Starting to feel like home

Today was Johnny-Scout Day, here at the base. And, can I just say, it was a complete blast! For those who don't know, Johnny-Scout day is a day when all of the return river guides behave as the worst scouts they've ever taken down the river and do all of stupid things a scout has every done--all in one day. My friend Jamie and I (we're the only female guides this year, and we're both return guides) actually paired up in a canoe instead of riding gusto (by ourselves, in our own canoes, like everyone else) so we could really play off each other as we were going down the river.
It was great! We told all of the guides that my name was Teena Tonner and her name was Tonna Teener. And then we switched names half way through the day--just to throw them off. I wore bright green goggles on my head all day, and "Tonna" wore a superman tank top over her life jacket. Basically we were awesome.
The key was to do things that we had actually seen and had scouts do to us. It was great. The highlights include swamping our canoe immediately after we launched. The put-in is located just before Wilson bridge, and we use a shallow eddy area right in front of the pile-on to launch. We did what at least one scout pair does every week and hit the pile-on immediately and swamped. It was hilarious.
We sang obnoxious songs all the way--with the crucial "just around the riverbend" a few too many times--and kept telling our guide that "When I was here last year, the guides let us take whatever channel we wanted," or "Last year the river guides didn't yell as much...maybe you shouldn't yell at Johnny and Edwin when they swamp their boats." Our guide got so frustrated with us, it was hilarious. But I feel kind of bad about it now. Kind of.
And I lost my life jacket. Don't worry, I had my own in my dry bag, and the jacket I lost was one that they were throwing away anyway cus it was torn. But I had a scout leader lose his once on the river, so I had to do the same thing. That's what Johnny-Scout Day is all about! When my guides realized I didn't have one on, they flipped. They couldn't figure out what to do about it, til I finally pulled my own jacket out.
But my favorite moment was after lunch when we got ahead of the group and Jamie dropped me off at a log jam in the middle of the river, and then kept paddling downstream. It took the guides about 45 minutes to find me and rescue me. It was great! I just sat there chilling in the middle of the river, singing to myself and letting my feet dangle in the current. But then I started freaking out when I saw them, pretending I was barely balanced on it. They were actually kind of nervous for me, til they realized there was a huge calm eddy right behind the logs. But still. It was funny.

Anyway, enough of my antics that I'm oh-so-proud of. I just kind of wanted to share that being on the river this week really brought me back. Last week it didn't quite feel the same as it did when I was here last year, simply because it was so snowy and cold the whole week. But this week the sun came out and the water warmed up (and went up to 19,800 cfs, by the way! Charles, you would LOVE it. The waves at Junkyard are AWESOME! Red Moose is kind of a bummer, though. Sad.) I felt much more in my element walking around in a swimsuit and river shorts than when I was wearing a wet suit and neoprene socks with my chaco's last week. Too much neoprene drags you down, I've decided.
So, the point is this whole long blog is to say I feel like I'm home again. Now it really feels like the place where I met and (I'm pretty sure) I fell in love with my incredible husband. I'm back. Jackson will always be one of my homes. And I'm definitely home again.

Back in Jackson

I've been in Jackson for about a week now, and I must say it's changed. Not that the actually city has changed (except that the Jackson Playmill is called the Pink Garter now. What?!), but the dynamic with everyone here is different. I'm sure it's partly because I'm married now, and there's a whole new staff and all that jazz...but there's definitely something different. Different in a good way.
I'm excited about the staff this year. Dave Kunz knows what he's doing, and he's making some extremely needed changes with the camp. In fact, everyone seems to know what they're doing. Last year it was just a bunch of power-trippy "leaders" who didn't lead. I'm thinking this year is going to be awesome.

We came home for the weekend. Daniel had a state in-training for bus drivers today, so I'm just chilling at his parents house. (yay...) I wouldn't have come if the camp didn't need so many vehicles picked up from the council office. We had to drive four people down here to pick up a couple vans and a truck. I'm excited about the truck, though. We're gonna have something that runs this year, instead of that dead, old diesel sitting at camp.

It snowed on Wednesday. And I mean hard core snow--we're talking blizzard here. And the guides were training in the National Park that day. For those who don't know, the park is the most dangerous stretch we do, and tack on limited visibility and hypothermia...not a good mix. We were supposed to do a triple run that day, but we voted not to. We all went back to camp for a history lesson after the first run, instead. I didn't mind--I like the history of the park.

That's all. Farewell fond readers.

Lost and found

Good news all!

I found my life jacket! I kept getting this crazy feeling that I never actually packed up my life jacket, and guess what. I hadn't!

Today, my boss let me take the office car and drive down to my old apartment to see if I had left it there, but when I got there no one was home. Well, I've broken into that apartment so many times before, I was confident I could do it again. Alas, someone had placed a block of wood in the window to keep it closed. Well, with my nimbleness I scaled the side of the building and broke into one of the other windows. Ok, just kidding. I didn't climb the brick building. But I DID manage to get through the kitchen window anyway. A stupid piece of wood can't stop me. What were they thinking?

