Hood Envy

Moves Like Jagger*

2012-01-30T23:38:00.001-07:00

I neglected to mention another first from my Hawaii trip--I left the Hawaii guidebook in Hawaii. And normally this negligence wouldn't be such a big deal except that this guidebook belonged to the library. I've been procrastinating a call to them because I really don't want to pay $50 (or whatever) for a book that I could purchase used for $2.99.

But luckily, I have had other things to worry about like playing housetess to some of my favorite people.

These lovely ladies flew in extra early on Friday, which meant that after breakfasting, we still had time to kill before our scheduled whale watching tour.

So Shelby clipped her nails as we drove to a drugstore to purchase Jessica some anti-seasickness drugs.

And then, we ended up touring a Russian submarine which was docked directly next to the Queen Mary.

This tour included a lot of cheesy Russian military marching tunes and pre-recorded voices of "tour guides" with lousy Russian accents. Both were piped through loudspeakers inside and outside of the submarine, so it was difficult to take the whole thing too seriously.

Jessica spent her time fiddling with all of the instruments, while Shelby shouted at her that she was going to sink the submarine. I just laughed.

Eventually, we boarded a boat called "Christopher" that was to take us and 100+ of our closest friends to look for whales.

And we actually did see a few whales, so in that regard, the whale watching tour was a success. However, given that we were at the back of the boat and the captain steered the boat straight towards any whale that was sighted, I spent most of the tour catching only glimpses of a fin or hearing them expel air. At one point, Jessica and Shelby even had words with the naturalist on board about the captain's steering trends. But even catching the glimpses of the whales was still pretty cool and a boat ride in fabulous weather is difficult to beat.

Some of the best fish and chips that I've ever had were then devoured before we spent some time stalling on the southwest part of town, waiting for traffic to subside. This stalling led to us discovering the Korean Friendship Bell...

where we witnessed a marriage proposal. We, then, drove towards the sun.

And since my GPS Monica* informed me that it would still take us almost 2 hours to drive 34 miles to Pasadena, we stopped at a salon and got pedicures, which may now be my new solution to waiting out horrible traffic since there's a nail salon on practically every corner in La-La Land--almost as many nail salons as there are CVS Pharmacies in Phoenix.

But honestly, it really didn't matter what we did on Friday, because I was just happy to spend time with these lovely friends.

Man, I've been lucky in the friend department.

*Jessica had never heard that horrible song "Moves Like Jagger" until this weekend. I, unfortunately, heard it played on the radio multiple times a day while in Hawaii. Hell will most certainly play that song on repeat.
**And, yes, I have named my GPS lady "Monica." She and I have spent a lot of time together these last 7 (seven!) months, so I decided that yelling "Monica!" when she yelled at me to make u-turns only seemed like a natural next step.

El Primero

2012-01-27T01:03:00.006-07:00

From L to R: 1) Waikiki, 2) North Shore, 3) Pali Lookout, 4) Mokolua Islands,
5) Hanauma Bay, 6) USS Missouri, 7) USS Arizona Memorial, 8) Shave Ice

Outside of the fact that this past week was my first visit to Hawaii (yeah, I know), it included several other firsts:

1) It was the first time that I took a vacation for pleasure with coworkers. And I'm still trying to decide if I will make that choice again, because I'm realizing that I never actually got a break from work. While conversation was not always about work, it always veered back to it. And while I did only a minimal amount of work during this vacation, I already feel like I need another break.

2) It was my first time on a battleship, the USS Missouri, and it was super cool as is shown by the amount of pictures that I took.

Touring the battleship and all things military caused a rapid flurry of texts to my favorite Marine (outside of my grandfathers) because I realized I have very little knowledge about our involvement in WWII in the Pacific. And that's a bit embarrassing, since both of my grandfathers lived it.

3) I have also never met someone, especially a fully grown adult someone, who had never, NEVER! been hiking. I have met people who do not hike, but this is entirely different from never hiking before. I also did not learn that this one person in the triad had NEVER! hiked before until after we got home when she asked, "So do all trails have rocks like that hike we did or all trails paved?" I admit that I first laughed out loud, believing that she was joking. But then, quickly realized that she wasn't joking. I was rather at a loss for words, and I'm still shaking my head. Never hiked?

Given her total lack of hiking experience, she was rather impressed by the "waterfall" we ~~hiked~~ walked to. The other lady (the one in the picture) and I were totally underwhelmed by the trickle of water that cascaded down the rock face.

4) The night that we found ourselves at a hidden sushi bar that only had 10 seats deserves its only blog post, but this was also the night that I had my first taste of sea urchin and sea urchin eggs. The eggs were better than the urchin.

We had opted for the chef choice, which meant that sushi chef just kept funneling fresh fish goodness at us with lightning speed until I told him no more. The mackerel was my favorite.

5) Purchasing my own snorkeling gear before I headed to Puerto Rico for my dirty 30 was a great investment because it meant that after kayaking (also a first for the non-hiker) to an island, I could follow those sea turtles around without a crowd. So swimming with sea turtles was a first.

And the pretty fish just deserve a shout-out.

It was also a first that no one else wanted to snorkel. And while I admit that the fish and turtles were cool, it's a lot cooler when there is someone else along with whom to point and squeal at stuff.

I'm persecuted. I know.

Hazy

2012-01-25T00:28:00.001-07:00

If a successful vacation was simply measured by weight gained, hours of naps taken in the warm sand (or on a plane), number of celebrity magazines read, and the shade of my tan, then this last week was a success.

Post-vacation haze crashes in all too quickly. I awoke this morning totally disoriented and depressed that my full-service buffet breakfast complete with fresh pineapple wasn't awaiting me just 10 floors down. Instead, I opened my near-empty refrigerator and cracked open a Greek yogurt, deciding not to glance at the expiration date and ate it as I stood at the bathroom mirror, contemplating if a tan face made it possible to go to work without wearing make-up.

And I decided that it did.

It's a Good Life

2012-01-20T21:29:00.001-07:00

I'll take this guy as my swimming companion any day.

The Other Derby

2012-01-15T11:49:00.001-07:00

A Groupon landed me in the OC at my first ever women's roller derby bout. Until last night, my only exposure to roller derby was the movie Whip It! and some elbows in my midsection that I have personally received at disco skating in Provo. Both experiences are not very close to the real deal.

I expected lots of fishnet stockings and tattoos and innuendo and girl fights. And the night was high on the first three. The bout would have been more exciting with some more girl fighting. Or a side show. Or some decent announcers. Luckily, there was plenty of opportunity for excellent people watching.

The evening was also definitely full of a lot of butt cheek.

I was told by more seasoned derby-watchers that these bouts are generally more exciting than the one we saw last night. I blame part of this lack of excitement on the score.

I admit not understanding the sport well enough to know how a team scores 146 points, but I do understand enough to know that the bout would have been far better if the teams had been more evenly matched.

I also decided that I do not have what it takes to be a roller derby girl. And I am totally okay with that.

But I do clearly have what it takes to eat this entire Chicago-style polish dog wrapped in bacon.

And it was delicious. No judging.

Deep in the Heart

2012-01-13T19:16:00.001-07:00

I'd ask you to feel some sympathy for me given that I'm working on a Friday evening at home, but I don't deserve any sympathy given that this Friday-night working is due to my departure to Hawaii on Monday.

The problem is that I think my brain is already there.

Last night, as I drove south down the 101 on my way home from teaching, the moon was HUGE and just on the horizon and framed perfectly by the windshield. I felt like I was in that scene from Joe Versus the Volcano where Tom Hanks is in the boat and yelling at the moon.

Yes, I mean this scene.

Except I was in my car and ~~yelling~~ singing along with the radio. And I realized that I really miss being able to look up at the sky on any given night and see the stars. Stars don't exist in the La La Land sky. They best be big and bright in Hawaii.

Defaming Pizza's Good Name

2012-01-12T00:18:00.001-07:00

jared: man, i should be a blog reader, i would understand my friends to much better

3:54 PM me: maybe it's best that you don't :)

3:55 PM jared: ignorance is the best policy

and honesty is bliss

3:59 PM me: that kind of honesty is not to be confused with bluntness or directness, yes?

4:00 PM jared: that is never bliss

7 minutes

4:08 PM me: depends on the honesty's content

4:10 PM jared: if the honesty's content is pizza. then equals bliss

4:14 PM me: pizza is the great equalizer

4:17 PM jared: and soother

4:22 PM me: YES!

41 minutes

5:04 PM jared: i will probably be purchasing a pizza before this night is through based on this chat

5:06 PM me: good

7:23 PM me: eat pizza yet?

jared: no

but i AM still at my cubicle

case notes and assessments deadlines

7:24 PM wishing i had a pizza appear these last three hours

me: you should order one and have it delivered

to your cubicle

jared: can you do that on debit cards these days?

me: yes

you can even order a pizza online

please see the Papa John's website

7:25 PM jared: ok

7 minutes

7:32 PM jared: what a fun website!

7:33 PM i can buy a pizza or start my own franchise within one inch click of each other

me: when I lived with Emily Clifford

we ordered from Papa John's about once a week

7:34 PM jared: it look so delixcious in the photographs

i've got "john's favourite" in the cart right now

7:35 PM when you order drinks, do they come cold?

me: I think so

jared: well, i think i'm gonna pull the trigger

me: do it! do it!

7:37 PM jared: hesitatING!!!!!.....

7:39 PM me: do it! do it!

7:42 PM it will make your evening THAT much better!

10:51 PM me: so? verdict?

10:54 PM jared: awe dang, my message didn't send to you on my phone

(its been doing this all day)

i texted, "

10:55 PM Bland yet totally juicy and satisfying!"

me: ah

jared: i guess that's the strength of a papa johns,

the moisture

10:56 PM me: you did really just use that word, didn't you?

jared: very consciously

10:57 PM i thought you might appreciate the selectivity of my verbiage

me: yes

thanks

10:58 PM jared: to best illustrate my gastronomic adventure

i thought it would be appropriate to use the noun form, and avoid the obscenity of the adjective: moist pizza

10:59 PM me: you've just defamed one of the best foods on earth

jared: no, no! i'm also uplifting it!

Just a Saturday

2012-01-11T00:18:00.002-07:00

My fulfillment from Friday continued on into Saturday, mostly due to convincing Jess that she should spend the night and explore some of my town with me.We started with walking to brunch and eating and eating and eating. And then, we made a list of antique stores to hit.

I was on the lookout for "new" lamps, but I did not find any that I liked and/or were in my price range.

We quickly discovered that the antique stores in this town actually have REAL antiques or at least old and expensive designer stuff, which essentially translates to expensive.

We also learned that if old movie props like these from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are your thing, then you're in luck as well.

Because everyone needs a creepy head above their mantle or Jared Clark pushing their grandfather in a wheelchair as an entry way piece.

But Jess did manage to score some pretty sweet 70s green canisters for a decent price. And I managed to barter with a vendor over a lamp that I didn't really want, but she really wanted me to buy. I snuck out the back door as to avoid seeing her disappointment and picked up a $20 lamp at Target instead.

And then, there were just some super weird things in these stores.

I would hate to see the man who actually wore that hair piece on the bottom right. Bleah. And who buys that crap? I mean, it seems like such a steal for $45!

But besides these charming discoveries, we did find a decent cupcake shop in South Pasadena. Honestly, I'm normally not a big cupcake fan. I think they're a bit overrated and usually look better than they taste and I almost always scrape off the 3 inches of frosting, but this cake was surprisingly ~~moist~~ not dry. Cheap sushi was another find for the night. And the storefront selling just french macarons (and, yes, Brandon, your homemade macarons are better) made for a delectable triumvirate of food.

And there's definitely nothing wrong with that.

Tiling It

2012-01-09T15:18:00.003-07:00

The irony of what I am about to say after my last post is not lost on me. BUT! I've spent my morning paying conference registrations, checking flights, and making hotel and condo reservations. And it's been decided that we're spending a week in Paris before our conference in London in August. This condo we just booked has me dreaming of some day living in a place with bathroom tile just like the tile blanketing this condo's walls.

See for yourself.

Swoon.

A Case of Introspection

2012-01-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

"I think if women put some more of the time and money they put on their heads in their heads, they’d be better off."

--Iris Apfel, from Into the Gloss

That is the look of serious introspection.

I can't bring myself to put my little plastic Christmas tree away. I love sitting on the couch with only its happy light, burning a candle, listening to music, and (in these last few days) doing a bit of introspection. The introspection is not necessarily something I love, but it's something that's been happening more frequently lately. And I'm trying to be comfortable with it.

I've realized that I spend too much of my time doing stuff so that I can avoid productive introspection. Maybe I'm a little bit afraid of what I might discover. And while I think this point is partly true, I don't think that all of my fear is tied to what I will unearth. I mean, it's not like I'm suddenly going to discover that I'm some hideous monster. But I think that my fear is more tied to having to actually do something with whatever information I do find. And honestly, I am feeling a bit weary of change, which is exactly the time when it most likely will happen.

Tonight, I have the aroma (and prospect) of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and the promise of re-watching season two of Downton Abbey with my now successful Downton convert. But before I hurry off to glory in the world of British dramas, a couple of thoughts swirling in my head:

1) I came across this quote: "God has fashioned Man's mind to be the organ that contemplates and initiates all creation."

And while that concept is not a new one, I had never considered the mind as this type of vehicle for creation before. The author's subsequent points are some of the best I have read in regards to abstract virtues like faith and hope, and I know that I need to give the article at least another read to get my brain around most of it. If anything, it makes me realize how I allow myself to exist below my potential and accept mediocrity as my threshold.

2) That quote by Iris Apfel up at the top of this blog.

3) And, lastly, something that's been percolating a bit. I'm feeling like I need to take the time to be a bit more present--both physically and mentally--in La La Land (hello, irony). I spend a lot of time thinking about and planning getaways (some necessary and many not), and while these trips are fun and enjoyable and memorable, it's also difficult to make a life here when I'm thinking about when and where I can escape to next. As already mentioned, these next couple of months are going to be a busy ones, and I am excited about them--a good mixture of business and pleasure. But with six months of L.A. living under my belt now, I am going to be more determined to focus on building relationships here rather than wishing that the old ones could remain the same. Luckily, there are lots of opportunities to focus on here. I just need to act on them.

