Summer Plans

It's 1:23 am, but I can't sleep so what better else to do than write on my blog and let you all know about my plans for the summer.

First of all, I don't think that I ever wrote on here that I have started to work at the MTC. I started right before I left for Ecuador, met my district for 1 day and then I left and they had a teacher sub in my place for the month I was gone and then I came back and they were in their 5th week. I like it a lot. It stretches me and makes me almost feel like I am back out in the field because I find myself stressing and thinking about them all day even when I am not at work just like we do with investigators. It will be good though.

I also am still doing some work for the Vein Center. I just have a hard time leaving that place. Everyone is just so good to me, they are really flexible with my hours and they have killer bonuses and kick backs. I will have to quit in the fall. Actually, I don't know if I will officially quit, maybe just stay on prn, but I won't be able to handle working at both during the school year. It was a hard decision to "leave" just because I do like them so much, but I figure that I will be able to do medical stuff for the rest of my life if I choose, and working at the MTC is kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I also started working at the Provo Temple a couple of weeks ago. It has been in the plans since I got home from the mission, but it takes a while for everything to be processed, to schedule an interview with President Bateman (yeah that was cool) and by that time I was about to go to Ecuador, so I decided to wait to start until after I got back. I work Monday mornings from 6 to 11, so if any of you want to come in during that time I would love to see you. I have really loved it so far. First of all, I feel like I have 30 new grandmas. The first day, they all were calling me Kathy (not really sure why), but then one of them read my nametag last time and realized that it was Katie, and quickly spread the word to the other ladies. So cute. Second of all, I think that it will really help me take the time to ponder and meditate a little more which is something I have really been missing lately. So that is exciting.

If that isn't enough to keep me busy, I finally decided to go ahead and sign up for the Provo Canyon half-marathon on August 8th. I had been wanting to do it for a while, but wouldn't ever commit myself, but I paid on Monday and so there is no turning back. I don't really have a time goal or anything, just a goal to run the whole time. I convinced three of my other roommates to do it with me, so that will be fun. I have a lot of work to do to work up to 13 miles, but it will be good.

Travel plans:

I am going to go up to Seattle again and visit my parents at the end of June when my missionaries leave for the field.

My friend Eleanor and I are planning on putting together a roadtrip out to Mount Rushmore sometime this summer which should be really fun (there are still spots available on this one, so if you are interested, let me know. . . ).

My cousin Becca and I are planning on travelling out of the country for her birthday, August 14. We still don't have firm dates or even a destination yet, just that we will leave after I run on August 8th and make sure that we are gone over her birthday. Becca is in Africa right now, so she's kind of left it up to me to choose our destination with the sole request being that it be a country she's never been to before which doesn't sound too hard until you see her list: USA(born and raised), Australia, Canada(2 times), United Kingdom(3 times), Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Argentina(2 times), China/Hong Kong, Guatemala(4 times), Honduras, Mexico(3 times),Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Holland(2 times), Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Thailand, France(2 times), Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Belgium, Ethiopia, Kenya, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Paraguay, Brazil (3 times), Costa Rica, and Belize(2 times). Ridiculous. The girl even has plans to go to Anarctica this January or February! Jealous. I think the top contenders right now are: Switzerland, Greece and Denmark, but we'll see.

And sometime before the summer ends, I will also need to go on a couple overnight camping trips or something random and fun.

So yeah. My Grandma Fern summed it up best when I was talking to her the other day on the phone. She said, "Well at least you don't have to worry about waking up in the morning and not knowing what to do with yourself." She is right, and it should be fun.

I hate when I do stupid things

So I am sick today. I have actually been sick with a nasty cough and congestion for over a week, but refused to let it really slow me down. I didn't feel too bad this morning--tired, but not bad. I got up and ran, came back, showered and headed over to the parents' place to do some work for them. I haven't had much of an appetite all week but especially not today. I only had eaten like two little oatmeal cookies and a string cheese by 3 o'clock when I left my parents' house. Driving home, I found myself falling asleep at the wheel (it's only like 1 mile I know!). I was supposed to be at work at the MTC at 5 so I showered, and after, I was so tired that I decided to lay down for a few minutes. I only was able to sleep for like 15 minutes and then I decided I had better get up and get something to eat and finish getting ready before I had to take off.
So I went out to the kitchen, put some water on to boil, talked to my roommate Shar for a minute and then headed back to the bathroom to dry my hair. At this point, I started to get really light headed and I couldn't even stand in one place to dry my hair without swaying around like I was about to pass out or fall over. I didn't have a lot of time so I just kept trying to dry my hair. Next thing I know, I am running into the bathroom and am sitting on the floor and emptying what little I had eaten throughout the day. I had to call in sick obviously to the MTC which I felt SUPER bad about because my missionaries have already had subs almost every day this week for their other teacher, but there was no way I could go, so what are you going to do.
Anyway, the point is: I hate when I do stupid things. I don't know if any of you remember or read the post I put up about http://doihavetheswineflu.com/ only to come home and find that my own workplace was inundated with real cases of the H1N1 itself. I don't really think that I have the swine flu, especially because I haven't ever had a fever, and am actually running a low temp but it still makes me regret and feel stupid about mocking the swine flu when now I myself am somewhat wondering if I will become a victim to it. I hope that someday I will learn not to mock silly things because they always seem to come back and bite me in the end.

final post of Ecuador

check out the 27th!!!