beach dance party) was SOOO windy. It would literally push me and my sleeping bag and howl! I loved it! Surfing was such a blast also. The organization (Kaiizen) had a VW van with 6 surfboards strapped to the top and wetsuits. Most of the people weren't too proactive, so I got the wetsuit the whole time and for the last 30 minutes Matt taught me how to surf and I got up about 4 times. It was such a blast!! The waves were some of the best I've ever swam in.

We had our own little church service in the car yesterday (including talks, thoughts, prayers and hymns) and watched the temperature fall from 77 degrees in Mexcio to 1 degree when we got to Provo. But I must admit that listening to Christmas songs helped ease the transition into a "winter wonderland."

Time-- our most precious commodity

2006-11-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

What a spectacular vista!!! WOW!! the sun is shining, it is crisp and cold and the moutains look brilliant! I want to go snowboarding so bad!!! I want to take a trip up to Idaho (maybe I could convince my uncle to let us stay in his sweet cabin) and go snowboarding for a weekend. . . that would be amazing. School is really stressing me out lately and so are finances. Ugh. The two things in life I can never seem to stay on top of (0kay, that was a lie. . .there are a million things I can't stay on top of).

Today is Catherines' birthday and in honor of her, I would like to share a memory of my awesome sister:
So I have would have to say one of my all time favorite times with Catherine is when she came up to visit me in my bus. We sang silent night to guitar and talked into the wee hours of the night. . . we even ordered pizza and had them deliver it (although we forgot to specify that it was a bus so the poor kid wandered around until someone told him some college students lived, "in that" and pointed our direction). We went cross country skiing, walked around Driggs, Idaho. . . headed over to Jackson Hole. I loved every minute of it!

Happy

2006-11-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

time in pieces

2006-11-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

The snow is slowing covering the moutains and making its way down to the valley. It looks beautiful. On mornings like this, there is a quiter mood on campus-- like we should be talking in whispers because everyone looks like they just got out of bed.

I feel like words have been sucked right out of my mouth-- most of the time I don't know what to say or write. As a matter of fact, I wander around for much of the day lost in irrational thoughts and daydreams. Living intermitently. I find it hard to do any one task completely and fully. I feel like I'm loosing the beautiful balance I had at the beginning of the semester. . . and the funny thing is, I don't care. . . well, almost. I don't think I can live like this much longer.

Yesterday was so filling. My Relief Society here is wonderful. When I left church, I felt like I was on the road to Demascus and saying, "did not our hearts burn within us?" I felt that fire again, just like I needed, to make the changes for this week.

Weekend update:
After church, Matt and his brother and sister, Cherise and Chaela came over and we made pizzas and ate apple crisp. I liked it. Saturday, Matt and I went to Target and talked all day until I had work and then after work we went disco skating. On Friday, I worked and went to the temple. Then Matt and I went to a service date (which I admit could have been more effective if I hadn't instigated a marker war-- which I won BTW). And then we went with Jason and Casey to watch a movie in the mountains (I think I saw ten minutes. . . I fell totally asleep).

2006-11-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

posting progress

2006-11-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what we can accomplish when we learn to discipline ourselves. I need to look ahead at what I want to accomplish and then set guidelines for myself. I really want to be educated rather than just get an education. I want to live the WofW with exactness-- go to bed early, wake up early; monitor what I put into my body. I want to thrist after righteousness. I want to develop new skills and use them to help others. I often find myself wondering what kind of person I want to become in the next month or year, and then evaluate what I am doing to reach that. . . I love the docterine of eternal progression (which is pretty obvious by the nature of my ridiculously introspective posts). Of not just knowing, but becoming something. This morning I went swimming. I lost count of my laps and got lost in these thoughts as I felt the water cut along side of me.

I'm taking French horn again. I'm in the University Orchestra for next semester.

I am going to learn human anatomy.

I going to be a better Visiting Teacher. . . I am going to pray for those girls every night.

I want to acostarme a las 11 y levantarme a las 6.

I want to invest in snowshoes and really warm running gear.

I am going to write in my journal experiences, ideas and stories that inspire me.

I am reading President Hinkley's biography. I realized how his life is full of simple acts of kindness and love, of consistent and constant obedience to small things, his love for education and his faith in the Lord in conquering problems. He became an extraordinary person because he steadily moved in the right direction. It really is that simple.

