December? what the crap!

Wholy schneikeies! Where has this year gone? oh ya I spent it traveling the world over and in school.. duh. But seriously.. Its crazy that it is already December.
The other crazy thing is the greenish lawn we still have outside. Did Utah not get the memo on snowfall this year? Honestly. If it has to be cold might as well make it pretty too. The trees are naked, not the embarrassing kind of naked but just the brr its cold outside and they need some snow on them kind of naked.
Ive kind of hung up my travel pass for a few weeks. After that super fun trip to Africa I was pretty much traveled out. That and the Taylors came to us for Thanksgiving so I was happy to stay home. Momma Green and Truman come next week and then twoish weeks after that the Flegalheimer crew is making a Utah cameo. How fun with Christmas be with family? Pretty awesome I think.
I do get to get in one more trip before the years end. I am taking Gma Helen out to Hawaii next weekend. We fly out on Saturday night and I turn right around and come home. How fun does that sound? Well If I can score first class seats this time it will be better than being stuck in coach like last time.
News on the job front. I didn't get the lead job. The company is blaming the economy and so for now they are not filling the position they had anticipated. Ive thought about heading to in-flight if that becomes available. Who knows what Dl will do but we will just have to see. I just don't want to loose my job after the holidays. THAT would super suck.
I'm off to see Light in the Piazza today with my friend Brandon. Ill give you all a heads up on how that turns out.
Here are a few pics from Africa that people have been asking for.

thats Amy, Maciej, Terry, Ella and Me

Ella and Mike on Table Mountain.

Pullin a Platypus.

On the Road to CapePoint

Ive been to all but one city you can read.. what is it?

the point

sunset on the beach. It was REALLY windy

A winery in the Wine Valley

this was at a really pretty winery

The following is rated PC.. Political Content

Upon returning home from Africa my email was bombed with news of Prop 8 passing in California. The following is a reporter expressing publicly what I felt on hearing and reading all the news articles.
You dont have to watch it but his voice is powerful in what he says.

I'm all traveled out!

I know for most of you reading that title, you never thought you would hear me say it. Well its true.. I've been away from home eight days now and traveled halfway around the world and back again. Short hops are all great and wonderful but it was a 24 hour trip there and about 18 coming back and now I'm looking at another 4 hours back home today. My bed is looking like a heaven on earth when I get in tonight..
See y'all soon!

How funny is this?

For those of you who know me well will hopefully be chuckling right along with me right about now.. This was in the jet way as I boarded my floight to Dakar..
Ill be back nest week with photos galore to share.. Love you all so much!

Civic duty and land speed records

So most of you know that I'm off on one of my adventures again.
My flight this morning is at 825am. I'm currently sitting in that seat now. HOWEVER I felt I needed to fullfill that ever important civic duty and vote. I wasn't sure if the polls would be open. With high hopes I swung by the library and found doors open. I was 10th in line and the pols opening at 7. I was thinking I just might make it!! THEN they told me that I had to go over to the rec center. The line had already formed and I was like 15 in line. A shout out to Dave Baird who let me swap him spaces and bump to first in line. I was able to cast my vote and let my voice be heard AND catch my flight to JFK, of course not with out doing some safe and speedy driving..
I don't know what it is lately but things have a way of working out.
For this trip, I was bumped into an earlier training class, someone asked Me for the swap instead of me having to search it out. The days off were granted without hesitation.. I was able to vote and make my flights. I hope I'm not jinxing myself here. I just have to give thanks to the universe out there..
Peace out

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Why is it so fun to dress up and just let go? I sure don't know but I know I love to do it. This year I made it to the Hal-Ho-Ween party that one of my coworkers threw and then I got to go out on Halloween night with my friends. The party was a little wild and crazy so I won't show off anything too risque, apparently those Delta folk really like to let their hair down. For my costume I got a jumbo bag of skittles and glued them in rainbows all over a blue shirt and blue pants. I invited all to come and taste my rainbow.

I ended up winning the award for most creative costume. NICE!
As for work I resurrected the kilt mom made for me in high school and sported that around the airport.



Love all the pictures I've seen of the family. You guys did awesome this year.
I'm off to Africa on Tuesday for Amy's birthday, I'll be back in a week. Love you all.

A hike with Katie and Brent

Tuesday I went down to Provo, my passport and visa packed and ready to enter the bubble.. hahahaha.. I actually did pack dinner because we were going to make dinner for our friend Michael Auras who was visiting from Germany.
Before we had dinner however we tried hiking the Y..
PS.. not for the asthmatic prone!
We did get however some fun photos..

Falling all over..

OK.. Snow already.. thats all I have to say. Yes we got snow up on the mountains this weekend. I feel like I need to be hiding my bike from the elements and living in my car. I may have to get one last ride in up the canyon with the units to see the leaves changing.
Im off to Mexico this weekend with my friends from phoenix so I should have some fun and exciting photos to share from that trip. 7 of us are renting a car and driving to Rocky Point.
I start my new shift at work today. I am at the ticket counter again. "Weight your bag, Pay cause its over weight.. " ya fun and exciting let me tell you! But it really can be fun when I get to talk to people who are going on fun trips.
So there you have it. A new post.. Enjoy!!!

Hungry?

Oh yeah.. I made cinamom rolls.. Thanks to shellys yummy recipie and my own cravings I have more breakfast rolls than I can eat.. Today that is!! Hehe

No news is good news?