So I got in and guess what was hanging in the front closet... a bright yellow pfd! Mine. Not theirs.

So I took it. Along with my rain jacket and my pvc pipe for the gunwales of my canoe. Huzzah!

But I lost the keys for the change machines at work. I feel like an idiot. I mean, we have spares and stuff...but still. I felt like a complete dipstick.

I was much cheered though, when my boss informed me she was going home early and that I could use the computer. So I promptly hopped on and looked at my weddings pictures! I hadn't seen them yet, cus my parents still had them in Virginia. And for some insane reason, Gerald won't read burned CDs. Stupid. I know.

There, Lizzy. How many words is that?

High emotions

My emotions were running extremely high yesterday. I don't know why I couldn't just find a happy medium--I was either fuming mad, or holding back tears, or overjoyed. I just kept swinging from one extreme emotion to the next.
It started when I got home. I walked in the door at about four o'clock--an early time for me. I had just gotten an A on a big presentation and paper and finally finished my paperwork for camp. I walked in and my wonderful husband was sitting on the couch watching the travel channel. I'm not a huge "watch-tv-when-you-get-home-to-relax" kind of person, but he occasionally is. And I'm glad he decided to watch the travel channel--I like travel, and I don't mind hearing all about Oslo, or Samarkand as I do dishes or fold laundry in the other room. And I was happy. Very happy. I just sat on the couch next to Daniel for a bit and smiled. I couldn't think of anything else to do; I was that happy.
But later on we went to his parents house to get my life jacket so I could use it when I go up to Camp Tracy for canoe training (it's mostly just for the newbies...) But when we got to looking through all of the stuff I have stored there we couldn't find the box labeled "TAKE TO JACKSON." We searched for a really long time, and I even opened a box that I was pretty sure just had jackets and such for winter. (Guess what: I was right.) We finally had to give up, simply because we didn't have anywhere else to look. We both double checked my truck, just to make sure I hadn't stashed it behind the seat, or wedged between the spare and the wheel well. It wasn't there. At that point, I was mad. I was furious that I had misplaced something. I'm kind of a control freak, and not knowing where my own belongings are just irritated me to the core.
Then, as we were driving home Daniel was so nice about putting good music on that he knows I like. He started with Mika, then quickly realized I was too mad to sing along so he played Wicked instead. He thought for sure I couldn't resist a little Defying Gravity. He even said, "Emile, relax. Sing along; it'll make you feel better." I told him I didn't want to...I wanted to think about where else my stuff could be. I think he caught the clue when I huffed and pounded the steering wheel as I drove. He kind of shut up after that.
I feel really bad now about being rude to him. It isn't his fault my stuff is missing. I don't think it's anyone's fault--but I was mad and kind of took it out on him. I wish I hadn't been so frustrated.
When we got home I proceeded to search through a few more places I thought I might have put it. I stormed through the house in a huff until I had exhausted all possible hiding places for that ridiculous pfd. And to no avail. Finally, Daniel helped me pick up the mess I had made and mentioned under his breath, "You're no fun when you're mad." Then he quietly left me sitting on the bed and went to finish his book.
I felt terrible. I sat down to work on my activity budget presentation and was barely able to concentrate long enough to finish it. When I was done I went over and sat down next to Daniel and apologized.
I'm a horrible apologizer. I never sound sincere, even when I am. I told him how sorry I was for storming around and spreading my bad spirits, and he accepted my apology but I'm afraid he thought I was just making the motions. I am a horrible apologizer.
That's when I just wanted to cry. I was so frustrated with myself. The whole day I just switched from one extreme emotion to the next, and I never stopped to think about how it was affecting others.
I'm working on controlling myself. I'm working on it.