I should be a Luna Bar sponser

2006-10-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

Friday night was great. After spending an hour with some of my favorite people in the WORLD [Jo, Mary, Kori, Becky, Jared (jo's b-f)], Becky and I said, "adios" and headed up American Fork canyon. . . leaving city lights and doubt behind us. We found a little pull-off up the canyon and a trail that went up the side of one of the smaller mountains in the Uintas (behind mount Timp). It was already dark, so we layered up and strapped on our packs. We ended up summitting this little mountain and found a perfect little flat spot to lay down our tarp and sleeping bags. The next morning we got up before the sun and headed back down the canyon as the sun rose. We got back and made whole wheat with blueberries and shared healthy recipes.

It was really empowering. Just the two of us women hiking. I thought, "this is what I want to do for the rest of my life." I just need good friends close by who will pick up and go (FYI: Becky, for all of you who don't know her, is from Utah and is living at home preparing to go on a mission. She is the one that runs/swims with me every morning at 6:15).

After that, I went running and rescued (or sentenced to death) two little kittens.

And then Matt. So Matt. Well. Matt. Hmmm. Matt. We'll just leave it at that. Don't really know what to say other than I probably shouldn't make my dating life a public matter.

Why the blue face?

2006-10-24T16:21:00.000-06:00

An explanation: yes the picture is me. Emmanuel drew it or did it somehow and sent it to me as a gift yesterday. I thought it represented my mood quite well for Monday.

Mixed feelings for Monday

2006-10-23T08:17:00.000-06:00

I am supposed to be in class but this morning after I went running with Becky, I discovered a rats nest had developed in my hair as I had run. It took 20 minutes of serious work to get that thing untangled. . . but honestly I knew I wasn't going to go to class this morning from the minute I woke up. I just didn't feel like being in a rush. So, here I am listening to "Shaken by a low Sound," eating my wheat.

Can I tell you how much fun it is to teach at the MTC? Everyday I feel like I live in a whirlwind of cosas and suddenly when I get there and walk in, all of the 12 elders stand up and and a chorus of smiling faces chants: "Buenas Dias Hermana Hatch!" Every worry or concern that I have pressing on my shoulders suddenly lifts. I forget about time, I forget about life, I forget about me.

This weekend was good. Played frisbee golf, went to "Spectacular" (all of the dance and choral performers best numbers), went to a tea party (enrichment), the homecoming football game (thanks randy)! a spanish study group, MTC, a "haunted" boat ride, went out for ice cream and had a meeting with Elder Ballard.

I'm wearing my sweat-stained Carhart hat. I love this hat.

2006-10-17T14:57:00.000-06:00

So the other day I was heading to work on my bike, riding up the twisty sidewalk that goes above the road. When I turned the corner, I saw 10 feet in front of me another biker-- we made eye contact, let out some odd noise and then crashed as hard as we could into eachother. I flew back and my bike landed on top of me, and he toppled forward and nearly landed on top of me as well. I immediately examined my bike; everything was okay. Then I took a look at him-- disheaveled and a bit cross-- his rim bent and his watch broken and in pieces on the sidewalk. It makes me laugh everytime I remember the funny face he made and the awkward noise right before we crashed.

Life at the Y is going well. It has been so fun exersizing in the morning! I love it! But something besides the rain is dampening our parade. Becks just informed me that she got a job at 7am. . .blast! I haven't told her yet that I signed us up for the woman's three on three Intramurals b-ball team (behold, a ray of sunshine)!

I am going to have a cook-a-thon tonight. Lentil soup, homemade bread, granola and hummus. I can't wait. Tuesday night and wednesday are like the weekend b/c I don't have work. The weather is changing and getting colder but I'm having a hard time retiring my chacos. . . time to pull out the wool socks.

Annie up . . .

2006-10-14T23:49:00.000-06:00

Heaven help me. I have given in. For the first time since 1:30 pm on Thursday, I have no obligation within the next ten minutes. It feels wonderful (except for my red-eyes and aching throat). . . I feel like I've given my resume one too many times this weekend. So three dates, 10 hours at the MTC and 24-hours later this is it:

Glen: Cody, WY. He's from my ward and all the girls say he does everything from killing Elk with a bow and arrow to sewing. I got home at 1:30am. 7 am the next morning I was up and getting ready to go biking with. . .

Matt: Tampa, FL. Biked to Utah lake until noon. Met him in my spanish class. Seemed unsure about the whole wheat cereal, but was a good sport; ate it all and told me he liked it. I suppose that's a good sign (plus I think he's cute).

Allen: Tucson, AZ. Works at the MTC. Soccer player and likes to talk. An easy conversation, but uneasy feeling in my stomach. Walked to Center St. and ate cilantro quesadillas. He is sincere and kind, but I could feel the age gap growing with the size of my stomach.

Brian: Grand Canyon, AZ. Would have been satisfied going to the grocery store, folding laundry and hiking up the canyon eating almonds and rasins.

