For a moment in the evening

Time just really isn't on my side I've got to say. It evaporates without even giving my feelings a second's thought. I find that it has somehow been a week since I left training, and I still really haven't managed to get much of anything done. That's not really true. I've spent the past couple days working on fencing:

Discovered some muscles I'm pretty sure I never used before yesterday. It's quite amazing the amount of work there is to be done. I spent about an hour and a half chipping away at concrete around an old fence post, only to somehow make the post even more securely locked in the clay-like ground than it was before I started. Frustrating how all it took was a bit of pounding by Brian and he was able to lever the blasted thing right out. I'm glad I'm not a man, but there are times when I find myself a bit infuriated by how things like that just ARE easier for them.
Anyhow, I thought I'd take a quick moment before I lose momentum and just feel like reading, and update with some pictures from training as well as this past week I've been back in Idaho.
Just because I had so much fun riding in the back of Frank's convertible, I thought I'd feature it here just for kicks. Here are Joanna and I on our first ride. We felt pretty rock star cruising through Pasadena. Silly girls that we are :)

Here are a couple pictures of us on the scavenger hunt. My team, though we technically lost, would have won if the second team didn't follow us to the answers having found their first clue a bit faster. Our first one was rather tricky, and they ended up just getting lucky. I've never been a sore loser or anything. Of course, I really wasn't part of the hunt as I was only allowed to follow behind and observe. They made that bit a lot easier this year by having all new clues so I couldn't have helped them even if I had tried. So here's one of my new roommate Laura and the Slovakia girls, Katie, Kate, and Kim and then one of Aaron, Laura, and Katie enjoying our dinner afterwards.


And just for old times sake, I had to make sure we made it down to Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles. Gotta say it remains a unique experience, although it was lacking a bit without Katie and Joel doing syrup shots like last year :)

My time with Rebekah didn't turn out quite as I had planned it. Her car broke down the day before she was supposed to come and whisk me away for the weekend so I could see the new house she's renting and finally get to see the place she's been working for the last three years. Fortunately she was able to get a rental car, so, although it was less time than we would have liked, we did get to spend a moment or two together. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I've developed this odd fixation with taking photos revolving around food most of the shots that I have of our time together are related to meals. Of course, since In N Out is a pretty big part of the southern California experience it seems rather appropriate that we have one eating our classic cheeseburgers, and the other one is of us at Connals, which is a classic training eatery.



And of course the sunglasses were there too...

So that pretty much sums up training. I really am thankful that I was able to be there. I would have rather not had it take up time during my summer at home, but it really was quite valuable to work on team building. I think without being there it's hard to be a part of the new community. Especially when so much of the community this year will be made up of these new people who I've just been getting to know. Also, it was a great chance to see Rebekah who I would not have been able to visit otherwise.
It's been nice hanging out with the family up here too. It hasn't been all work. There have been fun play and cuddle times as well:

Tomorrow I'm intending to attack my room and see if I can figure out what I need to bring back to Czech with me. I'm definitely intending to switch up my wardrobe a bit. You would think that I would have found some contentment in the simpler life. It always seems that those people who only have one or two outfits have it so much easier. They don't have to think about what they will wear. They just wear it and get along with life. But I have to say I rather enjoy the spoiled life, and it's been glorious being surrounded by all the rest of my clothes. Now it's time to pare it all down again and figure out what I'll be dragging back across the world with me.
Well, for now I'd best get this tired bag of torn and overworked muscles to bed. There are still post holes to dig out there after all!