Birthdays, Jackson, and other such fun

I've become one of those people that feels they need to create a blog in order to keep others updated on their lives. I've always felt that it was an unnecessary step to take, but my feelings on the matter have changed. I've realized that I'm the epitome of a poor correspondent, and that I don't do much to keep up with people--either to see how they're doing or to let them know how I'm doing. But I realized that my sister has very few means of communicating with us, other than her lovely blog, now that she's in Russia. And it occurred to me that although I'm not moving to the other side of the world, I AM moving to Jackson Hole and I might possibly be in a similar situation soon.
So here I am: blogging. I've created this to keep everyone updated on what Daniel and I are up to. And because I'll be blogging, I will most likely be reading up on everyone else as well. Thus, I am making an effort to be a better correspondent. Wish me luck. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it eventually...right now I'm just lamenting the fact that I've become one of those people. I can't really call them those people anymore, can I? Now they are my people...
Regardless of what kind of people they are, or I am, I suppose my first update is in order.
Friday was my birthday, and what a glorious day it was too! It was full of wonderful surprises, all put together by the most amazing man in my life. (That's Daniel, in case no one got it...)
It all started on Monday when Daniel and I went to look at mountain bikes. We've recently decided that mountain biking a sport that Daniel loves and does quite well at, and one that I should start to love and excel in. That way we have something we can do together--other than burn gas going off-roading, which we've pretty much mastered. And it's a great way to do something healthy. So, we were considering getting a mountain bike for me.
So we went to a few different shops and got a few opinions from people who are supposedly experienced and people who actually are, until I test-rode a bike that I was pretty sure was "the one." Unfortunately, Daniel informed me that we did not have the money for the bike at the moment..."maybe after payday," he said. Alas, there was no purchasing of a bike. I did, however, purchase a helmet to take with me on my trip to Moab with my class (more on that later...)
So, the next day we went back to our normal, non-Memorial Day weekend lives and bored our minds out with work. I made my daily hour-long commute to Provo and dreamt of my bike that may or may not be mine.
Then, on Wednesday, I left for Moab for my Venturing Outdoor Leadership class. We drove down and hiked Delicate Arch on Wednesday (the license plate arch), went mountain biking (when I consecrated my new helmet), rock climbing, and rappelling on Thursday, then drove home on Friday. (Ok, I'll admit it. I didn't actually do the rock climbing and rappelling part. I did belay, however, which is quite an accomplishment for me. I just didn't want to subject the class to the sight of me being ill as I try to conquer the height. That's something I'll work on with just a few close friends, thank you!) When I got back to my apartment on Friday afternoon I lethargically wondered in and dumped my pack in the middle of the floor then proceeded to pull my sandy sleeping back out to air out. Then I flopped dramatically on the couch to call my husband and let him know I was home. "I'mdrivingI'llcallyouback," was all I got out of him. It's kind of against the rules for him to talk on the phone while he's got a school bus full of kids, so I don't blame him. So, then I meandered into the bathroom to relieve myself after several hours of driving, and then wandered into the bedroom. And this is part that I love to tell.
I walked into the room and standing next to the window was the beautiful bike I had picked out on Monday. It stood there in all its glory, with its not too flashy colors, its seat adjusted just right, and its tires still slightly muddy from my test ride on Monday. And sitting on the bedside table was a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, with all of my favorites: stargazers, oriental lilies, gerbers, calla lilies, and Daniel's favorite spider mums. It was bedecked with violet stock, and fern leaves (not the ones that sprinkle everywhere and drive me nuts, but the pretty ones), along with calla lily leaves. It was so colorful and vibrant--absolutely gorgeous. And he had gotten a cook book for me (which I love!) that has a picture for every recipe. That's my thing...I like to know if what I made looks right, so I want a picture for each recipe. He was so cute and remembered. I went through and marked all of the recipes I wanted to try first, and as I was flipping through I found a card informing me that Daniel had gotten tickets to see Into the Woods when it's in town in October. Basically, I was the happiest woman on earth. Daniel's favorite part of this whole story is when I tell everyone that he had also spelled "Happy Birthday" in q-tips on the bed. If nothing else, he's creative.
I was so shocked! I had talked to him the night before and he had said that we would have to sit down and talk about the mountain bike...see if we could budget it in somehow. Little did I know that when I was picking out a helmet on Monday, he had gone and put the bike hold. Then, while I was gone, he went and paid for it. Apparently, we did have enough money for it...he was just tricking me. Silly boy. I fell for it.
Then, that night, we went to Rodizio Grill (where I had requested to go for my birthday dinner) and I was shocked to learn that he had invited all of our friends too! Honestly, if I had know he was inviting other people I would have picked a much less expensive restaurant! But as we sat there waiting for our table to be ready, in walked Randy. Then Mike and Tandi. Then Jessica and Brennan! I was shocked! Huzzah for the amazing husband, huh?
We had a great time at dinner, then went to Jessica and Brennan's to play Rock Band. And by that I mean the boys all played while Jessica and I talked about everything under the sun. Daniel and I didn't leave until 2am! This is not common for us, might I add. All in all, it was a spectacular birthday.

But now I'm back to real life, which kinda really bites. This is my last week of school til September, but that's only because we leave for Jackson Hole on Friday. So this week is going to be hellish as I work out taking finals, final papers, presentations, plus everything that I would normally be doing two weeks before the end of the term.
We're packing everything up in our apartment, and everything in his parents house. That's going to be the problem--his parents house. He's got EVERYTHING in that room of his. And you would think that he could have managed to pack it up before we got married...but that's far too logical. We're finally moving away and his brothers coming home from his mission so he HAS to move his stuff out. So add that to everything else. What fun!

I can't wait til we're in Jackson, though. It's going to be so wonderful to be back there. I'll get to be on the river everyday, getting skinny and sexy tan. And I'll get to see Daniel everyday, and we'll actually get to share every single meal together! That hasn't happened since last summer. Even though we live together, we say goodbye at six thirty in the morning and then I don't see him until at least six or seven at night. Later on some nights. So it will be glorious. I'm definitely my happiest in Jackson. That's where I met the love of my life after all...

Sorry about the long post. I'll try to keep it shorter next time.