outbreak!

Just when I got excited to return to Flagstaff....

The outbreak of norovirus at NAU's Flagstaff campus is causing a sanitation nightmare a month before the fall semester begins as health workers try to retrace the steps of infected summer campers.

What happens when you get the Norovirus?

Norovirus causes vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea and dehydration that generally lasts for 24 to 48 hours, though the person who contracts it can remain contagious for up to two weeks

Will it be gone by the time I get there?

Everything they touched needs to be cleaned with a 10 percent bleach mix, as the virus can live on surfaces for up to 28 days

Who has it affected?

Soon after the wrestlers became ill, members of a soccer camp, debate camp and Mormon youth camp also became infected, with 17 children from the Mormon camp sick by Friday night

And now this...

The Arizona Cardinals announced that the team has decided to move its 2005 training camp at Northern Arizona University following the recent outbreak of norovirus on the school’s campus in Flagstaff

It's OK. I can't remember a school year that didn't start with violent vomiting and diarrhea.

~sag

let's go to the movies

Rachel, Nate and I have seen two movies this past week. On Thursday night or technically, Friday morning we saw the midnight showing of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on an IMAX screen. Some interesting folks show up to midnight shows, some even dressed up as Willy Wonka himself. Also, while waiting in line to get into the theatre, Nate said, "Hey, it's Hulk Hogan", and he couldn’t be any less enthused. Because of this, I expected to see some guy who thinks he's Hulk Hogan, but it was, in fact, Hulk Hogan who walked right by us. No one seemed to jump out of their seat to talk to him, perhaps because the dude is scary. However, the people next to us got a little too excited and kept talking about him and for every other person that walked by they said, "It's (insert WWE wrestler)," and giggled to themselves. The theater itself was filled with people who love to hear themselves talk and will do it so loud just to say, "I can do what I want" when people ask them to be quiet. Nate, seemingly out of his element, adds "Oh my God, I am probably the only one wearing Abercrombie in here." The movie itself was pretty good. I had high expectations and it met most of them although some of the additions to the first movie were kind of weird. Also everyone I know who has scene it has made a similar observation that Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka seems an awful lot like Michael Jackson.

Yesterday, we went to go see Wedding Crashers. Upon our arrival to the casino, Nate looked around for food that he can eat before we watched the movie and some dude asked me where he could find the nearest Hooters. Luckily, every theater is in a casino which also has food so we went to the Bagel Cafe which is much like an Einstein's with pizza. In a hurry, Nate ordered a pizza and we are asked to wait while they warmed it up. It was taking forever and Nate asked what the hold up was and the girl said "oops, I just gave it to someone else." He then asked if he could just have a bagel because we couldn't afford to wait for another pizza. With bagel in hand, we headed towards the theater. On the way in, Nate goes to throw away the plate that the bagel was on and, in the process, drops the bagel in as well. Nate then proceeded to REMOVE the bagel from the trash can slash ash trash saying "I have to eat it, I have to eat it". I just started laughing with disgust. When we got into the theater, Nate spotted they guy who had his pizza and told him of the situation and the guy gave Nate the pizza. I then said, "Oh good, now you don't have to eat the trash bagel. He ate it anyway. The movie itself was great. I am beginning to realize, any movie containing two or more actors from Old School is going to be hilarious. Vince Vaughn cracked me up the entire time.

Rachel and I head down to Flagstaff tomorrow to finalize apartment stuff. I am excited to be back there and it is our goal to eat at a restaurant in which we were regulars because we have been without them far too long. Right now, it is between Oregano's and Monsoon. We will then be coming to Phoenix for a couple days where we finally get to see Kyra walk.

~sag

ignorance is bliss? ya got that right

I have been confronted with many big ideas lately. Pondering life's big questions has left me with what I will call a spiritual hangover. Rachel and I sometimes talk about the often tried questions of, why we are here and what purpose do we serve. It seems the theme of my life lately is to find a balance for all things, spirituality being one of them. Some people may call it non-committal or "fence-sitting" but I can’t put all my stock into science or strictly religion. We rented "What the "Bleep" Do We Know" yesterday, a movie about quantum physics and a bunch of other things I don't quite understand. Spirituality has been a hot topic on my mind the last couple of years and it has been constantly evolving. I can't believe Jesus was the literal son of God anymore than the rest of us are just because I have been told to believe that. I don't know what God is at all. I also don't believe in Heaven and Hell in a traditional sense anyway. It's all to storybook for me. I don't think my spirituality will be shaped upon a system of punishments and rewards either. I have repeated time and time again that if some religions are right then their Heaven sounds an awful like what I imagined Hell to be. However, deep down in what can only be described as my "soul", I feel that there is something bigger. This feeling isn't for self preservation so that I don't have to succumb to the fear that there may be no God. I really do feel that there is something larger than I can comprehend. I also believe that some of the teachings in the Bible and other writings offer positive life lessons regardless of calling it the word of God. I look at Rachel and truly believe that are love is meant to last far longer than our bodies. To make myself clear, I have feelings, sometimes strong feelings which can lead to beliefs which then lead to faith. However, I will never be able to make guarantees about any of life's great mysteries or even tell anyone that my way is the right way because my way, my beliefs and my spirituality are just that, mine.

Sometimes it is good for me to write these things down. It causes me to really think about how I feel. What better place to do than then here for all to see. This post was meant for me to simply write out what I have been thinking about and is no way meant to preach or cause unrest. (I really couldn’t resist putting a disclaimer at the end. I love disclaimers).

~sag

cut the drama

Rachel and I had talked the other day about how much this world relies on drama. Looking at my own life, it is scary to realize how many of my own relationships were built on drama. Rachel and I were frightened and depressed after this realization and we are determined to "cut the drama". No joke, it has gotten so bad. In the car, rather than listen to happy music, I will turn the radio to Rush Limbaugh or Dr. Laura just to get pissed off. It is becoming a sick obsession. But I don't want to be mad anymore. I don't want to contribute to the drama. I want to be laid-back and fun loving and let that be the reason people want to be around me. SIDE NOTE: When the hell did this blog get so self-centered? My blog about no drama is dramatic. I know eliminating drama completely is impossible and that's not even what I want. I just don't want it to run my life or creates bonds with people.

The Daily Show has to be the most genius thing I have ever watched. I laugh so much at that show that it’s not even funny...well...I guess it is.

~sag

moving day...well...not yet

While there are six weeks remaining before we move back to Flagstaff, it has been in the forefront of my mind despite having a bunch of summer school left. I am excited for our new apartment and getting back to the sometimes unpleasant flow of Flagstaff and NAU. I am planning on taking my finals for summer school the weekend of Friday, July 22. Before we get into Phoenix, we hope to make a quick overnight stop in Flagstaff to finalize some apartment business. Back to moving day. We will be moving into our new apartment on Saturday, August 13 and we hope that anyone wanting or able to help can make it. We will not be getting a UHAUL so any help we can get will make the process that much smoother. Rachel's family is slated to come down and help and so is my dad (right, Dad?). The apartments have a pool and an indoor basketball/volleyball court so entertainment is more readily available than in the past.

Thanks for the comments guys. I hadn't seen Allison or Josh's until today because my comments link isn't numbering appropriately. Josh hit it on the nose and while he may be joking, there is a good chance if we started up a firm, those exact events would ensue.

~sag