The oldest person I know

2006-10-11T13:54:00.000-06:00

My grandpa is three years shy of 90. He was born in 1920 and has a passion for photography and family history. He has written several books, including his personal history which is six volumes long and is probably the most 'modern' 87-year-old around (check out the Mac in the background). Some interesting facts I learned today: his brothers were "school mates with Gordy" (aka: Gordon B. Hinkley), he was the first to summit Timp with a transistor radio(1939) which he carried all the way to the top (they're big) and he was the first on his ship to hear the news that WWII had ended through an old radio.

As rode home on my bike, the crisp autum wind blowing and the yellow leaves swirling around me, I thought about my season of life and his. . .

achieving Equilibrium

2006-10-09T08:51:00.000-06:00

First photo is my roommate (and former MTC comp) CHERISE and I. She's one of the most friendly, genuinely nice people I've ever met.

Eric, Craig and me (in that order)-- on our hike. I thought a lot of dad and his adventures. I was walking around his old stomping grounds!

I'm sitting in the computer lab of the Lee Library in my quilted vest (it looks literally like a pink quilt) and I am sore. I've been up for three hours now. I feel so good. I love the way the sun hits the mountains in the morning! so Becky is great. . . every morning she comes over at like 6:15 and we go running or swimming. This morning as we ran towards Utah lake, Orian was still out hunting and the moon was bright. On our way back, the sun was starting to peak over the mountains. I made some whole wheat cereal with blueberries, walnuts and soymilk and then booked it to class. Just to make my morning even better, class ended 20 minutes early.

This weekend was perfect! Friday it was pouring, but quite warm. I went with Brian to Hansen's and we went climbing indoors. Then we went to his house and ate PB. Afterward we headed over to the Planetarium. I loved it. Did you know that Orian is fighting Taurus the bull who has captured the Seven Sisters? The next morning I got up at 5:45 to go hiking with Craig and Eric. We hiked up through the firs and aspens. There was a little snow, but it didn't stop them from running down, so I scurried along too. I felt like a deer, jumping around every corner and leaping over rocks. Then I came back, got dressed and walked to the MTC. I got to teach them to testify in spanish!! When I got home, I tried to clean up my room but ended up dancing to Beck and then fell asleep in a tired heap, ready for Sunday.

a Mountain or a molehill

2006-10-04T15:04:00.000-06:00

Knowledge is cumulative. It never ends and more of it can always be acquired. It's the one thing that can be taken in without moderation or temperance. We can binge on it without guilt and without it we are weak. It is the glory of God. When we truly know something, it weaves itself within us and cannot be seperated from us. When someone teaches us, it fills our minds. When the spirit teaches us, it fills our hearts and enlightens our minds. It binds what our mind understands to senitments of our heart. I believe it can even bind to us true theories, formulas, ideas etc. Our quest is to obtain truth and speak truth. I want to be a teacher of truth.

Yesterday at the MTC I talked over the phone to a boy named Justin. I told him God had called a prophet for us now-- in this day. . . That I knew it. I had spent the entire weekend listening to his voice and the voice of the Apostles of Christ. I asked him to find out this truth for himself. This alone will take our molehill of knowledge and make it into a mountain.

Untitled

2006-10-03T10:17:00.000-06:00

"His hand is outstretched still"

2006-10-02T10:34:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had the most wonderful feeling. As I was watching the last session of conference, I was overwhelmed with a wonderful feeling as I listened to Elder Holland testify. The pure truth of what he said about the apostles giving their life, the tired yet sincere look in his eye, the urgency of his voice ignited a fire that I felt needing kindling!! Then as we all began to sing "We thank thee O' God for a Prophet". . . they panned the Conference Center and everyone began standing up. The prophet himself said that his life was not his own, but all of ours. As I sang, I knew because I could feel it entirely that he IS THE prophet of God. For a few moments, I felt like the world was uniting. I could see in my minds eye faithful members in white shirts and ties in Nigeria, in Chile, in Mexico, in Europe, in Russia and those I taught in LA, all singing "we thank the oh God!" I could feel that our Heavenly Father was pleased with us. Brian told me that on his mission to fiji, the missionaries got up to go to conference at 3am and walked to the chapel, expecting to find it empty. They arrived to a full chapel. Entire families and children were dressed up and waiting reverently for conference to begin at 3am on the other side of the world. That is indeed what president Hinkley talked about, Faith In Action.

While I was waiting in line to enter conference, I ran into Rick (my BYU-I boyfriend. . . remember??) I don't know how to describe it other than to say it pleased me to see him. He was married and his wife was pregant. He had moved to South Dakota and joined the US Airforce. He was active in the church. It was actually a witness to me that Heavenly Father loves all his children-- and he doesn't give up on them. Rick seemed like a "deadbeat" as Grandma Collette always said, and eventhough I'm SOO happy that it wasn't ME with the belly and ring, it was nice to know that in the end (or the middle) everything works out. He never gives up on us.