So, hello, Universe. There you have it. I have a feeling that she's going to make me stick to it, especially that last one.

Ho Hey

2012-01-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a fulfilling past couple of days.

Thursday night marked a return to teaching allonmyown after a six-month hiatus. You see, the department I landed myself in has this policy that requires newcomers to "shadow" a course before they are able to teach it independently. So all last semester I sat and shadowed. At first, I was rather insulted by this whole process, but then quickly realized that I was getting paid to watch, do a little bit of co-teaching, and not do any grading. Win!

But Thursday night, the class of five students (yes, five!) was all mine and I learned that they had been fearing me all week, since I had assigned reading and a pretty hard study guide for them to complete and bring to the first day of class. I also hit them hard with theory on that first night, but with only five students (yes, five!), it was refreshing to be able to really spend the time to answer all of their questions and ensure that the theory actually became more concrete rather than remaining forever abstract for them. They left class that night telling me that I had assuaged their fears and had learned quite a bit. It was all pretty dang satisfying.

However, given that this class of five is at an off-campus location about 90 minutes away from home, I walked through my door after 11pm and fell into bed. The next morning I realized how not-in-teaching shape I am and spent the next day in workout wear, zoned out in front of my computer, willing my brain to finish revising some data charts.

So Friday night's events were well-welcomed. My made-in-Salt-Lake friend from years ago, Jess, who now lives in the OC, needed little convincing to attend a small concert that she was already planning on attending. And even though Deborah and Li-Ling had never heard of The Lumineers or their music, we headed to Hollywood for a rather intimate performance by a band who was so visibly excited to play for their first sold-out show.

Given that this band is young, their set was short, but high-spirited. Watching musicians play with such passion makes me wish that I had just a teensy bit of musical anything in me.

After the concert, we wandered past the many trying-too-hard women and starving artist sorts and down the street to Amoeba Music.

Jess settled on an album by M83.

After purchases, we sat on the bus stop bench and asked Siri for the best dessert place in the neighborhood. The only problem was that Siri couldn't differentiate between "dessert" and "desert."

Deb was incredulous that Siri was so unhelpful.

Yelp ended up beating Siri to the chase and directed us to Mashti Malone's Ice Cream, which proved to be a charming dive from the outside and a place where exotic ice cream flavors reminiscent of the owner's native Iran were made on site.

The owners even promised that our tastebuds would moan. (You really need to give Incredible (!) Legend a listen).

I'm pretty certain that moaning did not escape anyone's lips while in the ice cream parlor. But I was pretty satisfied with my lavender and orange blossom flavored scoops.

It's the Small Things. Really.

2012-01-04T16:11:00.001-07:00

I really shouldn't be as excited as I am about...

1) My new Dr. Seuss wall calendar that includes stickers for such things as "me time" or "school holiday" or "vacation" or "sleepover." But I am. And I need to find some good reasons to use the "play date" and the "big game" stickers.

2) The Downton Abbey season 1 dvd that will be on my doorstep on Thursday. My new camera, too!

3) My visitors coming in the next couple of months due to an airfare sale from SLC to Long Beach. Bring on the tourist friends! So. Dang. Excited.

4) The fact that I contributed money to a presidential campaign yesterday. I'm trying to decide if donating money counts as "volunteering."

Just reveling in the small things today.

Tackling The Life List: Tournament of Roses Parade

2012-01-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

New Year's Eve is one of my most-hated days on the calendar. I hate the seeming pressure to do something fabulous! And a-maz-ing! And 3-2-1! Have fun! And...enter letdown.

Meh.

So I didn't make any plans for myself until that afternoon, and then, I simply chose to treat it like any typical Saturday evening by stuffing myself silly with mango lassi, samosas, and tikka missala; watching a corny 1977 Richard Dreyfuss movie; toasting sugary bubbly; and burning handwritten items to dispose of for the new year in a 9x13 pan.

Welcome 2012.

But. But! January the 2nd will be a day remembered for its epic proportions and for exceeding all expectations. Miriam and her roommate, Emily, arrived from HB late on Saturday evening to attend the Rose Parade with me. I had been told by seasoned locals that the thing to do on the eve of the parade is to stroll Orange Grove Blvd. to watch as they lined up the floats. So that's what we did.

During showtime, those elephants actually moved.

I'm glad that I wasn't the sucker who had to glue all of those pinto beans on by hand.

Meh.

Believe it or not, but this wasn't the only john dressed up like this.

And honestly, the pre-parade festivities were almost as great as the actual parade. I mean, it was one more opportunity to see Californians stroll around in their fur coats as they walked their dogs and smoked cigars. But the best part was being able to look at the floats up-close-and-personal and do it for free!

After we walked the boulevard, we headed back home and slept for a few hours before our 6am wake-up call. Lucky me happened to know someone who knows someone who has been saving seats for the parade for like 40 years. And when he promised me that there would be 3 seats waiting for us at 7am at the beginning of the parade route, I figured that there would be some catch to this business. But there wasn't. We were able to watch the parade from the second row in a comfortable seat for free (and we didn't have to sleep on the street for it). Winning!

But this also means that I now have a bunch of pictures of floats and marching bands and horses all from the exact same vantage point.

Lining Up

The Swedes! Love that xylophone!

Dray-gon

But one of the highlights included the dancers with the marching band from Puerto Rico. They were energized! They were REALLY jazzed! And that one Puerto Rican dancer--he winked directly at me as he danced on by.

Wow.

But what was really wow! was seeing how excited many of the band kids were to be marching and playing in the Rose Parade. You could really see on their faces how thrilled they were about this experience. I got a little choked up thinking about it.

And, man, I do love a good parade--the Americana, the pageantry, the music, the floats. And this one has it all in spades.

And then, once the parade ended, the stupid Occupy protestors decided to have their own parade.

In case you were wondering, we saw protestors shouting that we should all eat vegan, that we should stop bailing out banks, that we should save our schools (and the whales), that we should vote for Mitt Romney, that we should stop nuclear wars. But overall, I think they provided a united front of what a collected group of people look like after not showering for weeks.

And then, my contact to the seats informed us that were invited to breakfast at the house of the people who saved us seats. I can now say that I've eaten brunch at the house of a stranger in Pasadena.

This was not their house, but their neighbor's house. I could live here.

This was no average brunch comprised of a bagel and juice. Instead, there were close to 50 dishes to choose from. No exaggeration. And so we all piled our plates and commented to each other, "Is this really happening?" And, oh, but it gloriously was! Did I mention that also included in this package was lots of sunshine and 80 degree weather and al fresco dining?

And by 1pm, we were taking well-deserved naps so that later, we were able to stroll down Colorado Blvd. to do some shopping and more eating.

And we found that the parade-goers definitely didn't leave the area as they found it.

But the litter didn't detract from our early dinner at an outdoor cafe.

Miriam would like you to know that after today, she's giving up Diet Coke.

And as we ate, the three of us couldn't help but repeat, "This has been the best day ever!"

2012, I think you're going to be good to me.

It's Not the End of the World

2011-12-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

At the end of 2010, I had just accepted a job which was going to land me in La-La Land seven months later. And so, I spent the first half of 2011 trying to fit in as much of Utah as I possibly could muster, knowing that whatever I did manage, it wouldn't be nearly enough.

Having that much time to wrap up life in one place and contemplate the possibilities in a new place is bittersweet. For the first half of 2011, I felt like much of my life was in a holding pattern, knowing that most everything I had known for the past 6 years was about to be turned on its head, not really wanting to start anything new, but being excited by unknown possibilities, yet sad that so many great things wouldn't remain the same. So the first half of 2011 was simply focused on savoring--people, places, moments, activities. I'm glad that I can look back over those months and know that I have few regrets.

Not long into 2011 we took a pretty spontaneous trip to Miami which fulfilled a dream of mine to snorkel in Key Largo. We visited the Great Salt Lake several times to spy on the bald eagles, to fly kites, to watch the sunset, and to view the Spiral Jetty. We went to the Arcade Fire concert where I was blown away by its awesomeness. And Steve and I spent a week camping and hiking and celebrating our birthdays in Canyon lands, Natural Bridges, the Four Corners region, Monument Valley, and Grand Canyon.

Spring brought a trip to Boston and Newport, Rhode Island so I could visit my favorite scientist. And we did more camping in the San Rafael Swell, exploring slot canyons and Goblin Valley. Just a bit later, we hit Torrey and Escalante and Capitol Reef and had a mind-blowing meal at Cafe Diablo. Plenty of time was also spent in SLC, running and hiking in the foothills, playing urban frisbee golf with Brandon, and staying up late laughing.

The second half of 2011 has been a difficult one, filled with plenty of forced change, still many unknown possibilities, and a lot of time by myself, which is really not a state of being I'm accustomed to. I've had to dig deep for confidence and strength to face some tough-to-me situations. And I have survived. Luckily, that job I had just accepted a year ago has turned out to be a good one. I've had the opportunity of getting to know family members in a way that I would never have anticipated. And while life is vastly different than my 16-year-old self would have imagined 16 years in the future, I am one lucky and blessed person.

The second half of the year brought several trips to St. George to meet up with some of my most favorite and dearest people. It meant a road trip with my favorite scientist and a cold trip to Zion, plus two trips to Montana and an unforgettable winter experience in Yellowstone. It also included some backpacking in the pretty Uintas and kayaking around Balboa Island. We also made a stop at Mount Rushmore and the Badlands. Plus, a trip to Jacksonville and St. Augustine meant being reunited with some cherished colleagues from years past. And some of my favorites even came to visit and other favorites married.

And in those quiet moments when a voice tries to tell me that my life isn't quite good enough--that I'm not good enough--it's important for me to remember that I really do lead a very rich and full life. My goal for 2012 is to not only be more appreciative of this life, but to be more hopeful about the future because if these last (almost) 33 years of my life are any indicator, there's a lot of great things waiting to be lived.

That Keats

2011-12-28T18:05:00.001-07:00

Found here

'Cause all my life is wrapped up in today

2011-12-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

When I stepped out of the terminal yesterday afternoon, warmth and sunshine and blue skies enveloped me. True, sunshine and blue skies were part of my trip to Montana, but SLC was anything but warmth and sunshine and blue skies. The company more than made up for the pitiful weather though.

I think my ride from the airport, a California native, rolled her eyes at me a few times as I kept exclaiming, "The weather is so great!" I'm sorry, but I couldn't help myself. This is why people live in Southern California. And now that I've had my 10 days of winter, I'll embrace all of this fully, thankyouverymuch.

And so to begin immediately embracing the warmth and sunshine and blue skies, I threw open all of the apartment windows and put on flip flops to walk two blocks to do some shopping and grocering. And then, the night was capped with some Downton Abbey.

In these parts, there's this big parade and bowl game that has to do with roses and such that happens at the end this week. So as to continue embracing the weather, I drove on over to the Rose Bowl to jog around it. I didn't realize that around the entire complex there would be lots of game-day preparation and float building and barricades and security guards.

In hindsight, I should have selected a better spot for a picture, but the security guards scared me away.

I should have known given that the bleachers for the parade have been set up for over a month now and I've been receiving notices about festivities from the city for weeks.

But in reality, all of these festivities are pretty dang cool (if only the festivities would make New Year's Eve a non-sucky holiday). And the jog was actually pretty heavenly--even more so because of this song I discovered this morning:

Forever Lazy

2011-12-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

As Kristina drove from Boston to Atlanta, she kept me updated via text on the fascinating items she was finding on the interwebs. She sent me this gem:

And that infomercial reminded me of "the fat suit" that was purchased for me by my mother and sister when I lived on E Street. Emily hated when I wore that thing because it really was the ultimate in quitters, or at the very least, the fat suit was the ultimate in man-repellant. But there's no question that the fat suit was warm, especially in that drafty, old apartment.

And it was the perfect attire for being forever lazy on Christmas Day.

It's really a good thing that the fat suit is much too warm to wear in La La Land.

Merry & Bright

2011-12-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

I finally fulfilled a childhood dream by purchasing the National Park Passport Book.

And I am gushing (and geeking) over that book like crazy.

Happy Christmas!

One of the Best

2011-12-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

Come forth into the light of things.

Let nature be your teacher.

--W. Wordsworth

I'm sure it's been mentioned somewhere around these interweb parts that I've spent a great portion of my life in Yellowstone National Park given that it's (probably) my dad's most favorite spot on Earth. The distance between Southern California and Yellowstone did not deter my father from trekking us up there for family vacations. And now that my parents live just hours from "The Park," as it's affectionately known in the extended family, it's become a yearly (or semi-annual) destination. Without fail, family members call other family members and report the animal sightings seen on their most recent visit. Typically, these calls are only meant to taunt and tease and usually don't disappoint in meeting this purpose. We can all spend several hours sharing our Yellowstone stories and talk about The Park in such a way that most people would be entirely lost (or bored) during the conversation.

But it's nice to reach a point with The Park that there's no mad dashing around to try and see everything. Instead, itineraries are now built around just seeing what we like most or haven't seen in a long while. For this family, it means a visit at just a slightly slower pace, spending time really getting to know a location or discovering lesser known areas that are seldom visited by loud, brash motorhoming tourists.

So when we discussed our holiday visit to Billings, my sister and I told our parents that we wanted to actually do something given that generally our winter visit consists of lots and lots of lounging in quitters, reading books, and watching movies. We wanted to do a little of those things, too, but since Billings is not our childhood home, cabin fever sets in pretty quickly.

So we were excited when my dad suggested that we take a winter trip to The Park--something that this family has never done. We invited grandmother along, since she would be in Cody for the holidays. And as a cozy group of five, we huddled in the Subaru as we drove to West Yellowstone the night before our winter sojourn by snowcoach into The Park.

