Sharing Time: These Gloves

I was doing noise reading outside for work this past week, out in the cold dark evenings... tuesday I was up at the hill air force base museum and wednesday was by the purple turtle. And I was thinking what a pain it is to have to take off my mitts/gloves to touch my touch the screen on my phone. It's so cold outside at night!

Well, I love that these exist:

thank you smart people! what a world we live in!

peace and pinetrees,
whit

Ice Machines and Loud TV

Life is so weird right now.

I'm alone in my hotel room, and McKay is up in her hotel room.

I can hear the ice machine every time it is used, because it's right outside my door. Someone just barely got some ice and it's 1:37am. I have never fully understood the need for ice machines in hotels. The ice machines and those little plastic buckets that are provided in hotel rooms. In other hotels I have filled up that bucket with ice just because I have thought that was the thing to do. Then, in the morning, it's just water in a little plastic bucket. You're welcome, cleaning maid, are you confused by the water in the bucket? So am I.

I can currently hear my neighbors TV going from the wall directly behind me.

I can't wait for this survey work to be over and done with. I guess I must be getting older because this sort of work doesn't stay exciting to me like it used to. After being up here a couple of days I just want to get home to my little orchard shack, and back to my normal routines.

I threatened a lady with my pepper spray today to just get her freaking survey done. And as I drove by another house today, I rolled down the window, and yelled at the black man standing outside, "are you going to fill out that survey? or do you just not care?!?"

He didn't care.

I'm getting sloppy.

Bloggings From A Motel

This "business trip" I'm on is getting old fast... I'm not sure what my boss was thinking sending me up here for this shiz. Driving and walking around Clinton and Sunset Cities, trying to get a hold of these random people who have been selected to fill out a survey - for a road that is going to be built no matter what these people say. It's sorta depressing. For those of you who don't know, I am no longer a drafter at Horrocks Engineers - they uprooted me to the public involvement department. Probably because people love me so much, but mostly it's because they were probably desperate - and all they had to fill the spot was me and a building full of engineers who wear plaid shirts every day and think puns about "plotting" are funny.

Anyways, that was back in January when the department switcharoo happened. I told them I had BS-ed being drafter for 4 years, I could BS anything else they'd like me to do. So far it's worked out. I had to stick around for a few project deadlines on some of the projects I was doing utility plans for, but now I am full blown public involvement (P.I. for short) The department consists of me and another man named David. Instead of drafting I have important meetings with UDOT officials and city council members, I have breakfast business meetings, lunch meetings, conference calls, open houses to plan, and one morning Mr. Horrocks himself wanted me first-thing in his office. What the? Most of the time I just deal with curious humans who want to know more about the construction projects going on in their neighborhoods... lucky for me, because I love curious humans. And truly, I love being involved in communities and being in "the know" about construction projects. Before being involved with P.I. I would go to public open houses just for fun, and now I get paid to go.

Well, my new boss, Stan, thought it would be good for me to get out and, I guess, "really meet the people" for this environmental study going on up here in clinton and sunset. It's been interesting. While I normally am all gung-ho for new roads and interchanges I'm starting to sympathize with this community up here. One man in particular really got me thinking. He refused to take the survey Sunday afternoon because he knew the survey wouldn't make a difference, that road is going in no matter what. He was so informed, so smart, so conservative, so educated, so furious about the government, and spoke with such a loud clear voice... I sat and listened to him for 30 minutes in the shade of his porch because I loved everything he was saying so much. Too bad he is 40 years too old for me.

Poor Sunset City, once upon a time it was just a cute little community. Now it's being slowly diminished by federal roads, drivers getting to and from West Point City, Hill Air Force Base, meth-heads roam the street, and the Front Runner train runs through peoples backyards.

I'm glad I don't live up here.

I'll be glad when this project is done. Even though it's nice not being stuck in the office.

Things that have made this trip more bearable: the Deweys let me borrow one of their laptops (even though it's a Mac, it's saving my life), and because my beetle sorta broke down yesterday, McKay is up here helping now! I'm so glad she is here, I was sorta loosing it.