Into the belly of the earth. . .

2006-09-27T09:26:00.000-06:00

I know this is small, but the little blue head
is Matt from our group swimming in the canyon

This is me on the last repel

When we came out of the canyon, this is the view
that greeted us

I have to tell everyone about Canyoneering this weekend in Zion National Park. It was SOOO awesome!! We did Pine Creek Canyon which has six repels and is FULL of water. We started out by running into the canyon after eating a sandwich, trial mix and dried apricots and zipping up our full body wetsuits-- which were absolutely essential seeing that the water was like 40 degrees! Brian (the guy I went with) was a park ranger in Zion over the summer, so he knew the park well. . . as a matter of fact, I felt like I was hiking with Steve Kugath. It was the most beautiful day-- it had been rainy and snowy in Provo, but by the time we got to Southern Utah it was bright blue skys and contrasting red rock, and about 75 degrees.

Every repel we did was into a pool of water. There was one part where we were swimming for quite a while through the dark in deep freezing water, with the towering slot canyon walls curving around us and a single ray of light pushing it's way down. The last repel was so interesting. I clipped in first and threw myself over the edge-- and then the whole canyon just opened up. I litterally felt like I was heading down the esophogus and into the belly of the earth (not to mention the pool I was repeling into had a mixture of who knows what that easily conjured up some mental imagery of bile and gastric juices).

We lost a belay device, but found a dead ringtailed squirrel, Brian got stung by a dead scorpian in the water and after a few hours, we were hiking our way back out to the car through the trees, red rock and desert wild flowers. Every minute was supremely superb.

my Biology 101 run

2006-09-26T09:27:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went running along the Provo River trail. When I got to the 1/2 mile marker, a chubby blonde girl and this uber-fit red-t-shirt-guy turned around and started running toward me. They looked at me with fear in their eyes (especially the chubby blonde girl who looked actually quite frantic) and said, "watch out for the crazy racoon!" I heard this shrill noice and looked about 30 feet in front of me on the trail at this psycho-looking racoon. I thought that maybe I could dodge it, seeing that I only had a 1/2 mile to the lake and I really wanted to get there, but everytime I made a move, so did the racoon. Then, it started to run toward me at full speed making that really strange noise. Needless to say, I took off running as fast as I could, looking back every few feet to make sure that the coon hadn't caught up to me. It seemed that everytime I got faster, so did he (not to mention his crazy grin)!! Finally there was a enough distance between us for me to catch my breathe and laugh about the situation. My amusement didn't last long b/c suddenly I felt something wet hit my forehead. Confusing it for a large bug, I automatically hit my head, only to feel a glob of bird-poo. The whole time my joints were stiff and my legs felt like lead with every pound of pavement. Not exactly the peaceful escape I was looking for, but it was certainly one of my more epic runs.

Paradigm Shift

2006-09-21T12:01:00.000-06:00

An escape from BYU-life is necessary. I biked to the start of the Provo River trail, past the cows and the horses and the kids catching grasshoppers, and began my run. I only had a few minutes before I had to be at a meeting. . . but it was sufficent. I went rock-climbing yesterday-- it was beautiful!! The sun broke through the clouds just as I was on the top of the rock. It looked almost magenta. When I turned around, the city seemed so small and sandwiched between the beautiful sunset, the vibrant lake and the huge mountains the surrounded me. My 'reality' the hour previous was that I was weak, unable, small and without help. My 'reality' then was empowering and wonderful. I felt that I was not alone at all-- and that all my little worries about school, work and whatever would soon be just sandwiched between divine help, strength and confidence.

time is elusive

2006-09-20T15:07:00.000-06:00

So after reading mary's gentle scolding I decided that I had better post.

I don't think I've been so busy in my entire life. The last three days have been NON-stop from 6am to 11 or 12 at night. I have started highlighting my planner and adding extra sheets to remember everything I have to do (granted my "planner" IS a sheet of paper).

So, I know most of you know this b/c you were there, but I want the rest of you to know how cool this past weekend was! I got a chance to go up to the Pocatello Pump rock climbing competition in Idaho. . . pretty much everyone I know was actually IN it (so I don't know that many people) and they rocked it (shout out to Mare who took 2nd and Jo for her power-move up the 5-12). We camped the night before in between the train-tracks and the huge rock slab where they had set up about 75 climbs for the comp. After it was over, we headed over to the park, went slack-lining and ate a bunch of food before I headed back down to Provo.

