I know, I know...

I know I am way behind on blogging and I really need to post Peru pictures. Life has been busy.

Quick note from Peru

I just noticed that I have 100 posts. Wow! This trip to Peru has been fantastic. Right away I started remembering all the reasons I love South America. Before my mission I was more partial to Europe and I wasn´t that interested in So. Am. But of course on my mission it became one of the best places in the world. I love the fun unorganized towns and streets. Random small stores along the street. Where you can buy just about anything you need without going too far. The people are so nice and so laid back. And they want to please. They will anything to serve you. The food and fruit is so great and cheap. And Peru has not dropped the ball. It is a great place and this has been a fantastic trip.

Brief run down

First couple days were in the jungle, we had to take a boat to a remote, rustic motel with no electricity except for in the lobby.r

We´ve spent the last couple days in Cusco, a very fun city with Inca Ruins and great markets.

Today we head to the town near Machu Picchu.

Everything has been perfect, except for I somehow got pink eye. But one of the girls I am traveling with is a physicians assistant and knew just what I needed. We went to the pharmacy to get it. No prescription needed. Another great thing about South America.

More details and pictures to come.

Cowboy take me away

A few days ago I was talking with a friend about how much I love the Western Stampede Rodeo that comes to West Jordan on weekend of the 4^th of July every year, just down the street from my house. It makes the city is so  patriotic and so "...Where the green grass grows"-like.  And there is no better way to celebrate the 4^th than watching the bulls and cute cowboys. I'll admit I'm a sucker for a guy in a hat.  My friend asked me if I went last year and I couldn’t remember going last year. Which was weird. I go every year that I am in WJ. It’s just one of those things I don’t miss. But I couldn’t remember going last year. Then later it hit me. No, I did not go last year. I wasn’t in West Jordan. I wasn’t even in the United States for the 4^th of July. I was clear on the other side of the Globe. I was in Israel.  I can’t believe that it has already been a year. I look at the pictures and I say to myself, “I was actually there.” It still feels so surreal and amazing.

Love at first bite

So, on my little whirlwind trip to DC there were a few places that I for sure had to go. One of them was Potbelly’s. Bekah ate there once a week when she lived there. She loved all the food, especially the ice cream sandwiches. I didn’t get there the last time I was in the area, so, Saturday afternoon while I was wondering around downtown D.C. with no particular destination in mind, (One of my favorite ways to travel.) I wondered to Potbelly’s to order an ice cream sandwich. The whole atmosphere of the place is fun and antique looking. A little bit like The Cracker Barrel but smaller. As I watched them make the treat, I knew that my life would never be the same after one bite. They take two of their soft, loaded with chocolate chips, “homemade” cookies and stick a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle. My eyes got wide and I started salivating. And yes, after one bite I was in love. Chocolate chip cookies are my weakness anyway and adding ice cream to it…it was hopeless.
I realize that it would be hazardous to my health to live so close to such goodness. But after I finished the divine delicacy I began thinking that in spite of all losses that a move to DC would involve (family, friends, etc) that sandwich could make the move worth it. My lip popped out at the realization that the closest Potbelly’s to Utah is in Texas. Why hasn’t anyone opened one in Utah. Don’t they realize…? They obviously have no idea what they are missing out on. The prices are really very reasonable. I was surprised at how cheap it was for being in downtown DC. (Kitty korner from the White House.)
The fates smiled on me again on Sunday afternoon when I was facing spending the next 8 hours of my life on two planes, that don’t feed me, and a layover in Atlanta. I know that some people frown upon making purchases on Sunday, but I needed to eat. So I wondered around the airport browsing my options when I came upon none else but a Potbelly’s. Right there in the same airport I was departing. It was fate and I couldn’t resist a sandwich and another heaven sent ice cream sandwich. 
I could to go their website and check out the calorie damage, but with some things ignorance is bliss. And this is definitely one of those things. So if you are ever in the DC area there are many important places you don’t want to miss, such as the Lincoln Memorial, the American History Museum, the Holocaust Museum, and Potbelly’s. 
Beijos

Look at this Picture...

