I Did It! Kind of...

Yay! I went long boarding again last night with J. and I am proud to say no one was hurt! This is like a first for us. But, really, for the sake of honest reporting and all I went down the entire canyon length riding the board on my butt. It's a lot easier and the falling distance is quite a bit less. I figure I'm still getting better, I'm just learning the trail and then I'll be braver about standing up and going down. Either way it was a good time all around. I think I need to invest in a pair of skater shoes so I can drag my feet a little bit better with out them bumping and skiping along and knocking me off balance. On a different note, I had the cutest little joy happen. We had gone to J. house to pick up his daughter E. and as we walked in to the house (I came in behind him) E. looks up from the kitchen, yells my name, throws her arms out and runs straight in to mine. Right past dear ol' Daddy. Yeah! I loved it. She's such a tender little thing and it's been so much fun to have her growing and learning and remembering my name! I just laughed silently to myself the whole way down the canyon. Ha! Take that J.! Sweetie little thing. On another different note, I just got another call from P. (I know, suprise, suprise, it's not a J. name) who was our waiter on the cruise ship from May. He has been calling me pretty regularly. He has invited me to come out to India next fall to visit him and I'm planning on it, set in concrete and cement, absolutly for sure. I've only just needed a catalyst to get there, the desire has been forever.

Maija's On a Roll...

So, it's been satisfactor-ily decided that the creature that came from the very depths of H-E-LL to growl at us was indeed a Mtn. Lion. I was talking to C. and he said that he saw one up there at that same point not even two weeks prior, so that seals the deal.It was a Mtn. Lion. Any one who wants to argue - I challenge them to physical combate. But not until I've healed from my most recent adventure. I went long boarding in the Canyon with J. Monday night after work. About 10pm with our headlamps and helmets in tow we set out. Now, I had bought a long board about two weeks ago and that was the very first time I'd ever been on one in my ENTIRE LIFE! I think everyone had more faith in my capabilities then was warrented but regardless - So, I'm starting slow, building confidence when all of a sudden I hit a hill and start picking up speed and then I'm zooming around corners, faster then a speeding bullet and I go into a dark corner under a bridge... the corner is tighter then I had anticipated and I didn't start my turn soon enough and OH MY GOSH I'M GOING TO DIE!! And so I try to correct myself, over correct, and end up flying off my board, landing on my butt, bouncing a couple of times, rolling on my knee and elbow and sliding a bit on my back. I've got road rash down my elbow, lower back, and knee. I conked my head really bad (cracked my helmet that I was SO glad to have on) and have some sweet whiplash action going on. I feel like I was thrown from a car. But OH BOY did I love it. It was such a great time. I felt like I was flying in absolute freedom. I'm excited to keep practicing, getting better and showing S. up. Buwahaha! -Don't worry Mom, I was safe the whole time. It's really no big deal. And I'm healing very nicely.

Not for the Faint of Heart

So, Mom... Don't read this one if you're going to be scared. I have a very scary story to relate to all of you tonight. Once my heart starts pounding of course. Okay, deep breath. Here we go... So, tonight my friend R. and I decided to go for a late night hike up Rock Canyon to enjoy the moon and the ambiance. Now, R. is a cute little thing and one of my favorite girlfriends (we'd earlier spent the day with another favorite girlfriend E. at 7 Peaks. On a scary side note, I wore a BIKINI!! A real one. No middle. In public. In front of people. Real people. And I LOVED it!) Okay, so R. and I are hiking up the canyon and it's getting nice and dark and kind of creepy but we keep going. We've been hiking up for about 45 minutes when we get to our regular turn around point. We choose this point because from there the road splits into three and you can go off in different directions. We debated at this point whether to go a minute or more further. I whispered to R. that I didn't want to go much further because I'm really afraid of the dark but we decided to go just a minute or more further. We hadn't gone more then 20 steps up the trail to the right when WE GOT GROWLED AT!! I mean, I'm talking a real, low, gutteral warning growl. It sounded like a motorcross engine. Only with a vertebrae. And teeth. And claws. I was SCARED! We both heard it and without a word just turned around and RAN back down the trail until we almost lost our balance in the loose rock and scree and we stopped for a minute to assess the situation. We didn't feel any thing or hear anything following us so we then just hot footed back down the canyon by the light of the moon. At one other point on the trail R. heard a rustleing in the bushes off to her right and once again we found ourself racing down the mountain. OH. MY. GOSH. I was very, very scared. So, there is only one thing to do. Go back tomorrow and look for tracks! Yeah! I'll keep you posted whether it was lion, tiger or bear.