I had been told that winter in Yellowstone was like nothing ever experienced. And this verdict proved to be true.

In all honesty, I think this winter trip into The Park rates as one of my top 5 nature experiences. The place was so unbelievably quiet, especially compared to the summer months, and seemingly so much more vast and desolate. Fresh snow added a delicate layer to the landscape, adding contrast to rich colors in the hot pools. And luckily, our snowcoach guide was a patient man who let us stop to get out and gave us time to explore the geyser basins at our own pace. Many times, the 10 of us in our group were the only ones on those icy boardwalks, and I spent a lot of my time thinking about visiting again next winter. I somehow need to get myself on skis and on some of those trails, because they were begging to be explored.

It really was a perfect day. And while we saw no bears or moose, we saw the usual elk and bison, plus 4 bald eagles and a bob cat.

Two Views

2011-12-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday Night

Monday Night

Like Gold to Aery Thinness Beat

2011-12-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

There's something tremendously fulfilling in watching two good friends love each other.

Before Dianne admitted that she liked Bryce as much more than a friend, the rest of us were not-so-silently cheering for Bryce, essentially campaigning on his behalf. It wasn't too long before the two of them simply lit up just because the other walked into the room, and it was difficult to remember a time when the two of them were not together.

This past weekend marked this royal couple's wedding. And it was beautiful and tender and celebratory. And a dang good reason to dress up and party and dance! with fabulous friends.

Jessica is going to kill me for posting this picture, but I find it hilarious.

The weekend reminded me how blessed I have been in the friend department. At the reception, it was comforting to look around and see so many people who I hold dear all in one place. I miss those people something fierce.

The wedding also reminded me of one of my all-time favorite poems, "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" by John Donne--a poem that I had not visited in quite a while. I discovered this poem during my senior year AP English class. And as a self-proclaimed hater of "romantic" poems, I found the imagery of this poem beautiful, and I still do. True, Bryce and Dianne are not two (cough) lovers who are weathering distance, but the words spoken by the Bishop during the ceremony reminded me of an elevated form of love that Donne tries to illustrate in this poem.

Perhaps it's not always terribly apparent, but my sentimental streak runs thick.

Rat Pack

2011-12-15T12:28:00.003-07:00

This will be the only time EVER that you see me with a GIANT flower on the side of my head, looking like one of those poor newborns who can barely keep her head up. This headband is called "cheap Forever 21 crap" that is purchased when one has to attend a '20s themed party. And I admit to having a pretty good time.

All Dipped in White

2011-12-13T22:52:00.002-07:00

I should have taken a picture of the mountains here today. For the first time, I actually found them compellingly beautiful.

The snow line had dipped incredibly low for these parts, so most of the mountains were dipped in white. And given that rain and snow had swept through the valley, leaving early this morning, the air was fresh and clean, providing a uncharacteristic crispness to the view.

My 30-minute commute passed quickly as I thought of the Wasatch and how much I am looking forward to seeing those mountains (through the black lung inversion) this weekend. The view of those mountains means friends! And a wedding!

It's going to be awesome.

Expecting

2011-12-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

Before the Storm

There's something about a Sunday evening that breeds melancholia.

It had been a weekend full of parties and frivolity and dressing up, so Sunday morning I was looking forward to simply being home later, not having to put on a face (both figuratively and literally), and not having to engage in small talk. But then, the quiet settled in as the sun set and the enormity of 8 hours of open time stretched before me.

I realize that this open time is a gift and a luxury. I didn't have to do the dinner dishes if I didn't want to. And I didn't have to attend another house party if I didn't want to. Instead, I did some long-desired reading and baked brownies. I discovered that the way to not eat the entire pan of brownies by myself is to not add enough sugar, which is a huge failure on my part.

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about how to manage expectations while also remaining hopeful. And during my reading, I came across this statement: "In spite of the way we are accustomed to using it [hope], a primary definition of the word connotes, not a wish, but an expectation of things to come. And it is this sense of expectation, as opposed to wishing, that makes all the difference..." The tricky thing, I find, is managing my emotions when expectations are not met when and how I want them met to be. If anyone has that all figured out, I wish you'd pass along the secret.

Nature Healing

2011-12-08T20:58:00.001-07:00

Looking West

I awoke angry yesterday. Thirty minutes of kickboxing did nothing to relieve the anger. The L.A. freeways only heightened it. And then, I engaged in an inane and heated conversation with a colleague, which made me want to punch this person in the face. I refrained, but I was still physically shaking about it (and I am still shaking my head). And so, later at lunch, I found myself shoveling chips and salsa into my face at an alarming speed. That didn't help either. I was on fire!

Miriam and I saw Wicked last night at the Pantages Theater and that helped a bit. I could really get behind defying gravity and everything. But what really did the trick was hiking up a mountain this morning. Nature really is a cure. every. single. time.

Luckily, I had two very-knowledge-about-the-area-hiking people as guides. And it was so nice to let someone else do the planning and to just show-up (I should try this approach much more often). They showed me a trailhead that leads to many, many trails just a 10-minute drive from my front-door. Winning!

This particular trail lead us up to the top of Mt. Lowe that once held a resort for the wealthy and which had a railroad that ferried guests to the summit. The remains of the resort are still there, so it was fun to poke around and explore.

And it had some pretty decent views (if you ignore the smog and haze).

Highlights also included the "Echo Phone," which gives Echo Canyon its name.

Dianne already pointed out that it reads "Ho Phone."

I guess taste-testing Amber's friend's water that was purposefully filled with seeds was a highlight?

For your closer examination:

And like you would expect, the water tasted like...seeds. They're supposed to be healthy or something.

But by the time we returned to the trailhead, I felt invigorated and relaxed. And I just kept thinking about how lucky I am to be able to go hiking (and be hot!) in the middle of December.

That vitamin D really does a body good.

St. Augustine

2011-12-06T15:42:00.001-07:00

While Pasadena was reeling in the aftermath of the wind vortex, 3 of my colleagues/friends and I escaped the conference for half a day and headed to St. Augustine. And I must not have been paying attention to the history lesson on early colonies in the Americas, because I had to wikipedia the big deal of this settlement. And it is a big deal--the oldest city in North America.

I shouldn't have been surprised that the fort in St. Augustine looks almost identical to the fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico because of those Spaniards, ya know?

It's always nice to escape the claustrophobia of stifling hotel conference rooms, but it was exceptionally nice to old and new colleagues and blend groups together.

We ate pizza, snacked on treats, browsed the touristy shops, and toured the college campus in town.

That campus has ambience that I could fully support and emerse myself in.

And the many churches in town were beautiful, too.

I often wish that conferences were longer because it would mean that I'd get to spend time with these friends a little while longer.

Timber!

2011-12-04T21:29:00.001-07:00

My tiny Christmas tree looking like a vase of fire.

When the driver picked me up at 4:30am to head to LAX on Tuesday, I decided against closing my bedroom window given that the weather in La-La Land is incredibly predictable. The apartment could use some fresh air, I decided.

Fast forward to Thursday morning when Facebook informed me that hurricane-force winds swept through Pasadena, tearing buildings apart and sending trees to their deaths. I heard about power outages and smashed cars (thank heavens for covered off-street parking!) and viewed images off the storm's aftermath via various news outlets. It appeared that Pasadena was the epicenter of the wind storm, getting hit harder than many surrounding areas. I received several texts and emails from concerned friends, hoping that I was okay. I informed them that I was not only okay, but until just recently, I had been completely ignorant of the hell going on at home.

When I returned in the early morning on Saturday, I didn't know how I would find my apartment. I expected lots of dirt and dust, and I did find that. But most of it had collected near the front of the apartment--as far away from the open window as possible.

This morning, I took a walk around Pasadena and it's truly unfortunate that 1) so many great, old trees fell, and 2) there is nowhere nearby to have a good bonfire.

A lot of cars just sit under felled trees.

All of the streets are lined with debris--often fallen trees block lanes of traffic.

In comparison to what I saw, this is a small tree that blew over. But this entire park looks like one large debris field.

A fellow Pasadenan was snapping pictures of this very tree when I came upon it. Those roots/earth are taller than me. And I was actually surprised that the tree had already been chopped up.

The underbelly of the same tree. That truck in the background didn't manage to escape.

So, yes, everyone, I am totally fine. But Pasadena has a lot of cleaning up to do before Rose Bowl/Parade mayhem hits in less than a month.

Rather Here Than There

2011-12-01T09:33:00.001-07:00

I've been bemoaning how cold it is here in Jacksonville, mostly because I packed so inadequately for what I believed would be weather similar to La-La Land.

But it seems that I should be grateful that I'm here for a conference rather than at home given that Pasadena has been declared a state of emergency.

And don't you fear. I'm getting my academic nerd on like you wouldn't believe--so many interesting people and ideas and great energy. It makes me love what I do.

2011-11-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

My first time seeing snow was a sledding trip to Mt. Baldy. That visit was so long ago that I can't separate photos from actual memories. I know that I wore a coat that my mother must have made, since the fabric was covered in a strawberry print and I was no older than kindergarten age. Yesterday was my first time back to the area since that sledding trip almost 30 years ago (what the?!)

Yesterday was also my first time doing serious hiking since June. And I am no longer in hiking shape.

I originally had plans to hike to the top of Sunset Peak, which is a 7 mile, relatively flat trail given that I knew it was snow-free and not going to kill my out-of-shape legs and recovering-from-a-cold lungs. But when we stopped at the ranger station to purchase an adventure pass*, the volunteer ranger convinced me that we should head up Icehouse Canyon to the Icehouse Saddle. "Just 3.6 miles one-way on a moderately flat, scenic trail with possible snow on northern slopes," he encouraged. So Miriam and I decided to abandon our original plan and take the ranger's advice.

And the hike did prove to have scenery.

Miriam claims that she was not dressed appropriately for this mountain venture, but I have proof that she seems to like capris and jackets.

From Yesterday

From October 2009

But despite not wearing long pants, the hike immediately sent us up a steep incline and continued that way for the duration. I later learned that the hike sent us up almost 3,000 feet in 3.6 miles. And I realize that I've become a bit of a hiking wuss in the last several months, but I would hate to see the trail that the volunteer ranger would label as "SUPER steep."

The trail kept us along a stream that actually had water running through it, which is a rarity in Southern California.

And then, we got to the ~~snow~~ ice rink of a trail.

But we continued on regardless.

I also realized that I lived in Utah far too long because I couldn't help but comment to Miriam, "Other ethnicities hike besides white people!" And if you hiked in the Wasatch long enough, you would know what I mean. I did find it amusing that while Miriam and I were eventually just hiking in short sleeves, most of the people on the trail were wearing long sleeve shirts and fleece and parkas and hats and gloves and scarves.

At about the mid-point of the hike, Miriam and I smelled ramen noodles, and as we rounded the bend, we came across this band of hikers, huddled around a small stove and eating noodles with chopsticks.

I really could have used some Ramen at that point, but was later stoked to find Swedish Fish at the bottom of my pack from our excursion to Zion.

By the three-mile mark, Miriam was essentially done with the hike given that it was a lot longer and icier than she had anticipated.

She wasn't very happy with me.

But the view from where we stopped for a break wasn't too bad.

I'm telling myself that the view from the saddle (the one that we didn't see) was probably just a view of smog and city, which really wouldn't have been that great.

So we headed back down, after procuring ourselves walking sticks. Miriam managed to make it down the trail injury-free. And, I, in typical form, now have a nice sized welt on my thigh.

Also, I regret to inform Nature that I did not "wear colors that blend with the landscape."

Sorry, Nature. And, sorry, Obama.

*That National Parks Annual Pass that I purchased this month is the gift that keeps on giving, saving me from paying an additional $30 to use the national forest for the year. Winning!

This Post is About Books

2011-11-25T22:18:00.001-07:00

I had been mourning my loss of the SLC library after the move, but when I discovered that my new local public library even looks literary, I was stoked. Sure, I got my new CA driver's license almost a month ago, but this library card! This makes me legit.

And that library key fob idea is genius. Given that I showed up 30 minutes before closing time on Thanksgiving eve, I had just enough time to get my card, briskly walk through the main floor rooms, and check out a few books for upcoming trips. First impressions: 1) the main floor is awesome and regal and the children's section has a cool stone fireplace, 2) the homeless abound, and 3) the lower level is a creepy basement with low ceilings and bad lighting.

Miriam was kind enough of to humor me about the public library, and then, after dinner, I dragged her to the used bookstore I had passed by the other night--Cliff's Books.

I really wanted to be more entranced with Cliff's than I was, unfortunately. A bit on the overpriced side, I think that if I was in the market for foreign language books (see the above photo) or books on angels, I would have hit the motherlode. But given that it's open until midnight, and there's plenty of twisty, musty cavities still left to explore, maybe I will return.

And I realize that I'm even behind grandmother when it comes to getting on the e-reader bandwagon, but I received my new Kindle in the mail this week. I started reading a book on it last night, and I discovered how accustomed I am to reading the author info and perusing the jacket tidbits before reading. I almost didn't know what to do when the e-book just began on chapter 1. Dianne even commented that she was surprised I had given up on the paper version of books. I like to think of it as expanding. And in the words of Christian Ward, "I love technology!" especially when it means that I won't be hefting books with me on airplanes.

And Because I'm Supposed to Be Writing

2011-11-23T11:39:00.001-07:00

You get more apartment pictures.

I'm "working" from home today, which so far, has entailed me changing from PJs to workout wear, reading 23,491,380,294 blog posts, refreshing Facebook, browsing the Internet for snowshoeing trails in these parts, waiting for the UPS driver to deliver my new Kindle, and taking a few more apartment pictures.

I did revise one paragraph.

But back to the apartment. One of the cool-to-me features of this place is the ceilings. For one, the ceilings are vaulted and for two, they are these neat wooden beams that run the short length of the place. They're a nice detail and one of the first things people notice when they walk in.

