Oh!!! Who farted?!

Marathon Mayhem!

2009-04-19T21:41:00.001-06:00

Salt Lake City Marathon. April 18, 2009.

It was a cloudy morning, the sun had not yet peaked its weary eyes over the east mountains. It seemed all that was missing was wet asphalt and the smell of fresh ozone after a rain shower. Team Zurvival's members all gathered at the starting lines of the Salt Lake City Marathon's 5K event and Half Marathon. The gun fired and the masses moved in one large wave of bobbing heads down the road. Team Zurvival weaved in and out of the crowd, passing the walkers and the strollers. Each member strained to get to the front of the pack and eventually worked to first, second, third, and fourth place, effectively blocking out all other runners. Fast they ran, pulling ahead of all other contenders and soon the finish line was in sight! The crowds hovered close to the gates that separated the athletes from the fans. They rang bells, clapped loudly and yelled and screamed as all of Team Zurvival created a mult-color line; running in unison. A blurr of red, blue, pink, and gray broke the finish line in record time! The crowd grows wild with excitement as the announcer yells "WAY TO GO TEAM ZURVIVAL! A RECORD FINISH FOR THE 5K!".

Ok... that's what could have happened. Here is the real story though. Team Zurvival did run the 5K event, and I did run the Half Marathon and we had a great time! But I can only account for what I ran as the rest of the team was miles away from me. I was running late as the Trax train wasn't there when I got to the station. I waited for the train and met up with a fellow B-12 runner who just happened to be there at the same time. Julie wasn't registered for the race, but was out supporting her friend (another B-12er) as a pacer. We were late already, and then the train had to stop and wait on the tracks making us almost 20 minutes behind. We arrived at Olympic bridge. Julie started off to find her friend (a herculean feat), and I headed to the starting mat to check in with my timing chip. I started down the road on the first mile and got into a good rhythm. At mile 2 I was starting to feel my heart rate raise and a small sweat start to bead. I was warm now and ready to run. Just before mile 3 I spotted Julie on the corner, "Have you seen her yet?" I hadn't and directed her down the road where I knew the runners would be and easy for her to head them off at.

I continued on hitting the first aid station at mile 3. Nature was calling, but I couldn't answer. I was going to break 2 hours this year, that was my goal, and that meant no stopping. The race turned downhill just past the mile marker and I lengthened my stride to take in the nice rest. Some people feel that the downhill on runs are hard on the knees, but I enjoy them. They give my calves a rest and my heart beat lowers giving me a boost at the bottom of the hill.

The split for the marathoners and half marathoners was on the horizon at the bottom of the hill and there was Julie again, sitting on the corner. Again she asked if I had seen Shannen yet. I hadn't. I told her where the runners would be coming back towards the finish line and she headed off to again head them off. Mile 5 was coming up and I was 43 minutes into the run, not quite my best time, especially if I was going to finish in my goal time. Another aid station, more Gatorade, another cliff shot, and I wasn't stopping. I was averaging just under 9 minute miles and I was in a good pace.

Mile 6, started to feel a little pain in my calves... blew it off. Mile 7, back is hurting... it's nothing. Mile 8, quads were tight, but on I went. Just 5 more to go I kept saying, just another 40 minutes. Mile 9 we were running through the neighborhoods of Salt Lake and the crowds were out in support of all the runners. Music, signs, and cheering people were keeping us all going hard. There were the select few that seemed to be taunting the runners though by cooking bacon on the sidewalk and yelling "Come and get it! Bacon! Get your bacon here!". Others were gathered on the corner in their bathrobes and beanies with a cup of joe scratching their scruff with a look of wonderment on their face as if they were thinking, "What are all these people doing? Are they crazy?".

At mile 10 I could feel the wall coming. I was slowing down a bit to 9:30 minute miles. I looked up from in front of me to scan the people I was still passing and there was Julie and Shannen! She had found her finally.

It was inspiring; I picked up the pace. Just a 5K to go! Mile 11 the wall hit hard. The smell of bacon was still in my nostrils, I was hurting all over trying to stay below 10 minute miles and there was a change to the course that I was NOT EXPECTING. A hill for mile 11 to 12! A slow, long hill all the way up State street towards the Capital building. It was cool to run downtown but this seemed UPtown! I was dying. I remembered the words that my friend once told me,"Just put one foot in front of the other dude." And that's what I did, all the way up the hill.

Last mile, I picked up the pace. I was 4 minutes away from 2 hours and I knew that I had failed to meet my goal, but I was going to go out strong. Running up the final last quarter mile I broke out into a dash and then a sprint as the crowds cheers raised up the strength within me.

The finish line was just a few steps away. There were the other members of TEAM ZURVIVAL cheering me on! Taking pictures! Shouting and clapping! I was done! Yes! Time for a cup of coffee! and maybe some bacon? We all celebrated at Starbucks and dined on coffee candy and great hot steaming cups of joe. Another memory in the books for Zurvival! Congratulations to Lindsay & Andrew Taylor, Ettienne Butler, Kristin Vincent, Gabe & Brian Zettel, and Chris, Holly, & Tally Martineau. Team member Liz was missing in action, but we will catch her next time!

2:05 was my final time. Next time I will break 2 hours. And next time maybe other team members will run with me. Team Zurvival would like to thank all those who supported us on our run and in our rund raising for Huntsman Cancer Foundation. We met our goal and had a great race thanks to all of you. Thanks to the B-12 running club for all your support as well and help with training. Now its on to the Sapper Joe in May! GO TEAM ZURVIVAL!

Easter Camping!

2009-04-18T19:25:00.004-06:00

Easter weekend, forecast of rain and possibly snow. The Zettler's headed out to Antelope Island for a weekend of fun-filled, egg hunting fun. White Rock campground was our destination, which is kind of funny since this is number 2 camping trip for the season and both have been to a different White Rock.