Since then, every second of my time has been occupied. I am pretty excited because I started my first day at the MTC today! I got the job I wanted as a spanish teacher. They called me in for my 2nd interview on Monday and then yesterday they called and offered me the position-- WOO HOO! I feel such an energy to be able to continue doing missionary work in totally different level! Just talking to the few missionaries there today and encouraging them to make the most of the adventure that awaits them was so thrilling! All the fresh new "Preach My Gospels" and smiling faces that practice, "Yo voy a ensenar una leccion. . . " Nope. There's nothing quite like being back in the MTC.

So, I'm going rock climbing in a few hours (well, actually it's raining and really bad weather, so we'll see) with a friend of a guy in one of my classes that said I would be great for his friend. I talked to him last night (another one of these blind things. . . sick)-- and he grew up IN the Grand Canyon. His dad was in charge of the park and now he's in charge of the one in Hawaii. . .so even if he turns out to be less than dateable, at least it's a sweet connection, no?

Eudaemonia--

2006-09-14T11:34:00.000-06:00

Happiness, or the good life. This is Aristole's philosophy regarding the meaning of life and the pursuit of happiness. 'A central principle of the good life is the golden mean, or moderation; overindulgence hinders the attainment of the good life.' According to this philosophy, it is possible to overindulge (or have our life become dilluted) in our passions-- working, skiing, TV-watching etc. The execptions Aristole said are the following: gaining wisdom and understanding ('limitless goods' as he called them). The crowning virtue of the good life is leisure-- but not refering to napping or idleness. Ethical leisure is spent in activities by which human beings learn intellectual virtues.

And the good life it is. Yesterday I rode my bike to grandma and grandpa's. It was so wonderful to be with someone who wasn't 20something. Kids, old people and ethinicity are so rare in my little sphere of contact, that the momentary change was welcomed. They gave me a 20pound bag of wheat and I spent the evening grinding some of it. Then I finished making hummus. This morning I have been reaping the rewards of well-spent leisure time-- eating blueberries&cracked wheat for breakfast, and green pepper and hummus for lunch (well. . . my snack). NowI'm in the library struggling to gain wisdom and understanding. The life truly is good.

One tenth of Mexico lives in the U.S.

2006-09-12T13:11:00.000-06:00

A vezes tengo antojo por algo especial. Ayer, encontre una tienda mexicana que se vende tortillas de mano por 99 centavos. Ahora, la unica cosa que quiero es no ser una extranjera hasta en mi propia pias. Me entiendes? Fui a mi clase de cultura y historia de latin America-- aun mi texto es en espanol! La lectura, el profesor-- todo! Que emocion!

I am not an "Angie"

2006-09-11T11:51:00.000-06:00

I have to admit something. I really miss trying to save the world. . . and I'm not kidding. I felt that same rush of peace and joy pass over me yesterday. That same desire to live righteously and save the world that I had felt time after time on my mission. Last night Elder Eyring said in his sincere manner that he did not want us to be "decieved or overcome" in these last days-- and that the only safeguard against deception and being overcome is by staying close to the Holy Ghost. He said that the Holy Ghost is felt when we are serving others and magnifying our callings -- that it purifies our desires and makes us want to be more obedient and kind. That is pure truth and I felt it as he talked. His talk passed right through my ears, stayed in my throat for a bit and eventually made it's way throughout my entire self. That is really all I want. . . for all of us to stay close to the Holy Spirit and to make it.

The bishop called me last night and put me in charge of FHE for the entire ward. So basically I'm in charge of planning a ward activity alone on a $30 budget in 6 hours with no car. At least my bike has that sweet collapse-able basket on the side.

I am so sick of french toast. I have eaten it for the last three meals in a row.

I am taking 17 credits. All I know is that I know nothing. Socrates knew what was up.

I am volunteering at the prision-- teaching them computer skills so that they can get their GED

I am waiting for a letter that better come today.

I am in love with my 'North Star la Luna' bike.

I have a toe that looks like a dried blueberry.

GO cougars??!

2006-09-06T11:46:00.000-06:00

My teacher for News Writing looks just like Jeneane Garafalo (the girl with thick black hair and bangs and really red lipstick from 'Reality Bites') and her energy for Journalism is incredible. It's strange b/c I usually dred the assignments in classes, but I can't wait for our mock press conferences and one hour article deadlines. And I'm taking Research and Eval with Bro Tanaguchi, who is the first professor in the RMYL program que me cae bien (falls well with me). I am almost done with the program!!!

