Labor Day and Labor Week

Labor Day weekend a few of us hiking friends were invited to go up to Mt. Charleston and spend the weekend at Linda's cousin's cabin.  So Carolyn, Collette, Annette, Linda and I went up Friday evening to the cool mountains for a relaxing (and for some, strenuous hiking) weekend.  Because it was sooo nice outside (got down into the 50-60s at night), we decided to sleep outside on the deck on our cots.  What a treat that was to sleep under the gazillion stars and tall pine trees blowing in the breeze.  Couldn't have asked for better!  Saturday, 3 of them got up early and did the 17 mile hike up Mt. Charleston and down the other side.  It took them 13 hours and they surely felt accomplished upon their return (Linda is 52!)   Since my hip is still healing from a 'tweak' hiking in June, I decided to try a shorter (like 2 mile) hike in Fletcher's Canyon.  It was a good way to stretch my hip out and see what it was capable of doing again by way of incline.  I enjoyed the views and solitude, as Annette hiked in about 1/2 way and turned back.  Mr. HIP did pretty well and I hope to do a 4-5 mile hike this Saturday.  I WILL get up to Griffith Peak again - the TOP - by October...when the leaves are changing along the way up.  I know these friends will hold me to it and motivate me to get back out there hiking for real, which I've grown to love these past 2 years. 

Anyway, later, Annette and I went to the Hotel for lunch and drove around looking at cabin real estate, dreaming of having our own getaway!  Annette left for home early in the afternoon which gave me several hours alone to read "Catching Fire," the sequel to "Hunger Games."  I was sucked into it very quickly.  Reading in a comfy porch chair in the mountains with a cool breeze is as close to heaven as one can get.  We ate a late dinner when the hikers came back, visited about the hike, had an encounter with a stranger (our fault for leaving the doors wide open), and again enjoyed sleeping out under the stars.  Sunday morning, we had a lazy morning of reading, napping, eating, and visiting.  Late that afternoon we decided to clean the cabin and head for home.  I can't wait to do it again in a few weeks!

So, traditionally, a shortened work week seems like it will never end.  This has rung true these days.  I can't believe it's only the 2nd week of school!  I am feeling more and more comfortable each day and am getting more and more responsibility as well.  I don't have NEAR the amount or level of difficulty of tasks to do here that I've done for years at P.  I am quite enjoying figuring out how to do MY job and MY job alone - there is MUCH to be done.  I've been into classrooms to observe kids teachers have asked me to give feedback on.  I've been assessing lots and lots of kindergartners on their basic literacy and math skills - so many that I had to take some aspirin each day around 1/3 the way through!  But it's been good to meet the little kiddos.  I also have 4th grade lunch duty - outside and inside.  This has given me the opportunity to interact with the same kids each day and I've learned many of their names as I challenge them to a basketball-throwing contest or encourage "monkey-bar" crossings.  With under 100 kids and 3 adults outside, it's pretty much a piece of cake (knock on wood).  My daily calendar is quickly filling up and it's feeling good to be needed a little.  I'm definitely still the stranger around town, but am learning the culture, rhythm, and hidden nuances of the school.  Little by little...line upon line... 

ONE HIGHLIGHT of the week is that it's cooling off enough to sleep with the windows OPEN!  And last night, for the first time all week, no police helicopters woke me up flying by in the middle of the night!  This time they waited until about 5:30am!  Thank you for small blessings...LOVE the FRESH AIR - my house needs airing out really badly!  I still have faint paint fumes that tickle my nose hairs every so often!

Niagra Falls, Canada, 2009

P.S.  I'm just being put in as the relief society assistant secretary...and am assigned to create a blog for them which will be private enough but accessible to those who need it.  It will be a challenge and I'm hoping that some of my fantastic blogger friends (like AMY) would be willing to help me out with some tweaking! 

After my first RS presidency meeting this afternoon, Shan and I enjoyed visiting over dinner for several hours about all sorts of life-stuff!  She's provided some great insights about this career change and life in general and I hope I offer the same.  It's encouraging to have good friends around us.  I am fortunate to have such a cheerleader in Shan.