When we arrived Gabe and his troopers were already set up and ready and dinner was on the fire. It was only noon, but this trip we had the pleasure of having a real chef cooking dinner. Joey, a cousin of Gabe's had a chili verde on the fire as well as a made-from-scratch macaroni for the kids. When dinner time came around we were all hungry little wolves and we tore that awesome verde up! I recommend the recipe to everyone!

Here it is for those who would like to find out how good it really was:

"Here is the general recipe and you can make it larger or smaller depending on how many people you have.
Sautee about six ozs. pork and a half a onion until browned. Add a touch of corn starch, a pinch of cumin and stir and add three roasted and diced Aneheim and a jalepeno (more if desired). Add enough water to cover meat. Simmer until pork is tender, usually two to four hours. Sautee onions and rice (already prepared) then add water, chicken base and tomato sauce. Simmer until cooked all the way through."

We ate until we could fit no more into our bellies! Then we all sat back and relaxed into the evening as the kids played and dug a large hole out in the open area near our campsite. On the horizon we could all see a nice storm headed our way. The front was closing on us fast so we started to ready the camp for rain. And rain it did.

For around 2 hours we all endured the cold misty rain, hovering under the canopy or hanging out in the tent until it let up. All except for one... Andrew. He ran around outside with his little face turned up and his tongue hanging out as he tried to catch the rain in his mouth! He got soaking wet.

The rain subsided and everyone gathered around the fire to dry out and get warm as they ate the warm S'mores. The night air became cool and as the fire died out we all retired to a warmer sleeping bag.

(On a side note, if you are ever camping at Antelope Island, make sure you camp at Bridger Bay and not at White Rock if you want to see a beautiful sunset. We drove over to Bridger because we knew from previous trips that the sunsets were beautiful on that side of the island).

The next morning the Easter Bunny came. Once all the kids were up and outside the hunt was on for the Golden Egg that the Easter Bunny had hid very well. All the youngsters swarmed the field looking for all the eggs filled with money, candy and toys. They had a great time and finally found the Golden Egg.

Shortly after everyone was busy eating breakfast and then helping pack up camp. We had all decided to head over to the Bridger Bay beach and spend the rest of the gorgeous Easter day in the sand.

On the beach the kids played with the seagulls and dug more holes in the sand.

We all walked to the edge of the Great Salt Lake and skipped stones and waded in the water. All except Andrew... he ran into the water, shoes on and all. That kid loves the water!

A great trip and a great way to spend Easter. We all went home with sunburns and sand in our shorts!

White Rock... The Season Begins

2009-03-29T21:15:00.018-06:00

Too early for camping you say? HA! No it's not...

The Zettler gang went at it again this past weekend. After doing a little exploring online of the possible places to go that might be a bit warmer this time of year, we decided to head to Skull Valley. This place has so much history. Skull Valley, Utah is home to a few of the remaining Goshute tribal members. It only comprises 30 square miles of land and borders the Cedar Mountain Wilderness Areas and Dugway Proving Grounds used by the US Military. Skull Valley is also the future home of spent nuclear rods or radioactive waste. Energy Solutions recently received the license from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build the site, however, the US Bureau of Indian Affairs and US Bureau of Land Management has not granted the permissions to build or to run a railway to the proposed site. Cedar Mountain Wilderness was partly created just for this reason.

We were headed to a place called White Rock. Loaded up in our usual vehicles, we drove out Friday afternoon in the direction of the setting sun. We turned south at State Route 196 which cuts through Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation. This road was made into a state owned road in order to thwart the shipping of hazardous nuclear waste without permit into Skull Valley. 98 miles later we were arriving at an outcropping of rock that seemed alien to the landscape; White Rock.

White Rock was an old ranch back in the 1960's. In 1968, a mysterious death of several hundred sheep led to an investigation which revealed government testing of biological and chemical weapons testing. Vx gas had killed the sheep. Even though the military denied that Dugway Proving Grounds, which was only 0.5 miles from one of the sites of the dead sheep, had anything to do with the deaths of the animals, they agreed to properly dispose of the carcasses. Hush money is even said to have been paid to local farmers. Read more details here: http://www.corpsfuds.org/reports/INPR/J08UT1100catx.pdf . These sheep are still buried there to this day.

The road from SR 196 to the campsites was populated by open range cattle and a few antelope. Into the setting sun again we turned, large dust plums raised into the air behind our SUV's. Gabe attempted to do a bit of offroading and ended up high-centered on a small sand embankment. The Jeep was unstuck easily with just a bit of pushing and we were off to the West side of the rock outcrop where we found a suitable camp site (on the way in I gave Lindsay and I a shot of adrenaline by taking a very very steep trail that almost resulted in us tipping over!).

Camp went up quickly, a roaring fire to get cooking coals ready slowly burned down. Gabe and I threw the first shoes of the season, but we were just warming up. Dinner was a new concoction: Hobo Stew Burritos. They were delicious and will most definitely be a regular at future campouts. We all hit the hay, fat, tired and smelling of camp smoke! Just the way we like it.

That night an owl hooted us all to sleep nearby as the Big Dipper rotated around the North Star.

Fresh coffee, eggs, and bacon in our gullets, we headed out for some exploring. The peaks of White Rock were calling and we answered. We did a little bouldering at the top of the peaks, took some gorgeous photos and took in all that White Rock had to offer us up there. It was good to be camping again!

It seems that this area is a hot spot for paintballers as we could see leftover paintball shrouds all around and as we were descending the rocks a group pulled up and started to play. Everywhere we looked, remnants of soapy paintballs lay. Not sure what impact they have on the environment, but I do know they make it ugly. Probably not as bad as what Dugway has done in the past.

Back at camp, we all loaded up into the Rover to drive out to the Dugway Geode Beds. "Approximately 6 to 8 million years ago (Miocene epoch), volcanic activity occurred in western Utah and deposited an extrusive igneous rock called rhyolite. Trapped gasses formed cavities within the rhyolite, and millions of years of ground-water circulation allowed minerals to precipitate into the cavities. The result is geodes with spherical shapes and crystal-lined cavities." - http://geology.utah.gov/utahgeo/rockmineral/collecting/rkhd0500.htm . On the way we stopped in at Dugway for gas and some refreshing drinks. (This took approximately 30 minutes as I had to get a vehicle pass from the security guards, if you are a civilian don't even try this). We used the restrooms and asked for some quick directions as we knew the general location, but weren't exactly sure. The older lady behind the counter looked at us and squinted her eyes as if she was thinking real hard, "That's far! I don't remember how far since I ain't been out there for over 20 years, but it's far". A full tank of gas and an adventurous spirit got us there just fine.