An invisible feature of this place is that I feel like I'm experiencing an earthquake every time someone walks up and down the stairs outside. It's a really special feature, which provides me little peace of mind if (or when) the BIG ONE strikes. Don't worry about me. I'll just be buried under my wooden ceiling beams!

Another feature is the weird cut-out above the bedroom door. I guess it provides visual interest and light or something, but I still can't explain why I close the bedroom door before I go to sleep every night. I just do even though there doesn't seem to be much point.

I would also like to point out that IKEA rod under the kitchen cabinet. I think I may have destroyed that wall when putting that rod up. Clearly, I need a Y chromosome to replace windshield wipers and put up hardware. Jill and I, with our 5 collective degrees, can't figure such things out. But even though the handy work may not look pretty, it's holding, so I don't care.

But speaking of the bedroom, here it is.

And if the wooden ceiling beams don't kill me, that iron grate above my sleeping head most certainly will. Don't worry, Mom, I'm going to duct tape it to the wall for added safety.

And from my bed, I have this view of the bathroom and that awesome-looking wire protector to the ceiling fan. One effect of having the apartment's only bathroom attached to my bedroom is that I now make my bed EVERY morning. You never know who may come over and need to pee. And this new bed-making habit just goes to show that people can reform.

And lucky for you, my apartment is small, so there isn't that much more to see.

Because My Mother Wants to See More Pictures of My Abode

2011-11-23T00:04:00.001-07:00

So I give you the built-in bookshelf with the eye-sore air conditioner, which is perched right next to the front door.

The cupboards and built-in shelving in the apartment are original (except for the outside hardware), so I think it's amusing? clever? creative? that someone removed a shelf to make way for that ugly air conditioner. I just try to ignore it.

But the old cupboards and shelving mean that there's also little secret cubbies to be found, like this one in the kitchen:

It's really unfortunate that the cupboards are SOOOO high that I can't even see into that little drawer. Good thing I know what's in there.

Marketing Miss

2011-11-21T19:48:00.001-07:00

This magazine showed up in my mailbox the other day:

I'm trying to figure out if the Universe knows some~~thing~~one I know nothing about.

So Nice

2011-11-20T18:18:00.001-07:00

As I write this, the rain pours down in sheets, filling the gutters and walkways, cleansing the dirt and grime from the city streets. Californians don't really know what to do when it rains (except drive ridiculously fast or absurdly slow) or when the skies do more than shine perpetually warm sun, but after receiving a severe weather alert on my phone yesterday, I greedily anticipated the change in weather.

A quick trip to the grocery later and I had the fixings for white chicken chili. Given that I had an afternoon of writing ahead of me, I had plenty of time to crock pot the beans. I burned a candle for some atmosphere, pounded out three pages, and watched the clouds move in from over the mountains.

I even found a willing man to replace my driver-side windshield wiper.

Then, this morning I awoke with just enough time to throw the rest of the chili goodness into the pot and switch it to "low" before throwing on knee-high boots, colored tights, and a trench coat for church.

Home again, I replaced this Sunday best for my best pair of quitters (baggy sweat pants and fleece pullover), switched the small space heater on, and turned to Astrud Gilberto for my impromptu-small-dinner-party-prep soundtrack--the soundtrack of choice for many a dinner party on E Street.

The conversation flowed easily, the chili tasted really good, and it was satisfying to feel that the weather outside matched the date on the calendar again.

Welcome to the Neighborhood

2011-11-19T00:45:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things about living in downtown SLC was living within walking distance of many things to do and see. I simply enjoyed being able to get around on foot and look at the homes built by pioneers from long ago or wander on over to the chocolate shop or the Neighborhood Market. When looking for a place to live here in La-La land, I wanted that same walkability, but had little hope of getting what I wanted for a price that I could reasonably afford.

But yet, I found it.

Thursday night I arranged with two new girl friends (multiple! friends!) to have dinner in my neighborhood, and it was refreshing to walk out my front door and head north a couple of blocks, knowing that we'd come across several good restaurants with little effort--no hassle with traffic or parking or crowds. We chose Tender Greens, and I was particularly pleased with my backyard steak on top of red & green butter lettuce with radishes and beets. I took a chance on the diet Mexi-cola, but I'm already thinking about how I need to go back for another.

After dinner, we made it a point to walk next door to see what was playing at the independent movie theater as we made our way to our actual destination, Vroman's Bookstore. Yes, that's right. I live within a 10-minute walk of the largest independent bookstore this side of the Mississippi! I need to return to the bookstore solo to do some real investigating, and I've already mentally picked out a few books that I will keep to read just for my visits there. I'm also looking forward to exploring the two used bookstores that are across the street from Vroman's that were closed and another five-minute walk away bookstore solely dedicated to travel books and literature.

As we walked Colorado Boulevard, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Ooh! I want to eat there! And come back here!" These two new friends are already well-aware of the list I'm mentally forming of the places that need to be explored, the food that needs to be tasted, and the things that need to be done. One of them has already joshed me about my list-making, but it's the only way I know how to live. I'm not one of those people who waits around for later or a better opportunity. Let's plan it. Let's do it. Let's make it happen.

So I'm thinking scuba certifying needs to happen in Hawaii in January.

And I'm also thinking that I've already fallen in love with my new neighborhood.

Settling In

2011-11-17T16:46:00.001-07:00

As of today, I'm done unpacking and putting things in their new places.

I've spent a lot of time just sitting and surveying my stuff, relishing the little sanctuary that I've created that typifies me.

I live here; it still needs to sink in.

I've slimmed down on my personal books quite a bit over time (my office books are a totally different story), trying to only keep those books that have really impacted me. Or that I've simply enjoyed.

Many of the books are from the book club Emily and I started when we lived together on E Street. There's merit in reading a book solo, but it's a totally different experience when the reading is a shared event. I loved discovering new authors or books (and re-discovering old favorites) from this group of smart friends. I'm looking forward to meeting, finding, and forming a group here.

I've spent so much time taking care of my physical self and surroundings lately that I realized I haven't done much for my spirit and mind. I picked up a book at Costco last night--really more of a quick read than anything substantial--but it was nice to finally feel settled enough that I could enjoy reading something in my new surroundings.

Lucky

2011-11-16T15:14:00.001-07:00

I put on a pair of jeans today that I haven't worn in probably 8 months. And not only did they fit (bonus!), but I found $6 in a pocket.

I was rich!

Given that I am supposed to be rapidly reworking an already thrice rejected article, I have been finding plenty of things that NEED to be completed instead. Work on a syllabus for January? Check! Reorganize my bookshelf? Totally! Write a blog post? Yes! Have a long lunch and explore some of the shops in downtown Claremont? You bet.

And so, in a stationery store that had room for about 4 times more merchandise, I found some red hoop earrings listed at $8.

They were going to be mine.

And when the store clerk rang them up and told me that the total was $6.53, I realized that I had the exact amount of money due to my unexpected richness that morning.

Those red hoops and me? We were meant to be together.

Forever.

Rosey Posey

2011-11-13T23:40:00.001-07:00

Bodies have a way of making us slow down when they've had enough. And mine has been shouting (or whimpering) at me.I've been pushing myself hard--working long hours and spending the other time doing a little sleeping and much more unpacking. So I guess that I shouldn't have been surprised when I came down with a cold before I even returned from St. George. Thursday night, about 6 hours after I wrote that last blog post, I got off the freeway behind what I believed to be a rather large, LOUD truck. And then, that large, loud truck made a turn and I discovered that the truck was merely large, and Beuls was the loud one--roaring when accelerating and clanking in reverse.

I, of course, assumed the worst. I spent the evening Googling car symptoms, which I discovered to be even more aggravating and anxiety-inducing than Googling physical ailments. My interneting only led me to start looking at used cars in the classifieds and fretting about how I had just purchased a plane ticket to Hawaii.

Being sick and tired, plus having to deal with a broken car does little for one's spirits. I somehow managed to fall asleep after sending an email to Dad with promises to call him first thing in the morning.

Dad assured me that it was most likely a small, inexpensive fix. But despite these reassurances, I felt completely at a loss and alone. Where was I supposed to take the car? How was I going to get there? The whole situation felt immobilizing and impossible, but what choice did I really have?

I showered, dressed, and then, I did some Googling again--this time looking for a reputable mechanic close to my new home. I figured that 25 positive reviews (half from females) was a good sign and I drove my loud Beuls right on over. Ninety minutes later, I was driving a much quieter Beuls over to Target. It took just a new muffler pipe costing me a total of $40. My dad had been right, and my fretting, then, seemed a bit foolish.

It's amazing how quickly one's spirits can shift, and I decided to ride my independent train on home so I could finally tackle all of the boxes and moving paper and stuff that needed to be taken down the 2 flights of stairs to the storage at my parking space. That independence seems to have cost me given that I haven't left the house today. This cold has turned into more than I bargained. But it's also the first time in months that I've had a good reason to just be home. And alone. It's funny how a choice to be alone is far different than when it's forced upon you. And so, I spent the day watching Downton Abbey, crock potting pot roast, eating Trader Joe's Peppermint Joe-Joe's, and hanging pictures.

I have a print that I purchased when I visited Washington D.C. in 1998. It's the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter, and it first hung in my first apartment at BYU. Later, I laminated it and hung it in my classroom. It's the only classroom poster I kept after I finished teaching middle school.

When I hung it tonight, nostalgia settled over me. And it felt a little bit more like home.

My cold seems to be on its way out, too.

Yin & Yang

2011-11-10T15:49:00.001-07:00

The U-Haul after unloading the POD.

In the midst of moving (again), I lamented that it was during times like these that it would be nice to have someone else with whom to equally share the burden with me--who cared about all of the details and arranging and inconvenience as much as I did and who could help problem-solve with me. And while, yes, I do have supportive and helpful family and friends, it's still never really their problem or mess. It's mostly all up to me and sometimes that's just exhausting.

But then today, as I drove to work, I was thinking about how nice it is to be totally unattached. Within 2 hours of receiving an email notification of an airfare sale from LA to Honolulu, I had a ticket booked and a vacation planned for January. I didn't need to clear it with anyone. I just had to glance at my class calendar to make sure I could go.

And I do realize that neither state of being is so black and white, but simply a reminder that there's pros and cons to all stages of life.

Zion, Dear Zion

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

It wasn't until I left La-La Land this weekend that I realized how desperately I needed some nature time. It's been an extremely busy last couple of weeks, particularly with moving and unpacking (which still isn't done, btw).

My new friend, Amber, and I arrived in St. George late Friday afternoon, and since we were hours ahead of the SLC contingent, I took a lovely power nap. And then, we hopped in the car to pick up a pie in Veyo. This second pie was just as good as my first experience.

When the SLC crew arrived after a long drive on snow-covered roads, I realized how lonely I've been and how much I'm missed these people. I could feel my body relax for the first time in a while, knowing that I didn't have to try hard with these friends, I didn't have to engage in exhausting get-to-know-you conversation, and I could simply enjoy them. And I did until early in the morning.

Given that the weather was less than ideal for hiking up steep cliffs to amazing views of Zion, we opted for a more leisurely nature experience--doing those things that lazy American tourists do when they traverse through a national parks.

I've visited Zion in the late fall before, but this time around the trees were even more en fuego. I think I have more pictures of fall foliage than I do of anything else from this trip. I just could not get enough, wanting to breathe it all in and capture it for a repeat performance closer to home.

This leisurely ramble through Zion made it possible to enjoy some hot tub time back at the condo and a pretty stellar dinner at Xetava, which included some really good bread pudding and a drive to what seemed like the middle of nowhere.

Sunday displayed rather dreary, cold weather, so we did the Mormon thing and toured the LDS historic sites of St. George: Brigham Young House, the Tabernacle, the Jacob Hamblin home. I admit to not knowing (or having heard of) Jacob Hamblin before, but I was particularly impressed by this man's faithful and honest life. I also want a room like the top floor in his house.

But we also saw some rather destroyed petroglyphs.

And then, the SLC crew headed home, while Amber and I headed over to Christasha's and we went for a drive into the desert.

And played a lot with this kid:

And aside from having to purchase brand-new tires for Beuls and sitting in a loooong traffic jam outside of Baker and returning with a cold, it really was one terrific weekend.

It needs to be repeated.

Day of the Dead

2011-11-03T00:39:00.001-06:00

The Hispanics among us totally make death and the afterlife a colorful, lively celebration. And they know how to throw a great party in a cemetery...

with elaborate altars,

and beautiful costumes and make-up

and some irreverent humor

and lots of interesting people-watching (yes, that "woman" has a beard & both of them are on stilts).

This particular celebration at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery also included a skeleton drag queen

who was lip-syncing opera while throwing long-stem roses in what appeared to be a torture chamber?

Or maybe it was hell? Not sure what that says about his/her relatives.

And given that we were in Hollywood (as if the drag didn't give it away), we saw the graves of some famous people

and dogs.

And to add a bit more culture to the mix, there was an art show in a mausoleum

plus some crypts for us to pose in.

I also did my part in consuming sugar skeleton heads, eating pupusas, and purchasing some nasty-tasting bread. Next year, I'm totally giving 100% and painting that face of mine.

Reunited & It Feels So Good

2011-11-02T01:12:00.000-06:00

Times are busy around these parts. I'm finally surrounded by all of my things after a 4-month absence in my new apartment. And I'm reminded that I do like my stuff.

Lots to say about the last week, but I simply need to show you what I have done.

I have turned this pile of packing paper...

And, yes, I did jump into that pile several times.

into this:

And it feels so, so good.

Never Forgetting

2011-10-27T15:59:00.000-06:00

I've taken to catching up on This American Life episodes as I go for my (what is currently) bi-weekly slog.

This morning I was finally listening to the episode commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The last 5 minutes took me completely by surprise, and I found myself in tears to the point that I had to stop and pull myself together. I'm just glad that there was no one around to see me suddenly burst into tears, looking like a total crazy.

Give the last act on this episode a listen--particularly the last 5 minutes.

If that doesn't get you, then you're not human.