What do you see wrong with this picture? Here look closer...

If your answer is there is no clock above the refrigerator. Then you are right. You might not have noticed that because you didn't know that you are suppose to have a clock above the refrigerator because you haven't had a clock above the refrigerator your entire life. And you probably don't keep looking to the top of the refrigerator to find out what time it is, or find out how many minutes you have before you have to run out the door. And so you probably don't feel as lost as I do when you look to the top of the fridge to find out what time it is and the clock that has been there your whole life is not there.

This is my mom's new refrigerator complete with ice maker and water dispenser, and it fits just perfectly into the nook in the wall. However there is no room for the clock on top of it. 

Mr. D'Arcy (not the Austen icon)

I work for Mr. D’Arcy (yes, pronounced like the Jane Austen dream boat). I actually don’t know a lot about him as far as his personal life goes. He is an older man who has had a lot of experience. And because of his experience he is very intelligent and sensible, and I would say one of the wisest business men I’ve known. One of the best qualities I’ve observed is his ability look at situations and come up with solutions that work in a win-win fashion. He has a quiet corky sense of humor. He is a bit old-fashioned and he's tries hard to adapt to the technology age and make friends with his computer. I silently laugh to myself when I go into his office and find him with his two fingers punching an email.  He works hard and diligently, and when he’s done he leaves work at work and doesn’t take it home with him. I’ve never met his wife, but I’ve talked to her on the phone and she sounds like a sweet heart.

He is from Chicago (I’m pretty sure.) And he isn’t a member of the church. I’m not sure what brought him to work in Utah 20 years ago. And I am not sure what exposure or experience he has had with the church beyond living here and working with members. His office is on the NW corner of the Zions Bank Building and his window faces straight towards the temple. Today I was in his office watching the rain (which is awesome) and I started wondering what an intelligent man like him would think about that stunning building across the street. Is he ever curious about what is inside? Or the significance? Has he ever asked? I know he has asked other questions, like about the leadership of the church. But that is all I’ve heard.

Maybe sometime the opportunity will come up to discuss more…

Time marches on

Today during my lunch break I was sitting Deseret Book with a couple books in my hands telling myself the reasons why I should not buy them, when someone came up to and "asked are you Sarah?" I looked up and saw someone that I used to know quite well. Sarah. She was a women who was in a lot of my classes my last few semesters at BYUI, but I had not talked to since I graduated. We had worked on group projects together. Hiked through the Tetons together and we even worked together planning and running a mountain bike race. She is a really great person and I enjoyed her a lot. The last time I saw her she was 5 or 6 months pregnant with her first child. Today I saw her and she had a kid and another baby. Right away in my head I started doing to math trying to figure out how long it had been since I saw her. It seemed like there was no way that she could have had time to have a toddler and another baby. “Wow, you’ve been busy.”-was on the tip of my tongue, still baffled, and wondering what the heck I had been up to in the time that has passed. I guess there have been a few things that I have been up to and have kept me busy too, although they don’t seem to compare with having two kids! But I like to think my last 2 ½ years have not been a waste. I may not be where I had planned…Actually, I don’t think I really had a plan. I had a few areas I wanted to pursue, which haven’t exactly worked the way I would’ve liked. But I’m not done yet. I am still pursuing. I am busy.

I should announce I am officially in graduate school. (I missed good news moment in RS.) I was accepted to the BYU EMPA program, stands for Executive Masters in Public Administration. The classes are at night at the BYU Salt Lake Center—A bitter-sweet thing. Sweet because I can work and go to school at the same time and I don’t have to depend on student loans and the classes are just down the street from where I work. Bitter, because I don’t have a good excuse to quit my job. I know am I lucky to have a good job. And I am very grateful. But this is really not where I want to end up. And I don’t feel like it is helping me progress any closer to where I would like to end up except for financially; but as far as knowledge, skills, and enjoyment go. NO. So, I pray that something will come along that will be a better fit for me and help me get to where I really want to be.  In the mean time I’ll hang in there. Keep busy. Do the best I can. Enjoy what I can. Keep going.