Winter at its Finest

This semester is the hardest semester for me yet.  I'm sure classes will get even more difficult over the next year, but so far its keeping me SUPER busy!

I did manage to go snow shoeing a couple times during February though.  That was my highlight for the month.  Both times I went, there was perfect snow.  I found a great little trail up Big Cottonwood Canyon that is not visible from the road so very few people hike it.

The first time I hiked it, we only passed 2 cross country skiers, and saw two more in the distance.  It was remarkable considering it was Presidents Day and the roads were lined with cars.  We really did pick the best trail!

You can see that it was a pretty steep climb

 In front of the frozen Willow Lake

 Later that same week, I took my mom with me to get her out in the snowy mountains.  We've had so little snow this year that unless you get up into the mountains, it feels like winter never really came.

Unfortunately, I forgot the poles for my mom.  I didn't need them earlier in the week, but I should have known better for her.

A light snow had fallen since I'd last been on the trail.  It covered any human tracks that were once there. There was not a soul in sight, no animals, no nothing.  It was the purest winter scene possible.

What animal left these tiny tracks?  I'd guess a rabbit

We loved being able to pave our way through the untouched snow.

After about an hour of hiking, we decided to turn around and go back down the mountain.  Again, poles would have been very helpful because it was so steep.  Instead, there was a little of this...

...and LOTS OF LAUGHTER!!!

My mom was a great sport.  She only took me down once!  Next time, we're taking poles. :)

Photos Galore...December Recap

Between finals, working as much as possible during the school break, holiday festivities, and sleeping I simply did not have time to even review my photos.  And then school started back up (along with several other things) so it has taken me until now to get things straight.  So here is a quick recap from the last 2 months of my life.

Many pictures, very few words.

Nov 26 - Messiah Sing-in at Abravanell Hall

Dec 1 - Festival of Trees.
you may notice I seem to like the gingerbread houses best.  They are just so amazing!

scene from "Tangled"

the North Pole

There were several versions of a Beehive

The White House

Barbie collection

From "The Christmas Story"

"Nightmare Before Christmas"

Dec 17 - Natural History Museum

 Dec 21 - Lights on Temple Square

I counted 17 nativity displays this year

Dec 29 - Zoo Lights

It was a super eventful holiday season, even with all the stuff I had to do.  I'm glad I had fun!  January wasn't quite so eventful and neither has February been.  But, hopefully with spring around the corner I will do a lot more!

Vocal Point

Tonight at work, I had the pleasure of listening to Vocal Point...LIVE!

We often get high profile people at The Roof Restaurant since it is one of high end restaurants in Salt Lake City and tonight did not disappoint! 

Vocal Point, for those unfamiliar, is BYU's male a cappella group.  This last year, they auditioned for NBC's "The Sing Off" and made it through to the top 5 groups.  They do all the sounds like vocal percussion, bass, etc. with absolutely no traditional instruments!  I felt very well represented and was proud to be a BYU Alum as I watched them perform all season.  So you can imagine when I saw them walk through the door tonight that I would be a little excited.  What you probably didn't know (because I could not have foreseen it either) is that I would act like a total groupie!  Yep, that's right.  I'm a little embarrassed to say how thrilled I was to meet them.  I did save a little of my dignity and didn't ask for a picture, but I kinda wish I had.

A little while later, I was in the back of the restaurant and several of the servers were saying how they wished Vocal Point would sing before they leave, yet no one dared ask them.  So, being the groupie I realized I am, I asked them!  To be honest, I think they were a little excited to sing for us too.

They all crowded around our piano and asked the pianist to give them their tuning note and then...

I know!  That was all my phone got and I can't figure out why!!!  It showed that it was recording the whole time, yet it only saved 18 measly seconds. None of the good stuff!  Now you know why I wish I had asked for a picture. 

This is the song they sang to us tonight...

I later talked with our pianist about how they topped any possible serenade, ever!  She was surrounded by 9 amazing guys singing a beautiful song.  LOVE IT!

