Cloudless climes and starry skies

DID YOU KNOW? Tobacco is a member of the nightshade family.

I know that it's been unusually long since I've blogged, but don't forget that foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.

I mean, I can explain. After spending 48 straight hours in lab, I ate some tacos and packed and went to Ogden, Utah. It was a good time. Couchsurfing made it possible. The internet has pretty much been responsible for everything I've done in the past six months, including all the vacations I've taken, all my new friends, and the apartment I'm living in.

I successfully navigated airport security again. I never remember the things like whether my laptop needs to be out of the case or whether the zip-loc bag needs to be out of your bag or whether it's okay to take razors or whether my belt will set off the metal detector, but I usually err on the side of not getting patted down again with measurable success. HINT: if you're ever unsure about something in your carry-on, just pack a banana in it. Then the security will be like "Oooh, banana." and will fail to notice the can of shaving cream or whatever it was that you accidentally brought.

Utah is wonderfully beautiful. So is the East Bay, but in a different way. So while you can get high up in the East Bay and look over all of San Francisco and the monolithic Transamerica Pyramid and all the streets unfolding underneath it, in Utah you can sit in a hot tub underneath the mountain that you just skied on that afternoon and a lonely prarie moon. Oh, it's different.

Speaking of skiing, in Dan Steele I have found the greatest ski buddy of all time. I am kind of about skiing like I am about roller coasters--why do I need to eat or rest or stop? I just want to do it all day. Also we are not shy about going down runs that are too hard for us and stumbling a little bit while learning about skiing. So while we were hanging out on blue squares at the beginning of our trip, by the end of the second day we were tearing through fresh powder on black diamonds, totally in control and stopping only to look up and congratulate ourselves on our shared awesomeness.


Yo, I just went down that. Also:







Also, regarding Mormons, except for being drunkenly asked, "Wait, you're a gay dude, but you have a beard?", Utah pretty much defied most of my expectations. Good job, society.

I realize that I write less about fantastic vacations than I do about mundane things that happen to me every day, and I feel kind of bad about that. But, you know, it's hard to compendiously describe 72 awesome hours and make sure that you didn't miss anything. Pea soup and bike lanes--I can fit all my thoughts on those into the margins of this page just fine.