I feel like I've been just hitting these little obstacles again and again. Nobody here wants me to succeed! I went to the Spanish office yesterday and they immediately told me that I'd need to be in 206 spanish instead of 321 b/c I served state-side. Insisting that LA was not exactly "state-side" they told me to take the placement test which I passed in 16 minutes and placed me in 321 with the rest of the RMs from south of the border. I feel like I constantly have to prove myself. . . a bit of an ego crusher, actually and so I'm feeling quite humbled.

Had a mini-mission reunion last night. Ran into a few of the Elders on campus and then that night we all got together (including two of my comps) and I planned for all of us to hike timp on saturday at 5:00am. At least now I won't have to ride my bike to the base.

Cambios

2006-09-04T11:18:00.000-06:00

SO, I'm back in Provo. It's been non-stop "What's your name? Oh really? So where are you from? And you served where?" I must have met like 300 people in the last two days. Cherise (my comp from the MTC who I'm living with) still isn't here, but I think I'm going over to apt 9 to fix up my i-pod and then bike to DI to get a fitted sheet (I know, that's disgusting) and hangers.

IDAHO was so nice. It felt good to be out of cars, money and material and just soak up the 'emptiness' of it all. I think I felt more at home in Idaho than anywhere else I've been since I've been home. The crisp air, the smell of dust, the huge Cottonwoods and firs, the smell of smoke from the campfire. . . I feel like I belong there. I fit there. Here in Provo, I feel like I'm playing a part. I have been asking everyone if they like hiking or know anyone who does, but they all seem like "movie people." I prayed about it though, and I'm confident I'll find someone who will camp with me on a tuesday and ride down in the am for class.

signed: bikeless and multing

A Very Hatch Vacation

2006-08-26T11:22:00.000-06:00

Vacation-- a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel/ freedom or release from duty, business, or activity.

Ahh, yes. The joys of suspending responsibility for a full week. I cannot, however, say that our vacation was exactly 'suspension/freedom from activity.' There are always a few things that we do as a family that tag our vacations as being extremely "HATCH." A lot of activity/movement (from swimming to dance parties with the whole family), a lot of food (mom said we spent more in one week on food than the entire month of July), and a lot of noise (talking, laughing, screaming, singing).

Monday on our way down it was pouring down rain and thundering so it took longer than usual to get there (Ocean isle beach-- on the Outter Banks of NC) That night we all ran over to the beach to say "hello" as we did improvised dance moves on the sand and breathed in the salty fresh air. I remember when I was like nine-years-old, Sarah telling me that air was fresher than any other air you could breathe because it traveled 5,000 miles over the ocean to get there. Not exactly true, but I like it anyway :)

The following day we swam against the current and crashing waves. We got this great idea to take our goggles and swim caps and walk to the pier (which is 1.2 miles from our beach house) and then swim back. I must have swallowed a gallon of salt water. It was a little more awkward than I thought to try and swim while the waves were pulling us into shore and crashing in our mouths as we tried to breathe, but it went faster than I thought.

One morning I got up early and asked my dad to take me down to the sound (where the freshwater meets the ocean around the tip of the island) and I took the inflatable kayak out for a bit. It was so beautiful! The sun glistening on the water and a few white cranes in the green rushes swaying back and forth from the waves! I felt like I was on one of those cheesy movies like "A Walk to Remember"-- then we came back and made blueberry pancakes before the rest of the family got up. Okay, so I'm ending this post before I bore you all. I could go on forever.

Ocean isle

2006-08-26T10:51:00.000-06:00

My Patchwork Palette

2006-08-20T19:48:00.000-06:00

This is the quilt I finished making. . .I don't have a picture of it
done, but I just finished it yesterday. It looks so cool! This is me
sewing (above) and pinning it (below).

At the zOo

2006-08-20T17:47:00.000-06:00

So lindsey and I had our 'day-o-fun' on friday. We woke up and
left for Asheboro, NC. This drive is RURAL, but so beautiful.
we stopped in three thrift stores and got some wicked finds, then on the
way back we got hooked up at this 50's soda shoppe and had a
banana split the size of my head (which, even the hatch girls who are
infamous for dessert consumption, couldn't finish).

Oh, it's nothing really

2006-08-17T08:15:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was sa-weet! Deaner and I (lindsey) have been chillin' ever since she went chipmunk style and got her wisdom teeth out last week. She finished her job and now I have the chance to do any non-impact-eating-soft-foods-only activity I want. Yesterday it was a cloudy cool morning (rare in the Carolinas) and a bit breezy, so we pulled out the inflatable kayak and headed over to the lake. . .our only disturber yesterday was a sailing class. It was beautiful! I put my swim cap and goggles on and started making my way across the lake through the green water. . .following lindsey on the kayak. I hadn't really noticed that the wind was blowing in my favor as I swam across, but when I turned to swim back it was definitely treadmill style.