So anyway.  Its official.  I can be a total groupie.  But, that's just how its gonna be!

Hope you had a great weekend too!

Where I Work

Its only been three weeks since I started working at The Roof.  

I. Am. Loving. It!

I am constantly amazed at how well Temple Square Hospitality Corp takes care of their employees.  Each night, the head chef cooks a meal for the staff.  It is always delicious.  They provide us with free downtown parking.  The employees are all so very nice.  I love talking with people when they come to dine (something about learning about other people makes me really happy).  And the best perk... never working on Sundays!  

Well about 2 weeks ago, after I'd been working for a week at The Roof, the manager of H.R. called me up and asked if I would also like to serve at The Garden Restaurant.  They ended up being short staffed and would do well to train an additional server.  And since I have significant restaurant background, they thought of me.  Ya know, I may not have had much variety of employment throughout high school and during my time in Provo, but one thing I did right is work in the restaurant industry for a lengthy time.  Somehow there always seems to be a job available and my experience (and maturity, so they say...aka age, haha) is also a plus.

I just finished my training at The Garden yesterday and will be working most Friday nights.  I am hosting a few nights a week at The Roof and working their reservation desk on Thursdays.  And hopefully I will be trained soon as an assistant server at The Roof so I can pick up shifts as needed.  These are all blessings for me.  School is expensive and I still have bills to pay.  I am so very grateful to have these jobs and the great opportunity that comes with it.

Plus, the view from my work is pretty darn awesome!

I guess if one has to work on Christmas Eve, there isn't a better place to be then looking at His temple.

Cars, Cars, Cars

Cars.  A necessary money pit.

This past Friday afternoon as I was driving downtown for orientation at my new job, I experienced something that seriously got my heart beating.  I was pulling off the freeway when my car started jerking around.  At first I wasn't sure what was happening, but noticed after only a block that my check engine light had come on and the RPMs were way too high.
Oh no!  Transmission? Yep.  A couple more blocks confirmed it.  I could feel the transmission dropping gears while I was driving.  That is a terrible feeling!  I just kept praying that I would make it the last few blocks to work because how horrible would it look to be late on your very first day of work!  Thankfully my car stuck it out and got me there just in time.  Unfortunately, on the drive home after orientation, the transmission just kept getting worse.  I had to pull over several times and put my hazard lights on because my car wouldn't shift out of neutral or first.  It took me 45 minutes to drive a typically 20 minute route.

I, of course, then had to ask my dad to take me back to work that night and pick me up again after the shift.  Flash back to high school!  Wow.

The next morning, my dad took my car in to the shop to get it checked out.  The check engine indicator actually came out with three separate readings.  To fix all that is wrong with my car, including the transmission as expected, it would be nearly 5X the worth of my car...darn.  Part of me is really excited about the idea of driving a new (to me) car since I've been driving my accord since I was in high school.  But, now that I'm back in school again, I simply cannot afford the kind of car I want. This is absolutely the worst time for my car to fail me...right before the holidays...I'm no longer working full time...I do have a job now, but I'm only working part-time because of school, etc...  But, at least I'm living at home so there is usually someone willing to share a car or drop me off, and I can now walk to church, even in the snow.

So, together with my dad, we're deciding whether to fix the car and continue driving it further into the ground, or switch it up with a different car.  In the mean time, I'm stuck at home, borrowing my mom's car, or bumming rides to and from work.
As far as a possible car hunt...my dad keeps teasing me with the idea of an '89 Yogo.  [See right]
I tell him no and he simply laughs at me.  Even though he appears to be joking, I'm sure he secretly would love to see me drive it! 

Well, today I am very thankful for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday which is allowing me a few days off of school; which also consequently means I don't have to leave my mom stranded at home while I have her car.  I guess I didn't realize that when I decided to go back to school that I was signing up for all the other struggles that come with being a student!

Oh, and for the record, I am now working for the Temple Square Hospitality Corp as a host at The Roof Restaurant!  Feel free to come down and see me anytime.  We have a great view of Temple Square which will be lit up for the holidays starting this Friday!