We finally figured out that it was 40 miles from Dugway to the geode beds. On a washboard road, this makes for a rough ride. Along the way we passed through Simpson's Springs, one of the old Pony Express stations. Even though the Pony Express was in operation for 18 months it is often thought as part of the great history of the West. Simpson's Springs was used long before the Pony Express as a fruitful watering hole in Utah's west desert. Read more about it here: http://www.utahoutdooractivities.com/simpsonsprings.html .

Along the way we also noted a herd of feral horses that seemed to be attracting an audience. Feral horses, or Mustangs roam the 480 + square miles of the Utah west desert and frequent the BLM water holes that were built for those especially dry springs. They were a nice sight, and brought a feeling of rudimentary wilderness to the overall trip.

We finally found the geode beds and started to look for the tell-tale soft light soil that is indicative of where geodes are to be found. Patience has a lot to do with finding geodes, as we soon found out. Digging and sifting, digging and sifting and finally we found a few smaller geodes.
Mark Twain once said, "There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy's life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure." We fulfilled this desire.

After such a bone jarring ride, it was time for a game of horse shoes and some cool drinks. Back at camp we threw shoes as the sun settled again into her bed and gave way to the sliver smile of a moon. Bean and cheese and rice burritos were a filling dinner and we all gazed at the vast amount of stars in the sky as we warmed our bums by the fire. We all knew that a storm was on it's way in the next day and that we would have to leave early, so we waited for the last bit of flame to die out and crashed.

Coyotes lulled us into the night this night. As the temperatures dropped and the winds raised into the morning, the cold front came down. We all awoke to gale force winds and frozen rain. Luckily we had prepped the campsite the night before and it was a quick pack-up. Frozen fingers packed bags and zipped packs. We drove out of the camp site just as it started to dump on us.

It was a frozen drive home, an amazing site to see the storm coming at us across the desert. All the animals on the plain had their backs turned into the wind as snow started to coat their hides. We stopped for breakfast and toasted our coffee mugs to the first camping trip of the season. Game on!

Corner Canyon Chaos

2009-03-22T11:19:00.001-06:00

Took the kids with me for a run yesterday... a gorgeous spring day. We decided to explore a bit up Corner Canyon. The trails were a bit muddy in parts, but that just made it more fun! I decided to take the running stroller on the trails and add a bit of weight on the hills. It did. I pushed that stroller up quite a few steep hills, but the trails on the downhill were a blast! The kids and I kept a good pace up the hills, stopping only when the our calves screamed at us. We reached another trailhead about 1.5 miles up from the car and decided to make that our half way point thinking we would be doing a short 3 miles round-trip. We were wrong!

At the Ghost Falls trailhead we started down a windy serpentine path that was just wide enough for the stroller. Well traveled by bikes, we followed the tracks in the mud through the scrub oak that were covered with a blanket of orange moss. The shade provided us a much needed break from the warm spring sun that had already kissed the cheeks of my daughter. We raced down the hill at a good pace, the stroller was catching air on the small bumbs over the tree roots that jutted out into the pathway! We were all hooping and hollering as if it were some wild roller coaster ride as our feet pounded into the mud. My new trail shoes did me right!

It turns out we did close to 5 miles by the time we were done winding back and forth back to the car. We followed a small spring runoff creek all the way down. The water was cool on the feet and made for a refreshing break at the end of the run. Unfortunately, we all didn't make it down to the bottom. My son had taken a different path down and I had thought we would reach the car before him. He wasn't there!

2 hours later... after calling for backup to possibly search the ravine, after asking every biker if they had seen a kid in a bright orange shirt on the trail.... after driving around to see if he had popped out on another trail head, I received a phone call. He was already home! An additional 4 mile walk... apparently he had made it back to the car and was waiting. He was sick of waiting he said... so he walked home... without telling me! We had words...

All in all a great day on a great trail!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26333262@N03/sets/72157615747585256/

The Last of the Snow?

2009-03-16T00:29:00.004-06:00

Time: 12:00. Place: Woodland, UT. Date: March 15, 2009. What: Snowshoeing with the fam. A gorgeous day in the Uinta Mountains where the snow sticks sometimes to the middle of June, but not so much this winter. Even though we were in the lower elevations (9000 ft. or so), the south facing slopes were a bit on the skimpy side for snow. Three years now this area has been a favorite for snowshoeing and backcountry skiing, but this year has definitely been a mild winter.

Even though, the snow was powdery in the shade and made for great fun on the downslope. We did a short 2.25 mile hike and took it real slow so that we could take in the wondrous view at the top of our climb. Snowmobilers were everywhere too! I really do dislike snow machines! Tracking up the pristine snow and polluting the the airwaves with the droning sounds of engines revving. I reveled in the poetic justice as we passed a few guys who were trying to get one of their nasty machines unstuck with a rope. They had to ditch one and ride back for help. We continued on our way at a tortise pace, but we were moving, they were not! I recalled something a biker once yelled at me when I was running, "There's an easier way to get there buddy!". I just smiled and ran on as I thought, "not if you get a flat tire bucko!". There is something to be said about slowly trudging to the top of the slopes, out of breath, heart pounding. You've accomplished something. You've beat the hill; it builds character.

We contiuned on, downhill this time, all the way back to the Rover that we spotted from atop the hills. A steep hill gave way to a fun slide back down to the trail reminding us that Mother Nature still holds suprises. (Without the shoes we would have been chest deep in powder!).

