Claire's Eighth New Friend: Love is in the air!

If we were going to get technical (and we are), I didn't actually meet one of my new friends for the very first time this past week. We actually went to college together and she was one of those people who knew everybody I knew, and then they would always try to act like I knew her.
Mutual Friend: "You know Courtney Conners!"
Me: "No, I actually have no idea what she looks like."
Mutual Friend again: "Yes you do. She is the pageant girl!"
Me: "No, still don't know."
All my lifelong I never knew a single pageant girl, then I went to Gonzaga and met like 5 of them. Crazy. (They should change their motto from Educating People the World Needs Most to Educating Pageant Girls the World Needs Most. You're welcome marketing department.) Anyways, I am getting sidetracked. I finally, officially met Courtney at a mutual friend's birthday party in Boise, Idaho a few years ago. She was awesome! And hello, Miss Idaho, so how could you not like her!? I found out on Saturday night that she was in town (that is the lovely thing about living in Vegas...somebody is always in town!). So I met Courtney and her fiance, Jayson, just minutes after Jayson proposed! So happy I got to be there for their celebration and meet Jayson! Congratulations!! I love planning weddings in my free time, so don't hesitate to call me. Seriously.

Claire's Fifth New Friend: Tyson. Like the chicken.

I met some pretty awesome people this week: the security guards at The Fitz (everyday heroes!), the Las Vegas chapter of the Gonzaga Alumni Association, the nicest cab driver in all of Las Vegas, some cool Texans turning 30, a Guatemalan (who was definitely a stalker), a crap-load of Super Bowl fanatics, and a number of employees from BNBuilders....which brings me to my new friend. Meet Tyson Watson. He is in construction management at BNBuilders in Missoula, Montana (Yes, this is my second new friend from Montana. By the end of the year I might be friends with the whole state...or maybe that is my blog for 2013!). Tyson loves Irish pubs and jitterbugging. He went to Montana Tech in none other than Butte, Montana, or as the natives call it, Butte, America. A few of my besties are from Butte and one of my favorite restaurants is located there, Pork Chop John's. Tyson knows and loves Pork Chop John's. What Tyson doesn't know is my real name. Probably a real bad idea to start out our friendship based on a lie, but when you meet a guy at a bar in Vegas, you really never can tell if he is going to be a creepy stalker (cue Guatemalan I referred to at the beginning of this entry) or your new best friend. I always play it safe and just tell everyone my name is Sarah (I like to think no creepy stalkers ever read this blog). The good news is Tyson passed and now knows my name. Sorry Tyson!

Claire's Third New Friend: The Business of Mud Running

Have you ever heard of a little something called Ragnar?? It is an overnight, 200 mile, relay race. Well, my new friend was a Ragnar race director. That takes serious organization. Meet Carly Raskas. She originally hails from Great Falls, Montana, went to school at the lovely Washington State University (I went to Gonzaga, so we are basically neighbors!), lived in Seattle, and is currently residing in Salt Lake City. I met Carly this weekend out at Red Rocks while we set up and tested some of the obstacles for the upcoming races Terrain Mud Runs is putting on (Coming to a West Coast city near you!!). She is really good at putting obstacles together, scaling 12 foot walls, rock climbing and loooves mini plastic bottles of red wine.