Last night I went to the best restaurant I have ever eaten at. I've never tasted salmon and red peppers quite that good before. I even ate a little octopus (with all of it's tiny legs) without flinching (last time I tried on my mission, I screamed by accident and ended up tossing it across the entire restaurant. . .much to the embarrassment-- or amussment really-- of Raquel y Rex). I also sent a package to the sisters on my mission. I've almost been home an entire transfer! Wowzers.

A post from the pulpit

2006-08-15T11:31:00.000-06:00

I was reading a talk by Elder Scott this morning. I've been thinking a lot lately about priorities and what it is exactly that the Lord expects our priorities to be at our age (in our 20s). Not wanting to be "a 20 something Peter-Pan stuck in an adolecent Never-Never Land and postponing adult responsibility, " (Oaks' talk 2005) I figured I'd look around for a bit of guidance. Not reaching really any conclusion, I figured I'd share a bit of whatever I found (feel free to do the same with me), assuming that it could help you guys too. . . I was talking to Jo the other day and mentioned this quote by Elder Scott that says, "the adversary would have good people fill life with "good things" so there is no room for the essential ones. " He then asks, "Have you unconsciously been caught in that trap?" I feel like this is IT for people our age. We fill our time with things that really are good. . . but we tend to crowd out the essentials.

I remember Scott Wood telling me once that our religion is what we think about most. Loosly put, our passion is our religion. . . but is our religion our passion? I've never forgotten that. I remember thinking, "so that means that Scott must think more about gospel principles than about the moutains, climbing, biking and the outdoors!" And then it hit me. . .I hardly EVER pondered gospel subjects. I hardly ever searched for missionary opportunities or craved reading my scriptures and serving others like I did searching National Geographic Adventure for new adventure ideas and planning what I was going to do that weekend.

Before the mission, my passion lied in conquering new physical heights. . .what I could discover in this beautiful world we live in and adding new places to my "where I've been and what I've seen" lists (granted it wasn't that big). During the mission, my passion lied in conquering new spiritual heights and in discovering a whole new world of beauty in the ugliest place I've ever been, and adding to my "people we're teaching, where we've knocked and what we need to do" lists. Now that I'm back, I feel so confused as to what I'm supposed to do. What are my priorities? What should I be doing? What is good and what is essential?

signed: lost in transition. . .again.

Pirate Marie Yellow Salmon

2006-08-13T20:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went sailing in a wooden ship on a sea of green, with pirate Dewey Blue Whale and Florence Purple Jellyfish. I went all the way to Mars in a space shuttle powered by one double A battery shoved between two large cushions to rescue kidnapped parents, made a batch of ineddible green spaghetti and I discussed burried treasure while savoring root-beer floats. That's right. . . I was babysitting. I learned all about how to pick pirate names (which is your middle name, favorite color and favorite fish), I remembered how it felt to have a very short attention span and also just how heavy an imaginary person can be.

Tonight it hit me just how great it is to have friends. And not just any friends, but those kinds of friends who know what you're going to do even before you do it-- even when maybe you don't. The kind of friends who talked to you before you ever held more than $30 in your hand at once, before you could "spend the night" without parental guidance and the kind of friends that you imagined this stage of life with, long before it ever came along. . . and they still manage to stay friends even when it didn't turn out at all like you had planned.

Travel Log:

2006-08-11T08:21:00.000-06:00

This is my tribute to the mid-west. Sunflowers, bales of hay, and cruisin' down long stretches of highway with a single bend in the road. After days of trying I finally got Jerry and Em to agree to a photo on top of a hay bale. I ended up with scratches all over my legs and arms from trying to make it up on top before the timer went off!

Feeling Free

2006-08-10T11:38:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm back and broadening my horizons. . . this is my newest thing. I feel like I've recently realized how much we can learn and become interested in. I feel like these little parts of me stuck in the corners of my fingertips and the outer-most parts of my mind are slowly surfacing. Climbing mountains, painting pictures, sewing clothes, running through trees, eating foods that are still warm inside from the sun, getting dirty, swimming in the ocean, taking photos, learning to drive a stick, writing articles, learning about the Senate, developing a taste for classical music. . .It never ends!

Yesterday after weeding for two hours, my dad and I decided to go sailing at the lake (it was a little breezy), so we headed off in his little '89 Toyota truck only to find the boat rental was closed due to "inclement weather" . . .so ignoring the "no swimming sign" we threw off our shoes and jumped in (although I must admit feeling guilty at not being "law abiding citizens"). It took about a half an hour to get to the middle, so we decided not to swim all the way across. It was a great feeling to do breaststroke and feel the layer of hot water and then hit the cold water below before coming back up for air. . .all the little hairs on me were covered in algea by the time we got out.