A nice short retreat for a Sunday. Another day at my place of worship! The backcountry is always a treat! Unfortunately, with the warmer weather, the snow is receding fast. Unless I get back up soon, I am sure that this could have been one of the last trips of the winter season. Maybe another snowboarding trip, a hike to the top of Lone Peak while the snow still sits high, who wants to join in the fun?

See pictures of our trip at the link to the right.

Who Couldn't Use a Shot of B-12?

2009-03-14T23:03:00.007-06:00

"Wanna run 12 miles this weekend?." A typical conversation at work. In the past it's been, "hey, do you wanna run 2 miles tonight?" Or, "let's go for a mile swim tonight." You see last year Team Can was formed. Three coworkers decided to see what the all the hype was about triathlons, well actually Carter knew very well what tri's had to offer, he'd already done a couple. We each took a strong suit and started to train for the Yuba Tri.

Carter being a strong biker became our shoe-in for the bike event. I was a strong swimmer in high school and throughout my life so I said I'd do the cold water. That left Mick as our runner. Long story short, we took first in the Olympic distance relay team event. We were hooked.

This year it's been training training training. We've all been doing what we can to get ready for the spring and summer races. The Salt Lake City Marathon, a couple of tri's, oh and the Sapper Joe. A 30K and 50K race this May. Dean Karnazes, Mr. Ultramarathon man, has written a few books. They play on audio book at work so that we can all share in the pain and anguish he describes on his 100 mile, 200 mile runs, and the 50 marathons he ran in 50 days. We all think about what it would be like to run a 100 miles in 24 hours.

So there we were... at work talking it up and it was on. 12 mile long run this Saturday. Mick coined it the Bountiful 12-miler... or the B-12! Quickly it became known as the First Annual B-12 race and invitations were made to all friends who have a hankerin' for runnin'.

It went off like clockwork. Those that turned out were treated to fruit and gatorade. We started off with a 3.5 mile loop to get warmed up and then headed off to the new parkway that parallels the Legacy Parkway. A great support group met runners with water and gatorade at spots along the race path providing a short rest for the racers.

All in all everyone finished in great time. Approximately 2 hours for just 12 miles... well almost. It seems that the course was just shy by 0.5 miles. But what a great feeling coming into that home stretch to finish a great run!

Thanks to those who put the B-12 together:

Mick and Tara Garrison

Jarin Andreasen and brother

Carter Dunn

Cori Fitts Bendixen

Shannen Barry- Rosser
Julie Christensen Warr

Lindsay Taylor

See the pictures from the run here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26333262@N03/sets/72157615280761786/

Brush the Dust Off

2009-03-10T08:52:00.003-06:00

The other morning on my run I heard Robins chirping. Growing up I have learned that when the Robins are out, Spring is here. The weather is still cold and we just had a huge snow storm, but the early signs are here.

It's time to brush the cobwebs out and blow the dust off. That's what I'm doing here on the blog; blowing the layer of dust off this old journal.

Last weekend the Zettler's went to Lava Hot Springs. A wonderful excursion away from the mundane! Always a great experience the Inn at Lava is a familiar spot for relaxation and good memories.

We all set out on a Saturday morning for a leisurely drive up to Idaho where the winter temperatures were well in the 30's. McCammon exit was soon enough at our windshield view and we turned for the last 10 miles into Lava.

The Inn is a somewhat restored hospital that was built in the 1920's. Some even say they have a ghost there (we actually conducted a ghost hunt there a few Halloween's ago)! Each room is decorated with dated furniture, with a few amenities found only in select rooms (hot tubs!). Bathrooms are shared down the hallway of each floor and in the morning a fabulous breakfast awaits you downstairs.

Pizza and beer has been a favorite dinner in Lava Hot Springs at another local Bed and Breakfast that hand tosses all their wares. The local "Head Shop", or the Purple Moon sells trinkets, CD's and other imported artwork and sculptures that give you the feeling of being in the Orient or Ancient Egypt as you walk into the incense filled doorway. We popped in as normal.

Hot pools galore! That afternoon, evening and the next morning we all spent hours soaking in the pools that range in temperatures; 109 to 44 degrees. A contest somehow broke out on who could stay in the cold pools longest. A balmy 44 degrees leaves the body in agony after 12 minutes of submersion!

A nice run in the morning after breakfast through the small town left me feeling invigorated and Lindsay and I went to the local small coffee shop afterward for a shot of WAKE UP! A great feeling, the sun beating down on your back after a short run and your nose in the quaffs of coffee steam.... mmmm.

Until next time... this little secret town opens up many more fun activities in the summer time. We will be back soon.

See our trip here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26333262@N03/sets/72157615070430248/

Visit the Inn's website here: http://lavahotspringsinn.com/lhsinn.htm

Ignorance

2008-07-22T23:11:00.001-06:00

The Wheel; that cycle that seems never ending

What if it did?

It seems with each turn I feel a little older, not necessarily wiser

The concept of older being that as one ages

He actually grows more ignorant

That is me – Spinning round Ignorant bound.

Let's Play Ketchup...

2008-07-20T11:48:00.002-06:00

So much is happening and it's hard to keep up. I'm now training on a team for a triathlon in Sept. at Yuba Lake, Mckinley is headed to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota for 3 weeks, Ettienne just finished a week of horsemanship camp, and my Nursing School graduation was last night! Oh! And last weekend I took the kids to Causey Reservoir.

Causey was great! A little pristine lake above Pineview up Ogden canyon. No large boats are allowed and mostly you find canoes and kayaks up there. Of course the Zettlers went on this little trip; Gabe and his kids and my kids and I. There are no roads to the backside of the lake so campers have to boat in with all their gear. This makes for not so many campers and a great comfortable amount of privacy from others on the lake. Up above the water surrounded by a fortress of trees we were the kings of the cape. This is the second year now that we have gone to Causey and camped in that same spot. I think I will dub our camping area Cape Zettler.