Summer

So, it's officially summer here at the Q. How can I tell you ask? Because there are four people in the gym tonight and two of them happen to be working. It really tends to slow down here what with the beautiful canyons we have around here and the cheapness of the popular student population. It's alright, it's okay, it means I get to sit here and pound out a quick blog.
I'm a little disappointed with where this whole blog thing is going I've got to admit. I wanted to keep it as a way to keep everyone informed of my antics but it seems the it mostly just makes me feel bad that I've been severely lacking in antics. So, I'm bringing on the antics. I like that word, I think I should use it more often.
I've got big plans I guess for the summer... In a week I'm leaving on a cruise. It's the same one I went on with A. and S. and M. but this time I'm going with the girls. My work at C. is paying me to go on this cruise with one of our clients and so it should be fun. I'm going with some other great girl friends and we'll see if I can't get into any trouble this time around. After that, I should be home for about two weeks and then I'm taking off again to do that kayaking/rafting trip down Desolation Canyon that I did last year. This year should prove to be a bit more interesting be cause J. is coming out from NY and J.'s Gypsy Lover Wanna Be Girlfriend A. is coming too. So, some more interesting social dynamics for sure. Hilarity if not drama is sure to ensue. Well, then I guess I'll be home for three or four or maybe even five weeks and I'll take off again then for Baltimore where I'll meet up with G.L.J. and we'll travel back down to Virginia. I'm excited to spend some time exploring the East a bit. Then in August I'm off to the Telluride Bluegrass Music Festival for a long weekend of good music, good camping and good friends and then I'm doing it. I mean, I'm REALLY going to do it. I'm going to quite my life here in good ol' P-Town and move to a much better, bigger and brighter P-Town. Up north a bit. And a little west. As in, Northwest. The Great Northwest. We'll see. If all goes according to "plan" I'll be there until May or June of '08 and then head down the coast for the San Luis Obispo. No reason, never been, nope, don't know anyone. Just thought you can't go wrong with sun and surf.
Anyway, I'm bored now of writing, that's about how long my attention span is these days. So, that's it...

I Am a Shopping Fool!

So, Mom and I have been playing this Grocery Game and I am LOVING it! It's just up my obssesive compulsive alley. I get to cut coupons, organise, file, store, match and price AND save money! I get to create Excel spreadsheets, I get to save reciepts and I get REBATES! I really am having a very wonderful time. In the mean time, I've had my good friend J. come out for a visit the last bit of March and we got to go snowboarding in PC. My friend is an instructor and spent the whole time with me and now I can successfully complete my skid turns, carve just a little bit, go off the blue AND green runs and best of all - make it off the lift four out of six times. I'm almost a professional. We also got to spend some time in Moab for a little mountain biking. That's what I've decided to devote my summer to - perfecting my skills - or at least control the involuntary screaming. Either way. Okay, that's all for now, more later I'm sure.

Ah... Spring. Sort of.

