Monday, June 8, 2009

7 Random Things

I originally was tagged back in December. I started the post but never finished. I came across it today when going through all of the drafts I have of unpublished blog posts. I decided to finish it today:

Well, I got tagged about a week ago (thanks Mom) so I guess I should probably follow through on that, even if it's belated. The rules are pretty straight forward: list 7 random facts about yourself and then tag 7 other people to do the same. Most of the people I know to tag my mom already got, so I'll see what I can do about that one later.

But for now, here's to seven.

1. I grew up in a musical family. And when I say musical family, I mean musical family. You know, the kind where we are all judged on what instrument we play, how well, and for how long. The kind of musical family that contains generations of band directors (from junior high on up to college), professional performers, singers, private lesson teachers, and well, really anything you can think of, on almost every instrument. So naturally, I spent most of my youth learning to play the piano, and then later the French Horn. When I got to college, I didn't pursue music as a major, but I was in the marching band for all four years which was a lot of fun and provided an instant group of friends. Now that I no longer choose to dedicate my time to honing my skills at the piano or horn, I am learning to play the guitar. So far it is filling that musical void nicely.


2. I'm having a hard time deciding what to do with my life. Whomever decided that by the age of 18 you need to go to college, pick a major, and soon thereafter begin a career obviously knew what they wanted to do when they were 5. There are so many options! I'm five years past the point when I was supposed to "pick something to do with my life" and I still haven't figured it out. I do know one thing, however: no matter what I choose, no matter where I end up, I will always be in a place where I'm doing my best to have a positive influence in this world. I want to be a giver, not a receiver.

3. Even though I don't know where I want my life to go, who I'll meet along the way, or how I will get there, I would say that I'm pretty satisfied right now. Sure, there are ups and downs, stress over how long I will get to keep my job, what goals am I working toward now? and when, where, and what grad school will be about. I've got a lot to think about, no doubt. However, I am enjoying my little apartment, the shops that are near by, still living fairly close to my family and friends, being able to ride my bike to work, taking guitar lessons, reading all kinds of books, and otherwise being happy. And that is what this is all about.

4. I love to cook, however I wont claim to be good at it. I just took a bread baking class through the community education program, which was great! I like perusing recipes and trying out new flavors. Many people ask me if being a vegetarian (which I've been now for about 2.5 years) is difficult, but I don't think so. Though it was challenging at first, it's actually been quite the positive experience. I feel I am more healthy, I don't have to worry about the environmental impacts the meat industry is making since I don't support ANY of it or what humane practices are or are not being used, and I have discovered so many new wonderful cuisines because of it.

5. I have one of the rarest personality types in the world (INFJ). This personality type is widely misunderstood, which explains why people have a tough time understanding where I'm coming from. I've never met anyone else who thinks the same way I do, aspires to the same things, and is also afraid of the same things. One way INFJ's are described is: "They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people...on the contrary, INFJs are true introverts." This can sum up my life pretty well. I hate making phone calls, I dislike giving presentations, and I get extremely anxious when being put on the spot. (Though this has gotten better in the past year with some of things I have to do at work.) But when I tell people I hate these things, they generally don't believe me. I don't give too much stock to my personality type dictating my life, however it does provide some interesting insight.

6. When I'm brushing my teeth at night and swishing around my mouth wash I think about what I would do if I were ever on one of the Listerine commercials? How would I swish this stuff around? What kind of face would I make? This one? Or what about this? Oh, that one was good. THAT would be funny on a commercial.

7. Everything in life seems better after a good thunderstorm. It doesn't rain here much (though after this week, it might be hard to tell). It's a desert. It's hot. Especially at this time of year. The cool days of spring are fading and the crisp burn of summer will soon be upon us. But when the weight of the world is on your shoulders, there is nothing better than spending the evening sitting on the porch, watching the lighting in the distance, hearing the consequent rumble, counting the passing seconds to discern how far away the center of the storm is, thinking of all the other times I've sat on porches doing these same things, and smelling the plants breathe again as the humidity rises...Then comes the rain. It washes the world clean, carrying the stresses of today away until another tomorrow. The neighborhood is refreshed as steam rises from the hot, black streets after the passing storm. I am rejuvenated and can take on anything. Drink it in.

Saturday Adventure on Antelope Island

Over the weekend my friend, Deborah, and I went for a hike out on Antelope Island. We decided that it was a perfect day to try the highest point on the island, Frary Peak. The hike is about 8 miles round trip and provides many beautiful views of all sides of the lake. We were pretty tired after the trek up to the 6,600 ft peak (a climb of over 2,000 vertical feet from the trail head) and back, so as we were driving home we decided to head over to the other side of the island for a quick wade in the lake.