We swam all weekend. And for the first time we actually caught fish on the reservoir. Little Rainbow trout who liked the worms and salmon eggs we were using and seemed to be lurking on the bottom of the lake where the water is so cold. I know because I dove with goggles to the edge of cliffs that were submerged. A layer of warmth gives way to a darker, colder body of water that chills the body to the bone almost instantly. Ettienne, McKinley and I took turns seeing who could dive the farthest.

On the small boat that Gabe rented we cruised the entire lake until we found where a small inlet from the river above drains into the reservoir. And what did we find floating there below the small spillway? A large wall of wood just sitting there. It was like a raft that someone used to escape some distant island. We rescued it and pulled it out into the water where Gabe jumped on it as we pulled him around the lake a bit. Wakeboarding on a two-stroke baby!

On our cruise we boated past several people jumping and diving off cliffs. Every year there are accidents on the lake where someone hits their head or falls off the cliff. Last year a teen drowned the week after we were there. Gabe has stories of when he helped a hurt kid that was way back in the back of the reservoir. They used his canoe to get the guy out of the water and then to a hospital. We were careful.

We also noted some mysterious stairs in the cliffs that we will soon be exploring on a future trip.

As I mentioned, Ettienne just finished a week at a local horse ranch learning a bit about horsemanship. At Shawen horse ranch Ettienne learned to groom, bridle and saddle, lead in hand and show horses. Each day she helped clean stalls, feed and clean the horses and all the little things that come along with owning a horse. On her final day she put on a show for everyone along with her classmates of all the skills she learned.

McKinley has been preparing for his big trip of the summer. Next week he is headed to the Boundary Waters along the Minnesota Canada border. For 3 weeks he will be packing his gear along with a canoe from waterway to waterway with other kids his age and experienced guides. Outwardbound Wilderness will be leading the expedition. McKinley will be flying by himself too. A sort of right of passage for my 14 year old. I hope that this trip will be a good experience for him.

On a final note, I finally walked this past Friday. Graduated from nursing now and waiting for my invitation from the Department of Professional Licensing to take my NCLEX for my license. As an RN, I hope to find the financial freedom I need to have the time for my family.

Well, consider yourself caught up now. Until next time.

Pineview

2008-07-13T20:10:00.003-06:00

The annual Zettler Pineview trip is officially a tradition. three years now we have been joining forces and taking over the first come first serve camping areas at Anderson Cove for a few days in June or July. The cove offers shady trees, improved campsites with fire pits, running water and bathrooms. Situated close to the sandy beaches of the reservoir, it is a short walk to the water's edge. Here the kids swim and build sand castles and skip rocks and spend hours in the sun. The boat ramp, steep as it may be, is a great place to put 'Ol Yeller into the water and pick up the kids to go swimming in the no-wake area where many others like to anchor their boats and enjoy the cool water.

This year was a blow out! I think at one point we had over 20 people at the sites and more than half of them were kids! What a time. As usual we over packed our kitchens and ate like kings, queens, princes, and princesses! No one went hungry or thirsty for that matter!

As it was the 4th of July weekend, we were all able to enjoy a fireworks show put on over the lake by the local town of Huntsville. It was a good show, but back at camp afterwards the kids needed more. Tim Butler provided the kids with snakes, sparklers and smoke bombs galore that he had picked up on a short excursion across the border. He had others too but refrained from bringing all the county's sheriffs down on our parade.

On the water the kids enjoyed mostly swimming off the boat. Unfortunately the new tube that I bought that was supposed to be so much fun ripped on the first pull. We were bummed. (the boat shop replaced it for a new one). A few got up on the wakeboards and others were just pleased to go for a fast ride on the waves. I still haven't cleaned the boat from that trip!

At night the camp was abuzz with music with the guitar playing of Indiana (Jeremy) and the harmonica and mouth harp of Gabe. We were in such a groove; those two were jammin! At least until the park manager came over to watch the show. Apparently after hours are quiet time so all the old fogies can get their beauty sleep. But he sat there and enjoyed the music until the two came to a close.

A few of us went down to the water for our traditional night swim. Only the brave partake in this ritual. Once at the water's edge you can see forever on the calm water. Lapping waves sing in unison with chirping crickets. The moon on this particular night was gorgeous. Now, you can't just edge in, no no. In order to fully appreciate a night swim you must plunge in head first all at once! It let's your body know that it is still alive!

Of course we played shoes. Gotta have the shoes going on. Several exciting games brought tears to a few eyes as they lost by only a point or two in the last innings. With several new players this year competition was fierce too.

A great 4th of July weekend to be repeated next year of course! Zettlers ho!

Fifth Water Fall Hot Spring

2008-06-22T23:49:00.003-06:00

With last weeks trip to the Uintas still fresh on our minds we decided to take another trip up into the cooler mountains today. We loaded up in the Rover and headed up American Fork canyon to a favorite spot of mine called Fifth Water Fall hot springs.

A nice 2.5 mile jaunt up the canyon hikers are rewarded by a cool dip and a hot soak in the sulfur springs. It is a local hot spot as well and it is well traveled in the summer. A local hot spot for those that like to soak in the buff too! A common occurrence at other hot springs I know as well and it can be somewhat daunting for the virgin eye. Today was no different.

The hot walk up to the top of the canyon weaves in and out of shaded pathways and follows a river to the falls. Bugs galore are hatching right now and if we didn't keep moving the flies started to eat us alive. After about 45 minutes we arrived at the springs. There are lower and upper hot springs. The lower were occupied by the indigenous bares.

We gave the bares their space and moved up to a pool a few yards upstream closer to the waterfall that was so refreshing. Alternating between the falls and the pools was such a great feeling after the hike. Behind the water fall is a small cavern that you can sit in and escape the sun. The cool spray quenches thirst and cools the skin. I was glad that we went later in the day as it would have been way too hot for that steep climb.

The pools are fueled by underground thermal activity of course, but there seems to be a sulfuric reaction as well. The smell is very potent and you can tell when you are getting close as you are hiking.

The kids loved it despite the strong smell of sulfur and were sad to leave just a little bit later. I have a personal goal to go up there in the winter by snowshoe.