Business Trip

Today is the third day I have been up here in Sunset and Clinton on a business trip. They have me staying in this lovely place called CRYSTAL cottage INN. I'm sure "real" Chrystal Inns are nice enough, but this fakey crystal cottage inn is something else. As far as I can tell it's being run by a single Indian boy who never gets a break, and a real slow house maid who was still cleaning my room as I was checking in (and by cleaning I mean texting on her phone). The indian boy I have seen at all hours of the day and night, I don't understand why no one has come to relieve him yet. Yesterday morning the office, where you get your complementary breakfast, was locked up till 9am - because he was dead asleep at the counter and no one could wake him. When I finally got in to see what the breakfast had to offer I wasn't too bothered it hadn't been open earlier (I don't usually eat twinkies and cigarette butts in the morning).

This morning I was awakened at 6am (and I am a sound sleeper) to the fighting of a couple in the hotel room next to mine. They were screaming and yelling at each other, which in my sleeping slumber didn't make any sense at all.

"YOU DON'T TRUST ME, AND YOU DON'T TRUST MY RECEPTIONIST!!"

"YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME!"

"I'VE FELT THIS WAY FOR SIX MONTHS!!!"

It went on for a while, then the man left, stormed out, got in his car and drove away. Who is arguing this early in the morning? I had a hard time falling back to sleep after that.

On a sign somewhere it mentions there is a hot tub. I have walked the outside perimeter of this building, both floors of this hotel, peered into every room, tried every locked door, and have visited the basement to do some laundry and still haven't seen the hot tub (which sucks! I brought my swimsuit and everything! I'll keep looking, because the hot tub here seems like a good place to be hit on - and I am sorta lonely). I did find a locked room in the basement which was labeled something like "family friendly activity room". Really? What family friendly activities have they got going on behind that locked basement door? I am hoping to never find out.

Things aren't so bad. I actually got to move rooms yesterday from a smelly smokey one to a "no smoking please" one. Now I have fresher air and my door sorta has a dead bolt on it, and the window is almost covered by a plastic sheet curtain thingy --- THANK YOU CRYSTAL cottage INN!!! I sure hope that the 1800 North widening project doesn't knock you down, it would be a shame to see this beauty go!

On the upside, I have been issued pepper spray to complete my assignment up here in Weber County. I carry it around my neck.

Park City Door

Hanging door hangers in Park City again on Friday, I ran into this door.

She and my mom must be kindred spirits.

Pinning Airstreams

I've been really enjoying pinterest dot com lately. Work has been so dull - that looking up airstreams to pin has kept me from going completely crazy.

I hope Public Involvement work picks up soon, because lately I miss being a drafter.

Seems Wrong...

Something doesn't sit right when I think about informing PARK City that we are taking away their PARKing. It's like we are taking away their derivement!

But a jobs a job.

I like Park City because they got street names like Annie Oakley Dr, Samuel Colt Ct, Sidewinder Dr, Doc Holiday Dr, Wyatt Earp Way, Muchkin Rd, Bonanza, and Butch Cassidy Ct.

While hanging door hangers around their neighborhoods you see garages like this:

And porches like this:

And when you are driving past Jordanelle, you see moose running along side the highway.

Boring

I follow UDOTs twitters. I just think it's important to know whats up.

UtahDOT: Crews removed graffiti from an I-80 overpass today

UtahDOT: U.S. 191 bridge to Moab to get $42.3M UDOT makeover

UtahDOT: Rollover accident at the intersection of 700 E and 9950 S in Sandy, all lanes are blocked

UtahDOT: Bangerter could get new 'centerchange'

Also tonight there is an open house for North County Blvd at the high school. That's the road that goes right by my house. And it's the road I've done all the utility work for here at Horrocks. I know, I know, I'm excited too.

All I See Are Utility Lines

These pictures hang in the lobby of my work on the first floor. I stare at them while I wait for the elevators in the morning. Today they looked so much like utility lines, my mind just assumed that's what they were.

Testhole/borehole artwork... lovely.

Here's what a real test hole looks like:

They look exactly the same.

Dead Pheasant

There is a dead pheasant outside my work.

I saw it as I was walking into the building yesterday. It died a horrible death I'm afraid. At first I thought it was a little sparrow that had run into the glass and fallen dead, upon further inspection I realized that the clump of feathers that I thought was a little bird was accompanied by several other clumps of bird feathers in small little clusters around the bushes... and I thought it must have been a flock of little birds flying into the window. But then I saw the fancy red bird head... all on it's own, lying in the dirt. And I knew there was fowl play at hand indeed. In a small corner of the building, behind some shrubbery, was a pool of blood, some bird seed, and the remains of a beautiful pheasant.

