The View

I figured I put some pictures up here so everyone can see the view from my new place! I currently live in downtown SLC, just off South Temple on the 9th floor, overlooking the entire valley! Talk about amazing. From my balcony I can ever see a little bit of the SLC temple. I'm withing biking distance of everywhere, and oh yeah, I've got some good news!

So I started working at the Express at the Gateway mall part time, hoping to find something more full time so I can save up for school next semester. Before I left for North Carolina 5 months ago, I was offered a job at South Towne Mall as a manager at the Express there. Well, they found out I was back and it was "serendipity" that I am back and the managers they hired didn't work out. Amy, the store manager, called me last night at work and wants me to come work for them, where I'll be able to work 40+ hours a week if I choose, plus I'll make around $11.50-$12.00 an hour, so that'll be great! The even better thing? As a U of U student I can ride Trax and UTA for free, so I won't have to commute in my car and waste all that gas. I figured it all out, and it'll take me 40 minutes to get to South Town Mall from here. Yes, it would take me half the time, but if I can get there free and have time to read, my life is going to be amazing!

Here are some pictures of my balcony. They are a semi-panoramic view from my balcony facing West.























And here are some pictures from my living room:

Utah...again.

So I'm back in Utah. I was worried about a lot of things not working out, like living arrangements, work, etc. But I walked into Express at the Gateway, got a call a few hours later from them asking me to work, and I start Sunday. This will work for now, until I find a better job, something higher paying so I can go back to school soon. I also found a place to live. Well, I'll find out in a few days if it's good or not, but basically, the roommates are cool with it, so it should go through. My room is on the 9th floor, overlooking the city! It is a shared room, but heck, I'm ok with that, since it's pretty cheap, and gets me into the Salt Lake City area.

Now all I have to do is find a bed and start moving in! Wish me luck!

Gearing up for school

For some who don't know, I've decided to major in History. I know that many of you are thinking, "What the heck?! History? I thought you hated history!" Yes...I did. I used to hate history because I didn't see a reason for knowing dates and times and places, up until I started to look at the world around me and realized that it's through history's eyes that we'll see the future. History isn't boring when you look at the lives of those that lived it. I think about my grandfather, who was a B-17 pilot in WWII. There are those that lived history, and made it.

I remember those days sitting with grandpa, listening to stories of daring raids on Berlin, landing on abandoned, bomb-cratered runways, or the time that he landed his plane with three of the four engines out (he later received the Distinguished Flying Cross for it, 50 years after the fact). When I was young I used to sleep on the couch in his office while our family visited them. The walls are lined with paintings of B-17s, various medals he received, and old black and white photographs of him in his uniform and his crew by his side, all looking on as the 23 year old pilot lead the men into the heat of battle. There is even a model of a B-17 hanging from the ceiling, it's sleek silver fuselage broken up by holes where guns stuck out in defense of the bomber. These are what I slept under. This is where I learned that history isn't boring, it's part of a life that someone once lived.

This last year has taught me that there are those that are going to make history, those that will stand back and watch it be made, and then there are those that will learn from it and plan for the future.

I signed up for my classes the other day, and looked at the books that are required for my classes. I have to say, I don't think I've ever been this excited to go back to school. I've got 14 required readings, and, well, let's just say they are pretty awesome!

I'm taking 5 classes: Asian Civilization Traditions, Latin America Civilization to 1820, Classical Middle East Civilizations, US History to 1877, and finally, the History of Technology. For instance, some of the books I'll be reading are: Analects, by Confucius, the Bhagavad-Gita, and translated Sanskrit plays! On top of that, I'll be reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, so yeah, this is going to be a great semester! Yes that was a lot of exclamation points, but I wanted to convey my excitement. :)

Personal Incentive Week

This week starts personal incentive week. Basically I have to reach certain number of services for the week and I'll get something. Basically, if I sell poorly I'll get a $35 gift certificate to the Cheese Cake Factory, if I sell average I can get a new hopper for my paintball gun or if I sel average and get above average credit card percentages I'll get an iPhone. If I out do my best week ever I can get a 3 day cruise for 2. Of course that means I also have to find someone else who wants to go with me. I'm thinking of doing it over Christmas vacation. That'd be a nice treat between semesters!

What I like about personal incentives is that it's me verses me, and if I don't make it I'm the only one I can blame. Typically when I've got "team" things, I rely too much on the others to pull the weight. I know that it's irresponsible or it makes me a slacker. I know I'm that way. It's in my nature and it's something that I'm trying to change, but still, for me the personal incentives are what I like better.

This week is going to be hell. I already looked at the weather and it's going to be in the hundreds the first few days. Miserable if you ask me. But that's why I'm here, it's to make money and to push through the hard days. It'll build character as Calvin's dad (from Calvin and Hobbes) would say. Here we go!

Paintballing!

This is the group. From right to left there's Jed Thacker, Christian Herrick, Me, Skye Herrick, and Rob Hunter. We all like paintballing. It was Jed and the Herrick brothers that got me into it. Yet another sport I'll fall in love with. It's been fun, but it also hurts. I've got welts all over my body and one really big lump on my head from where Skye shot me. Yeah, it was one on one and he was behind a bunker. As I went to make a move, I slipped and stumbled on the ground and he shot me...in the head. It was fun, but I had a headache almost the rest of the day. I took some aspirin, but that didn't help. My goose egg was throbbing so much that it kept my head hurting. Yeah, I can't even touch it right now.

What I really like about paintballing is that it is a lot like rock climbing in the sense that I have something I can use as an outlet for frustration, fatigue, and still have a lot of fun. I've realized that I really need an outlet for a lot of things. A way to get my mind off of life and just focus on one thing, shooting someone else. Or if it's rock climbing, getting to that next hold.