Wow.... I feel like I'm way behind! I've hardly posted anything during the last month! The last few weeks have been so crazy for me! I've had finals going on and I had a my research paper to finish... both were hell, but behind me now! As soon as I got those done, I needed a vacation so I packed up the old motor home and off I went. I have spent a few days up in the mountains not to far away from home, had some catching up of things to do around the house, and then spent the better part of the week in Idaho, camping near the Snake River.... I did a whole ton of relaxing, a little bit of jet skiing, some more relaxing, a little fishing, and then more relaxing, hehe. It was beautiful there, the weather was perfect, and I really got to unwind and enjoy myself. Its been so long since I've felt like I could relax that I'd almost forgotten what it felt like! I have one more day of classes left, and they are pretty much just to wrap things up.... It's been a long few years but to have this part of my school behind me is a real relief!

I'm going to try to post the pictures I've taked over the last few weeks on their corresponding days, so the next few entries below are going to be new as well.

This entry, however, is going to be pictures from yesterday evening when I had the oppurtunity of a lifetime.... I got to go flying, and not only did I get to go, but I did the actual flying as well! (Atleast a good part of it!). I went over to my uncle's house last night for a family get-together/BBQ. I have a cousin that doesn't live to far away that I'm pretty close with, though we don't see each other as much as we used to... Anyway, he has a small 6-seat airplane and we've talked about going flying a dozen times before. It always ends as "yeah, I'd love to go, call me sometime and we'll do it..." Well, last night was no different, and I told him that we always say the same thing, but we never go, and that we really should just go do it sometime. He asked me what I was doing right then, and I had nothing else going, so off we went to the airport. I had no idea what I was in for though....

It's late evening, and the sun was just about ready to fall behind the mountains, and we're sitting on the end of the runway, while he finishes the last of his pre-flight checks.... He then starts telling me about all the gauges, handles, levers, pedals, dials, whosits, and whatsits... I mean, he was really going into detail! After a while of this, I jokingly ask him if he's planning on passing out or something, and I need to know this all just in case? He laughs and tells me, "No, you need to know all this cause you're going to take off, and fly the plane." , and I thought he was joking! He wasn't. I was scared to death, and I'm horrified of heights, and really get nervous flying in airplanes, but I really started to pay attention to what he was saying after that!

As I said before, I was scared to death... but the thrill of getting that plane off the ground, and flying... it was an amazing feeling! I did the take off, and some of the flying, but my cousin did the landing part (thankfully). Did I say I was scared out of my wits? I just couldn't believe it... I was so scared, but so exhilerated at the same time... I guess that's the definition of "a rush!" Utah valley has got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, especially at dusk, a few thousand feet off the ground, with the sun setting in the west, and the lights of the cities just starting to come on, the lake to the west reflecting the mountains and the sunset, and majesty of the Rocky Mountains looming even higher than the airplane in the east. I took a few pictures of my adventure, however, I didn't get to take as many as I wanted to, I was a bit pre-occupied with holding onto the steering wheel (? I have no idea what you call that thing, ) to be taking to many pictures. And some of the ones I did take didn't turn out as good as I would have liked... I guess traveling at 200 mph can make the ground a little blurry if you're close to it, . I will post them all anyway, and hopefully it will show a little of what I got to experience.

As I said before, I wished I would have taken more pictures, and that the ones I did take would have turned out better. It wasn't long until it got dark, and my camera was of no use after that. The last 4 pictures were taken by me when my cousin went up alone a little later, they aren't that great, but it was kinda cool watching him "buzz" me as I was standing on the runway.