DEAR CANDIS AND CORIN

I suppose I can dedicate a post to Corin, since she represents half of my fan club...

{But just you watch, the hype will get going soon.  I can just feel it.

Who can resist a spirited girl's blog that is laced with engineering jokes??}

I know, right?!  That's what I thought!!

So I heard that the question on the streets these days is who is this Jordan character that seems to appear in every single one of my posts?  No longer will you have to satisfy your curiosity by squinting at the hiking photos which are much too small to do any justice.....


I have a bigger and better photo for all (ok. fine. I have like, two followers at this point) of you guys!

Everyone, meet Jordan....

{scroll down as you create your own drum roll sound effect}

I think I just heard everyone sigh as if they were watching the sappy ending of a chick flick.

Oh get over yourselves--it is ok to sigh like that every once in a while.  

Remember: The act of admitting it is the first step in overcoming your hopeless romanticism.

AN EPIC WEEKEND OF SORTS

So it was a crazy weekend.

I 

1. set a world record

2. crashed into a tree on a mountain bike

&

3. performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Story #1: BYU basically maneuvered its way into the Guinness Book of World Records by having the largest waterballoon fight.  

I was fully a part of this...

Me, Halie, Karen, and Jordan SOAKING WET

I have never seen so many water balloons in the air at one time. INSANE!!

Story #2: Basically, Jordan's family went mountain biking on a somewhat intermediate to advanced trail. His dad thought I could do it, so did his brothers. I didn't believe them, to tell the truth. Then Jordan stood there with his hands on his hips, smiling at me, with those melt-your-heart-chocolate-brown-eyes just sparkling and told me I would be just fine.

My reaction to his cute persuasion tactic: "Why of course I will go mountain biking with you, Jordan! I would love to ruin my shoulder and get dirt-road rash on my elbows! As long as I am doing it with you!"

{Ok, I didn't really say that, but that was practically my irrational train of thought.}

Story #3: Yes, it was my first broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word with the Orchestra at Temple Square.  We accompanied MoTab and Igor Gruppman on his violin.  I don't have a picture of this, I am sorry.  Just imagine beautiful music :)  

It was a dream come true.  [And yes, I did play with a screwed up shoulder.] Don't worry, Jordan brought me ibuprofen which he handed off to me in the underground parking lot of the Conference Center.  We looked like drug dealers.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SARAH

Expectation: I borrowed necessary objects of importance from Brigham Young University for top secret experiments in the bio lab with full authority.

Reality:  Today, I was paid to kife trays from the CougarEat which I used to collect dirt.  It is ok...it was all in the name of science.

Expectation: When the BioChambers malfunctioned today at work, I whipped out my toolbox and engineering skills to restore them to working order.  My boss gave me a raise.

Reality: I noticed they weren't working and promptly notified my professor so he could call technicians.

Expectation: I organized, weighed, and analyzed all 165 soil samples without labeling errors or contamination. 

Reality: I sneezed while holding a sample of dirt and all contents flew in various directions, mixed with other soils, and destroyed data for seven samples.  (Not including the sample that was scattered.)

Expectation: Because of my superhuman strength and cleverness, I was able to remove the tightly packed clay that was stuck in 2 ft-long test tubes with efficiency and ease.

Reality: Frustrated that wet clay was making a seal on the opening of the tube, I impatiently grabbed the nearest pokey-stick-like-tool to jab at the hardening clay--I chose the glass stirring rod-- which soon snapped in my left hand, gauged out a chunk of my skin so large that the doctor had nothing to "stitch together",  left me in shock with blurred vision, a diminished sense of hearing, a cold sweat, nausea, and a gauzed-wrapped finger the size of a small potato.

LIST #4

REASONS WHY I LOVE MY JOB IN THE FIELD:

1.  I get paid to sit in the wildflowers (while waiting for machines to collect data)

2.  I make infrared sensors with a soldering iron and wire them into the data loggers.

3.  I get paid to watch water trickle into dirt very slowly. (for soil infiltration rates)

4.  I acquire a pretty spectacular tan{and tan lines} at 10,000 feet because there is little obstruction of UV rays at that altitude.

5.  I stay in this cute vintage cabin with hot water and a toilet

6.  There are always new species of wildflowers in bloom each week

7.  I get to pick all the wildflowers-unlike other people-because I am a scientist and I can call it "research"

8.  I have little distractions in the wilderness so that I can ponder God, and life, as well as solve all of the world's problems - like world hunger - in my head. {I will let you know when I reach a solid conclusion.  I am still in the brain storming phase on that one...}

9.  Since I am surrounded by hippie biologists, I am privileged to be the butt of all jokes--the engineer jokes are flying constantly.

10. I am learning about all of the edible plants in the area so that just in case I am stranded in central Utah, I will be able to  survive on glacier lily seed pods, wild rose, as wells as various roots and berries.

CLAP FOR SARAH

Have you ever played the game BANANAGRAMS?

It is like scrabble on steroids.

So, since my job requires me to live in a cabin seven miles up a canyon with little connection to society, I have to come up with things to do.  That is why I played Bananagrams. By myself.

No really though, it was a huge accomplishment.  I am good with numbers. Not words.  It took me a while to use up every letter tile.

Ok. Almost.

P.S. Notice which two letters just happen to be leftover! Jordan and Sarah!!! ---I promise I didn't plan that. Honest.

I like to call this "mechanical engineering style."  {I don't get it, but people are always worried when I take something apart, put it back together, and have a few leftover screws or bolts.}  C'mon people, if it still runs properly and stays together, I simply made it more efficient.

So there is the story of "mechanical engineering style" Bananagrams.

Except, I have to play like that by myself, because no one understands the great genius mastermind behind my rules.

Oh the solitary life of an engineer...