I havent done anything super exciting lately. How sad that the last post on here was from my phone at the Taco Bell drive through!
School is going well. My creative writing class I'm finding not to be very creative. Ill have to see what I can glean from it to help with writing my books.
My next trip is a quick overnight to Las Vegas to see my friend Maciej. Ill take the last flight tomorrow night and the first flight back sunday morning. Less than 12 hours in Vegas but I will get to see my friend whom I've not seen in a long time.
Monday I am flying to Phoenix for Spa Week activites. Massage and pool time.. nothin better I say. Ill try to snap a few photos of each so that I can liven up the blog that seems to be lacking in umph.
Hope all are well. Sending sweet love to you all
oh and Happy Birthday to my two September Sisters!
Cheers

How does this work?

It says,"Made with natural fruit flavors. Products contain no fruit juices."
Could someone please explain how it can taste like naural fruit but not have any juice?

My Quick Trip to LA..

So you know how I like to go to the tapings of different talk shows and the like. Well I did it again. The Bonnie Hunt Show is taping and my friend Tiff and I went and had a day in LA and saw the show. That is when I went to In and Out for those asking where I was able to procure such wonderful cuisine.
On the show that day was Nia Vardalos and Glen Campbell. We all know Nia but who is the Glen Campbell character? Someone who was famous while my mother was still single so that part was WAY over my head.
If you get to see the show I am in a very green polo. So keep your eyes peeled for me.
I flew right home that night just in time for bed. It was a very fun day trip.
Whos going with me next time?

Mmmm In-n-out

Honestly what is better than a double double combo meal at the local In-n-out? Went to the Bonnie Hunt show today and of course had to snag a burger for lunch.. Freakin awesome I say!!

Summer fun

Is there anything more fun than jumping on the trampoline with the sprinklers on underneath? Little kids seem to think so. Little cece was having so much fun doing some little routine.. I couldn't keep my eyes off her

Holy crappola..

So I'm last person McGee to get on the flight, and no not the nonstop to Salt Lake like I would have liked but I had to burn a vacation pass to sit in 26A COACH!!!!! But I'm on the plane out of Paris which is what matters.. My friend dan and I were trying to brainstorm options but thankfully we did make the flight.. Ill send another update out of CVG if I have time...

So it turns out that I did have time in CVG but because the airport there is in Northern Kentucky and not all that close to the city, I didnt have a cell signal. SO yet again, I am THEE last person to board the flight to SLC. So much for a flawless trip eh.. oh well..

Here are some of the amazing photos..
Mike and Dan in Business class

Ok someone tell me how this skinny apartment building works exactly?

The Moulin Rouge

Stained Glass Windows

The Sacre Coeur or 'Sacred Heart'

Mike and the Sacre Coeur

The police station

Notre Dame Cathedral

The Seine River

Les Plages de Paris 'the beaches of paris'

Funny haha...

Bonjour from the wonderful city of paris. Yes you can see out my hotel window is the pompiers station (fire dept) and that fireman walking in.. He was walking out when we came walking by and did a silly macho walk for his friends that were behind us. Totally made me laugh.. Been to the Moulin Rouge, Sacre Coeur and the Notre Dame.. Now off to dinner.. Need to blog about hitting the lady one the metro, twice, in the head!

Ok so about that lady. We were hopping on the metro heading to Notre Dame. We are squeezing into the train car and dont think any more people can fit in. Well these three, yes 3 guys think they can squeeze in too so they just back on in. Im falling and reach up to grab the pole and smack the lady next to me in the head, not hard. So I'm apologizing like crazy. Well at the next stop a rush of people pushes against me to leave the car so I go to let go and hit her again this time in the back of the head. She got out and moved to the next car, and I dont blame her one bit!

Lake Powell

Ok so im SUPER slacking in getting this post up and running.
I have nothing to blame but my super self slackiness.
ok ive had to revise this like 3 times.. but its got all it needs now..

Hiking Mt Olympus

So Katie texted me last night with the brilliant idea of hiking Mt Olympus.
Ive always had a fear, or aversion to that mountain ever since my first hike up it. It was my first hike with the scouts. I was ill equiped. I had my fathers frame backpack, a bowl of leftovers in a cool whip container and TWO otter pops. Ps it was an over nighter. It was awefull to say the least.
But today really kicked my butt and Im really glad I did it. I conquered that mountain in just the morning. We got to the trailhead at 645am and were down by 1130.
Heres the pics.

Watch out world...

Here I come.. So this is my birthday present to myself this year. My extravagant purchase for my 30th birthday.. How did I do?

Itly? What you doin in Itly?

Katie and I got to tag along again on one of Mom and Pops adventures. They and a group of friends rented a villa in Tuscany. Yes in Italy, about a 45 min train ride outside of Florence.
I took the Redeye flight to JFK where I met Katie later that day (after a nice long nap on the floor in the sun) Together (me in first class her in coach)(but I did score her 3 seats to herself so don't look at me like that) we took the flight to Milan. There we had to find the bus (it only took going the wrong way once) that took us to Milano Centrale train station. From there it was a 2h45m train ride to Florence, then another 45m train ride to the station at the bottom of the hill from the villa. There we waited for mom and pop to fetch us in the little Ford Fiesta and zoom up to the villa..

We did Pisa, Cinque Terre, Venice, Florence and spent the last two nights in Lake Como.
Here are a GRUNDLE of pictures from each place so I'll put them in different categories so you can see each area.
ENJOY....

Getting There..

The Villa Zingale

Pisa

Cinque Terre

Venice

Florence

Lake Como

Mo Como