P.S. If you do go up to these hot springs, be ready for snakes! We saw three on the trail and almost stepped on the one rattler of the bunch!

Father's Day Outing

2008-06-22T10:10:00.002-06:00

In a last minute decision, we decided to head up into the Uintas for Father's Day. With water and sandals on we all loaded into the Rover and headed up to where temps are always a good 10 deg cooler. The Unita's have been packed with snow this past winter; more than the past few years.

In Kamas (The Gateway to the Uintas) we were told by the local gas sales clerk, "There's still a buncha snow up there." She showed us recent pictures of Mirror Lake and sure enough, the snow was still almost 7' tall!

We drove up anyway and headed to a favorite spot of mine called Provo River Falls. It wasn't under snow banks.

We hiked along side the river where the water was flowing at a good 800-1200 cfm or so and there were several kayakers there taking advantage of the white water. I took several pictures of them making runs down the falls... it was awesome.

All in all a great Father's Day trip!

Lines of Flux

2008-06-18T13:37:00.002-06:00

Magnets drawn to the poles as are geese to the north

King groundhog has seen his shadow; six more

Robins Red, present again, she feeds at my beckon call

Blue shells cuddle new life

Grasses brown yearn for color,

Soil grows saturated with Heaven’s flood waters

Soon all will change in Cycle

But not until one more; lined in a row nature shall come

Unsung

2008-06-10T17:38:00.002-06:00

Unseen force so visible

Wisps of steam emerge toxic

So small is my effort

Do we think alike?

Untold story so powerful

The left hand is deaf

The right only shouts

This nation once a dream now forsaken

Unscheduled stop lightens the load

Burdens transferred to another

Weights shifted to a mother

How long can she last?

Un-foreshadowed black cancer swells

Death’s imminence looms heavy

Apathy’s intolerance skips along

Only the young shall see in the end

A Childhood Memory...

2008-06-05T13:51:00.000-06:00

11:45. Lunch time. On the menu today was a favorite, pigs in a blanket. I traded my chocolate pudding for a second helping from the kid at the end of the folding lunch table. The lunch hall was abuzz with the sounds of children’s laughter, trays clanking and silverware clicking. Echoes could be heard in the nearby halls; if you had just entered the school it would be evident where everyone was.

Children were required to stay indoors for fifteen minutes before they could perform the usual mass exodus to the playground where they could play another twenty minutes. There were many things to do outside. Kickball was a popular past time. Four square was played quite regularly; resonating rubber balls on pavement marked by squares was a comforting sound. The swings and jungle gym were magnets to all the kids, but it was first come first serve and unless you were quick, you would have to wait for someone to “bail-out” for a turn on the swings. However there was one game that did not limit the player to a specific area; marbles.

Marbles could be purchased at any local store that had a toy section. I had personally begged my mother to buy me a bag so that I could play during the recess at school. My parents did not drink, so the coveted Crown Royal bag to carry your marbles that I had was gained by a series of underground deals. Inside of my bag was my bounty of marbles that I had won from the other kids in class. Each marble had its own story and magical property. I had fiery red “bird cages”, “bird’s eyes”, mirror finish blue and green ones, and even a few “steelies”. But my most prized possession was my bright red Tiger’s eye. It was a “beaut”! I had won it from a kid just a few weeks earlier and I distinctly remember the joyous sound of that final “clack” sound my marble made as it hit my opponent’s on the final blow of our game.

Rules applied to our game. It was simple really, the two opponents threw their marbles in opposite directions and then each progressively threw theirs closer to the other until one hit another. Whoever hit first was declared the winner. We played for “keepsies” or practice. Keepsies meant that the winner kept the loser’s marble. It was a gamble sometimes to play this way, especially if the marble played was a favorite.

This particular day I was up against Mark. Mark’s dad was a mechanic and had given his son one of the biggest heaviest steel ball bearings any of us had seen. It was “ginormous”, a steel ball of death, weighing in at least 5 lbs, and as silver as the shiny quarter in my pocket! I wanted that marble, although, technically it wasn’t a marble. Everyone wanted that marble. But It was me that Mark had chosen to play that day on the playground. Mark, being the challenger, had the right to look at my bag and choose the marble I played with. As chance would have it, he chose the “Tiger’s Eye”. My heart jumped, and shivers crept up my back. What if I win? That monstrous ball of glory could be mine! But if I lose, then my most prized possession is gone, up for grabs in future maybe. Mark, with his freckly cheeks and red hair stood there smiling at me as I contemplated my decision to play or not.

The game was on. We each threw our marbles in opposite directions hoping for the best cover possible. My Tiger landed in the tall grass while his made a loud “thump” in the sand near the igloo shaped jungle gym. I picked my marble up and strategically threw it into the sand on a high mound knowing that I didn’t want to land in a low spot for fear that gravity would help him win. Mark threw his closer to mine but it landed near the swing set frame; adequate protection. I picked up my marble and chose to throw closer to the steelie hoping to draw Mark closer so I might have a shot at his prize. My tactic worked, Mark picked up his small bowling ball and aimed for my pea sized target of a marble.

It was a battle. His might against my strategy. In the final phase it was my marble a few inches from his large steel ball. I had chosen to deliver my final blow by “cherry drops” which entitle me to pick up my marble and drop it straight down from the height of my hip. The playground grew silent as I took aim, raised my hand with marble pinched between finger and thumb. With one eye closed and peering over my right hip I focused on Mark’s large target at my feet. I released the marble. A small “tick” was barely audible as my glass ball of red stripes smacked the top of his mirror finished ball bearing. A smile grew across my face as I looked up and saw Mark’s jaw drop. Victory was mine!

To Tour The World

2008-05-17T11:25:00.002-06:00

So I have cabin fever... it is official. Just one taste of the outdoors for the early spring and I am itching to get out of this house! School has finally gotten to me and I am just sick and tired of studying. I played hookie the other night and stayed home with my kids to help them with their homework and spent some quality time with them. My weekend clinical was also re-scheduled, for other purposes, but still a welcome break. Now I am finding it hard to get back into it all.