I got to go camping this weekend. I say that as though it were some lucky thing, but actually, I just got my butt in gear and went and did it because I wanted to. I found a friend, grabbed my camp stove and hiked a ways up the canyon. There was still snow on the ground but as long as I wore the proper clothes it was comfortable and just nice to be out side. I got to sleep in my tent that I just LOVE. I think that the reason I like it so much is because it's yellow. One of my favorite things of camping is waking up with the sun rise. In my yellow tent the sun coming through is magnified and intensified and I feel like I'm waking up in a super bright, lovely, heavenly place full of light and hope and dreams and the chance for a wonderful adventure. Then I can snuggle back into my sleeping bag and block it all out. I can hardly wait to go camping again!

I need to stop watching Law and Order

This morning as I was leaving the house to go to the gym at 6am in the dark I thought to myself..."Should I grab my license?" and then the thought came immediatly afterward..."No, because my car has Dad listed on the title so the police could have him identify me." Not "what if I get pulled over." Not "I should because it's the law" but "I should incase I die and need to be identified." This got me thinking... When I went down the river at 9pm at night in my kayak, I put my DL in a plasitc baggie in my life jacket in case I needed to be identified. When I went to the dentist in January, I asked the x-ray technition to position the x-rays a little higher to include my sinus' incase I'm ever murdered and my teeth are knocked out so they can't use dental x-rays and my hands are cut off so there are no finger prints. I'm not totally sure where this whole morbidity thing came from but I kind of blame Dad. That's why he has to be the one to identify me. I just don't want to end up in Pauper's Field as a Jane Doe I guess.

A moment...

I've got a moment to breathe here and decided to spend it updating you all on what's going on. Okay, ready? Nothing. That's what's going on. Nothing. But really only kind of. I did win a new pair of Teva water shoes at the Trade Show. And I got my house to not smell like cat poop. And I've created a menu from here on out till March. And I've got some fun trips planned, assuming the boss will let me take the time off. I dyed my hair BLOND. I mean, really sun streaked blond. And I've gone snow shoeing more and I LOVE it. And I'm happy and healthy and doing well and I'm glad for that. Okay, over and out.

I know, I know

So, I'm only posting today because it's so pathetically ironic that I would post last about how much I'd hate to not have all the months represented and then I go and I miss the whole month of December. But in my defense between my birthday, and Solstice and the New Year and all, it turned out to be a rather busy month. I ended up working most of it as my co-workers took it off because they're married and have children and inlaws and celebrate Christmas, none of which applies to me. So, whatever. I'm not bitter. I just spiked their water bottles. But don't tell them...
So, I have some big plans for the '07. I've already bought two of the five airline tickets I'm planning on getting. In amongst going back to school and working two full time jobs. I've also taken up snow shoeing. With this cold snap we've had here it seems most appropriate. I enjoy it quite a bit. I bought a new pair of Atlas running snow shoes and think that's the greatest thrill ever. I'm trying to put together another adventure group and that's going... interestingly. We've gone ice skating and snow shoeing and we're planning on cross country skiing. I'll try and keep you posted. But if this month turns out like the last, don't count on in it. Love!