Today it still wasn't cleaned up. 

I stood over the mess and determined that whatever killed that poor pheasant was either one of these three animals:  a man, a cat, or a raccoon

The man would be the creepiest option. But what other animal is smart enough to trap a bird using bird seed?

Now as I walk to my car at night I can just picture a homeless man, crouched in the corner, in the dark, gnawing on bird bones... 

Bridge Slide!

they are shutting down a chunk of I-15 tonight, and in the wee hours of the morning they are moving a giant bridge into place...   I think it's going to be pretty spectacular!

Don't worry, that bridge only weighs 2,178 TONS... and they are just going to move it in one night.

UDOT also thinks it's going to be spectacular, so they have a place for people to watch if they want to, from the existing AF main street.

The plans for this project are crazy... Diverging Diamond Interchange... Wha?

This bridge is part of the project I've been working on for almost a year, the I-15 Core, so for me it's exciting.

read more here, fellow nerds: heaviest, longest concrete bridge ever moved!!! tonight by zupas in american fork!!!!

Mountain View Corridor

hope you all enjoy this road when it's done.

because it's destroying my soul.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

it's 11:06pm, I am still at work.

we have a deadline tomorrow.

we took a break and played hearts a few hours ago. 

I shot the moon.

that would have never had happened with the normal lunch hearts players.

today I listened to the last part of HP7... which makes me tear up sometimes.

is it wrong that when I read Harry Potter I think of the 2nd coming?

but mostly I have listened to lupe fiasco, and loving it more and more and more.

30 minutes ago curtis turned jim gaffigan on really loud so me and john smith could hear too.

then jerry came and listened and died laughing at the hot pocket part.

seriously died.

he's dead.

I'm waiting for some more work that's coming to my desk.

I have the coolest job.

Tree Fort Cube

This is my work spot. I like it. 

But REALLY what I like about it is -  imagining it is my own tree fort that I hide out in, high up in some shady trees, surrounded by big leafy branches. Being up on the top floor of the building, with cubicle walls I can't see over as I work, makes this easy to imagine. Sometimes work feels like a game to me, or that I'm playing pretend. Especially when I ride my bike to work. Riding my bike always brings out the kid in me. 

I love my bike route to work. I pass golf courses, the high school, big green feilds, the temple, old weird houses, the hospital, spanky's diner, and the last stretch is a long smooth road that hardly anyone drives down that has horse pastures, big trees, and little streams to look at. Then I am at work up in my secret tree fort. 

My job includes making secret maps and drawings, listening to music, and drinking soda.

I built countless forts and huts as a child romping around the un-developed neighborhood and gully by our house. I loved having my own little space I could be in, carved out of nature. Some of the huts we constructed were intricate, everyone with their own rooms, pathways connecting other huts, secret entrances, and on the inside there were shelves and hidden holes to burry our important stuff. Stuff being rocks and junk found at that weird little junk yard.

I don't think I realized how lucky we had it, having that gully right there to play in. Sad to think that some kids don't get to make forts and huts and run around wild like that.

I remember being so tired after working in my hut all day. Doing more manual labor than I would ever do at any paying job. I would lift big rocks, move logs, cut down brush... totally worth it. Then at night I would dream of other bigger huts I could make, and hide out in. I would draw the layout in my mind, and figure out all the engineering that would have to take place as I drifted off to sleep...  that was the life.

I miss those days. I also miss the days when we didn't have bike racks here at work, so I would have to take my bike with me up the elevator to my cubicle. Now my bike stays downstairs.

Utilities

I close my eyes, especially at night, and I see lines like these.

I also hear the song glory by radical face (thank you mary).

In a way it's soothing.

Blood Shot Red Eyes

my eyes are tired. today at work I wait and wait for stuff to print, and spend the time just drifting through the world wide web. I've read so many blogs today. Probably yours. Even if you don't know me, and you're secretly "blog-stalking" me... don't worry, I read yours too. I like your blog, it's on my google reader.

I'm excited to get this weekend started. 

Later Provo

I secretly am excited to move back home. In fact, I am skipping out on eating out at Diegos right now because I want to pack up and get going. It will be a hard-working summer since I am working two jobs, but I think I am going to enjoy it.

Warm weather makes me pro-active.

I like working, and I will have two jobs that make me very happy and bring out different sides of me. Kohlers makes me happy because I see tons of people and interact with tons of people. And working at Horrocks Engineering will let me just listen to my music and sit and figure things out.

