iFly

Last fall someone convinced me to sign up on the Groupon site.  There was some sort of deal going on that sounded interesting, so I went for it.  For those of you not familiar with Groupon, it’s a website that posts coupons for restaurants, entertainment, vacations, and all kinds of businesses, but a certain number of people have to buy it before anyone gets the deal.  Hence, the “group” part.  Last fall there was one for a place up in Ogden that offered a “buy one get two free” sort of a deal.  For the price of going to iFly you could also go to iRock and FlowRider.  iRock is just a climbing wall, so I didn’t get any pictures there.  FlowRider is an indoor surfing wave.  It was a lot of fun, but I didn’t get any pictures there either, just a quick video.  If you see me, I’ll show you.  iFly was a blast.  It’s a wind tunnel that you can use to learn how to skydive.  All sorts of people use it from beginners to pros that want to practice tricks.  Essentially, you are skydiving indoors!  Let’s just say I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

300,000 Clicks

On New Years night, Bessie turned over 300,000 km.  I’ve had her for just over 6 years and she has treated me so good!  We’ve been all over Alberta, into B.C. and Montana, made several trips between Alberta and Utah, and most recently a trip from Utah to Arizona.  Here’s hoping we have a few more years together!

Holidays in the Sunny South

This year I was very lucky to get a little time off work for both Thanksgiving and Christmas so I could go to Arizona and enjoy some family time.  I drove down for Thanksgiving and took Jared with me.  It was a fast and furious trip, but it was very much enjoyed.  There was plenty of good food and fun.  We went on a hike with Mom and Dad at Usury Pass just outside the city.  It was a beautiful day and a beautiful hike.

I also got to catch up with Mike and Randi, some great friends from my mission.

Christmas was also great.  It was a small gathering, just Mom, Dad, the oldest, and the youngest.  But it was great.  We had a great chat with Karson (who is on his mission in Pennsylvania) and with Brett and Malori back in Canada.  In fact, we were able to Skype with Karson which made it even more fun.

Mom and Dad drove back to Arizona just after New Years and stopped in for the night.  That concluded the holidays and the planned trips to see the family.  Now it’s back to the grind.  Who knows when a little repose will come next.

Barn Dweller No More

After just under two years, I have left the barn.  That’s right, I no longer live in a barn.  There were a lot of reasons I left, but it was time for a change.  A week or so before Halloween I moved into a great basement suite complete with running water, kitchenette, and bathroom.  It took me a couple of weeks to adjust to a “normal” life.  I had to remind myself that water would come out of the tap if I turned it on and that there was a pipe connected to the drain that would safely take the water elsewhere so that I didn’t have to empty the bucket.  I also had to learn that I didn’t need to put on shoes or a coat to get to the bathroom.  The little things in life mean a lot.