Touching Base

It seems all I do these days with this website is try and catch up. I wonder if I'd even post if I wasn't so obsessive compulsive about having all the months lined up so nicely in the Archive section. You know if you don't write for a whole month, they won't put the months name up and you CAN'T have October touching December!! It just isn't right! So, here I am. There have been quite a few interesting things happen this last little bit. The best of which, I got to fly home for a weekend. What a wonderful, marvelous trip. I got to go home because MY FAMILY WANTED ME. What a nice thing to be able to write AND to have it be true! I got to spend some time with everyone and had such a nice time. The big suprise was that I even got to go down to Portland and see S and A and their kids. Ahh, what peace, what joy, what a cold I got! I blame sweet little C. She better watch it. When she's 16 and comes and stays a weekend with Dear Auntie Maija, she's going to hear about how sick she got me. Sweet little thing.
So, I've been trying to decide my fate which has led me to a couple of decisions. I'll list them as they come to mind but that's not necessarily the order they belong in. It's all so interconnected now I'm not sure which came first. Alright, it starts with the assumption that because I can't have The One that I want then I want to plan my life with all the control that I can, which means I'm doing it solo. So, because I've just condemed myself to a lonely life all by myself alone with no one around, I might as well have a little fun. So, come May, if all goes according to plan, instead of moving straight to Oregon, I'm going to buy a Honda Element and move into it for four months. I'm going to spend those summer months touring the Nat'l Parks. I'm going to head East first, visit some friends out there, spend some time with my own dear Auntie and then hit all the sweet spots on my way back to the West Coast. Now, with that trip in mind, I've decided to take a Jui Jitsu class. I want to do it for the confidence it will give me to be by myself. And if that doesn't work, I'm also going to get my concealed weapons permit and a big gun. So, also with this trip in mind... now, this really cracks me up... but I figure if I'm going to live alone I might as well make myself laugh... I'm practicing not washing my hair. I mean, I'm going to have to figure out how to get showers at gyms and things like that but I doubt I'll be washing my hair everyday as I've previously been used to. I'm already up to going 2 WHOLE DAYS!! I'm well on my way and very proud of myself. And then, I guess lastly because this post seems long, I'm practicing living a life of Voluntary Simplicity. To me, mostly that means I'm getting rid of a lot of stuff I own and not buying anything more. Also, I'm recycling more. And saving water. And eating fruit. And wearing Birkenstocks. Umm... don't worry though, I already got rid of my hemp necklaces. Mostly.

Maija Does It Solo

So I had my first big adventure by myself. This last Saturday I woke up bright and early at the butt crack of dawn (6:00am!) and left by 6:30am for Arches Nat'l Park. I had to drive all by myself in the dark and the fog through SF Canyon and I had to find my way to Hwy 191. Then it was all south. Well, I guess it was pretty much always all south. I mean, it's a pretty straight shot once you're in the canyon... But I did it by myself and that's the point. It actually took only about a half hour before I realised my teeth were clenched and another half hour before I could relaxe them. And by 9am... okay, okay... by 10am my nuckles were no long white on the steering wheel because Ta'da! I had made it to Arches. The weather all the day before had been rain and rain and rain and so my plan in Arches had to be tweaked abit. I had planned on doing three things. One, see Balanced Rock. Two, hiking to Delicate Arch and three, hiking to Landscape Arch. But because of all the rain the road to Delicate Arch was washed out which freed up a lot of time for me. So, I spent the next 4 1/2 hours exploring every part of the park that I could. All by myself. I had set some goals for this trip which I'm glad to say I met. I had to have the radio off the whole time I was in the park to enjoy the natural sounds and to allow time for myself to really think without distractions. I had to hike something that I didn't really care to (I went out to Broken Arch). And I had to start a conversation with a perfect stranger and keep it going for a bit. This one actually I didn't have to try at all because this guy named Laurence saw the 'S' for Sweden on the back of my car and started speaking Swedish with me. This was a very good, very holistic, very fun trip and I couldn't believe really how much I enjoyed myself. Driving back in my head I made all sorts of plans about going to all the National Parks in the US all by myself and just having a great time. I wasn't scared at all, I mean, even if I wanted to be by myself I couldn't have been because of the crowds! I think though, before I hit the road to Yosemete to hike Half Dome, I better finish off the five Nat'l parks in Utah. So, what does that mean? Next up Zions, then Canyonlands, then Capital Reef and a grand finale in Bryce. But not necessarily in that order!

A New Direction

So, I've decided that while I've been quite happy with the way may life has been going thus far I'm going to try and well, take things in a new direction. Under the advice and tutaledge of a Master of Many Things, I think I'm ready to strike out on my own for a bit of adventuring. What you may ask am I up for? Well, first on my agenda under the watchful eye and kind guidance of the Master is a short weekender trip to Zions which must include at least one hike by the river and one overnight stay in the camp of my choice. I think I'll bring my Lovely Yellow Tent (dear sweet tent) and my camp stove and make Noodles (...and Aye-ye-yai will always love noo-oo-dles...). After that? Well, I'm not sure. I should hit Moab before it's to late. And I hear the Grand Canyon is lovely in the winter. I jjust feel I guess after all that if I'm serious about growing up and making big decisions I should probably get a handle on who I am and what I want and not be scared to do great things. And not be scared to move to Oregon either. Or anywhere else the wind might call me.