I had my interview with Horrocks today. The interview went wonderfully well... I always have such laid back interviews, I don't think I have ever had a formal interview since working at the Purple Turtle. And during my interviews they just tell me that I have the job, there is never any suspense. Because of the lack of formality I've experienced in obtaining jobs I have no trust in attaining "interview skills" or writing a "professional resume". Is that crazy? I just don't think it matters. Do people really get hired because they have a good firm hand shake, and maintain good eye contact? I don't know, it seems weird to me.

Needless to say, I got hired on Horrocks Engineering and start on Monday. I'll be working there about 25 hours a week. And I'll work at Kohlers at night.

Oh, but there is also a part of me that is really sad to leave Provo. I really like the house that I live in and my bedroom, and I love p-town bike rides. And just recently I have discovered two things about Provo that I didn't know about before, and I thought I had Provo figured out!

The first is the running trails up above seven peaks. I think they are wonderful! And I wish I had known about them sooner because they give you such a beautiful view of Provo, I may drive down just to go on a few runs there.

The second is the Food and Care Coalition! This week I volunteered there with Lily and Lindsay... and I loved it! I have always known that place existed, but I never knew where it was. And it was so fun serving those people and making the trays of food. I even ran into a Romanian woman who was shocked that I could speak her language. And after only 25 hours of service they give you a free apron. Frick! Why did I just find out about this 2 days ago???? I have been living in Provo for almost 3 years!! I could have earned a bazillion aprons!

Oh well. I'll be back. I won't be able to stay away for long... especially when McDoodle gets back to ta-ooooooooowwwn. She may even love Provo more than me, this is a quote from her most recent email:
last night i had a dream i went home and i was so mad casue i wanted to go explore provo, but you wouldn't take me and i didn't have a car and i was all "Whitney please! i haven't seen provo forever" and you still wouldn't take me. . .
Golly, I miss McKay... she is fabulous to the tenth power.

dr@ft1ng

I sometimes really love drafting. and I really love working at Kohlers. I think this summer is going to be just lovely.

I was walking down some of the stairs outside on campus the other day and was reminded of how cold and wet winter was. I remember how slushy those stairs used to be, and how the bottoms of my pants were always wet. I used to love the winter, but at that moment, walking down those stairs, I never wanted to see another winter day again. I think I would love living in the desert.

I went out to lunch the other day with a senior couple that I had served with in Romania. And we talked and talked for almost 3 hours at Red Robin. And I missed Romania so very much. I was thinking of how much I loved the summers over there. They are so green, lush, humid, and hot... A lot of memories are very sweaty... my forehead was always perspiring, and my forearms would even sweat, but I loved the feeling. I'm not sure why, it sounds gross now. But oh, I love the summer. I can't wait for this crappy Spring to be over

This the hierarchy of seasons in my world:
Fall
Summer
Winter
Spring

Hard Work

I love working. I have always enjoyed hard work. I feel like I have the most postive thoughts and ideas when I am working. My friends own a popcorn store in American Fork and on Saturday I was asked to "babysit" it because they couldn't be there. It felt nice doing some good ol' manual labor. Since the store doesn't have a bunch of customers I just cleaned the giant machines and listened to rock n' roll till my arms were sore and one of my knuckles was actually bleeding. I loved it. It is weird that my body wasn't used to it, I mean only two months ago I was working at Kohlers on my feet all shift long. And my arm hurts even right now from the scrubbing that I did.
Man, I like too many things. It makes it hard for me to make decisions. A long time ago I told someone that I was interested in drafting and they thought that was so crazy. She told me that I enjoy people way too much to be stuck behind a computer the rest of my life. And now I think back and wonder if she was right. I have days when all I want is to be a people person and smile and chit chat and know what is up and run into people that I know... and then I have some days when I am so passionate about being alone and drawing and creating and just listening to music.

Klemetson Engineering

I can't stop thinking of how intense school is and my new job. My new internship scares me even though my boss is very nice. I just feel so inadequate (sp?). I will do better though. I generally am a person who is good at doing things. I didn't go to work on Friday because I wasn't in the mood so I did something I had never done in my entire life... I called in sick to work. I'm never sick. If I tell you I am sick, I am lying so that I can go snowboarding. And today I went to work, but the office was all locked up and I didn't have my normal key chain and couldn't get in. So... another day snowboarding?