Lately, I have been day dreaming of outfitting my rover for a long road trip to Mexico. I did some research and it sounds like it is very feasible to drive from Nogales or Tijuana to Mazatlan. The trip is around 1000 miles one-way. Just the thought of being gone and on the road in a foreign country brings my interest to a peak and frenzy. I found a website online that is written by a family who has been driving through Mexico for over 20 years and have a guide on how to plan, pack and travel across the country. It is safe as long as you stay on the toll roads and travel by day. At night, apparently, the roads are frequented by banditos and others who are out to rob and pillage. Here is their site: On The Road In.

After looking at the cost of gas in Mexico (average of $3.80/gal) I figured it would be less to fly and stay in a 5 star hotel for a couple of days. So other options? Canada. How about a road trip across The great north? I am researching that now.

Reading about how to do all this keeps me busy and quells my boredom. In the meantime, until I can actually do these things, I can read of other's and their trips.

One that I like a lot: Around the World in 1999.

The food shortage...

2008-05-14T18:32:00.003-06:00

Ever stop and wonder how this Earth will ever support the demands that we put on her? At risk of sounding green or granola I am going to tub-thump a little on the food shortage we are all hearing about these days. What is driving a food shortage? Why do we care now when there has been an increased demand for food since before the Korean War? Is it the new hype about alternative fuels derived from corn or soy? Is it the rising fuel costs increasing the cost of food or the decrease in agriculture and farming? Or is it just another mass media ploy driven by a shadow politics that seems to be the undertow of this country we live in? Could it be all of these?

Personally, I am a fatalist; always have been. I believe there will be a time when there won't be enough resources to go around; that Mother Earth will just finally dry up. What little we have done may be too late. I hear and read about the Green Towns going up across America. One in particular in Wisconsin mandated that all citizens turn in their gas guzzlers for alternative fuel or flex fuel vehicles and for the power company to utilize the local pig and dairy farm waste products to fuel the city. It was an expensive feat and today still is not fully there yet with their goal. Another town in Louisiana that was destroyed by Katrina is being built from the ground up by only green means. Each building is being constructed with eco-friendly materials and the town is looking to alternate means of power and transportation.

Change takes time, effort and lots and lots of money. Lewin's theory about change incorporates three steps: Unfreezing, Changing, Refreezing. In order to unfreeze though there must be a need to change. That, I believe, is the hardest part. We must recognize the need for change. Sometimes it has to be pointed out to us, even forced upon us for that realization to occur.

This week my Mother sent me an email that was a push in that direction. In that email was this link: What is eaten in one week around the world.
I encourage you all to read or even just look and ponder... how can I make a change that would help?

That is all... I am off the tub. Thanks for your time.

Insomnia Attack

2008-05-09T01:52:00.000-06:00

Although I know that I need sleep as I have two graveyard clinicals this weekend, I sit here at almost 2 am unable to sleep. Perhaps it is because my body is on this time clock now and my Circadian Rhythms are not what others might say is normal. Or maybe it is just the fact that my mind is racing a million miles a minute and I can't seem to quell the storm that rages there.

This is not out of the ordinary of course. For the past two years now I have worked and gone to night school. I have, essentially, become a Vampire! I live at night and rue the daytime. Work has become just a past-time now as I look forward to class. Yes, it does hit me where the pocketbook sits, but I cannot help it. I love learning.

44 days from now I will be done with school, at least for now. I will have completed my nursing degree and will start to study for the NCLEX exam. The state requires that all nursing graduates take this licensure exam in order to work as an RN. I can't wait until it is over. Then all I need to worry about is where I want to work.

During the past few months I have had a few job offers and some of them are very enticing. The shortage of nurses drives recruiters to find as many as possible. The world will be my oyster. But I am leaning toward home health or even mental health. There are several programs that deal with troubled youth and they take these teens into the wilderness for weeks at a time. I think I would enjoy that, however, I would miss my kids.

Ah well... there is an example of my mind ranting. I have typed in a few minutes what my mind went through in mere seconds. If only we could perform so well. Not without sleep that is for sure!

OK... I'm off to try again.

2008-05-01T17:36:00.000-06:00

So it seems that winter is still trying to nip at our bums as we try to embrace the warmth of the soon-to-be summertime. For those of you who planted and then saw all those babies freeze, I am sorry. I wonder sometimes how those who grow fruit or veggies for a living here in Utah make a living with such a short growing season.

I sit outside and huddle around my barbecue as slow glowing coals give off as much heat as they can whilst a freezing wind whips around my body. That chicken will never cook. There are so many things I want to do this summer, and with the last weekend's trip still fresh on my mind I ponder all the many different outings that I could embark on. Backpacking in the Uintas, fly-fishing the Weber and Provo rivers, motoring around Soapstone basin and exploring caves, swimming at Lake Powell off the back of the boat, or wake boarding across Pineview Reservoir. Then I think of all that is holding me back.

School will be finally finished with for me in 8 weeks! July 18, 2008 I will walk across a stage and receive my degree in nursing. This is a huge accomplishment for me as I really do have a full house of unfinished projects. I seem to start so many things and then never follow through with. I have artwork from the 9th grade that still is just a sketch aspiring to be in color. I have books with bookmarks mid-way through cluttering my dusty shelves. Everyone has these in their life... the "if only I had more time so I could do that" projects.

All in all though.. I think I accomplished quite a bit this winter. I trained for the Salt Lake City half marathon and ran it a few weeks ago. I made candles with my kids like I promised, we went snowshoeing, snowboarding and skiing, organized the garage (great shelving at IKEA), and all the while I kept at school and worked full-time! When I look back, I suppose I did alright. Still, nagging me in the back of my mind is that small voice.... "we should do this... or that...". It seems the best intentions always driving me and others I know, to constantly go go go and do better or best.

I suppose we all have to be somewhat dissatisfied with ourselves in order for there to be a drive. I read an article recently that simply put said, that we are satisfied with good because we are comfortable, therefore we never want to do great. Being comfortable can be a problem, especially for me right now. So, in order to do great, I have to simplify and not do so many things.