Alright, Alright Already

Okay, okay, fine, I'll write something already. I know I've been a little remise lately and have got quite a bit to catch up on. I know I've mentioned this before but if I have a great adventure and don't write about it right away, then, yeah, it's pretty much not going to happen. So, let me just run down some of the highlites of the month and then I promise to do better next time.
Okay, so I went on one of the most wonderful and magical and great and phenominal and exciting and awesome adventures I've ever been on. And the funny thing about it is I almost scared myself right out of it. J. and J. and I went sea kayaking in the San Juan islands. We drove from Utah up to Spokane and spent some time there visiting with Adv. M. and J. We then went up to Seattle and spent a night with the folks. Then up to Anacortes and we spent 4 days on the water paddling around the islands. We camped on Saddlebag, Cypress and San Juan. We did a moonlight paddle with a full moon and green glowing algae. We saw Orca whales and dolphins, eagles, herons, raccoons, starfish, a newt, banana slugs, everything. We hiked and camped and played and had one of the most magical vacations ever. Don't tell anyone, especially Mom and Dad who might expect me home for Christmas this year but I think J and I are going to go to Baja Mexico to kayak down there this Christmas time break. (Yeah!!)
So, another adventure you want to hear about? Okay. These last two weekends I've had a wonderful time being absolutly domestic. The weekend before I spent the day drying nectarines in my food dryer and this last Saturday I canned all by myself (okay, Mom was on speed dial and the greatest resource and help ever!!) fourteen jars of beautiful golden peaches. I loved it! I put my hair up in a 1940's style bandana and just enjoyed domestic goddessness. The dumb part of the whole adventure (which of course if it was MY adventure you knew there would be one...) is I guess you are NOT supposed to touch the jars after they have boiled to make sure that they seal on their own. Well, of course, Maija, ever the impatient one had to touch 7 of the jars and so ended up having to reboil them. Oh well, I'm learning, see?
Another adventure? Okay... I went to the Ben Harper concert last week. I think I'm still high. I love that crazy hippy, gypsy type of people. And the music of course is just great as well. I went with my friend A. and we had a great time. It was a beautiful outside venue and we had tried to sit close at first but there was this ridiculous drunk girl in front of us who was kissing EVERYBODY - boy, girl - didn't matter. We got tired of that real quick and ended up sitting in the back against the fence just laughing and chatting and chilling. It was a fun concert.
Oh my goodness, you're insatiable. ANOTHER ADVENTURE? Okay, this one is As. We. Speak. I am sitting on my couch in my cute little house typing this up and I am drinking tea. Now, what is the adventure in that? Well, I should mention this is like my SIXTH cup of tea. I guess I boiled too much water and made too much tea, but it's Lemon Myrtle tea and it's really good and I don't want to waste it. So, I'm breaking out in a sweat and can hardly sit still, I've got to pee like nobodys business and I think I've still got two cups to go. I WILL NOT waste tea!! After all, hot flavored water is hard to make and I Don't Cook!
Okay, hope that was enough because I just can not focus any longer. Love to all!

Yet Another Adventure!!

