Utah Road Trip

I was recently at Zion National Park for EMT training. As a park ranger, we are required to hold several certifications. Besides my law enforcement training each year, I go through wildland fire training and must keep current on my EMT qualifications every two years. Besides the 24 hours of refresher required every two years, I must also have 48 hours of continuing education.

So I was over in Zion for the training. Each day after the classroom sessions, I headed out to the park to hike some of the trails. I'll post about that later. Why? Because after my one day off today, I am off to technical rescue training for the next week.

Utah is an amazing place and probably the most diverse in the way of geography. So during the 345 miles, 7 hour drive back from Zion to Arches, I snapped photos every time I came to a different zone. Click on the TITLE to view the slide show from Zion to Arches.

Easter Bygone

Easter has come and gone. What is Easter to you? When I recently said Happy Bunny Day to a friend, he responded with Happy Resurrection Day. I was born Catholic. I made first communion, but that was it. Nothing else. I kicked God and religion out of my life when I was 3 years old. So Easter to me is getting a basket full of candy and such, finding eggs hidden either outside or inside, and enjoying a good feast.

I am the youngest of seven and I am spoiled. I admit it. And you know what....I love and milk every bit of it. I have had an Easter basket hidden almost every year of my life for me to find. Of course it always hasn't been a basket, but nonetheless it has bee hidden and I have had to find it.

Last year living in California away from family, I was bumming knowing that I was not going to get an Easter basket. And that I wasn't going to have to search for it. I woke up last year and opened my door to find an Easter bag filled with plastic eggs and candy. All 8 rooms in the dorm had a bag so I deduced that the Easter bunny had brought it. I called my sister later that day and informed her that the Easter bunny had come and explained about the bag. She said "well who was it". I said what do you mean, it was the Easter bunny. And I wouldn't relent. She finally gave up and said ok.

This year, I asked BF if I would find an Easter basket hidden in the morning. He said no. He figured his son was out of that age. I am thinking, what normal person is out of a stage of acting like a kid and receiving candy. He also said well since you aren't religious I didn't think you celebrated Easter. I said getting an Easter basket and searching for eggs has nothing to do with some dude coming back from the dead. Plus many, well probably all, Christians believe the Easter bunny is the EasterPagan.

I called my boyfriend and said the grocery store was selling baskets at 50% off and I sure would love one when I came home. Plus, the EasterBunny is not religious. Although I didn't find an Easter basket when I came home, I was given some chocolates....