Greetings from AZ

Well its definately been awhile since I've updated this thing. Right now I am sitting at my computer in my parent's guest room. I'm about ot settle down into a queen size bed all to myself (probably the only time in my life this will happen, I hope) after a long day that included avoiding the glare of the personal trainer as I slammed down the weights on his machine, attempting to read rather dry text on sociology field studies, scheduling an appointment for such exotic immunizations as typhoid and rabies, finally picking my flight to East London, taking approximately 12 orders, delivering 20 trays of food,making 5 desserts, running 6 credit cards, and cleaning 5 tables, and lamenting to my brother that I missed out on the rights of passage asscociated with childhood team sports. Pretty typical for my summer life at home thus far, which has been about three weeks. Throw a little institute, learning to drive stickshift on a car without power steering, hanging out with my few remaining sober and unmarried friends, and a little bit of pining over the fact that I won't see the likes of Provo and all it entails for another 5 months, or some of my best boys for a year or two and there is a pretty complete picture of my life.

I feel pretty good right now. I wasn't so sure how I would feel about coming home to the hot hot heat of Arizona when Provo was georgous and life there is never dull, but I've been pleasantly surprised. I got to be a big sister on a pioneer treck. Four days of pulling a handcart (18 miles until 3 in the morning the first night), eating camping food (everthing tastes good when camping naturally), wearing rather unauthentic pioneer clothing ( I decided that this time around I would go for a more mature pioneer woman look, therefore my outfit was likened unto Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), and attempting to be a good example to the young 'uns, was very satifactory. Call it masochistic, but I want to go for the third round as a "Ma" some day. I think the Trek is like child birth, all the pain is magically erased afterwards so that the most reasonable people are willing to do it again. A surprising amount of things are like child birth: school plays, dating, puppies, etc.

I also got to spend time at a family reunion at Big Lake in a region of Arizona I had never been to for some unknown reason, because it really has to be the best part. I spent a five hour drive entertaining and ditracting a three year old, playing action firgures, making faces with Power Ranger underwear on our heads, sharing headphones while listening to classical and Disney music and ignoring prods while I managed to tune out long enough to read a chapter. I have to admit there were a few minutes there when we were driving down the winding canyon without air conditioning that I became pretty irritable and alomst lost my patience, but I slipped in some Enya and my blood pressure dropped back down. I was a little bummed that my favorite family wasn't there, no Grandma or cousin Carrie, and no Ben to entertain me, but it also gave me the chance to get to know my cousin Robin who is really cool and has traveled all over, play with the kids (imagine me running backwards with a laser gun pointing at a nine year old in one hand and a one year old kid on the opposite hip) and try to talk to my uncle's step-daughter who is from Mexico city (between that and working in a Mexican restaurant I wish I knew Spanish soo bad!)

The rest of the summer looks like working as much as possible, which is fun but sad because I love my cooworkers but they all party together and therefore I can't hangout with them outside of work. I'm also planning on taking a four day weekend to go up to the reservation for a squaw dance, whoohoo! I haven't been there in so long and I miss it! I'm not really super excited about Africa for now becasue being that excited for two more months could really wear me out. I'm sure it will hit again a week before. I originally thought I might do a Europe trip on the way there but that's not financially realistic so Me and my awseom friend Maureen are going to fly to Washington DC and do a DC tour for a few days while staying with my cousin and then do a Cape Town trip before we leave South Africa. I'm also going to visit my Little Old Granny in Ohio for a few days on my way out. So everything is shaping up and working out well. Now I just need to get some research related things done, which is still daunting but I know I can do it, and make a whole lot of money waitressing.

I feel like life is pretty good and will just get better!