Job "Whoas"

So for those of you that don't really know where I work. I currently work for Spanish Fork 17; Spanish Fork's own local TV channel. I get to do everything from on camera work, running camera, directing, editing and any other preparation that goes into a show. I have worked there since I was 16 and it has been a great job. Lately however it hasn't been the job for me any more. My job has been great in the sense that I basically work when I want, I got a yearly raise, I like my coworkers and I film a variety of stuff so it isn't a mundane desk job.
The con's however have been starting to out weigh the pluses. With the economy down turn we stopped getting raises, and on top of that our hours were cut to "under 20". I started having a lot of trouble getting announcers to stay committed to coming to games. (they don't get paid enough and so it is more like charity work for them) they like to do it but if a better thing comes up they bail. I also have had a few coworker problems, but I won't go into them because I like the people I work with, just sometimes they got on my nerves. So for about a year I have toyed with the idea of quitting. I was sick of never really being off of work; people would call me, I would need to call other people, especially announcers, etc. I also started to feel that the hours I was getting were minimal and my checks weren't really balancing out the stress work was providing. I couldn't really find another job however so I didn't dare quit.
This upcoming semester I will be taking 16 credits and they will all be afternoon and evening classes. This leaves one night that I could actually work, unless there is a game at 7:30 in which case I would have to rush straight from school to make it. I wasn't looking forward to this and started to search for another job. I was struggling to find something that would work with school and that I would get paid reasonably well. I actually get paid $11.50 an hour at SF 17, so getting a cut to $7.25 is a little rough. I looked at BYU and realized that while taking a pay cut to anywhere between $8-$10/hr I would make the same or more each paycheck because I would consistently get 20 hrs a week. Once I realized this I knew it was time to quit. On top of this finding I also had two announcers cancel on a weekend where I had 2 games on Thurs, 2 games on Fri and 1 game on Sat. This meant I filmed and announced a game on Thurs and a game on Fri (thats right folks I can announce baseball even coming from a non-athletic family) I actually felt I did a pretty good job. Anyway I was super frustrated because of that and I told my boss my plan to quit this upcoming school year. He knew it was coming eventually he just didn't know it would be this soon. So I have been super excited to get a new job it is just time. I don't officially have a new job but I have an interview with the girls locker room staff and I am also looking into a janitor position.
So the real point of my post today, besides to inform everyone that I am quitting my job of almost 7 years, today I was filming Mutton Bustin' at the rodeo (no I didn't get mauled by a sheep), while we were waiting we were standing by the stairs in one of the entrances. All of a sudden I felt some drops hit me, my first thought as I hurriedly moved was that someone dropped their drink and it was spilling off the side of the seats. Oh how I wish that were true. Instead of a drink, I see a dad carrying a toddler down the stairs and the kid is throwing up. YUCK!!! So yes now I am at the rodeo with throw up spray on my shirt and in my hair. It was super disgusting!
Boy am I glad I am quitting ;)

Jam Session

Ha Ha you probably thought this was about music, nope. I made my first batch of jam a few weeks ago. I LOVED it. I just want to make jam all the time now. Anyway I made raspberry because that is both Lin and my favorite. I am planning on making more and some blackberry when they get ripe. Just thought I would show you the fruits (ha ha) of my labor

What? Construction?

So yes I am again going to complain about the road construction. They are on the next phase of the process. The huge pipe has been in and we have had a small break until last week. Now there is major construction once again. I felt I was pretty understanding about the delays last time and "off-roading" just to get home. This is ridiculous now. They are taking all of the road materials away (2 feet deep) so everywhere is  a hill to get into or out of. They just got to our trailer park today. At noon I was going to run errands. There was a backhoe and dumptruck blocking the way and so I didn't go and got someone to do me a favor at work. Then I had a small chance to leave around 3:30 so I took it. It still was insanely hard to get out. Right hand turn out of our park (downhill) then a 3 point turn to go immediately the opposite direction and up a hill. Not too bad but definitely NOT convenient. When I came home and hour later. The road to my trailer park was completely blocked off with a back hoe and a dump truck. This is the ONLY way to get to our trailer park and it is blocked off. So I eventually found a spot to park on the side of the road (which is pretty full already) and walked with the stuff I bought straight through the construction. Lin wanted to go skateboarding so I told him to take my car so he could go. In the 15 min between when I got home and Lin left the hill I went up to get out is now gone and so basically we are stuck here. The reason I am really complaining is because earlier they had created a temporary access to our trailer park through the back this has since been closed and re-fenced. I don't understand why they don't keep it open until they are COMPLETELY finished.

 UGH!!!

Camping at Nebo Creek

For the 4th of July weekend Lin and I decided to go camping, just the two of us. We went to Nebo Creek in Spanish Fork Canyon. It is amazing there. You are camping right next to the creek and there is nobody next to you. It was so beautiful. Here are some pictures I took when we first got there of our campsite and the creek.

We brought our sweet, 8 man tent that we bought at our ward boy scout yard sale, but somehow we forgot to bring the stakes. Lin, the handyman, found some sticks and made some stakes for us.

Lin whittling away

Our awesome fire pit all cleaned out and ready to use.

Two of the completed stakes.

Our tent finally set up.

After we go settled in we went fishing down the creek. We didn't catch anything, but it was still a lot of fun. and so peaceful away from everything. Lin brought his waders and made me promise not to laugh at him in them. They do look kinda funny, but I would have liked some myself. I ended up just wading in the water.

After awhile of fishing we left our poles on the bank and took a stroll down the river. We had a boat race (Lin's stick won) and took some pictures.

Sorry the middle picture is blurry I think I was trying to take a picture of our "boats".
After our stroll we headed back to camp. We hiked on the road instead of back up the river. When we got to our stuff Lin slid down this steep pathway to get our gear. Then he was stuck and walked up the river to our site while I walked on the road.

First part of slide

Second part of slide which was much steeper. I am not sure what is causing that streaky part in the corner but it kinda looks cool.

Lin in the creek and me on the road.

We made tin foil dinners and had smores with marshmallows and those fudge striped cookies. YUMMY!

One of the best parts of the trip was breakfast. Lin cooked bacon and eggs over the fire in our cast iron pans. It was some of the best bacon I have EVER eaten. You may think this is gross, but the fat tasted like candy. It was that good, and I don't normally like the fat.

Sizzle Sizzle

The best camp chef ever!

Yes the bacon gets this close up picture just to make you jealous. It was seriously so delicious!

BYU Clogging Camp

So I finally got the pictures from clog camp. I don't know what I posted before so some of this might be repetitive. I got to work as a counselor for the camp and I was in charge of about 13 girls (along with another counselor). It was a lot of fun. They picked a theme this year of Best Dance Crew (like the TV show) and so each group was a "crew". We were Crew "Twister". Here is our group with our banner.

Our girls were so cute and such a fun group. We were much smaller, younger, and less experienced than all the other crews so the competition aspect wasn't the best but we did quite well considering everything.

We got to go to a lot of different classes, our own crew class to put together our choreography, games, and 7 Peaks. It was a lot of fun.

Treats the first day

Our crew choreography with Maria Tucker