Last night J took me kayaking down P. river. I have been feeling a little bit hesitant about our ocean trip after reading books about tides and currents and tide rips and such and so J wanted to take me down the river in an old extra wobbly kayak in the midddle of the night with a fast current and small rapids as well as a couple of bridges with pilings to navigate. Just to get me used to it. So, ever up for an adventure I consent to not only going but to being a shuttle driver as well. J and his brother in law C come to pick me up about 9pm and we head out. We park my car and head 10 miles up the canyon, get in the water and head down. River kayaking is a lot different then sea kayaking because you have to do a lot more to keep yourself going straight. I mean you are constentaly correcting your allignment. So, in the middle of the night, by the light of the full moon with two good friends I face the river. I made it through all bridge pilings with only having the tail of my kayak hit once on the last one, I effectively corrected myself after hitting a rock broadside in the middle of the river that I couldn't see and was fortunate enough to not once tip my boat. Well, we finish our run down the river and I'm absolutly in heaven. We heard beavers slapping the water as they enter, we enjoy the way the light of the almost full moon reflects down the current of the river and we have a great time laughing with each other. Everythingis great until we pull out of the river and hike our stuff back up the hill to where my car is parked and I realise I forgot my key. In my defense though and also now to my absolute embarrasement and regret J had given me a super hard time about making sure I had everything and was well put together. I thanked him for being my dad but told him I already had a great one and to back off. So, for me to have forgotten my key after telling J to take a chill pill means that I will NEVER hear theend of it. So, anyway, we are now about 7-10 miles down the canyon from J car and my keys and so C starts hiking up. J and I decide to try and flag down a ride. I'll just paint the picture for you and leave it at that... if you can imagine me in my bathing suit standing on the side of the road (smartly under the dim light of the one street lamp that luckily was there...) with my thumb out trying to flag down a ride from cars going 60 miles an hour in a canyon that usually closes in about 20 minutes in almost the dead of night. Classic. Luckily, a car that I think missed it's turn and did a u-turn where I was stopped and as J. came out of hiding almost took off again before we were able to convince the guy to give J and I both a ride up the canyon to J's car. We pass C on the way to get the key back and then come back to pick him up. Anyway, end of the story is everything turned out okay and it was just another great adventure for the members of the one and only Adventure Club. Next up on the agenda... we leave tomorrow at either 6pm or midnight (don't ask) to head up to Seattle for our next big adventure. The Ocean!

Maija finds her sport

Oh man, oh man. Saturday was a freaking phe-nom-in-al day! So much fun. J. came and got me at 9am and we went Sea Kayaking on Utah Lake for the next 5 hours. It was so much fun and I was so comfortable and relaxed. K. even said I looked great at it. She was suprised how naturally I took to it. Of course, I didn't tell her that I had done it a couple of times before in Seattle. We practiced our open water re-entrys and I got it handed to me. I guess getting out of an up turned boat is easy but getting back in in the middle of the lake with waves all around you is a little harder. I'm bruised everywhere and sore and so happy. It took me like 20 minutes to get back in the first time. I couldn't get the balance just right so as soon as I was on top of the boat then I'd pitch forwards or backwards and roll the sucker again. But I finally figured out the trick that works for me and so *hopefully* shouldn't have a problem with it now. Oh man, really, I was high the rest of the day. I'm already to go again. I don't even know how to express to you the great joy and happiness that was mine that day. SO MUCH FUN!! Maija has definatly found her sport. Yup, I'm a sea kayaker.

Unsent

Last night I wanted to write letters to some people in my life, sort of saying what I wish I could say but for lots of reasons can't. It was very holistic. I guess by the time I've got them from my heart to my head and then paper and now computer I'm pretty much purged of it and can let it go. I don't know... Maybe I've been listening to to much Alanis Morrisette. But anyway, here for you all in all of it's raw gore is my own personal version of 'Unsent...'

Dear XXXXX,
Frustrating that I can't be friends with you any more. The epitome of all my control issues, I guess. I miss having the ball in my court. I miss you chasing me. I'm tired of running after you. It turns out in the end you don't understand me like I had hoped. Or if you do, you're cruel. I don't really miss the chase I guess as much as what it represented. The excitement of thinking you wanted me and the hope of what that could mean.

Dear XXXXXX,
You made me almost believe in nice guys. I almost believed that I could find what I was looking for. That was awfully mean of you. Especially when you knew you weren't available. You shouldn't have spent those late nights climbing, those deep conversations, those laughing fun moments with me. You shouldn't have lifted me so high when you knew how hard and fast I fall... and how scared I was to.

