The Secret Garden

"After several months in the climbing gym Mason McMullin climbs outdoors for the first time up Lil Cottonwood Canyon in The Secret Garden."

It certainly felt good to get outside on some real boulders today.  For the past few months my buddies and I have been going to the climbing gym here in Provo.  Fridays are the only days I go because I get in free with a member (Brit and Neils... thanks ladies).  The gym honestly doesn't compare to bouldering outside.  On real boulders you have to consider the "scare factor".  There is risk involved in climbing 20 feet up a boulder with sharp rocks and tree roots underneath you and not knowing if your foot or hand is going to hold or give out.  It gets your adrenaline going, which is partly why being outside is such a blast.

More New York Marathon...

(left)  "Mark Fenton sits and waits before receiving his marathon number at the New York expo center."
(right)  "Thousands of marathon runners rode the ferry from Manhattan Island to their starting destination  
on Staten Island."




  "New York marathon participants sport the colors of their home country, Holland, on the subways of New York."

New York to Boston

"Mark Fenton laces up his running shoes the morning of the New York Marathon"

New York, New York - 26.2 miles through five boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan. Mark Fenton, remember New York.

Fall 2007, my good buddy Mark and I traveled to New York so he could run the New York Marathon. Between the Chinese black market and the Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village it was an amazing trip. Our mistake was doing all the sight seeing before Mark actually ran the race. For four days we walked all over the city. Mark was totally spent the day of the race.

Spring 2010, my good buddy is at it again. He's heading off to Boston, which he qualified for last year running the St. George Marathon in Utah. Wish I could make it out this time. Good luck buddy.

The Up-to-date Helen Jeppson

"Nana reading her second choice newspaper, The New York Times, at the end of the day."




"Nana noticing a camera pointed directly at her face as she reads the paper."



I love my grandma! For this post that information is more of side note...

I didn't bother to ask and get the facts straight, but years ago the local newspaper made a blunder with her subscription to the paper, so she canceled and hasn't renewed it since.

Now newspaperless, my grandmother has given me the charge of bringing her a BYU school newspaper everyday so she can get her fill of the days events. Being the amnesiac that I am I often forget to produce a paper upon my return home or I'll forget the school newspaper and only bring home the New York Times (both are unacceptable).

I love her continual interest in the community. If I need a score from last night's BYU basketball game, I can always ask my grandma. If I purchase organic bananas at the grocery store she'll tell me about a recent article that claims organic bananas are a waste of money.

(Side note continued... My grandma is the coolest.)