What I learned while in Austin

This last week I was in Austin, Texas for an immigration conference for work. It was a very informative. So I thought I'd share my wisdom with you.

1. Everyone wants to be tipped, even the bellhop who picked up your dropped pen.
2. Its ok to have a 30 min 2 mile run when its 90 degrees and 50% humidity.
3. Yes you do look like a tool with a cowboy hat and a diamond earring.
4. Austin has more one way streets than common sense.
5. Going to what you think is a regular restaurant only to have it be a cantina and only ordering water is frowned upon. Order the hard stuff...a NON-diet Dr. Pepper.
6. Crossing the street to "look" at the clothes at Patagonia results in a "purchase" at Patagonia.
7. Realizing your Patagonia purchase was so comfortable you wear it twice in 3 days and again to church on Sunday.
8. Beasty girls should not be allowed to: marry, date, talk to, be in the general vicinity of really nice guys. Sorry sister you only get the tool with the earring. You yelling at your husband in the middle of the airport makes me want to poke you with your high heel. Hey guy when she eventually divorces you (since you are too nice to do it) I'm available.
9. Room service, while good and enables my bad habit of laziness, should not be used, it is expensive...unless the cute guy is working then order everything, every hour.
10. The homeless lady on the corner will call you a "white b@#$" about 13 times before the light changes.
11. No matter how often you run around the Texas Capitol building, Rick Perry will not come out and yell something crazy....he only does that on national TV.
12. Tina Fey is hilarious.
13. Just because Austin touts to be the live music capital of the world doesn't mean its good music.
14. Exploring an unknown city is fun....as long as you have google maps.
15. Seeing priests and nuns drink is weird to see.
16. Being at a Catholic conference telling people you are Mormon results in a funny face with a recovery "ohhh...that's nice."
17. You really can hold your tongue while sitting next to a staff member of a (shall remain nameless) Utah congressman. Good job. But we all know how you really feel.
18. Immigration law really is as hugged up as you thought.
19. Never practice in Chicago or Texas...their CIS offices are crazy!
20. Austin was great!! But sometimes its always nice to go home.
21. "Complimentary peanuts" results in a $5 room charge.
22. Its nice to see that Mormon's aren't the only ones who pray to start a conference and over meals.
23. Your new favorite saying, "lie to everyone but God and immigration." Said by a nice lady whose name I failed to learn helping victims of DV. Bless you.
24. I love what I do.
25. There are really great, humble people doing a lot of good for people that desperately need it.

Mi Casa es well mi casa...

I got a house! Finally! Remember this post? Well I didn't get this house:

I got this house!

It has been the longest huggin' ordeal! I am going to die in this house because I'm not sure I can go through that again. Plus my lender was HORRIBLE! I won't mention who it was even though everything I would say is true so it wouldn't be defamation. Buuuut we'll just be safe and not say anything. :) I'm glad its over. Technically I could move in now but I want to at least do the kitchen. AND a crime was committed in my house!! The crime being the old owners tore up, TORE UP the original hardwoods! Who does that?! Ridiculous. So I'm stuck with ugly purple carpet for a while! Dumb people. But for my kitchen I will give you a hint. It involves this:

Stay tuned!

Training day: 1. A trail running wake up call

Today was day one of new training with Jenny for a 15k. So here's how it went. It blew. We were set to do 2 miles. Well I did two miles. I just walked...a lot! Which is frustrating going from consistently running 7-8 miles last June and July to not even doing two. I am a month post op from the appendix almost bursting but I have no pain from that so I can't use it as an excuse. Though because of it I pretty much had to take the whole month off. Lame. But this was day one. It can only get better from here right? So we ran a canal road in West Jordan tonight. It was all dirt road. I have ran trails before and really liked it but this was a great wake up call at #1. Remembering how difficult that can be until you adjust your footing and #2. How out of shape I am for trail running. Which means I just need to do more of it. But that's the report and hopefully Monday I will have awesome news! No I'm not getting married Becky. ;-) peace out!!