Dear XXXXX,
So much time invested and what to show for it? You've been a good springboard for some life lessons but your teaching style at times is to harsh. I'm frustrated though by how badly at times I still want you. The hope for future and family sometimes is stronger then the voice of reason. I'm sorry we can never really be true, great friends. You've seen me at my worst and known me at my best and still you said you didn't want me. I'm sorry, but I just can't get over that.

Dear XXXX,
I'm happier pretending with you then I am in reality with everyone else. Sometimes I wish you could just come and rescue me from everything. But such a big difference between could and would. Would you? I guess that's where the pretend part comes in. In my dreams you are everything. But then again, I guess it's easy to fall in love by yourself.

Another Adventure!!

From : graftonstreet
Sent : Monday, June 19, 2006 5:02 PM
To : maijabee
Subject : sea kayaking

talked to j. a bit and ...... it looks like a sea kayaking trip just might become a reality this summer. D. will be here the whole month of august so I have a baby sitter. San Juans seem like a nice destination. I assume that you'd be joining us, especially if we stay at your folks house for a night. :) anyway before that we may wish to get you into a boat at least once. we'll also need to figure out an itinerary. leaning towards the cheaper the better.

Yeah!! Looks like Maija's getting ready to go on another adventure. I love summer!!

Oh Hum

What to write, what to write. So, I've decided to get out of dodge. I'm going to move to Oregon. I haven't decided yet if I want to move to Portland or Eugene but I'm thinking that this should all go down next June. That's just 1 year from now. In the mean time then I've got to get my finances under control so I've got a lot saved up for first and last and incase I don't find a job right away. I've got to finish my last semester of school which is going to take money as well. I've got to start looking on line for apartments, maybe contact the Ward out there and see if people are looking for roommates. I should probably update my resume and maybe post it on Monster or someting. If nothing else, I should at least start figuring out how to check out the job market. Hmm.. interesting. This may take me two years. So, what has inspired this desire to pick up and take off? Well, I've been fighting the feeling for about a year or two already. I love Utah and I've been very happy here but I just feel that I've gotten to old and to mature for this town. It may also be that I've started wearing my Young Women medalian necklace in the hopes of attracting some pencil necked geek in a white shirt and tie and it turns out that it doesn't work! The only person who has noticed and subsequently asked me out is a guy with tattoos all up and down his back and neck. He asked me about it and I told him it was advertising. He laughed and thought it was an interesting idea. He says he may not look the part but really, you can't judge a book by it's cover. Good or bad. Awesome. Anyway, yeah, I'm done with Provo. i just hope to go out with a bang. I'm going to have to take every advantage this year. That means, I've got to do everything that I can do in Provo in June this June. Because, hey! this might be my last June here! Yippy! Oregon will be fun. I can just tell.

Maija goes accoustic

So, on this last camping trip with J. the big joke of the trip was that J. brought a guitar. If you can imagine a nice guitar (yeah right! He bought it at a garage sale for 40$) all double wrapped up in two dry bags tied to the back of a big raft, it made quite the picture. But it was for me a highlite. J. and I were in the same boat and the first day on some of the long slow stretches of straight water he'd pop the sucker out and play. It was fun to have him play songs I know and get to do a sing along. I suck at singing but it's fun to belt it out anyway. I think that there is nothing nicer in the whole wide world then a guitar at a campfire. J. said, and I agree, that he wouldn't want to be around one without a guitar. Well, the only way to ensure there is not only one but also someone who can play is to learn to do it yourself. So, I know I've previously mentoned in an attempt to better myself I started guitar lessons... well, I've picked it up again full force. And, because I don't have two drybags and because I've always got to be just a little bit different I am pleased to announce...dun du du da... ta dah!!... I bought myself a mandolin. It will fit in ONE dry bag! Yeah! So, I'm going to teach myself to play and I'm very excited about it. And just in case it turns out to be too hard, well, I was sure to pick a very pretty one that will look beautiful gathering dust on my wall. Good job Maija!

