Employment news

I got a job! A real "career" type of job at the Utah Heart Center in SLC, Utah (see image.) I've had one full day there and so far it seems like a good fit for me.
Todd and I are going to buy a house. I'll be looking at a few this weekend- we're trying to live close to trax in Sandy because that's the mid-point between our jobs.





















We bought a trad rack for traditional climbing. Todd is so excited! We completed the rack but Todd had hurt his finger and couldn't climb. :( Instead he would pull out all the new gear and sit in front of it staring at it all evening. LOL! I guess he was mentally climbing in preparation for the real thing.
Here's some of the new gear:

Hooray!

I've had a great week! Yesterday was my birthday, and even though I don't love being in my LATE twenties I do love getting presents and surprises! Todd gave me a hooded camera lens- no more sun spots all over my pictures. We couldn't celebrate yesterday because I studied all day for the CT boards- which I took this very morning and passed! Woo Hoo I'm officially done with all my education! I never have to open a text book for the rest of my life if I don't want to! It's a joyous feeling when you've been in school for eight years. If I were more organized I could be a doctor by now, LOL. But either way I'm just glad to be done :)

Tonight Todd and I are going out to eat for a birthday-graduation celebration.

Tomorrow I get PRK- corrective vision eye surgery! I'm nervous but everyone has been telling me it is SO worth it and I'll be very glad when all is said and done. I'm excited to see my alarm clock in the morning and not have to poke my dirty fingers in my eyeballs when camping!

If anyone is considering PRK, click on the link to watch this video, it may just change your mind! Wiping the eyeball off with those things? Yuck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmFIAcIu-j4&feature=player_embedded#

Happy Halloween! Todd and I dressed up as Wayne and Garth- it was so fun! Everyone said, "No offense Britt but you look just like Garth!" We walked around "scha-winging" all night and saying "Party on" and stuff like that. Todd had an especially good time at Brooke's party goofing off with our friends.

Can you see the joy in his eyes?

I don't know why Waynes World is backwards on Todd's Hat...

Last month Oregon Health Science University flew me up to Portland for a job interview! Since I have now finished ALL my education, I'm finally eligible for a "real" job. I'm still waiting to hear back from them, but they sound very serious. I never thought I'd end up in Portland, but I'd love the chance to move there! It's waaaaay closer to the ocean than Utah even though it's very cold, and the temperatures are cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter. I'd rather have it rain all the time than snow all the time, and as everyone knows I'd love to leave good old Utah again. I appreciate it more when I'm far from it.

Anyway, here's a photo of Eike (my only friend in Oregon)'s cat.

Daisy is really cute, she even made me want a kitten for myself.

Here's Portland with Mount Hood in the distance. It's about a 45 minute drive to the mountain.

And a 45 minute drive to the beautiful coast! Who wouldn't love to be there?

A few weeks ago I took Becca and Jake climbing in American Fork. They wanted to learn to lead climb, and long story short Jake fell 25 feet with the rope in his mouth and landed on the ground!! As you can see it ripped out his four bottom teeth, as well as dislocating his jaw, shattering his ankle, and breaking his tibia and fifth proximal falange (I think.) And then he had to hike down steep unsteady terrian to get back to the car. It was awful!!! Especially for Jake- since then he's had surgery, two root canals, and has to use crutches and a cast for four weeks or more. Man oh man, does anyone want to come climbing with me now??

Becca carried the only completely uprooted tooth all the way to the dentist in her mouth- something I'd learned in a first aid class.

Here's a photo of Poor Jake feeling thrashed. I have to give him mucho credit though, because he kept a calm demeanor and steady head throughout the whole fiasco. And he hasn't disowned me as a friend yet...

September trip of the month: Yosemite!

We bouldered in Bishop and climbed in Yosemite. This trip was quite uneventful, thank goodness! Last year's frostbite is still messing with Todd's climbing injuries and my IV starting skills. It's hard to poke someone's vein if you can't feel or see it...

Anyway here's Todd considering the down-climb from a big boulder in Bishop. Mark had just done the same thing and lost his footing- and literally ran down the steep wall and landed on his hands and face! He has since fully recovered.

One of my favorite photos from the trip- the amazing HUGE redwoods!

We hiked to the top of the Half Dome this trip, instead of climbing the other side of it like last year. It's got to be one of the most amazing hikes in the USA! 14+ miles of breathtaking views, with the slick cable-tied push at the end to reach the tippy top of the Half Dome. Highly reccomended for everyone.

Todd trying Midnight Lightning, apparently the most famous boulder problem in the world.

He did pretty well on it! But didn't complete it. Mark and Bryce did well too.