Pilot Valley

In October Eric, a visiting Hydrogeologist from the Czech Republic named Brutus, and I all packed up a van and ATV's to go the flattest place on earth:  

Pilot Valley, NV.  Located here:  

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The video is of us four wheeling across the most narrow part of those salt flats on the map.  We had to locate a few wells on the west side of the valley and collect some electromagnetic conductivity data with the EM equipment BYU had rented which we strapped on the the ATV's with bungee cords.  While going across we encountered what looked like the remains of a poor cow, from a nearby ranch, that had got caught on a hot day in the middle of the desert valley.  Even though there was a layer of mud under the salt crust it's one of the driest places in summer.  Eric's survey area seem to be plagued by dead things haha.  We set up a similar study by Utah Lake a few days before this trip located here (dead center):

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We went to check on the wells we had augerred the day before and in the middle of Eric's research site an old geriatric racoon decided to call it quits during the night apparently.  It made data collection not the most pleasant experience.  Especially when Eric, who is a TA for the 3D Seismic Visualization class, took everyone to the lake for some hands one instruction.  By that time the stench of this rotting animal was awful.  So awful that the professor told the class he would give extra credit to who ever removed the carcass.         These kids better get an A.                              

Good times being a geologist for a week.  SCIENCE! (whew) 

Gerbil love:  This morning Eric says, "Marge loves me more than you."  

So excited to have kids,... HA!

Provo quilting qualifications...

Sara's wedding gift and my first quilt!  Thanks for being the guinea pig buddy.  Haha.  Also, quilting for the first time in Provo is perilous.  When I would ask questions in many of the quilting fabric supply stores around town, I would get a sideways look followed by this conversation,

Q: Why are you making a quilt?

A:  For a wedding gift.  It's my first quilt.

Q:  Are you married?

A:  Yes...?

Q:  Where are your kids?

A:  Ummm... I don't have any.

Q: And you're making a quilt?

I guess I'm only half qualified.

Catching up on posts...

I took this quiz a week before the election, and the day after my history professor called Obama a marxist.  I remember looking around the classroom to find a stranger who also found this funny and to silently laugh with aaaaannnd there was no one.  Haha, the results of this quiz also made me laugh, so of course I had to add this pic from my cell phone that would have been the Nov. 4th post had I written it.  

You are a Social Moderate (50% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (20% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

A blogging disgrace

I feel like this is that moment when you realize you didn't intentionally forget to write in your journal for six months but did, except it's a blog.  The slideshow is an album of everything from our last post:  shooting Nicole's, Eric's cousin, wedding in June, trips around Utah this summer and fall, photos of food that we've made, our gerbil marge, BYU blue, research on ATV's in Pilot Valley, NV, for Eric's thesis, my first quilt (wedding gift for Miss Sara Buckwalter), Eric's guitar, Eric's sister Martha's family etc.  (Raising right hand for Girl Scout's honor):  I promise to be a better blogger.  More to come...

I made something yum this week.  I have no idea what to call it.  Here's the recipe: 

Artichoked Peppered Pasta with Chicken (?)

1 can quartered artichoke hearts drained and rinsed

fettuccine (how ever much you want) 

1lb chicken

salt and pepper

olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

1 c chicken stock

1/4 c white wine

2 T butter

1 t basil

salt and pepper

1 tomato diced 

1 marinated canned red pepper

Marinate artichokes in a little olive oil.   Put on a pot of water to boil and salt the water generously to get the pasta going.  Prepare the chicken (breast or thigh) by brushing a grill or cast iron skillet with olive oil and season to your personal liking.  I usually salt and pepper both sides and grill.   Drizzle olive oil in a large sauce pan on medium heat.  Warm garlic for about a minute in the olive oil and add chicken stock, white wine and and butter waiting for each to reach a boil before adding the next.  Let the liquid boil off by half allowing it to reduce down to a sauce.  Season with basil, salt and pepper to taste after reducing sauce to a simmer.  Dice tomato and slice pepper into bite sized pieces, drain off the olive oil from the artichokes and add all three to the mixture.  Coat in the sauce stirring well.  Remove chicken, when cooked through, from heat and let rest five minutes.  Drain pasta and put in a large serving bowl.  Slice the chicken into bite sized pieces and incorporate it into the sauce.  Pour mixture onto fettuccine in serving bowl and gently toss.  Voila!  

In other news, Eric and I took a bite of the seductive Apple and bought a Mac.  HA!  It's great.  We walked into the store and after we walked out I had spent my entire summer wages on ONE purchase.  A year ago I was unemployed, eating ramen and cheerios and selling my plasma.  I don't think I've ever spent that much money at once.  I looked at him in horror and said, "Imagine what it will feel like to buy a house."  Three months of work to put a five year old, runs for ten minutes, melt your pants off, besides the ridiculously loud fan, laptop into high school graduation present history.  It feels good.  Eric and I don't have a TV, we usually watch our favorite shows online, so we opted for the 24" to watch movies on.  It is gimungous.  I was standing in the store asking myself if we were crazy, desperately hoping I wasn't going to have buyer's remorse.  So far so good.  Get a Mac.  They give out free iPods like planned parenthood does condoms.    

Our Family! haha

Last weekend we also went on a hike with Aden and Jaehee.  The day before I had gone to an intermediate yoga class and I thought my arms and legs were going to drop of my body.  Then we went on a four mile hike up American Fork Canyon.  Whew!  Up at the top there was snow that covered the trail and on the way back we skied down the slopes.  Jaehee and I were not equipped with Eric's size 14 shoe skis.  We weren't as graceful or adventurist as the boys: we mostly butt scooted and rolled down.  I rowed with my walking stick.  I almost survived the hike except for the stream I tried to leap across and instead slipped on the rock, broke my fall by breaking my walking stick and rolling over found my right leg dabbling in the stream barely 100 ft from the end of the trail.  As the wife of an adventurist geologist I attempt to look like I can handle the outdoors.  I thought I could delicately leap across that stream just like I thought I could mountain bike a little elementary trail recently after not riding a bike in almost ten years.  The fourth time I fell I found myself upside down in a bush after being unable to find the breaks to slow down whilst descending down a small hill.  Why couldn't I find the breaks?  In my previous fall, at the top of the hill, I was so out of it and determined to press on that I didn't notice that as I got back on the bike that the front wheel had done a complete 180 degrees and was backwards thus the breaks weren't where I thought they were.  ...I make attempts.  It makes Eric laugh at least.  That's enough for right now I think.  

Wednesday we leave for Pennsylvania to take photos for Nicole, Eric's cousin's, wedding.  We're excited.  Family in PA, the two of us, two cameras, a flash, six lenses and 10 GB.  That's a good recipe.