I know, I know...

Yikes! I haven't written in so long now, I have so much to catch up on its a bit overwhelming. So, I'm just going to start writing and when I get tired of it I'll stop. So, now you've had fair warning. Okay, first of all I went on a week long rafting trip down Desolation Canyon the week before Memorial Day. I went with my friend Adventure J. and about 14 other friends. We took 4 paddle rafts, a duckie and J.'s kayak. We spend 4 days on the river doing about 25-30 miles a day. During the flat water points we'd just paddle and coast and anticipate the rapids. Sometimes we'd pull over for lunch and sometimes we'd do a floating lunch where we'd tie the rafts together and make a big barge. When we were ready to stop for the day we would pull over on river right when we saw a sandy beach and set up camp. We went for some hikes, saw some abandoned cabins that Butch Cassidy used to hide out in in Robbers Roost, some petrogliphs, everything. I had a book race with J. that was a lot of fun. Trying to see who could finish theirs first and that was a lot of fun. One of my favorite memories of the trip was one night J. and I lied in both ends of the duckie and read until dusk. It was a very nice, very relaxing trip. I got nice and tan and just the littlest bit burned. Perfect. I came back nice and rejuvinated. I'd like to fill my summer up with trips like this. I love backpacking/back country adventures. I wish I could live out in one of those little cabins, or maybe a teepee somewhere and just spend my days sitting under a tree and wondering about catching a fish for dinner. Phenominal.
Okay, another fun thing... a couple days ago I did a Sauna. My friend K. went on his mission to Finland and when he came back he built a Finnish sauna in his back yard. A little cedar hut with a wood burning stove that has hot rocks on top and a bucket of water. I spent about 3 hours going in and out and in and out. First we started with dry heat, just sitting there until your body starts to sweat profusely. We had the tempurature at about 190 degrees. Then, you take a dipper of water and through it on the rocks. When the steam hits you at first it's SO scary because it's SO hot and you have to take a deep breath and let that hot air into your body and let it just sort of consume you. You have be sure not to panic because you want to but just sort of accept it. A very interesting lesson for something in life, I'm sure. Once you've taken all you can stand you run outside and there is a cold shower. It's crazy!! But it feels so good. So, then you wait a bit and do it again. K. had built a fire in his back yard so we sat around that before we were ready to go back into the sauna. Okay, in my perfessional opinion the first bit of "landscaping" I'm going to do when I have my own house is to build a sauna. If you can imagine I'll have this nasty dirt yard with no order and then a beautiful sauna just sitting there. That was just so much fun.
On a different note that might not be so much fun I had to move. I had to leave my cute little house with a tree and a yard and a garage and a garden and move into an apartment with noisy neighbors that stomp above me and asphalt. Lots of asphalt. But I live there all by myself which I like. Actually, it scares me how much I like living alone. I wonder if it's healthy.... But anyway, I have it all set up now mostly just the way I like it. And home really isn't as much where you hang your hat as it is where your heart is anyway. Which by the way is out in some teepee somewhere with some mountain man in leather and I really wish it would come back because I need it here at this stupid apartment, but I digress...
On the last note, I've started to wear my Young Women's medalion necklace. I know, I know. I've already been teased a bunch for it. But the point of it is this... I'm tired of Non LDS type boys asking me out all the time, because I go out with them and like them and it sucks that I can't marry them. So, to kind of discourage them I'm going to wear the most obnoxious sign of my religion. I mean, worse then the CTR rings which I might start wearing as well. I figure I can't realistically fast for 40 days and 40 nights like some people did, but I can do something else that's just as painful. So, until some good LDS boy asks me out, I'll take all the crap. Bring it on Sucka's.
Anyway, I'm tired now. So much love to all!