Omaha. . .somwhere in middle america

2006-08-07T11:38:00.000-06:00

So, here I am at the public library of Salina, KS. This weekend was really fun! Emily and I met Jerry in Linchon, stayed the night and then headed off to Winter Quarters temple the next morning. We came back the same night and since have been chatting almost no-stop trying Jerry's patience :)

I really like the mid-west. . .I was driving em's Cavalier with the windows rolled down (no AC) listening to banjos and fiddles as I drove past the white houses and barns.

"there's no place like home"

2006-08-03T08:07:00.000-06:00

Heading off for Kansas in 15 minutes. . . I am so tired. I always have this feeling on the plane. An unearthly exhaustion, a swimming head, black under my eyes and feel a little detatched from everything around me. I don't know if Em has a computer, but I'll try to post at least once so ya'll can keep updated on my highly-amusing life (okay, not really).

I've had an interesting past couple of days. . . I spent most of my mid-afternoon yesterday in the world of crafts, fabric and thriftstores. . .it brought back a world of memories. I was amazed at how quickly I fell back into it. All these knew ideas and inventing all sorts of ideas in my head as I walked around. It's like a treasure hunt. Kind of like missionary work actually. Finding something a bit off colored among everything that's there. . . looking at it, analyzing it and seeing that with a bit of work, there lies a tremendous potential. Okay, so I'm a dorky RM. But I talked to Irene from Hildalgo, Mexico yesterday. She told me about job descrimination and how much she misses her country. A common story and a rather sad one. Invited her to come to church but what I pity I had no pass along card!

make it a plan stan.

2006-07-31T07:45:00.000-06:00

After planning out every hour of every day for the past year and 1/2 . . . I feel a bit lost with no agenda and plans. First off today: head to officeMax and get me a new planner. Then. . .I will proceed to fill it with very important tasks. . .like "pick vegetables with mom" "get quilt filling" "swimming" "organize photos/letters" -- then long-term: "Go to Kansas (thursday of this week) to see Em" "Zoo trip" "Cath comes home" "Beach" "bike to Jordan lake and swim" -- sweet. I love the summer.

Summer Flashbacks

2006-07-28T07:40:00.000-06:00

This is Sarah and I 2001 in the Backyard

This picture is so random. We were laying cement
for the new shed that we were putting up. That's me in the
back, jo and my bro.

That's MS. Hatch to you . . .

2006-07-26T16:48:00.000-06:00

Time to rescue my social skills. Yesterday evening I found myself in "Spice Street" -- a fancy eating place, with my Argentine friend. A bit strange, I must say. I feel obessed with cherries (which are an economy breaking $14 a bag here), and completely ruined my "Harry Potter" book seeing that I was too anxious to find out if the bad guys were really the bad guys, and flipped a few chapters ahead (0kay, so it was the end of the book) to find out what happened. Ugh. I'm not even patient in reading.

I feel overwhelmed, yet completely free! I have a million things to do, or a million things I could be doing-- maybe I need to make another "To Do" list. I declared a new major yesterday. It took four hours at the computer, but I figured out my schedule and I am now majoring in: History Education. I know, it's a bit out of nowhere, but I actually feel quite well about it. I have this vision of myself teaching high school History in Alaska or Washington (which probably doesn't sound that fun to anyone else)--being done with work at 3:30, having my summers free to guide, hike, swim and play, and making enough to support myself and receive some wicked benifits.

Simply Happy

2006-07-25T08:39:00.000-06:00

Just got back from swimming. The rain is pouring outside and the whole world looks fresh and new! Such a brilliant green with little specks of pink, yellow, shades of orange and red where the zinnias and cosmos are growing! I love it! Picked a ton of fresh tomatoes. . .tonights menu: tomatoe/motzerella (sp?) and basil salad with fresh bread. . . I've been working on registering for classes. I can't believe I'm still in school-- but I'm actually really excited! I like learning.
So what have I been up to lately?
Sunday morning I got to go speak to the spanish ward-- it was so fun! I love spanish! As a matter of fact I'm listening to some latin CD that Emmanuel burned for me. Last week I went to Virginia to help Sarah with her new baby and play with my newfews. I also can't seem to put down the latest Harry Potter (#6 that came out durning my mission). It just sucks me in!

Teaching the Ilegal aliens of LA

2006-07-18T08:53:00.000-06:00

So the following is a photo essay of my last week. . .starting with teaching on the beautiful streets of Los Angeles, Cali.

Welcome Home!

2006-07-18T08:51:00.000-06:00

The arrival to the NC airport! Had to sport the jumper one more time. . . I figured after the tag is off there's no more excuse. I look amish.