700

Hey! This is my seven hundredth post!

I guess an even hundred post is appropriate to mention that I'm starting another new job. I will continue my job with Utah Historical Quarterly, which is basically my dream job but only part-time, so I'm happy to have another one. Back in February 2014, the managing director of the Church History Department at the time hired me as an editorial assistant. I worked for him until the end of 2017 (with a year where I worked in a different division in the department).

In 2019, he began serving as a mission president. Because of the pandemic, he had some extra time on his hands, and he paid me to do some freelance work for him in 2021. When he returned from his mission in 2022, he began working at BYU.

After my latest stint with the Church History Department ended at the end of December, he called me and invited me to work for him again. And I said yes! I will be an independent contractor, which means my paychecks will come through BYU but I am not a BYU employee, so I can keep my beard and date men. With my two jobs, I will once again work forty hours a week. 

I just read this journal entry from five years ago, where I said I probably wouldn't work for him again. I just thought it was funny to read that right after he hired me again! At that time, I still had no intention of grad school. So much has happened in the last five years!

It will be good to get my hands in more projects and more opportunities, but I was looking forward to the extra free time. But I will still have more time than I did last year, especially since I don't have as much commuting. I still have some assignments to do for Faith Matters.

Now that I'm recovering from my illness (though my voice is still a little off), I've been glad to get back into physical activity. Two days this week, I hiked in the snow. On MLK Day, I was dressed warm enough, even too warm, except when I got on top of the ridge. There, the wind was so cold it froze my sinuses. I had thought about hiking farther, but once I felt that wind at the top, I couldn't. 

And Wednesday, I went hiking in the dark. There was even another group hiking the trail in the dark. I have been surprised at how many people go hiking in the snow, since it hasn't been something on my radar until the last five years or so, and even then it's not something I do that much.

A year ago, I took swim lessons, and the instructor told me I could join the recreational swim team as a beginner. I went a couple of times, and then in December, I happened to be at the pool when the team was practicing, and the coach recognized me and invited me to swim with them. So I decided to attend their practices Tuesday and Thursday this week. I feel so dumb with my poor swimming skills, but the coaches are supportive. I will have to decide whether I want to officially join the team. (It would be to improve my swimming, not to be competitive.) 

And I was glad to finally get back to running after a four-week hiatus, due to the holidays, weather, and sickness. Unfortunately, my knee started hurting sooner than usual. I like to run on streets that take me near the foothills, even if I'm not on trails themselves in the winter. 

The new North Canyon parking lot

And it's always interesting to make observations in the neighborhood. For example, a neighbor has these Nightmare before Christmas decorations still up. How dumb! First of all, Christmas was four weeks ago. But second, Sally was very much opposed to the whole Christmas thing, so there's no way she would be happily holding the monstrous wreath! And she only reluctantly made Jack's Santa suit, so she would not be wearing a festive dress! Like, did they even see the movie?!

And I was also surprised to see this hornet's nest just a couple houses down. I have passed that tree many times, but I never noticed it when the leaves were on the tree. I have seen some hornet's nests up on the trails, and I thought that was unique, but maybe not if they're in the neighborhood too. 

And in similar news, I took down this dormant wasp's nest from our house this week. As I've said before, I might like to be an entomologist in another life.