These Free Spirits Don't Know How to Slow Dance

I think I've come to realize that we simply need to stop planning camping trips, every time we do the weather turns against us. Mind you, we are not worried about being out in the woods with a little bit of rain, rather we don't have a good place to lay out our tent for a drying off period. (Nobody enjoys camping in a moldy tent.)

So, with the fates working against us we decided to enjoy some benefits of Logan that don't include going to the nearby moistened canyons.

Every now and then the local artists get together with some of the businesses and holds a fun little activity known as "The Gallery Walk". It's rather enjoyable, you simply go around Main Street and see what businesses have their doors open. Inside of participating locations they will be featuring paintings, sculptures, and other things throughout their shopping area (some of the better ones include snacks).

The evening turned out to be a very pleasant temperature and no clouds were in sight (the next morning was a different story). We visited a few different locals, talked to some of the artists, and even saw the new UPR broadcasting center.

However, one of the highlights wasn't even in the confines of buildings, it was right in the middle of the street. A small section of road had been blocked of back in the "Granola District" and a band was playing away. When we first arrived on the scene there was only one younger girl out on the road dancing away in front of the band. Everyone else was simply enjoying the music, maybe a little swaying or maybe a little tapping of the feet. As the band played on though more and more people began to join her.

Michelle and I went into one of the buildings right nearby to look at their displays and by the time we came out the whole street was filled with people; young, old, and everything in between. Most were swinging rather normally to the music, but there were a few that forced me to ask if they could hear the music at all. (They looked to be about high school age, so that might have explained their confusion.)

As we were observing this party of freedom in the middle of the street the band started a new song that was a bit slower beat than what they had been playing just a short time ago. As the music want on it seemed to sedate the crowd into standing mode once again. It was at this point that Michelle made the observation of how apparently difficult it was for free spirits to slow dance. (I'll admit that we weren't the greatest at dancing, but at least we tried.)

We ended the night with a walk around the Logan Tabernacle and decided that we could go camping some other time, in some other place if that's how it ends up, but we're going to miss these activities in Logan.

To Dream . . .

Sometimes you work so hard towards a single goal that when the opportunity finally arrives it becomes the most difficult thing you can do.

I've been in contact with the education curator at Hogle Zoo talking to her about this that and the other. On Wednesday afternoon I emailed her inquiring a little more about the possibility of a second internship starting in mid July.

Later that evening Michelle and I went to a work party for one of her co-workers. (The co-worker had been there for five years of so and had just moved to a different job so that she could spend more time with her children.) At the party a lot of the people were asking me about my job prospects (because if I do ever get a job it probably won't be in Logan, which means they will also lose Michelle). Of course we told them about how much we hope we can stay in Utah, but right now that didn't seem very likely since the Hogle Zoo is on a hiring freeze.

Well, we returned home full n' happy (you can never have too many creamies,) and I decided to quickly check the internet to see if there was anything interesting job/internship wise. Low and behold, there it was, an "Immediate opening" at Utah's Hogle Zoo.

Now I feel it is important to note here that before this came about I had turned in ten or so resumes to various organizations across the nation, so I've become pretty proficient at producing a cover letter and resume that covers what they seem to be looking for. (At least this is according to my simple understanding, I have yet to be called back for an interview from any of them, but I just think that is because they are amazed by my potential and consider me to be over qualified . . . )

With all my preparation it has always been in the back of our minds that the ideal situation would be for me to get a job at Hogle, Michelle to be accepted into the PA school at U of U so then we'd still be able to be close to our family. I don't see any reason why Michelle wouldn't be accepted into the PA program (high GPA, minority, easy to work with, everybody loves her, etc. etc. etc.) so really the biggest hurdle to our dream was the hiring freeze at the zoo.

This job posting was on Wednesday and it is now Saturday evening. I think I've finally finished my resume and cover letter for the position, but I'm just not quite sure. Constantly in my mind is that little gnawing feeling that it needs something more (I know, experience, but besides that). It feels like there is so much riding on this application that I'm probably going to miss something simple. Oh well, Michelle will read over it later and I will work it over a little more and the plan is that I'll get it in the mail on Monday. Wish me luck.

P.S. According to my sources on the inside, this position is actually for a primary keeper position, which I would probably never even bother applying for at another zoo so nobody get too excited, but "you never know".