Envious

2011-10-26T12:53:00.003-06:00

Many academics loooove all that pomp and circumstance, the crazy robes, the hoods, the poofy hats. I'm a bit indifferent about it all, but my new place of employment likes to have us faculty don those doctoral robes and parade around pretty frequently--at least three times a year. And this year, due to the inauguration of a new university president, it will be four times.

My glorious robes are still packed away in some POD that's sitting in Anaheim, so the university rented me robes. They came all scrunched up and wrinkly. I hoped that draping them over a chair would relieve some of the wrinkles; it didn't.

So that's how I came to be ironing on a Friday afternoon in a colleague's office. Academic meets domestic. I can do it all, folks!

And while I feel a bit silly parading around in my academic finery (I did without the tam, poofy hat), I was more than a bit bothered that I had accidentally ordered myself an Ed.D. hood instead of a Ph.D. hood. I discovered some academic degree snobbery in my blood.

I'm not going to make that mistake ever again.

Fair Fare

2011-10-23T22:44:00.000-06:00

So my attending the LA County Fair is a bit of old news, but did you know that it's the largest county fair in the country? And by "largest" I think they mean that this fair has the greatest number of vendors selling useless crap compared to any other fair. But for some people, these vendors must be a real treat.

I mean, take this lady, for instance. She got her teeth whitened at the fair.

And these Dodger Fans' afterlife dreams were totally made true.

While the masses mindlessly walked the aisles of useless vendors, the highlight of the fair for me was the kids' art exhibition.

I love that the fingerpainting won top honors. And that clown! That clown's nose! I absolutely love it.

I think this is a sign that I am getting old.

All Mine!

2011-10-17T23:02:00.003-06:00

Some people suffer from insomnia due to too much caffeine or fretting about their wayward teenagers or from the butterflies caused by new love. But not I! Instead, I have been fretting about how I am going to fit all of my kitchen stuff into my tiny, new-to-me kitchen in MY NEW APARTMENT!

Yes, I found an apartment on Friday, put a deposit down on it, and will be moving into it in less than two weeks! And so, I've been daydreaming (and night-fretting) about where I will place all of my furniture and where I will actually be able to put utensils, since the kitchen doesn't have a single full-size drawer and what things I will hang on the walls and thinking about how I will be able to walk 1 block to Trader Joe's and a gazillion restaurants and lounge at the pool/jacuzzi.

It's going to be awesome.

That's one of my helpful colleagues providing some perspective on space in the living room.

And while living with grandmother has been a good, unforgettable experience, finding this apartment makes me feel like my life is actually beginning here. Finally.

It's been one slow start for sure.

Yea for storage!

But it's picking up.

And as my dad pointed out, there's even a toilet in the bathroom. This apartment really does have it all--except a kitchen with a full-size drawer and some counter space. I see lots of visits to IKEA and The Container Store in my future. And I'm totally geeking out about that, too.

Keeps On Giving

2011-10-13T10:39:00.000-06:00

It's good to see that my new colleagues have also fully embraced my gift from Kristina.

As seen around the office place:

Be Careful What You...

2011-10-11T23:44:00.005-06:00

The receptionist was making signs for the department head to place on her office door that said things like, "Busy Skyping" or "Busy Writing," so that she could close her office door and not be disturbed by interruptions.

I asked the receptionist if he would make me some of these signs as well and added that I would also like a sign that simply said, "Busy Doing Stuff." I felt like such a sign would encapsulate so, so many things.

When I returned to the office the next day, I found the following sign on my office door:

It was even laminated.

His response? It was one of the first images that came up when he did a Google image search for "busy doing stuff."

I think it's awesome.

I'll Show You

2011-10-07T10:43:00.000-06:00

Pictures of trees with en fuego leaves are showing up in my inbox and are plastered all over Facebook. And I don't want to feel left out.

So...

BEHOLD! I give you A tree in the neighborhood that 1) is not blooming, 2) is not a luscious shade of green, and 3) is metamorphosing into amber-colored waves of ?.

Yeah, I don't think it's all that pretty either.

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

2011-10-06T00:07:00.001-06:00

So it rained down here in California-land all. day. long.

And it was awesome.

I now remember why Californians get so excited about a little bit of weather--it happens so rarely. It's difficult to believe that I should start thinking about Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas when the trees are still blooming around these parts, but today gave me just a little taste of something other than perpetual Summer. Thanks, nature.

I chuckled to myself when colleagues showed up to work bundled up in coats and scarves and beanies. I think the temperature was 61. It reminded me of how we used to laugh at the Arizona tourists who would vacation at the beach when I lived in Carlsbad. They come all bundled up, sitting on the sand and freezing because the temperature hovered around 70. And then, I became one of those Zonies.

But give me a year. I think it will take me that long to become a fair weather wuss just like the rest of them here.

Strike One

2011-10-02T17:30:00.000-06:00

Miriam stayed at grandmother's this weekend, so I had a built-in buddy to explore a part of the mountains near home.

The Internet informed me that a mountain highway in the next town over would take us to the only natural lake in the San Gabriel Mountains--Crystal Lake--so named because it was crystal clear in 1887 (or so) when it was first discovered.

It's anything but crystal clear now.

It's more like a cesspool actually.

And a HUGE disappointment.

The mere ugliness of the lake didn't seem to deter others from lazing about its banks or fishing or picnicking.

And when I spoke to the old lady ranger at the visitor's center about hiking options in the area, she gave me two options: 1) a trail that meandered directly next to the road to the lake or 2) a 9-mile loop that wandered by a small spring. She really didn't seem to grasp my request for a hike that actually went to something. I want a destination, lady. Perhaps there just isn't a worthwhile destination to be had up Highway 39.

I think I may need to lower my expectations.

Deserving

2011-09-29T12:31:00.001-06:00

Here's an excerpt from an email that showed up in my inbox this morning:

I completed almost all assignments, participated in class and worked hard on the two projects. Beyond that I feel that I learned a lot about international children's literature in your class. Please consider changing my grade in your class because I feel that I truly deserve a higher grade.

Well, dear student, I feel that I am deserving of many things, too. I feel that I truly deserve to weigh 30 pounds less and be 6 inches taller. And I feel that I truly deserve to have a trust fund or at least get paid more. I also feel that I truly deserve my own private jet and a pet elephant and fashion designers giving me free clothes and shoes. I also feel that I deserve a fabulous mid-century modern house in the foothills complete with a gardener, pool boy, and chef. And a convertible--why not throw that in, too?

Man, life is SO not fair.

Just Another Weekend in San Jorge

2011-09-27T12:22:00.000-06:00

Snow Canyon, UT

Attending Foster's wedding was the real intent of the get-together in St. George this weekend, but there also happened to be a little bit of hiking in Snow Canyon (my first time there!) and a whole lot of junk food eating and TV watching and lounging and kid wrangling.

The gorging precedent was set with our maiden voyage to Veyo Pies in Veyo. Never heard of Veyo? Yeah, neither had I, but I have to admit that the raspberry zing pie that we purchased made it worth the trip. The fat kids within us were squealing with glee when we saw all of the pies in that case.

While the pie was a big hit with us, Morgan was mesmerized by his barking echo and the bat sounds coming from a crack in a ledge in Snow Canyon. The inscribed names on the red rock by pioneers were also pretty cool.

There is a noticeable lack of picture-taking on my part once Emily arrived in town--as in I didn't take a single picture. But Foster's wedding reception was lovely--as was the bride.

I returned to reality on Monday, driving directly from St. George to a meeting. I couldn't have timed the drive more perfectly, pulling into the parking lot with 2 minutes to spare.

I fell asleep at 10pm last night (a very early night for me). I think it's a sign that I had a pretty great weekend.

Turning Our Hearts

2011-09-20T23:48:00.001-06:00

Some people do their family history because they feel connected or the discover the past or out of obligation. I'm interested in it so I know who to blame for me never looking good in a pair of pants.

XOXO

2011-09-19T00:23:00.000-06:00

I have not gone on a hike since June. And if you've been around these blog-parts, you must know that it's killing me.

I look every day at these mountains which rise above my new home and think about the mountains that still rise above my old home. These new-to-me mountains are not the same--no Aspens, no icy cold lakes, no granite peaks, and no friends with which to share them. Instead, I see smog and brown bushes and I'm warned by those around me that I shouldn't be off exploring them on my own. I can't say that these mountains make me want to run up into them with open arms.

By coincidence I received two messages from friends, updating me on their latest outdoor adventures, commenting that I was missed, and reminding me that I'm missing one of my favorites times of year in the Wasatch.

I need to make a promise to myself that I will find something to love in these mountains very soon.

But at least I can say that I've finally had my first new-to-me friend outing since moving. I feel like that fact makes me sounds pathetic. I did meet several people last week on my venture to a "mid-singles" (Lamest label. Ever.) branch. I exchanged contact info with a few who promised to be in touch, but only one person actually followed through. When she called me on Saturday and asked me what I wanted to do that night, I restrained myself from just gushing and shouting ANYTHING! And while we were out strolling the old town, I was reminded of inside jokes aplenty with "old" friends and I wished that the laughter happened as easily as I was used to. But this ~~girl~~ woman gets a lot of points with me. She reached out to me, took a chance, and welcomed me into her world. I love people like that.

And it's a start.

I'm really looking forward though to the time when I am not constantly looking to the past, wishing that much of that past was now. It's definitely not much of a way to live, but I know it's part of the process. It happened when I moved to Provo and then to Phoenix and when I moved to SLC. I still vividly remember driving from my parents' after one Thanksgiving and crying for the first two hours across Interstate 10. I wanted to be anywhere but heading back to the desert wasteland. And then, four years later, I couldn't imagine leaving it and moving to SLC.

I also really hated those Wasatch mountains when I moved to Provo 14 years ago.

So, hey, four-years-from-now self, you like your life here because that's just the way that you do things.

Loyalties

2011-09-13T11:19:00.001-06:00

In my many years of schooling (last night some guy quite obviously pointed out that I have 12 years of post-high school education under my belt--genius!), I attended two rivalry schools and when both of these schools compete against each other, I cheer for my mighty Cougars every. single. time. But there isn't a school that I detest much more than USC (maybe Notre Dame?) and so with the Utes now in the Pac-12, I did something I have done only once. I not only attended a Utah football game, but also put on a red Utah t-shirt.

Just happened to run into a friend from SLC who roots for the opposing team.

My friend Rick (a die-hard Ute fan) flew into town just for the game and he was determined that we arrive a the Coliseum at least 2 hours ahead of kick-off. I have never been one to arrive early to a football game, but I'm glad that he insisted since the USC Trojans don't spare anything when it comes to tailgating all. over. campus. It was unreal. And that "V" for "victory" that they do with their hands--gotta go. So does that fight song that they play on repeat 13,544,645,646,475,893 times. I think that fight song became a backdrop to my dreams that night.

Attending this football game made me realize how unschooled I am in all things Utah sports. I don't know any of the cheers or the traditions or the fight song (which is also ridiculous, by the way). And I admit that I made little effort to learn any of these things. However, I highly doubt that the players would have heard my voice from our horrible vantage point.

Luckily, the ending of the game proved climatic even if the Utes didn't win. But then, the Cougars didn't win that night either. My dad texted me that night: "At least AZ State won." But 1-3 for my alma maters is not a really great track record. And when Utah plays ASU, I'm still trying to decide if I root for the Utes or the Devils. But then, a large part of me doesn't care either way.

Attention! Attention!

2011-09-09T01:15:00.001-06:00

I would like it to be recorded that for the last several weeks I have done NO work while wearing workout clothes. This change in work attire is not because I've just stopped exercising--quite the contrary actually (hello, P90x!), but because I now actually have to put on real work attire like a real adult and do my work at my office. How novel!

I also have to say that leaving my office tonight at 10:10pm was not my favorite thing, especially since it's now a regular occurrence since classes end at 9:20pm. This late hour has resulted in my returning to grandma's and shoving food in my face while standing at the sink and it makes it incredibly difficult to fall asleep quickly and not dream about school.

But. BUT!

It's refreshing realizing that this Ph.D. actually means that I know stuff. I'm in this co-teaching scenario right now and my colleague and I realized as we walked between our two classes that while we had planned the assessment activity for the night's class, we had gotten derailed in our planning of how we were actually going to disseminate the content information to our students. Whoops!

With about 10 minutes before class, I hurried to my office and pounded out about 8 PowerPoint slides on a variety of theories that we were going to use as the structure of the night's class. And then I was able to talk about those slides at length using examples and stories. And sure, I guess that this kind of info-vomiting is what's expected of me at this point, but it's sometimes a relief to realize that I've come a long way from that 22-year-old student teacher who tried to get seniors in high school excited about reading The Count of Monte Cristo and really didn't succeed.

Pumped Up Kicks

2011-09-06T14:08:00.000-06:00

From the Huntington Beach Pier

A new round of company showed up for the Labor Day weekend: Shelby, Jessica, & Steve. And I've missed those people. A lot.

With only two days, we got a relatively early start on Saturday and headed to Huntington Beach, my sister's new place of residence. Given that she only lives TWO blocks from the ocean now, we used her house as our home base. We discovered this great little Mexican joint only three blocks from her house. And so after filling our bellies with cheesy goodness, we strolled across the PCH and plopped ourselves in the sand. The gang amused me as they were pummeled by the high, turbulent surf. I opted to read People and pretend that I was warm despite the strong ocean breeze.

The remainder of the day was spent wandering around downtown HB, strolling the pier, and eating burgers at a small joint on the PCH.

The next day we opted for some culture at the Huntington Library, which I think has much cooler gardens than books or art.

The Chinese Garden was by far the group favorite.

I hadn't been to the Huntington since I was a kid, so it was interesting to see what I remembered. Pinky and Blue Boy, of course. And the Japanese Garden that is under renovation.

After we had museumed ourselves out, we discovered a flea market on Melrose and then headed to Trader Joe's to grab ourselves picnic food for the evening's culminating event: viewing Spinal Tap on the lawn of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. I'm not sure what it was with me and cemetery's this week, but it is what it is.