Still that voice chimes.... do more, do more!

Goblin Valley

2008-04-27T23:38:00.001-06:00

The past weekend posed an opportunity that I knew I would not see for at least another 9 weeks or so due to school, work, and clinical hours; camping! I packed the Rover up and with the usual crowd (Gabe, Brittany, Lindsay and me AKA the Zettlers) headed to Goblin Valley, Utah.

"Secluded Goblin Valley was first discovered by cowboys searching for cattle. Then, in the late 1920's, Arthur Chaffin, owner/operator of the Hite Ferry on the Colorado River, and two companions were searching for an alternate route between Green River and Cainsville. They came to a vantage point about a mile west of Goblin Valley and were awed by what they saw - five buttes and a valley of strange-shaped rock formations surrounded by a wall of eroded cliffs." (http://www.utah.com/stateparks/goblin_valley.htm)

A four hundred mile round trip excursion had me a little worried especially since the roads would be warmer and rough on my tires, so I headed into the shop and bought a spare as my old spare did not match my set of four. Then, on a somewhat of an impulse buy I replaced my battery with a new Optima long-life one that set me back $178 bones! Ouch! Oh well, piece of mind is worth it.
Enough food to feed us for 5 days packed, camping gear stowed, and the Rover ready and fueled we headed out on Friday around lunch time. We hooked up with Gabe and his friend and his green dog on the way down. Yeah I said green... apparently Gabe's bro got a hold of the dog and dyed his hair green! Freaky Caleb. We were taking a little goblin back to his home!

Heading southwest on highway 6, we stopped in Price for gas and a little culture and then headed south towards Hanksville, Utah to Goblin Valley. We had separated while driving as Gabe was in a hurry until Gabe and his little gremlin had to make a pitstop just outside of Goblin Valley. The little Chihuahua did his business and we all jumped back in our vehicles to get on our way. Gabe and Britt drove off in their Jeep just as I turned the ignition on my Rover; it wouldn't start! What the....!? We were out of cell phone range so I couldn't call Gabe. We were stranded in the middle of nowhere! I popped the hood and quickly found the issue; a loose ground wire on the new battery... I'll have to call the shop and let them know I appreciate their handy work. Lindsay and I practiced NCLEX-RN flashcards while driving the rest of the way.

Goblin Valley campground was, as luck would have it, full! But we had it on good advice that the better campgrounds were just past the State Park in the surrounding canyons. We found a nice camp spot in no time at all... NOT! Didn't I mention that we stopped in Price for gas? Well Gabe didn't! I can recall his words now... "Dude, I think we're in trouble here!" We were driving around in a river bed looking for a spot and he had no gas!

Back at the State Park the ranger told us that it was 30 miles to Hanksville; Gabe's new Jeep gets 24-25 miles to the gallon according to him and he had about a gallon left. Deciding against taking a free gallon of gas from the ranger station, we chanced the drive into Hanksville. 10 miles into the drive Gabe's gas light flickered on! #$%@! Now what?

A long story short, we made it to the gas station; Gabe had to use the bathroom right away when we arrived! The station by the by, was a novelty in its own right. Built into the rock the little store/gas station was a converted cave that probably went back 60 feet into the mountain. Just a cool little gimmick... haha coooool... Gabe now knows the limits of his Jeep and his bowels!

Back at camp we made work of setting up the kitchen, the tents the fire-pit and of course the horseshoe arena! We play horseshoes religiously when camping, and this time we made it interesting by putting $2 a game on the line. I still owe Gabe $6! That night we grilled pre-made burritos and hit the hay! It got cold! Below freezing even.

Coffee and omelettes gave new life in the morning and we all loaded into the Rover to go see the goblins. The park was awesome and we spent the day hiking through the odd shaped rocks. We took some good photos and climbed up a few cliffs... all work that created a great thirst! A thirst that only Corona can quench! Off to the horseshoe pit we went. It wasn't until later that we all noticed that our skin was as red as the rock surrounding us! Oh well... gotta get that first bit of sun for the summer, right?

In the valley there is a dry river bed that I can only guess is full of water in the flash flood season of August to October. Gabe and I ran the river in the Rover and Jeep creating a giddiness of little school boys in a candy shop! So...much...fun.... Gabe even caught 3 feet of air in his new car throwing the little dog that Britt was holding into the air... flying Goblin! The new Jeep has a few battle wounds from that little stunt.

After a great ride it was time for horseshoes again. Coals burned down for a good cooking fire and we sat and drank a great wine as the chicken with artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes baked. The aroma filled the canyon as game 4 of the Jazz vs. Rockets blared on our satellite radios (They won of course! Go Jazz!). After dinner and a refreshing glass of St. Chappelle Reisling we were off to bed. Dreams of off-roading in the river bed brought me a restless night...

The morning greeted us with a blazing sun. Our little water-proof Wetzel tent became an instant oven forcing us to get up. Packing up was something the Zettler's always hate to do. It means that we are returning to civilization and the stressors of life in the city. A tired drive home in our mud-covered SUV's with the short-lived memories of the weekend is something we never look forward to. All in all it was a great trip and a great short break from the business of life. School, work, and all the other stuff that seems to shore up the holes of time is unfortunately the way life is.

Home again means cleanup and a small yearning for the next trip to be sooner than later. I think I will take the kids back there as soon as I can. Another river run is soon to come! Watch out river bed... the Zettler's will return!

P.S. I know there are those that will read this and say, "What of the environment? How can you just drive around and not think of what you are doing to the natural ecosystem?" Well, I say to those people, that this is a designated area for off-road driving specifically set up by the State Parks. There are trails that are mapped and maintained for ATV and off-road use. The trails and river bed we drove were well-marked and where off-road driving is prohibited it is well marked as well. I understand the impact of over use from ATV's and don't condone the abuse of such areas (Factory Butte). The river bed is renewed every year by natural rain and run off. So be at peace all you who point fingers in shame... even in Rovering we can be one with nature!