View from the top of Frary Peak (looking South)
We didn't have a camera, but this is similar to what we saw.
Photo Credit

I had never swam in the Great Salt Lake before, which seems kind of strange since I've lived here all my life. It was good to get that checked off the list. As we were there wading in the water, Deborah (who was excited to finally teach me something about the outdoors) was telling me about the sand on the beach.

It's called oolitic sand, and it's apparently fairly unique. It's only found in a few other places around the planet and is different from regular sand in the fact that it is smooth and rounded, while regular sand is very angular. Oolitic sand at the Great Salt Lake is unique because it is not mineral fragments that were washed down from higher ground like sand in most places, but was formed within the Great Salt Lake:

"An oolite has a shell of concentric layers of calcium carbonate that precipitated around a nucleus or central core. The nucleus is usually a tiny brine shrimp fecal pellet or a mineral fragment. Oolites form in shallow, wave-agitated water, rolling along the lake bottom and gradually accumulating more and more layers." - Utah Geological Survey

Saturday, June 6, 2009

A New Friend

I signed up to be a "big sister" with Big Brothers Big Sisters a couple of months ago. It takes several weeks to process the paperwork, but background checks were passed and now I have a new "Little."

Her name is Melissa and she is one cute little girl! She just finished up forth grade. So far we've done two activities. The first time we met up was last week where we went out for ice cream and wrote down all of the fun things we wanted to do together in the next year. (BBBS requires a year commitment once you are matched with your Little. This way it teaches the kids that they can count on someone, trust is earned by both parties, and relationships are built. Studies have apparently found that anything less than 6-8 months can do serious damage to a child.) After finishing up our ice cream we headed over to the park where we played on the monkey bars and the swings. Then we waded around in the stream and threw rocks at stuff. Then I taught her how to successfully throw a frisbee and she taught me how to do a decent cartwheel. A good day in all!!

The next time we got together was a few days ago. This time we went up to my house so she could see where I live. We wanted to play soccer, but her soccer ball was very flat so we walked down to the store to buy a needle to pump up the ball. We stopped in some of the shops in Sugarhouse along the way. We kicked around the soccer ball for a while and then we made some dinner (Macaroni and cheese with strawberries on the side...I don't think she gets the whole vegetarian thing, but we can compromise!). After dinner we sat out on the balcony and watched the birds while she told me about her friends and family. Fortunately it didn't rain that day.

Next week we are going to go get some dinner together and work on our list again. We both had some more ideas of things to put on there, so we will have to write them all down. So far things are going well, even if we are both a bit quiet sometimes. This will definitely be an adventure!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Obama Declares Great Outdoors Month, June 2009


President Obama declared June 2009 to be the Great Outdoors Month. While talking about the many outdoor opportunities the United States offers from rural and urban settings to state and national parks in his press release, the President spoke of the health benefits these settings offer. He also stated:

"My Administration is working to connect America's youth with our treasured landscapes, which should be viewed as classrooms for environmental education and gateways to careers in natural resources. These efforts will include outreach to those who typically lack representation in, and exposure to, these fields."

To achieve this goal, the President also announced:

"The Department of the Interior is launching a summer mentoring initiative as part of this effort. This program invites families and friends to teach children about the joys and wonders of the outdoors. My Administration is also increasing the number of youth involved in national service on public lands. Through AmeriCorps and other programs and partnerships, we can continue our Nation's proud tradition of service and respect for the environment."

It's an exciting time for Environmental Education indeed! According to the American Recreation Coalition, "Presidential recognition of Great Outdoors Week was begun in 1997 by then-President Clinton and has continued ever since. Since 2004, Presidential proclamation of Great Outdoors Month has come annually, celebrating a variety of important events and actions that occur during the month. Great Outdoors Month highlights the benefits of active fun outdoors and our magnificent shared resources of forests, parks, refuges, and other public lands and waters. Media attention to the proclamation triggers actions by millions of households and prompts public discussion of important issues linked to outdoor recreation, including volunteerism, health, and outdoor ethics."

In addition to the Presidential declarations, many state governors have also issued declarations for Great Outdoors Month. Governor Huntsman was one of these state governors and deemed June 2009 to be the Utah Great Outdoors Month.

Photo Credit

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Earth 2100: Climate Change TV Special

Earth 2100 is a television special airing tonight (June 2) at 9:00 pm Eastern time on ABC that uses real news clips and information combined with a fictional graphic novel that narrates the next 90 years on Earth through the eyes of a fictional woman named Lucy as the world experiences climate change.

The story follows the story of Lucy, who was born on June 2, 2009, and explores some of the things that could happen in the coming century concerning climate change. To find out more about this special, watch the video on YouTube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLbI83uqL4k