Earlier in the week, I had been wishing for a thunderstorm, but had little hope of getting one in this land of constant sun. However, nature provided.

And it made for a killer sunset.

This movie-watching at the cemetery is something I will definitely do again. We picnicked and people-watched and listened to the DJ spin his music and then, we had a bit of fun with the phone's camera.

Spooky, right?

It's difficult to be too scared in a city that never really gets dark. Ever.

The crew left early on Monday morning and I miss them already.

Day of the Dead

2011-09-01T23:51:00.000-06:00

Some people come to L.A. wanting to see a movie star in the flesh.

But not my family.

The deader they are, the better.

He's pretty dead & I still think about In Cold Blood.

It took us a while to find this star-filled cemetery hidden in the middle of a Westwood city block by tall skyscrapers. And it really is amazing how many people can be fit into a tiny space. I guess it helps when most of the cemetery's inhabitants have been reduced to ashes. And in some cases, a 3x5 placard is all that marks their spot.

It just goes to show you that death really does level the playing field.

Except Marilyn is still receiving lots and lots of love.

Star Struck

2011-08-28T23:56:00.000-06:00

It really pays to live in a location where visitors come through on a frequent basis--and there will be a steady stream of visitors here for the next little while.

Emily and Emily (yep, same name) were in town for a quick business trip and they wanted to see the sights in Hollywood. I hadn't been since high school and my memories bordered on disappointment. The town of supposed glitz and glamour was really nothing more than dirty sidewalks that were filled with out-of-work actors dressed as famous people/characters and stores outfitting the local hookers. The place hasn't changed much--a few more upper-scale shops--but mostly the place just poses as a scaled-down version of Times Square without all of the playhouses. Shake Shack isn't right around the corner either, which truly is a shame.

Luckily, the Emilys were smart enough to realize that the star walk and the Chinese theater weren't going to hold our attention all evening. After a quick drive through the Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills, we made out way to a cute street in Los Feliz (not pronounced like any Spanish speaker would say it), lined with restaurants and shops and a bookstore that I want to visit again. This L.A. living makes me feel somewhat like a country bumpkin, even though this is the place of my birth. Utah-living made me accustomed to businesses closing at 8pm and free parking and reliable traffic patterns and a lack of pretty much anything resembling cosmopolitan. It definitely spoiled me in relation to rent prices.

Forget marrying for love and companionship. Right now I could just use marriage for its tax breaks and dual-income so I can simply afford to live in this place.

Old Life vs. New Life

2011-08-24T21:11:00.000-06:00

Art by Jared Clark

Old:Visiting Assistant Professor

New: Assistant Professor

Old: Large, public university

New: Small, private university

Old: Mountains

New: Beach

Old: Full weekday social calendar

New: Evenings with grandmother

Old: Breakfast on-the-run

New: Bacon & eggs

Old: TV with no commercials

New: TV with commercials

Old: 1 tank of gas every 2 weeks

New: 1-2 tanks of gas every week

Old: Driving Beuls

New: Driving Beuls & chauffeuring in the Cadillac

Old: Smith's Marketplace

New: Trader Joe's

Old: Friends as family

New: Family as friends

Crash Into Me

2011-08-21T19:38:00.000-06:00

The Grand Canal

Setting: Balboa Island, Newport Beach, CA

Characters: Me, 14-year-old cousin Caleb on beach cruisers, bystanders

Scene 1

I took up temporary residence at the vacation rental of my uncle and his family on Balboa Island for the day. We spent the morning reading and lounging and kayaking and eating. Just before sunset, Caleb wanted to go on a bike ride and I ended up as his biking companion.

It was decided that we would take the ferry over and head to the boardwalk and check out a surfing spot called "The Wedge." As we made our way off the ferry and got onto our bikes, me following Caleb, we headed onto the sidewalk, carefully navigating around people and cars. As I propelled my bike up onto the curb, I clearly did not negotiate well, went to hit my brakes, and then...nothing.

You see, stupid me had forgotten that I was dealing with pedal brakes and NOT hand brakes.

Me: AHHHHHHHHHH!

And I, with my bike, crashed into a large bush.

I then proceeded to laugh and laugh and laugh at the absurdity of the situation--me with feet above my head, stuck in a waist-high bush in a very public and crowded place.

I think Caleb was mortified, especially as a group of 4 men came rushing over to pull me out of the thorny bush. I took their offered hands, brushed myself off, and got back on that dang bike. Caleb was all-too-kind, pointing out the obvious to me.

Caleb: You still have bush in your hair.

Caleb: (mockingly) There's another bush. Watch out!

Caleb: Maybe we should ride down some less public streets; we don't want you colliding with any people.

And so we continued our bike ride with Caleb riding out (far) in front, often glancing over his shoulder to make sure I was still with him (and I think, to not miss another fall should there be one). And I rode along, reliving the crash in my head, breaking out in sudden laughter, which probably made me look odd to. To add to my senility, Caleb continued to make old person references.

Caleb: What do you mean that you can't hear that sound? You really weren't lying about your age.

Regardless, the day was postcard perfect and it made me quite jealous that this type of life would soon be an actual reality for my sister in a few short weeks.

Scene 2

Caleb was all-too-willing to share my embarrassing bike riding moment with the rest of the family. Within moments of returning...

Caleb: (laughing) You should have seen her! She fell into a bush!

They only look kind.

This is a joke of which the family will never tire.

Family: Meet any new bushes today?

Caleb: (as he pokes the small bruise on my leg with his finger) How's the bruise?

And I just smile and laugh and shake my head, because, well, it is pretty ridiculous and lame. I'm just glad that I could be there to provide beautiful family-bonding moments.

That's me--all about giving.

Wanted: Amigos

2011-08-16T23:58:00.000-06:00

So this is probably a no-brainer (and even I already knew this), but...

trying to meet people is exhausting and time-consuming and takes a lot of effort.

I'm not making this comment to whine. It is what it is. And I've really only been here a week. I also knew going into this move that of all my many big moves, this one would probably be the most difficult in regards to building a social network and base. I am trying to manage my expectations. For one, L.A. covers a much larger geographic region, holding a whole mass of people. And two, getting older means that people are also far more settled and content. But the biggest difference this time around is that I have not landed myself into a large church congregation of single people my age (a young single adult ward) like I did in previous moves. This isn't to say that I only like being friends with those who share my religion, but rather, these congregations offered a shrunken down, easily accessible group of people who all lived nearby and who were also fairly transient and looking for friends. It was a convenient sampling that still took some negotiating--trying out people for "friend"status. And I was lucky. I found some real keepers in these groups.

Attending one of these congregations is not a consistent, convenient option right now, so I'm searching for alternative venues for friend-making. So tonight I found myself whittling away several hours on MeetUp where you can search for organized groups by interest. I "joined" several groups, introduced myself online, and answered their likes/dislikes questions. That part was easy. Actually attending an event is an entirely different matter. The interwebz could really use a site that simply assigns you a buddy for attending events such as these, so that you don't have to show up to them alone (Some people would call this "marriage" or "a steady relationship" or an escort service). And as people with a constant buddy may know, a buddy really is the difference between intimidating vs. doable. True, my grandmother invites me to go to the movies and lunch with her friends (and I do go. Go see The Help), but I cannot envision bringing her along on a 5-mile hike up a mountain with some people I "met" on the internet.

Today I also became that person, persistently emailing and texting the one or two people I know in the area, "What are you doing this weekend?" or sending emails over Facebook to people I vaguely met only once, trying not to sound too creepy or stalker-ish, hoping that the 45-second conversation that we had in-person made them want to be my new best friend. I should let them know that I throw friendship bracelets and baked goods in with the deal!

But while the effort is just that--effort--I remind myself that it brings with it a lot of possibilities. And when I think of this move in that light, all of the effort seems more like an adventure than a chore.

If only the remembering part wasn't so dang difficult.

Little Shop of Horrors

2011-08-15T21:25:00.000-06:00

When Tasha, Elin, and I pulled up to the antique shop on St. George Blvd., we expected cheap prices and a proprietor who was truly wanting to sell, sell, sell.

The front door was plastered with handwritten signs in spidery script: "Cash ONLY" and "Only open from 1:30-5:30pm." And once we opened the door and walked across the threshold, we found ourselves stuck between display cases and piles touching the ceiling and in a traffic jam with other customers. The proprietor barked at us to place our big gulps on the counter. And a customer whispered to us, "Have you ever seen that show Hoarders?" I snorted.

But it was true. We were experiencing the life of an "antique" hoarder firsthand and it was like nothing I had ever seen.

The stuff just went on and on and on and on. Not only was it impossible to actually figure out what was in those piles, but the prices were also ridiculously expensive. This woman had no intention of selling her stuff, even though she told Tasha that she was slowly selling things.

We really spent most of our time trying to find light switches to the maze of rooms and then gasping when the contents of each room was revealed.

I seriously believed that the proprietor would pop up from behind one of the piles, scaring the bejeezus out of us and pointing a long, arthritic finger in our direction because she had been eavesdropping on our snickering and gossiping about her not-so-dirty secret.

But she didn't--for which I am glad. I wouldn't have captured this video otherwise.

Turn Around

2011-08-12T17:32:00.000-06:00

Wall Lake | Uintas, UT

My vagabond way of life has finally come to an end. This is the first time in 6 weeks that I do not have plans to be anywhere but where I am. This is not to say that I'm not already thinking about when I can (and will) leave town again. But I have realized that I do need to focus on being here.

Yesterday I had meetings on campus and then I found myself in a colleague's office with several other people watching YouTube videos and joking and laughing. I can tell that I already like these people. When the department head talks about "plucking fruit" in the context of explaining why she'd rather be a tree than live in a tree during one of those "icebreakers" and then breaks out into laughter only to later send me an Outlook invite "to pluck fruit," it's easy to know that while these people do work hard, they do not take themselves too seriously. And while drama (and politics) do exist, it's a relief knowing that these people like each other.

Earlier this week, I returned from a quick trip to SLC. I knew that I would have mixed feelings about returning so soon after leaving and I did. I managed to squeeze in a lot of visiting with friends and some backpacking to the Uintas as well.

All I wanted from this backpacking trip was hiking an easy trail that had pretty scenery with friends. And once we reached our destination, I simply wanted to be there--none of this death-marching or climbing up high mountains.

So there was lots of sun-basking and eating and swatting bugs and napping and crafting and talking and campfiring and laughing.

BFF bracelet-making.

One of the Three Divide Lakes.

It was perfect. It really was.

Mechanical Failures

2011-08-05T12:03:00.000-06:00

Somewhere between Barstow and Baker I began to hear a rattling noise from the right-side of Beuls, my car. I turned off the music and did what I think most people would do--I began to think the worst. And then, I tried to concentrate on having super hearing, trying to locate the precise location of the noise.

It sounded like it was coming from my front right wheel. So I decided to "test" the noise. I changed lanes. I made casual turns. I braked. I sped up. I whispered several prayers.

For 10 miles I worked myself into a fit. I was convinced that my car was about to fall apart and that I would be stranded in the desert in the one spot without cell reception. I imagined creepers stopping to "help" me, acting all chivalrous and nice, but really being nothing of the sort. So I decided that I'd rather just drive until the wheel just fell off, launching me that much closer to Christasha's house in St. George.

And then, I happened to glance at my center console and noticed that an empty Diet Dr. Pepper can was sitting just so to cause a vibrating noise that was very similar to the wheel noise.

I came this close to throwing that can out of the window. But I didn't.

Good ol' Beuls. I should have had more faith in her.

Only in Montana

2011-08-03T09:56:00.000-06:00

Nothing quite like watching my 87-year-old grandfather do a little target practice.

Or my parents strengthen their bonds of love shooting rifles.

Or catching sight of 3 bald eagles in a nest on the way to church.

Pictures OF the Office

2011-07-28T23:26:00.001-06:00

I made an appearance in the office today--did a bunch more straightening and putting stuff away and hanging pictures.

It's difficult to do any real work, not only because I don't feel like it, but because people continue to stop by and chat, which is friendly and nice and welcoming, but not terribly productive.

Please notice how the top two shelves on both sides of the office are completely empty. For one, I can't reach those shelves. And two, because I am short, I can completely ignore that part of the office.

I just need to add a few plants and the place should feel just like home.

Almost.

Bad Lands

2011-07-28T22:50:00.000-06:00

So in addition to Mt. Rushmore, we explored a bit more of the Black Hills and the surrounding area, including Wall Drug where I "rode" a jackalope.

Since we spent a lot of time in the car, I spent a lot of the time looking at the prairie and thinking about Laura Ingalls Wilder and Willa Cather. Once we returned home, I picked up a copy of O Pioneers! and gave it a read. I liked it.

And then, we saw the Badlands.

And it looked rather reminiscent of stuff in Southern Utah, but not nearly as cool looking.

And now that I've seen this part of the country, I'm not sure I have need to ever go back. Once one lives among the Rocky Mountains, it's hard to get too excited about some hills.

But I guess dinosaurs are pretty neat.

And I can't seem to ever get enough of all that big sky and clouds.

Especially now that I'm back in the land o' smog.

North by Northwest

2011-07-22T12:03:00.000-06:00

I have always wanted to see Mt. Rushmore. Maybe this desire was born from seeing this iconic sculpture in photographs for so long or because I love the chase scene in North by Northwest that happens among the faces of four U.S. presidents or because it's one of those things like the Statue of Liberty that just radiates America! and freedom! and patriotism! or something.

I saw it for the first time on Sunday.

And Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln's faces are still up there carved in (or dynamited out of) the granite.

Even in person, those heads look a bit fake, like someone spread a huge canvas across the mountain or that the National Park Service is projecting the image up on the mountain and laughing behind their gigantic hats and fatigue green.

