What a Grand Week!

First of all, can I just say I have been having a wonderful life lately? Sure I may be somewhat ignoring finals, but other than that minor inconvenience I am doing swell. Since my last post, some pretty awesome things have happened. First we had a crazy fog day. The kind of fog that obscures anything that is beyond fifty feet from you. Walking across the quad was eerie, because all of the sudden someone would appear from the mist, walking toward you. So cool.

Also, I met BALTO. For realsies (well, a dog-wolf hybrid in any case). He was a mix of a malamute (one of the larger Alaskan dogs) and a wolf. And I got to take pictures with it!!

Apparently he is still a puppy, and will gain another few inches at the shoulder and fill out a lot more. He already eats between 5 and 6 pounds of meat a day!

This is the best sunset I've see so far here.  I wish cameras could do it justice, but this pale substitute will have to do. Just picture it ten times better.

Let me tell you something. I have been great this past week or so. I have gotten up early and exercised every single day since last Saturday, and it feels great. I love being sore :) Well, Thursday I had done 15 minutes of stair running that morning, and I was pretty well tired of working out for the day. But Taylor (Miss Runner) looked at me at 9:30 at night and said to me, "Kelene. Let's go running." And for the first time in my life I jumped up to go. We "ran" three miles (I actually ran about a mile, and then off and on running for the rest) and it was super awesome!

Some things I wish I had known about running in the cold BEFORE we left.
1) If you stop running for any period of time, your legs will hate you. And they will punish you for stopping. Fight your way through the ache, because otherwise it won't be ache, it will be actual pain.
2) Your hands freeze. All of the blood leaves your arms, starting with your hands, and you get this nasty empty feeling in your hands. You know, the kind where you know they are freezing, but since they don't hurt you forget about them? Awful. Next time, wear gloves.
3) I still don't like running. I love working out, and I love being sore, but I feel the only exercise that actually cripples me is running. I was hobbling around like an old lady the next day :D

 Post run "meditation session". Basically we rock.

Also, Singapore invited me to go watch his play "A Christmas Carol". He suggested we double because he was going to be in the play and didn't want me sitting by myself, so my roommate invited a boy she was relatively interested in, and off we went!

It was really good! I wasn't expecting it to be a musical, but it was (of sorts) and the actors did very well, including Singapore. Also.. he can sing! Which is great. I had a fantastic time.

After the play, we went back to our building and Elizabeth decided that she needed pizza. That instant. So we went and got pizza at Little Caesar's, came back and watched Megamind (which Singapore had not seen. EVERYONE needs to experience Megamind). It was a grand little night.
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Also, this morning I decided I should actually participate in my ward. So I dragged myself out of bed at 9:30 and made my way over to the church where we had choir practice for 3 hours. It was crazy, but I enjoyed it. I don't sing enough anymore, and I had the chance to sing first soprano today. I remembered just how much I LOVE singing!

And finally, on the way back from choir practice, I realized exactly what a "biting wind" is. You always hear it, in romantic old novels and the like, but I've never really connected to it. It's the kind of wind the cuts at you as you walk. It isn't just cold, it is sharp and jabbing, and you can't avoid it. Also, it seems to precede snow.

SNOW! It is supposed to snow today! and tomorrow! and Monday! Oh my. I do think I'm turning into a snow lover. I've been in Utah too long!

Still, I am very excited for snow (but not nearly as excited as I am to go back to Arizona for Christmas!!!)

Over and out :)