So, boating...

Just a warning... this is a long one.

It's been a good week.

Although I did do a bit of crying.

Last Saturday and Sunday I went camping with my family (and my 3 dogs).  That went surprisingly well!  My sister Hill and I drove up in one car with the dogs and my parents were in another.  We took a short hike, made some yummy food, and played some hearts (I kicked ass).

This is how I look after trying to sleep in a tent with 3 dogs...

When I got back on Sunday, it was time to prepare for the trip to Lake Powell with Phil.  I got back from camping at 4:30 pm and we left for the lake at 4:30 am.  Yayyyy for 12 hours to prepare and sleep.  We got to the Lake at 4:00 pm on Monday and went to where the boat had been pulled from dry storage.  Phil pushed a button the get the hatch up and it went.  It was a good sign!  The battery had life!  He pushed a button to start the engine and it started.  It was a good sign!  The boat was running!  The next morning, the boat was launched by Michael, a very helpful employee at the park.  The boat started, we backed up about 60 feet... and then it died.  So then we were stuck in the middle of the marina in a boat that didn't want to go with boats coming in and out all around us.  We ended up tying the boat to a dock and had 4 different random people try to help us.  The engine wouldn't crank, so Phil went and bought a new battery and then the engine would crank but not start.  An elderly gent named Bill came and told us the engine was flooded and unflooded it and it started!  Then it stopped and we heard water pouring in.  Not a good sound.  A mechanic that works on the rentals happened to be there and Michael brought him over.  The engine block is cracked.  Like, really cracked.  So no boat.  That's where the tears come in.  Realizing how much money I had spent on a trip that was apparently ruined was a bit of a bummer.

This is the boat that wouldn't work.  Boo boat.

 After the boat was pulled out of the water and brought back to dry storage, Michael offered to take us out on his boat for a few hours the next morning.  Hope!  Then Phil's dad Phil called and told us that he felt so bad, he was going to rent us a jet ski.  YAY!  We thanked Michael for his offer but went with the jet ski since that would allow us to have a full day on the lake, then found a swimming hole and chilled out the rest of that day.

So the next morning we go to get the jet ski.  The place opened at 8, but we didn't have the paper work and bs all filled out until 9.  And we had to have the jet ski back by 5.  Which was a bit aggravating since it doesn't get dark until 8:30 pm in Utah right now.  But that was ok, we took the jet ski and went to Annie's Canyon, Phil's favorite spot on the lake.  There, we swam a bit and I took the jet ski out by myself.

Jet skiing in Annie's Canyon

 When we left the canyon, the wind started picking up and the water got choppier.  Phil decided that we should try Lake Canyon to see if it was calmer.  While we were jet skiing around, the water went from relatively flat to have 4 and 5 foot swells.  That's intense when you're on a jet ski.  Several times, we ended up going right through a wave and getting entirely soaked.  Of course, I got cold and my hands went numb and even with a jacket on, I was shivering and miserable.  We went back to the marina at 1 and asked if we could switch to a half day rental to save Phil's dad some money, since the weather was not really permitting jet skiing.  They said no.  So we went back to camp, ate, took a power nap, and then I convinced Phil that we should go back out at 3:30 and it was great!  The weather cleared enough that we were able to get around without needles of water splashing in our eyes, and we spent another hour and a half exploring the lake.

On the way home, we stopped at the Grand Canyon.  Those bastards won't sell you a day pass!  Your only way to enter the park is to pay $25, even if you're only going to be there for an hour.  Rsrjkjlkwreo.  We had already driven about 40 minutes out of our way, so we paid it and went in a took some pictures.

Phil was not enthusiastic about the Grand Canyon stop

Now I'm home and have a dentist appointment and cleaning to do and it's back to normal life.  But yeah, good week spent doing outdoorsy stuff!

I'm outta here!

In 17 days, 7 hours, and 13 minutes, I am moving out of the country.

In the meantime, I'm going camping with my family, boating and camping with my boyfriend,  going on a spa day with my mother, having a garage sale, throwing a going away party, getting in one more Sonoran hike, plus packing and cleaning my house, on top of all the doctor appointments, mundane tasks, and random errands that must be run.

It's gonna be intense.

I am also in the process of planning my first backpacking trip for the weekend after I move.  Barcelona, here I come (after I invade Ireland, of course)!