I had a pretty emotional reaction when I saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time. I did not have that same reaction when I saw Mt. Rushmore. I could blame it on the heat, but it was just as stifling when I saw the Lady as it was when I saw the presidents. I blaming my lackluster reaction on too high of expectations. Was it cool? Yep. I contend though that the NPS should pipe patriotic music throughout the memorial and have fighter jets fly over the mountain and send off bald eagles into the air.

Befitting any large tourist attraction, the locals have capitalized on the famous mountain sculpture, creating amusements that have nothing to do with Mt. Rushmore and others that just make the sculpture creepy.

Goat bridges have nothing to do with Mt. Rushmore.

Roosevelt looks a lot like Elton John.

And this "art" is just an atrocity.

Before we made it to Mt. Rushmore, we quickly stopped at Devils Tower (no apostrophe which drives me crazy).

And stared up at that natural wonder, too.

The day could be summarized by lots of driving, lots of looking up, and America (both beautiful and tacky).

I'm now disappointed that I didn't round out the day with a hot dog and some cotton candy.

Not a Bad Way to Spend a Summer Evening

2011-07-20T12:02:00.000-06:00

Pictures IN the Office

2011-07-15T12:53:00.000-06:00

This picture is going in the office.

So I forgot to take a picture of the office. I remembered when I was already barreling down the freeway, headed to my grandmother's, my place of temporary residence for a bit. I guess I was just focused on getting all of my crap out of my car. I will admit that it took me the rest of the evening to eventually get all of my stuff up the two flights of stairs.

Grandmother returns from her vacation late tonight, so I've had the place to myself. I realized this morning that this is the first time I have been all by myself (except for driving) since I left SLC, so I am watching ridiculous television and selecting pictures to blow up and put in my office (i.e. the picture above). I sent the selected pictures to Costco to be printed and I'm excited to pick them up today. I'd forgotten how exciting it was to drop off film, wait a couple of days, and then be surprised by what came out. But it has been fun to peruse old digital albums, to find pictures I had forgotten about or things that I have done. It's been difficult to whittle it down. There are a lot of walls to fill in that office. Right now, it feels so empty and institutional.

This one is, too. | Kristina & me

The other "news" around these parts is that they are closing down a section of the 405 freeway this weekend and it's been this HUGE ad campaign with people jokingly calling it "Carmeggedon." What ever will people do? How will they survive? I'm rolling my eyes just typing this.

And this. | Yellowstone

I'm waiting for the "I-am-on-vacation" feeling to wear off and reality to set in. Luckily, I have a little longer to delay that inevitable crushing blow that will for sure come.

Yep. | Mt. Nebo Bench

SLC Valley

Lake Moraine

Grand Canyon

But at least I will have pretty pictures hanging in the office.

Yeah, Stuff

2011-07-14T11:37:00.000-06:00

Hi there.

This box (and all of my other crap) has been my constant driving companion. We will part today.

And in the last couple of weeks, I have taken like 3 pictures--one being of that box--and another just to show you that I ate about half of these onion rings from Angelo's.

And to show you that I did not purchase this book from the DAV Thrift Store:

Don't be disappointed.

Somehow I frittered the last almost 2 weeks doing a lot of reading, which happened sometimes on the beach and sometimes in bed.

I have also spent more time driving in the past 3 weeks than I think I did during the 6 years I lived in SLC.

Living in CA would be much more fun if I were independently wealthy.

While "Midnight in Paris" was a cute movie, it was not worth the $9 matinee price that I paid, but I'm pretty sure most movies are not worth that price. Regardless, you should see it.

I moved into my office--even hung things on the walls. I should take a picture of the place.

At the meeting I attended yesterday in Ventura, they brought in lunch from Cafe Rio--a restaurant chain based in SLC and which has clearly expanded out-of-state. I was delighted.

I am tired of eating fast food. And not exercising.

One of my new colleagues calls me "Ni-oh-me." I should probably correct her, but it reminds me of Lauren, my advisor, so I haven't.

Writing this lame blog post has taken me almost 90 minutes. So much for multi-tasking.

Inception

2011-07-06T13:40:00.000-06:00

I think I really had a dream within a dream last night: I went from pregnant, to naturally birthing the babe, to telling people that I had a dream that the kid's name needed to be "Noah" (see the dream within a dream bit), to getting ready to pop out babe #2, to waking up and realizing that just like yesterday, I have nowhere that I need to be today.

It's been a long time since I had a pregnancy dream, but if you Google any dream dictionary it will tell you that to dream that you are pregnant symbolizes "an aspect of yourself or some aspect of your personal life that is growing and developing. You may not be ready to talk about it or act on it. Being pregnant in your dream may also represent the birth of a new idea, direction, project or goal."

And, yeah, there's supposedly a whole bunch of new stuff that's supposed to be happening around these parts. That's why I moved, right?

But currently, I am living the life of a vagabond (or traveler--have you seen My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding?!). A week before I was scheduled to move, all projects and work that I was slated to do this summer at my new job got cancelled due to low enrollment AND I learned that my grandmother's house (the place I was to land for a few months) was uninhabitable for a month due to some remodeling. These changes to the plan have meant that I am essentially living out of my car and using the good graces of friends and my other grandparents. I spent several days at Jill's in Lancaster and I have no idea how she has managed to live there for 11 years (sorry, Jill), but that place is in the middle of nowhere. And HOT.

So I'm now squatting at my other grandparents near the town where I grew up, which means I have easy access to the beach--a very good thing. My days are spent figuring out which book I want to read or how many hours I should really spend baking in the sun or how long I should really be sleeping at night or if I should go for a walk along the sea wall or the lagoon. Luckily, I have my sister here to keep me company during all of these inactivity.

I think I made a mistake in purchasing and starting to read A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail because all I want to do right now, despite all that there is to do here, is go on a hike in the mountains. The author is making me miss those wide expanses and vistas after a long climb to the top of the peak. And then, I think about how I just want to go to dinner with friends and watch movies out on the lawn and eat popsicles.

I'm wanting some permanence--a place--I think. And clearly, my mind is anticipating all of the change and uncertainty that is to come before that place will come to be.

But one thing is for sure, at no time will I ever name a kid "Noah."

La Fiesta

2011-06-30T14:52:00.000-06:00

Love these women!

Dianne and Emily threw a fantastic farewell party for me last week complete with balloons and streamers

and lots of treats

including "Naomi" sugar cookies.

And lots of friends came to say "see ya later.'

I'm missing those faces already.

Their Desert Home

2011-06-29T15:26:00.000-06:00

So I'm in California now.

Kristina and I left SLC on Sunday morning--after we ate plates piled high with breakfast food double the size of our faces with Emily. And our car ride to Mesquite consisted of lots and lots of soft drinks, candy, car dancing, and Kristina downloading apps to my phone. Technology is amazing because almost in the instant that I vocalized that I wished there was an app for that silly M.A.S.H. game that we played in middle school, Kristina found one, downloaded it and had me married to Justin Bieber and living in a shack in Kona, Hawaii with our 23 kids. It's really too bad for the world that I am too old for JB and 23 kids.

We pulled into Mesquite in the mid afternoon to spend the remainder of the day and night with Christasha and their cute boys, Morgan and Wyatt who had moved to Southern Utah about one month ago. My one request when we arrived was to take a nap. And I did and it was glorious. I awoke just in time for some fish tacos and guacamole and some more soft drink drinking. We spent the hot, late afternoon eating and talking and lounging and Food Network-watching. And once the temperature cooled down a bit, Morgan requested that we go four-wheeling with him to look at the animals. That kid is really into animals right now. I happened to mention to Morgan that I had seen a moose the night before. And so Morgan wanted to hear ALL about moose and as he flipped through my phone pictures, he stopped on every nature picture and asked, "Is that where you saw the moose?" Unfortunately, he's not going to see moose anywhere near Mesquite, but I did share my "vast" knowledge of big horn sheep and desert goats and mountain goats with him--all of which really amounted to me doing Google image searches of those beasts and pointing out the various sizes of their horns. He clearly believed that Kristina and I were animal-knowledge gods because he later asked Kristina to tell him all about raccoons.

It's been six years since I lived in the desert and I had forgotten how beautiful the desert landscape can be after the heat of the day has abated, making it somewhat breathable. We took the four-wheelers out and toured the desolate area, checking out the horses and the donkeys. And then, we took off on a short trail that Morgan had nicknamed "The Forest." When we returned back to the desert home, we found Wyatt full of smiles and Tasha dishing up key lime pie.

It really was difficult to leave the next morning, especially as we all sat in our jammies, watching PBS shows, and thinking about how little I wanted to drive across that hot desert.

But we did.

And luckily, Christasha and the boys do not live that far away.

This is See Ya Later

2011-06-27T23:13:00.000-06:00

And my stuff fit with room to spare!

While the packing did blow, the actual moving part wasn't too bad given the amount of help I had on Thursday night. So many people showed up that we formed an assembly line from the apartment to the POD. And my dad was in town which made all of that annoying errand-running that needed to be done bearable.

See ya later, stuff.

In the later evening, I decided that Dad and I needed to head up Big Cottonwood Canyon, so I could say farewell to my mountain home.

We stopped at Silver Lake.

And we marveled at all of the snow still sticking around.

My one wish on that evening drive was to see a moose, so I was a bit disappointed when we didn't see a moose hanging around those marshy parts.

But luckily, the canyon did not disappoint me.

Hello, moose!

And then, we ate ice cream for dinner (frozen hot chocolate for me, double chocolate malt for Dad).

I think it was a perfect ending to my six years living in Salt Lake City.

xoxo

Packing Blows

2011-06-23T16:38:00.000-06:00

POD mid-delivery

Here's to hoping that all of my crap fits into that pod thing.

The Last Hurrah: El Fin

2011-06-22T19:50:00.000-06:00

The Grand Staircase-Escalante

Sunday morning was lazy: lounging in bed, watching cable TV, grabbing snacks from the free continental breakfast. Christian left us to return to SLC for Father's Day celebrating. The rest of us took the Highway 12 Scenic Byway and headed to Boulder for brunch at Hell's Backbone Grill. And like Cafe Diablo, it's one of the 1,000 places you're supposed to visit before you die. HBG also seems to receive a lot more word-of-mouth press than Diablo and despite my really good eggs and oatmeal toast with homemade jam, my vote is still with Diablo. Still, HBG was pretty dang good, too.

Besides eating, our plan for the day was to hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls. The day had started out rather cool with lots of rain, but for our hike, nature decided to spit a little rain on us before changing to bright blue skies.

And after seeing the Grand Staircase-Escalante area from above, it was nice to delve into one of her canyons.

I love that the bird made the upper-left portion of this shot.

The view heading back out of the canyon.

It really is quite amazing how much cooler it feels once you reach the falls. Two bros spent their time at the falls acting like doofuses, kicking a soccer ball around, ninja fighting, and posing for pictures for their mom.

That drive on the scenic byway is like nothing I have ever seen before. We probably stopped at every single turn-out and overlook to take pictures and it was worth it every single time.

And lucky for me, the aspens put on a good show as well.

The Last Hurrah: Day Two

2011-06-21T12:39:00.000-06:00

Hickman Natural Bridge

(I should be packing, but writing a blog post is a good avoidance tool).

I don't know what it was about the two hikes we did on Saturday, but they killed me. I blame it on the sun and lack of shade and warmer temps and soft sand. All of those seem like completely plausible reasons for my lameness.

Hickman Natural Bridge was cool because it provided shade under the arch. Paul also made friends with some lady who was driving a U-Haul from Madison, WI to San Diego. She was the first of many friends that Paul would make on this trip.

After the bridge, we started a U-shaped hike that was somewhere between 8-11 miles. No one seems to really know. I'm going to say it was 11 miles since that makes my lameness not as lame.

Christian, me, Paul, Bryanne, and Steve | Photo courtesy of Steve

But it provided some great views of Capitol Reef, taking us up and up and up and down to Cassidy Arch before dropping us into Grand Wash for the walk back to one of the cars.

Wolf's Tooth

Christian, Paul, and Steve taking a break and a look.

Christian venturing on what he referred to as his "moon walk."

The gang atop Cassidy Arch | Photo courtesy of Steve

Cassidy Arch heading towards the Grand Wash.

I love the West for views such as this very one.

In the Grand Wash.

And while the hiking was great, dinner that night at Cafe Diablo was memorable. On the hike, Christian was asking all of us about our most memorable food experiences. All I could think about was how I wanted a Slurpee, which is not terribly memorable. But dinner that night was really time and food worth savoring--a perfect combination of scenery, great weather, food, and company. I'm still thinking about that chocolate bomb of a dessert I ate with the homemade black cherry ice cream. Oh man.

There is also something about being out in nature (or on vacation) that makes the whole world loosen up a bit. Somehow it's easier to strike up conversations with total strangers when you're eating good food or trekking across the desert together. Maybe it's one of the many reasons I like that nature time so much; we all tend to have a bit more time (myself included) to be a bit kinder. And so it really shouldn't have been a surprise that after we picked up a couple who was hitchhiking back to their car (that turned out to be 10 miles away), they showed up at the restaurant that night and kicked in $60 towards our tab. I like stuff like that. But then, who doesn't?

Really just one great day.

Last Hurrah: Day One

2011-06-20T16:50:00.000-06:00

Somewhere between Scipio and Torrey, UT

I had never made the drive from SLC to Torrey, Utah via the highway that turns off at Scipio until this past weekend. And I realize that all of us living here in the Mountain West probably sound like one long broken record, cycling between, "It's just SO green!" and "The rivers are running SO high!" and "There is still SO much snow!" But those phrases are on repeat because they are very, very true. Come August (or my move in a week), it may difficult to remember that the brown, dry landscape was once so lush. Luckily the weekend drive provided lots of proof. In all of my memories, I do not remember the West looking this way.

Given our flexibility, Christian and I headed down to Torrey before the rest of the group, providing us with an opportunity to visit the Sunglow Restaurant in Bicknell and sample their famous sweet pickle and pinto bean pies.

That's pinto bean, oatmeal, buttermilk, and sweet pickle pies.

The Sunglow is a typical small town restaurant filled with locals and nondescript food, but it was worth the stop to try these interesting pie flavors. Christian voted for the pinto bean (I thought it had a beany aftertaste--go figure) and I liked the buttermilk. The sweet pickle was much too sweet for both of us.

After our early dinner, we were looking forward to several more hours of sunlight in Capitol Reef National Park, but the weather had different plans for us.

Luckily for Christian the weather did not deter him from snapping self-photo after self-photo after self-photo.

Christian is also undeterred from pointing out his mustache to anyone who will bother to look. What? You can't see the mustache in the picture? Well, even in person, it's difficult to see in the perfect light. But that doesn't stop him from growing it, which is unfortunate for the rest of us.

We did manage a short scenic drive around parts of the park before the rain and signs warning us of flash floods made us drive back to the motel.

I do suggest stopping at the Fruita schoolhouse that is in the park and pressing the button on the information sign. If you do so, you'll be lucky to hear some nearly-dead woman recount her experiences teaching in that school. Listening to that recording in the dark made her voice even creepier.

Avalanche

2011-06-17T09:12:00.001-06:00

Matt is one of the first of many people I met when I moved to SLC six years ago. And we have had plenty of interesting outdoor adventures--the majority of which have gotten us into some sort of predicament. I could completely blame Matt for getting us into these predicaments, but many are just as much my fault as his.

Last night Matt and I attempted one last short adventure before I left. We figured that we might be thwarted from driving across Camelback Ridge due to some still melting snow, but we did not anticipate that the "Road Closed" sign meant that the road was impassable due to a 1/2 mile wide avalanche slide.

But it was. Despite being unable to make it to our final destination, it was really cool to see the aftereffects that the powerful force of all that snow left behind. The pile of snow left on the road was at least 10 feet high, which means it will be a while before that road opens again. Matt and I both commented that it would have been awesome to have seen that avalanche in action from a safe distance.

The drive was still lovely--all those Aspens and green and mountains and nature and stuff.

Luckily, I believe that Matt is one of those friends who will still be a good friend despite distance. And I hope I'm right because I could use a few more good predicaments in my life.

Care-E-Oh-Key

2011-06-16T08:41:00.001-06:00

Karaoke Divas: Erin, Keri, Dianne, & Krista

In 2004, twenty of my friends and I boarded a cruise ship sailing on a "Texarribean" route and we fell into a pretty standard evening routine: return from port, shower, head to dinner, eat until we were full, eat some more, attend the after-dinner entertainment, and then, karaoke.

In this cruise ship setting, it was generally far more entertaining to watch the intoxicated cruise passengers try their hand at ~~singing~~ screeching than participate, although a few of our group members were brave souls.

I have always claimed that karaoke is "not my thing" and am content to be a spectator.

Several months ago, for Keri's birthday, she wanted to karaoke and reserved a room at the Karaoke Cafe in downtown Murray. I don't know what it was about our little karaoke room that we were in which made us feel like we were closed off from the rest of the world (despite the live-streaming to the Universe), but I sang a group song. And then, I sang a solo.

We created some energy in that place. And I left hoarse. And I wanted to return.

So Karaoke Cafe made it to the Utah Bucket List and was accomplished on Saturday night. It really was a memorable and fun evening made extra-special by one Jared Clark. You'll notice him lerping in the background during "Ghostbusters."

I wish we have had the cafe to ourselves, but other patrons were in the room next to ours. As I crossed the threshold to the other room, an older woman announced to me, "You guys are awesome! Do you come here every week?"

Only in your dreams, lady. Only in your dreams.

When Moving, Books Are Evil

2011-06-13T18:28:00.000-06:00

That is 11 boxes of books that will be shipped just to my new office. Many more personal books to pack.

Ugh.

And that is also the feeling I experience every time I open my eyes in the morning: Ugh.

It's become a morning routine in the past week. Eyes open. Feeling of dread. And then, I repeat the following phrases to myself:

I can do hard things.

Faith, not fear.

And I count the remaining days and get on with life because that's what you do.

Spiral Jetty Camera Pictures

2011-06-09T16:05:00.000-06:00

The good news is that not only was my phone insured (so I was able to pick up a new one today), but my pictures from yesterday's jetty trip also made it back alive.

Winning!

So just indulge me a bit, since I'm a gimp who limps these days.

Love. Love. Love.

Spiral Jetty Take 2: A Comedy of Errors

2011-06-09T10:12:00.000-06:00

Right: Spiral Jetty on May 25, 2010; Left: Spiral Jetty on June 8, 2011

After seeing Heidi's pictures from her trip the Spiral Jetty last week, I was amazed by how drastically the landscape around the jetty has changed in a year's time. I wanted to get back before I moved because I really do think it's one of the more beautiful places on Earth. So Steve, Bob, and Bob's friend, Steffan, and I headed out to the jetty just as a storm moved into the valley. I was a bit worried that the rain would ruin our plans, but instead the storm paused in time for us to explore the jetty and provided a really amazing backdrop.

However, I should have been worried about other things. Given that the jetty is almost submerged by the Great Salt Lake, I decided to remove my Birkenstocks and simply wade around. I also decided to shove my phone into my back jean pocket, thinking it would be safer there than in my jacket pocket. But because I had to take pictures using my phone, the phone did not stay long in that pocket. As I swiftly removed the phone, I also unknowingly took with it my debit card. The debit card went flying, arching high and landing outside of the jetty in a cloud of salty, briny water. I saw it from the corner of my eye, but didn't fully realize what had happened until Steve exclaimed, "Your debit card!"

I didn't have much hope that we'd be able to retrieve the debit card, since we were searching by touch, moving our feet through the sand. But we did. Success! Not wanting to lose the card a second time, I handed it to Steve to put in a buttoned pocket. And then, we resumed our exploration of the jetty, wading knee deep along its outside. I stopped to take a picture of Bob who had waded a far distance from the jetty, placed the phone in my back pocket again and took a step backwards. Hands down.

My heel hit one of the jagged, submerged rocks, sending me backwards and onto my butt.

With that clumsy fall, my phone became the next drowning victim of the Great Salt Lake. I may have muttered a few choice words and then laughed because seriously? SERIOUSLY! Debit card and then my phone! I would have traded the jetty my debit card for my phone.

Soaked with grimy salt water and cold, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and headed back to the truck, content to view the jetty from afar. But as I went to put my Birkenstocks back on my feet, I discovered that the jagged, submerged rock had left me with two more presents--1) a large gash in my heel, which was now bleeding and 2) a strip of sticky tar on the same foot's arch.

Awesome.

I also love that when I asked Steve to send me some pictures from his camera, he sent me like 2 pictures of the jetty and more pictures of me having to scrape the tar off of my foot with a knife. Notice Steve's first-aid handy work on my heel. I'll spare you the close-up picture of my foot.

But despite the dead phone and the gash in my foot and the tar (nail polish remover removes everything!), the evening was one of the best. I have never seen the area so green and alive. As we drove back towards the Wasatch Range, we watched the clouds cascade down the mountains like fingers and viewed a vivid rainbow that spanned the entire landscape. The land was blanketed with deep, dark purple flowers, giving a whole, new meaning to "purple mountain majesties."

Bob commented that the evening was the most colorful days that he could remember. And I would have to agree. Despite my clumsiness, it was one of those evenings that I wish I could package away forever.

Change Up

2011-06-07T22:52:00.000-06:00

Longer hair means not having to wear it the same way. Every. Single. Day.

Just embracing some small change that I can control before change decides to explode all over my face.

Again

2011-06-03T16:10:00.000-06:00

Are you tired of me posting pictures from my hikes/trail runs in the foothills?

Too bad because here are some more from this morning.

I read an email before I had even gotten out of my bed that gave me some sucktastic news. Note to self: In bed, do not check email--only play WordFeud.

My mom is in town, so she witnessed my ranting and thrashing first hand. And it couldn't have been pretty given my typical grumpy morning-ness and the significantly large zit on the tip of my chin and my ugly crying. My dad was privy to just the crying on the phone. Lucky him.

Given that the morning would be useless in regards to work productivity, I headed to the foothills, charged up those dang mountains, collapsed at the top of one for a bit, and then ran back down.

Two hours after reading the email, I felt human again.

And clearly, May showers have led to June flowers.

Poignant Words

2011-06-01T19:20:00.000-06:00

I started reading Aron Ralston's memoir, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, which recounts his arrowing 127 hours with his right arm pinned by a rock in a slot canyon in Canyonlands National Park. I recall hearing on the news about the miraculous rescue of this man after he sawed his own arm off and have also seen the movie version of this story.

Even though I am familiar with the story--and know the outcome--I read the first and last chapters of the book and flipped through the picture inserts last night. As one might imagine, the movie doesn't provide a whole lot of details about the after-rescue story, so it was nice to get a more complete version.

And last night I was also having one of those freak-outs where you realize that what you're thinking isn't rational or logical, but completely hinged on the emotional. The reality of moving and leaving a good six years of life in SLC hit me. So sometimes it takes a bit of perspective to place emotions back into balance. And Aron Ralston provided that bit of that balance last night.

At the very end of the book, he reflects on his decision to continue hiking the slot canyon solo instead of heading out with the two female hikers he met at the beginning of his journey. He states that he has no regrets and then says:

"Indeed, it has affirmed my belief that our purpose as spiritual beings is to follow our bliss, seek our passions, and live our lives as inspirations to each other. Everything else flows from that. When we find inspiration, we need to take action for ourselves and for our communities. Even if it means making a hard choice or cutting out something and leaving it in your past.

Saying farewell is also a bold and powerful beginning."

--Aron Ralston, Between a Rock and a Hard Place

A Last Look at Bells Canyon

2011-05-31T18:15:00.001-06:00

An upper-body workout + Urban Frisbee Golf + evening hike on Friday exhausted me, but then I was also determined to fit in another hike on Saturday morning before the weather turned lame again.

Enter Bells Canyon--a hike I last did in 2008 (I hadn't realized that it's been that long! I still have a scar on my leg from that hike). And it looks essentially the same. Imagine that! Except that there is a whole lot more snow on the upper peaks of the mountains and I didn't take a picture of them, so you can just believe me--or look out your window.

The cascade featuring a whole LOT of water.

Sister Extraordinaire who was a good sport about our super fast hiking pace.

Steve would have you think that something scandalous was going on here--there was not.

I think a view is one of the best rewards of a hike.

And Shelby clearly thought her phone provided a better view.

The trail was inundated by Boy Scouts--all smelling like campfire and many wearing flip flops.

And while they proved most amusing, I wish we had been able to determine the owner of who had parked his PT Cruiser at the trail head.

It truly was a sight to behold. And one that I fortunately do not understand.

Just Beyond the Sunset

2011-05-30T13:11:00.000-06:00

Sunset over the Salt Lake Valley

Evening hikes really are one of the best things about the sun setting later and later. And Friday evening's weather was perfect for a hiking adventure in the mountains just above Red Butte Garden and the University of Utah. The storm stayed to the West of us, providing a spectacular sunset.

Our intended destination was what is called "The Living Room," but we never found it. Instead, we settled on a different peak, which afforded us a great view, too.

And so we settled in, eating Alberto's burritos and ginger cookies.

It really was a perfect evening--a great start to the Memorial Day Weekend. It's hard to believe that a dusting of snow now covers these very mountains.

Frisbee Golfing: The Urban Way

2011-05-29T17:25:00.001-06:00

Friday afternoon involved some urban Frisbee golf with Brandon.

This was no ordinary Frisbee golf. It involved each of us taking turns on deciding the hole and the par. Holes included street signs, mail boxes, memorial plaques, the bison statues at the SLC Visitor's Center, etc.
Obstacles included parked and moving cars, pedestrians, creeks, and stairwells.

In case you were wondering, throwing a frisbee up a stairwell is challenging, especially when you are trying to throw the frisbee from below the retaining wall and not throw it in the bushes.

Our turn-back point was the Capitol. Brandon spent most of the game WAY ahead of me--in distance and in score.

Brandon showcasing the beehive--one of the holes.

The Capitol Lions should have been an easy hole--and they were for Brandon. The stupid wind took my frisbee and deposited it FAR below the target. I think Brandon enjoyed mocking me for my pathetic frisbee skills.

Along our frisbee sojourn, we discovered that our state legislators must no longer care about feeding the feral cats that live on the Capitol grounds, since they would rather shoot them instead.

Amazing the things you learn about your city when shimmying under trees and bushes and things.

And in case you were wondering...

Score:
Brandon: -20
Naomi: +5

They Sang as They Walked

2011-05-27T11:38:00.000-06:00

I'm going to say something that may not be very popular with some. And here it is...

I thought the U2 concert on Tuesday night was just okay--not mind-blowing, not the best concert ever. Just okay. I first saw U2 in concert with RG and Greg when I lived in Phoenix and this 2nd time seemed very much like a repeat of the first except they had a stage contraption called "The Claw." I kept thinking about the villain in Inspector Gadget who had the very same name.

There was a lot of pageantry and special effects and Bono can still jump around like a 25-year-old and say incomprehensible things to which people still applaud. And my mediocre response probably means I hate AIDS victims or democracy or something. I did have a good time, but the next morning, I thought about listening to some Achtung Baby and decided against it. And so, I think the rapture could really happen this time on October 21st and I'd be just fine.

But in other news, I went on what was supposed to be a short, leisurely stroll last night with a friend simply to celebrate that it wasn't raining! and this short stroll turned into 7 miles of walking.

We walked to Liberty Park, did some swinging on the swings, watched a touch football game, checked out the cleaned up park pond, then headed towards home, grabbed frozen yogurt at Maverick, then met up with Brandon who was determined the play Frisbee on the Capitol lawn.

I was amused by the name of this port-a-potty and the couple making out in front of the soldier statue at the Capitol. I did not get a picture of him smothering her. You are most welcome.

And near the end of the evening, I was hating my Converse and thin socks. But the evening did make me want warm Summer nights more than ever.